Chapter XXIII
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What was going on? Where was Aluka?
"Come on Aluka, this is stupid," said Van Helsing angrily, thinking that perhaps she was just hiding from him. There was no response.
"Aluka, are you in here? Because if you are, this isn't funny, I'm trying to apologize," said Van Helsing, slightly goaded that after forcing himself against better judgment to apologize, she was playing a joke on him.
"Okay, fine, if you are going to be like that," said Van Helsing leaving. He slammed the door, and went up to the library, fuming. Noticing this, and slightly worried, Carl decided to speak.
"Um, how did it go?" asked Carl, quietly.
"It didn't 'go'. She was in there ignoring me. I don't care anymore," said Gabriel, looking tired and somewhat defeated in his armchair.
"I see. I wonder why she was hiding from you?" mused Carl aloud.
"Yeah, me too," whispered Van Helsing, in deep thought.
"I mean, I never heard her go back in her room." Van Helsing turned and looked at Carl after this comment.
"What do you mean?" he said slowly, the anger he had felt earlier slowly ebbing into slight concern.
"I mean, a while back, when you were in your room, brooding (Van Helsing gave him a dirty look)-uh, thinking, Aluka told me she was going for a ride." Carl didn't exactly see the facts in what he had just said, and was alarmed when Van Helsing nearly ran out of the room.
"Oh, this is not good, very not good," Van Helsing was muttering to himself under his breath as he rushed to Aluka's room, kicking the door open in his haste.
"Aluka, are you in here?! Answer me now if you are!!" He waited to see if there would be response. After a moment of waiting, in which Carl came rushing in, there was no reply.
"Oh damn it. Carl, why didn't you tell me you didn't remember her coming back?" Carl looked very uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, I forgot," and he looked like he was sincere. Van Helsing frowned.
"Okay then Carl, oh forgetful one-," Carl looked down, "Where is she then?"
"I do---not know," Carl said, also frowning.
There was a pause in which both Carl and Van Helsing were thinking of where she could be. True, Gabriel wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing her again, but it wasn't as if he wanted her to be dead. And noting how this particular area of the world was, death was something that you could most likely find on the street corners.
Aluka didn't know where she was. She had gone for a ride, trying to avoid Gabriel. No. Van Helsing. She was stupid to think he would keep his promise. 'Men are so dishonest,' she thought, as she left the Valerious Manor on horseback.
She had ridden through the town, and onto a path in the woods, not intending got be out more than an hour. How very wrong she was. Aluka would definitely be out more that an hour.
She had stopped near the graveyard, noticing that it was getting dark, and decided to go back up to the Manor. Until something collided hard with the side of her head. She screamed in pain, as what felt like claws ripped at her back. It was claws, and the claws belonged to a werewolf.
"How stupid can I be? Being out on a full moon!" she thought to herself. It was a full moon, and she should have been more cautious and gone back to the manor sooner. She hadn't even been armed very well before she left. She tried to reach for any weapons she might have, but was found wanting.
"Oh shit!," she screamed, flying through the air as the werewolf tossed her, and she banged her head against a tree, knocking her out completely. She woke up alone, and didn't remember where she was, or how she had got there...
Van Helsing was in the armory, stocking up on weapons to take on any beast. He grabbed stakes, silver, a few crucifixes, and the other normal array of items, including, of course, his trusty crossbow. He had to find Aluka, no matter how dangerous going out on a full moon would be. It was probably worse for her already, anyways.
Van Helsing left fully armed, with Carl behind him.
"Think she's okay?" asked Carl quietly. There was a slight pause.
"Yeah. She knows how to handle things like this." Well, at least, I think she does, thought Van Helsing as he mounted his horse. They rode on a trail and through a town. Van Helsing was approaching the cemetery, cautiously, when he heard something.
"Oh shit!" someone screamed. Not someone, Aluka.
Van Helsing rode forward, and saw Aluka knocked out on the ground, a werewolf hovering over her. He took out his gun, with silver bullets, and as he aimed, Carl sneezed. The werewolf looked their direction, but did not attack them. It did quite the opposite, and ran in the different direction, Aluka's jacket in its mouth.
Then Gabriel got it. It was working for Dracula. The werewolves were once again in league with him. He groaned audibly, not particularly pleased with this realization. But he couldn't let Aluka just be taken to Dracula. It would definitely mean her death.
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-the evil platypus of doom