On certain days and nights, Shirra would have nightmares. Not the kind that
made one sit up in bed and gasp for air-but the type that left one
screaming and thrashing on the floor. But in three consecutive nights, she
would be having nightmares, leaving her sleepless and gasping for non-
existent air. Dracula would then hold her in his arms and watch her till
she fell asleep. She had been having them for so long he knew when they
arrived. She would be silently mumbling to herself, then fidgeting, moaning
then silence...only for her to awake screaming, flailing her limbs.
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"What...happens in your dreams?"
asked Dracula when they were reading in the library one night. Shirra stared into space, an open book in her hands but its contents were certainly not on her mind. Her eyes were tired.
"I see-a kaledioscope of images: Myself on a stake...You bleeding to Death...Alina drained of blood...My family..."
She stopped. She could not go on. Crimson tears rolled down her face, resembling rubies.
"I know-they are merely dreams....but they are so real-
She looked up. Two crimson trails stained her marble cheek. She dropped her book and cradled her face in her hands.
"I swear I shall go mad if this goes on."
Dracula pulled his fledgling into his arms and dried her tears and gently soothed her. As she slept peacefully-for now-he bit her wrist and drank some of her blood. With it, he absorbed her thoughts and her emotions. Later, he would fight her fears for her if he could.
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Shirra stood at a lake, washing her face. She wore a flowing white dress made out of silk. She heard footsteps. She turned to see Velkan-to her relief.
"Velkan! What are you doing here-
Velkan embraced her like a lover.
"What are you doing here?"
she repeated.
"Revenge."
"What-
She pulled away from him-and saw a stake in his hand.
"What is this?"
Velkan's handsome face became a sneer. Anna came out of the darkness, her face grim. In her hands, a stake too.
"You left my beloved brother-for Satan's bastard child?!"
"I thought you forgave him...I thought you understood?!"
"Did we say that?"
She turned to see Van Helsing and Carl.Each held stakes in their hands, their faces were stone cold. Alina bared her neck, revealing two angry puckers. She too held a stake.
"Some friend you are."
She spat. Her family glared at her.
"Disgraceful, ingratful child."
She fell to the floor, covering her ears. This could not be true...Slowly, they surrounded her. Velkan came forth with the silver stake.
"Die, devil wench."
He snarled, before plunging it into her back...
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Dracula watched the scene with unfolding horror. Him perhaps but certainly not her! He cried out to her but it appeared it was all in vain, for the stake loomed ever closer...
When she looked up and caught it with her bare hands.
Or not.
"You are not Velkan."
She whispered.
Velkan looked shocked. The silver stake sizzled in her hands but she refused to let go. She got up and looked around.
"You aren't who you think you are!"
she yelled. All dropped the stakes, angry yet-scared?
"IMPOSTORS! COWARDS! ILLUSIONS! MY FAMILY LOVES ME! SO DOES ALINA-AND VELKAN TOO! AND I KNOW IT!"
They backed away. Fear was written all over their faces. Dracula then threw a conjured pistol to her. She caught it without even turning back. She unsheathed it.
"No...you can't-you won't..."
"No,I believe this pistol is real and I believe it is possible to take you down-and I SHALL."
She pulled the trigger and shot- the space behind Velkan. Ina flash, the images faded, leaving a horse-faced creature lay on the floor, dead. The name NIGHT MARE was tattooed on its neck. It too faded after some time. Turning to Dracula, she looked at him-and passed out.
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She awoke then. Dracula watched her sit up.
"How do you feel?"
She didn't answer him.
"Thank you, my Lord. You saved me there."
"YOU did, my love."
"No, if you hadn't called out to me-I wouldn't have snapped out of it. I would have believed the illusions."
"I believe common sense also helped in that area."
"Yes...I realised that my true family would not stoop so low to kill their own flesh and blood..."
"Silly girl-isn't THAT obvious?"
He chided her lightly, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes again-and for the first time in days, she fell into a dreamless slumber. She need not fear anything-not when she ahd a angel of darkness to watch over her.
ANYONE CATCH THE IRONY IN THE LAST LINE?
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"What...happens in your dreams?"
asked Dracula when they were reading in the library one night. Shirra stared into space, an open book in her hands but its contents were certainly not on her mind. Her eyes were tired.
"I see-a kaledioscope of images: Myself on a stake...You bleeding to Death...Alina drained of blood...My family..."
She stopped. She could not go on. Crimson tears rolled down her face, resembling rubies.
"I know-they are merely dreams....but they are so real-
She looked up. Two crimson trails stained her marble cheek. She dropped her book and cradled her face in her hands.
"I swear I shall go mad if this goes on."
Dracula pulled his fledgling into his arms and dried her tears and gently soothed her. As she slept peacefully-for now-he bit her wrist and drank some of her blood. With it, he absorbed her thoughts and her emotions. Later, he would fight her fears for her if he could.
8888888888
Shirra stood at a lake, washing her face. She wore a flowing white dress made out of silk. She heard footsteps. She turned to see Velkan-to her relief.
"Velkan! What are you doing here-
Velkan embraced her like a lover.
"What are you doing here?"
she repeated.
"Revenge."
"What-
She pulled away from him-and saw a stake in his hand.
"What is this?"
Velkan's handsome face became a sneer. Anna came out of the darkness, her face grim. In her hands, a stake too.
"You left my beloved brother-for Satan's bastard child?!"
"I thought you forgave him...I thought you understood?!"
"Did we say that?"
She turned to see Van Helsing and Carl.Each held stakes in their hands, their faces were stone cold. Alina bared her neck, revealing two angry puckers. She too held a stake.
"Some friend you are."
She spat. Her family glared at her.
"Disgraceful, ingratful child."
She fell to the floor, covering her ears. This could not be true...Slowly, they surrounded her. Velkan came forth with the silver stake.
"Die, devil wench."
He snarled, before plunging it into her back...
888888888888
Dracula watched the scene with unfolding horror. Him perhaps but certainly not her! He cried out to her but it appeared it was all in vain, for the stake loomed ever closer...
When she looked up and caught it with her bare hands.
Or not.
"You are not Velkan."
She whispered.
Velkan looked shocked. The silver stake sizzled in her hands but she refused to let go. She got up and looked around.
"You aren't who you think you are!"
she yelled. All dropped the stakes, angry yet-scared?
"IMPOSTORS! COWARDS! ILLUSIONS! MY FAMILY LOVES ME! SO DOES ALINA-AND VELKAN TOO! AND I KNOW IT!"
They backed away. Fear was written all over their faces. Dracula then threw a conjured pistol to her. She caught it without even turning back. She unsheathed it.
"No...you can't-you won't..."
"No,I believe this pistol is real and I believe it is possible to take you down-and I SHALL."
She pulled the trigger and shot- the space behind Velkan. Ina flash, the images faded, leaving a horse-faced creature lay on the floor, dead. The name NIGHT MARE was tattooed on its neck. It too faded after some time. Turning to Dracula, she looked at him-and passed out.
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She awoke then. Dracula watched her sit up.
"How do you feel?"
She didn't answer him.
"Thank you, my Lord. You saved me there."
"YOU did, my love."
"No, if you hadn't called out to me-I wouldn't have snapped out of it. I would have believed the illusions."
"I believe common sense also helped in that area."
"Yes...I realised that my true family would not stoop so low to kill their own flesh and blood..."
"Silly girl-isn't THAT obvious?"
He chided her lightly, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes again-and for the first time in days, she fell into a dreamless slumber. She need not fear anything-not when she ahd a angel of darkness to watch over her.
ANYONE CATCH THE IRONY IN THE LAST LINE?