Chapter 8: Searching for the Unseen

"Come on!" cried Van Helsing, running out of the room. "He can't have gone far!"

"But how can we find him if he's invisible?" Carl asked.

"He'll have the book." Anna said. "We can see that."

The three of them ran outside. "Has anyone seen a floating book?" Carl shouted. The villagers looked at him like he was crazy. Carl must have realized how strange he must have sounded because he gave a nervous smile. "Never mind. Just ignore me."

"Come on, this way." cried Van Helsing.

He took off giving no indication of where he was going. Anna and Carl followed close behind him.

"Where are we going?" Carl asked, struggling to keep up with the other two.

"To Castle Frankenstein." Van Helsing replied. "There must be another door. Dracula and his servants were going back and forth between the two castles. He must be heading for it."

Carl began falling behind. "Well can we stop for a rest?"

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They were gaining on him. The Invisible Man could hear the friar calling to the other two. How had they caught up with him so quickly. Then again, they were expert monster hunters, at least two of them were.

Then it hit him. Why was he running? He was the one with the advantage. They should be running from him. Be afraid that he was standing right beside them and not knowing.

"Time to take advantage of my special ability." he thought smugly.

He set the Necronomicon down and stood several feet back, waiting.

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Van Helsing, Anna, and Carl continued there way through the woods. They were close, Van Helsing could sense it. The Invisible Man was nearby. So was the Necronomicon. It was a strange feeling he got from the book. It wasn't a feeling of evil, not quite, but not one of good either. It was a blank nothingness. They book was like a black hole. Perhaps it was because it could be used for good or evil. But Van Helsing didn't sense either of these forces within the book. It was just… nothing. What it was capable of in the wrong hands... No! They would get the book back. There was no other option.

Van Helsing came to a sudden stop. "Well speak of the devil." The Necronomicon was laying in the snow a few feet away.

Carl and Anna came up beside him. "Well, that wasn't so hard."

Van Helsing rolled his eyes. This was clearly a trap. He took out his guns. He may not be able to see the Invisible Man, but he could sense him. He was here. Somewhere.

Carl made an attempt to pick up the book, but Van Helsing held out a hand to stop him. "Don't!" he said sharply. "He's still here."

Oh he was still there alright. And less than 10 feet away. Out in the open, yet remaining unseen. He slowly approached the Van Helsing. The monster hunter was looking right at him and didn't even know it. It would be so easy. Just sneak up on them and snap their neck in one quick motion. The Invisible Man had done this countless times. He loved seeing that look of shock on their face before they died.

Invisible beads of sweat ran down his unseen face. He was less than three feet away. Holding his breath so he wouldn't make a sound, he slowly reached for Van Helsing, ready to ring his hands around his neck.

Van Helsing was completely oblivious to the danger at hand. Well, not entirely oblivious. He knew the Invisible man was here. But he did not know that he was standing right in front of him.

His eyes scanned the area, looking for something, anything. Any sign that indicated where the Invisible Man was. Then he saw it. The sign he was looking for. There, in the snow. Footprints! They could only belong to one person. Who else ran around barefoot in the snow? They led from where the Necronomicon lay, then went 10 feet to the right, then… right in front of him!

BANG! Van Helsing fired his gun. Anna and Carl jumped at the sudden noise. Then they spotted the bullet floating in midair, right in front of Van Helsing. Then slowly it fell backwards. The imprint of a man landed in the snow. The bullet hovered a few inches off the ground.

The Invisible Man was breathing heavily. He looked up at Van Helsing. "How… did you… know… that I… that I…"

Van Helsing glared at the spot the Invisible Man was laying. "You could hide yourself, but you left your mark in the snow."

It took a minute for the Invisible Man to realize what he was talking about. Then he let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a cough. "I see. Very… clever… You've bested me… I congratulate you…"

Then his breathing stopped. A few seconds passed, and then the Van Helsing, Anna, and Carl watched in amazement as the Invisible Man became visible. He was very, clearly dead.

Van Helsing did the sign of the cross. "God rest your soul." he said in Latin. Carl followed suit.

A loud roar filled came from up above. Something soared down from the sky. It looked like a large gray demonic bat. Orlok was furious. His Invisible Man had been one of his best minions. Now he was gone. Killed by Van Helsing! No matter. Once he had the Necronomicon he would be in command on the dead.

But he had groan desperate. He feared that Van Helsing might think it would be too risky to keep the Necronomicon and destroy it. No, he couldn't let that happen. Everything would be ruined. Orlok had grown desperate enough to come out in broad daylight, the clouds providing enough shade for him to survive, in order to make sure the plan went well. But it hadn't. And it was all thanks to Van Helsing.

But now the Necronomicon was just a few feet away. His arms reaching for it as his large bat wings brought him to his prize.

Van Helsing saw Orlok heading for the book. So the old vampire was desperate enough to come out during the day, was he. He took aimed and fired at the demonic creature. Orlok cried out in pain as the bullets slammed him. He reached for the book, but due to Van Helsing shooting at him, his fingers merely grazed it.

Growling in frustration, Orlok doubled back. Van Helsing reached into his coat and pulled out a bottle of holy water. He through it at the deranged vampire. He fired at the bottle, causing it to shatter, spraying holy water all over Orlok.

The water burned like acid, and Orlok went spinning into a tree. Van Helsing made an attempt to get to the book.

"Gabriel!" Anna shouted, as Orlok flew towards the monster hunter.

Van Helsing was one step ahead of her. He tossed his guns to the side as he grabbed the book. He reached into his coat and pulled out a crucifix. He turned around, holding the cross out to Orlok.

The ancient vampire changed direction in when he was a few feet away. He couldn't stand to be anywhere near the cross. He couldn't even bare to look at it. He hovered in midair for a moment, glaring at Van Helsing.

Suddenly he began to feel hot. Very hot. Looking up, Orlok saw that the sky was beginning to clear. He had to leave now or risk being burned to death by the sun. But the book. It was right there! Not 20 feet away. But Van Helsing was keeping him at bay with the crucifix. Why did he have to have such a stupid weakness?

But then an interesting thought occurred to him. Van Helsing may be the greatest monster hunter to ever live, but he still had weaknesses too. And Orlok knew what it was.

He swooped down. Van Helsing held the cross high, thinking the vampire was going to attack. But Orlok flew right by him. Van Helsing was confused at first, but then he saw what Orlok was going for. Anna!

Anna pretty much came to the same conclusion. She turned around to run, but Orlok was too fast. He grabbed hold of her and took flight. Anna tried to struggle, but was no match for Orlok's supernatural undead strength.

"If you want to see her alive again, be in the cemetery by midnight! Alone and unarmed!" Orlok called back to Van Helsing, who was running after them but falling behind. "Not one second later, or else I won't just kill her, I'll turn her!"

Van Helsing ran after them until they were out of sight. He fell to his knees and began pounding the ground. Anna was gone. He had lost her, again.

(A/N: Well that's all for now. Hope you all enjoyed it. You know what I enjoy? Reviews! Yay!)