Chapter 5
This couldn´t be true. It simply couldn´t! Anna had shown so much strength and still he captured her. She tried everything: kicking, beating, screaming. But she couldn´t escape Dracula. Anna watched the icy palace get closer and closer and then... he dropped her.
She didn´t fall from a big high but it still hurt because she landed right on frozen lake. "Ouch", she muttured.
"You should be happy that the ice didn´t break!", Dracula called from a safe place.
Slowly Anna got to her feet just to land on her butt again. The vampire smirked. "You did that on purpose, didn´t you?" She decided to crawl over the ice. Anna would never give him the pleasure of another fall.
Suddenly she was pulled on her feet by magic. But that wasn´t enough. It seemed as if an invincible rope pulled her foward. She tripped and fell.
Dracula broke into hysterical laughter. Anna hadn´t even expected that he could lose control over himself that much.
With a loud cracking sound the thin ice under the princess´ body broke and she fell in the cold water. Anna´s body felt as if a thousand nails pierced her skin. She tried to get out as she moved her legs violently. But the ice broke again and again. Slowly she felt herself get numb.
Her arms felt unable to move. "Grab my arm!" Anna didn´t know who was speaking anymore. She reached up to get hold of the arm and was pulled outside.
Like a baby Dracula held her close to his body and wrapped his cloak around her.
Anna´s body was shaking heavily from the cold and each breath seemed to tear her lungs.
"I´m sorry", she heard a voice whisper before she closed her eyes. But somebody rocked her. "Stay awake now!" Yet she couldn´t. Her eyes felt heavier than ever. She closed them again and let sleep consume her.
"NO! You mustn´t fall asleep! Please!"
The voice Anna heard sounded like miles away. She wasn´t able to response but something inside her screamed: Open your eyes! Open your eyes!
Her eyes shot open all of sudden. A feeling of pain went right through her. Her body was getting "alive" again. She whimpered silently. Anna could feel two strong arms holding her tightly. "There, there, everything´s alright." Softly Dracula rocked her back and fourth, whispering silent words in her ear.