Chapter 2
Tonight everything was quiet. Tonight the owls didn't hoot, the wolves didn't howl and the crickets didn't chirps. Even the barn animals were silent. Maybe the animals sense danger. Serafina thought. She continued to brush her hip-long, sleek caramel hair. It was just yesterday she received the news that Mirabel had disappeared. It was also yesterday she had arrived in Transylvania from Barcelona, Spain to visit her. Maybe she was kidnapped. Serafina sighed. She could still hear Mira's father talking to the mysterious stranger in the sitting room.
"You believe vampires took my Mirabel?" John exclaimed with a little chuckle. Sera imagined the visitor nodding.
"Yes." The stranger said plainly. I bet he feels he's being mocked. John gave another chuckle.
"You and everybody else in town are all the same. I believe that Mira just ran away or she could have had a secret lover or…." John stopped. He put his hand on his mouth. He was on the verge of tears.
"I am sorry for you and your family, but you have to believe me when I tell you that your daughter was kidnapped by a vampire."
"What am I going to do? I know she ran away. I just know it." John's eyes were bloodshot red. He couldn't hold back the tears. They ran down his bright red, puffy face.
"She didn't want to deal with all these problems. I mean…. I am about to lose my animals and our home. I told the children that they will live with their widow aunt Jolen. And my marriage," He paused for a moment to chuckle "That is going up in flames." It seemed he was ranting more to himself than to the stranger.
"I am truly sorry." The stranger said. He shock his head. "I must go. Good night."
Serafina heard the door slam. She tiptoed to the window. The light coming from the full moon showed clearly his features. He was tall, Sera couldn't guess the exact – or even close- number of his height but he was pretty tall. He wore a leather coat and hat. She spotted his guns, clanging on his hips as he walked. The stranger stopped. He turned around to face the house. Sera couldn't believe what she saw. Could she be dreaming? Could the full moon play tricks on her? His eyes were dreamy brown. His hair was shoulder length, brown and curly. The alignment of his nose, eyes and mouth with a little hint of an oncoming mustache and beard were breathtaking. The stranger tilted his head in a way a gentleman would. Sera couldn't help smiling. He turned away and continued walking disappearing into the shadows of the trees or so it seemed to her. Sera, you're acting like a young girl that had fallen in love. Get over yourself.
She found herself still staring into the darkness of the woods. With another sigh Sera backed away from the window. She kissed the nicely decorated white brush her grandmother gave her for her 21st birthday a few years back, before placing it back in her traveling bag.
"I miss you." She softly whispered. She didn't notice Mirabel's sister, Amelia, standing at the door until she cleared her throat. Sera gasped. "Ay, what do you want?"
Amelia said nothing; just glared at her as if she hated Sera, which she actually did. Sera hissed at her. She was getting sick of Amelia. Sera felt bad for Mira. She had to put up with that evil little sister. Sera flung her bag on the bed.
"Do we have a problem, Amelia?" She asked the 16 year old girl, putting her left hand on her hip, a position she does every time someone makes her irate or irritated.
Amelia shock her head before leaving, closing the door behind her. Sera rolled her eyes. "That girl is a nuisance." She threw her bag across the room. Her diary and a few clothing scattered across the floor.
She sat on Mirabel's soft feather stuffed bed. She toke a quick look around the room. The bed was located in the corner near the wall of Mira's room. The beautiful black armoire Mira's grandmother gave her was across the room, facing the bed. The black nightstand which her grandfather made for her stood near the window, with the small red candle giving the room a little bit of light. Sera didn't like it so much. The candle made the shadows in the room move. Overall, Mira's room was very small. Sera always wondered how they got the furniture in the room.
Sera were too exhausted to blow out the candle. All she wanted to do was sleep. She lay back on the bed. Before she could start thinking about her devastating day in Transylvania, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Sera's sleep was interrupted by a loud bang coming from outside her door. Amelia had shut her bedroom door too hard.
"Damn that girl." Serafina muttered, covering her face with a pillow.
All she wanted to do at that moment was to go back to sleep. She didn't want to deal with Amelia, especially not in the morning. Disappointed Sera couldn't go back to sleep, she decided to get dress.
As she buttoned up her dress, she noticed the candle. Someone came in the room and blew it out. It was probably Anneliese. Mira's mother treated everyone like a child. From Mira's room, Sera could smell the delicious, mouthwatering breakfast Anneliese was known to make. She could smell fresh bread, eggs, and meat. Serafina couldn't wait to try them. Sera walked into the kitchen to find Amelia cooking.
"Well, good morning Serafina." Amelia said, sternly. "Would you like something to eat?"
Sera's eyes grew large. Amelia dropped the plate on the table, letting some of the eggs and meat scatter on the table and the bread fall to the floor. It looked burnt. Suddenly Sera lost her appetite.
"I'm not hungry."
A little disappointed Sera disappeared out the back door.
Amelia shouted behind her, "Mother and Father are still sleeping. They won't wake up until later. Mother told me to cook breakfast. Father wants us to go buy some items at the marketplace." Oh, hell.
Sera couldn't believe a pretty blonde girl like her could be so stupid and cruel. She had to face the fact that Amelia was malicious. That's why she doesn't have any friends. The last time Sera were in Transylvania Amelia had a lover whom she stole from another girl. Another time Amelia smacked her own mother in the face because she wanted to go to a masquerade ball, which she wasn't invited. The host didn't let her in. The worst thing Amelia did that Sera remember was killing a cub. She said it was an accident but Mira and Sera both knew it wasn't. Sera drifted back into the present. Maybe she has changed. She chuckled. Ha! That spawn from hell. But that mother wolf wasn't too happy about the death of her cub. Sera sighed.
She looked at her surroundings. The somewhat tiny 2-story house was surrounded by woods. In daylight, the house looked forsaken and daunting but at night it looked welcoming and inviting. The only thing beautiful was the garden. If only they had enough money to fix the house. The wood looked decayed and gray but the barn looked new. Sera realized how financially bad off the family were. No wonder John was going to lose his home. He spent too much money fixing the barn and buying hay and other goods for the animals. Yet she could understand why they spent so much on the animals. Sera's thoughts toke another turn.
She started thinking about the stranger from last night. Why was he talking about vampires? Any sane person would know that vampires didn't exist. It was just a story to scary little children from doing anything mischievous. His face. She had a vague memory of the stranger's face. Was he beautiful? Was he ugly? Was he rugged? She couldn't remember. She didn't think about it any longer. Sera were starting to get cold. The morning cool breeze turned chilly. It twirled her caramel hair all over the place. Sera didn't bother fixing it. She looked up at the cloud filled sky. It was going to snow.
"Oh, no, Mirabel's garden." Sera gasped, putting her hand on her mouth.
"Oh, forget about it. Mira's not coming back." Before Serafina could do or say anything Amelia had pulled her away, toward the path in the surrounding woods.
Still a little dazed she asked, "Where are we going?"
"To town, silly."
The market place was almost empty. Sera assumed most of the townspeople were inside cowering over false rumors. Besides even if the rumor was true, where would one hide? Sera turned to face Amelia.
"What are we suppose…." She paused. Where did Amelia run off to?
She spotted her standing near the fruit stand talking to a young seller. More like flirting with him. "Ay." Remembering last night what Anneliese needed for cooking, she decided to head for the pottery stand.
The young woman seller looked up from reading a book and smiled a forced smile at Sera. Sera found out that the Transylvanians aren't too fond of strangers. The woman continued her reading. Sera cleared her throat, getting a little annoyed.
"What do you want?" asked the seller slowly and coarsely. She looked up again, this time with piercing green eyes. Sera were tempted to poke her eyes out. She held her ground. It's Amelia's fault for stealing her lover. Why she treating me like this?
"I just want some pots and bowls." Serafina said softly and calmly.
"We aren't…."
"Why don't you just serve the woman." A manly voice boomed from behind Sera. "Serafina Amora Castillo?" Sera turned around to face the mysterious voice. It was the man she saw last night. She remembered him. She remembered how he made her weak in the knees and he still did. He tilted his hat
"Yes?" Sera gave the man a once over look. He was incredibly handsome. In Sera's opinion, he looked better in the dark than in the sunlight. The stranger smiled.
"You are friends with Mirabel, am I correct?" Sera gradually nodded. Who are you?
As if reading her mind, he said, "Excuse me for not introducing myself. I thought John would have told you I would be questioning you. My name, I'm sure you have heard of me, is Van Helsing. Gabriel Van Helsing." To not seem rude, Sera bowed her head.
"Van Helsing, what is it that you want to ask? Is it about the kidnapping of Mirabel?" Sera didn't like it when people talked about her behind her back. Sera knew the seller was listening in on their conversation – if one could call it a conversation. It was more on the lines of interrogating. Sera placed her left hand on her hip. She nodded for him to continue.
"Did Mirabel have a lover or a secret admirer?"
"No. If Mira was in love she would have told me. I'm sure she'd tell me in a letter or even in person. As for the secret admirer, she had a few. Not as much as her bitchy sister, Amelia." Sera motioned her head in the direction of Amelia. "I assume you would ask her questions considering she lives with Mirabel."
Dealing with Amelia made Serafina cynical that day. She realized that. She lowered her head, ashamed she let a sixteen year old girl get to her so easily.
"I'm sorry. It's just Mirabel's disappearance or kidnap or whatever and everything……"
Van Helsing gently lifted up her head to face him. He had a soft smile plastered on his face.
"Do not worry Serafina. I promise I will find your friend. Everything will be okay." Van Helsing said softly. Sera felt that he really meant what he said. She smiled. He noticed Sera had the most soft, dark brown eyes he had ever seen. And her skin was silky.
He cleared his throat. "Does John have any enemies? Is there any one in this village that hates John so much that they kidnap Mirabel to get to him?"
Sera thought for a moment. "Umm…There are a few men that don't take an interest in John but I don't think they would want to harm his family. They would want to just harm him."
Van Helsing took off his hat for a moment. It looks like this will take longer than I expected. He placed his hat back on his head.
Van Helsing looked around the market place. As if someone might overhear him he whispered, "Was Mirabel involved in any supernatural beings or events, like witchcraft or something or another?"
Sera's expression was of confusion. Witchcraft? This guy has to be crazy. She tittered.
"No, her parents would never allow it and neither will the town. I do not think anything supernatural happened to her."
Van Helsing nodded understandably.
"Could you help me and Amelia carry a few items back to the house? Maybe we could talk while we walk." Van Helsing smiled.
Amelia appeared suddenly beside Sera, balancing an incredibly large basket full of fruit on her head. She was examining him from head to toe. How she could move her head with a basket on it was a mystery to Sera. As she was talking to the seller about bowls and pots, Amelia was trying to talk to Van Helsing.
"You're the famous Van Helsing, yeah?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"You're more handsome than they say." Amelia said smiling slyly.
"Stop your flattering, children. Van Helsing, go over there and get us a couple of those pork hanging on the wall." She paused for a moment. "Please." Sera handed him the coin. "This will pay for it."
He shock his head. "I will pay for it." Sera smirked.
As he strolled to the butcher Sera whispered to Amelia about her behavior. When he came back, they both gave him a sweet, innocent smile.
"Amelia, take the meat. You're going to carry them and give him your basket."
"No, I can carry it." Van Helsing said, throwing the meat over his shoulder. "Now, shall we head back?" The two nodded before embarking on the short trail back home.