We drove to downtown New Orleans. However, the streets were busy with Mardi Gras celebrations. We could not get the car through, so Van Helsing suggested we walk on foot. Over my feathers, I wore Simon's jacket so the crowds could not see. Simon was to go to the music store she worked at, and Van Helsing was to go to her house.
"Anastasis, you can contect to Dracula's mind. If you could find him before he gets to her..."
"I don't think it is a good idea. H ewill find us eventual if we have Mary. Besides, take it from a woman. A strange man walks up to me in my place of business. Then, he tells me that my father is looking for me because a vampire wants my blood. I would mace Simon in the face and call the cops."
"Thanks, Ana. Real nice." Simon grumbles.
"It is honest. And don't call me Ana." I then turned back to Van Helsing, "Let me go with Simon. Also, if she does not believe us, I have proof. As for the vampire, he will follow where Mary is ever." Van Helsing agreed and became nervous about seeing his astranged daughter again will Simon reasured him.
'You are getting in my way again, Stasis. Wonder who will find Mary first...' the vampire sang.
Shit! "We need to move! He knows we are looking for Mary." To the vampire I sent, 'What are you doing? Did you find her yet?
'No, but I could use a challenge getting to her. Maybe a meal will I'm at it...' I could feel his smirk while sending some very erotic memories with him and a blonde woman.
'Disgusting! I'm pretty sure you just ate...' I mentally yelled.
He laughed in response, 'Ah, but it did not satisfy, my dear. It's not like you would have.'
'Shut up!' Simon and I began walking with Van Helsing going in the opposite direction. The race was on.
'Good luck, Anastasis. I'll see you at the finish line.'
~~~
Simon and I arrived at the music store "Virgin Records." Had to chuckle at the very forced Virgin Mary comparison that popped into my mind. Simon asked what was so funny, to which I replied, "If only you knew."
We found Mary, and I admit she looked very much like the vampire. The hair I found most resembled Dracula. Simon startled the woman by grabbing her shoulder, which he apologized for. "Wow, Simon, you do not just grab women like that."
"I know I already apologized. Anyway, are you Mary Heller?"
"I am," Mary responed.
"My name is Simon Shepard. This is my colleague Anastasis. We are here about your father." he began to explain.
"My father? What about?"
"Ummm...Is there a place we can talk?" Simon asked.
She looked between Simon and I and nodded. We started walking into a back area, I believe, was a loading area and staff parking space. "I have not spoken to my father in twelve years. I assure you, it is not because I can't remember the address."
Simon continued, "What ever you think you know, you don't even know the half of it."
Mary started to get paniced and angry, "You know what, this is a bad time. In face, this is a really, really, bad time." We hear a noise behind us but could not see anything. "I have to go."
"Mary, what you are dealling with your father can help you!" Simon rushed to keep up with her. He then started to speak about Mary's mother moving them around, "She never told you the reason, did she?"
"I saw what it did to her." Another noise stopped us.
Mary tried to leave again, and I had to stop her in case that noise was the vampire, "You have been having nightmares." She stopped to look at me. "A voice in your head, visions of his face. A man with hair like yours and eyes the color of the blood staining his fanged teeth. Your father never told me that."
She looked even more frightened but stayed, "How... how did you know? How do you know what he looks like?"
Taking a deep breath, I knew I had to be careful not to scare her off, "I get some of them too. I have met him, the vampire. You have your own reason why you see him. I reason your father unknowingly handed down to you. Once you were born, he realised his mistake and your mother found out. To protect you, they sent you away. I'm on the other hand... I see him because I am like him. Not a vampire, but not human. Made by God as he was."
"Who? What does he want with me? What are you?" Mary asked. Good, she believes me.
"Well, Simon is human, I...do not really know what I am. I am the only one and can not make others, so there is no name for it. He...as I said, wants you because your father locked him up for centuries and the vampire wants revenge now he has escaped. There is more, but your father will be better suited to explain it to you. He is at your house."
"How do I know I can trust you?" Mary started to back up.
Just then, a man came up to us, "Buy a brother a drink?"
"Sorry mate..." Simon got out before he grabbed Simon and kicked him against a wall. Removing his hat and sunglasses, it was revealed to be Marcus. "Ana, take Mary and get out of her!"
"Trust us know! Come on," we ran, but I yelled over my shoulder, "And for the last time, Simon, do not call me Ana!!!!"
"Will he be okay?" Mary asked, worried.
"Yes, he has done this before. We need to get you to your father. I will protect you till then. If he is not at your home, I can fill you in on any details, but I did not want to tell you too much right away. Did not need to scare you away in case there were vampires nearby."
"Why did it only attack Simon? I thought the vampire was after me?"
Needing to catch my breath a bit, I slowed down. We were far enough away now anyway. "Different Vampire. This was the main vampire's underling. Simon stabbed him in the eye and got his girlfriend captured. Marcus might even think Simon killed Solina. Anyway, Dracula is the one after you. He was the first and can turn others like the one you saw. The new blood underlings would dare not touch you. As for me, they leave me alone too but I don't know why. I'm just glad I have not needed to kill one yet."
Mary considered my words. Finding them hard to grasp, "Dracula is real?"
"Yes, though Van Helsing knows he is much older than the Bram Stoker character or Vlad the Impaler. Lead the way, please. I do not know where you live." I gestured ahead of me.
As we walked, I heard a sigh in my mind, 'You found her for me. Thank you.'
I could not understand what he meant, 'You wanted me to win?'
He chuckled and sighed again, 'I wanted you to find her. You did not win.'
"What...?" I thought outloud.
"Humm, " Mary turned to me.
"He says he won. I found you first, and you are safe, yet he says he won. He is not here, though..."
My words must have concerned Mary, "You can talk to him? Is that safe?"
Nodding to answer both, I thought hard to what he meant. What did he win? "He also told me he before would 'met me at the finish line', but again, he is not here..."
"Where do you think he is? What is the finish line to him?"
I shook my head. I did not know, and I told Mary he could be speaking in a riddle, "Finish line clearly means something else, but what?"