Melancholia
Dracula's sleep was restless, his mind would not cease giving him hell.
His maltreatment of Aline dominated his mind. He had victimized the one person who had dared to fight back against him.
The Prince shot up after feeling a feather light touch on his arm. A blast of cold air hit him from the still broken window, and he growled loudly. He looked around him and saw no one. He cursed before laying down again. The moment his head hit the velvet of his coffin, Marie appeared and shocked him again.
Marie laughed softly and shook her head.
"Gabriel, you always were a light sleeper".
Dracula hissed at her, prompting another laugh, his tone became poignant.
"And you thought it wise to wake me? Marie".
He sighed and put his head in his hands. Marie walked to the side of the coffin and her expression became sad.
"And I am not Gabriel anymore. How many more times do I have to remind you of that?"
She sighed.
"Okay, Dracula. You need to stop being so harsh to that young woman".
The Prince felt animosity rising within him. It's tendrils wormed their way through his body.
"Young woman? You mean that insignificant, pathetic excuse for a woman?"
Marie gave her husband a scalding hot stare, and he knew he had annoyed her.
"Her name is Aline, and you were never this disrespectful. Stop it, it's repulsive. She is in agony and will lose her life soon. Why let her die unhappy? You have the power to stop that, to help her".
Dracula felt the anger start to dissipate, Marie was right. But why should he help Aline? Surely she had friends...acquaintances?
Marie knew the cogs were moving around in his head, and she kept silent to let them whirl around. When they had stopped, Dracula looked at her and no longer felt angry.
"Does she truly have no one? Not one person who cares about her? And how do you know of her in the first place?"
Marie shook her head.
"I am always with you, always in your memory. That is how I know of Aline. And stop calling her she, you make Aline sound like a pet. You know how she feels, you feel it too. Alone, scared, angry, hating everything and everyone, feeling cast out of life".
Dracula knew those feelings all too well, and realised that Aline was doing what he did, just not on as grander scale, or as violent as he had done.
"Aline. I am no saviour, how can two people who feel the same help each other in any way?"
Marie gave her husband a knowing look.
"Simply speak to her, give her someone to talk too. She doesn't need someone to lean on, or to cling on to. All she needs is company".
Dracula frowned as he thought back on his wife's words.
"You said that my memory of you keeps you here? I, I have kept you here for so long then. I have been so selfish, and to you too. Marie, I, I am so sorry".
Marie's smile grew.
"See? Gabriel is still in there. The Prince of Darkness would never apologise. And I know you love me, I always have known. But you need to let me go. I cannot rest peacefully, as I worry for you".
The Prince felt emotion strike him, but his nature meant he would never let it get the better of him.
"I will always be there, just in your mind. You are still Gabriel to me, I know that annoys you but...I love you, but you need to move on. It's been so long".
Marie held him and Dracula realised that she was right, again. It was unfair to keep her here any longer, she needed to rest in peace. His hold tightened on her. She moved away and kissed his forehead.
He let her go, and she disappeared for good.
The Prince felt turmoil stir within him, and he felt strange.
Melancholy should have flooded him, but it didn't.
Dracula lay down again and pulled his coffin lid over himself. It was early morning now, and the city's people would be waking up to start their day.
Aline arrived for work, and quickly put her things away in the staff room. Her 'friends' and fellow waitresses all glared at her, which added to her unease.
The one woman whom she actually liked came up to her and patted her on the back.
"Hey sweetie, you okay? You look a little peaky".
One look from Aline gave Pauline all the information she needed to know.
"Oh Aline, you were out drinking last night again, weren't you? I can't smell it on you, so it couldn't have been that much".
Aline folded her arms.
"Yes I was, and I only had half a drink before my night was ruined by a man who thinks he is 'it', when the only thing he is, is a compulsive bastard and a fuc...".
Jemma jumped in and Aline rolled her eyes. Jemma was the gossiping type, spreading it around like a contagious disease.
"HE? Oh my god, Aline has, or rather, had a man. He dumped you already huh? Can't blame him, you are the most miserable person I have ever met. The only thing you have going for you is looks, your personality stinks".
Aline felt an urge to pick up the tray next to her and smack Jemma until the hint got through that she was annoyed.
"No boyfriend, I don't want one anyway. And it wasn't me, it was him. He is evil".
Jemma frowned.
"The bad-boy type huh? Risky move Aline, men like that have a habit of growing bored of you and moving on to the next, hot piece of ass".
Aline nodded.
"Very, very bad type. If I ever see him again, then don't let me be near the knives, or I will go to jail for murder".
Aline wasn't too sure if knives would even hurt vampires, but they would in her current frame of mind.
"Aline, I'm sorry. I get overexcited sometimes, and I end up blurting out things that I probably shouldn't say. You'll be okay. I'll take you out, a night out, with the girls, and we will find you the rare species of man known as, the nice, genuine, sexy man!"
Aline declined politely but Jemma was becoming a hyperactive, bouncing ball of energy.
"Come on, you know you'll have fun. I'll even buy you an outfit, get that nice ass in skin tight pants, high heels, sultry makeup. The men will not be able to resist that, and if they do, then they are morons".
Aline chuckled and started to feel happier.
"Nice ass? Really? Haha, whatever. I'll think about it, okay?"
Jemma nodded and scurried off to put on her apron.
Aline suddenly felt hot, and a little dizzy. She gasped when she looked at her hands. Her sight was becoming blurry, but she could see that the veins on her hand were much more pronounced, and she panicked.
After many deep, calming breaths, the dizziness had gone and her sight was back to normal.
But that feeling almost overwhelmed her, as she thought back to how her Mother looked, when she saw her lying, dead in her bed.
The veins were raised on her hands too, and now it was happening to her.
A long sigh ended with her welling up, again.
It couldn't happen to her, not yet.
She was terrified of death now, and prayed that it would happen in her sleep.
No pain, no fear, just darkness, and her parents waiting for her on the other side.