Hidden Demons

Prologue

Transylvania- 1887

From where she stood, the view was just so frightening, yet to her, it was just as pathethic. A horde of angry shouting humans making their way to Castle Frankenstein. Women and men alike lit the night with flaming torches and angry shouts like angry firefly's. A group of men rolling a large and long tree trunk that had been cut down for the occassion. A weapon against the caslte's huge wooden doors that guarded the castle safely. They were all just too pathethic.

She tore her gaze away from the angry mob and stared upon the castle that stood tall and dark that night. Like a looming vampire, she thought. The thought lit a spark of hate inside her. Did it all have to come to this? Why now?

ooo

A loud clap of thunder roared inside the laboratory as the last spark of life subsided. Dr. Victor Frankenstein stood beside his creation as it groaned to life.

"It's alive." he said ina whisper at first. "It's alive. It's alive!" he yelled out in triumph. That moment was gone just as soon as it had come. He heard the distant angry shouts and pounding sounds. He rushed over to the large window that stared down below the castle's tower. An angry mob of villagers stood impatiently outside the castle's fortress, hungry for blood. His blood. A large tree trunk was being hit against the large wooden door which looked weakened to sustain anymore.

"There he is, hit it again!" someone yelled over the crowd, looking straight at Victor.

Victor backed away from the window, from the reality of it all.

"Success!"

Victor was startled, but recuperated when he acknowledged who it was. Count Dracula. "Oh, Count, it's just you." he said, staring at the man beofre him, his hand over his thumping heart as though to comfort it.

"I was beginning to lose faith, Victor." Count Dracula said, staring outside the window. "A pity your moment of triumph is being spoiled over a little thing like grave robbery."

"Yes, yes." Victor responded, walking away. "I must- I must escape this place."

In less than a second, Dracula appeared atop one of the railruns atop the lab, removing his black cloak. "Where are you going to run, Victor?" he asked, walking as he watched Victor rush around. "Your peculiar experiments have made you unwelcome in most of the civilized world." As more lightning flashed, Dracula's face had briefly transformed into the monster he was.

"I'll take him away, far away, where no one will ever find him." Victor said, packing things into a trunk he opened.

Behind him, the fire in the fireplace crackled softly; and Dracula walked on it's shelf. "Oh no, Victor. The time has come for me to take command of him." he said, smiling.

Victor turned around to face him, seemingly confused as to what Dracula was reffering to. "What are you saying?" he asked

Suddenly, the trunk closed abruptly and an angry Dracula appeared. "Why do you think I brought you here, gave you this castle, equipped your laboratory?" he roared.

Victor was now more confused and hurt. "You said you- You said you believed in my work." he said.

Dracula's face calmed, but his eyes showed some annoyance. "And I do." he said as he stood tall and turned his back to Victor. "But now that it is, as you yourself have said, a triumph... of science over God!-" more sudden sparks and roar of lightning as he yelled the last part.

Dracula looked back at Victor, as though making sure he was still there and had not fled, "- it must serve my purpose." he finished.

Victor looked at Count Dracula suspiciously. "What purpose?"

ooo

The doors were brought down at last and people ran into the courtyard. She stood still in the crowd as they all ran past her. She sensed something malignent. Her hooded face was hidden well, but she knew that anyone could immediately see her concern. For now, no one really cared. He was here.

ooo

"Good God. I would kill myself before helping in such a task." Victor said, aghast after what Dracula had told him. As he backed away, he bumped into his creation as it moaned at the sudden contact.

"Feel free. I don't actually need you anymore, Victor." Dracula said indifferently. "I just need him. He is the key." he said, staring at the creature with glee as though it were a fortune.

Victor stared down at his creation. Could he give him up? He didn't dare. His eyes met the creature's and he stared at him with such a fatherly love.

"I could never allow him to be used for such evil." Victor said, staring at his son with much love.How could he?

Dracula smiled at the monster. "I could." he simply said. He then stared at Victor evily and walked towards him. Victor back away, fear all over his face. "In fact, my brides are insisting upon it."

"Igor!" Victor called his servant. A disfigured and hunchback amn apperead from above the lab and smiled.

"You have been so kind yo me, doctor. Caring and thoughtful, but he pays me." he said, chuckling.

Victor was betrayed in the most awfulest of ways. As his back hit the wall beside the fireplace, he heard a small clang. Behind him was a sword which he drew out out to defend himself, swinging it towards Dracula clumsily. "Stay back!"

"You can't kill me, Victor." Dracula said. He let the sword pierce him. Victor gasped loudly as he heard metal against flesh and he wasn't even harmed or screaming in pain. "I'm already dead."

ooo

From below the flight of stairs, she heard a scream. "No." she whispered. She ran up the stairs quickly to the lab. She barged through the door in time to see Dracula being pushed into the fire by one of the generators. Not far from the fireplace layed Dr. Frankenstein's dead body. The monster walked over to his creator and carried him outside. She followed, ignoring if Dracula was dead or alive. The creature couldn't be harmed by the humans or taken by Dracula and his brides.

The monster walked outside and as she neared, she heard someone call out, "Dr.Frankenstein!" What bad timing to call out someone.

When outside, she looked towards the villagers who were now looking towards her direction. The undertaker was the first one to react. "Look! It's headed for the windmill. Come on!" she yelled.

She hissed in annoyance. The villagers were so pathetic. I'd gladly like to rip that cursed man's throat!, she thought. The villagers were heading her way and so she thought it'd be best to also follow the monster's trail.

ooo

The generator blasted from the fireplace. Dracula stepped out calmly, his face and body badly charred. Still he walked and stood up as though nothing was wrong. He healed instantly, muscle and flesh coming back in place. He shook the last of the flames on him off with one quick swift.

Upon discovering that both Victor and his beast were gone, he was enraged. His human shadow then revealed him transforming into the monster he truly was. A huged winged creature roared triumphuntly as it was released from its human cage...

ooo

The crowd of people had beaten her and now she stood among the many people who pursued Frankenstein's monster. They all reached the windmill. From afar she could see the creature running inside the abandoned 'mill, closing the door just as five men tried to get to him.

She pushed the people aside, trying to get there before they did anything else. It wasn'y the beast's fault. Why must he suffer? Then, the worst had just begun.

"Burn it! Burn it down!" the undertaker commanded. "No!' she yelled. It was already too late. Torches flew through the air and landed on the windmill. It caught on fire almost immediately. Then, it exploded and everyone cheered. How could they?, she thought, not believing what she saw.

The monster appeared on the 'mill's roof, staring at the crowd below, his creator in his arms. "Why?" he yelled out to them. Everyone silenced and looked up at him. Even she was surprised to hear him talk for the first time. He looked at al of them. Once more, he yelled, "Why?!"

An old woman fainted after hearing the monster speak. Then, the night air was filled with a loud screech. Everyone looked over at the castle as a huge and dark figure with large wings emerged from the castle. As it flew towards them, more screeches were detected and the large bat was joined by three more other figures smaller than him.

"Vampires." a young woman said, breaking the sudden silence. The man beside her freaked out. "Run! Run for your lives!" he yelled. Everyone did, but she stayed. The windmill collapsed, burning the monster and his creator to ashes. I'm sorry I was too late, she said in her mind. She couldn't save them.

Before her appeared the four large bats in their human forms, landing gracefully. Three women were already whimpering, all huddled together, screeching as they did. Dracula stared at the large heap of fire and then at her. "I hope you are pleased, Nathalia." he told her, furious at the fact that his plans were burning along with the creature.

"I would have desire for both to live." she said, fighting for dominance over the fire's roar. "But it seems this will keep them both away from your evil." she said.

He took one step and her wrist-bow popped from beneath her cloak and was pointed at him. His brides hissed angrily, sensing the tension. He chuckled. "You cannot kill me, my dear. I will live forever. I'am invincible." he said.

She smiled at him, removing her hood from her head to reveal long, straight raven hair, emerald eyes and the features of a Gypsy. "Let us find out if it is fact or myth."

Author's Note: Well, that's the first chapter of my story. I've been inspired by Celtic Aurora to decide to post my first Van Helsing story. It is such a great movie and I recommend those who haven't seen it should see it. Hoped you enjoy the long chapter that was almost too much for me to even notice how much I write. Please, comment on the story and tell me how it was. Ciao!