Hello!
I'm sending a chapter now, because for the next four weeks I'm going to be too busy to write anything, so I won't be able to update until next time before Christmas. You'll have to do with this one till then.
And let me just tell how incredibly happy I am to see some of my old reviewers letting me know they're still following my story, as well as getting some new ones! Truly happy indeed!!!
Thank you for the great reviews: BigKwell, Tsuki no Rekuen, hellsingfan101, Andromeda, BlackTiger6593, Irena, Fraulen, Myriad of Willows, NightWolf214, ObsidianMoon, Fleatcher and KyuubiPandoraChan. You guys rock my socks!
Disclaimers: same as always.
CHAPTER 22: VENDETTA
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't much of a task for Dracula to appear likeable. In fact, after centuries of learning how to blend in and hide his true nature, he knew exactly how to charm people. It was only a question if he felt like bothering. Hardly had an hour passed since he had sat down to the same table with Baron Vordenburg and his companions, when they were already confiding to him.
"You are absolutely fascinating man, Herr Tepes. I am sorry to not have met a fellow student of the folklores sooner" Baron said. "Say, have you ever heard of the School of Scholomance".
Dracula kept from smiling. "I actually once travelled in the Carpathian mountains in search of it, many years ago then".
"Did you find it?" Baron asked, his intrigue obvious.
"Well, if such a place ever existed, I can assure it does no longer" Dracula answered.
"Pity, I would have loved to visit that place".
Baron's young associate, Abraham Van Helsing, spoke. "Baron, truly believes in most of these stories".
"And you do not, Herr Van Helsing?" Dracula asked.
"I feel I'm still too inexperienced to say if I should or should not believe in such things" Van Helsing answered diplomatically.
"If he would travel the world he would learn. Go to the corners were this so called modern science has not yet travelled. India, Haiti, Africa and the most remote corners of Eastern-Europe and Asia. The things many of your professors in universities call nonsense are taken very seriously there" Baron said.
"And he should neglect his wife and child to achieve all that? I hardly think my Abraham could survive a night without me cuddling him" Van Helsing's young wife said, with a teasing smile.
"Roseanne..." Van Helsing muttered, blushing furiously as Baron laughed.
"You are not from Styria yourself?" Dracula asked from the young man.
"No, sir, I'm from Holland. I have specified in studying and researching metaphysics and rare illnesses. I met Baron years ago then when he was visiting one of the universities I studied in. He made me realise how folklores and earthly illnesses have more in common than I realised" young man spoke admiringly.
"He really is a brilliant boy, Herr Tepes, very sharp and open minded. This so called modern science needs more men like him" Baron said.
A yawn was heard and all heads turned to look at the young boy who was nearly sleeping while sitting.
"Oh, dear. We better take Lawrence to his bed now" Roseanne Van Helsing said.
"Yes, indeed, if you'll excuse us" her husband confirmed.
When they had left Dracula turned to the Baron.
"Those young people are very dear to you, yes?"
"As I said, I have no family of my own. But this past couple years that Abraham has been my studying as my protégé, they have become extremely dear to me".
"I see" Dracula said, while a cruel plan was forming in his head.
--
Next morning Roseanne and Abraham Van Helsing woke up to the worst nightmare parents can experience: their little boy was missing.
Lawrence Van Helsing had disappeared from his bed sometime between midnight and dawn. The window to the room Van Helsings shared was open, but no visible footprints could be found. The entire village of Courtempierre was alerted to help searching for the little boy. They searched the local fields, roads, woods and even dragged the lakes, but without results.
A horrible thought occurred to people: the boy might have been taken.
The local officials questioned nearly everyone they could and even searched the houses of couple people known to cause problems, but to no avail. During this time none really paid attention to the fact that Vladislav Tepes had disappeared from the village.
Abraham was helplessly frustrated and Roseanne mad with grief. For two days they lived in absolute despair. On the night of the third day true horror began.
--
"Abraham? What are you doing here?"
Abraham Van Helsing snapped his head up from the book he had been reading to look at Baron Vordenburg who had entered the room.
"I'm sorry, Baron, I didn't hear you come in. I was just... I just needed to be alone..."
"Abraham, your wife needs you".
Abraham was quiet for a while. "I failed her, Baron. I am suppose to protect my family and my child disappears while I snore..."
"Abraham, listen to me. You are not to blame yourself of this. God has a plan for us all. We don't always see it, and sometimes we disagree with it, but I assure you, for the sake of those you love you must get yourself out of these horrible thoughts".
For a moment Abraham wondered how Baron's voice could be so sympathetic yet commanding the same time. Baron took this moment to look down on what his young friend had been reading.
"Blood transfusions?" he said, while smirking. "Abraham, you are going to be a fantastic doctor, but for now the best medicine you and your wife could have, is the company of each others".
"I should stay available in case..."
"I will stay here and I'll let you know at once if we receive any news".
Abraham managed a weak smile and left. Baron shook his head and closed the book that had been left behind. He then rested on a chair, when a soft tapping came from his window. Baron turned around, only to his surprise to see none other than Lawrence Van Helsing there, smiling to him.
"Can I come in, uncle?" the boy asked innocently.
Baron had to close his eyes for a moment. Surely I'm hallucinating, he thought and then opened his eyes again. But no, little boy was still standing there.
"Please, uncle, can I come in?" he repeated.
He was so filled with happiness and enthusiasm that Baron shouted for Abraham and Roseanne to come. But only after the words had left his mouth did he stop to think. Why was Lawrence asking his permission to enter? Window was not closed. And more importantly how come Lawrence was standing outside of window of third floor?
Baron's eyes winded and all colour disappeared from his face. "Oh God no..."
The door opened and Van Helsings ran in, both alarmed by Baron's sudden call.
"Mama! Mama!" the boy behind the window shouted.
Roseanne Van Helsing's tired and tear stained face suddenly lit up as she saw her only son behind the window. "LAWRENCE!"
"Mama, please, mama. Can I come in? I'm cold out here" boy pleaded.
Baron reacted. "N..." Only too late.
"Yes, of course, my boy! Come in! Do come in!" Roseanne shouted in pure bliss as Abraham stared disbelievingly how their son floated into the room.
Boy's face was all smiles and he approached to enter to his mother's waiting arms, when suddenly Baron started to chant a prayer. Boy screamed in agony and fell to the floor with his hands covering his ears.
"Make him stop!" he screamed. "Please! Mama! Papa! Make him stop!"
"What are you doing?!" Abraham turned to the Baron, while Roseanne tried to help her son.
"Do not touch him, Roseanne!" Baron shouted while holding a cross he had pulled from his pocket. "Can't you see that it is not your son? He is a vampire! Nosferatu, the undead!"
Abraham's eyes winded as he stared his mentor. Roseanne whipped her head to look at the man also. "What are you saying, you old fool?!" she screeched. "This is my son, and whatever it is you're doing is hurting him!"
"Abraham, please, you saw him floating from outside in! We have talked about these creatures before, you said you wouldn't believe until you'd see and here's your proof! Your son is a vampire!" Baron snatched a mirror from the wall and handed it to Abraham. "Look for yourself!"
Abraham stared in the mirror where he could see himself, his wife... but not his son.
"We must destroy him" Baron said.
"NO!" Roseanne screamed, her eye wild and frantic. Lawrence was kneeling behind her, like an angry cat, scared by the cross Baron was holding towards him.
"We must, it's the only way!"
Roseanne turned to her husband. "Abraham, this is our son! You can't let this happen!"
Abraham was torn. He couldn't deny what he was (not) seeing in the mirror and the rational part of him that had also studied Baron's own studies for years, told him that they must do what must be done. However, the father in him fought back, desperately wanting to believe they had their little boy back.
Seeing that he would get no co-operation, but desperate to act quickly while the demon boy was down, Baron started looking around him trying to find something that could help him with his task, which he really did not want to do. His eyes caught Abraham's medical bag and he quickly got himself an amputation knife and started chanting the prayer again.
When Roseanne saw this, something snapped inside of her. Before either Baron or Abraham could react she wildly attacked the older man and with a force none would have believed she possessed, she pushed Baron, making him hit his head against the wall hard. The sudden impact and pain disoriented him and the cross and knife fell from his hands.
The moment this happened, Lawrence jumped to the air and like wild animal landed on Baron, with red eyes and sharp teeth. Baron Vordenburg gave a startled hiss of pain when he felt the sharp teeth on his neck. He tried to get the attacker to leave him, but in vain. Soon he slumped to the floor, for the child did not savour the blood, but ate with greed.
Abraham felt himself impotent while watching this horrifying creature who wore his son's face literally draining the life from his mentor. Roseanne also seemed to have come out of her temporary madness and in horror witnessed everything. Lawrence raised his head and looked at her. His eyes were shinning in deceiving innocence and his mouth was covered in blood.
Suddenly, Abraham's body started working and moving fast, faster than he could recall ever having moved, he snatched the amputation knife that had fell, and plunged it to the vampire boy's chest. The creature gave a startled scream of agony, before falling limb to the floor.
For a moment a complete silence filled the room, as the two young parents stared at the dead body. Only it no longer had anything fiendish about it. It was the body of their dead son. Roseanne started crying fresh new tears and in despair she screamed. It was a scream of madness and she fell next to the body.
Abraham could only look at them in helpless state. His mentor and son were dead. His wife was bordering insanity. He felt like dying.
But then, from the corner of his eye he saw something. Abraham turned to the still open window, and saw the man he knew as Vladislav Tepes floating there, watching what had happened with red eyes. And immediately, Abraham knew who was responsible.
"You! You did this! You took him from us!"
Dracula gave no indication of hearing the young man. He only stared the body of the Baron. His revenge was complete. He could easily kill the other two, but didn't feel like it. Instead he looked at Abraham straight into his eyes.
"Congratulations, Van Helsing. You are no longer too inexperience to not to believe in these things" he said coldly.
Then he disappeared.
To be continued...
It is known that Baron Vordenburg from Le Fanu's "Carmilla" inspired Bram Stoker in creating the character of Professor Abraham Van Helsing. So it only made sense to me that Van Helsing had been Vordenburg's apprentice.
In Stoker's book it is mentioned that Van Helsing had a son who died in young age and a wife who was locked in asylum. It's amazing that no movie version has ever mentioned this. However, son's and wife's names were never mentioned.
I took Roseanne from Frank Wildhorn's stage musical "Dracula", the Graz version, where Van Helsing (played by great Uwe Kröger) sings of a girl Roseanne he loved. Lawrence I took from Hammer's horror film "Dracula A.D. 1972", in which Van Helsing was named Lawrence for some reason.
That said, leave reviews, and I'll return in writing in four weeks time. We shall finally move to the events of Stoker's book.
Till then!