Chapter four; Escaping and family history

. . .

Romania, Transylvania

After searching Castle Frankenstein and finding nothing of Natasha nor the vampire holding her, the group were fed-up by the end of the day. Clare and Sophanne knew inside them that their sister was alive but yet, couldn't find her. Days after the failed search at Castle Frankenstein, Van Helsing told the sisters he wouldn't give upon the search for Natasha Madison. The next day, the girls and the monster hunter resumed the search and spent few days heading to different villages where they searched again and even asked around but nobody knew anything.

They are scared, even after hundred of years of monsters being destroyed.

Most of the time, it was Clare and Van Helsing that searched while the youngest stayed behind. She wasn't scared, she wanted to stay behind incase Natasha escaped and managed to make her way home.

One day, back in the Romania town, Sophanne with her sister were in the town's room that were filled with portraits of it's town's well-known hunters which caused the youngest to come upon a picture of a woman. In the golden bar at the bottom of the portrait, just underneath, read 'Caitlyn Madison'.

Beside her portrait was another of portrait of five men who shared very similar facial traits. They were regarded as one of the best vampire hunters in the land, and not centuries. These late men were skilled hunters and the youngest brother was an trained priest that devoted his life to helping the innocent and fighting evil.

Upon close inspecting of the portrait, Sophanne saw the likeness of the woman and shouted, "Clare! Mr. Van Helsing! Come here!" the youngest shouted and in no time, the other two arrived.

"What's wrong, sis?" the eldest asked worriedly. Sophanne pointed her finger to the portrait and her sister's reaction was expected. "It can't be... could it?" she question.

Van Helsing turned his hazel orbs to the sister beside him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The woman in this photo, looks just like our missing sister but older. I could be totally wrong but this woman must be Tasha's mother." Clare pointed with her index finger at the woman in the larged-sized portrait, "Our sister told us that her mother was a hunter here in Romania, and died when she was six... which was around the time that she came to England and came to live with Sister Caterina, me and Sophanne." the eldest Madeson sister said as she looked closer at the image. The woman had long chocolate brown hair, and instead of being straight, it was curly. It was the same length as Natasha's. Her eyes were chocolate brown and her skin was fair. The woman wore a rolled-sleeve shirt underneath a black-laced corset and over black skinny trousers, with an apron and skinny ankle mid-heeled boots. She had a cross necklace that resembled Natasha's cross, along with a locket. She stood with her hands held together in front of her waist and smile on her lips.

Sophanne turned her head slightly to her sister and the monster hunter, "I spoke to some of the villagers about any strange occurrence and they told me this story about these men who came to this town and fought this vampire whilst befriending the town's kind barmaid. Nobody knows of what happened to her afterwards, though her male friends died one-by-one of natural causes, she just disappeared and it's rumoured that she left behind a daughter."

"You don't think that Tasha is her daughter and she could have been kidnapped as revenge for what her mother and these men possibly did, you don't think?" it was understandable because this woman and her new friends had probably pissed off this vampire and now he had taken her daughter as revenge with intent of punishing the woman through her beloved treasure. However, Natasha shouldn't be blamed for what her late mother and those men could have done. She was blameless.

"I don't know, Soph. I really don't know."

Van Helsing spoke, "If this is true, then it is urgent that we find your sister sooner. It's no telling of what this bastard is doing to her."

. . .

Castle Dracula

After what happened in the den, the events were forbidden from being spoken. Erik remained in the den beside his mother as he healed from battling Asher, who by the way had been kept chained within the dungeons that day. He was first visited by his master, who checked his wounds and then later in the day Natasha would visit which brought him joy.

On her way back from visiting Erik and having some dinner that the Count had prepared but she hadn't seen him. Dressed in her favorite black jacket-coat, long-sleeved purple top and semi-skinny dark jeans with her BW sneakers, she turned a corner and quickly bumped into someone, causing her to fall back and land on her bottom. It wasn't until she looked did fear strike her again. She had bumped into Alina, the woman who days before had tried to feast on her.

"Alina?!" she gasped as she moved to stand quickly and tried to back away but the vampiress reached forward and grabbed her upper arm, preventing her from moving further.

"I've been waiting for you. Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you escape this place and return home." the Bride in purple said. She hates pretending to be nice to this human but it would be worth it in the end.

Keep playing along

Alina released the girl's upper arm and straighted her gown. "If you are willing to accept my help, then listen to my advice. You must head to the lower grounds, you will find a large stone door on your far right, hidden by massive pillars that leads into a tunnel that will lead you to the outside of this Castle. Once outside, head west and it will lead you home."

Natasha listened to the Bride's directions and had to ask, "Why are you helping me?"

"Because you get to go home and I get my master back, understood?" the Bride turned around and walked down the corridor that the girl was heading down. She stopped in her tracks and turned her head slightly, "You might want to take your possessions with you because, if you don't, they can be used to track you down and trust me. You don't want to be back here again?"

No

Alina continued on her way and disappeared into the shadows. The human girl stood there for what seemed like minutes, thinking.

I can go home, at last

Don't! He will find you and bring you back, with no telling of what he might do to you

I won't become his whore and I don't want to stay with a woman who tried to kill me! I have to go!

With that, Natasha made her mind up and headed to her room. She reached her room and gathered her things together, putting her clothes into the black bag until an idea came to her. What if she burned the clothes she didn't need and kept some of them. By looking at the window, she could tell that it was going to be colder by the end of the day.

"I've outgrown some of these clothes and they don't fit anymore." most of her tops and jackets she had outgrown, whilst her coat, jeans, socks, underwear didn't. She approached the fireplace that had been lit in the early hours and threw her un-used and outgrown tops and jackets onto the flames which burnt through the material very quickly and turned it into ash. She watched the flames destroy most of her unwanted clothes, keeping the few amounts that did fit her.

After tossing her clothes into the fireplace and watched them burn. Natasha grabbed her bag and coat and headed to the door, she took a minute to take in the room before leaving and closing the door behind her. She had grown to like the room, despite it being her prison.

Natasha remembered the purple-clothed Bride's directions and soon ended in the main hall which once held the thousands of billions of Dracula's undead offspring, birthed by his Brides. She looked around and in the far right, hidden by a pillar and covered in Castle's darkness, she saw the hidden secret entrance and approached. She got closer and closer to it until she was directly in front of it. She raised her hand and rested her palm against it. It opened to her touch, by raising the stone door-sized wall and sliding into the actual wall. She gazed into the dark-filled tunnel and saw a bright light at the distant end.

The human girl walked through the doorway, to which it closed tightly behind her and she carried on, putting on her coat, as she approached the other end which took about two minutes. Natasha reached the outside of Castle Dracula and saw it snowing which brought a smile to her lips. The snow easily covered her, her brown hair and coat as she began to walk, leaving the Castle behind and making her way home.

Natasha got far enough away from the Castle and into the dark woods to which she heard the sound. A bat-like roar that could only belong to the one person she actually feared. She turned her head back to the barely-distant Castle and whispered in worry that he might find her before she gotten home, "He's awake."

. . .

:1:

Count Dracula stood by the window of his study, watching over his beloved Transylvanian country. His hands were entwined behind his back and he had a smile upon his lips as he took in the cold surroundings. It had only been five hours since he awoken and the sleep he endured, was more than pleasant. He didn't need to worry about feeding, he had already fed this month.

Chloe hurried herself along to her master study in a state. She had come to fetch the girl and instead found her missing with most of her clothes burnt to ash in the fireplace. She have known that they might used her left possessions to track her.

'She smart, if she wanted to get away without being traced. Clever girl.' the Bride thought as she hurried herself to her husband. She urgently knocked on the study door and waited patiently until he answered, "Enter."

Chloe entered the study, closing the door behind her and approaching her master, who kept his gaze on his birthplace until he turned to face her and find her breathless.

"What is wrong, my dear? Why are you breathless?" he asked, worriedly. Dracula looked at her face and waited for her to answer. She had to run in her sandle high-heels. 'It's great for walking in heels but to run in them, it's a joke.' she thought before she managed to catch her breath.

"It's the Madison girl... she's gone, my lord. I went to fetch her and she's not in her room or anywhere in the Castle. I found her clothes in the fireplace, burnt to ash. She must have known that we track her with her possessions and she decide to destroy any trace. You must admit she's clever..." the Bride said and her master finished.

"... Only if she didn't have help." the Count said, showing his vast intelligence. He had worked it out, from his beloved Bride told him about the burnt clothes.

"And also, when I was looking for her, I found snow near the secret entrance in the main hall. She must have found another way out without being caught but the only people to know about the secret entrance and the other ones, beside you and me, is Alina." Chloes mentioned. "You don't think that she would?... Master, Alina may be extremely jealous but she wouldn't risk it... would she?"

Dracula listened to all the facts and made his mind up, which would never be changed by anyone. "After what she attempted days ago, anything is possibly with Alina. We need to find Ms. Madison and quickly." Dracula walked to the door and with his hand on the doorknob, he was stopped by his Polish-accented Bride.

"Master, You can't blame the girl. She misses her sisters terribly, they are the only family she might have left." there was a reason on why Dracula chose his Brides. What she said was true and it made his smile, she was honest about things unlike Alina. He leaned his head closer to Chloe's, angled his head to the side and pressed his lips to hers, gently. The kiss lasted seconds and it was loving.

Dracula pulled away and brushed his fingers against her cheek, lovingly. She reminded him, in some way, of the woman he lost eleven years ago but that wasn't the reason he chose Chloe. The Bride was right, Dracula would never blame the Madison girl for running away anyway. She only ran away because they took her away from her family and started this.

"Come, my love. Let's get started in finding Ms. Madison." the Count lead his Bride to the den, in the lower grounds and approached Erik, who had already healed and was back in full health. The young wolf moved away from his sleeping mother and transformed into a young male teenager, with the age of fifteen. The young wolf-lad had rich brown hair and bright green eyes, like his mother.

"Master," the young wolf-lad bowed to his master.

"Erik, I need you to track Ms. Madison. She has run away and we have no clue of what direction she had gone." Dracula command. The young wolf-lad transformed into his wolf form again and bowed his head before heading off into the direction of getting out of the den and out of the Castle.

Whilst the Vampire Lord and his Bride waited in the study, the wolf used his enhanced smell and tracked the girl from the Castle, down the mountain and through the dark forest that was affiliated with Romania. What was worst was the weather was getting worse such as the snow was getting heavy and the atmosphere was becoming freezing. The freezing temperature and the snow which covered her tracks was highly-preventing Erik from tracking her further. He made it past the dark forest and about near the road that lead between Rome, Romania and Hungary.

The wolf made his way back to the Castle and reached the massive hallway where waited Dracula and his Bride. Erik took human form once again and bowed in respect before speaking. "I track her to the dark forest, and to the road that leads between Romania and Hungary, my lord. I can determine that she is heading towards Budapest, unknowingly." he said softly before lowing his head. He felt that he had failed his master but raised his head when he felt a hand on his small shoulder.

Dracula was smiling, "All I ask is that you try and you have. You haven't failed me, Erik. You have proved yourself but we must remember that you are young and have alot to learn. Tomorrow, you will head to Budapest with the rest of us. Go to the den and rest, you will need your energy."

Erik bowed again and headed off to the den, so he can be well-rested for his vast trip tomorrow. The Count thought for a moment and then spoke, "Erik has proven something that I have suspected. Ms. Madison timing of her escape."

The Bride spoke, "A few days ago, Alina told me that snow would be approaching. she's quite good with telling the weather." realization hit her. "Alina sent the human into this disastrous weather, knowing that she could die!"

Dracula turned to his Bride and gave his orders to her, "Chloe, alert the servants at my estate in Budapest. Tell them of Natasha's description and that she needs protecting at all costs... from Alina. She mustn't know that we are seeking Natasha."

"Yes, my lord." the Polish-accent vampiress bowed and placed a kiss upon her husband's cheek before running off to alert the servants in Budapest. Dracula just hoped that it was more than enough to save her life, once again, from his deranged Bride. Alina has gone too far this time, and there is no room for forgiveness this time.

But he couldn't take his mind off the girl as she made her way, unknowingly to Budapest, and not home. 'Please, be safe, my child. You are strong, there is nothing that you can't overcome.' Dracula thought as he headed back to his study, to prepare for his trip to Budapest. He might as well as get started on the traditions there. It's never too early for All Hallows Eve.

X X X

Will Dracula be able to find Natasha? And will she survived the terribly cold weather than has covered Transylvania? Find out in Chapter five.

Natasha is like her mother but having been kidnapped and held prisoner has affected her 'strong' personality. In the next chapters, you will see her return to her former self, the one she was like before her kidnap.