Mercy Valerious

The time: 1888.

The place: Transylvania.

It seems that we fall into danger more and more every day. I should know. Wait, Anna is calling me. My sister, Anna… She’s strong and beautiful. She is older than I am; twenty-two. I myself am fourteen. She has long, dark hair and vibrant hazel eyes. I have lighter hair, and blue eyes. I take after our mother, as did Velkan. Velkan… I miss him. I know I will see him again, but our time together was cut short abruptly. Velkan was always kind to me. Death is only another adventure, but the separation in it is intolerable for the living. I must go now. Anna needs me.

~

Anna and I run out to the village square. Two strangers are approaching the center. One is tall, and the other is about an inch taller than me. “Welcome to Transylvania.” The undertaker (I know not his name) says loudly. The pair turn to look at him. The shorter one asks softly, “Is it always like this?” The other replies, “Pretty much.” Anna steps up on the edge of the well. “You. Turn around.” She commands sternly. They do so, but their faces are inclined. “Let me see your faces.” “Why?” the really tall one asks. “Because we don’t trust strangers.” Anna replies stalwartly. The undertaker steps up to the short one, and pulls out his cane to measure him. “Strangers don’t last long around here.” He says, and then mutters absently under his breath, “Five foot seven… Six foot two…” “Gentlemen,” Anna starts, “you will now be disarmed.” I hold my breath, waiting for something to happen. The short one (I think he’s a monk) smiles gently at me. I smile back, but stop when Anna sends me the look. “You can try.” The tall one says boldly. He grips something attached to his belt. The villagers gathered around him with their axes and pitchforks retreat slightly. Anna places her hands on her hips. “You refuse to obey our laws?” she asks, sounding rather bored. The tall one glances up at me, and then to Anna. “The laws of men mean little to me.” He says simply. “Fine.” Anna bit out. “Kill them.” The villagers gasp and gather menacingly around the pair. “I’m here to help.” The tall one says matter-of-factly. “I don’t need any help.” Anna says shortly. “Really?” The tall one asks. He abruptly drops to grab something out of his bag. The crossbow he now has in his hands he points at Anna. My sister gasps slightly and drops. I hurriedly step off of the edge of the well. Shrieks fill the air. I know see what the tall stranger meant. Three large bat-like creatures fly swiftly towards the stranger. I recognize them instantly. They are his brides. Everyone starts panicking, and the tall one starts firing his crossbow. The brides swoop and evade the metal bolts, but the redhead takes several in the wings. She growls and flies up above the rooftops. “Everybody inside!” Anna yells. Then everyone starts yelling. “Save us!” “Find the children!” I hurriedly run to a group of the little ones huddled in front of the church. I take their hands and lead them inside the sanctuary. The littlest girl starts to cry, so I hold her to my chest and shush her. “Go to the alter. Grab any crucifix you find.” I direct the other children. The young boys rush and take crosses, then began herding the girls and smaller boys into a circle. The babe in my arms starts to scream. I hurriedly try to calm her, but to no avail. I hear a short chuckle behind me. The little girl screams louder than ever. I whirl around. One arm cradles the child, and the other is raised to strike. There in front of me, he stands. “You are brave for one so young.” He drawls slowly. I reach for a candelabra, but he knocks it out of my reach. “No use for that.” He smirks. The doors to the church burst open and several women rush in. They stop short in front of him. They also know who he is. The children, however, are not as fearful. They rush past him and into their mothers’ embraces. I step away from him, and give the baby in my arms to her mother. “Princess, we need to leave here,” one of the women fearfully whispers, staring in shock at the vampire behind me. “Go.” I reply, my voice equally low. “He cannot stay here long. I will cover your flight.” The woman nods gratefully. She kisses me on the forehead, and then leaves quickly. The other women also leave. I am left alone with the Count. I decide to break the silence. “You are very resilient.” I say coldly. He chuckles. “To survive for four hundred years… you must be resilient.” Dracula smiles, a completely disarming yet evil look. “For one so young…” he murmurs, stepping closer to me, “such a shame to be fighting me.” I slowly back away and inch closer to a basin of holy water. “There is nothing shameful in trying to be saved.” “Saved from what, pray tell?” the Count asks, cocking his eyebrow. “From you.” I reply coldly. He chuckles again. It seems that he finds me highly amusing, I thought angrily to myself. “That I do, child.” I grit my teeth. Vampires can read minds, so I must be stalwart in blankness. But I couldn’t. My anger rose to the surface. “I am not a child.” I say; my voice low and dangerous. He smirks. He has gotten a foothold. I despise that. “Not a child… You are right. I can feel it. You have bloomed, but are far from a woman. You cannot be a woman until you have made love. Have been loved.” He says. As if he would know. “Stop talking.” I grit out. I reach behind me and grab the basin of holy water. I fling the golden basin and its contents at him. The water splashes across him, soaking his cloak and wetting his face. “Oh my God…” I whisper; shocked. Holy water is supposed to dreadfully hurt a vampire, but not so with Dracula. He merely flinches and casts his sodden cloak aside. He is clothed in black: only black. I shudder as he draws closer. I fumble for the crucifix at my neck, only to discover I left it in my bath. I remember bathing and leaving it… My thoughts trail off when I hear a growl from Dracula. Oh my God… He saw that. The images of me bathing… He saw me naked!