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Creative writing is more of a compulsion to engage with yourself in a world of words, ideas, imagery. There are moments of hot exultation or prickly exasperated yet victorious expostulation when at last comes the right word, the rhyme that works or can yield surprise and pleasure. Thank you for sharing my engagement into those words. .
Thank you all for logging in. Truly appreciated.
Will try to do a comeback soon.
Take care
Footprints in the trail.
This tale started off as a
simple “let me adapt two tales to make one.” All I did was read the summary of
the book, condensed in the opening of this tale. I then read the work ‘Modern
Prometheus.’ I started the tale with the idea of a Greek tragedy, with the
interaction of monsters and vampires. Vlad ‘Dracula’ Tepes came in on the spur
of my typing at the keyboard. He soon became a character to make the tale more
interesting.
Chief Constable Lestrade and
Watson came in because of my love for the Holmes tales, but I did not add in
Holmes, for it would be racking my mind on how the sleuth could fit in. I did
try later when I mentioned the ‘hound,’ aka the Hound of Baskervilles.
On the Ripper, this
storyline was in a different date year. This was the mid-1800s, and the Ripper
was in 1888. I sort of place it in the mentions here and there.
Lieutenant Sharp was my
version of Lieutenant Sharpe from the Sharpe series. I have gotten the e-books in
the series and watched all the Sharpe movies I could find on YouTube. The
characters were well played by Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley, with many of the
supporting actors holding their positions on the series. Hakeswill was one
villain you would not mind plunging the bayonet into. My salutations to Bernard
Cromwell.
How did I end the tale here?
I mentioned in my blog when
I was writing this tale, I normally tap the final dot at about 50K words
(minimum novel word count), but the tale grew its own wings, and soon I was at
60K words, and still, it will not end. The words and twists whizzed through my
mind. I kept at it with whatever free time I had (did my medical tests; long
overdue and… well, I am alive here…) and voila, I am done at just tipping the
mark at 85K words.
And it will not be the end
just yet.
There may be, should be,
will be, and surely will be the sequel here.
Mary, the creation, is
‘alive.’
Sven Ducard, as revealed
last, still harbors revenge for the death of Henry.
Elizabeth Muriel, aka Mrs.
Frankenstein, was deemed insane, or maybe not…. Possessed (hint…hint….)
The Theology Society lost
their founding member and may not rest there.
What about the girls who
died there? Mere pranks or forming a new coven?
Briggs; he is a predator of
the flesh, maybe so.
Beelzebub, the uh-huh factor
mentioned in the passages, resurfaced in the end here. Why? Questions that
needed to be answered.
The mansions of Frankenstein
and Carmilla: are there secrets there in that mansion?
And of course, Victor
Frankenstein, creator and son. Well, he is now with Elizabeth and expecting
their first child.
Lots of what ifs” and “could
it be”s are here.
Till then, tallyho, I am
not taking a break. I am to complete my other unfinished tale…. Have you ever
wondered who Mrs. Hudson is in the HOLMES series? Well, one day soon, you may
know my version of her.
Cheers
27/03/2025 11:55am
52.
The Chief Constable,
Lestrade, sat across from the owner of Frankenstein’s mansion. He had so many
questions to ask the young man. He was accompanied by the constable and
Lieutenant Sharp. Ms. Muriel was in the personal chamber of Ms. Moritz. She
wanted to be alone.
“The search was another……
fruitless; it was.” The lieutenant tried to find the word. “I had called it
off. My dead men will be sent back to the camp for burial.”
“I will take care of the
others.” The Chief Constable, Lestrade, had informed Watson to move the body of
Mrs. Muriel to the cold chamber. He had sent words to the Theology Society to
do the needed.
“Mr. Frankenstein” The Chief
Constable addressed the young man not by his designation as Master of the
Mansion. “Please tell us what happened?”
“I do not know how……. I was
there and met Mrs. Muriel, who was inquiring about Elizabeth. She was there
with me then. She was upset that Liz was there.” Victor said. “Then without any
reason, the monster appeared. It attacked Mrs. Muriel and was coming at me when
the soldiers appeared. They fired at the monster, but it was unstoppable. It
killed them all, but thankfully Sven was not killed.”
“Tea, sirs.” Sven walked in
with the tray of cups and pot. He set the tray on the table. “We are short of
staff. The new cook is missing, and some of the others have packed to leave.”
“Earl Grey tea, Sir.” Sven
poured the tea contents.
“I can attest to the
incident. I was there with the soldiers. We fired in turns, but the monster
still attacked us.” Sven added that. “I was hit on the head and fell
unconscious.”
“There was no blood seen
there from the …….” Watson cut in with his observation.
“Yes, we found no traces of
blood form the monster.” The lieutenant interjected. “I wondered……”
“If the monster bleeds?
Maybe green blood?” Chief Lestrade lent a tint of sarcasm. “Indeed, there was
none.”
“I did not see any.” Victor
said. “I am familiar with blood. After killing the others, it fled to the
forest.”
“We were informed, and a
search was conducted. We found a grave, freshly dug out, but no bodies were
found.” The lieutenant reported in. “We had continued our search for two days.
I just received new orders. We are to return to camp for posting to overseas to
Crimea.”
The Crimean
War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of
the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of
Sardinia-Piedmont from October 1853 to February 1856.
“Mr. Frankenstein, the case
remains unsolved. I have no new evidence. London is impatient with my progress,
and I am recalled back.” The Chief Constable was upset. “However, till we get
new leads or evidence, you are to remain here and be available for any
questioning. Constable Watson will be here to monitor the …… developments.”
“Meantime, the case had been
classified as wild animal killing. We are in the countryside, and within the
forest, there are bears or wild dogs. Any of those could kill with savagery
assumed to be by the monster. Or they are monsters.” The Chief Constable looked
hard at Watson. “We shall stay at that assumption.”
“At my home in the north, my
uncles told me of the myth of Barghest, in folklore, a monstrous goblin dog
with huge teeth and claws that appears only at night. It was believed that
those who saw one clearly would die soon after, while those who caught only a
glimpse of the beast would live on, but only for some months.” Trust Watson to
add the supernatural hint to the conversation.
“Ahem!” The Chief Constable,
Lestrade, intervened. “Gentlemen, we shall not speculate on the monster. For
all the good it will do, we may get ripped by it soon. We do not have any
rippers at large for now.”
“Good day, sir. I got a
train to catch back to the city.” The Chief Constable, Lestrade, stood up.
“And myself a long march
back to camp.” The lieutenant also stood up. “Thank you for the tea.”
“I have dinner to prepare.
All of you are invited to stay back for it.” Sven smiled. He was at odds on
what to serve then.
“I may…” Watson saw the
expression on the Chief Constable. “I may have to do my patrols in the
village.”
“And good day, sir.” Victor
stood up and wished the others safe journeys. He took to the chamber of Ms.
Moritz. Elizabeth was seated there on the bedding.
“Do you think this chamber
will do well for a children’s playroom?” Elizabeth patted the bedding cover.
“We could put in …….”
“Liz, are you well?” Victor
approached the lady. He sat down next to her.
“I am fine. Can we fuck
again? I am feeling the need for it.” Elizabeth looked at Victor. “I am sure
Justine would not mind if we do it here. She may learn a thing or more from
us.”
“No, Liz. We must ……” Victor
was cut off by the lady. She had leaned over to kiss him. He pushed her off his
face. Elizabeth grinned and pulled at the shoulder hem of her dress. She pulled
it off her shoulder to expose her bosom.
“You could kiss me here. I
like that. One day soon, our child will be doing it. You do not compete with
our child then.” Elizabeth grabbed Victor’s right hand and placed it on her
left breast. “Our hearts beat there.”
“No……” Victor stood up. “I
need to go.”
“No more creation. We have
one here.” Elizabeth pats her stomach. “Give us time. It will be created. Then
after, we can create another. We can create a dozen if you want.”
“No… I must go.” Victor
turned to leave.
“Do not leave me, Victor
Frankenstein. The monster will come for me. I am afraid.” Elizabeth cried out.
“I am afraid.”
Victor embraced his lover.
She leaned onto his chest and hummed the lullaby.
Rock-a-bye baby
On the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall.
And down will come baby.
Cradle and fall
Sven had eavesdropped there
at the door and then moved on back to his cottage. He saw the creature seated
there near the back door of the cottage. She was looking at the rear of the
cottage. Sven had buried Henry there, with the creation’s help, and planted the
lilac flowers there.
“How are you?” Sven asked.
Silly of him to ask that, but he knew not what to say. He had given the
creation new clothes to change into and made her wash herself daily.
“I am fine. I saw Henry this
morning. He is fine.” The creature looked at Sven. “He seems to have lost some
weight.”
Sven had placed a glass jug
there, inverted into the ground, at where Henry’s face was. The creation could
look in and see her dead lover.
“Did you feed him?” Sven
asked.
“No, I could not……. I did,
but that will destroy the flowerbed. I fed the flowers there. It will provide
food to Henry.”
“It will, but maybe you
should take care of yourself more. Henry will be fine if you are.” Sven
approached the bedding. The covers were not folded. “You are to fold the
beddings daily. Did you do that?”
“No, I did not. I …” The
creature got up to approach the bedding. “I will do it now.”
“And the other chores I told
you about. If you do, then you will make Henry proud. He …….”
“I will. I will make Henry
proud of me for taking care of you.” The creation began folding the bedding
covers. “Sven, please call me Mary. It was the name Henry gave me. I will be a
good child for you.”
“Yes, Mary. With Henry in
his long sleep, you will be my child. Now, you know the rules. You stay here
and do not answer the door. No one will need to see you.” Sven looked at the
creation. “You must not ……. Please stay hidden. You are not …….”
“I am not a monster. I am
Mary.” The creature looked at Sven. “I am Mrs. Henry Mary Sven Ducard.”
“Yes, you are. You are a
part of the Ducard family now.” Sven smiled. “And for now, I will read to
Henry. He likes to hear me read.”
“I like that too. Please
tell me the tales.” The creature picked up the huge volume and approached Sven.
“Cinderella.” Sven opened
the volume to the page for that tale. “Let me tell you about Cinderella. Long,
long time ago…”
51.
Spielberg stood up holding
the cane. It was a hard decision for him. Was he to save his daughter or end
the saga with the witches? Was he cursed to be associated with the witches?
“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been
cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! Isaiah 14:12.” Those
words swam in his mind. Was he cast by God to be there?
“Rudolph, please.” Lissa
called him by his nickname. She once told him Rudolph suits him better in name.
She told him that the name means "famous wolf. He was to her the prime
wolf that leads the pack. Just like when he led the regiment colors, he was the
leader.
“Save your daughter.” Lissa
spoke to him. “We came far and wide to be with her. She will carry our legacy,
and the coven will be ... established and ... famous.”
“Famous like Rudolph.”
“Spielsdorf, she speaks the
truth.” Annabelle added.
“Betrayals are inevitable,
but great devastation will come to the one guilty of betraying others. It would
be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled
into the deepest sea than to face the punishment of betraying one of my dear
ones! Luke 17:1-25.” Spielsdorf said while looking at Lissa. “Was I betrayed?”
“Did you ever feel love? We
took oaths to cherish, to hold, to …… undergo all the events together. Yes, you
left my side earlier, but I carried you in my heart. Did you?”
“Yes, I do. I have always
watched over you and Lauren.” Lissa replied. “Love knew no boundary.”
“Did it? You bound yourself
here to …… Say it out, Lissa.” Spielberg was angered. “We travelled to find the
one who caused you to leave us. Did you ever know?”
“Yes, the coven matters to
me… above all else.” Lissa sighed. “Carmilla, in her anger, made me lose my
humanity and crippled our daughter, but now she has repented of her errors.”
“For that, all is forgiven,
huh?” Spielberg looked towards Carmilla. “You destroyed my family, and now you
are asking me to give my daughter……. What? A new life?”
“Yes, Spielsdorf. A new life
to her. A new life to all of us. A new life to the coven. Lauren will be the
…”… Carmilla cried out.
“No…….” Spielberg shot
Carmilla from the concealed revolver. The bullet impacted on the lady’s chest.
She was slammed back to the back of the seat.
“Spielberg, you……” Carmilla
held up her hands over her wound. “I……”
“Sister …….” Lissa rushed to
Carmilla’s side with Lauren.
“I am dying…… I will soon
be…… dead.” Carmilla sighed. “The beginning and the end are nexus in the
journey of life. Mine will be over. I am glad that Lauren has taken over that
responsibility from me.”
“I can save you, Carmilla.”
Lauren approached the lady. “I have the means……”
“Silly lady. You have more
things to accomplish than to save my life. My journey ends and yours… is soon
to take place.” Carmilla smiled. “With my death, the vampire war is over. The
coven war is over.”
“No, my love. Please do not
…… leave me.” Vlad, still stuck to the wall, called out. “Let me see you once
more.”
Lauren released the vampire
from the wall. He fell to the floor and then stood up.
“Dignity is mine.” Vlad
stood up and then walked towards Carmilla. He went on his knees and took her
hands.
“I do love you, Carmilla
Karnstein.” The shrieks of the other brides echoed on the walls.
“Vlad, I do it for you, but
we were never meant to be. I am a witch, and you are……”
“A lover for you.” Vlad
smiled. “I loved you as mine, and not because you are…….”
The echoes of the brides
were louder, and then the swarm of bats flew away.
“I need to go. Dead is not
my favourite event. I may cry at the weddings, but at death, I have to say…….”
Vlad's tears flowed. “I dislike deaths.”
Vlad stood up and walked to
the door.
“Lauren, I will be back.”
The vampire then dissipated. Carmilla Karnstein took her last breath.
“Spielsdorf, give me the
blood jewel.” Annabelle said. “It may save Carmilla.”
“No!” Lissa intervened. “The
blood belongs to Lauren. It was to be Carmilla’s gift.”
“She is our sister.”
Annabelle cried out. “We have to save her.”
“It is not called anymore.
It is Lauren’s.” Lissa looked at the younger lady. “If you give her the blood,
you will be incomplete. The paths before you will be…… dangerous if you are not
complete. You may lose it all.”
“I ….” Lauren, in the short
time, has become a witch when just days ago, she was an invalid on the bedding.
Her transformation was intense, and she had not come to grips with her new
personality and powers.
“Rudolph, please give her
blood.” Lissa begged," “She cannot be…… incomplete.”
Spielberg held hard on the
cane. He was unsure of the action to take.
His daughter or her coven?
“I must save her.” Annabelle
rushed towards Spielsdorf. The latter had raised the cane and leveled it at the
witch. The sharp end of the cane pierced the witch at the throat. The blood
from Annabelle spurted out, and some landed on Spielsdorf face. Her form
dissipated then.
“Annabelle!” Lissa called
out. She embraced Lauren as if to shield her.
“You killed Annabelle. She
……without her powers, she was like any mortal. You killed her.”
“No, Lissa. I did not.
I…...was protecting myself.” Spielberg said.
“As you had done years ago.
How many innocents died on your hands, Rudolph? Thousands or millions?”
“Lissa, I told you before. I
am a military man.”
“No, Rudolph. You are a
monster.” Lissa glared at him. “If she stays with you, she will be one soon.”
“I am not a monster. I am …”
Spielberg defended his action. It was then he recalled the image of the monster
at the lab.
“Yes, the monster dwells
with you, yet you could not see it. You cannot, for you are one with them.”
Lissa said. “Your monster dealt with the demon that was to attack your
daughter. Not that day, but one day soon.”
“I am……” Spielberg looked at
the cane he held.
“The witch shall not be
complete.” The voice reverberated in the mansion. “I am the Supreme One.”
Spielberg felt force on the
cane, and he gripped it harder with both hands. Lissa pushed Lauren towards the
father.
“Take the cane, Lauren.”
Lissa called out. Lauren jumped over the table, kicking away the feast there.
She leaned forward to reach her father.
“Father!” Lauten called
out," Spielberg heard her call and rushed to the table. He felt himself
held back by some invisible force, and Lauren sensed it. She grabbed the
athame, the carving knife on the table, and called up the spell. It propels her
forward to her father, and with the knife, she slashes at the invisible force
holding her father.
Spielberg felt the force was
off him, and then he moved towards Lauren. He pushed out his left arm towards
her. Lauren grabbed the cane and swung the head of it towards her. She jabbed
the cane with the blood jewel into her chest, and then she screamed.
Her screams echoed in the
mansion, and the stillness prevailed.
“Lauren, are you good?”
Lauren, lying on the table, looked at the face of her father. She looked pale
then.
“I am ……fine.” Lauren pushed
herself and then got off the table. “It was a ……. Where is Mother?”
Lissa was missing.
“It took her.” Lauren said.
“Who?” Spielberg asked.
“Beelzebub.” Lauren said.
“Master Ernest Frankenstein summoned the demon. The portal door is now open.
The demon took the mother. We must find her.”
“How?” Spielberg asked.
“I do not know. I was with
Carmilla, but I must learn from Mother or Aunt Annabelle. My …… training was ……
not complete.” Lauren looked at the father.
“The blood jewel is an
empowerment, but the training was to help me use it……fully.”
“Oh, God. What have I done?”
Spielberg sighed.
“We must find Mother. The
war is not over.” Lauren looked at the contents of the table. “I need to find
the means to complete my training.”
Lauren called on the spell
to rearrange the contents on the table. She picked up the wand and cauldron.
“Carmilla told me of the
ancient books here. There are some at the other mansion. Aunt Annabelle
entrusted it to Ernest. We need those too.” Lauren looked around the mansion.
“We also need the help of
the undead.”
50.
A gunshot to the chest can
damage vital organs like the heart, lungs, esophagus, and major blood vessels,
potentially leading to severe bleeding, respiratory issues, and even
death. Added to the single shot, multiple shots will do more. Blood will
splatter out when the arteries are severed.
That was the mortal.
The undead or monster may
not feel that.
“Arghh……” Matthew felt the
grip on the left shoulder blade. The collar there was the first to snap, and
then the shoulder was pushed backward by force and yanked to the left. The
joints at the shoulder gave way, and the flesh was torn.
Matthew fell into blackness
then from the intense pain. He never felt the second grip by the left side of
the head that pulled the cartilage at the spine apart. He was tossed like a
broken doll to the side, alongside the three others who were dead from various
dismemberments by force.
Sven plunged the bayonet
into the monster at the right ribs but drew no blood. He had fired his rifle,
and there was no time to reload then. He was out of practice with the bayonet
attack. The monster turned towards him, pulled the bayonet out, holding the
barrel, and tossed the rifle to the far wall. It paused in the attack and
looked at Sven.
It then swung out the right
arm at Sven’s head and propelled the man to the side. It did not want to kill
Sven.
“Monster!” The last of the
soldiers charged at it with the rifle levelled at the back of the monster. It
pounced on the charge and grabbed the rifle off the soldier. It turned the
rifle around and plunged the bayonet into the soldier’s chest.
“Stop! Stop it!” Victor
called out.
The creature turned to look
at its master. It stood there, with the wounds on its chest; its left forearm
had a deep cut, and there were six bullet wounds on its chest, but not a single
drop of blood was seen.
It had killed the soldiers
but not Sven. It recognized Sven as the guardian of Henry.
“Go back to the chamber
now!” The master called out. “Do it!”
“No, I am not. I am leaving
now. I want to find Henry.” The creature ran towards the door. Victor called it
back, but the creation was gone. He turned to look at the dead bodies there.
“Victor, what was that?”
Elizabeth had witnessed the carnage there. “Who was……?”
“Are you okay, Liz?” Victor
came to his senses. He approached the lady, but she stepped away. She was
holding the wound at her waist. The bullet grazed her there.
“Did you create that?”
“Yes…… No, I did not create
it.” Victor shook his head. “It was here.”
“What in tarnation happened
here?” It was Chief Constable Lestrade who stepped into the lab. He was alone.
“Who …… What happened here?”
“The monster killed them.”
Elizabeth said. “It was hiding here.”
“Was that the monster I saw
fleeing to the forest?” The Chief Constable Lestrade stammered. “Oh God. I sent
Watson after it.”
“You must stop him. He will
be killed.” Victor called out. “Stop him!”
“Victor Frankenstein……. I
was to see you…… What am I to do now?” The Chief Constable, Lestrade, was
confused. “I …”
The Chief Constable,
Lestrade, saw the dead lady. He turned and threw out his stomach contents.
Victor was then running past the officer to pursue the creation. Elizabeth
tried to call out, but she felt no sound from her voice. Z
“I must call for a search
now.” Chief Constable Lestrade found his voice. “Ms. Muriel, please stay with
…… Please go to the mansion. Stay there.”
“Mr. Sven! Are you fine?”
The chief constable approached the man lying on the floor. Sven was not hurt
except for the gash on his forehead. He was breathing then but unconscious.
“In the name of God, what
happened here’?” The Chief Constable, Lestrade, looked at the dead soldiers.
Constable Watson, in
pursuit, had the better sense to keep to the road, watching the treelines for
the monster. He had a glimpse of it and then met up with Lieutenant Sharp. The
officer was leading the men back to the camp upon receiving the recall order.
“Lieutenant, the monster is
in there.” Watson stopped before the officer. “It is in there.”
“Hold your horses, man. Take
a deep breath and tell me slowly.” Lieutenant Sharp halted the column march.
Watson composed himself and then explained what he saw.
“Men, deploy in a straight
line and deploy forward. We have a monster to catch. Make lots of noise so that
we can lure the monster out.” Lieutenant Sharp gave the order. He then turned
to the constable. “You will walk with me.”
“Are you armed, man?”
“No. I have only the …… I
left my baton at the church. It was …….”
‘Well, grab a branch then.
Thick one. We will search now.”
While the search was
mounted, the creature was at the creek. It felt the wounds on its body. It felt
nothing except the loose skin and flesh. It felt no pain there. It sat down and
looked at the mound of grass.
“Henry, why do they want to
…… hurt me?” The creature looked to the grasses there. “I did not do them
anything.”
“They tore your shirt.
I will mend it later.” The creation touched the
torn fabric.
“I have not done that. You could teach me.”
“Henry, you taught me many
things. I learned them well. I could learn how to mend your shirt.”
“Henry, am I stupid? You say
I was sometimes. I do not want to be stupid. I want to be like you. Please come
back and teach me.”
“Henry, why would you not
speak to me anymore?” The creature swept the grass there. “Are you still
sleeping?”
The creature heard the
callings of the soldiers in the forest.
“Henry, there are more of
them. They are calling me. I do not want to see them. They are bad men.” The
creature looked towards the noises.
“Master wants me back in the
cold chamber. I do not want to. I want to be here. I want to be with you.” The
creature sat there. “We can leave now. I will find you a new place to sleep.
Can we go?”
“Where? I do not know. Your
chamber may be a good one.” The creation, knowing not how to smile, nodded.
“Let me get you out. We will then leave.”
Victor took to the run. He
was still hurt by the beatings and had to stop to catch his breath. He heard
the noises made by the search party. He had to find it and take it to the lab.
He knew that the creature will go to the creek. It held no knowledge unless it
was taught to it.
The creek.
Victor reached there.
There were the soldiers
there.
“Whatever was there, it was
dug out.” Lieutenant Sharp used his left boot to move the dug soil. The
dimensions of the dugout resembled that of a grave. He was familiar with the
dugout of the soldiers, or trenches, as named by others. It was not deep enough,
but there were the sights of the maggots.
They are the larval
stage of flies, appearing as small, worm-like creatures that feed on decaying
organic matter. They are commonly found in places with decaying food,
garbage, or dead animals and are part of the fly's life cycle. He had seen these
flies when they reached the trenches previously housed by the others. The dead
bodies rotted there, and regardless of their affliction, they are always given
a burial, whether singular or in mass. The call from that was not to distress
the men, mostly the new recruits, or to make space at the trenches. He saw then
the man who was standing there.
“Who are you?” The
lieutenant asked.
“Who? Oh, he is Victor
Frankenstein.” Watson identified the newly arrived person. “He is from the …….”
“Frankenstein. I read the
report. Why are you here?”
“I was walking here. This is
part of my estate. Why are you here?” Victor addressed the officer.
“Walking, huh? Some dressing
you have on.” Victor was dressed in the dressing gown he had put on leaving the
mansion. “Well, we are in pursuit of a monster. I may suggest you return to the
mansion.”
“I think you have my men
posted there to patrol the mansion.” The lieutenant looked at Victor. “Did you
see them?’
“Men? I … I left by the side
gate. They may be at the main gate.” Victor replied. “I will be going back
now.”
“Sir, did you meet the Chief
Constable at the mansion?” Watson asked. “He was heading there.”
“I…… No. I did not.” Victor
turned to leave. It was then the military officer asked the constable to follow
Victor back.
“I have no need of your
service here. Please escort the man back to the …… mansion.” Lieutenant Sharp
had a tone of envy there. He had not lived in a mansion; his largest abode was
the barracks. His other abode was the common chamber in the basement of the
public house.
Unseen by the soldiers, the
creation had found the abode of Henry. It settled the dead lover on the
bedding. It then sat there by the side. Henry lived in the small cottage next
to the stable with Sven. It had never been there, but Henry showed it: the outside
of the place. It was sparse with the furnishings, but it held memories of
Henry.
“God, what a stench!” It was
Sven who came in. “Who …… Oh my God! What are you?”
Sven was sent back there to
freshen up, and holding the rifle, he had stepped into the cottage.
“My Henry…….”
49.
The
journey was fast, or rather, the father and daughter only woke when they
arrived at the mansion. They disembarked from the carriage, and for the first
time, Lauren looked at the huge mansion. The drive unloaded the baggage and
then took off.
“It
looked huge.” Lauren said.
“Yes,
it is……. Wait, you can see it?” Spielberg looked at Lauren.
“I
think so.” Lauren smiled. “Since last night before supper. I was ……unsure. Was
it a dream or ... real?”
“Can
you see me?” Spielberg asked.
“I
think so. You look older.” Lauren reached out with the right hand to touch the
father’s face. “You have a smoother chin.”
“Oh
my God, you could see.” Spielberg wept in tears of joy. “I …...”
“I
did when I said the carriage was waiting for us. It was a gift from Carmilla.”
Lauren looked at the father. “Are you glad?”
“I
… I do not know. I meant I am happy you can see, but how and why baffles me.”
Spielberg embraced his daughter.
“Shall
we go in, Father?” Lauren led her father.
Soon
they were back at the dining hall, and the table was laden with food and
drinks. There were also the witches’ items in front of Carmilla: a
mini-pentacle, or paten, a disc-shaped altar consecration tool with
a sigil, or magical symbol, engraved or inscribed upon it.
the athame, the carving knife, black-handled and usually inscribed in
the Theban alphabet. It is used to direct energy for the casting
of magic circles, controlling spirits, and other ritual purposes. There
was also the wand, symbolic of the element of air or fire. It can be made from
any material, including wood, metal, and rock, and Wiccan wands are sometimes
set with gemstones or crystals. It was to summon certain spirits with whom it
would not be meet to use the athame. And not to be missed was the chalice, or
goblet, ritually in use as the symbol of the element of water.
The
palm-sized cauldron was at the side of the items. It is often used for making
brews like oils and incense-burning and can be used to hold candles. The fire
is often lit within the vessel, and the flames are leaped over as a simple
fertility rite or at the end of a handfasting. If filled with water, a cauldron
can be used for scrying. It plays a large role in Celtic magic in a
similar fashion to that of Cerridwen's cauldron.
Facing
it was Carmilla.
On
the right side of the table were Annabelle and Lissa.
“Mother?”
Lauren looked at the figure that resembled her mother. She rushed towards the
figure.
“Yes,
darling. It is me.” Lissa replied. “I am here.”
The
mother and daughter embraced there next to the table before they sat next to
each other.
“Sit
down, Spielsdorf.” Carmilla invited the man to the table. “Please be seated
across from your family. The food and drinks are real. You may induce them. My
other guest had arrived.”
There
was a whiff of wind, and the guest arrived.
“Lady
Karnstein, I am pleased to see you.” Vlad ‘Dracula’ Tepes appeared at the other
end of the table. His brides were not with him. “You looked……”
“Pale?
I am bloodless, if that is what you meant.” Carmilla smiled. “I made my peace
with the sisters. We are no longer at conflict.”
“I
am glad.” Vlad ‘Dracula’ Tepes lowered his guard. “Please forgive me. I was
only wary of us meeting here ……alone.”
“Shed
your oafish behavior. Do be seated
there.” It was the voice of Annabelle. She was motioning to the other end of
the table. “We are to talk.”
Vlad
took his seat there and faced Carmilla. They are a table length apart and a
table width from the ladies but still a distance. He saw the mortal taking the
seat on the other side of the table. He sensed no hostility there.
“Vlad,
I have called my peace with the covens. You may have sensed it. I am dying.”
Carmilla looked at the vampire.
“I
could cure you. I offered you immortality.” Vlad leaned forth on the
table.
“I
am aware of your cure, but do not forget I had it……unknowingly, but the witches
held an elixir to the vampire’s lust.” Carmilla smiled. “I should have studied
that before we meet.”
“Then
it would have been …… just physical interaction between us.” Vlad smiled. “I
have to be discreet in the presence of the ladies, more in particular the young
innocent ones.”
“Well,
a f…… Ok, we will be discreet.” Carmilla saw Lissa staring at her. “As I was
saying, Vlad, our union cannot be done. It is not that I am dying now, but I
held no love for you. I do, however, love one other.”
Carmilla
stared at Lauren.
“I
had given her my real love and my blood essence to revive her life force and……
her sight.” Carmilla smiled. “Yes, my dear Laure. This is me, Carmilla, your
friend.”
“You
are beautiful. As I had imagined then, and now seeing you told me I was not
wrong.” Vlad looked towards Lauren.
“I……”
“Hold
your lust, Vlad ‘Dracula’ Tepes!” Lissa cried out. “You…”
“I
held none, mother of the child. My love is for Carmilla… only her.” Vlad smiled
at the child’s mother.
“Just
in case you changed your mind, Lauren is different.” Annabelle looked towards
Vlad. “Have you heard of the Power of Three?”
Vlad
felt the tingling on his spine.
“The
power of three is universal and is the tripartite nature of the world as
heaven, earth, and waters. It is human as body, soul, and spirit... It
is a symbol of the unity of body, mind, and spirit. Also, three is the
number of perfections, or completion.” Lissa explained.
“Lauren
holds ours. She is the Three.” Carmilla smiled. “Vlad, you are no match for
her.”
“I…….
I meant no harm to her. I shall take my leave then.” Vlad stood up and turned
to the door. “However, she …….”
“Do
not tempt me, Vampire.” Vlad heard the call and found himself stuck to the wall
above the doorway, face facing the stony surface.
“I
am the Three.”
“Oh
God!” Spielberg looked with dismay at his daughter. She stood there next to her
mother with her right hand held out.
“How
…….” Spielberg looked to Lissa.
“It
is our legacy, my love. For us to protect Lauren, we have imparted our powers
to her. She will be more powerful than all of us combined; with our power, she
will head the coven now.” Lissa looked to Spielsdorf.
“Lissa,
she is our daughter. How could you do this?” Spielberg cried out to his lover.
“For God’s sake, she is……”
“Father,
I am well. I knew of my existence and my role to the coven.” Lauren looked at
her father. “When … during the accident, I was given the vision of my
existence. Mother had told me I will need to learn. For me to do it, I was to
see myself. I was given a new vision. I had years to prepare for Carmilla. She
saw me at the mansion and recognized my role. She felt drawn to me, like a
sister, which I never had then. We confided and slept together, dreamt in
unison…….”
“Stop
it, Lauren.” Spielberg called out. He looked towards his lover. “I cannot……”
“Accept
it, my love. Lauren is a witch, not made but born. Annabelle has three sons, no
daughter…. Her lover wanted a girl, but
she knew if she did, there would be……. She did not want it. She loved her sons;
there were two then, and then the last was a son too. She felt he was not
ready.”
“Yes,
I was not. My love, your Общий; my Alf will never accept it. I was not ready
for him to raise a daughter. He was a monster in his own life. He killed many
innocent lives, including some of my own kinsmen. He raised two of them in William and Victor.
I saw it in them, the brutality in their ways, and when Ernest was born, I
refused to let them raise the last son. I nurtured the last son. It was
unforeseen when Ernest, who was to be a scholar, took up my skills. He found the
cauldron first and was playing at it. Soon, he learned to read and found my
books. I knew he was not my daughter, but he inherited her in him. I indulge
with him, unknown to Alf. He was good, but he was not a daughter. He had the
ailment of movement, and it was one method to cure him, but I failed. I died
not long soon after.”
“Witches!”
Spielberg sighed out.
“Yes,
we are. Our coven required daughters. Spielberg, I love you.” Lissa pleaded
with the man. “I never meant to …….”
“Hurt
me? No, you did not. You destroyed my life.” Spielberg looked at Lissa. “We
never should have met.”
“It
was our fate, and she is our legacy.” Lissa looked at Lauren. “You hold
something that she needs. Please hand back the jewel.”
Spielberg
looked at the cane in his left hand. The jewel there glowed. He wanted to toss
it away.
“Lauren
needs it to complete herself. Please give it to her.” Carmilla said,
"Spielsdorf,
you may hate us, but do it for your daughter. Her journey has just started, and
to survive, she needs that. Do it for Lauren, please.”
“Hey,
someone please free me.” Vlad called out.
48.
“Father,
are you upset at me for making you look for Carmilla?” Lauren asked the father
when they stopped for the night at a tavern. They had reserved their
accommodation and took their supper at the hall. They were seated by the window
while Spielsdorf kept his back to the wall and eyed the surroundings.
“No,
I am not.” Spielberg looked to the kitchen and was wishing they were served. He
was hungry then.
“Then
why are you quiet since we …….” Lauren looked at the father. It was then the
meals were served, and the conversation was kept aside. She resumed shortly
when her father took to smoking the pipe.
“Well,
it is like having the meals. They are different times for different meals. Our
conversation was to be after supper.” Spielberg looked around the tavern hall.
He was eyeing the patrons there while his left hand was in the left-hand pocket
of the coat. He was wary of strangers then.
“And
…...” Lauren waited for the reply from her father.
“I
have no objection to your request. As a matter of concern, I want to see this
friend of yours. What is her name again?”
“Carmilla.
She never told me her full name.” Lauren replied. “She told me to see her at
the mansion. She said you knew its whereabouts.”
“I
may……but……” Spielberg felt at a loss to explain Carmilla Karnstein.
And
Lissa.
They
are interrelated there.
“Father,
could we not be …… rash to each other there?” Lauren asked,"
“Why
do you say that? I have not … We are not there yet.” Spielberg looked at his
daughter.
“Carmilla
told me yesterday before we left the mansion. She …….”
“She
was there? Why did you not tell me?”
“She
appeared to me in my dream. She told us she was dying and needed us to hurry.”
Lauren explained. “We need to get there fast.”
“We
will, Lauren. The journey needs some days of travel, and …….”
“Carmilla
said she can offer us a carriage that could reach there by dawn.” Lauren looked
to the outside. “I think it’s here now.”
Spielberg
looked outside the window. There was a carriage there.
“She
said it is safe to travel in it.” Lauren said. “I will collect our things from
the room.”
It
was decided then, and Spielsdorf had his view of the carriage interior. It
looked comfortable.
“Step
in, Mr. Spielsdorf. The ride will be long, but we will make it smooth for you.”
The driver spoke to the man. The driver was dressed in the dark suit and bowler
hat. He spotted the thick moustache with the sunken set of eyes. The father and
daughter took to the carriage and the drapes were drawn over the window. It was
a smooth ride, and soon they were asleep.
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found;
I was blind, but now I see
.'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear?
The hour I first believed
When we've been there ten thousand years
Brightly shining as the sun
We have no fewer days to sing God's praise.
Then when we first began
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found;
I was blind, but now I see.
I once was lost, but now I'm found
;I was blind, but now I see.
‘Amazing
Grace,’ originally written by John Newton in 1772
Earlier
at the lab, Mrs. Muriel stared at the man who had taken her niece to his side.
Her niece had taken to standing between her and the man.
“Step
aside, Elizabeth. He does not deserve your mercy.”
“You
cannot shoot him. Aunt. He is…” Elizabeth looked to the man she had covered
herself.
“He…
We are to have a child. I am carrying his.”
“All
other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually
sins against their own body; Corinthians 6:18.” Mrs. Muriel muttered then. “You
have……”
“I
did not. We did not. We are in love.” Elizabeth cut in. “It is just that we
took the vow before ourselves then. We had sinned in not telling God that we
were to do it, but the deed done bestowed upon us the child. Our child.”
“That
is not a child. That is a …… Nephilim. A consummation between the …… monster
and you.” Mrs. Muriel holds on to the revolver quiver then. “You consummated
with the monster. How could you? All my years of upbringing, and yet you…….”
“I
love him, Aunt. He loves me.” Elizabeth cried out. “We did it for love. Our
love is a paradox. I studied it. It is a …… encompassing both the desire for self-fulfilments
and selfless devotion and the simultaneous expansion and effacement of the
self.”
“Grand
words, Elizabeth. But within these walls, they mean nothing. You are a ……
bitch, and he is the monster.” Mrs. Muriel held up the revolver at her niece.
“I condemned you to …….”
Mrs.
Muriel had a glimpse of the figure that emerged from the chamber nearby. Her
sight was distorted by the monstrosity that appeared there.
“God
protect me. What is that?” Mrs. Muriel called out. She aimed her revolver at
the monster there. Victor saw the threat to his creation.
He
rushed over to protect the creation.
Elizabeth
saw the elderly lady aimed at her right side.
She
felt Victor had rushed towards them.
She
had to stop the elderly lady.
She
rushed towards the elderly lady.
Mrs.
Muriel saw from the corner of her eye that her niece was rushing at her.
She
turned to look.
Her
arms swung to the front, and then the shot was heard.
“Elizabeth!”
Mrs. Muriel cried out when she saw her niece fall backwards. The revolver in
her hands was fired. The bullet had impacted Elizabeth on the lower chest.
“No!”
Victor stopped in his rush. He turned to look at Elizabeth. She was hurt.
“You
shot her!’ Victor looked towards the elderly lady. “You killed her!”
Mrs.
Muriel saw the anger in the monster. She knew that he was the cause of it. She
levelled her revolver at the monster. She pulled the trigger, and then it was
confusion.
A
huge frame stood over her. It took the bullet in the chest, but the front limbs
reached for the elderly face. It gripped the jaw of the elderly lady. Its grip
was hard and powerful. The jaw came apart on the grip.
Mrs.
Muriel was tossed to the left by the creation. In its hands were the fragments
of the broken jaw.
Mrs.
Muriel dropped the revolver and held her hands over her face.
It
was painful, but the pain was short-lived when the creature clubbed the elderly
lady in the head. The clasped fists smashed the cranium of the lady. The force
was so hard that the fragments of the cranial pierced the soft brain tissue.
“God,
I can see you. It is I, Anne Muriel. Your devoted servant. Purity in our body
and soul, purity in our mind and thoughts.”
God
was forgiving.Not Man.
“What
are you?” It was Sven who appeared at the doorway. He was holding his rifle. At
the side of him, the five soldiers had joined in.
“Raise
the rifles!” Matthew called out to the soldiers with him. He was trained to
kill or be killed.
“Fire!”
Thank you all for logging in. Truly appreciated. Will try to do a comeback soon. Take care