Thursday, May 28, 2026

Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 39

 

39.

 

Meanwhile, Laurren had transported the ones that gathered around her to the cottage. There was Victor, the Helsing father and son. Rudolf was standing leaning on the rifle with Sven, and there was Mary, who felt confused to be there. Abel was there at the cottage tending to a group of horses, saddled and ready to be ridden.

“I am ……” Lauren collapsed on the ground from the effort. While everyone was trying to gather themselves, Kane rushed at Lauren with the crossbow levelled at the new witch.

“You are a witch! You deserve to die!” Kane held the bow to his shoulders. His right index finger was at the trigger. The shot came, and his aim was off. The iron arrow hit the cottage wall, barely hitting Abel, who was standing there holding the rifle as a clutch to hold himself. Kane fell to his side and looked at the one who shot him. He was shot in the right shoulder from the rear.

“Why did you shoot me?”

“We had enough of the killings, Kane.” The doctor stepped towards his son. He was holding the handgun that he kept in the shoulder holster. “You are……”

“I am doing what is our task.” Kane’s left hand was on his wound. “Have you forgotten your role?”

“No, I have not.” The doctor looked from Kane to Lauren. “She saved us all.”

“We must leave now,’ Rudolf called on Lauren.

“And I think we are to do so.” Doctor Helsing approached his injured son, Kane. “I need to get you to a doctor. Let us collect Abel.”

The Helsing family took to the horse assigned for them and rode off.

“Master, I will take Henry with me.” Mary walked to the cottage. Sven stopped her.

“I will go with you.” Sven told Mary. “We will……”

“No. I will not take Henry far. We will …… I will lie beside him.” Mary looked at her master. “The last years I have been in hiding and trying to be near Henry and… Father. I know this. I will never be the same like … Lauren or Mary Annabelle. I will always be the monster….”

“Do not say that, Mary. You are ……” Victor cut in. “I can … revive Henry.”

“Do not console me, Master. I am a…a creation. Yours and always be.” Mary looked at Victor. “I was given life by Carmilla. You heard that from her too. It was not you.”

“I will never be like Pinocchio. Nor are you Geppetto. That fable is not to be created here. This frame is yours, but not the… soul inside.” Mary sighed. “Mary Annabelle is yours; frame and soul. She is beautiful.”

“So are you.” Victor approached Mary. “Let me help. I can recreate the experiment. I got the generator…….”

“Do not deceive yourself, Master. I am glad to be here… with you and… Sven and Henry. But the journey had to end. Like the tenure of life, I must …… die.” Mary then looked towards Sven.

“I will be with Henry. He will not be alone. We will be fine.” Mary looked at Henry. “We will go away. Maybe to the creek. Henry likes it there.”

“No, I can bury you at the grave where Henry was.” Sven stepped up to Mary.

“It will not be safe. They will find and dig us up. I may not be dead. I will …… fight them, and it will be like now. We must not be found.” Mary looked back at Victor. “We must go.”

“Wait.” Victor looked to Sven. “We have a basement at the mansion. You can hide there with …… Henry. We will seal the entrance.”

“No, Master. They will still find it, and our peace will be over.” Mary sighed. “We will be leaving.”

“Wait, Mary.” Sven stepped to the creation. “What if we bury you with the mansion over it?”

“I do not understand.” Victor looked at Sven.

“I have two barrels of gunpowder.” Sven told Victor. “It was brought by me some years back, when I wanted to …clear some deep-rooted old trees.”

“And also, to load my rifles.” Sven looked at Mary. “I was to protect her.”

“I can collapse the mansion over both of you. They will not dig you up.” Sven looked to the mansion. “It will be your……”

“Yes, bury us. I am contented to be buried with Henry.” Mary looked at Sven. “Bury us deep.”

“Mary, you ……” Victor looked at her and was trying to find the words for her.

“I am already dead. My body is a mixed anatomy of whom I am not to know. It may be my head and brain, but what was my name? It does not matter. All I want now is to be with Henry. He gave me a name.” Mary then carried Henry in her arms. “Let us do it.”

Sven rushed to gather the two barrels, while Victor stood there still stunned.

“It is their wish, Victor… Sir.” Lauren approached Victor. “Let us give …. Them that wish. Get the other horses to the lab. We do not want to spook them. We need to leave fast later.”

Rudolf assisted Sven on the task. They laid the gunpowder at the areas near the basement where it will collapse the mansion walls. Victor had then led Mary to the basement. He opened the heavy door and led her in.

“My father had planned this for… if we ever needed it, it was to hold ourselves inside, but instead of it… it was a mausoleum. I had used the design to build my lab, with the generator and the cold chamber. As a kid, we used to play here or stay hidden from my father. He once locked us in for two days and earned Mother’s wrath.”

The basement was bare of furnishings and held some empty shelves.

“Soon after Mother’s death, my father had this place cleared out. He wanted to bury Mother here, but her body went missing. We never knew why, but now when …… Carmilla explained it; I can understand.” Victor sighed. “You can stay here now, Mary. With Henry by your side.”

Victor took his leave of the basement and met Sven with Rudolf.

“It is done. She is inside.” Victor struggled to say the words. “May she …… No, they rest in peace.”

“Lauren, we must go now.” Rudolf looked for his daughter. “Where is she?”

Rudolf saw his daughter had walked towards the mansion.

“Lauren, we must go,” Rudolf told her.

“It will not be enough. I need to bury them deep. Lauren raised her arms and called on the spell that will add destruction to the mansion.

“It is done, Father. It will work itself into the walls and then collapse within itself with the explosion. Let us leave.” Lauren turned to approach her father. The horses were already hitched and waiting for them.

“I am not leaving,” Sven said. “I will stay behind to light the gunpowder.”

“Not needed.” Lauren said, and called on the spell, which knocked Sven off his feet.

“Pick him up, and ride now.” Lauren told Victor. “The mob is almost here. And ride hard.”

Lauren stood there and looked at the mansion. She spent some days there, and then it was the final resting place for the creation. And her lover. She raised her arms once more, and the spell was cast. She rushed to the horse that was for her.

“We ride, Father.” Lauren mounted the horse. “We have to get back to our mansion to secure the sister’s mausoleum and then to rescue Mother.”

Rudolf mounted his ride and saw the flames of fire at the windows of the mansion. He galloped off to follow his daughter. They rode for a short distance and then heard the explosion.

“Rest well, Общий.” Rudolf snapped his heels on the horse to ride faster. He was leading the horse on which Sven was laid across.

 

 

 

 

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Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 39

  39.   Meanwhile, Laurren had transported the ones that gathered around her to the cottage. There was Victor, the Helsing father and so...