Dracula returns

The fog rolled across the field like a plague. Children playing outside and any other outdoor activities ceased. The town had fled into the comfort of their homes. Men anxiously keep watch by their front door while women cook and get children off to bed. Their fears coming alive with every slight sound outside of their homes.

Our home had a clear view of the castle on Death's Hill. The fires were lit in the windows giving it life. The legend has stayed dead for centuries but, recently town's people have gone missing. Rumors quickly spread panic through the town that Dracula has finally come home. Whole houses have been found silent. The corpses found drained of blood. There was no mercy as he even took the lives of the children.

The night before one of Dracula's brides had been found hovering over a sleeping child. As the whole town was on edge a mother had slipped in to check on her children finding her there. She fetched her husband who had driven a stake through her heart. Now the town would pay for her absence.

We knew not if the family who had been her demise would pay or if he would destroy the town. There have been stories before of how terrible his wrath could be; Destroying towns and all that lay in his path. His brides were his most precious possessions, always keeping three. They say he had left to never return because Van Halen and the vampire hunters were on his trail. Something must have happened for him to gather the courage to return to his home.

My father had locked up the doors. My mother had hurriedly put dinner on the table in hopes that maybe some food in our stomachs would ease our fears. My little brother knew not of fear as he smiled in my mother's lap. My father nervously kept glancing at the door as he ate. Mother wasn't eating much at all as she was too busy feeding my little brother Benjamin. I quickly ate so; I could take over for my mother so she could feed herself.

No sooner than had she put the spoon in her mouth we heard a terrible scream from the Cummings home. We all jumped up in terror. Frozen for a second as we strained to hear anything else. I gripped my little brother tightly. "Get the horses ready Annabelle. Mother get things packed and if I'm not back by the time everything is ready then leave me for dead." My father gently kissed my mother's lips as tears slid down her face. "Annabelle, Hurry!" He urged my still frozen body. Shaking out of it I quickly handed Benjamin to mother and ran outside behind him to the barn.

Father ran with his gun as more screams rang out. Men were coming with torches and guns from every home. Young men able to hold a gun or torch followed. The horses were skittish. Hurriedly I began to harness them and get them one by one ready to help us escape our fate.

I pulled the wagon around to the front door and mother was there waiting. She hurriedly started loading the wagon. My aunt and her three children had joined us with things of their own. My cousin held Benjamin as the rest of us hurriedly loaded. The houses around us had started going up in flames. Horses were running wildly as were people. We paused looking for father but, he was not in sight. My aunt began to urge my mother to go. My mother was starting to scream his name. She began to tear up but, she was a strong woman and would not let his sacrifice for his family be in vain. If he indeed lived he would return to her. She snapped the reigns against the horses and they fled more out fear of what was going on than the reigns biting snap.

One of his brides had caught site of our fleeing wagon and began to laugh hysterically. Her white dress was stained with blood. Her lips were full and blood red as they spread into an evil grin. Her fangs protruding from her lovely face as she began to move with inhuman speed at our wagon. She stopped here and there within sight laughing at our attempt of escape. I turned to my mother and brother. My aunt and cousins huddled together. Benjamin was clinging to me. He could sense the fear in us and it had overwhelmed him. I wouldn't let her hurt him. I turned to my cousin Beth. "Hold tight to him." I said numbly to her. She had scrunched her brow at me and nodded her head as if to slowly realize what I was about to do. She pulled him to her and covered his face. My aunt had moved to my mother to help her with the horses.

The bride had clasped the back of the wagon and poked her head in with a menacing look in her eyes. Her red eyes burning with blood lust as they had fallen on Benjamin. I watched in horror as her pupils dilated at sight of him. In an adrenaline rush I lunged for her gripping her throat as we both tumbled out of the wagon. Her look of surprise changed quickly into anger. She vanished before hitting the ground leaving me to take the fall. I ran in the opposite direction hoping to lead her away from my remaining family.

Her laughter had surrounded me. Then another's laughter had joined her. The remaining brides had me running in fear. I was headed back to town as if being rounded up like sheep. They had followed me thankfully. They moved in attacking me from the air. They shredded my dress as I screamed in terror. I put my arms around my head hoping to block them from my throat. "Anabelle." They hissed. "Sweet Annabelle." They cooed as they shred my clothing. One of them pulled my arms above my head as the other forced me on my back. My body was untouched except for a scrape or two from the fall. They had me sprawled out naked as they examined every inch of my body. "She-ssss perrr- fecttt." The one from the wagon hissed. The one holding my arms down glared at me. She rubbed my face and neck, "He will be pleased." Together they pulled me up and held me by my wrist and hair.

Moving as if being transported we had relocated ourselves to the castle. We were in a bright lit bed chamber. I gasped in fright at the sight of him. He was as angelic as his brides. There was something luring about him. Even though in the back of my mind I knew he was pure evil I felt enchanted by him. They forced me to my knees as his eyes penetrated me. He stood very still for a moment. He circled very slowly gazing upon my nakedness. "You have chosen your sister well. Pleasing to me as well as to you I presume." He paused behind me. Anxiously I waited. I could feel it coming at any moment it was almost unbearable. The brides held me and without hesitation he sunk his teeth into me. No scream escaped me. Just a slight moan at the pain but, there was something pleasurable about the blood slowly seeping out onto his lips. I gazed at the brides as they watched with pleasure. They pulled my hair away from my face as he let go of me. They slowly laid me down onto a bed and lay down on either side of me. They wrapped their arms interlocking around me. They both watched as the life slipped out of me. "Our sweet Annabelle, you are no longer. When you awake you will be as us. Our sister and we will call you. Marishka." The last sound I made out was a door shutting and a bolt locking before I was no longer Annabelle but, to awaken as Marichka.