Love, Legacy, Sacrifice
"Don't make me laugh!", cried Anisa as she tried walking gracefully across the bridge, balancing a bowl of soup on her head.
"God, you're such an idiot. My parents are going to love you. They won't care that you're not a debutante. They may be rich but they have the hearts of the poor.", replied Evan.
"Which means?"
"Which means that they don't like snobs, are very openminded, AND are very kind. So stop worrying."
"Well I can't help but worrEEEE---!",vociferated Anise, as she lost her balance and tipped the bowl of soup, spilling bright red tomato goodness down the front of her dress. "Oh drat!", she exclaimed. Evan went over to her, a hand covering his mouth to try to, rather poorly, hide the fact that he was laughing. "And you! What are you laughing at? You find this funny, do you?!"
"Well, love, that's why you're supposed to use a book. I intended the soup to be part of the food for our little picnic.", said Evan as he tried to keep anymore peals of laughter from escaping.
"Well what do you think of this?", and with that Anise grabbed Evan in a hug, smearing the soup all over him. He stared at her for a minute, wiped his finger over his shirt and licked it.
"I think that's a waste of some pretty good soup." And with that they both broke out laughing.
"Well now that we've made a rather horrible mess of our clothes, how are we going to get the stains out?", she asked, hands on her hips.
"Actually darling you made the mess, and I recall that if you rinse a stain in cold water right away it should come out."
"And where do you suppose we'll get running water in the middle of the woods? The house is atleast an hour away from here, and thats if we run,", said Anisa, sitting down on the railing of the bridge,"and I most certainly am not running through the woods with sandals on."
"Whoever said it had to be running water.", said Evan with a mischievous grin.
"What are you suggesting then? That we jump into the river, which is surely freezing---", and with that Evan began heading towards her.
"Oh noo! It'll be turning dark soon! No! No! No!", she yelled, "Evander Thaddeus Raleigh, don't you dare--"
"Don't I dare what?", Evan said as he ran toward her and put his hands on the railing on either side of her.
"Evan,", said Anisa, shaking her head and smiling,"you are daft." He held her chin in his hand. "Yet I still love you. I must be just as daft as you." He kissed her, pulling away slowly.
"Daft enough to, let's say, jump in a cold river?", he asked, looking into her emerald green eyes, with his own sapphire blues. He was so good at coaxing people into doing what he wanted. It was a charm he had thanks to the sound of music that was ever in his voice. It made you either love him or hate him. For Anisa both were intertwined.
"Depends? Will you jump in after me?"
"Without a thought.", he said laughing.
"You don't believe I'll do it, do you?"
At that he raised his eyebrows and without another word Anisa stood up and dived into the calm river. The cold water felt refreshing compared to the humid air above. Being familiar with it since her family bought the land three years ago, with their house, she had no need to worry. She was confident enough that she stayed underneath a little longer, hoping to give Evan a bit of a scare. Soon though, her air began to run out and Evan had still not jumped in. Had he seen through her plan, she wondered, and decided to wait for her to come up for air so that she would be the one feeling foolish? She decided to head to the surface.
"Evan, why didn't you--", she stopped dead in her tracks, realizing he was not there. "Evan! Evan, where are you?!" She swam to the riverside and pulled herself out of the water. She ran to the bridge, as her panic began to grow. "Evan!", she screamed. She ran to the spot where he had been, moments before. There was no one there, however there was a trail of blood leading from that spot into the deeper part of the woods. "My God! Evan!"
Anisa followed the path, worrying more and more with each step she took. Finally as she turned a bend she saw him. "Evan!", she cried, feeling as if a cold hand had just ripped her heart out of her chest. That was how much it hurt to see him lying there covered in blood, his blood. He was so pale, so deadly pale, and the blood was forming a pool around him.
"Anisa...", he whispered, barely having the strength to speak.
"What is it Evan?! What happened?! My God, what happened?!"
"Anisa...", he motioned for her to come closer. Crying bitterly she did.
"What is it, my love?", choking on the words, knowing that this would be the last time she would utter those last two, knowing that there was no chance of getting help in time. She stopped breathing, straining to catch whatever he should say.
"The sword...hurry..."
She ran to the end of the bridge where they had just had their picnic and grabbed Evan's sword, hurrying back to him as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Yes, dear, here it is." She leaned in again, waiting for his words.
"Be-behead....me..."
"What? But...Evan? I don't---" He motioned for her to be quiet.
"Neck...look...", he whispered. She looked at his neck, noticing two distinct marks from which the blood was pooling.
"No..." Now it was Anisa whispering, "They found us. Father's stories were true..."
"Anisa..." moaned Evan, interupting her from her thoughts.
"I'm so sorry, love. If I hadn't left you..."
"You...would...be...dead..."
"But..."
"Now!", he yelled, his strength growing rapidly, his skin turning paler still.
"Before I turn! Hurry! And run before they come back!"
She looked at him, through the tears. She could hear the vicious creatures on their way back.
"My love..."
"Anisa!"
"Evan!", she screamed, and with a start she woke up. Slowly her breathing began to return to normal. She looked around her. She was in her bed,with her sheets twisted in a bunch. The room was the same old pale green it had been since she moved here after her loss. She closed her eyes, recalling that afternoon. What a fool she had been, even at the age of eighteen. Not listening to her father about not going too far into the woods, and always staying in a group. Not believing the stories she was told about her grandfather. She sat back in bed and remembered.
It was a clean cut straight through. There had been blood on her hands, her heart had frozen cold, and then they came. Screaching like bats, running through the trees, they came. She didn't run. She had nothing left to lose, and those bastards had killed the only man she would ever love. She had raised the sword, waiting.
Anisa got out of the bed. Walking over to her desk. She opened the top drawer and pulled out his cross. He always wore it around his neck. Everyday, except that day. She kept it as a reminder, a reminder that she must never let her guard down. She clothed herself in a pair of trousers and a long leather coat, it had been one of her grandfathers, full of many pockets of all sizes.
She walked down the hall, through the oak doors of her library. She kept walking, straight to the mantle, reaching her hand out to the sword. It had been his sword. Now it was hers to live out her purpose. It was the sword that claimed the life of her love, as well as the lives of twenty-seven vampires, and afterwards had claimed the lives of more than six hundred demon-spawn since that day, three years ago. She had ended up walking in her grandfather's footsteps. She had ended up facing the same sorrow he had.
Anisa Van Helsing and Evander Thaddeus Raleigh. They would have been married by now, if that night had not occurred. Pouring herself a scotch, she sighed. It hurt too much to remember. It hurt too much to dream. She put down her glass without even taking a sip, and walked over to the mantle again, grabbing the sword and removing it from its holder. She needed to keep busy.
"Blakely?", she called, walking into the hall.
"Yes, madam?", replied the butler, coming up the grand staircase.
"Any word?"
"There was a sighting in Middlebrook, madam."
"Very good. Get my car ready please, Blakely."
"No problem, madam.", said Blakely as he headed back down the stairs and through a door to the back of the mansion.
"Time for me to make another mess, darling.", said Anisa staring down at the sword, and with that she walked down the stairs and through the front door, closing it behind her.
"What fun is a mess if you can't laugh about it afterwards, my darling warrior?", whispered a disembodied voice in the house, a voice filled with music.
"God, you're such an idiot. My parents are going to love you. They won't care that you're not a debutante. They may be rich but they have the hearts of the poor.", replied Evan.
"Which means?"
"Which means that they don't like snobs, are very openminded, AND are very kind. So stop worrying."
"Well I can't help but worrEEEE---!",vociferated Anise, as she lost her balance and tipped the bowl of soup, spilling bright red tomato goodness down the front of her dress. "Oh drat!", she exclaimed. Evan went over to her, a hand covering his mouth to try to, rather poorly, hide the fact that he was laughing. "And you! What are you laughing at? You find this funny, do you?!"
"Well, love, that's why you're supposed to use a book. I intended the soup to be part of the food for our little picnic.", said Evan as he tried to keep anymore peals of laughter from escaping.
"Well what do you think of this?", and with that Anise grabbed Evan in a hug, smearing the soup all over him. He stared at her for a minute, wiped his finger over his shirt and licked it.
"I think that's a waste of some pretty good soup." And with that they both broke out laughing.
"Well now that we've made a rather horrible mess of our clothes, how are we going to get the stains out?", she asked, hands on her hips.
"Actually darling you made the mess, and I recall that if you rinse a stain in cold water right away it should come out."
"And where do you suppose we'll get running water in the middle of the woods? The house is atleast an hour away from here, and thats if we run,", said Anisa, sitting down on the railing of the bridge,"and I most certainly am not running through the woods with sandals on."
"Whoever said it had to be running water.", said Evan with a mischievous grin.
"What are you suggesting then? That we jump into the river, which is surely freezing---", and with that Evan began heading towards her.
"Oh noo! It'll be turning dark soon! No! No! No!", she yelled, "Evander Thaddeus Raleigh, don't you dare--"
"Don't I dare what?", Evan said as he ran toward her and put his hands on the railing on either side of her.
"Evan,", said Anisa, shaking her head and smiling,"you are daft." He held her chin in his hand. "Yet I still love you. I must be just as daft as you." He kissed her, pulling away slowly.
"Daft enough to, let's say, jump in a cold river?", he asked, looking into her emerald green eyes, with his own sapphire blues. He was so good at coaxing people into doing what he wanted. It was a charm he had thanks to the sound of music that was ever in his voice. It made you either love him or hate him. For Anisa both were intertwined.
"Depends? Will you jump in after me?"
"Without a thought.", he said laughing.
"You don't believe I'll do it, do you?"
At that he raised his eyebrows and without another word Anisa stood up and dived into the calm river. The cold water felt refreshing compared to the humid air above. Being familiar with it since her family bought the land three years ago, with their house, she had no need to worry. She was confident enough that she stayed underneath a little longer, hoping to give Evan a bit of a scare. Soon though, her air began to run out and Evan had still not jumped in. Had he seen through her plan, she wondered, and decided to wait for her to come up for air so that she would be the one feeling foolish? She decided to head to the surface.
"Evan, why didn't you--", she stopped dead in her tracks, realizing he was not there. "Evan! Evan, where are you?!" She swam to the riverside and pulled herself out of the water. She ran to the bridge, as her panic began to grow. "Evan!", she screamed. She ran to the spot where he had been, moments before. There was no one there, however there was a trail of blood leading from that spot into the deeper part of the woods. "My God! Evan!"
Anisa followed the path, worrying more and more with each step she took. Finally as she turned a bend she saw him. "Evan!", she cried, feeling as if a cold hand had just ripped her heart out of her chest. That was how much it hurt to see him lying there covered in blood, his blood. He was so pale, so deadly pale, and the blood was forming a pool around him.
"Anisa...", he whispered, barely having the strength to speak.
"What is it Evan?! What happened?! My God, what happened?!"
"Anisa...", he motioned for her to come closer. Crying bitterly she did.
"What is it, my love?", choking on the words, knowing that this would be the last time she would utter those last two, knowing that there was no chance of getting help in time. She stopped breathing, straining to catch whatever he should say.
"The sword...hurry..."
She ran to the end of the bridge where they had just had their picnic and grabbed Evan's sword, hurrying back to him as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Yes, dear, here it is." She leaned in again, waiting for his words.
"Be-behead....me..."
"What? But...Evan? I don't---" He motioned for her to be quiet.
"Neck...look...", he whispered. She looked at his neck, noticing two distinct marks from which the blood was pooling.
"No..." Now it was Anisa whispering, "They found us. Father's stories were true..."
"Anisa..." moaned Evan, interupting her from her thoughts.
"I'm so sorry, love. If I hadn't left you..."
"You...would...be...dead..."
"But..."
"Now!", he yelled, his strength growing rapidly, his skin turning paler still.
"Before I turn! Hurry! And run before they come back!"
She looked at him, through the tears. She could hear the vicious creatures on their way back.
"My love..."
"Anisa!"
"Evan!", she screamed, and with a start she woke up. Slowly her breathing began to return to normal. She looked around her. She was in her bed,with her sheets twisted in a bunch. The room was the same old pale green it had been since she moved here after her loss. She closed her eyes, recalling that afternoon. What a fool she had been, even at the age of eighteen. Not listening to her father about not going too far into the woods, and always staying in a group. Not believing the stories she was told about her grandfather. She sat back in bed and remembered.
It was a clean cut straight through. There had been blood on her hands, her heart had frozen cold, and then they came. Screaching like bats, running through the trees, they came. She didn't run. She had nothing left to lose, and those bastards had killed the only man she would ever love. She had raised the sword, waiting.
Anisa got out of the bed. Walking over to her desk. She opened the top drawer and pulled out his cross. He always wore it around his neck. Everyday, except that day. She kept it as a reminder, a reminder that she must never let her guard down. She clothed herself in a pair of trousers and a long leather coat, it had been one of her grandfathers, full of many pockets of all sizes.
She walked down the hall, through the oak doors of her library. She kept walking, straight to the mantle, reaching her hand out to the sword. It had been his sword. Now it was hers to live out her purpose. It was the sword that claimed the life of her love, as well as the lives of twenty-seven vampires, and afterwards had claimed the lives of more than six hundred demon-spawn since that day, three years ago. She had ended up walking in her grandfather's footsteps. She had ended up facing the same sorrow he had.
Anisa Van Helsing and Evander Thaddeus Raleigh. They would have been married by now, if that night had not occurred. Pouring herself a scotch, she sighed. It hurt too much to remember. It hurt too much to dream. She put down her glass without even taking a sip, and walked over to the mantle again, grabbing the sword and removing it from its holder. She needed to keep busy.
"Blakely?", she called, walking into the hall.
"Yes, madam?", replied the butler, coming up the grand staircase.
"Any word?"
"There was a sighting in Middlebrook, madam."
"Very good. Get my car ready please, Blakely."
"No problem, madam.", said Blakely as he headed back down the stairs and through a door to the back of the mansion.
"Time for me to make another mess, darling.", said Anisa staring down at the sword, and with that she walked down the stairs and through the front door, closing it behind her.
"What fun is a mess if you can't laugh about it afterwards, my darling warrior?", whispered a disembodied voice in the house, a voice filled with music.
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