Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.
Dracula has good reason to be uncomfortable with the current situation, whether he is willing to admit to it or not. Avram tries to understand what is wrong with him, but they are interrupted by Gunther's return. See what is happening in this week's chapter of Dracula. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
Dracula
awakened with a start, the images of the past retreating, melting back into the
furthest reaches of his troubled soul.
“Was
ist lost?” Concern was evident in Avram’s voice.
Dracula
glanced up. Apparently, at some point, he had slid down from his previous
position leaning against Avram so that his head was pillowed in the other man’s
lap. Avram’s troubled visage looked down at him from above, his curly forelocks
almost hanging in the vampire’s face.
“Nothing
is wrong,” Dracula insisted with a gruffness he was far from feeling. He sprang
to his feet in one move, shaking off the remnants of the unpleasant dream.
Avram didn’t appear to be offended, having long ago become used to his
employer’s ways. Dracula sometimes felt as though he understood far more than
he should, which was a little unnerving. He smoothed down the creases in his
clothing as well as he could, taking into account their current circumstances,
and frowned. Where had his coat gone? And then he remembered, and the memory
stung. Perhaps he would rid himself of this entire suit, once he had a chance
to do so. It would forever be associated in his mind with things he’d rather
not be reminded of. A shame, since he found it attractive.
The candle
the priest had left hanging on the wall was surprisingly still lit, although
barely, only its feeble glow preventing them from being plunged into total
darkness once more. Although the darkness no longer frightened him, he had
never been able to shake his fear of small, enclosed spaces. Once his father
had perceived the effect this form of punishment had on his son, he had
utilized that knowledge fully and as often as possible, especially after Nico’s
mother died.
Dracula turned
his attention to pacing once again, more to keep himself occupied than anything
else. He wanted to say focused on the situation at hand, not dwell on the
immutable past. Rather than attempting to stop him this time, Avram fell into
step beside him.
“For what
it is worth,” he began as they finished the length of the enclosure and turned
back in the other direction, which was a short trip at best, “I am sorry I
yelled at you about… you know.” He indicated the church above them with a
motion of his head. Of course Dracula understood what he meant. “I know that
was never your intention, and that you would not have brought harm to… to her.”
Although
Dracula was not one to seek validation for what he did, he appreciated Avram’s
words. They served to assuage some of the pain he felt, although if he was
being honest with himself, this was not just about her. He could not have said
exactly why he was so upset, but he knew the reason was greater than the death
of one woman. He felt unsettled in ways he could not describe or understand.
Change did not come easily to him. It had to be experienced over a long period
of time. But now… although he knew they had to leave, he wasn’t sure what
awaited them on this journey. And, more importantly, would they ever be able to
return? During his lifetime, if not Avram’s? How did he feel about possibly
taking Avram away from everything he knew, the only life he knew… and for what?
Questions he could not answer and didn’t want to consider at this moment, so he
pushed them away. For now.
Pausing in
their perambulation, he faced Avram, who had stopped when he did. “Are you sure
you want to—” But the sound of the floor grinding backward interrupted his
question.
“Sure I
want to want?” Avram asked, but Dracula made no response, and moments later
they were joined by the less-than-cordial priest.
* * * *
Avram had
no idea what Nico had wanted to ask him, but it was a moot point now that
Gunther had returned. The vampire was not likely to open up in front of the
priest. He’d have to see if he could draw the question out of him later,
assuming it was of any importance.
“What
news?” Dracula barked. Avram mentally rolled his eyes and sighed.
Gunther
paid him no attention, turning toward Avram instead. “I have found you a way
out of Bistritz.”
For once,
good news.
“Both of
us, right?” Avram asked cautiously. All right, so Dracula was far from
helpless. And he’d lived for many years before Avram came into his life and
could do so again. But this was about more than their survival. The Turks had a
word for Fate—they called it Kismet. Something deep inside of Avram told him that
his and Nico’s Kismet were intertwined. He wanted no harm to come to the
vampire—he legitimately cared about him. The man might not be perfect, but he
was a far better person than he was ever given credit for being. Avram had
heard the stories about his ancestor, the one they called Vlad Tepes—the
Impaler. Not someone you wanted to anger.
“Both of
you,” Gunther confirmed, to Avram’s relief. He stole a quick glance at Dracula,
who seemed calmer now and offered no scathing retort. Perhaps Avram would get
lucky and he would actually hold his tongue for once. That remained to be seen.
“How will
this happen?” Avram cautiously asked.
“You know
of Andrei Ionescu, yes?”
Avram
nodded. Of course, he did. Smuggling was an open secret in Bistritz that
everyone knew about but no one discussed. Staples such as salt and grain came
in, whether to avoid duties or because they were prohibited from import, while
outgoing items included local wines and beer as well as handmade clothing which
would fetch a better price elsewhere.
And now
Avram understood how they would leave Bistritz. The question was, how would
Dracula take to this news? And what would this journey cost them?
to be continued
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