Wednesday Briefs: Dracula #29(6.6)

 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 awakens to find Andrei has put the boat ashore to attend to business of his own. So what does he want to do? Take a walk? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Dracula. Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Dracula #29(6.6)

“I do not hunger,” Nico replied.

Well, that answered that question, at least for the moment. But that was still a situation Avram intended to monitor. For Nico’s sake, as well as his own.

After a time, Dracula straightened, perhaps tired of staring at himself, although Avram would have sworn that would never happen. He began to pace the length of the boat, as he’d done before, in the space beneath the church floor, his expensive black Venetian boots thudding heavily against the wooden deck. At least there was more room for him to walk here, although Avram didn’t think Nico would appreciate that fact as he hated confinement of any kind. He assumed that’s why he didn’t spend his days resting in a coffin as other vampires were said to do. But that was hearsay, of course. He had no personal knowledge of any other vampires and had no wish to meet any should they actually exist. If he hadn’t already been aware of Dracula’s nature, he would denounce vampire stories as mere superstition. Local legends meant to frighten the young and the foolish. But he knew only too well now that at least some of the stories were real. Vampires truly walked the earth. And common sense insisted that if there was one, then there must be others for Dracula was surely not the only one. Which led him to wonder which other old wives’ tales had their roots in reality. Maybe he should ask Nico…

He was drawn abruptly out of his reverie by the sound of Nico’s imperious command of, “Come!” He glanced up, startled. But before he had a chance to respond, the vampire strode to the side of the boat nearest to the shore. As Avram watched, he leapt onto the land in a graceful arc that would have been the envy of any ballerina before turning expectantly toward Avram.

What does he want to do now?

Avram shook his head.  “Meshuggeneh,” he muttered under his breath, but he followed nonetheless.  What else was there to do? Not possessed of the vampire’s impressive athletic ability, however, Avram couldn’t just vault onto the shore. He eased himself over the side and waded through the shallow water in which Andrei had drawn up the boat. Luckily, it came no higher than his knees. He jumped in surprise when his path was bisected by a small gray snake that swiftly skimmed across the surface of the river. Just a grass snake, he realized. Nothing to get excited about. His cheeks heated, as he chose to ignore Nico’s snicker of amusement.

He pulled himself out of the river and onto dry land, rejoining his employer. “And we’re doing this why?” He leaned down and wrung out the bottom of his pants legs.

“Exercise” was the ridiculous reply.

Avram narrowed his eyes at Dracula. “Excuse me?”

Dracula’s bland expression gave nothing away. “Exercise. Do you need me to tell you what the word means, Avram? I would have thought you’d have heard of it before.” Not waiting for a reply, the vampire pivoted, turning his steps toward the tree line.

Avram sighed and followed. “Where are you even going? We can’t go very far or Andrei will leave without us.” He eyed the wild grass carefully for any  distant relatives of the water snake that might be lurking there, trying to match his stride to Nico’s. He started to add that Nico might get his clothes dirty if he continued in this vein, but then realized he probably didn’t care as he didn’t want to wear those things to begin with.

Nico slowed his pace, allowing Avram to catch up just as they reached a narrow dirt road, probably the same route Andrei had taken. “He will not leave without us,” the vampire said with great confidence.

“How can you be so sure?” Avram argued, more from habit than because he believed what he was saying. Therefore he was not surprised when at the vampire’s reply

“Because I am sure.”

 to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

Wednesday Briefs: Dracula #27(6.4)

 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.

After a hard night's work, Dracula sleeps while Andrei and Avram converse. See what's happening in this 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 #27(6.4)

“Someday I’ll be married, I suppose. My brothers too.” Andrei didn’t sound overly excited at the prospect, more resigned to its inevitability. What society expected, even in such a small place as Bistritz. “Still, it would be nice to know some of those ladies,” he added wistfully.

“Some of them are nice,” Avram admitted. To be honest, his acquaintance with the ladies who frequented the seamier sides of Vienna was limited and was usually on Nico’s behalf, never his own. Not in a sexual way, either. But occasionally, his needs weren’t easily met by other methods, and there were women who didn’t mind being paid for their blood. Avram let them believe his employer was a bit eccentric but harmless, and Dracula always blurred their minds so that their time together was a fond memory. He never harmed them or took more than he needed. He never availed himself of their services, but sometimes, while he waited for Nico, Avram found himself in conversation with other young ladies of the same ilk, a not unpleasant experience.

Thoughts of Nico led him to wonder when he should wake him. Or should he let sleeping vampires lie?

While debating the matter with himself, Avram was surprised to notice that Andrei had lowered the sail and was poling the boat toward a wooded area on the north side of the river. Once he maneuvered the vessel into position near a huge Hungarian oak near the water’s edge, he dropped the anchor. “I have to make a stop, Avram, I won’t be long.”

Avram understood immediately. Andrei had more business to conduct. Not surprising that he should have arrangements with other villages along his route toward the Danube. So far, they had not crossed paths with anyone else on the river. This place seemed secure enough, and he was sure the smuggler would return soon. They were far enough from Bistritz now that he didn’t believe anyone had followed them.

He watched Andrei until his figure disappeared among the many trees that sheltered them from view, hiding whatever homes might be nearby, if any. These oaks were so magnificent, he couldn’t help but admire them. Many such trees were to be found in the area around Bistritz. He and Gunther had spent many pleasant hours as boys beneath their shade, talking or reading. Sharing a meal, or flasks of ale, whenever they could acquire them. Sometimes evading Nico, when Avram was less than inclined to study, which was often enough. He had to chuckle, remembering how much of a pain in his guardian’s tuchus he must have been in his youth. Ah well, that was a long time ago. Those days were well behind him now.  He yawned and turned his gaze away from the shore then almost jumped in fright to discover Nico standing there.

“Oy vey, Nico! Do I need to bell you? Or do you just want to give me a heart attack?”

The vampire chuckled in amusement. “Be grateful I wasn’t an enemy with foul intent. You’d be dead by now for all the attention you’re paying to your surroundings.”

To his chagrin, Avram couldn’t argue with that, much as he would have liked to. He did need to be more aware of his surroundings. This was no pleasure cruise they were taking.

“You’re right. I’ll be more careful in future.”

to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

Wednesday Briefs: Dracula #26(6.3)

 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.

Avram enjoys a brief respite, conversing with Andrei while Dracula is at rest below. 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 #26(6.3)

“So you are traveling to Vienna?” Andrei asked between hearty bites of bread and cheese. He offered a hunk of the cheese to Avram as well, who accepted it, appreciating its salty flavor.

“We are,” Avram replied cautiously. He had no reason to think the smuggler would betray their whereabouts. Not like he wasn’t aware of their destination anyway. He knew what the next leg of their journey was and where his cousin would conveying them from there.  But Avram was concerned that the man not possess any information that could potentially bring him trouble. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but better he should err on the side of caution than see an innocent person be hurt.  Truth be told, he didn’t believe the villagers would even have the desire to track them down, much less the extra resources. Why would they bother? Out of sight, out of mind. Life would go on as usual for all concerned. Not like he and Nico hadn’t left the village on its own before in order to travel. The difference this time was the circumstances under which they were leaving. Normally they would be scrounging for funds that would enable the nobleman to continue his entitled lifestyle. This was that, but also the need to distance themselves from the unfortunate situation and any possible repercussions. The death of the blacksmith and his poor wife would be the topic of gossip and speculation for some time to come, no doubt.  By the time they returned, hopefully not so much. The greatest uncertainty in the whole affair lay in not knowing how long this self-imposed exile would last. He was trying not to think about that.

“What is Vienna like? I have never been there myself. From what my cousin says, there are many interesting things to see there.”

That was probably true… if you had money. And weren’t Jewish. Antisemitism was far from dead in the Habsburg empire, and Vienna was no exception. Although there did seem to be some relief on the horizon, as more enlightened thinkers published their philosophies. Writers such as Voltaire and Locke, Hobbes and Mary Wollstonecraft, among others. He owned a few volumes of their works… or, rather Nico did, although Avram was sure he never read them and only purchased them to please Avram. Ironically, while Voltaire advocated freedom of religion, and rejected the notion of the Jews as “Christ killers’, he was also antisemitic in that he hated Jews for what he considered to be their innate, degraded character. As Avram explained to Nico, he read Voltaire, despite that, because he preferred to see all sides of an argument, and not make judgments without obtaining sufficient information to do so.

“To be honest, we don’t go out much. We stay with some people Dracula knows, and our time is taken with them.” That was technically true, although far from telling the entire story.

“He’s told me there are many pretty ladies there. Ladies who will… well, you know… allow you liberties.”

Avram could have sworn Andrei was blushing. He and his brothers were still young, and lived together, which made it easier to run their smuggling operations.

“I’ve heard that too,” Avram agreed. Actually, he’d a number of those ladies where they were going. They were called courtesans.

A rose by any other name…

 to be continued

 

 

Wednesday Briefs: Dracula #24 (6.1)

 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.

Avram and Dracula have been forced to flee Bistritz for safety's sake, but of course the vampire can't make it easy, can he? See what's going on 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 #24(6.1)

Avram released a grateful sigh as the early morning breeze lightly kissed his cheek even as the sun began to peek over the horizon behind them, lighting their way. Andrei had predicted they would be able to hoist the sail soon. And then they could relax for a bit, have something to eat. In the meantime, he was utilizing his long barge pole to propel them along the Bistritza River.

Dracula was already at rest below, but Avram couldn’t begrudge him that. He had actually worked all night, and it was largely thanks to his efforts that they had come as far as they had. And oh, what a night it had been!

Before they’d left the church the night before, Gunther had provided them each with changes of clothing—white woolen pants, wide-sleeved white shirts decorated with blue embroidered strips about the neck and along either side of the best, open sheepskin vest with matching hats known as căciulă—as he explained the plan he’d come up with to get them safely away from the village. Naturally, Nico had thrown a fit and refused to wear what he termed to be “peasant garb”.  

Gunther had enlisted the aid of Andrei, the smuggler, who traveled up the river on a regular basis. But only as far as the Danube, where the river ended. There he would surreptitiously meet with another smuggler, and they would exchange goods. Andrei would return to the village with what the villagers desired, and the other man would take his newly acquired commodities to Vienna, where they sold for a pretty penny, leaving both men satisfied with their less-than-legal business arrangement. Normally, Andrei would enlist the assistance of his two brothers for the trip, as they would need to either row the boat for some distance or pole it along the shore as wind was not always sufficient to enable the use of the sails. In order to accommodate Father Gunther’s request, he agreed to leave his brothers behind and would therefore need Avram and Dracula to take their places, which the priest explained to them when he gave them the clothing. 

“I am not a peasant!” Dracula bellowed.

“No, you are an entitled prince!” the priest yelled back at him. “I have arranged for your and Avram’s safety and all you can think about is your clothing? Would you rather I did nothing and let the villagers discover you for themselves? Luckily for you, I would not do that to Avram.”

“I am not afraid of them,” Dracula said disdainfully. “They know who I am and would never dare to harm me.”

“You think not?” the priest returned. “Well, I know who you are and I know what you are and I am not impressed. Besides, a little hard work will not kill you. You are more than capable of undertaking this task. Or are you a greater weakling than I had imagined you to be?”

They stood facing one another, toe-to-toe, nose-to-nose, in confrontational poses, trading insults and veiled threats. Avram thought he’d never seen two more hardheaded men such as these.  What did Gunther really know about Nico? Or was he simply bluffing?  Oy vey!

Avram had finally had to step between them to attempt to placate both men. Mostly Dracula, whose indignation knew no bounds. He had to make him understand the necessity for them to disguise themselves, and to help guide the boat on its way if they wished to leave this place in a timely fashion, which they undoubtedly did.

“Yes, I know we are leaving in the middle of the night, and most people will be asleep, but it is much better to not take chances on being recognized,” Avram argued. “Please, Nico! Time is not on our side. We must leave!”

Dracula had finally, grudgingly, agreed. Once he had removed the hideous suit and exchanged it for the other clothing, Avram offered to pack the suit in the trunk, knowing how much he liked it. But Nico only shook his head. “Burn it,” he said. He offered no explanation and Avram decided not to ask. Gunther surprisingly agreed to do just that, and they left the offensive garment in his hands.

Once the arguing had ceased—an utter waste of time in Avram’s eyes—they had finally left the church, trunk in tow. Gunther guided them to the outskirts of the village, to a hiding place on the river where Andrei waited for them in his flat-bottomed boat. Andrei and Avram were old acquaintances. He welcomed Avram warmly, but he seemed a little daunted by the presence of Count Dracula. And the vampire was more than a little peeved at learning he had to perform manual labor. But once they were underway, it quickly became evident that he had prodigious strength, and Andrei began to relax in his presence.

Of course, Avram was not about to enlighten Andrei as to Nico’s true nature. No one in the village needed to know that. However, once they returned to Bistritz—if they were able to return, that is—he would have to have a conversation with Gunther. But for now, all was well. 

to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers are up to!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb