Dracula's Groom

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT: New Life

Nathan

A spark ignited in my brain as my body awoke to the feeling of someone lying underneath me. I opened my eyes and learned that it was Dracula, resting peacefully. I smiled at the thought of having him back in my life again after that horrible trip in the middle of the Nevada desert. I shook my head at the awful memory only to smack it against something hard as I cursed under my breath.

I looked around and noticed that we were in a confined space. A space that was not to my liking. A space that made me want to freak out and wake Dracula up just so he could resolve the problem. Above me was a lid as I pressed my fingers against it and learned that it felt easy to move unlike last time. A piece of white light shined into my eyes as I groaned and sat up and got my bearings.

The catacomb looked the same but felt different. I could see the detail in the cobwebs; hear the faint scratching of insects as they crawled through the walls. I licked my lips and frowned at how dry my mouth was while there was an uncomfortable tickle at the back of my throat that I could not seem to get rid of, no matter how hard I tried. Even my body felt odd as I climbed out of the coffin.

My coordination was nonexistent thanks to my quick reflexes as I nearly tripped and caught myself in the process. I brushed myself off and sniffed the air and was amazed at the different smells that floated around me. Particles of dust lingered in the light that shined down from the ceiling, reflecting colors of yellow, blue and pure white before turning into orbs.

But another smell caught my attention as I turned to look at the small cooler that contained the donated blood bags. I went over and opened the lid and stared at the plastic bags as I gently squeezed it and could see the tiny, individual blood cells that made up one whole bag. Yet the longer I stared at it, the more my mouth began to water as a dull roar built-up in my ears.

I panicked but dropped the bag as I ran out of the catacomb and made it to the top of the grand staircase. Back in the mansion, the place was looking better already. Modern day electricity mixed with old world charm surely lived on in the halls and walls of what once Castle Dracula. Though it was here, standing in this place, I could almost feel the old spirits and relive the history back to a time when Dracula was still human.

Instead, I got to my feet and realized that I was still naked. So I walked down the corridor and at the end was my old room from when I first stayed here after gaining the keys to this place from my aunt-slash-witch who faked her death so she could kill Dracula and keep me from him. However, her plans were soon foiled and she was killed not once, but twice and this time for good.

In the glow of the master bathroom, I didn't dare look at myself in the mirror as I took a quick shower and got dressed in clothes that I found tucked away inside a walk-in closet that oddly resembled the clothes that I bought from my trip to the mall. Afterwards, I left the room and headed downstairs in a flourish, barely moving a single muscle I might add which got easier as the night went on.

Stepping out onto the gravel driveway, the darkness that surrounded me came to life like a breath of fresh air. I could see everything clearly. Hear things that sounded far away. My eyes penetrated the night like x-ray vision goggles as I took my first step into a bright and scary new world. The gravel crunched beneath the heel of my black leather boot as I wrapped my arms around me and headed down the mountainside.

It was here that I came upon the old Iron Gate with its ivory still clinging to life just like the rest of the forest. A twig snapped and I turned my head in its direction, my eyes scanning the treeline far and wide until I spotted a family of deer staring back at me. They became frozen for a bit, as did I. Neither of us moved, nor made a sound. Except for the cold breath we exchanged, the cold air didn't bother me.