The Van Helsing Resurgence

by Evelyn Chartres

  Instead of answering her questions, she kept on observing the world. Wait! What was that? Were her eyes deceiving her? Clara could have sworn she observed a shockwave emanating from North America’s Eastern seaboard.

  “I thought you’d be here,” Gabriel said.

  Clara did not turn around to look, but smirked before she said, “The easiest way to be found is to stay in one place. What brings you here Gabriel?”

  This was a tall man who was also built like Da Vinci’s David, a perfect rendition, except for the lack of flaws. His hair was always perfectly trimmed, his muscles developed and cut. Even his wings were flawless, white, and without a single feather out of place. Was this the angel Gabriel from scripture and lore? Clara did not know, and never bothered to ask. Curious how that particular question never came to mind until now?

  “There’s been a violation,” Gabriel said flatly.

  Clara raised an eyebrow. Any violations on the mortal plain meant that people were not playing by the rules. Free will was an aspect respected by both sides. So a violation meant that someone was denied the opportunity to choose.

  With her curiosity sufficiently piqued, Clara looked over to Gabriel. Before her eyes settled on him, she saw something behind him that made her question reality.

  “That’s impossible,” Clara said under her breath.

  In the background, she saw two women: a stunning ginger caught in the embrace of an older woman. It was the latter that caught her eye, since the details of that face were burned into her mind. It was Edith, her best friend, and she looked exactly like she remembered.

  They last crossed paths in Mexico, after an attack on the Tower left it isolated from the rest of the world, an ideal time for those remaining to regroup, forge alliances, build a base of operations, and launch an offensive against those responsible.

  Plans changed when Edith’s lover was caught up in the crossfire, killed by Drusilla, their long-time foe. Edith, the steadiest ship of the fleet, even in the heaviest of seas, finally broke her keel. That much became clear, when the grief stricken Edith made one last request.

  “Kill that bitch!” Edith ordered.

  That was exactly what happened two weeks later at some luxurious railway hotel. There, Clara had managed to put down that thing, using deception, holy water, and a well-placed stab along with some divine intervention. The latter came at the cost of her life, but that determined the moment she stepped through the front-doors of the Grand.

  “Clara?” Gabriel asked.

  “Sounds serious,” Clara said absentmindedly in hopes of getting more information.

  Gabriel looked behind him, but saw nothing. He did note that Clara had the appearance of someone who had seen a ghost. Despite years of experience Clara had in concealing every genuine emotion, a great shock always managed to slip through that cool and calm exterior.

  Unsure of what to do, Gabriel chuckled before responding, “You look down all the time and yet you cannot see.”

  “And miss out on the opportunity to learn from your wisdom?” Clara asked.

  At first there was a silence which permitted Clara’s discomfort to grow. The image of Edith haunted her and Gabriel’s silence only made things worse. Did she manage to get under his skin?

  Now it looked as though Gabriel was facing in two directions. That behaviour was common when dealing with them, the creatures known as homo striga, colloquially referred to as vampires. So why was she seeing this type of behaviour in an angel now?

  When the illusion settled, Gabriel smirked before breaking the silence, “A soul was torn away from the light of God.”

  Clara wondered if Gabriel was toying with her in some way. Either way, it was clear that there was much to learn. Death did not make her an expert in all matters, much to her disappointment. She knew that many traded their souls in exchange for everlasting life in the mortal realm. Their baptism of sorts, meant they turned their backs on God and his divine light. Such bargains had been made with humanity since time began.

  “So what am I missing?” Clara asked.

  Gabriel resumed his disconcerting silence from earlier. Since they were both immortal, there was no reason to hurry things along, and yet there was something unnatural about the experience. From her vantage point, it seemed that Gabriel was having another conversation, but she was not privy to the other half.

  In the background, her eyes caught something, but she could not explain the phenomenon. Edith and the ginger were visible again, as though Clara were looking at an echo in time. She caught another glimpse of their passionate embrace, one intense enough for Clara to feel a twinge of jealousy.

  “Clara?” Gabriel queried.

  She kept her eyes focused on that general area, and refused to look Gabriel in the eyes. There was nothing, until Edith reappeared in another location. Moments before she tucked in her wings and dove towards the mortal plane.

  “It was not voluntary,” Clara guessed to keep the conversation going.

  It was an educated guess, of course. If their kind could banish anyone they wished, then that would alter the balance? All of their actions were guided by the need to maintain an equilibrium, so a deliberate disruption meant a correction was due.

  “What are the ramifications?” Clara queried.

  “Our agreement is null and void,” Gabriel said. “We can wage war if we so choose.”

  “I sense a but in your statement,” Clara said.

  “We would lose the wager,” Gabriel answered.

  Clara knew very little about this wager. Many mused about a game of chance being played for supremacy over all outstanding souls. Some aspects of these stories were likely true, while others were nothing more than details added to dress up the truth. All Clara knew for certain was that no one talked about it.

  “So the Council decided to send an agent,” Gabriel said.

  “Me?” Clara guessed. “Why me?”

  “Can’t send one of the seven,” Gabriel said. “That would be tantamount to going nuclear.”

  “So why choose your most junior conscript?” Clara asked.

  The ability to experience life once again, set her heart aflutter. It would likely not be permanent, but nothing down there was.

  “You were mortal. You knew how to fight them,” Gabriel said. “Besides, we knew you’d be willing.”

  “Can’t hide anything from you, can I? And to think I once believed that nuns were unsurpassed at mind reading!” Clara exclaimed. “I’m in. So what do I do?”

  “Fall,” Gabriel said.

  “That’s it?” Clara asked.

  “That’s it,” Gabriel replied.

  “Anything I should know?” Clara asked.

  “Keep your true nature concealed as much as possible,” Gabriel said. “Your powers will be limited, and that varies from person to person.”

  “So act and behave as though I were mortal and everything will be fine?” Clara asked.

  “That would be a safe bet,” Gabriel said. “Ready?”

  “Always,” Clara said.

  Without hesitation, Clara looked down and leapt from the railing. At first, she floated in mid-air while she freed her mind. On command, Clara dropped like a stone, reaching higher and higher speeds until she glowed in the atmosphere.

  “What a rush!” Clara shouted while tearing through the atmosphere like a meteor.

  The world beneath her grew in detail. While she had no idea where she was headed, that did not bother her. Clara sensed that her drop was guided.

  Smudges of grey against the terrain became cities, followed by streets, buildings, and finally, people. No one seemed to be aware of her descent, even though she must have looked like a shooting star against the night sky.

  “Will a little girl wish upon me?” Clara wondered with a giggle.

  Clara made out her destination, a nondescript courtyard nestled between multi-story structures. There would be no one around to witness her arrival once she made contact.

  “Three… two
… one…” Clara said.

  Right on cue, her feet hit the ground and absorbed some of the impact. Unfortunately, that had not been enough, so the concrete beneath her deformed, cracked, and was scorched by the heat.

  She took a moment to adjust, stood up, and then straightened out her back. While no longer visible, a set of majestic wings could be seen folding in the shadows. How fortunate, since her wings would have drawn a few errant stares had they remained visible.

  “Just as much as not wearing a stitch of clothing,” Clara muttered while eyeing her bare body. “At least I’m no worse for wear.”

  Gabriel should have mentioned how her clothes would burn away as she fell to Earth. Then again, life on Earth was not without its challenges, and this was bound to get a few laughs back home.

  Clara looked over her landing site in the hopes of finding a lavish clothing store. On first glance, that seemed unlikely since all of the doors were boarded up.

  “Just ducky!” Clara said aloud.

  Just then, she noticed something nearer to the corner. Clara walked over the cool pavement while the evening air clung to her skin and gave her a chill.

  “This means it’s going to get really cold soon,” Clara said.

  Upon closer inspection, Clara found a second set of scorch marks and indentations that looked similar to those she left behind. The surface of the landing site was still warm, so this damage had been recent.

  “So that echo was real?” Clara wondered, but dared not consider it a possibility.

  She was pretty sure that Gabriel would have sent only one champion to fulfil the mission. That man was not known for hedging his bets, or risk escalation.

  “Besides,” Clara mused. “Why not tell us ahead of time, to coordinate our search?”

  When the wind picked up, Clara shivered. Reminded of her nudity, she made up her mind to solve the most pressing matter. It was going to get cold tonight and she would need to find some warm clothes.

  “Wonder if I’ll be able to charm someone into giving me their coat?” Clara asked while sauntering down towards the courtyard’s exit.

  * * * *

  “I love you!” Edith shouted before she closed her eyes and fell to earth.

  Angela had trouble focusing on the scene, her vision marred by tears that streamed down her burning cheeks. Even her nose ran like a sieve and normally that annoyed her, but this time she was too distraught to care.

  “How could she?” Angela wondered even though the answer was obvious.

  Edith wasn’t the kind of person to stand back and let others risk their lives, even if doing so risked her own on several occasions. That was Edith’s greatest strength, one shared by many saints.

  “How can I hate her for that?” Angela asked herself.

  She closed her eyes and used some of her limited training from the Tower to focus. As her self-control began to reassert itself, the wave of anguish and anxiety began to wane.

  “I’m good now,” Angela said as her eyes opened.

  Edith was no longer visible by then, gone along with that shockwave originating from the mortal realm. Her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach, but she did her best to remain centred. What good was she to anyone as an emotional wreck?

  From the corner of her eye, Angela caught a glimpse of a pale brunette hovering over the mortal realm. Despite the woman being roughly thirty years older than she remembered, Angela knew exactly who this was.

  “Clara!” Angela exclaimed.

  The woman did not respond. Instead, she closed her eyes, and just like Edith before her, dropped like a rock.

  “What’s going on?” Angela yelled out.

  “Is there a problem, child?” Gabriel asked.

  Angela turned around to find the archangel Gabriel facing her, which immediately explained why he referred to her as a child. Only those who came into existence as angels were capable of seeing a soul’s true form.

  “Did you come back for something?” Angela asked while dispensing with any civility.

  “Child?” Gabriel asked.

  “You left the moment Edith dropped to Earth,” Angela replied.

  Gabriel was like an immutable statue, a trait that was common among the natives. It was so frustrating to bare your soul and see no empathy reflected in the recipient. Her frustration with their kind provided an unexpected reprieve, so Angela channelled this emotion to gain some focus.

  “Edith?” Gabriel asked. “Edith was never here.”

  That statement almost threw Angela for a loop, but a part of her was expecting to hear such a response. The appearance of Clara from out of the ether did much to lay the groundwork for a working theory. Clearly, there was something wrong, but she had no way of proving it.

  “Apologies,” Angela said. “I meant to say Clara.”

  Gabriel did not respond, although a hiccup in his movement caught her eye. For a fraction of a second, Gabriel had been facing away from her. The movement had been so fast that any ill-timed blink would have meant missing the clue.

  “Edith will… shortly… I’m sure,” Gabriel said, even though his lips never moved.

  The words appeared to have reverberated from off of some invisible structure. While uncertain of the source, she knew it did not originate from the depths of her mind. Angels were not known to have that ability. Besides, that sort of communication was experienced differently.

  After the hiccup ended, Gabriel said, “Clara will be back shortly.”

  “I’m sure,” they said in unison.

  While Gabriel remained unperturbed by her guess, it did little to help Angela’s state of mind. At this very moment, her heart was migrating from the pit of her stomach to the very tips of her toes. Perhaps she should have been more studious back at the Tower. If only Edith had not been so beautiful.

  “Please come back to me,” Angela pleaded before rhyming off a quick prayer that she hoped was heard.

  MORPHEUS’ EMBRACE

  It was a couple of hours since the incident, and the lab was still in complete disarray. Half of the false flooring was gone, removed to access the fusion generators below. Test equipment and tools littered what little was left of the floor space, which confined Breanna to her station. Fortunately, she kept busy by running system diagnostics while keeping an eye on their remaining power reserves.

  The North wall, farthest away from the exit, had been scorched black after a fire broke out at one of the associated workstations. Fortunately, emergency power had been restored by that time, so the integrated fire suppression systems dealt with the threat before the lab turned into a crematorium.

  “I told you to check the polarity!” Mason yelled.

  Brett just glared at the team leader and avoided making eye contact with Breanna who was snickering at the outburst. These generators were his pride and joy, and he knew their designs intimately. He should not have been second guessed.

  “I’ve maintained these generators for the past twenty-five years,” Brett said.

  “So?” Mason challenged.

  “So I’m sure the power bypass is compatible with our systems,” Brett said in all honesty.

  For now, they were at an impasse. Mason was also aware that the polarity, phase, and voltage at the tap was compatible. The generator’s alternate feed was designed to provide long-term auxiliary power. That was their primary function. So why did they nearly blow out the power grid in the attempt? They needed auxiliary power to restart the generators. Only then would they have stable power.

  Breanna cleared her throat to get the men’s attention. Both of them looked up from the mess of wires and circuits to focus on their counterpart. Brett was clearly annoyed by the distraction, while Mason seemed relieved for the opportunity to focus on something else.

  “This service manual for the Mister Fusion Mark Twelve Bravo says…” Breanna began, before pausing to decipher the schematics, “That you should have tapped after the converter to get the correct polarity.”

  The men turned to one
another and collectively shrugged. Now that was downright odd since what she reported did not match what either knew to be true.

  “We have a Mark Twelve Alpha,” Mason finally said as a way to avoid escalating tensions.

  “Yeah,” Brett said. “Bravo’s are fitted on interstellar craft, not ground installations.”

  Breanna shrugged and quickly tapped on her dimly lit console. The systems were scaling back their processing power as reserves dwindled. This trend would continue until they established auxiliary power.