CHAPTER 18: PAST THE WAFFLE

"Yes, father. I will be alright. Thanks" Amanda ends are phone call, "This could get emotional real quick," she mumbles. The information she just gained from this phone call will be useful but it will definitely annoy Samuel.

After all, from what she just heard this has something to do with Dracula.

What will you do Sammy?

The door swings open and the two immortals walk into the living room, "Sammy is about to turn us into hunters," Elma says as she walks in.

Samuel sinks into the couch and lets out a deep breath, he looks at the gray colored ceiling but all he sees are his worries. He drops the bag of weapons beside the couch as he relaxes his head.

There is a sweet aroma in the air.

Elma hears the sound of metal and ceramic in the kitchen and goes to join Rachael in the kitchen.

He closes his eyes and let's his mind ponder.

I hope Gabriel can hang long enough for me to find his soul. And the man who has his body, I need to find him.

Not having Gabriel around has never felt stranger.

1500s

The twins had just ran away from their father's men but not before Michael McAllister, Dracula's most trusted mage, casted a wide range spell across the lands in an attempt to get the boys.

He didn't know if it reached the sphinxes but it did and one of the immortals would fall ill.

Gabriel dragged his brother on a makeshift stretcher made of branches and he used vines to keep Samuel on the stretcher.

They were only thirteen and they had been on the run for a week, surviving on fruits and the covers of the forests.

Gabriel dragged his brother through the muddy floor as he travelled aimlessly into the woods, mosquitoes tried to suck on him but his flesh would not yield to their proboscis.

The edge of the stretcher drew lines on the floor as Gabriel pulled it through the dirt, they were tired and hungry but they could not stop knowing that Dracula's men would not be far behind.

They travelled through an unfamiliar terrain and soon they were met with a warning in form of an arrow which grazed the side of Gabriel's shoulder. He groaned as he felt the pain but his flesh bared no harm.

A man and a boy came out of the dark forest, pointing arrows at them and when they clearly saw that it was just a child and not a creature of the forest, the man lowered his arrow and commanded the boy with him to do the same.

He was dark in complexion and his skin was painted with mud and leaves, presumably as a form of disguise.

"Who are you boy? What are you doing here?" he asked, "I am Gabriel Itshe and this is my brother Samuel Itshe. Our village was destroyed and we ran away," Gabriel sniffled as he held the stretcher.

The hunter saw the boy laying on the stretcher, "Is your brother sick?" the hunter asked and little Gabriel nodded in response.

"This is my son, Bandile. Come with us," the hunter led them to a village in the forest, "I am Kwanele," he introduced himself.

The hunter took them to a small hut and knocked on the door; the sound resonated within and its roof of straws and dead leaves shook.

He knocked several times, each knock harder than the previous before he received an answer, "If you break down my door I will curse you," a woman shouted as she opened the door.

"Why are you trying to break my door, Kwanele?" "Old hag if you answered on the first knock no one would be trying to break your door," "Trying to take a peep, are you?" the old lady said.

"May the god of the forest blind me before I have such a troubling thought," Kwanele said, "This little one has some kind of sickness, we brought him for healing," he said.

The old lady placed a hand on Samuel's head and quickly removed her hand like she had just felt the chill of ice upon her wrinkly skin.

"Curse! Come boy. Your brother has been cursed, bring him in" she said.

"Dwindling in the past are we?" Amanda's voice wakes Samuel, he rubs his temple, "Just remembering a thing or two about my childhood," "Any fun memories?" "None before you," he says as he opens his eyes to see her holding a liquor-filled glass, he accepts it with a smile.

"Hmm, is that a fake smile I see?" Amanda asks but Samuel rolls his eyes and gulps down the drink.

He frowns and coughs, "Fuck," "I knew you were going to do that," she says, "So, what do you think about her?" Samuel asks, "She seems alright but she is quite ordinary which beckons the question," "What question?" "Why are you and Gabriel fighting over her?" she asks.

"We aren't fighting over her, we weren't" "So, he had her or is she open game?" she sips from her glass and sits beside him.

"God, you are a prick. I wonder what Poseidon sees in you," "Shut up," "You know he is probably cheating on you right now," Samuel says, "No…" he swoops her glass and gulps down the liquor.

Some of it spilled on her body and she grunts. She frowns and walks away, "Idiot," she says.

Rachael walks in with a plate of waffles and their eyes meet. Samuel nods, "What do you have there?" he asks, "Waffles, apparently I can't be mad and hungry," she says.

Samuel laughs as she sits beside him, he stretches his hand to get a piece but she slaps his hand, "Wash your hands first, here" she cuts a piece and feeds it to him.

"Hmm, don't bite me" "I should, I will get filled" he says, "Are you saying I am fat?" she asks, he giggles and sizes her up, "You've got a bit of fat here and there but you are all good," "You suck," she stands up but he pulls her back.

She falls on his lap and almost throws the plate of waffles but he swiftly leans backwards and catches it, "I dare say it's a good catch," he says and looks up to see a pair of brown eyes staring into his.

Amanda and Elma enter the living room and see Rachael on Samuel's body, they stare for a second and things clearly become awkward as they rearrange themselves.

Elma and Amanda both have a plate of waffles.

"Okay, that happened" Amanda says as she sits on one of the chairs, "So I made some calls and I asked about Dracula's children and apparently he has one," she says.

Samuel laughs, "One? The bastard was a dog, breeding children to feed to the devil" he says, "He never considered you guys as his children, I think to him he truly had only one child" "Does this bastard have a name?" he asks with a scowl.

"Alucard," Amanda says, "So, that is what this is about, revenge. He is trying to avenge Dracula," he clenches his fist.

Even in death the monster still follows them.

Samuel's eyes glow with anger, "I can't believe someone wants to avenge that monster," Rachael says.

Samuel looks over to her and sees her hands shake, he immediately calms himself. He has to be strong; he has to remember he isn't the only one involved if this is really about Dracula's death.

If Alucard went after Gabriel then he doesn't know Rachael was the one that gave the final blow. It must remain that way for her sake.

"I guess even monsters are loved by some," Elma says, "When I kill this idiot there will be no one left to love that bastard," Samuel grunts.

That bastard does not deserve love, I will make sure this all ends with Alucard.

"Do you have any luck connecting to Gabriel's soul?" Amanda asks before taking a bite out of her waffle, "No, but I know someone that can help"

Amanda opens the curtains slightly and looks outside, it is dark and would be heavy on the eyes if she were human but her gaze is sharp and her view stretches further than any mortal.

"Did anyone follow you guys?" she asks, "Nope," Elma bites into her waffle and Samuel looks up at Amanda.

Someone is watching us.