Categories > Movies > Van Helsing > The Touch
She lay in the dirt, the damp, dark and cold of the cell pushing down on her. She was surrounded by monsters, both real and imaginary; and the worst of them were human. They came for her in the evenings, bathed her, dressed her in elegant gowns, and then the tortures would begin. Experiments, he called them. His last experiment had damaged something deep within her. She could feel herself getting weaker, hunger, thirst and now pain dragging her further down.
At some point during the day she heard loud noises above her. A voice, demanding the Marquis, sounds of struggle, and a door opening nearby. She heard a grunt, as something hit the other side of the wall next to her head. A loose stone rolled free. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, but she could hear harsh breathing through the hole.
"Help me." She whispered.
She heard a scramble of movement on the other side of the wall.
"Where are you?" A strong male voice asked.
"On the other side of the wall." She heard a hand groping along the wall until the hole was found. She dragged herself closer, whimpering in pain as she did so.
"Are you hurt?"
"It's not bad." She lied.
"I am stuck in this cell, I can't help you." He said.
"Just your voice is help. I am tired of being alone. Talk to me."
"About what?"
"Anything. What is your name?"
"Gabriel."
"Like the angel?"
She could hear a slight smile in his voice. "Something like that."
"Tell me more." She whispered
"I hunt monsters. I kill them. I am not a nice person." He sounded distant.
"Killing monsters is a good thing. It keeps them from hurting those who don't deserve it."
"Did you deserve it?"
"No. I was in my father's fields when his servants came; they grabbed me and dragged me here. I don't want to talk about it."
"I will help you." He said fiercely.
"Then talk to me." She lay in the dirt, cold and hungry. "I can't remember what the sun feels like. What was today like?"
She reached her hand through the hole in the wall. She touched cloth, and felt movement, and then a hand grasped hers.
"It was bright. The sky was clear. It was one of those rare things, a warm autumn day. The sun was a bright yellow in the sky, there was a breeze rustling the leaves as they fell. I was almost hot in my coat as I rode. I could feel its warm caress on my cheeks as I looked down the road." He stroked her hand. It felt cool in his. "Are you there?"
"Yes." She whispered. "I can almost feel it. Tell me about last night. What did you do?"
Her hand lay gently in his as he settled down to the floor. "I sat by a camp fire. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the stars were like jewels. The breeze was cold, but the fire kept the chill away. I read the Bible by the fire light, and then slept undisturbed as the tree frogs and crickets sang."
"Thank you." She whispered.
"What is your name?" He asked. Only silence answered him. Her hand was limp in his, and he held it as it cooled. The Marquis would have another life to his reckoning, and Gabriel would make sure he paid
At some point during the day she heard loud noises above her. A voice, demanding the Marquis, sounds of struggle, and a door opening nearby. She heard a grunt, as something hit the other side of the wall next to her head. A loose stone rolled free. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, but she could hear harsh breathing through the hole.
"Help me." She whispered.
She heard a scramble of movement on the other side of the wall.
"Where are you?" A strong male voice asked.
"On the other side of the wall." She heard a hand groping along the wall until the hole was found. She dragged herself closer, whimpering in pain as she did so.
"Are you hurt?"
"It's not bad." She lied.
"I am stuck in this cell, I can't help you." He said.
"Just your voice is help. I am tired of being alone. Talk to me."
"About what?"
"Anything. What is your name?"
"Gabriel."
"Like the angel?"
She could hear a slight smile in his voice. "Something like that."
"Tell me more." She whispered
"I hunt monsters. I kill them. I am not a nice person." He sounded distant.
"Killing monsters is a good thing. It keeps them from hurting those who don't deserve it."
"Did you deserve it?"
"No. I was in my father's fields when his servants came; they grabbed me and dragged me here. I don't want to talk about it."
"I will help you." He said fiercely.
"Then talk to me." She lay in the dirt, cold and hungry. "I can't remember what the sun feels like. What was today like?"
She reached her hand through the hole in the wall. She touched cloth, and felt movement, and then a hand grasped hers.
"It was bright. The sky was clear. It was one of those rare things, a warm autumn day. The sun was a bright yellow in the sky, there was a breeze rustling the leaves as they fell. I was almost hot in my coat as I rode. I could feel its warm caress on my cheeks as I looked down the road." He stroked her hand. It felt cool in his. "Are you there?"
"Yes." She whispered. "I can almost feel it. Tell me about last night. What did you do?"
Her hand lay gently in his as he settled down to the floor. "I sat by a camp fire. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the stars were like jewels. The breeze was cold, but the fire kept the chill away. I read the Bible by the fire light, and then slept undisturbed as the tree frogs and crickets sang."
"Thank you." She whispered.
"What is your name?" He asked. Only silence answered him. Her hand was limp in his, and he held it as it cooled. The Marquis would have another life to his reckoning, and Gabriel would make sure he paid
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