Tag: Excerpt

  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 275

    “She said that Clara would be back one day,” Smiley said. “We were instructed to take her alive.”

    “She?” Clara asked in a sultry voice.

    “I-I-I can—” Smiley said.

    Clara took out her phone and pointed the screen back at them. She tapped on the camera app from her lockscreen for a selfie.

    “Silly me,” Clara said. “We simply must commemorate this—”

    “Ada!” Smiley yelled.

    The vampire had no need to breathe, but as the sun threatened to peek over the horizon, his baser instincts asserted themselves and he began panting. Elements of his mind that he spent years mastering were now entirely beyond his reach. This was precisely where Clara needed him to be, granting her access to a mind on the cusp of losing sanity and devoid of defences.

    Picture of the sky and waters as the sun is about to peek over the horizon, partially covered by what looks to be a rain cloud. Image by Roberto Nickson from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 274

    “I could cut off your fingers, rip out your fangs, gouge out your eyes, or fillet your hand’s favourite friend,” Clara said.

    “Go ahead,” Smiley said. “You won’t get anything out of me.”

    “What?” Clara asked. “Why would I ruin this outfit?”

    “Then what are you going to do?” Smiley asked.

    Clara smiled, mimicking the one he sent her way last evening. The vampire furrowed his brow, unsure of the message she conveyed, until that ocean breeze rolled in from the Atlantic.

    “You’re just going to let me fry?” Smiley asked.

    “You said it yourself, why waste my time?” Clara asked.

    Picture of a mannequin chained up to a central pillar in a dark and dingy space that looks like a dungeon. Image by Jonathan Cannon from Pixabay.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 273

    Clara pointed a finger at an overhanging light. A blue bolt filled the expanse between the two points and caused every light in the pub to overload. Everyone was bathed in a shower of sparks. To her left, the breaker box by the bar caught fire.

    Nicely done!” Sparky exclaimed.

    Don’t encourage her!” Ethereal snapped.

    Vampires hated fire but did not fear the dark. However, Clara was using this tactic as a distraction.

    It was time to give up her plain Jane persona, Clara’s blouse tore at two points, and her wings spread out in the shadows. She grabbed the pistol from her clutch while time slowed around her. It was just enough to make it fun and go toe-to-toe with their kind.

    A worker is grinding a surface, creating a shower of sparks in a spark room. Image by Spektrum78 from Pixabay.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 272

    “I haven’t seen one of your kind in almost a century,” Smiley said.

    “Sounds about right. What gave me away?” Clara asked.

    “That religious trinket of yours for one, and your scent,” Smiley said.

    “No fair!” Clara exclaimed before pouting. “I showered.”

    “At least there will be plenty of alcohol coursing through your veins,” Smiley said as they converged.

    “Oh, I doubt that,” Clara said in a steady voice.

    Her eyes came to life once more, flooding the room in electric-blue light.

    Picture through a window, looking at a the outside of a bar or club, the entire room is dark but bathed in a blue hue. Image by Caroline Cagnin from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 271

    “Can I get you anything,” the bartender asked.

    “No,” Clara replied just as her eyes took a bright blue glow. “Thank you.”

    As expected, the unearthly colour got his attention. He nearly backed himself into the shelf of the bar. It was fortunate for the living that nothing had fallen, otherwise this party might have started early.

    “Why don’t you go take a long break along with the rest of the kitchen staff, love?” Clara said in a matching accent.

    No amount of politeness or authenticity in accent would shake his newly found fear of the one with glowing eyes. She silently hoped that he remained oblivious to the real threats in here. That poor man wouldn’t stand a chance.

    Picture focused on a eye, with the eye a bright vivid blue as thought glowing. Image by Wendel Moretti from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 270

    “What can I get ya?” The bartender asked.

    “Do you have a dry stout?” Clara asked on a whim, given that it fit the decor.

    “I’ll have that,” Clara said after returning in sync with time. “Say, what’s the special for tonight?”

    “Tonight we have braised lamb shanks stew, and pan seared sea scallops and mushrooms,” the bartender replied.

    Those options drove home how much she missed having a kitchen of her own. In the end it was her stomach that voted. The odour of the lamb shanks wafting in from the kitchen sealed the deal.

    “That lamb shank stew sounds devine,” Clara said. “Please and thank you.”

    A part of her wanted to mimic his accent but held back. Getting involved in an in-depth conversation on what part of the island she was hailed from would complicate matters. He wouldn’t believe the answer.

    “Coming right up my darling,” the bartender added with a wink.

    Picture of a bartender pouring a beer into a tall glass. The bar is dark with small light sources in the background. Picture by Darlene Alderson from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 269

    Through all that cacophony, there was something off. When drowning in stimuli, it often paid to focus on what was missing from the equation. There are fewer hearts beating here than people. Despite her best efforts to stick out, no one gave her a second glance. 

    Why would anyone ever notice a plain girl like you?” Silver asked.

    It took her a moment to get a feel for the layout. She checked the website prior to coming here, but wanted to tie it all together in her mind. The most important details for any hunt were the exits and potential areas of risk. Oddthat door doesn’t line up with any known exits

    She spotted an empty stool at the bar and smiled. As she manoeuvred past the tables and patrons, she noticed that several moved out of the way, including those facing away from her. It reminded her of water moving around the hull of a ship as it made headway. Few appear to be aware that they are doing it.

    Picture of the inside of a pub and bar. Image by Mehmet Suat Gunerli from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 268

    Clara: I need some information. Did Drusilla have a protégé?

    Clara put down the phone and turned her attention to the other side of her window. From this angle she had a view of the Atlantic. There were white caps forming over the waves and dark clouds loomed in the horizon. A storm is brewing.

    “I’ve been looking for a reason to stay in tonight,” Clara mused.

    She searched the room for a booklet on local restaurants or some flyers. Clara’s search was cut short when the phone vibrated. Clara cocked a brow, surprised that a response came so quickly.

    Evelyn: A woman who’s that powerful rarely travels alone.

    Picture of a storm at sea, the seas are rought, the waves have large white caps, and the clouds are dark. Image by Joe from Pixabay.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 267

    Clara tapped on her messages. She shook her head and tapped the button to start a new conversation. From there, she scrolled through a short list of contacts, and selected Elizabeth, from her choices.

    Clara: It’s me, your live-in angel with black…

    Her thumbs stopped typing. The message sounded way too cavalier for a woman who betrayed the one who she loved. Doubly so when it had been months since she made contact. Instead, she tried a different tactic.

    Clara: I know you’re mad at me. I figured you’d needed some space

    This time she was trying to offload the blame for ghosting her girlfriend onto Elizabeth. That’s exactly the type of shit a drugstore cowboy would write to an ex when his latest catch escapes his clutches.

    Clara was overthinking it. The words did not need to be eloquent, nor poetic. She only needed to write from the heart. Alas, Clara had made a career out of encasing her heart behind an impenetrable wall. Emotions get hunters killed

    Clara: Lizzie, this is Clara. I miss you.

    The cursor taunted her, poisoning her mind with doubt and guilt. Her fingers hovered over the ‘Send’ button, but could not work up the courage to tap. Frustrated, she flicked up and was greeted by the background image.

    Picture of a woman sitting against the wal, with her knee up texting. Looks to be focused on the screen. The enditre shot is bathed in red light. Image by MART PRODUCTION from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


  • The Van Helsing Impetus – Excerpt No. 266

    She missed the twenties. For her, the world was simpler back then. Sure, her life had always been teetering on the fine edge of a blade, but she was damn good at it. Clara also understood that way of life, and the perks were to die for. Everything she did these days felt like a chore. The gains she made tasted as sweet as a spoonful of sand.

    “I’m sure Hecate has something to do with this,” Clara groaned.

    As Clara gained mastery over Hecate’s powers, her self-control waivered. At night, while in a state between the dreamworld and reality she sometimes heard them conspiring on how to escape her grasp. Their personas are bleeding through to my consciousness.

    Picture of a two lane road stretching out into the distance, with gaps missing due to sand spilling onto the surface. Near the foreground there's a woman in a blue dress looking up at the photographer. Image by The Lazy Artist Gallery from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.


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