The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 185

14 March 2025

Clara often forgot to add the title at the end. She was infamous for adding them a second or two after it ought naturally to be used. She would often cut off staff who were about to chastise her for the slight.

That mannerism repeated and the familiarity of that voice permitted her mind to make a logical leap. The reason why she could not initially place the voice was because this person had died at the dawn of the Twentieth century.

“Father Michael?”

“Where do you remember meeting me?” Father Michael said without confirming it was him.

a moody, high-contrast, black and white photographic portrait of a young girl, around 12-14 years old, dressed in a traditional 1903 Atlantic Canadian nun's habit, complete with a white coif and black veil, standing solemnly beside a freshly dug grave, surrounded by lush greenery and overcast skies, with a weathered, grey granite tombstone bearing the inscription 'Father Micheal' in elegant, cursive script, the girl's hands clasped together in prayer, her pale skin and delicate facial features illuminated by a soft, diffused light, her brown eyes cast downward in reverence, as if mourning the loss of the departed father figure, the overall atmosphere exuding a sense of melancholy and reverence.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.