Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ A Fallen Vampire ❯ Three Years Into the Future ( Chapter 3 )

It was a cool, winter afternoon outside as the sun's rays tried in vain to penetrate the light gray clouds hanging overhead. Small white flakes floated softly to the already snow-covered ground and trees that sat on the many acres of Hellsing land.

A yellow taxi pulled up into the circle driveway and stopped right in front of the mansion. The door opened and a slim, female figure stepped out. The woman bent into the window to pay the driver and he drove off as she turned away.

The Hellsing house was enormous, like a castle. For Diane Hatchet, a castle was something she had never seen up close before. The only castle she saw were in the storybooks she had owned when she was a child. But now she stood there with her mouth slightly open with awe.

Swallowing hard to steady her nerves, the young woman made her way up the steps to the large double doors. She shifted her suitcase and laptop in her arms until she was able to gasps one of the large brass knockers and began pounding on the door. Once. Twice. Three times.

Nothing.

She was about to knock again when she heard footsteps nearing and the loud clanking when the right door was pulled open. An elderly man appeared in the entrance. He had black, gray streaked hair fastened into a limp ponytail at his nape and a monocle over his left eye.

She smiled warmly up at him and said, "Walter Kum Dorne?" He nodded, a little confused. She thrust out a hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Diane Hatchet. You know, the one who called here a few days ago?" Recognition flashed in the weary eyes and he grasped her hand firmly in the traditional greeting.

"Oh, good afternoon to you, Miss Hatchet! I thought you said you wouldn't be here until Saturday? I was just about to head home," he said, motioning for her to step inside.

Diane thanked God that her face was already reddened from the nipping cold, though she could still feel her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. She stepped inside the cozy mansion as Walter closed the door gently behind them.

"I'm very sorry for the short notice. Plans had changed and I was going to call and tell you but you never picked up."

Walter nodded in understanding and helped her take off her coat. He slung it over his arm and led her through the hallways and soon into a large room. It included a lit fireplace and its hearth, bookshelves, two loveseat couches, and a leather recliner.

"Wow," she breathed. She had never seen anything well put or gorgeous as the room she stood in. The ever-aging butler chuckled in amusement.

"I take it you like what you see?" he asked. She smiled and nodded. "Hmm, well you look around while I go put your things in your room. Er, you did say you were staying here, am I right? Or did you change your mind?"

"Oh, yes you're right. Thank you very much. Um, are you sure you can carry all of that? I could always help you . . ."

"Miss Hatchet, I may be old, but that doesn't make me incapable of doing simple things as carrying one's belongings to a bedroom, which I might say is just down the hall." Diane blushed again. He grasped her suitcase she had sat down by the entrance of the den and disappeared around the corner.

She held her black laptop to her chest as she walked slowly around the room. Despite the heat coming from the hearth, the room seemed to have grown cold. The type that chilled you to your very bones.

Trying to ignore the creepy feeling, Diane reached up and ran a finger over the thick spines of the many books on their shelves.

How she would have loved to live in a place like the Hellsing house. To own servants, guards, many priceless items, and mere bedrooms that could swallow up her whole kitchen. It must have been nice to live richly.

Diane was so engrossed in admiring the books that she nearly shrieked in surprise when she heard the large thump of a log falling in the fireplace.

She spun around with wide sea-green eyes, her light brown hair falling in her face. Walter straightened and turned to her with the black iron poker in his grasp. ((A/N: what are those things called anyway? Oo))

"Oh, I apologize for startling you, miss. Just thought I should try to keep the fire burning. It gets rather chilly at night and I prefer you not catch a cold on your first day in London," he said, smiling.

Diane tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears, her hands still trembling from being so spooked. She was about to turn and keep looking at the books when his words rolled over again through her mind.

"Wait, are you saying you're leaving? Right now?" she asked. He looked apologetic.

"Yes, I must be getting home. I only come up here every other week to see how things are going and dust random rooms. Do you not want to stay here? Nothing will harm you here, that I am certain. Every since Sir Integral died, the good people of London refuse to come here for the fear of it being haunted. Even thieves don't want to come near."

Diane paled at the thought of living in a haunted mansion. Walter must have seen her frightened expression because he chuckled and waved a dismissing hand.

"Don't worry. I can assure you that the Hellsing house is everything but haunted. Just tried to relax, Miss Hatchet. Now, before I leave, let me show you to your room."

Diane nodded and followed closely behind the elderly man, making sure to keep an eye out for their surroundings.

The halls were dark and gloomy, almost as if they mourned the lady of the house's death. It seemed to get colder the further they walked and Diane even had a shiver crawl up her spine.

The walls forever-running parallel stood a good ten-foot distance apart for each other. The floor was hard with tile and a narrow, red rug ran along the middle of the halls like an endless tongue.

Walter finally stopped outside a door with carvings in it. He turned the knob and pushed inward, shoving the door open and stepping back for her to enter first. Diane nodded in appreciation and stepped inside. Her eyes sparkled when she looked over the room.

Like everything in the mansion, the room was big. Big enough to hold her tiny bedroom back in Colorado. A queen-sized bed was pressed in the very back corner of the room. It had a canopy attached to it with deep blue drapes coming down and over the sides. A large, oak dresser sat across the room between two dark brown doors.

The shaggy carpet matched the canopy perfectly color wise, and the walls were the color of off-white. There was a single bookshelf pressed against the wall to her left. Some books occupied a couple of the shelves while the rest were either bare or had small statues on them. On the ceiling hung a very expensive looking and gorgeous medium-sized crystal chandelier.

"Oh. My. God."

"I'm glad you find the room to your liking," Walter said with a smile. Diane walked over to the bed and ran her hand over the silky fabric the made the canopy.

"Well, I must be going, Miss Hatchet. Here," he walked over to her and handed her a slip of paper with two numbers on it. "The first one is my home number and the second one is my cell. Call me if something happens."

"Thank you, Walter. But before you leave there's one more favor I'd really like to ask of you," she said as she followed him out.

"Oh?" Diane turned the slip of paper over and pulled a pen from her back pocket.

"I'd like an interview with you when you have the spare time. Would you mind? This is mainly the whole reason I came here, which was to learn about Integral Hellsing." Walter scratched his chin in thought. He smiled then.

"A week from Wednesday. How does that sound?" Diane's features lit up and she wrote it down.

"Time?"

"Well, I'm working until mid-afternoon, so I'd say around four p.m."

"Gotcha," she said as she wrote it down then stuffed both items in her back pocket. "Thank you very much! You have no idea how much I need this interview."

Walter smiled and nodded, "It's my pleasure to answer whatever questions you might have over our dear Integral."

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Yes, it sucked. There was no emotion. It was boring. Agree with me, damnit! Xx I will say this though . . . In the next chpt I'll put lots of emotion because Alucard will be coming in! >] K, laterz!