There was one immortal who was so human he forgot things often. He knew about vampires, and he relearnt everything he had forgotten about them, and he knew, at this point, that vampires remembered everything in absolute detail. His own memory, however, faded away like a mortal's would at the end of their lifetime.

He knew his name was Helsing. He knew this only because the barman who worked in the bar near his house called him that, but he knew no other name for himself. He was rich, though he knew not how he had gotten that way, and was able to afford a house with two rooms and a slate floor instead of dirt. The roof was straw and full of animals, but luckily he could afford the canopy over his bed, so none of his housemates could give him little presents in his sleep. He had a pot over the fire where he cooked his peas like any man.

The smithy down the road muttered things. He was frightened by the shadows, and really, Helsing did not blame him. Black blood runs cold so quickly, said the smithy. Blue blood does not exist. Red, red, everywhere! I saw him there, I told him, I said, not my blood. Not mine at all! His tools banged and clanked like a badly conducted orchestra. I told him, I said, not mine, go elsewhere, I said, red everywhere!

By the smithy's house was a shadow with eyes. Helsing remembered something then, something about losing happiness two hundred years ago. Unfortunetely, he could not remember that far back, though he knew he had lived then, but his history was nothing but long forgotten papers in a library. Not even a memory could have served him. And the barman said, Helsing, me lad, thur's an old, old sayin' thur, Grummy knows, Grummy knows eh lad? And it says, it says eh...

Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

The eyes watched him walk home. Lonliness was as familiar to him as the nine day old peas in the pot. Mixed and smelt and eaten and enjoyed. The shadow with eyes knocked on the door, and took the shape of a man when Hellsing saw him. The shadow said a name, Gabriel, and Helsing had no idea who Gabriel was, though the name did sound familiar. The shadow said, Greetings, Gabriel, I had missed you.

-fin-

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