His eyes focus upon you with a hateful glare. You try to leap away from the coffin, but the Count grabs your wrist and squeezes with his vice-like grip. You cannot help but scream at the sharpness of pain.
“How dare you!” he booms. He rises out of his coffin, never letting go of your wrist, lifting you into the air like a toy doll. “My own private lair, and you dare to enter—to disturb my sleep!”
You want to answer him. You want to speak in your own defense, but no words escape your lips.
The Count growls. “If you wish to come into my tomb, then perhaps you wish to stay.”
You remain helpless as he drags you out of his tomb, along with one of his boxes. You kick and punch at him as he pulls you back into the first tomb you entered. But you may as well be a fly, for the Count does not seem to notice the blows you strike against him.
He stops and thrusts you into the great box. “Farewell, my young friend,” he hisses.
“No,” you cry. “Don’t leave me here. I’m sorry!”
You catch one last look at Count Dracula’s hateful face before he closes the box and seals you in darkness. It is the last sight you ever see.
Try again.
The Count’s gaze seems to paralyze you, and the shovel falls from your hands. The last glimpse you have is of his bloated face, fixed with a grin of hatred.
Your brain seems on fire. You run from the place and get back to the Count’s room. Suddenly, you hear in the distance a gypsy song, sung by merry voices—and getting louder. The gypsies are coming!
With strained ears, you listen. You hear downstairs the grinding of a key in a great lock and the falling back of a heavy door. There must be some other way to enter the Count’s hidden lair.
Then there comes the sound of many feet stomping through some passage below. You turn to run down again toward the vault, where you might find a new exit. But at that moment you feel a violent puff of wind, and the door to the winding stair closes with a shock. You run to push it open but find that it is hopelessly stuck. You are again a prisoner, and the net of doom is closing around you more closely.
You continue to hear many stomping feet and the crash of weights being set down heavily: the boxes filled with dirt. There is a sound of hammering. It is each box being nailed shut. Next, you hear the heavy feet stomping again along the hall.
The door is closed, and the chains rattle. There is a grinding of the key in the lock. Then another door opens and shuts. You hear the creaking of lock and bolt. Heavy wheels roll through the courtyard and down the rocky way, as the gypsies pass into the distance.
You are alone in the castle with those horrible women, and they plan to feast on you tonight. You have but two options: fight them or flee from them. You are armed with your crucifix and whatever else you might find to use against them. Yet there are three of them and just one of you. The odds are not in your favor.
However, the castle door remains locked. Your only hope of escape is to climb down the castle wall and pray that you make it to safety. Even for a skilled climber, this would be an incredible feat. What will you choose to do?
Fight the three women.
Climb down the castle wall.
Battling the women sounds dangerous, but climbing all the way down the castle seems impossible. You will take your chances within these walls.
You spend the day in preparation. The women will expect to find you in your room, so you will ambush them there.
You are alone for as long as the sun shines, so you work tirelessly. Chair legs are sharpened into wooden stakes. Tablecloths and curtains are ripped apart and weaved into rope. Blankets become nets. And, of course, you keep the crucifix safely around your neck.
As the sky darkens and the sun sinks closer to the horizon, you set a trap. You stuff your bed with pillows to make it appear that you are lying there. You tie a makeshift net above the bed, and then you hide in the closet and wait.
Many hours pass. Darkness fills the bedroom. You begin to wonder if your enemies will ever come. Perhaps they suspect your trap. Perhaps they will ignore you for many days, until you are too starved and tired to put up a fight.
It is then that you realize your mistake. Even if you are successful tonight, even if you destroy the three monsters, you are still trapped inside the castle. No one will ever come for you. Sooner or later, you must climb your way to freedom.
The thought distracts you enough that you do not see the women enter. You snap to alertness in time to notice them standing around your bed. They whisper together, and then they all laugh.
The moment has arrived. You yank the rope beside you, and the net falls upon the women. Then you charge, holding a wooden stake in each hand.
The monsters laugh again, and you see them rip the net apart as if it were made of paper.
Before you can react, the three of them leap at you. The speed with which they move steals your breath. Two of them grab you, one on each arm. The third—the fair one with golden hair—advances toward your throat. Her fangs pierce your neck. After that, you feel nothing more. Not ever again.
Try again.
You will not remain alone with the women. You will try to scale the castle wall farther than you have yet attempted. You will take some of the gold with you, in case you need it later.
You may find a way from this dreadful place. And then away for home! Away to the quickest and nearest train! Away from the cursed spot, from this cursed land!
At least God’s mercy is better than that of those monsters. The mountain is steep and high. At its foot a man may rest in peace if he falls. Goodbye, all. Mina!
7. Strangers and Friends
You awaken, surprised to find yourself in a hospital bed—surprised to be alive. A kind old woman smiles warmly and introduces herself as Sister Agatha. She speaks in a soft, calm voice. “You are in Buda-pesth, at the hospital of Saint Joseph and Saint Mary. You have been in our care for nearly six weeks, suffering from a brain fever. Can you tell me your name, sir?”
“Jonathan Harker,” you reply in a hoarse whisper. “How did I get here?”
“You came in the train from Klausenburg,” Sister Agatha tells you. “As I have been told, you rushed into the station, shouting for a ticket home. You scared them greatly, and they gave you a ticket to the farthest station away: here in Buda-pesth. Is there someone we may contact on your behalf, Mr. Harker?”
You nod. “My wife, Mina.”
It takes twelve days for Mina to reach you. She finds you thin, pale and weak. You lie to her, saying you do not remember what happened. Yet your fear of the Count is great and terrible.
Days pass and you begin to recover. Mina shares news from London. Her best friend, Lucy Westenra, is engaged to a handsome and wealthy man named Arthur Holmwood. But there is bad news with the good. Lucy has taken ill. Her symptoms began with a habit of sleepwalking. Then she became overly tired. Now daylight seems to steal her strength. (The details of her sickness are frighteningly familiar to you.)
“Lucy’s friend Dr. John Seward is caring for her,” says Mina. “He supervises a large insane asylum, so he is quite skilled. Yet Lucy’s case baffles him. He has called upon his former teacher, Professor Abraham Van Helsing. As Dr. Seward put it, the Professor is old and wise. He has a very open mind.”
Your wife mentions one other man: Quincey Morris, a cowboy from Texas. The young adventurer is a good friend of Arthur Holmwood.
Three weeks go by, and your health returns. Mina brings you home to your beautiful old house. You keep busy, arranging the furniture and housekeeping—anything to take your mind off your horrible memories.
Yet misery seems to follow you everywhere. One day, as you walk the busy streets of London, you spot something that causes you to clutch Mina’s arm.
She turns to you quickly and asks, “What is it?”
/> You feel your cheeks chill; your eyes seem to bulge out. In terror and amazement, you gaze at a tall, thin man. He has a beaky nose, a black moustache, and a pointed beard. His face is cruel, with sharp white teeth that look even whiter because his lips are so red.
“Why are you scared?” says Mina.
You exclaim, “Do you see who it is?”
“No, dear,” she says. “I don’t know him. Who is it?”
“It is the man himself!” you hiss. But, of course, Mina does not know. You have never told her.
A beautiful woman comes out of a nearby shop, carrying a small package. She hops into a carriage and drives off. The dark man keeps his eyes fixed on her, and he follows in the same direction.
You keep looking at him and mumble to yourself, “It is the Count, but he has grown young. If only I knew! If only I knew!”
You tremble at the realization, and then another thought strikes you. The woman he follows is to be his next victim. Should you follow as well? Will you be able to help her? If you do, she may become a strong ally against the Count. Yet you are still weak and tired. Do you have the strength to pursue? And will doing so lead to your doom? What will you choose to do?
Follow the Count.
Do nothing.
“I will not stand by and do nothing while he hunts,” you mutter. You turn toward Mina and say, “Stay here.”
You hurry after him as quickly as your legs will carry you, but it is not fast enough. Before you can take more than twenty paces toward him, Count Dracula disappears into the crowd.
Too weak to do anything else, you return to Mina. She leads you quietly away. Together, you walk to Green Park and sit for a while. It is a hot day, and there is a seat in the shade. After a few minutes, your eyes close. You fall asleep with your head on Mina’s shoulder.
You return home to even more heartache. A telegram from Professor Van Helsing awaits: “You will be sad to hear that Lucy Westenra died the day before yesterday. She was buried today.”
“Oh, what sorrow!” cries Mina. “Poor Lucy! Gone, gone, never to return to us! And poor Arthur, to have lost such sweetness from his life!”
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Too weak to do anything more, you stand in silence. Mina leads you quietly away. Together, you walk to Green Park and sit for a while. It is a hot day, and there is a seat in the shade. After a few minutes, your eyes close. You fall asleep with your head on Mina’s shoulder.
You return home to even more heartache. A telegram from Professor Van Helsing awaits: “You will be sad to hear that Lucy Westenra died the day before yesterday. She was buried today.”
“Oh, what sorrow!” cries Mina. “Poor Lucy! Gone, gone, never to return to us! And poor Arthur, to have lost such sweetness from his life!”
Later, Professor Van Helsing arrives in person. He is a kind, strong-faced old man. “It is because of the dead that I come,” says the stranger. “Lucy sometimes kept a diary, which I have read.”
An awkward silence falls between you and Van Helsing. You already suspect what—who—killed Lucy. Yet would your guest believe it? You can only hope so. The Count is in London, and you need all the help you can get: from the Professor and from Mina.
“What I have to tell you is strange,” you say to both of them. “I have been in a fever of doubt. I sometimes wonder if it happened at all.”
“Believe me, sir, I know how strange this is,” Van Helsing replies.
“Thank you. You have taken a weight off my mind,” you say. And with that, you share your story of Castle Dracula and of your earlier sighting.
“Strange as it is,” says Van Helsing, “I know your story is true.”
Mina gasps. “What terrible things there are in the world! What an awful thing if that man, that monster, is in London!”
With the truth revealed, you feel like a new man. The doubt of your own memories had made you weak. But now you are not afraid—even of the Count.
As if reading your mood, Van Helsing asks a bold question. “May I ask for your help? I should tell you that I will be asking you to commit a crime.”
Commit a crime? If you are caught, you could be thrown in jail. That would put a quick end to your battle against Count Dracula. Yet Van Helsing might be a valuable ally against the monster. Helping him may help you, and you might need to break the law in order to battle a force of evil. What will you choose to do?
Help Van Helsing.
Refuse Van Helsing.
You take a deep breath, giving yourself a moment to think. As you exhale, you slowly shake your head. “I’m sorry, Professor. I was imprisoned by the Count. I will not risk my freedom again, not for any reason. I cannot help you.”
Professor Van Helsing’s expression drops, and you read the disappointment on his face. He tries to mask it with a sympathetic smile. “Of course, I understand.”
The Professor says his goodbyes, and he hurries away. As you watch him go, you cannot help but wonder if you made the right decision.
Many days pass without incident. You grow more and more used to your quiet life, and you begin to hope that you will never hear the name “Count Dracula” again. Those hopes are shattered when Mina bursts into your sitting room and faints.
You leap from your chair and hurry to her side. You squeeze her hand as she slowly awakens. When her eyes regain their focus, she looks into your face and sobs, “Oh, Jonathan, it is a terrible, terrible day!”
You touch the side of her face, wiping away her tears. “What has happened?”
“It was not enough that we lost Lucy. That villain, Count Dracula, has taken the others as well!”
Your eyes widen. Panic squeezes your chest. “What others do you mean?”
“Arthur Holmwood, Quincey Morris, Dr. Seward, and that kind Professor—they have all been killed!”
A lump forms in your throat. It grows and grows until you can no longer contain it. It forces its way out of your mouth as a desperate cry. “No!”
You did not know those men. But you shared a common enemy, and your hopes rested with them. You prayed that they would work together and destroy the Count without you. But they failed.
Would they still be alive if you had helped them? Will the Count be coming for you now? These questions will haunt you for the rest of your life, and because of your worries, you will never again know peace.
Try again.
“Does what you have to do concern the Count?” you ask Van Helsing.
“It does.”
“Then I am with you, heart and soul.”
8. Lucy’s Tomb
Day turns to night, and Van Helsing leads you into the dark churchyard. Together, you find the Westenra tomb. The Professor takes a key, opens the creaky door, and leads you inside. When you are within the tomb, he pulls the door shut. He fumbles in his bag, takes out a matchbox and a piece of candle, and makes a light.
The tomb looks grim and gruesome. Flowers hang dead. Spiders and beetles are everywhere. The entire place is a stark reminder that life is a thing that can pass away.
Van Helsing quickly finds Lucy’s coffin. Another search in his bag, and he takes out a screwdriver.
“What are you going to do?” you ask.
“Open the coffin,” Van Helsing says, and he begins taking out the screws.
This is almost too much to bear. You grab hold of his hand to stop him.
He only says, “You shall see.” He lifts the lid and motions for you to look.
The coffin is empty. It gives you quite a shock, but Van Helsing is unmoved. He returns the lid and leads you back outside.
“Watch at this side of the churchyard,” he says. “I shall watch at the other.”
You take your place behind a tree. It is a lonely night. A distant clock strikes twelve, and one, and two. Yo
u are cold and sleepy—and angry with the Professor for bringing you here. It is a dreary, miserable time.
Suddenly, something like a white streak moves between two dark trees. The figure stops, and moonlight reveals the shape of a woman.
She appears to be holding a baby, and it looks as if she means to harm him. You must act at once to save the infant, but you may need Van Helsing’s help. Do you have time? Should you go and get him? Or should you rush to the child’s aid? What will you choose to do?
Help the child.
Get Van Helsing first.
You do not hesitate. You turn toward Van Helsing, and you run. “Professor!” you shout.
He looks in your direction and gestures for you to quiet down. “What is it?” he snaps.
“Come with me. Quickly!” You lead him back to the spot where you first saw the woman and the infant, and your heart sinks. The woman and the child are gone.
You explain to Van Helsing what you saw, and he rubs his eyes to hide his frustration. “Why did you—” he begins, but he stops himself.
You know what he will not say. You should have been brave. You should have rushed to the infant’s aid. Instead, you ran—and you yelled.
You dare not think what might happen next because it is your fault. Guilt consumes you. It takes all of your strength to keep from falling to the ground in tears. You are no monster hunter. You do not belong here. This should not be your mission.
Van Helsing must recognize your feelings, for he asks, “Do you regret your choice?”
You take a deep breath, giving yourself a moment to think. As you exhale, you slowly shake your head. “I’m sorry, Professor. I was imprisoned by the Count. I will not risk my freedom again, not for any reason. I cannot help you.”
Dracula (Can You Survive) Page 5