Dracula Theory, page 4
“Did you know about Dracula?”
Lucy shook her head. “I’ve only heard the name whispered from within the Baron’s study. Outside of my intermittent bouts of snooping at the Baron’s door, I knew nothing of your trip, other than you were in search of the very thing that could cure darling Mina. Am I to assume, given the Baron’s current mood, you were unable to procure this miracle?”
“I could not.”
Tears instantly dripped from Lucy’s eyes. “What are we to do then?”
“The Baron is sending me back to Romania. One way or another, I will return with that which should right this wrong.”
“I fear she won’t last long enough for such an endeavor. Unless you are driven by the speed of angels, Mina will surely perish.”
“Van Helsing, Renfield, and I will be leaving for Romania first thing. I will not waste a single moment’s time.”
Lucy’s eyes grew wide. “Van Helsing? The vampire hunter?”
My curiosity was piqued. “Vampire?”
“Abraham has been obsessed, over the past few years, with tracking down a hell-born creature rumored to be the very secret of life itself. The search has consumed the man, driving him most mad.” Lucy wrapped her arms around me a second time. “I fear for your life, Jonathan. Nothing good will come of this hunt.”
I pulled from the embrace. “Lucy, I’ve met the Count. Other than a hollow threat, he’s perfectly charming, although somewhat eccentric.”
Lucy relaxed slightly. “Are you certain?”
“Perfectly. In fact, I felt more threatened by the citizens of that bleak Romanian town than I did Dracula. Besides, I’ll have two men with me. What could one outnumbered man do against the three of us?”
Lucy turned her attention to Mina. When she spoke, her voice was distant. “Whatever you do, hurry. I fear Mina is not long for this world.”
I made my way to the other side of the bed, leaned over, and kissed the cold cheek of my love. “I will do everything humanly possible to save you, Mina.”
Before I could leave the room, Lucy stopped me, holding her hand out before her. “Take this with you.”
Resting in her palm was a small, silver crucifix attached to a rope of leather.
“You know I am not a man of faith.”
Lucy grabbed my hand and forced the trinket on me. “I don’t care if you believe or not. Take this cross and wear it around your neck. If you must, consider it nothing more than a token of my friendship and a talisman for good luck.”
I complied with the request. “Very well. If it will bring you some peace of mind, I will happily wear your cross.”
“About Van Helsing…” Lucy’s voice drifted off.
“What about him?” I prodded.
“Don’t let his penchant for spirits get in the way of him protecting you.”
“Considering you have been going on about mythical creatures and demons, by spirits do you mean ghosts and ghouls?”
Given the situation, I was surprised that Lucy laughed at my attempted humor.
“Wine and liquor. Van Helsing is a drunk. Years of being alone and consumed with a singular purpose has driven him to an almost permanent alcohol-induced haze.”
“You make the man sound like a splendid traveling companion.”
Lucy wrapped me in another embrace. “Despite his lack of restraint, he’ll probably be the only thing capable of protecting you against the evils of the world.”
I pulled away from Lucy’s arms. “Watch over Mina.”
“I won’t leave her side until your return.”
With that, I departed the room and made my way back to the Baron’s study. The man was hunched over his desk, scribbling madly into a notepad.
“Pardon me, sir.” The Baron glanced up from whatever he’d been working on, his eyes rimmed in crimson. “I’ll be taking my leave to find Van Helsing.”
“No need. I’ve already sent for both men. Van Helsing and Renfield should arrive any moment. Once here, the three of you can depart for the train and arrive in Romania around nightfall tomorrow.”
A warning sounded off in the back of my mind. I wanted desperately to beg the Baron to reschedule the trip, such that our arrival was better timed to place us in the town of Bran Castle in the midst of daylight. However, as much as I’d rather not arrive under the cover of night, timing was of the essence. Mina’s life was on the line, and fear must not undermine her salvation from death’s clutches.
The second I’d drawn the unfortunate conclusion about our departure, a thunderous knock echoed from the entryway of the house.
“That must be Van Helsing.” The Baron stood from his chair, the spring of youth in his step, and marched out of his study. I followed quickly behind, sweeping down the twisting staircase, through the grand room, and into the foyer. Without a word, the Baron flung open the door to reveal an older gentleman of stately presence, clutching tight to a briefcase.
“Abraham,” the Baron beamed. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your assistance in this matter.”
Van Helsing scoffed and walked past the Baron to enter the house. “You can thank me by paying the agreed upon fee up front.” The man carried himself with the posture and grace of one with considerable wealth and culture. He was tall, thin, with stark white hair, and dressed in a houndstooth suit of remarkably bright purple and blue cloth. Perched on the bridge of his nose was the tiniest pair of pince-nez glasses, to give him an air of infallibility. His nose and cheeks, however, did their best to give away his state of near inebriation.
Once Van Helsing had cleared the door, it became apparent another man had been standing behind him—this figure was short and completely bereft of eloquence, dressed in what looked like a tattered and torn ensemble from the local sanitarium. The sleeves of his coat hung well below his hands and his trousers were torn and threadbare at the ankles. The man’s hair was a bird’s nest of gray tangles, and his face gaunt and pale.
“Ah, Mr. Renfield,” the Baron gestured for the man to enter.
“Yes. That would be me, I suppose. Unless you’ve encountered another Renfield. ‘Though I wouldn’t suppose that possible, considering what tragedy befell the rest of my clan. Did I say clan? That makes me sound so, what, primitive? Is that the word I’m looking for? Words very often elude me. Or, I suppose it would be more fitting of me to say the proper words often elude me. Truth be told, and why would I have any reason to not speak the truth, I am rarely at a loss for words. Family. That’s the word I was looking for.”
“Will you please be quiet?” Van Helsing snapped. “You’ve blathered on the entire trip here. If I am to travel with you at my side to Romania, you are going to have to show a bit of restraint and respect. Otherwise, I cannot possibly work with you.”
Renfield cackled—like a carrion crow choking on its own tongue. The sound was something I hoped to never hear again. “I owe you no such thing. I am free from the shackles that once bound me to silence and sloth. Nothing will ever contain my mind, my arms, and my mouth again.”
“Gentlemen,” the Baron barked. “If the two of you are incapable of working together, I will not hesitate to fire you and find another pair of hired hands to do the job.”
Van Helsing approached the Baron. “You won’t find anyone in the area with nearly the knowledge I have of Dracula.”
“Nor anyone with my decided lack of morals.” Renfield grinned, showing a black-stained toothy maw.
I offered Van Helsing my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Van Helsing.” I turned to Renfield. “And you, Mr—”
The toady little man grabbed my hand. “Just Renfield, if you please. Mr. is far too formal for the likes of me. Not that I would dare complain about being elevated to a higher status than I currently enjoy—which is to say no status at all.”
“As you wish,” I replied. “Shall we take our leave?”
“That depends,” Van Helsing responded.
“On?”
“If you are ready to face down the demon.”
It was my time to laugh. “You must have Dracula mistaken for someone else. The man I met was demure and kind.”
“So too is the wolf, until it is threatened,” Van Helsing replied.
At the mention of wolf, my breath caught and my heart raced. Van Helsing must have witnessed some minuscule change in my visage.
“You’re afraid, Jonathan Harker.”
“I am. But not of the Count. I believe Dracula to be harmless. What concerns me is the townsfolk. There is a danger about them.”
“I feast on danger,” Mr. Renfield offered, along with another round of his insipid laughter.
“Evil comes in many shapes and forms, Mr. Harker. Fortunately, sunlight is the best disinfectant for such things. Shall we depart?” Van Helsing gestured toward the door.
I wasn’t quite certain what the older gent was going on about, but I grabbed the bag I hadn’t had a chance to unpack from my previous outing, and made my way from the house. When the overlarge door closed behind us with a hollow thud, I could feel my heart sinking from my chest and into my gut. I had no desire to return to Bran Castle and that derelict town filled with fang-toothed specters and gleaming-eyed wolves. And yet, the thought of Mina was all I needed to inspire me into action.
Together, we three intrepid hunters made our way to the train station. There would be a short jaunt via boat, but the vast majority of our trip would be spent riding the rails through some of the most beautiful countryside the world had to offer—scenery that would be lost upon my current state of emotional and mental distress.
FIVE
Back To Bran Castle
The majority of our trip was spent in silence, save for the random ramblings of Mr. Renfield. The only discussion to be had was Van Helsing giving both Mr. Renfield and me a quick class on what we could be up against.
“What is a vampire?” Renfield asked.
“A creature of the night with eternal life and near immortality,” Van Helsing answered.
“Near?” Renfield mocked. “How does one have near immortality? Isn’t such a thing a yes or no proposition? One cannot be almost immortal. You either are, or you’re not. Why are you confusing the issue?”
Van Helsing looked as though he was about to swat Renfield across the face. Instead, he regained his composure and continued on. “I say near immortality, because it is rumored that the vampire can be killed. Sunlight, beheading, a stake through the heart … all very effective means of slaying this particular dragon.”
I interrupted Abraham. “I beg your pardon, but I have absolutely no intention of beheading or impaling another man.”
Van Helsing laughed, while removing his glasses and giving them a careful wipe down. “Mr. Harker, you cannot mistake the vampire for a mere man. Once he reveals his truest nature, you’ll understand. Unfortunately, should that occasion arise, it will be too late and your mortal coil conveniently shrugged aside. Trust me when I say it is imperative that you understand we are about to face a creature most foul.”
“Abraham, how many times do I have to tell you I’ve already faced the Count and found him—”
“Bah,” Van Helsing silenced me. “Smoke and mirrors, my friend. What you saw was a show so you would drop your guard. The vampire is—”
“A mythical creature that has never been formally documented, much less seen.”
“God,” Van Helsing retorted bluntly.
Renfield giggled.
“Pardon me?” I asked.
“A mythical creature that has never been seen. And yet, humankind has placed absolute faith in His existence. How do you explain that?”
“Quite frankly, I cannot.”
“Very well then. You understand my position.”
And with that, Van Helsing slid down in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes.
Renfield hopped up onto the seat, squatting like a vulture. “I, for one, cannot wait to stand before the Count. I, too, have heard rumblings of the vampire’s existence. Granted, the whispered words were spoken by the rather mad, but there is a modicum of truth to be found in the ravings of the lunatic. A man with no boundaries has little reason to speak falsely.”
I wanted to argue the man’s point, but I hadn’t the energy necessary to engage. So instead, I joined Van Helsing in closing my eyes. I could hear Mr. Renfield mumbling under his breath.
“The blood is life.”
*****
The dreamscape arrived under the cover of a thick fog. At first I couldn’t place the surroundings. It wasn’t until a brisk wind disturbed the blanket of smoky haze that I was able to discern my whereabouts.
A cemetery.
But not just any cemetery. I stood in the center of the Murray family burial ground, surrounded by mausoleums and crypts. The moon hung overhead, casting just enough light for me to read the headstones. I wound my way through the maze of marble and granite, until I spotted a figure, perched atop a freshly covered grave. I couldn’t make out the face, but the body was most certainly female. The specter, naked and pale as death itself, raised a long, thin arm and gestured for me to come forward.
What could I do? This was a dream, I had no choice but to follow instructions. And thus … I stepped toward the strange angel. It wasn’t until I was a grave away that I recognized the specter.
Mina.
She stood before me, exposed and frail. My love’s body was broken, fragile; entropy had had its way with the meat on her bones, to the point her curves were barely recognizable. This was not the Mina I knew and loved. This creature was some bastardized version of reality, twisted and bent into a malicious shape to frighten me away from the task at hand.
“Begone, foul beast,” I shouted into the void of darkness.
Mina opened her mouth to speak, but I couldn’t understand the sounds she produced. An inhuman screech threatened to tear apart the apparatus of hearing within my skull. I pressed my hands to my ears, hoping I could at least muffle the sound. My efforts bore no fruit. Instead, my ears popped until I could feel a warmth on my palms. I pulled my hands away to see them covered in crimson. I was bleeding from within and the blood flowed freely.
Renfield hung from a tree, a rope fashioned tightly around his neck. The man’s laughter filled the cemetery to mock death in its home. Van Helsing leaned against a crypt, shaking his head and mumbling under his breath. His disapproval of me was clear. I could see it in his eyes.
Both men pointed to Mina, who opened her arms wide to reveal a pair of black, leathery wings sprouting from behind her. With a great flap, my darling fiancée took to the air, swooping and flitting as if flight was second nature. The beat of her black wings pulsed in counterpoint to my heart. Mina rose into the sky until she was but a mere dot. Seconds later she plummeted toward the Earth at an impossible speed. Before she would have crash landed, she pulled up to balance, gracefully on her bare feet.
Mina’s eyes were blood red orbs. When she smiled, dagger-like fangs hung over her bottom lip. She stepped toward me, wings spread wide as though to engulf my body in a cocoon of human leather. As she was about to reach me, she unleashed another metallic screech.
“Jonathan,” Van Helsing’s familiar voice was undercut by the sound of the train’s wheels screaming to a stop. “We must disembark the train. The boat awaits us.”
“But I only just fell asleep.”
Renfield laughed. “You were out nigh on two hours.”
“Christ. How is that possible?”
“Exhaustion has a way of making us its plaything.” Van Helsing gestured for me to exit. “We have business to attend to.”
“What sort of business?” I asked as I passed the man.
“I must procure a trunk.”
“How do you expect us to have time to shop before the boat leaves the dock? We are on a schedule, after all.”
“The trunk has already been arranged. I only have to retrieve it.”
Once we were off the train, Van Helsing set about searching for the trunk in question. Standing to one side of the platform, a man in a black trench coat and top hat stood beside a rather large steamer. I pointed the gentleman out, to VanHelsing’s delight. Without another word, Van Helsing strode off toward the man, his arm outstretched.
“Mr. Van Helsing?” The stranger asked.
“Abraham Van Helsing in the flesh, my good man. I trust this device has been built to my exact specifications?”
“Indeed it has. You’ll find the requested accoutrement inside.”
Van Helsing knelt before the trunk and rapped on its side with his balled-up fist. The heavy thunk indicated the vessel walls were far thicker than one would suppose.
“What is that thing?” Renfield asked.
“Our security policy.”
I stepped forward and knelt beside Van Helsing. “I don’t understand. What do you plan on doing with this precious crate?”
“Nothing more than the Baron’s bidding.” Abraham stood. “You would be best served to not question me on this matter. In this field, I am one of a handful of learned men. Trust me when I say, this is our only hope.”
Van Helsing dug a small leather pouch from his pocket and handed it to the stranger. “This should more than cover the cost.”
With a nod, the man departed, pocketing the purse as he went.
Van Helsing turned to me and Renfield. “Now, if you don’t mind, help me get this trunk onto the boat.”
With great effort, the three of us managed to haul the box to the vessel. The heft of the trunk made the task nearly impossible.
“What is this thing made of?” Renfield groaned.
Van Helsing beamed. “The outer structure is a standard steamer trunk. Beneath the wooden surface, however, things get interesting. The foundation of this device is pure silver poured from a collection of crosses that were melted down and re-formed.”
