Dracula (A Modern Telling) (22 page)

“Seeing fish all day and the dead rising is different, Professor.”

“Is it? It’s the unknown, maybe even the unknowable. We live in a wilderness of horrors, Jack. And we don’t stop to look at the trees.”

We arrived at the cemetery and Quincy and Arthur were already there.
Jonathan and Mina had not wanted anything to do with it and had gone home.

Quincy was smoking and he let the cigarette dangle from his mouth as we went inside and headed for the large stone structure of the mausoleum. I was struck but just how much influence the
professor could exert. Here we were, three intelligent professionals in our mid-thirties, in a cemetery at night simply because the professor had asked.

We glanced at each other and without a word, began walking. The moon was out and I looked to the stars that were shining down on us. The only other light was the pinpoint of red from Quincy’s cigarette.

“So, you two were close?” I asked him, once I felt Arthur and the professor were far enough ahead that they couldn’t hear us.

“You could say that.”

“How close?”

I could see him grin in the light of the moon. “You’re asking if we were fucking? No, we weren’t. And it’s not from my lack of trying. She said she was in love with someone else.”

“Is that what she said? Someone else?”

“Yeah.”

“Those exact words?”

“Yeah, those exact words. Why?”

“No reason.”

Th
e cemetery was over a hundred and fifty years old; some of the tombstones dated from the civil war, worn out and broken, tilting to the side. The ground was uneven as we made our way up a hill to the mausoleum. It was made of stone with two Corinthian pillars in front. I saw the professor jiggle the lock.

“We
ll,” I said, “it’s locked. Suppose we should turn back.”

“Nonsense,” Van Helsing said. He took something out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock. With a few jiggles, it clicked open. As we went inside, I saw the machete and the wooden staff underneath his coat.

“Are those really necessary?” I said. “It’s illegal to carry a concealed weapon in Massachusetts.”

“Who’s concealing?” he said with a grin, pulling the machete out.

I had never been inside a mausoleum and it was exactly as I had thought it would be. The stench of damp stone and mildew was overpowering but there was no smell of death. A lot more light filled the space from skylight than I thought it would and then I wondered why you’d need a skylight in here. The rich did love their luxuries, even in death.

Stone steps led underground to a large space with a stone slab and the coffin
on top. We all stood by it like children about to poke a dead body with a stick before Van Helsing said, “Well, no time like the present.”

He grabbed the lid of the coffin and Quincy moved up to help him as they lifted it. Arthur was
visibly shaken up. I could tell he was trying to hold back tears and was preparing himself to see his Lucy one last time.

The coffin lid lifted
… and it was empty inside.

Quincy reached in and touched the satin interior just to make sure.

“Where the hell is she?” he said.

Before anyone could say anything, we heard a noise. It was coming from just outside the mausoleum. It sounded like it could’ve been a cat or some other animal, but as it drew near the terrible recognition of what it was dawned on all of us:
the cries were from a baby.

The crying began to echo off the walls as the baby was inside the mausoleum now. I’ve never felt my heart beat in my chest quite like that. I could hardly breathe. I noticed that the other men couldn’t take their eyes off the stone steps either.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast against the walls. It expanded to gigantic proportions from the angle before it shrank down to human size. To my utter horror, I saw who it was.

Lucy
was holding the child gently in her arms. She took a few steps down, saying, “Shh,” to the child to calm it. But it wasn’t affectionate. Protruding from her mouth were what appeared to be fangs, and she licked her lips before leaning down and running her tongue over the child’s face. She noticed us and smiled.

“Arthur, my Arthur. Are you here to save me, Love?”

Something was off. Lucy was … compelling. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and I could swear she was more beautiful than I had ever seen her.

Van H
elsing grumbled, “Let the child go, demon.”

“Demon?” she said, as if she was hurt at the accusation. “Arthur, who is this man? Why did he call me a demon?”

“I don’t know,” Arthur stammered, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Lucy stepped down the stairs and
was on the floor with us, absolutely radiant in the light of the moon, her alabaster skin shining brightly, blue eyes sparkling.

Van Helsing took out a crucifix and held it out. “Let the child go!”

Lucy laughed. In an instant, the baby was dropped and she was on top of Van Helsing. She ripped the crucifix away and flung it against the wall. The three of us were in such shock we didn’t move at first.

Lucy flung Van Helsing against the wall. Her lips were near his and she reached down and put her hand
down the front of his pants. “Don’t you want me,” she whispered. “Don’t you lust after me. I’m so wet.” She groaned with pleasure. “I need you. Take me now, right here. I want them to watch.”

Van Helsing was in
a daze. Not just figuratively; I could see that his eyes had glazed over. It was then that the screaming of the child snapped me out of my spell. I ran to it and cradled it to my chest. Little droplets of blood stained the blanket it was wrapped in. On its arm were two puncture marks.

Van Helsing had dropped the machete and the spear. He was now kissing Lucy passionately as Arthur and Quincy looked on as if they couldn’t move.
I placed the baby down. With a deep breath, I went for the weapons.

I grabbed the machete and lifted it over my head. With a shout, I swung down on Lucy
’s head.

Missing completely, I struck her shoulder and the blade embedded into her flesh. She screamed and turned toward me. Swinging with her arm, she struck me on the side of the face with such force I flew off my feet and hit the wall, sliding down to the floor.

She leapt on top of me, blood still staining her mouth, and pressed me down. She lifted my chin and said, “It was you, Jack. You were the someone I was in love with.”

Her teeth elongated and she went for my neck.

I felt a pinprick on my chest. My eyes were closed and as I opened them, I saw that Lucy’s head was thrown back, her teeth exposed, her tongue out of her mouth.

The tip of the wooden spear was sticking out
of her chest. Bits of flesh were hanging off of the tip as Van Helsing twisted it out and stuck it through her again.

“Arthur!” Van Helsing shouted. No response and Van Helsing looked to him. “Arthur, it must be you. You have to do it. Do it now! Arthur!”

Lucy suddenly leapt into the air like a monkey and clung to the ceiling, but she couldn’t hold on for long as Van Helsing still had the spear in her. She fell to the ground, writhing like a bug that was fighting for its life.

Arthur, still crying, picked up the machete.

“I can’t hold her! Arthur!”

With a scream,
tears streaming down his face, Arthur swung. The machete caught her on the neck. It got halfway through as blood spattered over the mausoleum walls. He ripped it out of her, and swung again, taking her head completely off. The body fell limply to the floor and Van Helsing let go of the spear and collapsed.

EXCERPT FROM “LOVE IN THE AGES”

An account of the mysterious rise and demise of Blood Burn as described to the author by the parties involved.

By
Belamy Woodwards

First Draft

CHAPTER 29

The Velvet Rabbit sits on two acres of manicured lawns and fountains twenty minutes outside of Boston. Founded
by W. Henry Breckenridge in 1938 as a retreat for the wealthy that profited during the Great Depression rather than suffered like 95% of the population, it has never lost its exclusive atmosphere. With dishes ranging from peanut butter quail soup, to chilled buffalo liver, its menu is something you might have found in ancient Rome.

The wait list stretches more than three weeks if you have influence
, and much longer without. Roaming around on the property, one can easily run in to several of the free roaming peacocks or swans that are given reign over the property. For the ultra-rich with money to burn, cabins are available for rent on the property for the princely sum of $4200.00 per night.

It was in this atmosphere that the limousine let out Mina. She stepped out by herself and
her hand was quickly taken by the Count who helped her out of the car. He was dressed in a suit, but unlike any suit Mina had ever seen. The thread shimmered in a certain light and it seemed as if one could be perfectly content staring an entire day away simply looking at its intricate patterns.

The maître’d
gave them a look that said
What on earth are you doing here?
and Mina suddenly felt grossly underdressed.

“You are a diamond among swine,” the Count
said, anticipating her thoughts. “These people do not deserve to gaze upon you.”

“I feel out of place. I’ve never been somewhere like this.”

“It’s a veneer. Underneath, these people are venom; they think covering it with money prevents the world from seeing.”

The maître’d said, “I’m terribly sorry, but we do not have any space available tonight.”

The Count simply peered at him. “You will get us a table. I would like the surrounding tables cleared so we may have some privacy.”

The man’s eyes seemed to gloss over and though he opened his mouth no words came out. Mina watched him with utter fascination and wondered exactly what about
the Count had struck such terror in him. Before she could speak, a manager came over and began yelling at the maître’d.

“Don’t you know who this is?
Move, you damned fool.” He turned to the Count. “I’m terribly sorry Heir Draculea. He is relatively new.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Shall I prepare your usual table?”

“Yes, thank you.”

They were taken to a corner of the restaurant surrounded by windows that overlooked lush gardens outside. Though the tables around them were occupied, the staff immediately cleared them and promised the patrons that they would find them suitable dining elsewhere in the city.

“How did you do that?” Mina
asked when they were sat.

“Simple. I own this restaurant.”

“You own it? What was all that talk about veneer and venom?”

“What I said was true.” His brow furrowed. “Perhaps I have such venom too.”

Wine was served at $1800 per bottle and Mina spoke of mundane things. Her education, her hopes for the future, her dreams of what she would become and what she would accomplish.

“Tell me about your home?” she
asked.

“There is no more beautiful place in all of creation.”

“Yes,” she said, leaning forward, “it must be to match you. A place of forests that cover vast stretches of land of many colors. Mountains that range in blue and white to red and brown. And on the ground flowers of such intense frailty that they would whither if you touched them.”

The Count
watched her a long time, a single tear coming down his cheek. “You speak of my home as if you’ve been there.”

“I think it’s just your voice. I’ve heard it before. It’s like a voice in a dream that I forget when I wake. And what about the princess?”

“Princess?”

“In my dreams there’s always a princess in a flowing gown. She appears sad and her tears roll off her cheeks into a river below.”

“There was once a princess … Elizabeth. But deceit took her from her ancient prince. She leapt to her death in that river you spoke of.”

She looked away. “I shouldn’t be here. I’m married.”

“You may leave at any time. Yet you do not.”

DR. SEWARD’S EVERNOTE JOURNAL

September 21

I’ve thrown myself into my work. I’ve spent hours a day with various patients and then hours at night combing through research journals to find tidbits to help with my next project. Arthur, after crashing at my house for a week, has left. Van Helsing
has gone back to MIT. I am here by myself and more alone than ever. I see now that Lucy was a shining beacon in my life. A light that led me away from darkness and illuminated the path to my future. I feel lost and despondent without her. The worst part of it is, I never told her how I felt. She very well may have died thinking I cared nothing for her.