Work Text:
Love with the Veiled Shadows
Mina Murray
“The night burned with whispers of his name. The ragged breathing of the dying woman echoed in the sky. The forest wept from the fires that lit up its trees. Chaos surrounds as the deafening screams of dying victims fill the scene. This was no ordinary murder; it was the work of a monster. The victim’s entire body was lined with two side-by-side punctures and drained of blood. Red was now the color that embellished the bygone green of the grass. It was believed to be the work of a cult, their blood, a sacrifice to the gods. But it was not—rather, it was a monster man. It was the work of the man whose name the night whispered.”
“Wow, you truly know how to tell a story—no matter how deranged it is."
“You think me to be untrue and delusional. But we all know that there is a beast out there in Transylvania waiting for its next victim. It roams only at night, blending its dark nature with the darkness of the forest of Transylvania.” She said it with glaring eyes.
“It?...” I said in disbelief, “I thought you said it to be a man.”
She quickly responded with a sharper look this time: “That thing not to be seen as a man; it is neither human nor beast but both at the same time. It is the most beautiful creature on this planet. It has eyes that blend with the blue sky, and it has hair that falls pleasantly on its perfectly toned muscular body with soft and golden skin. But behind the blue are soulless eyes that glisten with darkness; the soft and golden skin has an icy cold to it. And the most important thing is that it lacks human nature. It simply has one thought—to feed.”
“To feed on what?” I asked
She responded with a chilling smile on her face, “Humans, of course.”
As I sat with the woman, pondering this bizarre story, hoping to dig more into the tales of the monster man, but then I heard the voice of Jonathan, calling me to his side. “Honey, are you ready? Our carriage from the Count is ready; I believe it is awaiting us outside."
"Yes, darling, I will be with you in a moment,” I said as I began to gather my belongings.
As we step out of the inn, I can still feel the woman’s glare on my back as I enter the beautifully decorated carriage. The door was lined with bright red jewels that contrasted with the black of the seat.
I quickly fell asleep due to our beautiful yet tiring journey from London to Transylvania. When Jonathan first heard about the possibility of working with Count Dracula, he jumped at the chance because he would be able to have a stable, wealthy client and potential partner in his real estate career, therefore ignoring the vast and tiresome journey. Jonathan wanted to commence alone as it was a business outing, but I needed a break from the wearisome hours of housework and I wanted to spend more time with him since our wedding is a few months away, so we decided to embark on the journey together. My body ached from the hours of waiting for our train to arrive. I buried my head in the comfort of Jonathan’s warmth and let my sight fade into the darkness. It was not until 3 hours had passed that I awakened from my peaceful sleep to the madness of the middle of a forest. ‘I reckon this is the infamous forest of Transylvania.’
The forest whispered words of mayhem. The muffled sounds of wind whistling around trunks, leaves rustling, horror-stricken animals, and the sound of feet shuffling through the thick grass all drew nearer and nearer.
Jonathan quickly awakened as the noise grew more desperate. “What is that noise?” he said with horror in his voice.
“That’s the sound of the monster man,” I said ominously, with the same chilling smile on the woman's face, hoping to scare Jonathan.
“Mina, this situation is anything but comical. We are in the middle of the forest; there is no time for whatever joke you are playing.”
“You mean the dark and mysterious forest that is filled with the screams of a dying woman in the sky?" I said it with a continuous grin across my lips and mischief in my tone.
He yells angrily with fear, echoing his concerns. “What could you possibly be talking about, Mina?"
He is interrupted by the loud bang of something large slamming across the surface of our carriage. Our carriage then flipped to its side, leaving us in a fiddly position, wiping the grin off my face and replacing it with dread. All we see is the driver being grabbed by some overpowering figure; he stood no chance as the thing seemed to have enormous strength, something that a mere human could not overthrow. ‘IT IS TRUE; THE MONSTER MAN IS REAL’ "Run, Jonathan; the monster man is coming. Run!”
Jonathan, still ridden with fear, manages to find the strength to kick open the carriage door. He stepped out of the carriage in a state of distress, causing him to shake violently. I stepped out behind him with the same look of terror Jonathan had on his face. Outside the carriage lay the body of the driver. Over him was a female; she stood close to his neck, and as she raised to look at Jonathan, I could see the same marks described by the crazy woman; our driver’s neck was lined with two side-by-side punctures. Next to the driver was a black bear, triple the size of the woman and lined with the same punctures all over its body.
The woman from the hotel told me that the forest whispered of a monster man but it was wrong; the monster was a woman.
As the woman’s eyes remain fixed on Jonathan, he makes a run for it deeper into the forest while yelling, “MINA, RUN THE OTHER WAY!”
Although the fear of separation crept on me, I listened to Jonathan and picked up my feet, running towards the other side of the forest. I am quickly ambushed by the darkness of the night. The wet and muddy grass derived from the rain that poured upon the forest during our journey from the hotel, the smell of damp moss, and dripping tree trunks are what marked my entry into the forest of Transylvania. Then came the sounds of footsteps behind mine, and as the seconds passed, it inched closer and closer, till it was right behind me. I stood frozen, with goosebumps emerging on my skin as I felt the slicing cold of her breath against my skin. ‘I guess I am the monster’s next victim.’
Jonathan Harker
12 June. It has now been 38 days since I last saw Mina. All I remember is her running into the other side of the forest after I told her to. I have no memory of what happened after; all I remember is waking up to my name being called by the Count after he saved me. For the first few days, along with my concern about Mina’s disappearance, I was muddled about how exactly the Count saved me and how I ended up on his bed that night, but I decided to pay no mind as he chose not to disclose that information to me, and regardless, Mina still being lost is my biggest worry. I have asked the Count to assist me in finding Mina because he will not allow me to leave the house due to his worries about my health.
The first weeks following the attack were truly challenging. I had a restless nagging in my chest from the unsettling feelings that come with having a missing loved one. I constantly had nightmares about the night of the attack, which served as a constant reminder that I was alone. I felt locked out of the world, that no one could ever see me the way Mina saw me. But he did, the Count somehow did. At night, I would often see him lurking in the dark outside my bedroom door, pacing, hoping for the right moment to step in. He would often never come in, but on the days that he did, we would spend the night talking; we would talk about anything and everything, ranging from life in London to Mina. Somehow, no matter how much I tried to hide it, he always seemed to notice the sadness in my voice when I spoke of Mina and he would often never speak but when he did, he would tell me of his lonely life and of his fears that he would live the rest of his days alone in the vast castle. He did this in an effort to make me feel more comfortable and to encourage me to talk more with him. He would lay on my bed with me and we would lay still in comforting silence as I told him what was troubling my mind. He would stay with me until I fell asleep but he was never there when I awoke.
This continued on for days; later, he would start asking me to stroll around his castle with him. It was also always at night, before bed. Every time we stepped out of the castle, I felt a chill in my stomach, firstly from the cold and secondly from the ominous feeling around the castle. It was isolated and dark, with a deep forest acting as a fence from the rest of the world. I did not mind it, though, because he was with me. He always brought, for me, a coat when we would come out, because I would always forget to bring one. And even when the cold would still seep in through the fabric of the coat, he would inch closer to me and place his hands around my shoulder, bringing me closer to him for warmth. His hands were cold but gentle as they caressed my shoulders. We never talked during our walks; we only talked whenever he would come visit me in my bedroom. We would walk in silence, appreciating the nature-filled scenery and each other's company. The world slowly started not to feel so dull when I was him; rather, I felt content.
I have started to look forward to my nights with the Count, whether it was in my bedchamber where we would talk or whether it was our silent yet comforting stroll. In the meantime, during the day, I have planned to engulf myself in real estate documents as I wait for Mina to be found and for my health to be completely restored, but my thoughts are rather filled with the desires of the Count. I can’t help but think of the moment when I awakened, after being attacked in the forest, to the sight of the Count. I could not help but notice his sharp features contrasted by his sweet and soft eyes and his perfectly toned muscular body covered in sweat as he tried to provide me with comfort from the coldness of the forest. He was rather cold but still managed to give me the warmth I needed.
Yesterday, we spoke all evening and he told me of his visions of the house he plans to purchase in London but during the conversation, I couldn’t help but focus on his lips; they were flawlessly inviting, with their perfect shade of pink and a hint of red. This was all such a sudden yet deep attraction that I truthfully struggled to resist. Something about his soul draws me to him. I can’t help but think of him all day and all night. I simply want to be close to him at all times. But no matter how much I long for him, I cannot betray Mina.
*****
It is now 8 p.m., and one of the maids has notified me that the Count has invited me to dinner. My heart and my body leap at the chance of seeing him. I quickly walk from my bedchamber to the dining room, where I see the Count across the table in an elegant yet refined black silky attire with red buttons lining the center of his outfit. He looks even more radiant this evening. I slowly approach him as he starts to feast his eyes on me.
“Hello Jonathan, How have you been today? Do you feel better? If not, I can have the doctor look at..."
I quickly respond as I take a seat next to him: “My day has been pleasant and I feel much better these days, thanks to you, of course. I hope your day has been pleasant as well."
“Unfortunately, my day has not been pleasant. As you know, my guards have been working effortlessly to find Mina.”
“Yes?” I say this with a stinging feeling unfolding in my chest as his facial expression becomes rather gloomy.
“Well, we believe we have found her."
“Alive?” I say, expecting the worst.
“Yes, of course, my apologies; I should have led with that,” he says with regret written on his face.
"So, where is she?” I said with relief while looking around in hopes of setting my eyes on her.
“That is the issue; we believe she has been taken hostage by the people who attacked you and Mina that night. But we are doing everything we can to bring her back."
My surroundings freeze with the sudden sting re-emerging in my chest as the Count attempts to reassure me that he will retrieve her. ‘How could I do this to Mina? She has been suffering at the hands of our attacker while I am falling in love with this man. How could I betray our love like this?
I am brought back by the touch of the Count’s hand on my shoulder as he consoles me, telling me to try to eat my supper and then to return to my bedchamber to rest. He tells me not to worry as he restates to me that he will bring her back to me as soon as he can. He then leaves the room with one of his guards, and then around 10 guards leave the castle.
I am left in the room, movement-free, unable to indulge in the refined traditional Transylvanian food made for me. I am solely focused on thoughts of my betrayal. I remain still like this, staring at the food I am unable to eat as hours pass by and my eyelids begin to grow heavier and heavier, reducing my vision to darkness.
I am awakened by a maid asking if I have finished eating my supper. I respond “yes” as I rise to retreat to my room, even though I did not dine on the food.
After entering my room, I climb onto my bed with my back facing the bed and stare at the ceiling until my eyes grow heavy again, inviting me into the darkness of night.
13 June.— It had only been a couple hours when I was suddenly shaken awake by the Count. “We found Mina. We found her!” he said with a gentle smile written across his face.
With that, I quickly leap out of my bed chamber, grabbing his cold shoulder and asking, "Where is she?" I yell with ease in my voice and bliss in my heart. I sigh a breath of satisfaction. ‘She is finally here, with me, safe.’
“She is outside; I believe she should be arriving at this very moment with the guards.” He says this with a continuous smile as he leads me out of my bedroom and towards the front of the castle.
“Where and how did you find her?” I asked with contentment and curiosity.
He responds mysteriously, saying, “You need not worry about that; focus on Mina instead; I shall worry about the rest.”
We finally reached the entrance of the castle, where I saw Mina being escorted by guards. She is looking rather frail but at least she is safe. I start to approach her as fast as I can when I see a woman jumping from one of the trees surrounding the castle towards Mina. It is the same woman who attacked us on the way to the Count’s Castle. As she approaches Mina, the Count appears from behind me, leaping into the air at an abnormal height. The Count reaches the woman before she reaches Mina, wrestling her to the ground. He then yells to one of his guards, “I thought you said you killed her like I ordered!” The woman manages to break from the Count’s grip, and then she gets a hold of his hand, twisting it until the sounds of bone breaking become overarching.
The Count stands still in pain as he attempts to twist his bone back into place. The woman then approaches me at a speed I am unable to comprehend. She then goes behind me and I let out a heart-wrenching scream as I felt a sharp object pierce the skin at my neck. It was only for a second, as the Count got to me in time, pushing her towards the grounds they were previously fighting at. As the Count consoles me, the woman approaches Mina and grabs her. The guards, at the command of the Count, launch towards the woman in an attempt to stop her but they are stopped by an overpowering male figure that appears from nowhere and that unbelievably manages to stop all the guards. Then the man and the woman flee into the woods with Mina in her arms. This is the last thing I remember before a wave of dizziness overcomes me and my vision blurs into darkness, causing me to lose consciousness.
14 June.—Darkness had once again arrived when I slowly regained consciousness. This time, I am not in a bedroom, but rather in the sitting room, lying on a sofa with Dracula at my feet, a guard at the corner of the room, and a doctor analyzing me. I faintly hear the doctor say, “You need not worry, Mr. Dracula; he shall be fine; you got to him on time before she could do much damage."
The Count responds, saying, “Thank you for your help, doctor; you may now leave.” The doctor exits the sitting room, leaving the Count and the guard with me. “Make sure to keep following Ecaterina and Dumitru; do not lose them, and when you capture them, make sure to properly kill them this time. That is all I have to say to you; you may leave now.” The guard nods as he withdraws from the room, leaving me alone with Count Dracula.
I quickly rise as the guard leaves. “YOU KNOW THEIR NAMES? HOW? Why did you keep that from me? I trusted you, and you betrayed me? I said it with betrayal, controlling my voice.
“Yes, I know their names, but I did not tell you that I knew of them because it would not have made a difference." He said it with regret and sadness now appearing in his voice.
“HOW?” I responded sharply, with my voice shaking and tears filling my eyes.
“We are old rivals. I have known them for a long time.”
“What even are you? How did you and them do what you did? And how is your arm perfectly fine?”
“This may be difficult to comprehend but we are not humans, at least not fully. We are monsters and vampires. Ecaterina and Dumitru are some of the oldest vampires, with Dumitru being especially older, which is why Dumitru was easily able to overpower my guards.”
As I heard those words uttered from his mouth, everything became clear. That explains why he was able to save me, why he is so mysterious, why he was never with me during the day, and why he never ate supper, as he was always coming up with reasons as to why he had to leave early. It explains how they have abnormal physical abilities. He tries to console me but I quickly recoil with fear in my chest.
"I would never hurt you. Never. You need not fear me. I shall help you find Mina and get her back to her senses.”
“Senses?” I said it with disbelief.
"Yes. If we do not get her back to her senses, she will keep going back to them like she did today.” He said it with questioning eyes.
“What are you saying, Dracula? They took her; she did not willingly go with them.”
“Yes, she did. Ah, your memory must be distorted by the shock of the situation. Mina went with Ecaterina. I know it is hard to believe but I would never lie to you."
“But if that were true, why would Mina willingly go with that woman?”
“I believe that she has been bewitched by Ecaterina for feeding purposes; she is their blood supply. Vampires possess the ability to control the human mind. If that were not the case, then it seems Mina has fallen in love with Ecaterina, like we did. I will leave you with your thoughts now. I am sorry I have caused you so much pain. If you wish to no longer see me or be here in the castle, let any of my maids know, and they shall make arrangements for you to stay elsewhere, far from me. It has been my deepest pleasure to meet you and get to know you more. I will pay you back for your troubles. Good night.” He says it with heartbreak appearing in his face and echoing in his voice.
“Stay here with me.” I reply, “Please, I do not wish to be alone.”
THE END
Characters: Crazy Woman, Mina Murray, Jonathan Harker, Count Dracula, Driver of Carriage, The Doctor, The Main Guard, Maid, Ecaterina, and Dumitru.
Word count: 3653