The Carpathians

The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own. Just a shadow of a long-forgotten past.

The hounds pierced the night's silence. Breaking away from the mirror, I hurried to the window and saw a dark cloud of ravens escape into the moonlight. Dread coiled itself around me.

The icy air beckoned, so I climbed onto the ledge, clutching the morbid stones of the castle. My mind raced as I stared at the centuries of moss that didn't dare come inside. There was no way out. In that moment, all I could do was scream to the heavens, begging for salvation from what approached.

Then, the door splintered open, the sound echoing through the halls. My heart pounded, and I slipped on the damp. Desperately scrambling, I clawed at the air. Until a hand reached out and seized me. We landed in a tangle of limbs on the cold, unforgiving floor.

"Sister!" she gasped. "Are you alright?"

I took a moment, readying for the worst "Is it him?"

Solemnly she nodded. "I don't understand. Why so soon? We had weeks!"

I touched my throat. "His journey must have failed. He will not be pleased."

"We've lost our chance," she whimpered. "What're we going to do?"

"We must leave, right away," I said.

"Now? You can't be..."

My voice was urgent but forceful. "It's not what we planned. But if the Lord wills it, we have no choice."

I grabbed her arm. We fled in our nightgowns, the cold stones scraping at our bare feet. Floor by floor, we descended the unlit spiral staircase, the darkness consuming us. We wound through the snake, our every move echoed throughout its cavernous insides.

Suddenly, she stumbled. Slipping out of my grasp, she let out a whimper.

"Where would you be going in such a hurry, my dears?" His voice cut through the gloom.

Stepping into a shard of moonlight, I could see he had caught her. "Answer me!" He ripped her hair and contorted her neck. "Where are you going?"

Her eyes pleaded, so I cautiously stepped forward to stroke his face. "My darling, but of course, we heard the news of your arrival. Oh, how we have missed you so. We wanted to welcome you home."

He exploded. "I do not need welcoming into my own abode!"

Tossing me through a nearby door. I lunged around, but it was too late. It had slammed shut, trapping me alone.

All I could do was listen to him drag her writhing body away. Eventually, I fell to my knees to pray for what would come next.

===

My eyes snapped open and I immediately reached for the door, fingers curled around the handle. Please, he must have unlocked it by now? He would want me to go to her. He would want me to see. It opened.

As I drew closer to her room, the stench swallowed me whole. Sweat and death mingled together in the air. Nausea grabbed hold as I hesitated for a moment. My hand hovered over the doorknob before finally forcing myself to enter.

And there she was, lying on the blood-soaked bed. My whole being convulsed as I rushed to her. My fingers trembling as I clung to her.

None of the Lord's beautiful creatures should ever experience such horrors. But then, I felt the Lord's kind touch. Beyond hope, she stirred.

"Praise be," I cried, my voice cracking with relief. "Are you safe?"

"I'm okay," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "The blood isn't mine."

I wiped the stains from her face, and she looked up at me with eyes full of shame and misery. But still lost in her muddied memory.

I squeezed her tightly, my fingers digging into her flesh. "The Count is an unspeakable devil," I said, my voice low and urgent. "But we should not have hurried. I misread the Lord's plan."

"No, sister," she said, more alert now. "We had to try. Otherwise, he'll only drag us further... into... his nightmare."

We huddled together in the candlelight and listened to the tortuous silence of our minds.

After some time she stuttered, "His servant came and said something, I didn’t catch it all though.”

"Please, I'm listening."

"He had something brought here. Or things were coming? I just…" she shakes her head.

"We must have faith," I say, trying to sound reassuring. "Who knows why he is back, but we know he will be distracted. Another chance may present itself to us yet. Let us pray it shall come soon."

We cleaned ourselves up and changed our clothes. Then waited, for what we knew not.

===

The hounds' split the night air once again, signalling the moment our belief had been rewarded. We readied ourselves, but we couldn't afford to lose composure. The Count may be distracted but his eyes were everywhere.

With cautious steps, we set forth to the ground floor. With a steady calm, we had made it to the hall. The flickering torches cast shadows of dancing ghouls.

But then we froze as a loud crash erupted from the pantry. We locked eyes and dashed in the opposite direction, down into the catacombs.

The dirt scraped against our feet. The once-grand castle now reduced to a decaying ruin, returning to the earth from which it sprang.

Desperate to reach the far side of the crypt, we pressed forward. We only heard the gnawing once it was too late.

It's him.

We see it twisted over its prey, and he sees us. His wild eyes fixed as he seethed his venomous fangs. We know we cannot outrun a demon, but run is all we can do.

We smell his rancid breath burning at our backs. But ahead of us, do we hear voices? Breaking into the hall, a group of men tear him away.

In the confusion, I crash into a wall. Getting up, I glimpse my sister escape out the front door and pray once more she will be delivered.

Alone, I crawl behind a bookcase, listening to the chaos. "Quincy, strike him in the heart!" The light of the torches muddies the many bodies into a sole deformed monster.

They fight with a disorganized caution. One by one, overcoming their nerves and blundering with all their strength.

Until finally, a scream pierces through and the room falls silent.

The group gradually dissipates, revealing the beast prostrate on the floor. We all watch in ghastly wonder as the stake dissolves his body to ash.

Relief floods me. Has the Lord delivered us? Has my faith finally been rewarded? Years of repression release in a blinding hysteria. Tears and laughter erupting from within me.

I fly toward my saviours, filled with gratitude. But then I hear a voice, "Van Helsing, behind you!" The closest turns, mustering his strength and roars, "You vile creature!"

His words pierce my heart and I fall to my knees for the last time.

Looking down, I clutch my bloodied chest. Where the Lord's words whipser: All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

Bram Stokers' original Dracula depicted his brides to be as villainous as he was. Here we re-explore that narrative through the lens of the true monsters of our society. Those who coerce and brutalise those in their care.