UNIVERSAL STUDIOS DRACULA

It is the late afternoon when a mail coach jostled along the mountain path carrying several passengers. One of whom was a young woman with short-cut Brown hair that reached her jawline and is dressed in a grey business attire. Her name is Betty Renfield, Solicitor for the Bugle Real Estate Company and 4 other passengers. Betty could not help but be excited, this was her first job abroad; the brown-haired woman could feel herself squeezing her hat in her fingers. It felt good that Mister Jameson had such confidence in her to attend to this, Mister Dracula. Her client was a Count no less…a member of nobility!

“Driver, could you please slow down?” she called out.

Everyone gasped at her request which to her was unusual. The brunette did not understand; did she say or do anything wrong, according to Romanian customs. Transylvania was not England, after all.

“Oh no, we must reach the inn before sundown!” the man to her left warned her, this man was easily in his late 40s.

“And why, pray tell?” questioned an older woman with dark hair, sitting across from her.

“It is Walpurghis Nacht, the night of evil…nosferatu,” the fearful man continued.

The man's sitting between them then quickly covered his mouth in her own fear, they both then make the sign of the cross. The woman across from them smirks in amusement while a younger woman closer to her own age giggles but continues to read her book. Through the opposing window, Betty sees that they have pulled up to, what looked to be a small inn. She then sees several people led by a mustached man hurry out of the inn and quickly assumed they were the staff workers.

******************

Betty smiled as she and the rest of her fellow passengers file out of the carriage. She then turned around to find the baggage-man had started remove the luggage from the carriage. But then she realized he was removing her things as well, Miss Renfield knew she had to say something.

“I say, porter, please don’t take my luggage down,” she asked him while pointing with her cane, “I’m leaving for Borgo Pass tonight.”

The porter, in surprise and terror, hurries over to the driver of the coach and from what Betty could tell, was conversing with him.

“No, no, please put that back up there,” the young solicitor insistently instructed to the men.

When she turned around Betty found, whom she had already guessed had to be the inn keeper, had approached her and said, “The driver, he is afraid, it’s almost night; good fellow he is, he wants me to ask if you vould vait and go out after sunvise.”

“I’m sorry,” Ms. Renfield said with as much professionalism as she could, “but there is carriage waiting for me at Borgo Pass at midnight.”

“Borgo Pass?” the Inn Keeper asked.

“Yes,” Betty answered, as she tried to assure him.

“Whose carriage?” the Inn Keeper inquires with obvious trepidation.

“Count Dracula’s,” the short haired brunette answered with an excited smile, the idea of meeting nobility was stilled a thrilling prospect.

“Count Dracula’s?” asked the inn keeper with clear fear on his face.

“Yes,” responds the young woman with a nod.

An elderly woman that had come out to welcome the passengers made the sign of the cross. This was the second time Betty had seen this. Now she was religious as much as the next woman, but this was getting to be ridiculous. What was everyone so frightened for?

“Castle Dracula?” inn keeper asks with more trepidation.

“Yes?” she responds again, this time growing a bit nervous, “That’s where I’m going.”

The inn keeper pointed with his thumb towards a large building in fear, “To the castle?”

“Yes?” Betty repeated, this time becoming annoyed and hoped this man would get to the point.

The keeper waves his hand, “No, you shouldn’t go there, we people of the mountains believe in the castle are vampires; Dracula and his vives take the form of volves and bats, they leave their coffins at night, and they feed on the blood of the living.”

The brunette only shakes her head, “That’s all superstition but I can’t understand why—”

“You said enough!” cried a man shaking a strange metal tool in their direction.

The keeper points toward the setting sun, “Look the sun, this is the time they leave their coffins.”

Betty looks to the West then to the Inn Keeper; she sees the Keeper motion to her to follow him, “Come, we must go indoors.”

Ms. Renfield then walked over until she was amidst the Inn Keeper, the elderly woman, and the 2 passengers she had been sitting next to earlier.

“But wait, I mean just a minute,” interjected Betty, “what I’m trying to say is that I’m not afraid; I’ve tried to explain to the driver that it is business. I’ve got to go, really.”

The brunette then turned and walked up to the carriage to leave, as Betty was about climb in, she turned toward the people, "Well, good night."

The old woman quickly hurries up to her.

"Wait, please" the old woman hurriedly told Betty after she had rushed over to her, then handed her a small crucifix, “If you must go; wear this for your mother’s sake, it will protect you.”

The elderly woman then hung the Christian symbol around the brunette's slender neck. Betty Renfield then climbed back into the mail coach, and it took off up the trail. Looking out the window, the young woman saw the people waving to her and thought she heard them give her their prayers.

******************

Vlad III Dracula opened his eyes to the dream his new ally had crafted; it was a descent imitation of a castle crypt to say the least. The vampyr looked behind him find 3 coffins opening, women in white come out of them. Vlad smiled as he Dream-Walked, he recognized 1 of the 3 being his Queen, Sue. The other 2 he recognized them as future conquests. They were Katherine Pryde and Janet van Dyne; the women walked around aimlessly while he then turned to climb the stone steps. When reached the “ground floor” he immediately found a dark cloak and hat. He donned them and left through a large door to find a black, horse-drawn carriage. Once aboard the driver's seat, he drove it down to Borgo Pass to await the carriage of his “solicitor.”

******************

This dream world was excellently crafted, the night sky looked amazing as he and the black carriage with the horses parked at the false Borgo Pass. The Ruler of the Undead smiled when he noticed the carriage arriving; Vlad then witnessed a woman climb out. He watched as the other coach sped off, after its driver and porter had taken luggage down.

Betty Renfield walked while beaming over to the black carriage and faced the driver, the brunette cocked her head to find his face partially hidden in shadow, parts she could see felt eerily familiar.

“Coach of Count Dracula?” she asked warily.

The driver stared into Betty’s eyes and nodded. He then reached over to her, and the solicitor handed over her bags. Ms. Renfield then walked slower over to the carriage door and climbed inside; she felt it take off and could see through the windows mountains passing quickly. Concerned with the speed, the young woman decided to talk to the driver and so leaned out the window to inquire to him about it.

“HEY DRIVER!” Betty called out, but all she saw was a bat flying ahead of the team of horses.

Dracula smiled inwardly at how well his thrall was going through her role in this dream world. She then pulled her head back in. Vlad was satisfied when the carriage then rode up to the dream castle.

******************

Betty Renfield was now annoyed, the brunette could not understand what was going on. But she intended to find out and so she marched out to talk to the driver.

“Hey driver, what do you mean by going at this—?” Ms. Renfield demanded, but once she reached the front of the carriage, she was surprised to find the driver was gone and no one is around. Suddenly a loud creaking sound was heard, and she turned to find the castle’s large door slowly opening. Slowly Betty creeps up the steps to the entrance, the woman could not see anyone at the door. Once inside she finds herself in a delipidated foyer then looks up to see 3 bats flying above her. The solicitor then turned to face the large stairwell.

Vlad smiled, dressed in his black robes as he watched his thrall below as he walked down the large steps carrying a candlestick with a lit candle in his right hand. He walked until he was only a few steps above her.

“I am... Dracula,” Dracula introduced himself; it was slightly amusing to fill Legosi's role as himself.

The brunette then approaches the steps while taking off her hat with her left hand.

“It’s really good to see you,” Betty responds, “I don’t know what happened to the driver or my luggage and... well...with all this.”

She then waves her cane with her right hand, “I thought I was in the wrong place.”

“I bid you welcome,” recited the undead King as he raised his right arm and slowly swings it.

Dracula then turned around to walk back up the steps with Betty following him. He then stopped and turned towards the woman. As if on cue, wolf howls are heard in the distance.

“Listen to them,” Vlad continued reciting with a smile, “children of the night, what music they make.”

Ms. Renfield turned her head towards the sounds with a confused countenance but then turned to follow her client.

The undead dream-walker turned around and continued up the wide staircase. He climbed for a while then turned to watch Betty climb with a satisfied grin. He watches her push with her cane through large cobwebs only to continue witness a large spider crawl up the wall.

Ms. Renfield turns toward her client; she was confused and shocked by the size of the spider.

“Spider spinning his web for the unwary fly,” Vlad simply said, “the blood...is the life, Ms. Renfield.”

Betty could only nod with a nervous, “W-why, yes.”

******************

Before long, they had reached the guest bedchamber. The young woman was quite surprised by the size of the room her client and host had led her to, it was well lit with many candles and a fire burning in the hearth to boot. There was even a table with food set for 1 person and 1 chair.

“I’m sure you will find this part of my castle more inviting,” said the undead dream-walker.

“Oh, rather, it looks quite different from outside,” the brunette solicitor analyzed, “Oh, and the fire, it's so cheerful.”

Dracula motioned with his left hand, “I didn’t know whether that you might be hungry.”

Betty smiled but turned away from the fire, she needed to speak with her client, “Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

“But I’m a bit worried about my luggage, you see, all your papers were in—,” Betty Renfield continued as she walked closer to her client.

“I took the liberty of having all your luggage brought up,” she heard the Count inform her, “Allow me.”

Betty allowed for the Count to take her hat and cane from her and responded, “Thanks.”

Solicitor decided to go to the set table, turned to watch her host carry her things away, and then turned back to the table. Dracula knew that this world would not obey him, so he used his hand to open another door across the room and walked through. Ms. Renfield looked over the table before sitting down in the lone chair. As she sat Betty turned her head to look around then stopped to look forward as her client, came as if out of nowhere and the Count approached the table.

“I trust you kept your coming here...a secret?” Vlad recited.

“I followed your instructions implicitly,” he heard her answer with confidence.

“Excellent, Ms. Renfield, excellent,” the dream-walker responded, “And now, if you’re not too fatigued, I would like to discuss the lease on Carfax Abbey.”

“Oh, yes, everything is in order,” the solicitor said as she hurried to take out the papers, thankful that the business she had been assigned was going to commence, “awaiting your signature.”

She was nervous as she hurried to separate the lease from the rest of the papers, how could she not be by the intimidating look of the Count.

“Here,” Betty managed to say as she handed over the papers to Count Dracula, "Here is the lease."

Vlad flipped through the bundle of lease papers, surprised at the detail that this dream held. The text was properly done.

“Why, I hope I brought enough labels for your luggage,” he heard his thrall’s dream-self speak.

“I’m taking with me only 3, uh, boxes,” Dracula informs.

“Very well,” Betty simply said, still slightly intimidated.

Dracula then lowered the papers and faced Betty.

“I have chartered a ship to take us to England,” Vlad told her, “We will be leaving tomorrow evening.”

He then performed another of Lugosi’s act by turning to leave.

“Everything will be ready,” she replies uncomfortably, having lost her confidence to the fearsome man.

“I hope you will find this comfortable,” she heard the Count say as he folded the lease papers and slipped them under his arm.

“Thanks, it looks very inviting,” said Betty Renfield, trying to sound polite.

She then looked down to find she had cut her finger; it did not hurt but blood was oozing out. Vlad took a glance at his thrall and approached her to see what had happened. He bent over, his curiosity getting to him. He saw the blood seep from her finger, under normal circumstances this would give him a reason to look for prey; the demon was remarkable in his crafting of this world, that was for sure. Just then, a crucifix drops down onto Betty’s injured hand. Surprise and experience with the Christian symbol, caused Vlad to recoil and he immediately covered his face. Ms. Renfield looked up and smiled while putting the crucifix back into her breast pocket.

“It’s nothing serious, just a small cut from a paper clip,” Betty insisted thinking her host was squeamish, “It’s just a scratch.”

She then stuck her bleeding finger in her mouth, the dream-walker raised his left eyebrow at her action. Betty smiled weakly at her host as she looked up at him, she was not sure what he would do, he had an intimidating presence. She watched her host reach for a small goblet and a bottle.

“This...is very old wine,” he said, reciting the line from when he first heard it, “I hope you will like it.”

Vlad smirked as placed the dream-goblet in front of her then he slowly poured her the drink.

“Aren’t you drinking,” he heard the woman ask.

A smile not leaving his lips Dracula replied, “I never drink…wine.”

“Well,” she said as she lifts the goblet.

Betty put the rim to her lips and allowed the liquid to flow into her mouth while she felt the Count’s eyes on her. It was as if her client was expecting something. Once she had swallowed the last of the liquid, she put the cup down.

“It’s delicious,” Ms. Renfield told her host, hoping she had appeased him.

“And now, I’ll leave you,” said Vlad as he straightened up and walked to the door they had entered through.

“Well, good night,” Betty called as she too stood up.

“Good night, Ms. Renfield,” she heard him say and watched as he left through the door.

Susan with an evil grin, followed by Janet and Kitty, entered the room of the brunette woman their Master had summoned. They witness the solicitor immediately sit down and dab her brow with a handkerchief she pulled from her pocket. They watched the brunette stand up to walk over to the large window-like doors far into next room, then unlock and open the door on the right. Sue grinned as she witnessed the “guest” try to walk out, until a bat flew over and blocks her path. The trio then watched the solicitor become startled and back into the room before she collapsed, after the bat flew away. As they approached this Renfield woman's prone form only for their master to come in from the open door. They viewed him wave his hand and the 3 women knew they had to leave. After he knew the dream-selves of his Queen and the others had left, Vlad turned his attention to the woman on the floor. The next thing he knew everything was fading, it was the room around them that was fading into darkness. The King of the Undead experience with this phenomenon was when the individual whose dream he was visiting was awakening. So, he kept himself calm as the darkness consumed everything.

******************

None of them knew how or when they got on the ship, what they did know was that they were a crew and they needed to keep the Vesta afloat as waves push water onto the deck. The fear that the Vesta would sink, and they would all drown was felt by everyone. No 1 really questioned how they knew the name of this sea-going vessel but getting it through the nightly storm and on to England was their only priority.

As the ship was tossed by the waves, only 2 individuals occupied the cargo hold. Betty Renfield chuckled insanely to herself as she knelt next to the locked box. She then opened the lock on the box and partially lifted the lid.

“Master, the sun is gone,” Betty told her master, with a crazed grin on her lips.

The crew continue to struggle against the waves, hearing their Captain screaming his orders.

“You will keep your promise when we get to London?” the brunette asked, hopeful, “Won’t you, Master?”

Dracula looked down at his ****'s dream-self with a slight amusement. He had just climbed out of the box he found himself in through his dream-walking.

“You will see that I get lives?” she continued, “Not human lives but small 1s…with blood in them?”

Vlad’s gaze turned to a glare. Her asinine begging was only amusing for a few minutes.

“I’ll be loyal to you, Master,” Betty assures him, after cringing from fear, “I’ll be loyal.”

The dream-walker then turned away to leave the storage compartment. Once Vlad was out of the hull, he decided to watch the crew. All of them dressed in heavy rain gear and galoshes, it was amusing to watch these people who probably were never out to sea in any time of their waking lives. It was strange to see this world fade into oblivion for a second time.