Workshop Wednesday

With some elements set up last time, we're now getting into the payoff as one of our nominal heroes, Abraham Van Helsing, starts to learn just how bad the vampire problem really is in London. Things are about to get very messy for all our players as this script moves into its last act.

If you haven't already read the previous parts of this series, I'd recommend hitting that first before diving into this section.

Dracula: Part 8

FADE IN.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, MAIN ENTRANCE, DUSK.

ABRAHAM walks in through the gates of the cemetery, sees the DETECTIVE and walks over.

ABRAHAM:

Detective.

DETECTIVE:

Professor.

ABRAHAM:

Your men are in position for tonight?

DETECTIVE:

They are.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, NORTH WALL, DUSK.

We see a couple of plainclothes men on the far street, sharing a rollup as they act nonchalant.

DETECTIVE (V.O.):

I have two squads of men stationed outside the wall.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, SOUTH WALL, DUSK.

We see another two plainclothes, this time sitting on a bench having a conversation about cricket.

DETECTIVE (V.O.):

As per your instructions, and considering how dangerous our killer may be, they will not directly engage with the man, instead simply follow to see where he goes.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, MAIN ENTRANCE, DUSK.

ABRAHAM:

Good. Although I want to note we are not sure this is the work of a man.

DETECTIVE:

Surely a woman couldn't have done this!

ABRAHAM:

I'm not so certain what to expect right now, DETECTIVE. For that matter, it could be the work of more than one killer.

DETECTIVE:

Considering what was done to the bodies, this could be the work of a copycat.

ABRAHAM:

Yes... well... that could be one theory... Just make sure your men are ready to follow anyone suspicious, not just a man.

The DETECTIVE nods, then gets up from where he was sitting and rushes off.

EXT: LONDON STREETS, OUTSIDE A CHURCH, NIGHT.

We see the PRIEST once again outside, enjoying the fresh air. JONATHAN slowly comes up, as if afraid of the grounds. The PRIEST looks over and smiles.

PRIEST:

Ah, I see you're back.

JONATHAN:

I don't know what I am.

PRIEST:

The first step is simply wanting to make a change.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, GROUNDS, DUSK.

The DETECTIVE and ABRAHAM are sitting near a tree, watching the mausoleum, just out of sight of the main path.

DETECTIVE:

My superiors were none too happy about your requests. Placing the bodies of common whores in a grand mausoleum such as this is highly irregular.

ABRAHAM:

We needed it. And I appreciate you arranging the matter.

DETECTIVE:

If it helps us catch the monster, I'm all for it.

ABRAHAM:

Monster... an apt term to use, I think.

EXT: LONDON STREETS, OUTSIDE A CHURCH, NIGHT.

PRIEST:

Would you like to come into the church this time, my son?

JONATHAN shakes his head.

JONATHAN:

N-no. I'd... I'd rather talk out here.

PRIEST:

Of course. It is a lovely night. I know it's odd to say, most people love the daylight, but I've always loved the night.

JONATHAN:

I hate the night!

He practically spits this out, which draws a bit of a look from the PRIEST.

PRIEST:

Why is that?

JONATHAN:

I miss the day.

PRIEST:

You have a job that makes you work at night?

JONATHAN:

I...

JONATHAN looks around.

JONATHAN:

The night is dangerous.

PRIEST:

Dangerous?

JONATHAN:

It's full of monsters.

The PRIEST laughs, then sees the look on JONATHAN's face and stops.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, GROUNDS, DUSK.

As JONATHAN talks, we sweep through the grounds of the cemetery, leading up the mausoleum.

JONATHAN (V.O.):

You don't know what it's like, that clawing feeling of the night, scratching at you. It's like ants, biting on my skin, pulling me to life.

INT: LONDON CEMETERY, MAUSOLEM, DUSK.

We see the two bodies of the dead women draped under sheets, laying on slabs in the mausoleum.

JONATHAN (V.O.):

Every night is like that first night. The sun goes down and I can feel it, a shock to the system.

One of the bodies convulses.

JONATHAN (V.O.):

I gasp for air I don't need, claw at my throat for a sign of life, but none comes.

After repeated twitches, the body sits up. It's the woman who ended up with blood in her mouth. He head is lolled to the side (since her neck was cracked by MINA), but after twitching a couple of more times, sitting there in her burial dress, the newly risen vampire grabs her neck and snaps it into place.

JONATHAN (V.O.):

I hate this feeling, every night. It's not life, it's something else. Twisted. Darker. It makes me sick.

The vampiress smiles, marveling at herself, feeling her arms and vibrating with energy. Then she looks over at the body next to her, a body that didn't get blood in its mouth. She prods it a couple of times, trying to shake it awake. Realizing it's a dead body, her eyes go wide and she slides off the slab, crab walking backwards away from the corpse.

JONATHAN (V.O.):

This isn't something I chose. I don't want to be... like this. I wish I hadn't-

PRIEST (V.O.):

Hadn't what?

JONATHAN (V.O.):

No. He could hear me is I said.

The vampiress, as if hearing a voice, looks up. Suddenly she goes from being afraid to being completely in control. She glides over to the entrance of the mausoleum and peers out through a crack. She spots ABRAHAM and the DETECTIVE, then slides back out of sight.

PRIEST (V.O.):

Who can hear? God? Whatever you've done, I'm sure-

JONATHAN (V.O.):

He's so powerful. You can't understand how powerful.

PRIEST (V.O.):

My son, I do understand the power of-

JONATHAN (V.O.):

It's the night! It's like he controls it. Wears it. Uses its power, and gives it to us.

The vampiress looks around the mausoleum and spies an opening, a small window high up on a wall away from the entrance. She climbs up the wall, like a spider, and shoves her way through the window, contorting herself to get through a space she shouldn't be able to fit into.

EXT: LONDON STREETS, OUTSIDE A CHURCH, NIGHT.

The PRIEST is standing at this point while JONATHAN is facing away, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, shuddering. The PRIEST walks over, reaching out a hand.

PRIEST:

My son-

JONATHAN whirls around, fangs bared, a monstrous look upon his face.

JONATHAN:

Don't touch me!

The PRIEST stumbles back, clutching at the cross around his neck. JONATHAN runs off.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, GROUNDS, DUSK.

We see the back of the mausoleum as the newly risen vampiress hangs onto the outside of the wall. She lithely drops down, without so much as a sound, the glides to the outer wall of the cemetery. This she leaps up, landing on the hard stone of the wall itself. She spies the two officers, down the street, chatting. She runs down the wall, leaping off further down, before disappearing into the night.

INT: CARFAX ABBEY, KITCHENS, EVENING.

We see MINA and LUCY sitting at a table, dinner laid out before them. LUCY, though, looks depressed, picking at her food.

MINA:

LUCY, dear, whatever is the matter? You've hardly touched your food.

LUCY:

You're one to talk. You hardly ever eat.

MINA:

I fed earlier.

If LUCY notices the phrasing of the comment, she doesn't say anything about it. Instead-

LUCY:

Father has been so busy lately he hasn't had much time to spend with me.

MINA:

Oh, LUCY. You know he's not just here to see you.

LUCY:

It's just been months since I was home and...

MINA:

You miss your family, I'm sure.

LUCY:

You're great! But yes, I do miss back home.

MINA:

Well, if you want, I'm sure I can arrange to send you-

And then DRACULA comes sweeping in, his very presence cutting MINA off.

DRACULA:

Ah, the lovely Murray women. How nice it is to have you both in my household.

LUCY:

Actually, I'm not a Murray-

DRACULA:

But what was this I overheard about you leaving us, dear LUCY.

LUCY:

Well I-

MINA:

It's time for her to go home.

DRACULA:

Nonsense. There is still so much of London to see. And for a woman such as LUCY, this is the perfect time for her to grow, and change, and reach her true glory.

MINA:

She has family back-

DRACULA:

I won't hear more about it. LUCY, we're having the ball soon and I would be absolutely stricken if you weren't here to attend.

LUCY:

I mean, if you-

MINA:

She needs her family.

DRACULA:

As you keep telling me, you're her family.

MINA:

Family back home.

DRACULA ignores this and turns back to LUCY.

DRACULA:

You must stay. For me.

LUCY:

I don't-

DRACULA takes her face in his hands and peers into her eyes.

DRACULA:

Stay.

LUCY:

I... will stay.

He stands up, and then MINA rises just as quickly.

MINA:

I told you-

DRACULA snaps his fingers and she immediate stops talking. LUCY, at the same moment, falls asleep in her chair. MINA stands there, clutching at her throat, trying to get her mouth to open.

DRACULA:

You tell me nothing. I am the master here and I am tired of you presuming to be in control.

MINA glares at him, making noises deep in her throat.

DRACULA:

I have played your games long enough, but they have grown more than tedious.

He strays over to LUCY, rolling his fingers along her neck and face.

DRACULA:

This one is young, and fresh, just coming into her womanhood. She smells... delicious.

He leans over and smells her hair, sucking it as if the air were blood. MINA, meanwhile, closes her eyes and draws a breath, centering herself. Then her eyes snap open. She sees Dracula raise LUCY's wrist to his mouth, fangs out.

MINA:

STOP!

DRACULA's face goes ashen and suddenly he's the one unable to move. MINA comes over and yanks LUCY's wrist out of his grasp. He shudders, and starts to vibrate. MINA kicks LUCY's chair, sending the piece of furniture, and the girl in it, sliding across the floor (LUCY, meanwhile, remains asleep). MINA sings her arm, smashing her hand into DRACULA's face, sending him flying back. She leaps at him, swinging her arm again, but this time DRACULA catches it.

DRACULA:

You dare!

MINA:

She is mine.

DRACULA:

I will have her!

MINA:

Then I will kill you.

They glare at each other. At just this moment, SEWARD comes into the room. He spies the whole scene, is taken aback.

SEWARD:

Did I come in at a bad time?

MINA and DRACULA look over, anger plain on both their faces. MINA then sighs.

MINA:

Take him instead if you must have one of them.

DRACULA:

This isn't over.

And then he turns to a deep, black fog, an evil, roiling mist that lunges towards SEWARD. The man in engulfed, completely encompassed in the opaque, dark grey fog. And then, just as quickly, the fog dissipates, turns to lighter mist, and drifts off. On the floor is SEWARD, looking not just drained but nearly mummified, gasping for air (and life). MINA walks over.

MINA:

Oh, my dear John. I am sorry, but LUCY means more to me than just about anyone.

Then MINA gets a look on her face. She bites her wrist and then dribbles some blood over SEWARD's mouth.

MINA:

You will serve me, and only me, and we will find a way to break free of his shackles.

She licks her wrist, and the wound heals. Then she grabs SEWARD by the wrist and drags him out of the kitchen. Only then does LUCY snap awake. She looks around, dazed.

LUCY:

MINA...?

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, SOUTH WALL, DUSK.

We see the two plainclothes, both leaning against a wall. One of them looks asleep.

SFX: Baby crying.

The other looks up, though, when he hears the sound of a baby crying. He nudges the one in the ribs, and they both see, daintily picking her way along the top of the cemetery wall, the newly risen vampiress. She has a bundle in her arms, and the bundle of twitching. Just as quickly as she comes into view she drops over the side of the wall into the cemetery.

EXT: LONDON CEMETERY, GROUNDS, DUSK.

We see the vampiress try to climb back up the wall of the mausoleum to the window she used earlier, but she struggled to climb up with the baby in her other arm. She drops down, then walks around to the front, heedless of the men that were watching her earlier.

Upon seeing movement, ABRAHAM sits up, then nudges the DETECTIVE awake.

DETECTIVE:

Wha...?

ABRAHAM points at the vampiress, then whispers at the DETECTIVE.

ABRAHAM:

Look.

The DETECTIVE sees the vampiress, ethereal looking in her white funeral dress, clutching the writhing baby in her arms.

SFX: Baby crying.

DETECTIVE:

Isn't that-

ABRAHAM:

Yes.

DETECTIVE:

But it couldn't be.

ABRAHAM:

This is what I suspected.

The DETECTIVE gives him a look.

DETECTIVE:

THIS?!

ABRAHAM:

Shhhh!

The vampiress enters the mausoleum, then ABRAHAM and the DETECTIVE rise.

DETECTIVE:

We need to save that baby.

ABRAHAM:

DETECTIVE, there is no way you can take one of those... creatures on without equipment.

DETECTIVE:

I'm not leaving it in that mausoleum.

ABRAHAM takes a beat.

ABRAHAM:

Fine. Do you wear a cross, DETECTIVE?

The DETECTIVE brings his hand to his chest.

DETECTIVE:

Why?

ABRAHAM:

Because that's an undead fiend and you'll need something to stop her.

DETECTIVE:

But... a cross?

ABRAHAM:

Now that I know she's really a vampire, I'd prefer garlic, holy water, and stakes, but I don't have any of those items.

DETECTIVE:

But... you knew!

ABRAHAM:

No, I suspected but prayed I was wrong. I thought I was mad.

The DETECTIVE looks at the professor, then back at the mausoleum.

DETECTIVE:

We get in, then get out with the baby. If we can lock her in there, we should.

He pulls his gun and the two go running towards the mausoleum.

INT: LONDON CEMETERY, MAUSOLEM, DUSK.

Inside the mausoleum the two men find one of the bodies, the one of the woman that didn't come back to life, on the ground, her sheet splayed around her. On the slab rests the baby, writhing. What the two men don't see is the vampire. The DETECTIVE goes in, gun moving around to clear the room. However, he doesn't look up. He reaches the baby just as ABRAHAM cries out.

ABRAHAM:

DETECTIVE!

The DETECTIVE spins around, baby in his arms, as the vampiress drops onto him. She bares her fangs and rears back.

DETECTIVE:

NO!

The vampire plunges her fangs into his neck, keeping the DETECTIVE locked in her arms so he can't escape.

DETECTIVE:

Take... the baby...

ABRAHAM runs up, grabbing the baby before the vampiress is able to claw at him, trying to retrieve her young prize. The entire time she's feeding on the DETECTIVE, and then officer slowly gets weaker and weaker. The DETECTIVE slumps against her, then slowly raises the gun, pointing it up under her chin.

SFX: Gunshot.

She's thrown back, and the DETECTIVE slumps to the ground. Both are down on the ground.

SFX: Baby crying.

ABRAHAM runs up to the DETECTIVE, putting his hand over the officer's wound. It's a ragged wound, spurting blood. At this point, the other plainclothes have come charging it at the sound of gunfire.

ABRAHAM:

Get me some bandages or clean cloth. Something!

The plainclothes look around, dumbfounded. Then the shot vampires rises, from on her back on the ground straight to floating on her toes. She looks rough, a ghoul more than a human. But even now the bullet wound is healing. The men all backup, freaked out. ABRAHAM puts the DETECTIVE's own hands on the wound, then stands. He rushes to one of the coppers, hands then the baby.

ABRAHAM:

Give me this!

He grabs their billy-club out of their belt holster, then runs at the vampiress, smashing the club against the side of the slab, splintering it. She rears back then flies at him. They collide, spinning off against a wall. She smiles, he fangs bared and coated in blood. Then her face turns ashen and she looks down to see the splintered club shoved up between her ribs. She drops back, stumbling.

ABRAHAM, released from her grip, picks up the DETECTIVE's gun. As she collapses to her knees, scrabbling at the wooding stake in her chest, he puts the pistol to her head and fires.

SFX: Gunfire

She falls to the ground, but he kneels, once again putting the gun to her head, firing over and over until the gun clicks empty, her head just so much meat.

SFX: Gun firing over and over.

He's coated in blood, a hollow look in his eyes. Then he spins around and looks at the DETECTIVE.

ABRAHAM:

DETECTIVE!

But the DETECTIVE is dead.

SFX: Baby crying.

FADE OUT.

End of Part 8:

Poor Seward, but I frankly had nothing for him to do up until now. Quincey and Arthur (who, ironically don't show up in this part) are fleshed out characters for me, but I was only including Seward because he was in the original novel. I didn't know what to do with him, so I killed him to help raise the stakes. In the process, though, I then decided to turn him into vampire and there are some delicious plans I have for him now.

We also got quite the elevation of vampire action and gore. This sequence for the newly risen vampiress would, traditionally, be a sequence for thee vampire Lucy, but Lucy is still a human here (and a very different character). I was happy I got to include a riff on it, though.

Man, we're getting close to the end game now. I can sense it.