Writer's Workshop

It's been a while since we last had an update to this script, I will admit. That's because while I more or less knew the end point I was heading for with this story, I suddenly got writers block on the middle section. It took close to a year to finally get all the pieces rolling in my head, but once they did, man, now things are flowing again. Hopefully it stays that way. So let's get this show on the road once more.

Before you dive in make sure you're all caught up on the story up until now (in the script archive) before diving into this chapter.

Bride of Dracula: Part 4

EXT: FRENCH STREET, SHOPPING DISTRICT, EVENING, PRESENT.

Music: Jazzy music playing from within the restaurant.

We see LUCY come out of that same restaurant from the opening of the film. She smiles, carrying a bag with her, and then turns and sees MILLA sitting at a table sipping from a tea cup. MILLA smiles when noticed, but the smile drains from LUCY's face.

LUCY:

I told you I had no interest in being part of your court.

MILLA:

Oh, my dear, do not worry. I'm not here about that. I simply thought that you, a young vampire on her own, might be in need of a friend. Please, sit, dear.

MILLA motions to a chair next to her, which has its own teacup sitting in front. LUCY looks down disdainfully, but sits.

MILLA:

Everyone needs a friend. It's hard to be a vampire on their own. We're social creatures, you know.

LUCY:

I've found quite the opposite. I struggle being around... our kind.

MILLA:

Oh, pish. Every vampire needs their own kiss, dear. A court to call their own. Why do you think it's so easy to create another of our kind?

LUCY gives her a doubtful look.

LUCY:

Easy? You have to feed on someone night after night, slowly draining them, and then give them your blood, and hope the magic transforms them. That hardly sounds like an easy process.

MILLA in turn gives her a shocked look.

MILLA:

Is that how you were turned? That is far too ceremonial, my dear. Only the truly ancient of our kind do it that way.

She leans in with a smile.

MILLA:

Who was your maker? Maybe I know them.

LUCY deflects.

LUCY:

So how do you change someone, then?

MILLA:

Easy! Get the blood out, put the blood in. You can change someone in less than an hour, if you don't stand on ceremony, although the dark magic still needs a couple of nights to truly work.

LUCY:

"Get the blood out." If I drink that much I'd burst.

MILLA:

Oh, you can share them around, or store the blood. Even let it go to waste, if you wanted, but that seems a pity. No, I have a wine cellar where I keep my stocks.

MILLA takes a sip from her cup.

MILLA:

You really should try some. She was quite young. Delicious.

LUCY pushes her cup away. We see a little blood slosh up the side of the cup.

MILLA:

Oh, don't tell me you're squeamish.

LUCY:

I prefer to feed on animals.

LUCY stands and grabs her bag. MILLA gives a catty response.

MILLA:

That's not what I hear. How many Nazis have you killed this last month?

LUCY turns and looks at her.

LUCY:

Like I said. Animals.

Then she turns and storms off.

INT: FRONT FOYER, CASTLE DRACULA, NIGHT, PAST.

LUCY runs in, slamming the door behind her. She looks scared, desperate even. We see torchlight as RENFIELD storms in.

RENFIELD:

Where have you been? I've been searching the castle for you.

LUCY:

I... I went... to town and-

RENFIELD looks shocked.

RENFIELD:

Something happened?

LUCY:

I... there was a girl, and I...

RENFIELD:

You killed her?

LUCY:

No! But the innkeep, he knows what I am!

RENFIELD storms up and slaps her in the face.

RENFIELD:

You stupid girl! You left witnesses?!

LUCY looks shocked.

LUCY:

I couldn't kill them!

RENFIELD:

Of course you can! You're a killer! That's who you are now, girl, and you need to accept it or we'll all be dead.

RENFIELD turns and looks around.

RENFIELD:

We need to pack.

LUCY:

What? Why?

RENFIELD:

We can't stay here. The townspeople are liable to storm this place now, and with the state the castle is in we won't likely fend off a siege. We'll need to hide. Lie low.

LUCY:

Where?

INT: DANCE HALL, FRANCE, NIGHT, PRESENT.

Music: Up-tempo ballroom fare.

RACHEL:

There you are!

LUCY comes into the dance hall, another busy night with couples dancing, drinks all around, and the party continuing on. RACHEL has spotted her and comes running over.

RACHEL:

We were starting to wonder if you were going to join us tonight.

LUCY smiles at the woman.

LUCY:

Well, you did make me promise to see you again. I just had to get a quick bite, first.

LUCY looks around, spies BARRETT chatting up a young woman.

LUCY:

And I see your brother has found someone to talk to.

RACHEL laughs.

RACHEL:

More like some woman found BARRETT. He was waiting for you, and then she dragged him off to talk and dance. He seemed quite put out.

LUCY laughs.

LUCY:

And no young man for you, RACHEL?

RACHEL:

What man is worth passing up the company of the Countess Lucia Draco?

LUCY:

Well, your brother did say you two were here to find a suitable husband.

RACHEL:

Let him find himself a husband.

They both laugh and head off to a table. Soon enough BARRETT spots the two of them and comes over, the young ANITA on his arm.

BARRETT:

Ah, Lucia. Lovely to see you again.

LUCY nods.

LUCY:

Likewise, sir. And who is this lovely young woman?

BARRETT:

Oh, yes, this is Anna.

ANITA pouts.

ANITA:

ANITA!

BARRETT:

My apologies. She was just regaling me with tales of her home.

LUCY:

And where are you from?

ANITA:

Madrid. My father is the mayor. He's quite a powerful man.

BARRETT:

Lucia is a Countess.

RACHEL:

That makes her very powerful as well.

LUCY:

I mean, I don't like to-

ANITA looks at them, gets angry, and storms off.

RACHEL:

Apparently she didn't like being upstaged.

LUCY:

Really, I wasn't trying-

BARRETT:

Thank the heavens. She was such an utter bore.

RACHEL:

Quite pretty, though.

LUCY:

I'm sure she would have made you a very handsome husband, BARRETT.

BARRETT looks confused. LUCY and RACHEL laugh.

RACHEL:

Lucia, can I get you anything to drink?

EXT: FRENCH STREET, SHOPPING DISTRICT, ALLEYWAY, PRESENT.

We see police cordoning off the area, keeping onlookers out of the way. There are two torn up bodies, clearly Nazi soldiers, dead in the alley, blood splashed everywhere. Inspector GUILLAUME studies the scene. Eventually Inspector HEROUX, who had been talking to officers, comes over.

HEROUX:

(in French) How many does this make so far?

GUILLAUME:

(in French) The sixth scene like this. Thirteen dead.

HEROUX:

(in French) And yet we are no closer to catching the animals that are doing this.

GUILLAUME looks up at his partner.

GUILLAUME:

(in French) You really think animals are doing this?

HEROUX:

(in French) Look at the bite marks. The carnage. It must be some kind of animal. Maybe a couple of big dogs.

GUILLAUME:

(in French) If it were dogs we'd have more reports like these.

HEROUX:

(in French) I'd consider six incidents to be plenty.

GUILLAUME:

(In French) We should see these attacks daily if it were animals. But this is more like...

HEROUX:

(in French) Like what?

GUILLAME:

(in French) The attacks are spaced far enough apart, they aren't to just attack. It's to sate a need.

HEROUX scoffs.

HEROUX:

(in French) You think a human is doing this? We are much too civilized!

HEROUX laughs and walks off.

HEROUX:

(in French) Best to keep those ideas out of your report.

GUILLAME stands, then looks down at the bodies once more. He then walks to the other end of the alley. FENWICK steps out of the shadows to meet him.

FENWICK:

It's that girl again.

GUILLAME:

These match the pattern I've seen, yes. Same creature. Same attack patterns. Same size and depth to the bites.

FENWICK:

Her killings are much too public. She draws attention to herself.

GUILLAME:

So you know who it is?

FENWICK nods.

GUILLAME:

She should be stopped. This kind of carnage is going to draw the ire of the Germans. We can't keep blaming it on wild animals.

FENWICK:

She's protected by the Baroness.

GUILLAME looks shocked.

GUILLAME:

But why?

FENWICK:

I think for sport. She finds her... amusing.

INT: DANCE HALL, FRANCE, NIGHT, PRESENT.

LUCY, RACHEL, and BARRETT stand at the table, RACHEL and BARRETT sipping drinks. ANTIA wanders back over, attempting to get BARRETT to dance with her.

ANITA:

Please, come out. All the other boys here bore me.

BARRETT:

I couldn't imagine.

MILLA:

Begone, little girl.

The group turns and sees MILLA come up. ANITA whirls on her.

ANITA:

And who are you to order me around?!

MILLA:

A baroness.

ANITA looks at her, looks at LUCY, looks at the group, then storms off again.

RACHEL:

Did you say you were a baroness?

MILLA nods and puts out her hand, which BARRETT kisses.

RACHEL:

We have a countess and a baroness gracing our group.

LUCY addresses MILLA angrily.

LUCY:

What are you doing here? Don't you have a party to attend.

MILLA:

It started to bore me. I thought I might see what kept you interested at night.

She places a hand on BARRETT's shoulder.

MILLA:

I can see I've been missing a lot, cooped up at court.

LUCY:

We really should go.

MILLA:

Go? But I want to dance.

And with that she grabs BARRETT by the hand and whirls the two of them off into the dance.

RACHEL:

My, you have interesting friends.

LUCY:

She's hardly a friend.

RACHEL:

You know her from court?

LUCY:

In a manner of speaking. She won't leave me alone.

RACHEL smiles at her.

RACHEL:

Neither will I.

She steps back from the table and offers her hand.

RACHEL:

Care to dance?

LUCY:

With me? That would cause quite the scene.

RACHEL looks out into the crowd where much space has been given for the flamboyant countess.

RACHEL:

I hardly think anyone will notice.

LUCY:

Wouldn't you prefer to dance with a gentleman?

RACHEL smiles a wicked smile.

RACHEL:

Eh, ANITA was right. All the boys here are so tedious.

LUCY gives a small nod, then puts her hand in RACHEL's. They dance off as well.

End of Part 4:

Milla is based, in small part, on Carmilla, although I won't draw that direct comparison in the script. Her name is only ever going to be "Milla", although that suits the Carmilla character, who went by "Carmilla", "Marcilla", "Mircalla", and other variants on her name. Also, in part three of the script, she was scene petting a black cat in her introduction, a clear reference as well. But, beyond that, I don't have much plan to explore that aspect of her history. She's here as the villainous foil to Lucy, so we'll see her from that perspective primarily.

This section features an important new character, Guillame, the police inspector following Lucy's kills. I couldn't have her killing Nazis in the street without someone asking questions afterwards. It's logical to show the police side of things from time to time, and making him a vassal to Milla allows us to tie his story in more easily.

Considering the length of the first Dracula script, we're about a third of the way through this one, and that feels about right for where we are in the story. Major characters are meeting each other, all the plot lines have been introduced, and now its time to move pieces around and see how they all interact. Should be interesting!