Writer's Workshop

We get a bit of sex, and a bit of action, in this week's chapter. Although I don't know if the plot overtly seems to be moving forward, it is. Just in a circuitous kind of way. Hopefully it doesn't seem slow as we move through these necessary scenes. It's going somewhere, I promise.

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 6

INT: UNDERGROUND TUNNELS, DAY, PRESENT.

We see MILLA and LUCY walk through the tunnels under Paris as MILLA leads the way to her daytime abode.

LUCY:

This really may not be a good idea. I wouldn't want to intrude on your home.

MILLA:

Oh, not to fear, I have plenty of room.

She pushes through a metal door into-

INT: MILLA'S UNDERGROUND LAIR, DAY, PRESENT.

The two enter a large, brightly-lit, and ornately-decorated space. It was once a large chamber in the underground but has since been refined and redecorated. The walls are marble, as are the columns supporting the roof above, the floors dark stone, and there are plush rugs, couches, and pillows everywhere. Paintings and tapestries, largely of MILLA and her life, adorn the walls. As MILLA enters, a SERVANT comes over, bearing a decanter of blood along with two glasses. MILLA pours a glass and takes a sip, nodding approval.

MILLA:

Drink?

LUCY looks at the glass on offer.

LUCY:

You know my preferences when it comes to blood.

MILLA waves her comment away, dribbling a little blood in the process.

MILLA:

It's fine. They were more than willing to give their blood.

LUCY takes a glass.

LUCY:

And they're still alive?

MILLA waves at the SERVANT.

MILLA:

You are still alive, yes?

SERVANT:

Yes, mistress.

LUCY blanches and sets the glass back down.

LUCY:

You have them serve their own blood?

MILLA gives her a dismissive look.

MILLA:

From a bottle, from the neck, it hardly makes a difference.

MILLA flops onto a pile of pillows then sips her glass. She makes a slightly sour face.

MILLA:

Although from the neck would be warmer.

The SERVANT hurries over and takes the glass.

SERVANT:

I'll freshen this, mistress.

They then hurry off, leaving MILLA and LUCY in the large room alone. LUCY looks around, noticing the paintings on the walls, the tapestries, and all the finery. She notices one thing amiss.

LUCY:

Where are the coffins?

MILLA gives her an odd look.

MILLA:

You still sleep in a coffin? Oh, my poor dear. Those went out of style two hundred years ago. Although, I suppose you could say we're sleeping in one giant coffin.

LUCY:

Because we're underground.

MILLA:

Actually, this whole room used to be a giant mausoleum, a bone room filled with remnants of the dead.

LUCY looks over at her, disgusted once more.

LUCY:

You disturbed the dead?

MILLA:

We're dead, too. And they weren't using it properly. Fear not, I had them reburied... somewhere.

The SERVANT comes in, a freshened drink on their tray. They're followed by FENWICK and GUILLAUME. The SERVANT hands of the drink and then shuffles out once more.

FENWICK:

My lady, I am having trouble tracking down that irritable girl.

MILLA:

Really? I seem to have no trouble finding her.

She waves over at LUCY, who stands off at the far end of the room. FENWICK draws his blade, while GUILLAUME pulls out his gun. MILLA laughs, but waves them off.

MILLA:

She is our guest, FENWICK. Under my protection. Is that clear.

FENWICK relaxes but doesn't look pleased.

FENWICK:

Of course.

GUILLAUME still has his gun out.

GUILLAUME:

She's a murderer.

MILLA laughs again.

MILLA:

We're all murderers here, inspector. That's the nature of vampires.

GUILLAUME:

But she kills for sport! I've seen the bodies.

LUCY:

I would say I was doing the world a service, feeding on those men. Certainly the people of France wouldn't mind a few less Nazis on the streets.

GUILLAUME:

She admits it!

He raises his gun again, but suddenly MILLA is there, slapping his arm, causing the gun to go flying off. It hits the ground, fires, and puts a hole through a tapestry. MILLA looks none too pleased.

MILLA:

I loved that one. It was one of a kind!

MILLA backhands GUILLAUME, sending him sprawling, unconscious.

FENWICK:

Only because you killed the artists when they were done.

MILLA:

They'd made their masterpiece. It would have been all down hill from there.

She looks over at LUCY, who seems none to pleased by this whole turn of events. MILLA sighs.

MILLA:

I do apologize. Clearly I have to speak to my men about how to comport themselves around my guests. FENWICK, fetch someone to clean up the mess.

FENWICK nods and heads out to a side door. Soon the SERVANT returns, and then drag away GUILLAUME, out of sight. Then they come back with a broom and dust pan and sweep up the gun. While this goes on, MILLA beckons LUCY to come sit by her. LUCY moves closer, although she sits primly on a couch across from MILLA.

MILLA:

You are quite a curious girl. You still sleep in a coffin, you don't know how to properly change humans into our kind. Whoever turned you didn't do nearly enough to teach you our ways.

LUCY:

They're dead.

MILLA:

That would do it, yes. Well then, it's a good thing you have me to assist you. I'll take you under my wing, make you a proper vampire. Like me.

LUCY:

That's... not really-

MILLA:

Excellent!

She yawns, a long and languid exhale, like a cat about to sleep in the sun.

MILLA:

Oh my, it's getting early. I really must turn in for the night.

She stands and motions around the room.

MILLA:

Take any corner you like, make yourself comfortable.

LUCY:

Where will you be sleeping?

MILLA slips her hands behind her neck, unbuttoning her dress, letting it shimmy down her hips until she's revealed to be completely naked. She then languidly lays back down on her nest of pillows, very much looking like a contented animal.

MILLA:

You're welcome to sleep next to me, if you like.

LUCY turns away and finds a different spot to sleep.

LUCY:

I... I'll... uh...

MILLA laughs, and there's a lot of sex mixed into that laugh.

MILLA:

Lights!

SERVANT comes back in and flips a set of switches, slowly turning off the electric lamps high above. They then move around slowly extinguishing the candles as the room grows dark.

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN.

EXT: ROMANI CAMP, BOROGRAVIAN WOODS, NIGHT.

SFX: The sounds of cooking in a campfire setting.

LUCY steps from her covered wagon out into the night. She smells the air, sees NICA off to the side, and walks over to the girl. NICA curtsies to LUCY as she approaches.

LUCY:

You really don't need to do that.

NICA:

Of course, my lady.

LUCY sighs and looks around. She spots, RENFIELD, who very pointedly sees her and then ignores her.

NICA:

Your guardian doesn't seem to care for you much. Not recently.

LUCY:

Yes, well, he asked for something I wasn't willing to give.

NICA nods.

NICA:

May I offer you something to drink?

She raises her wrist to LUCY. LUCY shakes her head.

LUCY:

I'd honestly like to go out for a hunt tonight, instead.

NICA nods again, lowering her arm.

NICA:

Allow me to fetch my things and I will attend to your hunt.

LUCY:

That really isn't necessary. I hunt better on my own.

NICA:

It would be no bother. This is why I am here.

LUCY;

No, really, I will handle my own feeding needs.

NICA curtsies again.

NICA:

As you wish.

LUCY turns and looks at RENFIELD once more, but the man doesn't pay her any attention. She then walks off towards the edges of the camp, disappearing into the woods surrounding.

EXT: ROAD, BOROGRAVIAN WOODS, NIGHT.

LUCY moves through the woods, disappearing in the shadows and only appearing briefly in the direct light of the moon. As she moves she scents the air, like a predator, looking for a kill. She spots a deer, but the animal senses her undead presence and quickly bolts. Searching, LUCY moves quickly down the road to a gully where she spies a carriage, some men, and a lot of blood.

The men laugh as the throw around various things from the carriage. It's fairly obvious that these two are bandits and that they've robbed the carriage.

PAN CAMERA around the scene.

LUCY moves around the edge of the scene, seeing the men loot the carriage. She spies the previous occupants, a man and a woman, both killed by crossbow bolts. The carriage driver is seen somewhere further down the road, dead, bolts in his back as well.

The bandits laugh to themselves but they don't sense LUCY as she slowly approaches. She pulls her cloak up around her, dips her head, and makes herself look meek.

LUCY:

Oh, fine gentlemen, could you help me?

BANDIT 1 and BANDIT 2 look up from their spoils. They see LUCY and stand, evil smiles on their faces.

LUCY:

My horse threw me and bolted some time ago. I've been lost out here for some time and-

She plays at just finally seeing the dead in the carriage and screams. She leans back, purposefully falling to the ground. BANDIT 1 and BANDIT 2 come closer.

BANDIT 1:

Look what we have here.

BANDIT 2:

And here I thought our fun was done for the night.

BANDIT 2 grabs LUCY's arm and pulls her face him, as she rises her fangs are out, gleaming in the light of the moon.

LUCY:

The fun is just starting.

The falls on the man, ripping out his throat. BANDIT 1 watches this, shocked, and its only when LUCY looks up, blood smeared on her face, that he tries to reach for his dagger. She rises, smoothly and quickly, and as she moves forward he steps back. His foot goes out from under him, sliding on bloody leaves, and he goes backwards onto his ass. He looks up, LUCY stares down at him, and she smiles.

LUCY:

Look what we have here.

She falls on him and he cries out, his screams quickly turning into gurgling before going quiet.

SFX: Blood sucking noises.

After a long moment, NICA steps into frame. We see just her boots for now.

NICA:

Two clean kills. Very impressive.

LUCY looks up, fangs bared.

LUCY:

NICA?

CAMERA PANS OUT.

We see NICA, dressed not as a sweet peasant girl. Instead she is dressed in leathers suitable for a hard hunt. She carries a crossbow on her back, and two long daggers on her hips. She curtsies.

LUCY:

What are you doing here?

NICA:

I came to assist you in your hunt.

LUCY:

I didn't need your help.

NICA:

Not with these two, but you missed the third man.

LUCY:

Third man?

NICA:

He was in the woods, relieving himself.

She motions to the side and we see a man, off in the distance, nailed to a tree, three crossbow bolts hold him firmly in place.

LUCY:

I... didn't hear him. Or you.

She stands, dusting herself off. NICA hands her a handkerchief for her face.

NICA:

Yes, you might want to work on that. You seem to get lost in your kills.

LUCY looks down at the men she killed.

LUCY:

I... I hadn't meant to kill men.

NICA looks at the carriage and the carnage within.

NICA:

These were not men. They were animals and deserved to be put down.

LUCY wipes her face and looks around at the carnage again.

LUCY:

I don't know what came over me.

NICA:

We'll work on that. Trust me.

LUCY nods.

SFX: Woman's coughing.

LUCY and NICA look over and see the woman in the carriage, coughing, blood leaking from her mouth. LUCY is over, instantly,

LUCY:

It's okay. It'll be okay.

NICA comes over and looks at the woman.

NICA:

She will not survive this.

LUCY:

No! There must be something-

NICA:

She's been shot in the lung. Blood is seeping into her airways.

LUCY:

With medical aid-

NICA:

My lady, she'll be dead within the hour.

LUCY:

Isn't there anything we can do?

NICA:

You could turn her.

LUCY looks at NICA, her face blanched.

LUCY:

I will not!

NICA: Then all we can do for her is give her mercy.

She takes out one of her knives and looks at the woman.

LUCY:

No. I'll do this.

She climbs into the carriage, over the dead man inside, and sits next to the dying woman. She helps her sit up, leaning her into LUCY's arms. LUCY looks into the woman's eyes, but it's only when she places a hand on the woman's face that she grows still.

LUCY:

Be at peace.

A smile creeps along the woman's face as suddenly her pain drifts away. She leans back, eyes closed, at rest. LUCY then snaps her neck.

SFX: Bone snapping.

NICA:

A mercy, indeed.

NICA sheaths her knife and stands back as LUCY exits the carriage.

NICA:

Do you need anything else to eat?

LUCY shakes her head.

LUCY:

I... I'll be fine.

NICA nods.

NICA:

Let us get back to camp. I will have the men break down the carriage and bury its dead.

LUCY looks at the bandits.

LUCY:

And them?

NICA smiles.

NICA:

We'll nail them up as warning to others.

LUCY pauses, then nods. They both head out of frame.

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN.

INT: MILLA'S UNDERGROUND LAIR, EVENING, PRESENT.

LUCY opens her eyes and sees she is still in MILLA's chamber. A few candles are lit, providing a little light. LUCY rises and looks over at MILLA. The vampiress is curled up on her nest of pillows, a black cat asleep by her head. SERVANT is there, too, also quite naked, two bloody holes on their neck as they're spooned by MILLA. As LUCY moves, SERVANT looks up, realizes a vampire is awake, and smoothly climbs out of the pillows.

SERVANT:

May I assist you?

LUCY looks at them.

LUCY:

Maybe you should get dressed?

SERVANT:

If that is what you wish.

LUCY:

I really just want out of here.

The SERVANT nods and heads to the door, getting it for LUCY. As LUCY pushes past, MILLA calls out.

MILLA:

Leaving so soon? But you haven't even had breakfast. I have this young girl drink espresso all day just to give her blood that needed kick.

LUCY:

Another time.

MILLA laughs as LUCY hurries out.

INT: UNDERGROUND TUNNELS, NIGHT, PRESENT.

LUCY runs into the hall, then leans against a wall and breaths deep. She then shudders, collects herself, and moves on into the night.

End of Part 6:

So we have two threads growing, as I hope is clear. One is Milla, the vampiress who may be a friend but also acts like an antagonist to Lucy. What happens here will drive the main A-plot of the film. Meanwhile, Lucy and Renfield are growing apart in the past and this will lead to a confrontation of some kind between them soon enough. And, while I don't want to spoil anything, you can be sure that will echo forward as well. We'll see a lot of stuff start to take shape in the next chapter or two before we head into the final act of the film. It's all just getting the pieces lined up.