|| Drac-O-Ween 2021 Masterlist ||

Below you will find link to all chapters of this years Drac-O-Ween! Enjoy my spooky darlings.

Chapter 1 [x]

Chapter 2 [x]

Chapter 3 [x]

Chapter 4 [x]

Chapter 5 [x]

Chapter 6 [x]

Chapter 7 [x]

Chapter 8 [x]

Chapter 9 [x]

Chapter 10 [x]

Chapter 11 [x]

Chapter 12 [x]

Chapter 13 [x]

Chapter 14 [x]

Chapter 15 [x]

Chapter 16 [x]

Chapter 17 [x]

Chapter 18 [x]

Chapter 19 [x]

Chapter 20 [x]

Chapter 21 [x]

Chapter 22 [x]

Chapter 23 [x]

Chapter 24 [x]

Chapter 25 [x]

Chapter 26 [x]

Chapter 27 [x]

Chapter 28 [x]

Chapter 29 [x]

Chapter 30 [x]

Chapter 31, Part I [x]

Chapter 31, Part II [x]

Chapter 31, Part III [x]

|| Happy Drac-O-Ween ||

Chapter 31 / 31

Part III

...pineapple.

The Demeter, 1897.

“It’s you.” The elderly Duchess commented in horror.

“Of course it’s me.” Dracula hissed, quietly revelling in watching Valeria connect the dots. “A pineapple in the depths of that freezing winter. It must’ve seemed like magic. Transported from the emperors own hothouse like a precious jewel.”

Tears began to fill Valeria’s but that hard gaze the pair of them shared on the night of her 18th birthday has returned once more but now with a fire that could only be made from a lifetime of experience one would get with age. “I knew it. It’s impossible, but I knew it. It’s you.”

As the memories of that night, even his entire time at the estate, began to bubble back into his mind, Dracula’s hiss tone of voice turned soft & warm, just as he spoke to her when she’d arrived at the top of the stairs. “Of course it’s me.” he reassured once more. “Valeria, how we danced.” a smile bubbled onto his face, one that she would deem sinister but one that he would class as genuine. 

“Yes.” she paused, recollecting the event’s of that night. “That was the night my Mother disappeared.” “Yes.” Dracula commented simply. He saw something glimmer in her eye, and he knew that this Valeria, the one in her old age, was growing sick. He also knew it was time to reap her wealth. Who are you? she asked him, despite the fact she’d just remembered him, but Dracula knew it wouldn’t be worth going round in circles. Instead, he held out his palm & asked “Shall we dance again?” In those teary, terrified, and confused eyes, something had registered. A knowing that this was her time, or perhaps a promise had been kept. Dementia never told which, so Valeria took his hand, accepting that this was the end of her line. Dracula sat there a moment, simply admiring the lines on Valeria’s face. It wouldn’t be worth attempting to make her, not only did he not entirely understand how to create another but he wasn’t entirely sure if this illness Valeria would cease or continue in its pattern. There was a kindness in killing her. The illness would stop, and he would gain yet another fortune.  As Valeria took his hand, something seemed to switch on inside her, as if the connection of their hands had rebooted her memory. “What happened to my Mama?” she asked with a sudden energy.

  Germany 1796

“Mama!” 18 year old Valeria cried out at the sight of the exotic fruit. There was another side to her Mother that wasn’t always shown, and that was the show off in her. She had private ties to the emperor & that is the main reason why so many still stayed by her side, even during her mourning. Status. Lady Katharina took her daughters hands, so pleased to see her daughter pleased with a rare gift. “Thank you.” Valeria squeaked during their embrace. “You deserve the finest, my darling. Happy birthday, I love you.” Katharina cooed in her ear “But now, you must dance. Enjoy the night while we have it.”  Valeria pulled away & to her own surprise, she dragged the Count back to the dance floor. Abbot wasn’t here to dance, and neither was her father. He was the only man, if you could call him that, that knew all dances, expanding through the centuries. In her almost drunk like giddiness, Valeria span & dipped in his grip. In a natural habit on the ease of feeding on a human, Dracula’s fangs dropped in that instant, teasing at the nape of her neck. He wanted to tear at her flesh so desperately but something pulled him back. Perhaps it was the amount of humans in the room. Too many would get away. Perhaps he cared for Valeria & Katharina? No. He pulled back. He needed that money. Valeria looked almost swept away as she raised her brow in a teasing manner to him. The Count didn’t like that smirk one bit “You are going to die at my hand one day, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me. I will absorb you until you cease to exist.” his attitude had changed entirely. Dracula cut off the dance in that moment, bowing his head to her, and disappeared into the crowd, avoiding the eye of the pair of them for the rest of the majority of the evening. That was odd. Terrifying almost. He planned to kill her, after he promised no harm. What had brought that about?

A servant came to Valeria’s side, she was talking to a suitor who stood no chance of becoming her betrothed, whispering “A boy is waiting outside. He.. belittles the area but he insists he knows you.” The servants nose seemed to wrinkle in disgust at Abbotts existence. Valeria took no notice, Abbott was here & that’s all who she wanted to see tonight. Dropping down the stairs, she beamed once more at the sight of him. “Abbott!” she whined as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Abbott was dressed in his finest Sunday clothes, though in societies eyes they wouldn’t be good enough to attend a ball with. He gingerly held a bunch of daisies for her “I’m sorry, it’s not much, but I thought they was beautiful, and they made me think of you.” Gratefully, Valeria took the bunch in her arms. Despite its rarity, the flowers took the top place of gifts for this birthday, mainly because they were from her beloved. “I haven’t told Mama yet but...” Valeria confessed “I think it would be easier if you were at my side, so we could defiantly show her just how much we are in love. She couldn’t deny it if she saw it.” Valeria took hold of his hand, and gave a reassuring smile. Without a word, Abbott agreed, though his heart was in his throat. As the pair reached the top of the stairs, almost to the doors, a flood of horrified guests came bursting out, their faces painted as though the devil himself had decided to come in attendance. “FIRE! GET OUT! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!” They cried out, brushing harshly past Valeria, & almost trampling the pair of them over in their terror. Valeria had managed to have been knocked over at one point, but found long fingers pulling her up once more before her head met the ground.  “Valeria.” Dracula spoke in that singular, deathly tone once more “Go. You must run. Stay with Abbott. There is nothing for you here now.” his voice desperate, caring, & stern like a Father with their offspring. “Where is Mama?!” she argued back to him, having not recognised her Mother amongst the crowd that trampled out. A sudden explosion from inside the home, either from collapse or a highly flammable substance caught they wouldn’t know, caused an outcry of screams from the guests on the lawn.  Count Dracula’s eyes met Valeria’s terrified ones. He could control her memory, and so, he took her face in his hands & calmly spoke “Your Mother ran away with a lover. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You will forget I was ever here, Valeria. Merely a face amongst the crowd. Do you understand me?” amid all the noise, the howling of the flames, Valeria understood, showing that with an obedient nod. Dracula reached behind her, to grab at Abbotts hand. He couldn’t be influenced by Dracula’s control but he only hoped he was influenced by his words “Abbott, take her with you, away from here. Give her a good life.” and as obedient as he was, he listened. Abbott stole Valeria’s hand, dragging her away from the flames, and disappeared into the night, never to be seen again. Until a writer took interest in her life story, where she found herself upon a ship.

The Demeter, 1897.  The cold wind of the ocean nipped at the Duchess’ skin, the welcome chill cooling her down after the flurry of emotions that Dracula had opened within her. Her eyes were closed as she breathed in that salt air, and with a sigh she opened them once more “I remember now. The fire, the total devastation it caused.” she watched the waves over the edge of the ship, how dark & tormenting they seemed. “But that doesn’t answer the question,” her gaze met the dark & torment in Count Dracula’s eyes. “What happened to her? My Mother? If you’re going to kill me like you promised, I should like to die knowing what happened to her. She didn’t run away with a lover. You were her lover. So, what happened?” Count Dracula was resting his arms on the side of the Demeter, hands folded over it’s edge, staring out into the abyss, watching the stars burn for seemingly miles on end. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, as though tasting the last remnants of decadent sauce. “Egon.” She blinked, pulling her shawl tighter around her “The servant? I thought he’d died.”  Dracula sniggered & snort “As did I!” but Valeria held still, keeping her gaze on him. “He was the first I’d ever managed to create like myself. But he was incredibly flawed. He had no control of himself & I had no control on him.” Dracula stood upright, his voice monotone as he addressed her fully “He served your Mothers head on a serving platter to me, it was really dressed quite well for a servant without kitchen experience...” Valeria’s breath caught in her throat with horror just thinking of the idea of the butchery a man could inflict. “Never the less, he’d taken your Mother from me, & I wanted that estate so desperately. If I couldn’t have that estate, then he didn’t deserve to live his newfound undead life. So I burned him, & the corpse of your Mother. It’s not Catholic but neither is a head next to hors d’ouerves.” Dracula tutted. He was surprised to find no reaction from the elderly woman, who gaze was firmly planted on the wood deck. “Valeria?” he reached up to take hold of her chin, raising it to meet his gaze. “I know now, & I think it is time for me to leave. I’m a Lady, & a lady knows when it is time to leave, Count Dracula. You are right. There is no escaping you, certainly not with this body of water surrounding us.” Valeria looked around the pair of them, and shockingly again, she looked at peace. She stretched out her hand to him. “Take me back to that night. Let me see her once last time.” Dracula curled down, and pressed a kiss to her fragile aged hand, a trigger he used to bring the memory of her birthday back to her. She was young again, beaming, and bursting with love for Abbott. The party was all about her. Her Mother stood at the edge of the ballroom, the diamonds on her neck sparkling in the light, a beacon, a lighthouse, her guiding home. As they twirled on the floor, she hadn’t expected to feel so tired so soon, and in a great deal of pain to match. Dracula had dipped the young girl, and his lips kissed at her neck, as though a form of apology was due to her after all these years, and met her gaze one final time. “Valeria, Goodbye.” he hissed to her.   “Goodbye, Count Dracula.” her eyes were dreamy. Then gone. Gone. She was gone. At rest as much as one could under the grip & tooth of the vampire.

Keep the candles burning in those darkest of nights; for evil prowls the world on Halloween.

|| Happy Drac-O-Ween ||

Chapter 31 / 31

PART II

As the time to join the party grew closer, Valeria sat quiet a moment at the top of the stairs, exploring the gifted senses Dracula had fed her. It seemed as though her ears had cancelled out the heavy footfalls of boots dancing on wood, and instead focused on conversations below. There was a young man called Mikael, whose Mama was chastising him for fiddling with his suit, and outwardly displaying his nerves. If she could put a face to a name, Valeria promised to go easy on him. Just before she could delve into another conversation, she heard Count Dracula’s voice beckon her inside her head. Time to come down child, join the party. Admittedly, Valeria wasn’t too pleased about being called a child but she did as he command, against her will might she add.. One by one the attention of the room turned to face Valeria, collectively she could feel their hearts rise. One in particular sped with such speed, that she also heard their footsteps leave the house entirely. Valeria guessed that was the nervous Mikael. Her eyes scanned the room, giving a bright, excited smile before locking onto Dracula’s dark ones. He waited at the foot of the stair, an arm stuck out, and awaiting her hold so he could walk her through the crowd, to be admired like a prized cow no less, and onto the ballroom floor.  She had to admit, his blood the second time around was making her feel rather giddy, and the attention on her was rather welcome too. As they walked through the crowd, Valeria drank in the adoration of strangers, and her suitors despite her commitment to Abbott, Dracula leaned down to her ear & whispered “You look sublime, Valeria. I don’t believe for a second Abbott realises what he has before him.”

Valeria’s eyes met the Count’s in a questioning manner, and she never once took her eyes off of him. Dracula was being kind for once. That wasn’t like him. What did he want? She made sure to follow each of his steps, so that she didn’t show she was distracted by her own thoughts. They started their dance with a simple waltz, it may be plain but it was her favourite as her Father used to twirl with her before bed, her small feet stood atop his shoes. Yes, the Waltz was a common dance but Dracula could have led the dance with anything, yet he specifically chose the Waltz. “Your Mother told me.” he answered without prompt. “I told you. I’m filling in for his absence” Dracula’s gaze hardened onto her, making sure she understood just that. Another silence lingered between the pair before Valeria simply nodded with a warm smile. “Thank you.” Their was held so firmly that Valeria hadn’t noticed that other attendees had joined them on the ballroom floor. It was only as the onlookers began to applaud  the first set that she realised they weren’t alone & broke out of her thoughts. Suddenly, Lady Katharina burst out from the crowd. face beaming. and took hold of her daughters hands in her own “I have a surprise for you!  “Oh, Mama, there’s no need to do that, you’ve already gifted me this beautiful dress.” Valeria blushed. If anything, Valeria had a surprise for her Mama but she hadn’t seen her so positively joyful in such a long time, that she didn’t want to spoil it. She turned her attention to Dracula who in return simply bowed his head, a common courtesy after a pair dance together, which Valeria gently curtsied in response. “Close your eyes, my darling.” her Mama cooed, a touch of magic within her voice. When she did so, Katharina began to lead her away from the ballroom to the parlour. All eyes continued to be on her. They came to an abrupt stop, she could tell which room she was in, for the hall bore no carpet, whereas the parlour held a great sized rug. Valeria could also hear the shift in the voices move from room to room also, their tones buzzing with excitement & wonder at what gift was underneath that pink tissue paper that stood predominantly in the centre of the room. Given that she should appear as though she couldn’t hear every single word of the attendees, she took a mental note to act surprised when her eyes opened once more. She did just that in fact, opening her eyes & looked more toward the floor than upfront, she excitedly tore away at the paper which impressively disguised the items shape rather well. Her Mama had her hands clasped, the knuckles of her hand resting against her lip in anticipation. After the tissue paper had been torn away, Valeria was left with her surprise gift.

                                                                                                                       ...A...

|| Happy Drac-O-Ween ||

Chapter 31 / 31

PART I

In the early hours of the following morning, Valeria stirred inside the barn. It was the birds singing outside that had caused her to wake, and thankfully so, for dawn was fast approaching, and she herself not back at home in bed as she should be. That said, she did take a few moments to admire her soon to be husband. The way his lips curled & the gentle shape of his nose. Soon, they would be together & wed. They’re handfast, and there is no way her Mama could deny that under the eyes of God. She hadn’t a maid to help her redress, so she was grateful to herself for bringing the cloak. Not only was it a handy item to steal around in the dark with, but also conceal her undergarments that would otherwise cause a great embarrassment to be caught in a woodland in. As Valeria arrived back at the estate, the sky was rolling into a burnt orange as though the whole world was on fire. She could resonate with that. She too felt as though her passion & heart for Abbott was on fire. At the entrance to the servants quarters, Valeria carefully removed her shoes, trotting giddily down the stone hall, up the servants stairs, & stole away into her room. It was there that she fell back onto her bed, beaming out at the window, seeing that morning sun finally peaking over the horizon. Today was her birthday, she was eighteen, and what with the events of the previous night, only solidified that feeling within her that she was at last a woman. After several weeks despairing the night of her party, Valeria couldn’t be more excited for the evenings events. But first, she should really catch up on a few more minutes sleep. 

In fact, it wasn’t too soon after she had fallen deep into her slumber, that she was awoken once more. A hot bath had been drawn for her in front of the fire, with a plate of hot breakfast to match sat beside it. A long hot soak in the bath would do her a world of good. Not to mention that it would take quite some time to curl, style, and set her hair. The entire day was taken up by merely getting ready for the evening. Valeria was glowing, beaming with excitement. She was simply radiant. A woman. Her Mama had gifted her a new dress, something she did every year but this one was much different in style compared to the ones she’d gotten previous. The cut didn’t bare resemblance to something a child would wear, no, this had glamour, pattern, richer & darker colours. Not to mention a little more skin on show than the high neck of a childs dress. Florals of course, but there was nothing pastel about this dress. That was when she remembered, that not only would this be her birthday party, it was also a courtship ball. She was eligible now. She had to tell her Mama about her handfast to Abbott. She would need some courage to do that, one that she had an abundance of just this morning, but she didn’t want to steal out of the drinks cabinet & appear drunk. Perhaps, a quiet word with the Count? In hopes that he could supply some...luck.. In Germany, it was bad luck to be seen before a certain time of your birthday in a gift, & knowing how well her cloak had covered her earlier, Valeria threw it upon herself once more, making sure the hood hid her hair also. Composing herself, Valeria threw her chin upward to appear taller, level headed if you will. Her knuckles struck the door of Dracula’s quarters three times. She was surprised to see that it was him himself that opened the door. “Valeria. What a surprise that you grace my doorway. Again.” he rolled his eyes. Dracula didn’t even need to beckon her in, she always seemed to be in his space, invited or no. Okay, level headed aside, he was clearly in no mood to talk like adults, so Valeria hurried herself inside, closing the door behind her. “Dracula, I don’t want this to sound...pathetic, but your blood seemed to ignite some kind of confidence within me. I could really do with some of that tonight. A chamomile tea will not settle my nerves I’m afraid.” Dracula had to blink a moment to process her words as she spoke with such a speed that even his ears couldn’t keep up. Eventually however they did process what she was asking, and there was no reason for Dracula to object to her quest. If anything, it pricked at his ears, tickling with an idea that would help aid him in getting deeds signed, since he could control humans at his will, after they’d ingest his blood.. He admired the chest before him, deciding quietly on what he would want to wear for the evening, then shrugged as if it wasn’t that big of a request “If that is what you need to approach such an occasion, fine.” his gaze turned to her, giving a bright smile. Anything to bring about her compliance would of course be fine by him. In as little as 12 hours, this was the second time the Count had bared his fangs, but this time he tore into the flesh of his own wrist. He didn’t need to, he was of course just being dramatic. “Come feed your confidence.” he bore his bleeding wrist to her, without a care that his dripping blood may stain the wood of the floorboards.  Desperate to find a way to enjoy the night, Valeria practically ran over to the counts wrist, sucking instantly at the wound. She wasn’t so desperate for his blood that she was careless, she wore her gifted dress for the night, and even more so precious, the cloak gifted to her by father, there wasn’t a chance in heaven she would dare get a drop of blood on it. Valeria had started to drink heavily, when Dracula suddenly pulled away “That’s enough.” he chastised, letting a moment of silence sit between them before taking grip of her chin “I understand that your Father is not here to witness your becoming a woman.” Dracula’s eyes had turned warm & loving “But I shall step in. Mostly because your Mother has asked me too but also, I know your secret with Abbott, and I think you could do with someone putting down the offers, hmm?”  Valeria cleaned her lips with her finger, just in case any lingered on her skin. If she had known Dracula was having her back regarding the courtship side of things, she wouldn’t have taken his blood. Yet there was nothing she could do now, nothing but accept his offer. “You have to wait at the bottom of the stairs.” she commented. A shared nod between them, and Valeria had left to feel the effects of Dracula’s blood in the privacy of her room. Light sources began to dance & twirl as the evening grew darker, and the house came alive with an ever growing amount of heartbeats as more guests arrived. She could feel a strength building up inside her, physically & emotionally. Her Mama would just have to deal with the fact that Valeria was marrying a poorer man. She was in love with him after all, and who could deny one love? 

|| Happy Drac-O-Ween ||

Chapter 30 / 31

That same evening, although in an entirely different location to Valeria, there was another love affair happening. The term love is used lightly in this situation though. One saw it as beacon of hope for a future away from mourning, another saw it as opportunity to at last dig their claws in & get what they’d wanted from the start. Dracula’s head popped up  from under the bedsheets, his eyes filled with a lustful, one could almost say hungry, gaze. Though this gaze was not met, instead Lady Katharina was too busy with her eyes closed, basking in the glow of her orgasm, her body still shaking from the small tremors that escaped her. A breathless laugh of satisfaction bubbled out of her “Oh, Count!” she moaned out “I don’t know what it is you manage to do with that tongue of yours, but I am certainly not complaining.” 

Dracula on the other hand was crawling up her body as she paid him compliments on his oral skills, just like the serpent in the Garden of Eden to Eve. He worked his way up & came to rest his hands either side of her head, wearing a smirk that would lead even God himself to temptation. “Hundreds of years of practice lapping at another’s skin.” he hissed down to her that turned into a shared laugh between them. Of course, Katharina knew what Count Dracula was. Whilst a devout Christian herself, she never saw Dracula as wicked or a thing born out of evil. He was merely a man with something extra, and something that God had created. The connection & spark between herself & the Count could not have been something born out of a curse, though she must admit, she was rather worried about the fact that she was finding herself more attracted to Dracula than she had her late husband. There was something in the way he made her feel desirable, delectable even, that she hadn’t experienced previously. Was it so wrong to feel so wanted by someone? In her eyes: no. Katharina’s fingers reached up to run through Dracula’s hair “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could spend all eternity with you? Spend it together, shared in between the sheets, letting our passions run wild?” Katherina cooed.

Dracula thought not, though he wasn’t going to be honest in this present moment in time. Instead, he folded his hands across her chest, relaxing his chin upon them “I would want nothing more.” except your estate, & entire fortune. “It is possible, you know? Though, there would be some concerns. Things would have to be put into place.”

“Such as?”

“Well, title deeds & such. Both our names updated, otherwise people might assume us as having an illegitimate relationship. How would society talk? They would belittle you. Us.” he quickly corrected. Dracula knew that his blood had a way of manipulation. Previously in his early days of vampirism, he discovered this. He'd been terrified of his senses but found he willed a young man going to take a woman trial as a witch to instead take him to a whole other country just by thought alone. She was a travelling snack. So he knew he could toy with Katharina’s mind.

"You're right. Being a widow, it’s not easy. Any sense of happiness, laughing at a tumbling duckling in the early days of grief, where I seek joy anywhere it is available, is cast down by those who know me. It breaks my heart for them to think that my entire life & future now depends on my continued misery, that I shall never find happiness again. But you, Count Dracula, you bring so much happiness, a sense of belonging, and my word, you make a woman feel desired. I would have nothing more than to share an immortality with you. A name. Anything." Her chest heaved with her passion.

Good. He was where he wanted to be.

"After Valerias eighteenth, of course." She broke his dream "This entire party is consuming me.".

I wish I was consuming you Dracula hissed to himself.

“Don’t look so down trodden.” Her finger came to curl under his chin, lifting his gaze up. “If you wish, you can do that thing you know I like?” she purred. Not one to break character when so close to getting what he wants, Dracula broke out into another of his devilish smiles, his fangs appearing. Teasing little knives that scraped down nicks on Katharina’s body before eventually he disappeared once again under the bedsheets, where at last he gave in to his own temptation, and by the sounds of her cries, her own too, and sunk his fangs deep into the flesh of her inner thigh.

|| Happy Drac-O-Ween! ||

Chapter 29 / 31

On her final full day of being seventeen, Valeria decided to take herself away from the house that late evening. She wrapped her favourite shawl around her, a gift from her Papa before his untimely death. He’d brought it back from one of his travels, Romania or somewhere such like. The detailing on it was beautiful. Rich reds, royal blues, iced whites, and forest green. Unless you looked closely, you wouldn’t have noticed the small surprising pops of purple & yellow too. The pattern on it she could never work out, but the embroidery was complex, flowing here & there, & obviously took a great deal of time to create. It was the perfect item for keeping that winter chill off of her skin, & something she wore when she missed her Papa. Valeria had noted that her senses were beginning to settle down, though not entirely gone. She wanted to see what difference the nightlife would make with this temporary gift she’d been bestowed. 

She’d stood on the edge of the forest, a short distance from the church just in case another wolf had decided to appear. They travelled in packs, didn’t they? The shawl that hung loosely on her shoulders, she now wrapped tightly around herself, pulling it up high against her neck. She kept herself still, silent, & waited. In the brief moment of silence, suddenly the world seemed to come alive more than ever before. The stars, they actually spun & glittered before her, a five pointed circular shape that curled anti clockwise but spun clockwise. The moon, which sounds ridiculous to describe, seemed to glow. Pulsing in luminous blue that one would think it was breathing. Her attention was brought to the woods, as she heard owls calling to each other, the flap of their wings changing the motion of the wind. What she believe was the influence of the weather, turned out to be a mouse flittering through leaves in search of a late night snack. She could see it’s beady little eyes locking onto hers curiously before scattering off. Something Valeria hadn’’t seen during the day at the estate, only when permitted on hunting trips or blessed to see when travelling from one location to another, a stag. A great silhouette of gathering horns made their way through the woodland. Valeria had always regarded them the royalty of the woods, how any other could be deemed so she didn’t know. 

The night was still young, & she didn’t want to sleep for fear of bringing tomorrows events sooner than she’d like. As her gaze turned up to her home, she saw no sign of light, not even from the Count who would usually be up & around. Perhaps he was liaising with her Mother. A thought she didn’t want to entertain for too long. However, it did spring to mind of how else she could spend her evening. Something in the pit of her stomach told her that it was time, that then caused a flutter of excitement to bubble up. If Abbott would have her, that is. With a final adjustment of shawl, Valeria set off in the direction of the young farm hands home. 

It was a short journey, one she had made previously but never with the intention she had. Thankfully, Abbott had decided to sleep by the window that night. His home was small, a little run down but nothing that wasn’t liveable. It contained on things that had uses, and nothing by way of decor & grandeur, aside from a cross, unlike her home. Unsure whether the window would produce a sound upon opening, Valeria carefully opened it & reached inside to brush down the bridge of Abbott’s nose. At first, he softly awoke before starting again with a fright of the figure at his window. With a quick reaction, Valeria moved the finger from his nose to his lips, hushing him before he could make a sound. "It's alright, it's only me." She whispered down to him.

His heart still pounding with fright, Abbott replied "What are you doing here? It's late, isn't it?" Once more Valeria silenced her lover & beckoned him to join her outside. Valeria lured the man away from his home & toward the barn, yet just before she paused, turning onto her toes to cup the mans face in her hands, her nose brushing his with the gentlest of touches. “Abbott, I’m ready.” she whispered against his skin. The boy’s body stiffened at this confession. This wasn’t like her, the pair of them were God fearing people  “We are not wed, Valeria. We’re not even handfast.” Valeria could feel disappointment bubbling up inside her but she wasn’t going to let it fester & take over. “Then let us be handfast. Right here, right now.”  “With what witness?” he tried to argue. “With God as our witness. There is no man in my life that I could ever want at my side & in my bed, that isn’t you.” Valeria’s heart pounded in her chest, her eyes dreamily looking into his. Perhaps it was the last of Count Dracula’s senses leaving her system or perhaps God had truly connected the pair of them together, but Valeria was sure she felt his heart swell with love for her.  “Our Father who art in heaven--” Abbot began to pray, half that God forgives them, and half beginning their handfast ceremony, however Valeria was having none of that in this moment in time. “Oh, hush.” she cooed, silencing him in a passionate kiss, before stumbling inside the barn, where under God’s love & power, the pair found themselves at last intertwined with one another. Complete, whole. & impossibly in love.

Hi! Do you have a list where all your Drac-o-ween is tagged? 🖤

Hi there!! I didn't want to answer this message until I had completed ALL the drac-o-ween chapters & I finally did it!! Here's a masterlist for 2021's Drac-O-Ween, I hope you enjoy it!

@dranna

Happy Drac-O-Ween

Chapter 15 / 31

A few weeks had passed & Valeria’s birthday celebrations were growing ever closer, much to her disappointment. Within the main halls, that would be the drawing room & main hall, it was bustling with life. Servants almost waltzing through the estate with silverware, linen, boxes of copious amounts of candles, and not to mention a feather duster twirling it’s way high up into the corners of each room. All this pomp & ceremony & for what? Her birthday? Well, that was the intention on the surface but even if it wasn’t ushered between polite society, everyone had known deep down that this was the time to offer their sons to her as a possible match for marriage. She knew who she wanted to marry, who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Her Mother didn’t. Her Mother would never approve. Why? The main reason being money, it always came down to money, didn’t it? She needed to marry into money to keep the family name & estate alive. She saw Abbott in more light than just money, estate, name, or power. The only name she wanted was his last. Her eyes flicked about the halls & passing rooms, finding all the grand items within it tiresome. Who needed so much? And what was it to prove in the end? What does an ornate gold hall table tell anyone? That you have power? How could that possibly be when power comes from yours words & actions.  As she walked through the house, she found the Count lounging within their library, a book within his hands. He didn’t look as though he was truly reading it, his eyebrows raised & mouth parted slightly, he looked as though he was just merely looking at the paper in front of him. The curiosity had gotten the better of the girl, so she walked inside to join him.  “For someone that doesn’t like me, you seem to spend an awful time around me.” Dracula’s eyes flicked up toward the young woman, almost hiding his smile behind his book.  “I never said I didn’t like you.” Valeria pouted at him “Just that I wasn’t too keen on you & your practices.” she flopped herself down into the love seat opposite the Count. His smile turned into a grimace at her comment but he wasn’t going to respond as he knew it would just spin a web with their back & forth argument.  “Are you looking forward to your birthday celebrations, Valeria?” Dracula asked as he returned to his book, mainly staring at the pages & never turning them.  “If you could call it that, then no. It’s a courting act, not a birthday celebration.” “When I was younger, I never had gotten a birthday celebration, nor a courting ceremony” Dracula commented as though he just threw his words out into the air, as though he’d torn them straight from the pages of his book & out into the air to flurry down. Valeria watched the Count a moment, eyeing up his clothing which stated a claim in high society “I can hardly believe that! Given your obvious status, it would be impossible for you to have no party of any kind.” Dracula closed his book, raising his chin in surprise. He gave a pause, calculating what he was going to say next “You see, I haven’t always been a man within the realms of notability.” At this, Valeria sat up within her seat, curious as to the mans story she was hoping he’d unfold “I had to work my way up into society. I was born poor. The most I’d gotten on a birthday was just an inch more of stew, or perhaps a crumb more of cheese before bed. Otherwise, my family & I was too busy working to even acknowledge the day had come & passed.” the Count stood from his seat, soft footsteps making their way to return it to it’s shelf. “But not even now? You don’t celebrate your birthday? What with all the status you now own?” “Why hunger for something you don’t miss to begin with?” He replied almost instantly, his wording hiding a double meaning. “But you, dear Valeria, you are young, born into money. Why don’t you celebrate the occasion in wild excitement? Of course, I understand that the night is intended to find you a future husband, one that you & I both know you don’t want, but surely, letting the gets see what kind of untameable woman you are, would put off even the mere thought courting you from the guests minds.”  The girl sat there, considering his option.  “It needn’t be anything too chaotic, but enough for you to have a birthday you will remember for decades to come, while knowing the outcome you’d have on possible suitors.” Dracula’s words slithered past his lips like that of a snake tasting out it’s prey, but his body crawled forward like a spider closing in on it’s prey trapped in it’s web. A slow smile began to grow on the young woman’s face “Why Count, that seems a perfect plot. Perhaps you & I will get on after all.”

|| Happy Drac-O-Ween! ||

Chapter 28 / 31

Dracula was standing with several other servants, all gathered around a bed in the highest rooms within the estate. The highest rooms belonging to that of the servants. Everyone was shrouded in silence, some wiping away tears, and some with arms wrapped around another as they observed the body on the bed. The only sound present for all in attendance was the birds chirping outside in the early morning, for Dracula it was the addition of thumping hearts minus the one stone cold dead. He stood at the foot of the bed, arms folded behind his back, keeping himself in silence with everyone else to pay his respects to the deceased, although a singular disappointed eyebrow rose as he gazed down at the body before him. It wasn't that he was sorry for the passing of this young servant, it was that his death could have consequences. I told you not to die so quickly. You're going to regret it. He clucked in his mind. The evidence of how this man had died was tragically clear by the stained bandages wrapped around both his wrists, covered up for the respect of everyone else present in that moment. From what he had been told, the man had received news that his broken leg was too far damaged & ever beyond repair. In these harsh times with lack of accessibility & disability acceptance, that would surely mean no work, and no work meant no food in your belly, nothing to pay your way in an already harsh world. He would have to work his fingers quite literally to the bone, tearing skin off, and having more of his hand bandaged for a pittance of a pay that wouldn't even allow him to spend a few minutes in a doss house. Dracula could see why one would want to take their if that was the kind of future that had awaited them. Though, really, you should have waited a short while longer. Did you really think a small sample of my blood could fix you with so many prying eyes? That was for the pain you fool. Dracula scolded the corpse once more. Though it was interesting, as he observed, he noted that the bandages weren't as bloodied as they should be. He was a man of war, he knew how much another man could bleed through linen gauze. His gaze followed round to the servants & an idea that perhaps one of them had raised his wrists to stop the blood flow before realising it too late. With a croaked whimper, a woman to Draculas left cut into the mournful silence "I will, uh, I will inform her Ladyship. A grave will be made by the family church & a small ceremony shall be had. May God forgive him, may God rest his soul." Her voice wavered in a high tone as another cry threatened to break through but she managed to steady herself enough to leave the room to set about her task. A man, possibly in his 60s with a heavy salt & pepper moustache, that quite frankly looked as though he'd stolen a schnauzers beard, took hold of the thin bedsheet & pulled it up to cover Egons face.

Later on in the day, as the body was taken down to the servants hall to be cleaned, washed away of its sins & redressed, Dracula sat once more alone in the privacy of his gifted room. He sat & pondered with the last of Egons blood, staring deep into the burning fire, about the fragility of human life. Though he got bored of that & moved on, finishing the glass of blood in a single swig. He'd like to imagine that a tiny part of their souls was being consumed, forever trapped & lost within him with no way of ever escaping. That thought always made him chuckle. In fact, that little imagery was so vivid in his mind that he failed to hear Valeria enter the room & stood in front of the seat opposite. Her eyebrows drawn together, she asked "What are you laughing about?" in a tone that resembled the voice of someone having woken up from a dreadful nights sleep, which partly she did but mostly she was just fed up of this game.

"Egons died." Dracula replied coolly, as if the servant didn't matter, which in fact he didn't. He was merely a bloodbag for the Count.

Valerias faced squirmed into a mixture of confusion & offence. "I thought you two were privately courting? I imagined you'd be more upset by the news."

Dracula quickly interjected, wagging his finger to chastise "No, nothing of the sort. I need sustenance & he wanted favour of a sexual nature. Two secrets between two men. I never cared for him." he swat his hand in the air as though warding off a pestering fly.  Valeria sat with her hands folded on her lap, seeing the opportunity to bring about her question “So... Egon.” she started “...He’s really dead, is he? He’s not going to suddenly show up, like yourself then?” The Count’s dark eyes met her own “Rest assured, dear Valeria, you won’t wake to the fingers of a corpse scratching at your window as you sleep.” how on earth was she supposed to be ‘rest assured’ at that description? “I have never successfully created another being like myself. He’s dead.” Valeria felt as though she could let out a breath then, relaxing in the idea that perhaps she wasn’t a member of the Counts evil tribe. “Thank the Lord in Heaven.” she whispered to herself. Dracula had tensed at the praise for God, the human equivalent being a sudden sunbeam hitting directly at your sight, but he eye’d her curiously “Is there something I should know?” As the fire crackled, Valeria gathered her thoughts. It was odd. Here sat a man, a supernatural being beyond comprehension, and she worried he’d think her mad. Still, after a short moment, she confessed what was happening to her. The change in her senses & the worry that she was becoming like him. Another pause lingered between them, until a roaring laugh from Dracula caused a jump to leap from her bones. “If it was that easy to create another like me, Egon would have survived. No, no Valeria, the blood was only to heal the wound to your head. Your senses should calm by tomorrow, fear not.” Dracula polished off the last of Egon’s blood, and settled the glass on the small table to his left. He laced his fingers together, resting them on his stomach like one would after a particularly large meal. “From my understanding, you would need to consume a vast quantity of my blood, ultimately die, and within a few short hours return from the dead anew. At least, that is my theory. I’ve yet to find someone interesting enough to want to experiment on. Four hundred years proves enough time to tell me that humans are frightfully boring.” Boring is as boring does, if that meant Valeria could keep her life. Now that was rest assuring.

IT’S DRAC-O-WEEN TOMORROW

Happy Drac-O-Ween

Chapter 24 / 31

Valeria had always hated the medicine that the house nurse had given her. It was darker than a winters night, the scent of it reminded her of that earth like tang that wafted into the air after she'd discovered a worm as a child, the scent also matching that of the taste. Not to mention that the medicine was impossibly thick, which besides the taste, also made it impossibly hard to swallow. In this instance, having to drink the blood of another had both its pros & cons. The con was that she imagined it was going to be equally as revolting, if not worse, than the medicine she'd had years prior. The positive thing was that this was not that medicine & that perhaps it didn't taste as bad as she'd led herself to believe. Either way, she still didn't want to consume either. But being tied up, and locked in a room with the Count, she found herself having no choice but to take it.

"Would it not be useful for me to have control of my hands? So, that I may take hold of the cup?" Her voice withered weakly in her throat, she could barely wrangle her words together in her dizzy spell.

"Quite right. I'd gotten so lost in my explanations, I'd completely forgotten your hands were tied."

In more ways than one, she thought.

Dracula carefully placed the glass containing his blood on the table, next to the one he was drinking from. His long, bonelike fingers reached out to the rope she was bound on, and smoothly began to untie them as though they weren’t tied in a complicated fashion but merely laying across one another. Valeria nursed her aching wrists, the skin pink with sores. “Sorry, sometimes I forget my own strength. Here, drink. It’ll sooth your wounds, make you look radiant again.” A free hand reached to take hold of the cup, Dracula never once taking his gaze off the girl, and wore a warm, inviting smile. Valeria could see how someone could be so easily lured when he looked like that. Dracula’s cold, undead hand lifted her own small ones, lifting it up to guide the glass into it, then once taken hold in her right hand, he grabbed her left & brought it to cradle the other side. “There we go.” he cooed gently, soothing, like a Father carefully placing their favourite child into a cosy bed, abound with heavy sheets upon sheets.  Valeria cast her gaze down to the dark liquid before her. For some reason within her imagination, she thought the Counts blood would be just as impossibly thick as that medicine, if not more, perhaps even lumpy & moving with life. But instead, it looked like any other pool of blood; deep red & opaque. It also looked like nothing someone would want to drink, it wasn’t an enticing as a glass of wine would look. Perhaps she could convince herself to drink it like a wine, tell herself it was wine. Valeria brought the glass to her lips, and realised in that moment how chilled the glass had become. As cold as the grave, she thought. The moment the blood touched her lips, she wanted to spit it back out. There was a sharpness within it, as though she was drinking the essence of an iron gate but as she went to duck her head away, Dracula had clasped the back of her head, and tilted the cup upright, force feeding her.  “Don’t want you wasting a drop, can’t have that.” Valeria was almost choking as the blood consumed her mouth, & trickled down into her throat. Despite the fact that her hands were free from their bindings, the grip Dracula had on her was impossible to tear off so she could breathe. Once again, she had no choice in the matter but to swallow it all down. Despite it’s chill, it burned, and slithered down into her body, making it’s way into her system. As the final few drops left the glass, Dracula’s eyebrows raised then fell as he smiled, happy she’d taken the entire thing, again like a father spoon feeding his child. “There. That wasn’t so difficult was it?” He leaned in once more with a smile to the grimacing girl. His eyes flicked up to her bleeding head “It’ll take a moment to settle in. But you should get some rest. You may experience some... strange dreams but remember young Valeria, they are merely dreams.”

Happy Drac-O-Ween

Chapter 27 / 31

At the sudden burst of cold cutting at Valeria’s skin from going over the edge of the waterfall, her eyes opened to see the ever approaching end of the cascading water & it’s deathly collection of rocks below. Just before she would meet her demise, Valeria sat up in her bed, the crack of burning wood shaking her awake. She was certain she could smell the salt crackling off the ocean as she fell. It all felt so incredibly real.  What was real, and became evident when she ran her hands through her hair, was that it was extremely knotted after being asleep for so long. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, Valeria gazed around her room & found Dracula’s presence removed from it. But there was something else that was vastly different than when she went to sleep. The room had changed. Not in terms of décor or switching furniture around. But the way the light sources changed. In her sight, the light was far brighter than their original soft dim glow, almost fit to bursting with how bright they was. Yet not only that, within her candle alone she could see the small shimmering blue that shook deep within the flame, the dancing crackles that bore resemblance to snowflakes as the wick burned down. Her fire was practically aglow with all manner of colours, swirling & stretching as they reached out to the chimney, like arms wanting to climb up, out, & escape. Blues, greens, red, and even purples swirled into each other like that of a strong current in a river. Was this how the Count saw the world around him? Dark nights dripping in light? It was no wonder he would choose to live so long when the world held this much beauty. Remembering the state of her locks, Valera reached across her bed to call up her dresser. She wasn’t entirely sure of the time, so she wasn’t certain whether she was waking her personal maid from her sleep, or disturbing her from another task. It was always hard to tell whether the sky was dark for morning or dark for the early afternoon. The fact that her servant entered the room fully dressed, suggested that it was indeed a dark morning. As Valeria sat patiently in her seat in front of the fire in nothing but her nightgown & stockings, she listened to the rhythmic of crackle of the brush untangling the knots in her hair, clenching her jaw at the occasional hard tug & cursing the maids actions in her mind. But aside from the rhythm of the brush, Valeria had discovered that she could hear the palpitations of a heart that wasn’t her own. She listened quiet to her own & discovered the thumping beat she could hear was different to her own. A silent gasp whispered past her lips. She could hear the woman’s heart beating. What has he done to me?  “I’m sorry ma’am, I didn’t mean to pull.” apologised the maid, pausing from her duty. Without a glance Valeria answered to the floor “No, no, it’s quite alright. Please, continue.” Was Valeria now like Dracula? Had he stolen her life from her? Four days from her birthday? As much as she despised the idea, as she didn’t want to be near such a foul creature, she had to talk to him again. If he had taken her life, then there was one thing she feared most: Hurting someone innocent & having that blood on her hands for the rest of her immortal life.

Happy Drac-O-Ween

Chapter 23 / 31 

Good. He’d finally won over the girl, even if that meant she had to know his secret. The three main important members of this household all knew what he was. Only two out of the three seemed delighted by the fact. The third still needed some work. Of which, Dracula remembered that she’d needed her head healed, who knew how much damage he’d caused after he’d smashed into the wooden door. “How’s your head? Sorry about that, but you wouldn’t have stayed & listened if I hadn’t.” Dracula asked to beat back the silence that grew between them. Supposed keeping someone tied up to a chair would do that to a human.  

Valeria still couldn’t comprehend why Dracula had to use such force in the first place, after all she’d witnessed the kind of agility he possessed, he could have simply capture her in his vice like grip. “The room seems to spin on occasion.” she spoke with woozy tone, the kind of tone you’d hear from someone drifting off into a sleep in a chair who defied going to bed for fear of missing out & yet couldn’t keep their eyes open & their head up. 

That surely wasn’t good. He was no healer, but he knew that a human zoning out after injury was not a good sign. “Valeria, I’m going to need you to listen to me carefully because I know you’re going to protest at what I’m about to offer you--”

“--No, I don’t want to become like you--” the girl whined in her seat.

“--No, you won’t. That is why it is important you listen to me.” Dracula dragged his seat closer to the woman, knees just touching each other, as his hand reached out to take hers for reassurance “You are going to drink a small amount of my blood, it will heal you almost instantaneously. Even as he spoke, Valeria began to shake her head with more & more aggression, he could sense the panic building up within her body, worried that the Count was playing a double hand, lying about his intentions. 

“I don’t want to be like you.” she whined out at him

“You won’t.” he reached out to take hold of her face then, not wanting her to do far more damage to herself than necessary. His dark eyes met with her light ones, forcing her to look into his, making sure she understood his intentions “I am going to help heal you. I understand that it is strange, but it will help you greatly. We can’t go & bring chaos to your courting celebrations if you are incapacitated.” His large, shark like smile returned, trying to bring some sort of humour to the table. Valeria wasn’t really in a position to give the Count her answer. Even if she defied him again, he would more than likely force it on her, at least if she was willing, despite how revolting the whole thing sounded, the process wouldn’t be all that disastrous.

Dracula had finally let go of the woman, and instead brought his hands together. He turned his left wrist upright to face the ceiling, and there he brought his long, sharp thumbnail to his skin, slicing into into without a wince or flinch. It was evident to Valeria that Dracula could not be harmed by anyhand except his own. This much she knew for last night during his tussle with the wolf, the creature could barely land a blow to him and yet Dracula had managed to cause more destruction to the wolf with a few short blows, than the wolf had done to him in all its thrashing. As his blood began to trickle out of the wound and down his wrist toward his palm, the hand that caused the cut now reached for a clean tumbler. Drip, drip, drip, it steadily flowed into the crystal glass, as one would with a decanter of water. When half an inch filled the glass, yes only half an inch was all she seemed to need for an injury as great as this, like a tap Dracula twisted at the wound & immediately the blood stopped flowing, then disappeared all together. Crossing one leg over the other, she could see that Dracula had relaxed once again, and offered the revolting crimson liquid to her. "Bottoms up." He purred with a smile, & a mischievous glint in his eye.

Happy Drac-O-Ween

Chapter 16 / 31

A few weeks had passed and the house was still buzzing with preparations for the girls birthday come courting celebrations. As Dracula browsed through the halls, hands folded behind his back, his eyes weaving their way from project to project, he couldn’t help but wonder: why so much faff for one day? Of course, when he was human he’d never celebrated a birthday, it was the rich that would celebrate them, they could afford them after all. Masses of food served for the masses that attended, a jug of wine & ale that seemed bottomless, and of course all the entertainment one could desire at their feet. But for Dracula, his birthday was barely acknowledged. There was simply too much work to be done to try and get that extra coin or extra trade to feed or keep the family warm. His birthday present was nothing more than a reminder that he was lucky to be alive, that he was given the gift of life. Even as he’d gotten older, and ultimately promoted to war lord & advisor to Vlad Tepes, there was no time to celebrate his birthday, not even when he’d had money to live comfortably. He had wars to plan & win. Even with his transformation to vampyre, he didn’t celebrate his ‘deathday’ as he’d call it. So, seeing all these candles, silver, silks, and lace all laid out for an 18 year old girl who didn’t even want to celebrate her day, he couldn’t work his brain around it all. Apart from the fact that it was more to impress her possible future husband.  As Dracula passed the entrance leading down into the servants kitchens, he’d heard a male cry out, and the scuttling of several feet. That’s when the smell hit him, that familiar heady scent of iron. Blood was oozing somewhere. With a lick of his lip, and a sharp in take of breath, the Count couldn’t resist but make his way down to see what all the commotion was about. Ducking his head under the door & into the servants hall, he saw several pairs of shoulders, and a leg smothered in crimson disappearing down another walkway, heading toward what he remembered was the boot room. He trailed after them quickly, partly because the smell was making him ravenous but also because he was incredibly nosy. As he entered the room, he saw that bleeding leg belonged to no other than Egon. Dracula’s eyes seemed as though they’d darkened, glaring at the human under butler, silently chastising him with his cold hard stare. “What happened?” he asked with barely an ounce of care in his tone. Gone unnoticed, due to the searing pain he was in, Egon cried out “Fell out of a tree” before knocking his head back into the hard wood of the table. Another servant reached a hand to steady Egon’s head, not wanting yet another injury to deal with. That same servant turned his head to address The Count “Our resident game keeper has taken ill, so Egon decided to hunt for the pheasant for the Duchess Valeria’s birthday instead. A wild boar had startled him, and where he’d tried to shoot that instead, he fell. I believe he’s broken his leg...” the servant, younger than Egon, perhaps around the age of 25, looked more terrified by the possibility than Egon had & he was the one with the injury.  “Have you checked it? Sometimes, excessive bleeding is merely a scratch.” The Count asked. “Sir, I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to be in the room. It is not something your eyes should see.” the young servant tried to argue but Dracula interjected “I served as a successful war lord for several years, I have killed & butchered many men in my time. Some blood & broken bone won’t do me harm.”  “I’m afraid it might me...” The servant muttered under their breath, where none of the others would hear, Dracula heard as clear as day.  “Then allow me to inspect it. A little blood never sat uncomfortably with me.” With that, Dracula didn’t even wait for permission from any of the staff, he didn’t need their permission, he was higher up in the world than they are after all. He’d barged past the staff, then curled over the limb, fingers lightly touching at Egon’s trouser, not wanting to apply too much pressure, merely feel if the bone was broken. Evidently, it was. He could feel the bone protruding in a fashion that was nothing as it should be. Dracula straightened himself up, turning to address the staff who’d taken a step back as he worked. “You’re going to need to hold him down.” he snapped his fingers at different men, then pointed at different parts of Egons body for them to hold down. In a short sharp shock, Dracula pulled Egon’s pant leg up & exposed quite the gruesome scene before him. The skin of his shin had ruptured, splitting in an uneven pattern, while the bone itself protruded outward with jagged edges. Egon cried out as Dracula tore the material aside, a mixture of fresh air burning at the wound, and the slightest movement causing him pain.  “Fetch me two planks, some rope, and something for him to bite onto.” he ordered about as though he was a skilled doctor. He didn’t mind getting hands on, keeping a cool head despite the blood, carefully rotating Egon’s leg, & trying to figure out the best way to snap the bone back into position. It was only a moment later that the required pieces he’d asked for had come into his position. “I need two men at my side, one holding the planks, the other the rope.” and without debate, two men had instantly volunteered. “The rest of you, hold him down tightly, get him to bite down, this isn’t going to be pleasant.” for them that was, not for him. Without a count down, Dracula snapped the bone back. Even with all his inhuman strength, it was no easy feat. For the human readers, the comparison you could have is returning a felled tree back into it’s upright position. But with a sharp snap, and not to mention a scream from Egon that could wake the gods of Hell, Dracula had managed to reposition the bone. The two men at his side instantly got to work, lining the planks either side of the leg, then wrapping the rope tightly to keep the leg from moving out of position. “Fetch Egon something strong to drink, heavens know he needs it.” He didn’t give this order to anyone in particular but one member of staff had willingly disappeared to do it, more than likely due to the fact he didn’t want to see anymore than he already had. Other staff members had gradually begun to phase out. Dracula loomed over Egon, wanting to pass a message on for his ears only. “And don’t you dare die tonight. I’m in no mood to keep a sharp leash on a newborn vampire.” he hissed at his personal blood bag.  “Count?” the young, ill looking servant from earlier shuffled on his feet “You mentioned earlier you were a war lord, and that you have no problem killing someone, this is merely a suggestion b-but seeing as our game keeper is ill, and the only man in service who knows how to fire a gun is also injured... Would it be rude to ask if... you would hunt for the prize game for the duchess’ celebrations?”  Looking from the servant, to Egon’s leg, then back Dracula thought it over a moment. He hadn’t been hunting for quite some time, given that he’d feed from Egon whenever he’d pleased, Dracula had become quite the fat housecat. “It’d be my pleasure too.”

Happy Drac-O-Ween

Chapter 21 / 31

As the hours ticked by, marked by the occasional chime of the hour, on the hour grandfather clock that was neatly placed against a wall, Valeria heard other signals of chime outside of her locked bedroom door. A knock, footsteps travelling up & down the hall, and every so often ‘Valeria? Please open the door’ said by different people within the house. Dracula, her mother, a servant, they all wanted to come into her room. She’d never known people so eager to be in her presence when all she wanted was to be alone, to process. She should have really let a scullery maid in her quarters, for the fire had burnt out & Valeria hadn’t the slightest clue on how to get it going again. Though she couldn’t, she didn’t trust any of them. Who knew how many people Count Dracula had infected with his poisonous charm? Instead, she tore off the heaviest duvet from her bed, dragged her hair in front of the window, and wrapped herself around in it. It was warm enough with the sunlight beaming onto her. The sun. She had faith in that, for the night previous had been so dark & full of terror. The sunlight exposed the worlds secrets, no shadow or dark tale could be hidden within it. Everything evil would be brought into that light & forced to face it’s consequences in the light of God’s holy wrath. 

Knock knock, a few minutes later.                  “Valeria?” an hour on.

                                            Silence consumed most of the day after that.

Valeria simply sat there, watching the sun trail the sky from the left, high above her, then over to the right. It was a wasted day, as she had no more clue on how to keep Dracula away from her, away from harming her. Curling her knees to her chest, she also quietly chastised herself for acting so selfishly in all the hours of the day. She’d locked herself in but left her Mother & staff in the hands of a monster. That’s most likely why the house had fallen silent for such a long time. They were all most likely dead. She was most likely the last for Dracula to feed on. Valeria stood from her seat & made her way toward the bedroom door. She wasn’t going to unlock it, Dracula could be out there waiting for her in his unnervingly still silence. Instead, Valeria pressed her ear to the door and closed her eyes to focus hard on any sign of life. Unbeknownst to her, the sun that she had spent the hours of the day worshipping had begun to set quite rapidly behind her. As she squeezed her eyes tighter in the hopes that it’d help her hear more outside the door, she’d heard her name called by Dracula, which caused her body to stiffen once again. It was as clear as day, as if he’d had his body pressed against the other side of the door & spoke into the wood itself.   “Valeria.” his voice came once more, this time far more sternly, and this time, she realised Dracula was inside the room. She spun sharply, pressing her back to the door, laying eyes immediately on him. He was standing in the corner between the window & the wall, hidden neatly behind the bedroom curtain. Could he shift into the shape of a curtain? He raised a single arm, with a single finger curled out, and pointed to the wall behind him “I came in from the servants stairs.”  Oh, that was logical. Valeria’s hand slid up behind her, carefully moving to try & find the key she’d left inside the lock. Dracula’s eyes trailed the slightest movement, knowing full well what she was trying to do. “I’m not here to hurt you. You have questions, I have answers. You’re terrified I understand but I am here to explain everything.” the former was a blatant lie on his part, yet he wasn’t here to kill her, he needed everything to go smoothly first before he could do that.  Valeria’s hand managed to find the key at last, her hand fumbling to unlock it. When she heard the click, as fast as she could on her bare feet, Valeria turned on her heel, and open the door barely inch before hearing the door slam shut. Except, it wasn’t the door. It was her skull, cracking into it. He’d trapped her.

Happy Drac-O-Ween!

Chapter 2 / 31

1796, Germany.

The night danced with the warm breeze of a promised early summer, rustling could be heard with the finest tuned ear within the trees. Those finely tuned ears belonged to none other than a creature not of this world, that shouldn’t be of this world, however the being was fatefully cursed to live among us. We all have our own version of such a creature, a collection of different names, descriptions, & stories but collectively we know it as one thing: A blood sucking terror upon the lives of innocent humans. A vampyre. This vampire in particular was the greedy, egotistical, murderous Omor Dracula, or better known infamously to the entire world as Count Dracula. We all know the stories written about him & we know his blood thirsty history as a warlord to Vlad Tepes, but have we ever really heard the stories about his victims? Only a chosen few. But what about the ones that got away only to meet their doom later down the line?  Count Dracula waited in the woodlands, hearing hundreds of tiny little heart beats thumping in the night, from owls to sleeping dormice. Everything had a pulse, a blood source but not everything was a part of notability. That was what the Count truly craved most. Money. Land. Knowledge. Power. A title. He’d ripped his way through most of the European countries, bringing about slaughters but never finding quite the right flavour amongst the people. Most of them had their fortunes handed down to them which only resulted in an air-headed lack of knowledge. He’d leave the castles he’d stolen abandoned, fleeing when his actual being was discovered amongst too many survivors civilians. He watched up at the castle window, silhouettes of men & women conversing & the odd twirl of dancers. Of course, the Count could just march his way into the ballroom, announce himself as a mysterious member of high society that the host’s forgot to write an invitation too. He certainly could. However the Count was one, who despite every mothers scorn, liked to play with his food. He liked to place his feet firmly under the table & work his way through the staff & family before ceasing it all entirely for himself. How else would he be able to take everything they physically & economically had before taking their worthless little lives? By being nice? That’s not how the world works, not to mention that takes too long. After all, one should know more about how & where their food is grown in order to keep a healthy diet. You wouldn’t want your food tampered with, it should be no different with a cursed creature. Just because you’re assigned immortality, doesn’t mean you should flaunt around & take lesser than. By all means, take more, take the finer things, take more if you have to!

In the meantime, as he watched & waited, Count Dracula resided himself on a small farmland not too far from the great mansion before him, but not too close to rouse any suspicion. A short stalk through the woodland brought him to the edge of the ground of his soon to be home. The hut he resided in, held a farming family, captive, tied together in a complex knot, almost like his own personal collection of salted meats. They’d tried to escape previously, which only insulted him to no end. He didn’t seem to be that bad of a host, he’d fed them when he remembered & stoked a fire. Though, he taught them not to escape by punishing & taking the life of their smallest child. A common act in Vladivostok. It certainly made the family stay put from then on & there was no complaints from then on. Dracula took a final few glances about the house, observing it as though it was an architects blue prints, searching for small crevices he could steal away out of or in should his plans go awry, before retreating himself back to the hut, resting until it was time to execute his plan.