I wrote this for a British Literature project this year. I already received my grade, but I'm hoping to improve the story more. Any reviews or suggestions would be appreciated :)

My original subplot of Dracula. The story follows Stoker's plot line at certain parts, but the majority is my take on Vlad's POV throughout the first few chapters. Enjoy!

--I do not own Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I am not making any profit off this story, nor do I claim rights to the original book--


Summary:

Count Vlad Dracula's point of view is explored in this original subplot of Stoker's Dracula. Vlad's experiences with Jonathan Harker, a young and vibrant lawyer, take on a new light as Dracula is thrown into the spotlight while Jonathan fades into the background. Delve deeper into the heart of a vampire than ever before, and observe the complex plot as only Dracula can.

The Count's Conflict of Conscience

Frosty wind cut through thick air, swirling around the daunting courtyard. Two black horses stood hooked up to an ethereal carriage. To the left of the Stagecoach, a mysterious figure began to materialize from the shadows, closing in rapidly on the animals. They let out a unanimous cry, flinging their large heads down in fear and releasing steam through their nostrils.

The phantom raised its head and flashed his black eyes in the direction of the creatures. They became still and fell under the suffocating influence of the shape, Count Vlad Dracula. The Count closed his eyes, taking in distinct scents of the night.

A silvery moon cast a cold glow across his face and whitened his already blanched visage. Ahead of the castle, leagues of cliffs tore at the sky and stretched toward the distant stars, their harsh ridges being softened only by myriads of pine trees. The tyrain purple sky spilled onto the scenery, painting cobblestone paths a terrifying shade of plum. Wolves bayed in the distance, their wails bouncing off the disorderly landscape. A monstrous castle seemed to lance the muddy ground. Foreboding and gray, it stood as a warning to all who entered Transylvania. Windows, adorned with cracks and cobwebs, displayed nothing but the smoldering darkness that plagued both the interior and exterior of the edifice.

Dracula mounted the head of the carriage and set off into the distance to pick up his latest victim. His eyes monitored the position of the moon and he cracked his whip and hurried the horses every time it shifted in the sky. After traveling along miles of dense forest, he finally pulled up to Borgo Pass and stopped the carriage next to a tall young man - the lawyer named Jonathan Harker. Dracula looked down at the lad, the boy's soft face half obscured by fog. The Count loaded Jonathan's baggage into the carriage and then proceeded to transport him back to Castle Dracula.

When the pair arrived at the castle, Dracula unloaded the luggage and dropped Jonathan off at the door. He then shook the horse's reins, and drove the carriage forward. When he was out of Mr. Harker's view, he kicked off the seat and propelled himself into the black sky.


A swift knock cut through the silence in the castle. Dracula drifted toward the massive door and opened it before a second knock came. He welcomed Mr. Harker politely, directed him to his room, and engaged in deep conversation for a while. The skyline began to illuminate from a few small rays of sunshine that speared through the horizon. Vlad shifted his attention away from Mr. Harker and toward a brightening window. Panic distorted his bizarre features, and he bid Jonathan goodnight.

The count rushed into his chamber and drew the curtains, masking the climbing sun outside. He collapsed into a sizable red chair and wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. Glancing back at the draperies, Vlad rose and hovered in front of them for a while, finally throwing back the heavy material and bathing himself in the pale sunlight. Blinding pain drilled through his appendages and his body began to convulse and stretch.

A gruesome sight indeed, a second body seemed to tear away from the trembling man, until finally two men stood face to face in front of the window. One, a deadly pale, predatory man; the other, a mirror image of the first, save for the healthy color in his cheeks. The ashen one quickly retreated into the sanctuary of a dark corner, then rose to full height.

"Dear brother, I trust you weren't attempting to assassinate me," the vampire chortled. "You must know that the sun is simply... dreadful for my pasty complexion..."


TBC. Read & review please!