Dr. Henry Jekyll waited with bated breath, not daring to breathe, holding the tube over the beaker of liquid. Just one drop he thought, tentatively tilting the tube ever so gently. Just one drop will do it.
The drop balanced on the edge of the tube, ready to plummet into the liquid below. Jekyll carefully, ever so carefully tilted it a little further, the drop was going to fall when…
The door next to his was thrown open loudly, making the most deafening bang. The shouts of people and laughter came from the neighboring room, and then the door slammed shut again. Jekyll jumped at the sudden noise, his hand jolted, and a mass of liquid from the tube spilled into the beaker, which fizzed and turned a sickly, purple color, and then brown like mud.
Jekyll gave a roar of rage and disappointment, and then stormed to his own door, threw it open, and marched next door, knocking loudly on the now closed door. "Frankenstein!" he shouted, angrily. "Open this door!"
The door was opened by none other than Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Yes, Dr. Jekyll?" he asked calmly.
"You have to stop having these wild parties!" exclaimed Jekyll. "My work has now been ruined thanks to your infernal noise!"
"Work?" repeated Frankenstein, looking blankly at Jekyll. Then he laughed and said, "Oh yes, I had forgotten that some people still have to work for recognition and money, while I am already rich beyond my wildest dreams. But come, Jekyll, cheer up. Come in and have a drink," said Frankenstein, gesturing to his room where he had several people gathered, drinking and laughing.
"Do you realize how close I was this time, Frankenstein?!" cried Jekyll. "I just needed one drop and I would have succeeded in creating my solution to separate man's good half from his mixed soul!"
"Hard luck," said Frankenstein, in a way that implied that he didn't really care. "Well, tell me when you do. Are you sure you don't want a drink?" he asked.
Jekyll growled. "When Dracula hears about this, he will be very upset," he hissed.
"My dear Dr. Jekyll, it was Dracula who gave me permission to have my parties," said Frankenstein, languidly lighting a cigarette. "He rather enjoys them, when he attends. Cigarette?" he said, offering Jekyll one.
"Who exactly is in there?" asked Jekyll, realizing that he didn't recognize any of the people.
"Just a few friends and admirers, Jekyll," said Frankenstein, grinning. "I know you don't have any, but I do. You see that woman over there?" asked Frankenstein, lowering his voice and nodding at a stunningly beautiful woman laughing in a group with some other men. She looked up at Jekyll and Frankenstein and then looked back down, blushing.
"That is Jenny Sedgwick," continued Frankenstein, smiling at her. "She's one of the most beautiful women in London. And I do believe she rather fancies me."
The sight of Jenny Sedgwick infuriated Jekyll beyond reason. It wasn't fair! Frankenstein always had everything better than he did! Frankenstein had succeeded in discovering something that benefited humanity, how to create life, but Jekyll hadn't. Frankenstein was richer than a king, but Jekyll wasn't. Frankenstein had beautiful women who fancied him, but Jekyll didn't.
With a growl, Jekyll turned and stormed down the hall, to the spiral stairs at the end of it. He went down these and came to a large, metal door. He knocked on this, and a few moments later it was opened by a tall, handsome man dressed in black with extremely pointed teeth. Count Dracula.
"Ah, my dear Dr. Jekyll," said Dracula, smiling. "How lovely to see you this evening."
"Dracula, I need to talk to you," said Jekyll. "It's quite important."
"Well then, by all means, come in," said Dracula pleasantly, holding the door for Jekyll. Jekyll entered the room, which was a crypt and saw Elizabeth Bathory seated on a sarcophagus. She was positively gorgeous, as vampire women were, and Jekyll was still quite in love with her, although he would never tell her so. She smiled at Dr. Jekyll as he entered and said, "Good evening, Henry."
"Good evening, Elizabeth," replied Dr. Jekyll, smiling back at her. "You look lovely this evening."
"Thank you, Henry," replied Elizabeth, smiling happily at him. "My Dracula was just saying so, weren't you, my love?" she asked as Dracula entered the room.
"You grow more beautiful every night, my love," replied Dracula, going over to her and taking her in his arms. She nuzzled his chest, purring as he held her and asked, "Now, Dr. Jekyll, what can I do for you?"
"It's about Frankenstein," said Jekyll. "He has to stop having parties while I'm trying to work. It upsets my experiments. I was one drop away from the solution this evening when he goes and upsets my work by banging open his door and causing me to spill much more than needed into my solution, ruining it. This is your house, so you're the only one who can tell him to stop. Surely you, Dracula, must see how important my work is?"
Dracula considered for a moment, stroking Elizabeth's hair. "Your complaint is a valid one, Dr. Jekyll," he said at last. "But Dr. Frankenstein has no other time nor place to throw parties save in the evening and here. Perhaps if you worked earlier in the day…"
"Then he'd have his parties then!" exclaimed Jekyll. "He does it to annoy me, Dracula! To make me jealous of his success! But I can succeed too, Dracula, I promise! I know I can make this solution and then the world will benefit! But all I ask for is one hour of peace and quiet."
Dracula thought again, then nodded. "You are right, of course, Dr. Jekyll. You deserve at least one hour of peace and quiet."
He gently pushed Elizabeth away, but she still clung to him, whining. "I promise I'll be back in a moment," murmured Dracula, kissing her forehead.
She reluctantly let go with a sigh. He kissed her and then left the crypt, Jekyll following.
They walked back up the stairs and down the hall to Frankenstein's room. Dracula knocked loudly and the door was opened again by Frankenstein.
"Ah, good evening, Dracula," said Frankenstein, smiling. "Do come in, the party is just getting started."
"Dr. Frankenstein, I'm afraid I must ask you to end this party and ask your charming guests to leave," said Dracula, firmly.
"What?" repeated Frankenstein, disbelieving. "But Dracula, you said I could…"
"I know. But I had forgotten to take into consideration Dr. Jekyll's work," replied Dracula. "I'm terribly sorry, Dr. Frankenstein, but there it is."
"Why do you take Jekyll's side?" growled Frankenstein. "He's just jealous."
"I am not disputing that, Dr. Frankenstein," said Dracula, patiently. "But I am ordering you to cease this party at once and ask your guests to leave."
Frankenstein glared daggers at Jekyll, but turned to the people and the room and said, "Right. I'm sorry but I'm afraid you all have to leave now."
There were cries of protests but Frankenstein shouted over them, "I'm sorry, really, but this is not my house and my landlord insists. Now come on, everyone."
There were many growls and grumblings, but the guests one by one filed out the door.
"I'm really truly sorry, Dr. Frankenstein," said Dracula, watching the guests leave. "But Dr. Jekyll lives here as well and it is not fair for me to favor one tenant over the other."
Frankenstein grunted. "I feel horrible about making all these good people leave, however," continued Dracula. Then he caught sight of Miss Jenny Sedgwick.
"Yes, so many very good people," he breathed, gazing at her. He rushed over to her and said, bowing, "Madam, please forgive me for making you leave. I feel absolutely terrible about the whole thing."
"Oh, don't fret about it, Mr…?" she asked, smiling.
"Count," he corrected. "Count Dracula. At your ladyship's service," he said, bowing again and kissing her hand.
She smiled at him as she said, "Jenny Sedgwick."
"My dear Miss Sedgwick, let me extend my most sincere apologies to you, and my invitation to you to come back any time you wish," said Dracula, smiling at her.
"That's very kind, Count Dracula," she said, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
"Not at all, my dear Miss Sedgwick," replied Dracula, bowing again. "It is my privilege."
She smiled at him again and then, nodding, walked down the stairs, glancing back at Dracula and blushing.
"Well, she seems charming," commented Jekyll, scowling after her.
"Oh yes," breathed Dracula, and he faintly licked his lips. "Quite charming." He coughed and then said, turning to Frankenstein, "I am really quite sorry, Dr. Frankenstein. Perhaps tomorrow night we can arrange something. Until then, Elizabeth is waiting for me, I bid you both good evening," he said, bowing. He left down the spiral stairs at the end of the hall and Frankenstein rounded on Jekyll.
"What the devil did you mean by having Dracula break up my party?" he demanded, angrily.
"I need to work, Frankenstein. And I can't work with that damned racket," retorted Jekyll.
"You're such a spoilsport, Jekyll," growled Frankenstein. "Why can't you think about something else besides your damn work for a change? It wouldn't kill you to have a bit of fun now and again."
"Not if it upsets my work," replied Jekyll.
Frankenstein glared at him. "Fine," he snapped. "To hell with you, then. To hell with all of you. I'll find someplace to live on my own. I'm rich enough now, I can afford it. Someplace far away from work-obsessed, charlatan scientists doomed to failure!"
He stormed into his room and slammed the door. Jekyll sighed and returned to his room where his formula sat, now quite muddied and ruined. With a sigh of disgust, Jekyll tossed the whole mixture out the window and then replaced the beaker on the table. He then collected all of the elements of the solution he could remember. Back to the old drawing board he thought cheerlessly.