"MOVIE KNIGHT: ACT 4"
Unaware of Mina's fate, Johnathan, Dr. Seward, and Van Helsing continued their conversation about vampires. Johnathan was naturally sceptical, although Van Helsing went to explain the nature of the vampire and how it fits all of the symptoms that Lucy and now Mina exhibited. He went on to explain that vampires needed to sleep in their native soil during the day. Dr. Seward tried to debunk that theory, insisting if it were true, that Dracula would have to return to Transylvania each night. Van Helsing merely replied that he must have brought boxes of soil with him in order to remain in England.
"So that's why he needed three boxes, but only came over by himself!" Nina gasped in realization.
The men's conversation was interrupted by the mad laughter of Renfield who had apparently escaped his room again. He entered the room, declaring that Van Helsing was right, but also pleading to Johnathan and Dr. Seward to get Mina out of London. Although, he claimed it was too late as Mina was made a victim again.
"He's turning against Dracula?" Asked Raven.
"His love of Mina must overpower the control Dracula has over him," Arthur nodded.
Renfield's pleas suddenly halted when a large bat was seen fluttering in front of the doorway that led into the garden. Johnathan went to chase it away, but Renfield fell into a terrifying fit, pleading to his master that he wasn't trying to betray him and that he was always loyal.
Van Helsing seemed to have the best grasp of the situation and began pressing Renfield on his knowledge of Dracula. Still terrified, Renfield attempted to deny that he knew anything about the man. Van Helsing tried to appeal to his sense of morality, although Renfield insisted that since he was mad, higher powers would forgive him for how evil had warped him. Any further talk was interrupted by a sudden scream, causing several of the fairy tales to jump in their seats.
A maid came running into the parlour in a panic, stating that she had found Mina in the garden, dead. The doctors and Johnathan immediately ran outside to see what was happening. Left behind, the maid saw Renfield had broken out into his mad laughter once again. Overwhelmed, she fainted. Renfield himself crawled over to her, looking much like a wild imitation of Dracula so long ago as he came closer to her.
"He's not going to-?!" Apple cried.
"Not sure," Lance shook his head.
Before anyone could see if Renfield took the step across the point of no return, the scene changed to Johnathan carrying Mina back towards the house with the doctors behind him. Their words confirmed that Mina was still alive, but according to Van Helsing, she was now in greater danger now that she was further under Dracula's influence. As the group walked into the house, Dracula appeared from behind a tree, watching them go.
"Oooh," Meeshell trembled. This was so frightening!
The scene changed to show what looked like a public park with numerous stone ornaments. It was after dark and a policeman was doing his rounds, using a flashlight to light his way as he was on patrol. As he went on his rounds, he heard a child crying in the dark. The policeman immediately ran to the source.
Nearby, from the darkness, a familiar woman in white walked away.
"Is that Lucy?!" cried Briar.
"She was turned into a vampire too?!" Rosabella gasped.
Martin, the orderly of the asylum, was then seen reading an article about the incident. It reported how children encountered a beautiful lady in white who lured them away with promises of chocolate. Once they were alone, she would bite them before abandoning them.
"No!" the fairy tales in the room gasped in horror.
The scene did not linger as it moved on to Van Helsing talking to Mina with Johnathan nearby. Johnathan clearly did not like the subject, thinking Mina was distressed enough with her illness. It was revealed that Mina had seen the woman in white and realized it was her friend Lucy although she was supposed to be dead. She described Lucy as looking more like a hungry animal than a human.
Van Helsing promised to release Lucy from her undead torment and Mina pleaded with him to help protect her from a similar fate. Johnathan insisted that Mina was going to live and live well. Mina, however, did not appear to be convinced. Van Helsing decided to give the pair a moment to speak as Mina tried to explain the truth of what was happening to her.
As the sun began to set, Mina was called back inside. Johnathan was now getting angry, confronting Van Helsing, declaring that he was driving Mina crazy with all of his talk about vampires. When Dr. Seward joined them, Johnathan told the man that he was taking Mina to London to get her away from all this madness. If Dr. Seward didn't agree, then he would call the police, saying that Mina was being held without her consent. He then left to gather his and Mina's things, leaving the poor woman in distress, not wishing for her fiancé to leave.
"No, you're just playing into his hands!" Cerise shouted at the screen. "Haven't you seen all the weird stuff going on?"
"There's no magic in London and superstition is just myth so no one believes in vampires," Max explained. "Since Johnathan hasn't seen anything of the weird or magical, he truly believes it's just fantasy and all of the talk about vampires is affecting Mina's health."
Van Helsing spoke with an orderly and told her to have Mina wear a wreath of wolfsbane and have more hung in her room. He gave explicit instructions to not remove it as it would keep Mina safe if Dracula attempted to return.
It was a good thing to prepare such a precaution as the sun finally set. Within Carfax Abbey, Dracula emerged from his coffin, preparing to hunt the night once again.
Back in the Seward home, Van Helsing was discussing the facts they had uncovered about Dracula. The older man was confident that Dracula was no man, but a true undead vampire. As they talked, Johnathan entered the room, looking distinctly uncomfortable and anxious, clearly wishing to get Mina far away from all the mad talk of vampires and other unhealthy things.
Dr. Seward understood Johnathan's anxiety, but as her father, he also had to do what he felt was right for his daughter. Johnathan insisted that he wished to only take Mina away from the madness, but Van Helsing told him it would do no good. The only way to end it all would be to find Dracula while he was resting and drive a stake through his heart.
"Brrrr!" Holly shivered. "How ghoulish! Gabriel, do you have movies like this back home?"
"Oh, plenty," Gabriel nodded. "This is considered a really old one too. The modern ones would be way too much for you."
Once again, Renfield slipped into the house, mocking the men for talking about something which only madmen would take seriously. Seward grew frustrated with Renfield's latest escape and took a phone to call Martin. Renfield himself sounded particularly more sinister as Van Helsing pressed him on Dracula again. Renfield declared Dracula came back to him, promising great things to Renfield, even making them happen. He described Dracula creating a red mist, summoning swarms of rats, even controlling them. He promised all of their blood to Renfield on his path to vampirism if he would only obey.
"Rats...brrr," Faybelle shivered.
"Oh, they're not so bad. They're just like bigger mice," Rosabella insisted. "I don't understand why so many people think so badly of them. Melody thinks they're adorable."'
Martin arrived during the explanation and reported that the bars of Renfield's window had been twisted and broken as if they were made of cheese. Van Helsing immediately perked up, realizing that Dracula was in the house and declared as such. Johnathan bolted up in a blur and began to run for Mina while Dr. Seward and Martin began to take Renfield to a more secure room.
Van Helsing was the last one to leave the room when he suddenly heard his name being called. Dracula emerged from the darkness of the gardens, taunting Van Helsing that he was too late. He had given Mina his blood and soon she would become immortal and live through the centuries as he did.
"Oooh, he's such a cool villain!" Faybelle admired. Dracula was a true gentleman villain. Attractive, intelligent, cultured and charismatic. He also had a clear goal. Sure, it may not be as grand as taking over a kingdom, but the passion he had in trying to accomplish it made her want to root for him.