April 5th, 1897:

It was a rather peaceful day in London, England. The time was 12:30 P.M. The weather was sunny and warm. Children were off the streets and in school, whilst the men were returning to work from their lunch breaks, and the women were socializing around town once they were finished with their home duties.

A 5 foot, 12 inch tall man with combed brunette hair and a well-groomed mustache walked down the brick street, his freshly cleaned shoes creating audible thuds against the stone. He carried a bag that he kept his papers and his journal in, and he had a much larger bag slung over his shoulder. His fiance (Mina) followed him with another bag.

Mina was young, around the age of twenty, and she was five foot, six inches tall with dark hair that stretched down to the middle point of her back, and she wore a corset that accentuated her figure, while Jonathan wore dress pants with a vest and a suit jacket.

They made it to a carriage that was secured for Jonathan, and they began loading the luggage onto the carriage, but it was difficult since the luggage was rather heavy. Then, a woman who wore a rather simple dress, and had long brown hair, tied up into a long braid hanging over her shoulder. "I could help you with that?" she said, speaking in a Romanian accent. "Thank you Ada, but that won't be necessary." Mina said.

Ada looked slightly disappointed. It was rather often that she asked to help them with different tasks, but they always turned her down. "Need I remind you that when we first met you, we were moving into our new home, and you tried to help up move our boxes?" Jonathan asked. "I know, you lost 5 pounds worth of fine China." Ada said (referring to the British currency.)

Jonathan finished tucking the final bag into the stage coach as the driver fed the horses. "Alright, I think it's time for a midday meal." Jonathan said. "Can I join?" Ada asked. Jonathan was about to say no, since he wanted to have lunch, alone with his fiance, but before he could speak, Mina answered the question.

"Of course you can eat with us, dear." Mina said to Ada. Mina and Ada were on better terms than Jonathan was with Ada. He always found it annoying how clumsy Ada was, but he found it even more annoying how superstitious she was.

Mina grew up in Transylvania, which was rather close to Bran, which is the Romania city that Jonathan is going to, and Ada grew very attached to Romanian superstitions, and even some of the legends of Bran, which had spread to many of the cities in in Romania.

A few minutes later:

The trio found themselves at "Slaters'" which was a lovely little restaurant for those who had more modest incomes. The trio wasn't there because Jonathan had a modest income, but because they didn't have time for fine dining. Jonathan had to reach an in outside of the city before nightfall so he could get enough sleep for the next day.

Ada was slightly awkward around them. She always seemed to have a demeanor that suggested slight resentment when just around Jonathan, but she always acted awkward around Mina, which was most likely because Ada actually liked Mina, and she always acted awkward around people who she didn't want to hate her, 'cause she was afraid of making them hate her.

"So, uh... Mina, what do you plan on doing while Jonathan's gone?" Ada asked. It didn't take Mina much time to answer. "Well... I'm visiting Whitby to see my friend, Lucy. She sent me a letter." Mina said before handing the letter to Ada.

"Three men are trying to court her? I didn't know someone could be that beautiful." Ada said, hiding a hint of jealousy in her voice. Mina proceeded to take the letter back, tucking it away in a bag she carried around.

"Could I come with you on the trip?" Ada asked. "Why?" Mina asked in response. "I've always wanted to see Whitby, but I've never had the money to do it." Ada said. "Really? How's work going." Mina asked. "It's fine, I enjoy working as a teacher, but I fought tooth and nail for an education, only to be payed just enough to get by." Ada said. "But hey, at least I'm financially independent." Ada said.

"I take it school's out?" Mina asked. "The plumbing system for the school isn't working right, and the workers said that it'll take quite a bit of time to fix the plumbing, so I might as well use the time to tag along with you." Ada said.

"Y'know, the Carfax in Whitby is the real estate piece I'm selling." Jonathan said. "Oh, really?" Mina asked. "That would be correct. My client must have a lot of money, and if I secure the sale, we'll have a nice amount of money." Jonathan said before setting his silverware down on his empty plate, and leaving some money on the table for the two women to pay the bill with, along with a little extra for a tip.

"Don't forget to practice your shorthand writing while I'm gone." Jonathan reminded Mina before kissing her on the cheek. "I love you, bye." Jonathan said before walking away. Mina rolled her eyes and sighed as she rested her head on her hand.

"You act like you're not in love with him when he's not around." Ada said. "That's because I'm not." Mina responded. "I'm only engaged to him because finding work is difficult, and I need financial security. He apparently has me written in his will to inherent of his money if something bad ever happens to him.

"Don't you feel bad for using him?" Ada asked. "I do, but I don't have any other option. I don't know, but I just... Mina was about to say something, but she looked around noticing how many surrounding people there are around them, so she decided to reword what she was going to say.

"I've just never... I've just never felt attracted to his... type. I don't know why, but I just don't." Mina said. "By type, do you mean-" Ada was cut off by Mina. "I'd rather not talk about it." Mina said in response. "Okay then." Ada said, respectively.

Later that day:

Jonathan walked down the brick streets towards the stage coach that would take him to his first destination on the trip. He climbed into the cab of the stage coach, and he pulled his journal from his bag, documenting the events of the day up until now. He wrote in short hand in order to keep his documentation short and concise, something he had been teaching Mina to do.

The driver got on the front of the stage coach, and he prompted the horses to begin moving forward. Jonathan's journey was now beginning, and it would be days before he reached his destination, one of the longest trips that he's ever been on.

Later that night: Jonathan reached the inn he would be staying at for the night. He got out of the stage coach with his luggage, and the driver helped him take his luggage inside. "Where are ya' headin'?" the driver asked.

"Bran, Romania. I'm looking to sell the Carfax to a resident living in Bran castle." Jonathan answered. "I've seen photos of Bran castle. What fool would give such a beautiful home up?" the driver asked. "A rich fool, that's who. One who will secure me a nice amount of money."

"Ain't that right." the driver said before Jonathan gave him a bag full of coins as payment, and the driver returned to his stage coach as Jonathan stood inside of the inn.

A few minutes later:

Jonathan entered his room for the night. It was rather small, but clean, and cozy. He set his luggage down and he tore a page out of his notebook, along with an envelope out of one of his bags.

He sat down at a small desk that was in the room, and he wrote a short hand letter, that essentially said, "I miss you already, my sweet fiance." He folded the paper before sealing it in the envelope, and going outside to the Inn's postal room, where a man would take the letters and packages in said room to the nearest postal office.

Jonathan returned to his room and he slipped into his nightgown, folding his dirty clothes, and packing them up before lying down in bed for a good night's sleep.

Later that night: Jonathan tossed and turned in bed, he could hear screeches, and ungodly whales in his head. His dreams were tainted with visions of a demonic, bat and lizard like creature.

Eventually, he woke up. He sat up in bed, sweating profusely. "It was all just a dream." Jonathan said to himself, trying to reassure himself so he could go to bed and get a peaceful night's sleep.

May 3rd:

The previous few weeks had passed by, and Jonathan was once again en route to Bran, Romania. He was sitting in the back of a stage coach, recording the trip in his journal. The document was in shorthand, but it essentially said, "The trip has gone rather smoothly. I am making great time and should arrive by tomorrow night, but I have been plagued by terrifying dreams. These dreams have been filled with unholy sounds, and a demon, lizard like monster."

He proceeded to close his journal and tuck it away. Eventually, the stage coach reached a nice hotel in Bistritz, Romania. He walked inside with the driver helping him with his luggage. Once unpacked, he went downstairs into the lobby, and the hotel's landlord handed a letter to him.

It was from Jonathan's client, Count Dracula. He opened the envelope and read the letter, and it contained travel instructions to the castle.

The next day:

Jonathan came downstairs and walked up to the landlord. He didn't speak Romanian, so he spoke in German instead, which was another very commonly spoken language in Romania. "Domnule, știți ceva despre acest Conte Dracula? El este clientul meu imobiliar.." (Sir, do you know anything about this Dracula person? He is my real estate client.)

The landlord simply just walked away, as if he didn't understand Jonathan's Romanian, which was strange. The landlord and his wife crossed themselves' before walking off, which left Jonathan slightly suspicious.

Jonathan rolled his eyes before going back upstairs to his room. "What is wrong with those too?" Jonathan asked himself as he entered his room, before closing the door behind himself and sitting on his bed, next to a window that gave him a lovely view of the countryside.

He recorded the strange interaction in his journal, before taking a moment to just admire the beautiful terrain of the countryside. It was like staring at an award-winning painting.

Eventually, he grew bored and slipped into his nightgown before going to sleep. He hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with any more of those night terrors from the past few days.

The next day:

Jonathan loaded up the carriage outside of the hotel, preparing for the trip to Borgo pass. Then, he overhead the landlady and the carriage driver talking about something in Romanian. He could make out "Satan," and "Werewolf." Perhaps asking his client about the superstitions of the area would be a good idea.

Jonathan knew about the superstitions in Transylvania due to Ada obsessing over them, but he didn't know extensive information about them, since he often ignored Ada.

The driver boarded the carriage, and Jonathan's trip continued. The people watching appeared to be almost worried for him, and Jonathan began to feel weary.

Hours later:

It was growing dark outside, and the carriage finally stopped at Borgo pass, as they were met with a black stage coach, with a man in black with a long brown beard sat on the front of the stage coach.

The driver appeared to even have red eyes. He effortlessly carried Jonathan's luggage to the stage coach, and Jonathan boarded the stage coach before the driver got in the front, and he prompted the horses to begin moving along the path.

The moon shined through the trees, casting a soft glow on the path as the stage coach traveled en route to Bran castle. Along the way, the driver would stop, and he would place rocks on blue flames.

At one point, the stage coach halted, and the driver got off, leaving for a rather lengthy period of time. Jonathan sat in the back of the stage coach, writing in his journal. "Mina will never believe me when I tell her about this." Jonathan said to himself, writing even faster than before, and he screwed up the writing.

"Goddammit!" Jonathan exclaimed to himself before putting his journal away. As he did so, he saw a rosary in his bag. It appeared to be the landlady's rosary. Why would the landlady put her rosary in his bag?

He decided it might as well be safe to just wear it. He slipped it around his neck, and he waited patiently the driver to come back. Minutes passed by, and the driver was still missing. He had been gone for over ten minutes now, the longest he had been away from the stage coach.

The driver was nowhere in sight, and Jonathan began to worry. Then, he heard the howls of wolves. He looked out the window of the stage coach, and he saw a pack of wolves slowly, menacingly approaching the stage coach.

"Help!" Jonathan shouted, but the driver did not return. The wolves began jumping at the side of the stage coach, attacking, attempting to overturn the coach, or break the window.

"Help!" Jonathan shouted again, desperately hoping to be saved. Then, the driver came back, almost like he teleported. "Spate! În spate, animale murdare!" The driver shouted, scaring the wolves off. It was almost as if he had a super natural command over them.

Jonathan was rather relieved, and he sat back, relaxing his nerves a bit as the driver continued the trip. They began going up the mountain that Bran castle was built on, and Jonathan began to get weird feelings about this place.

Between the strange behavior of the people in Bistritz, and the almost supernatural nature of the stage coach driver, things just felt very off.

A/N: And that's the end of chapter 1. I hope you enjoyed it. Things will be getting a little bit more interesting in chapter 2. It should be out some time next week. Also, if you see this on other fanfiction websites, I post cross-platform. No plagiarism here!