Copyright 1986, 1996-2008 by Ronald L. Ecker
All Right Reserved
FADE IN:
EXT. A NICE MANSION - NIGHT
Dark but for moonlight.
INT. MANSION - NIGHT
The dark parlor, a ticking clock, a night light burning
in an upstairs hallway.
INT. A BOY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Dark. Suddenly
A VAMPIRE'S HEAD
rears up into CAMERA, as if out of an unseen coffin.
It's hideous, with sharp fangs and red eyes. And this
kid's only ten! He is DORIAN JARRETT.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Dark. SADIE JARRETT, in her 40's, begins waking from a
fitful sleep. She's gaunt, sick-looking.
A BLACK HUMAN SHAPE stands silhouetted by the moonlit
window. It's too dark to tell which way the thing's
facing.
Sadie finds no one beside her, looks weakly toward the
shape by the window. She fumbles for the bedside lamp.
SADIE
Willard?
The black shape turns from the window, as the lamp comes
on.
It's only pajama-clad WILLARD JARRETT, 50, who's been
staring out the window in sleepless worry.
WILLARD
I'm here, darling.
As Willard steps over to the bed:
SADIE
Oh darling. You shouldn't worry
so.
Willard sits down on the edge of the bed, takes Sadie's
frail hand in his.
WILLARD
How can I help it?
INT. SONYA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Dark, as SONYA JARRETT, 8, is asleep. The door quietly
opens from the lit hallway.
A SHADOW falls over her. Something hissing steals toward
her.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Willard, very emotional, kisses Sadie's limp hand.
WILLARD
You and the kids, Sadie, you're
all that I have. All the rest
means nothing - nothing -
Sadie rolls her eyes, this is too much even for her, as
Willard kisses, caresses her hand.
WILLARD (cont'd)
- nothing, do you hear?
INT. SONYA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
The shadow is right over Sonya. Another hiss, she
awakes, and looks up in horror.
Dorian, in black cape and top hat, face bestial as
before, is all set to get her.
Sonya screams bloody murder.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Willard and Sadie are alarmed by Sonya's screaming.
Willard discards Sadie's limp hand as he springs to his
feet. Her hand hits Sadie in the nose.
WILLARD
Sonya!
INT. SONYA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
The light's on as Willard rushes in.
Sonya, in a rage, is throwing things - a pillow, a rag
doll, a vase - at Dorian, who's trying to explain:
DORIAN
Sonya -
SONYA
I hate you, Dorian!! I hate
you!!
WILLARD
Dorian, not again!
SONYA
I hate you, I hate you!!
WILLARD
Sonya, that's enough!
DORIAN
I was just playing with her,
Daddy.
Willard snatches Dorian's top hat from his head.
WILLARD
Some play! Get back to your
room! And get out of that
cape!
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
As Dorian, taking off the cape, heads from Sonya's room
toward his, Willard following:
WILLARD
I'm taking that cape away.
DORIAN
But Daddy -
WILLARD
You can have it Halloween and
that's it.
They stop as Willard takes the cape.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Dorian, this has to stop. You
can't . . .
Willard is distracted by Dorian's fangs.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Take out those teeth!
Dorian takes them out, Willard confiscating them.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Why can't you play Cops and
Robbers, or Cowboys and Indians?
DORIAN
What's wrong with Van Helsings
and Vampires?
WILLARD
I'll tell you what's wrong. You -
Willard is distracted by Dorian's red eyes.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Take out those contacts!
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Bedridden Sadie is holding a handkerchief to her bloodied
nose as Willard returns, looking emotionally exhausted.
SADIE
Willard, what was it?
WILLARD
That little vampire we're
raising, that's what. He's been
sleeping in a crate! I don't
know what -
He stops, seeing that Sadie is bleeding.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Oh Sadie. Another nosebleed,
darling?
Sadie sadly nods yes.
INT. DOCTOR RAY'S OFFICE - DAY
Dorian lies calmly as blood is being extracted from his
arm. Young DOCTOR RAY steps over to check things.
DORIAN
Ever met a vampire, Doctor Ray?
RAY
Never have. What about the
headache? Is it gone?
DORIAN
Just about.
RAY'S NURSE sits by a counter, looking on.
DORIAN (cont'd)
Do you know how to spot one,
Doctor Ray?
RAY
A vampire?
Ray seems to give it serious thought, then,
RAY (cont'd)
The teeth.
DORIAN
Not only that. He'll have long
pointed ears . . .
ON THE NURSE
She has long straight hair, from which protrude rather
long ears.
DORIAN (O.S.)
And eyebrows so thick they meet
above his nose . . .
She also has rather thick eyebrows.
ON HER HANDS
folded in her lap, a thumb rubbing the opposite palm.
DORIAN (O.S.)
And he'll have hair in the palms
of his hands.
NEW ANGLE
Ray smiles at Dorian.
RAY
If I meet any hairy palms, I'll
let you know.
Ray gives him a wink and moves off.
Dorian looks at the nurse. Her eyes are fixed on the
container in which Dorian's blood is collecting.
OVERLAP SOUND:
WILLARD (V.O.)
The kid has this blood disease:
polycythemia vera . . .
In the nurse's eyes, as she's watching Dorian's blood
collecting, is an odd, faraway fascination.
WILLARD (V.O.) (cont'd)
It's sort of the opposite of
anemia . . .
Dorian is staring quizzically at the nurse.
WILLARD (V.O.) (cont'd)
The body keeps producing too
many red cells . . .
The nurse snaps out of it under Dorian's stare. As she
smiles self-consciously, turns to busy herself:
WILLARD (V.O.) (cont'd)
Too much blood in the body . . .
Dorian is keeping an eye on the nurse.
INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY
Willard is lying on a couch as he talks.
WILLARD (cont'd)
It's incurable. All they can
do is treat it, keep taking out
blood.
(beat)
What I fear is that this disease
has begun affecting his mind.
This obsession with vampires . . .
The psychiatrist is a weird-looking fellow named GROSS,
55. He has thick bushy eyebrows and long pointed ears.
WILLARD (cont'd)
It's gone beyond reason. I
can't reason with the boy. The
doctor says not to worry -
Gross is not even listening. He's looking closely at
something he has found in his palm, begins picking at
it, idling his time.
WILLARD (cont'd)
- that it's natural, given his
disease, for Dorian to have more
than the average child's
interest in blood. That it's
something the kid will outgrow.
As Willard sits up, turning anxiously to Gross:
WILLARD
Do you think he's right, Doc?
Gross, caught off guard, quickly lowers his palm.
WILLARD (cont'd)
It's just a boy's passing fancy?
He'll outgrow this thing about
vampires?
GROSS
I'm inclined to agree, Mister
Jarrett. Given time.
Willard sighs.
WILLARD
Well good for him, but what
about me? I'll be ready for
the bughouse by then.
Willard lies down again.
WILLARD (cont'd)
And his mother - the poor woman
has cancer as it is. How much
more can she take?
(beat)
Poor Sadie. I give her all the
affection I can. Believe me I
do.
Willard sits up again to make a point, Gross lowers his
palm.
WILLARD (cont'd)
If you could kill a person with
love, she'd already be dead.
INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Sadie is dead. The attending PHYSICIAN gently closes
Sadie's eyes.
Willard, at the bedside, becomes ludicrously emotional
as only Willard can do.
INT. FUNERAL PARLOR - NIGHT
Sadie lies in an open coffin. A few feet away, FRIENDS
and RELATIVES speak quietly with Willard, Dorian, and
Sonya.
Dorian walks over to stand by the coffin.
He looks sadly at Sadie. After a moment, Dorian starts
to turn away, but Sadie (so Dorian imagines) grabs his
arm, pulls him close to whisper:
SADIE
Don't let them get me, Dorian.
Don't let them get me.
Dorian lets out a wail of terror, turns to flee. He runs
right into the arms of Willard.
WILLARD
Son, what is it?
Dorian looks toward the coffin. Sadie lies serenely in
death as before.
DORIAN
Sorry, Dad. I guess I got
carried away.
Willard sighs. One of the Relatives, a middle-aged LADY,
comes forward.
WILLARD
(to Lady)
Carry him away.
The Lady soothingly escorts Dorian off, while Willard
gives dead Sadie a sad look of apology.
EXT. GRAVEYARD CEREMONY - DAY
The MINISTER is intoning, with sad but brave Dorian,
tearful Sonya, sobbing Willard, and RELATIVES seated at
the graveside.
Other MOURNERS stand about, the coffin set to be lowered.
MINISTER
Into thy hands, O Lord, we
commend thy servant Sadie.
Acknowledge, we humbly beseech
thee . . .
Dorian (imagining again) looks up at a middle-aged MAN,
in Victorian clothes, who has appeared at his side. It's
Professor ABRAHAM VAN HELSING.
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . a sheep of thine own fold.
Van Helsing, holding something in his hand out of view,
whispers to Dorian, with a Dutch accent,
VAN HELSING
You know what has to be done.
MINISTER
May her soul . . .
Van Helsing moves off toward the coffin. No one sees
this, of course, except Dorian.
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . and all the souls of the
departed . . .
As Van Helsing steps to the coffin, steels himself,
hammer and stake in hand:
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . rest in peace. We
therefore commit her body to
the ground . . .
Dorian is watching wide-eyed, frozen.
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . earth to earth, ashes to
ashes . . .
Van Helsing flings open the lid.
At once Sadie grabs Van Helsing by the wrist with super
human strength. She yanks the stake from his hand.
During this:
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . dust to dust; in sure and
certain hope . . .
Dorian is watching in horror.
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . of the resurrection . . .
Sadie, sitting up, clubs Van Helsing over the head with
the stake, Van Helsing falling to his knees by the
coffin.
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . to eternal life.
SADIE
(to Van Helsing)
I'm not a vampire, you idiot!
MINISTER
As it was in the beginning . . .
As Sadie throws the stake at the fallen professor:
SADIE
(to Van Helsing)
Leave me alone!
As Sadie lies back down and slams the lid shut:
MINISTER
. . . is now . . .
Dorian stares in amazement at Van Helsing, sitting in a
confused stupor on the ground, a hand to his bleeding
head.
MINISTER (cont'd)
. . . and ever shall be . . .
The service concludes as it began, no Van Helsing in
view.
MINISTER (cont'd)
World without end. Amen.
INT. DR. GROSS'S OFFICE - DAY
A beautiful female PATIENT, 25, is lying on the couch
while Gross, in a nearby chair, quietly opens a piece of
mail.
PATIENT
I don't know exactly when it
began, Doctor - this feeling
that I'm just too good for men.
Gross has quietly removed an invitation halfway from its
envelope. The part we can read says:
You are cordially invited to
the Gathering of Walpurgisnacht
at Bran Castle, Romania, on
the 15th of this August.
PATIENT (cont'd)
The last guy I was really attracted
to turned out to be gay.
Gross, reading, looks pleased by the invitation.
PATIENT (cont'd)
It was ironic, you know? In
a way, he felt he was too good
for me.
Now Gross seems to notice something striking about his
patient.
PATIENT (cont'd)
My mother always told me to be
leery . . .
The patient's neck looks so smooth, soft, and inviting.
PATIENT (cont'd)
. . . to guard my chastity, till
I had found Mister Right . . .
Gross is clearly tempted, excited, by that neck.
PATIENT (cont'd)
. . . and I was Mrs. Right.
Gross begins moving slowly, hungrily down toward her
neck.
PATIENT (cont'd)
She said, "When that lovebug
bites you, you'll know it."
INT. OUTER OFFICE - DAY
Gross's SECRETARY is startled to hear a bloodcurdling
scream from Gross's office.
The office door opens, the patient rushes out in a panic.
She pauses, a hand on her neck, long enough to scream at
the secretary:
PATIENT
You're just going to sit there?
He's a beast!
The patient flees. Gross steps out of his office. He
looks duly flustered.
SECRETARY
Doctor, what happened?
GROSS
Nothing, I . . . I need a plane
reservation right away. Cancel
all appointments. Take a paid
vacation.
Gross starts back into his office.
SECRETARY
Where to, sir?
GROSS
Where to? How should I know?
Go where you -
SECRETARY
(interrupting)
I mean the plane reservation.
Where to?
GROSS
Oh. To Romania. Bucharest.
Gross goes into his office.
SECRETARY
How soon, sir?
GROSS (O.S.)
(from office)
The sooner the better!
A MAP OF ROMANIA
fills the screen. We are in:
INT. A FAMILY ROOM - JARRETT MANSION - NIGHT
Dorian is lying on the floor with an oversized atlas,
opened to the map.
DORIAN
Daddy?
Willard sits reading a newspaper on the couch.
WILLARD
Hmm?
DORIAN
Are we still going to go on a
trip, now that Mom won't be
going?
WILLARD
(reading)
We'll see, son. Where do you
want to go?
DORIAN
Transylvania.
Willard stops reading.
WILLARD
Transylvania?
Dorian lugs the atlas to the couch, sits down beside
Willard.
DORIAN
It's part of Romania. Let me
show you on the map.
Dorian points it out.
DORIAN (cont'd)
See? "Transylvania." It's the
homeland of Dracula.
Willard sighs.
WILLARD
Dorian, there was no Dracula.
DORIAN
There was too, Daddy. He wasn't
really a vampire - at least they
don't think so. His real name
was Vlad, Vlad Tepes. He was a
bloodthirsty prince. He'd put
people on stakes. They called
him Vlad the Impaler. And
Dracula, which means devil. And
he had a real castle, just like
those there today.
WILLARD
Romania is verboten. Capeesh?
You want to see a castle, we'll
go to, uh - Disney World. I'm
sure there's a Castleland there
and -
Willard stops - he sees that Dorian is about to cry.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Okay, maybe it's a good idea.
I'm going to take you to Romania
and prove to you there's no such
thing - and there's never been
such a thing - as a vampire.
Dorian is delighted.
DORIAN
And I'll prove there is!
Willard has a look of dread.
WILLARD
Wait till I tell my psychiatrist.
DORIAN
What?
WILLARD
I have to go to Romania to look
for vampires. He'll laugh me
out of the office.
EXT. AN AIRLINER - AIRBORNE - DAY
High above the clouds.
EXT. BUCHAREST, ROMANIA - DAY
A taxi moves in traffic.
INT. TAXI - DAY
Sonya, Dorian, and Willard are in the back seat, Sonya
sulking.
SONYA
We could have gone to London or
Rome or the River Forever. But
no, we have to go look for
Dracula.
WILLARD
No, darling, you're misstating
our purpose. There's no Dracula
to look for.
DORIAN
We're looking for vampires and
I'm gonna find one.
SONYA
Good. I hope he sucks your
blood all out.
The DRIVER, 35, lean and beady-eyed, is listening to all
this with veiled interest.
WILLARD
Okay, that's enough. Knock off
that kind of talk. Capeesh?
Dorian looks wonderingly at Sonya.
DORIAN
"The River Forever"? What's
that?
WILLARD
I think she means the French
Riviera.
(to Sonya)
Don't you, darling?
Sonya sticks her nose in the air. She's not telling.
EXT. A BUCHAREST HOTEL - DAY
Willard hands the taxi driver his money. A PORTER is
going in with the luggage.
DRIVER
I thank you.
Willard heads for the entrance with Sonya.
Dorian is looking around. The Driver watches him.
Dorian starts toward the entrance.
DRIVER (cont'd)
Little man . . .
Dorian stops, turns to look at the driver.
DRIVER (cont'd)
You wish to see castle like in
Dracula book? Go to Brasov.
From there to Bran Castle.
Willard calls from the hotel entrance:
WILLARD
Dorian . . .
DORIAN
That's in Transylvania? Bran
Castle?
DRIVER
Of course. They say Vlad Tepes
himself used to stay there.
Now Sonya calls from the entrance too:
SONYA
Dorian!
DORIAN
(to Driver, excitedly)
Thanks for the info.
Dorian turns to go.
DRIVER
Little man . . .
Dorian stops and turns again.
DRIVER (cont'd)
If you go to Bran Castle, return
to Brasov before dark.
The driver turns to go, leaving Dorian wide-eyed, looking
eager to get there.
EXT. A TOUR BUS - MOVING - DAY
On a scenic Transylvanian road. The bus passes a Bran
Castle road sign.
INT. THE BUS - DAY
Full of TOURISTS. Dorian is excited, Willard and Sonya
show considerably less interest.
Dorian notes that American LYLE GREENWOOD looks with
plenty of interest at pretty American KATY HARRELL,
seated ahead of him. Both are in their 20's.
Katy, apparently unaware of her admirer, enjoys the view,
talks in Romanian with a PASSENGER beside her.
Lyle notes Dorian looking at him. Lyle gives him a cross
eyed look, which has the desired effect: Dorian turns his
attention elsewhere.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - DAY
The tour bus continues on its way.
EXT. BRAN CASTLE - DAY
Standing majestic, with its towers and turrets, in a
mountain fastness.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
The tour bus is approaching the castle.
A PEASANT WOMAN watching from the roadside crosses
herself.
EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY
The tour bus pulls up and stops.
EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY (MOMENTS LATER)
Tourists are getting off the bus.
Dorian, already off, is looking up at the castle with
awe. Now something grabs his attention.
A WOMAN stands at an upper window, watching them. She
is pale, dressed in black.
INT. THE WINDOW - DAY
The woman, 50-ish, watching, has thick eyebrows and
rather long ears. She's the CARETAKER.
EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY
Sonya joins Dorian, still staring up toward the window,
as tourists continue disembarking.
DORIAN
Look at that woman.
Dorian quickly glances around.
DORIAN (cont'd)
Where's Daddy? I want him to
see her.
SONYA
Who? I don't see any woman.
Dorian looks up again at the window. No one is there.
As Dorian points:
DORIAN
She was right there in that
window.
SONYA
Oh, come on, Dorian. You're
going to start seeing vampires
everywhere, right?
INT. CARETAKER'S QUARTERS - DAY
The caretaker steps to a wall mirror. Something O.S.
begins growling irritably. As the caretaker primps:
CARETAKER
I must go greet our visitors.
There is no reflection in the mirror at which the
caretaker primps. She looks off at the growler (O.S.)
as the growling continues.
CARETAKER (cont'd)
You behave yourself while I'm
gone.
She moves to the door, opens it, looks back at the
growler (O.S.), then leaves, the disgruntled growling
continuing.
EXT. CASTLE - DAY
The tourists are walking toward the entrance.
Dorian watches as Lyle moves cockily toward Katy, who
stands studying the castle, writing notes on a pad.
Lyle stops nonchalantly by Katy. Dorian listens nearby.
LYLE
Some castle, eh?
KATY
Sure is. It's going to be in my
dissertation.
LYLE
Yeah? What's it on?
KATY
Medieval castles, like this one.
Lyle lets on to be happily amazed.
LYLE
Lucky for me! Look, my name's
Lyle. Lyle Greenwood. And
you're - ?
KATY
Katy Harrell.
LYLE
Katy, I'm here for a little
research of my own. And you're
just the expert I need.
KATY
Oh, I wouldn't say that.
LYLE
No, believe me, you're just what
I've been praying for. Mind if
I tag along with you on the
tour?
KATY
Not at all.
As they move toward the castle, Lyle eyeing her:
LYLE
Boy, this is my lucky day.
Dorian is watching, apparently impressed by Lyle's
technique.
WILLARD
Dorian!
Willard and Sonya are waiting for Dorian to join them.
WILLARD (cont'd)
Don't wander off. Capeesh? We
don't want Vlad Tepes to get
you.
INT. MAIN HALL - THE CASTLE - DAY
The tourists are milling about, waiting for their tour.
Dorian again eavesdrops on Lyle and Katy.
LYLE
You see, I have this theory -
which I hope to prove - that
Count Dracula really existed.
Katy gives him a skeptical look.
LYLE (cont'd)
I don't mean Vlad Tepes, the
impale-people guy. We know he
was real. I mean Dracula the
count, from Bram Stoker's novel.
KATY
Dracula the vampire.
LYLE
The same.
KATY
Lyle, really.
LYLE
Yes really. I'm going to write
a book. I've got it all figured
out.
CARETAKER
Welcome!
The caretaker addresses the tourists:
CARETAKER (cont'd)
Welcome, everyone, to Bran
Castle.
Dorian hears Lyle whisper to Katy,
LYLE
Tsch. She's made up like a
vampire.
CARETAKER
My husband and I are the
caretakers here. He is ill
today and unable to join us.
Ioan will be your guide for the
day.
She has gestured toward IOAN, a middle-aged gentleman who
nods a courteous greeting to the tourists.
CARETAKER (cont'd)
He speaks English, French, and
Romanian. He will answer all
questions. Now I bid you enjoy
your stay at Bran Castle.
Her eyes fall on Dorian. He returns her gaze with
obvious unease.
IOAN
You will come this way, please.
The caretaker watches Dorian, who keeps glancing back
nervously toward her, as he begins moving with the other
tourists, Ioan leading them off down a corridor:
IOAN (cont'd)
Bran Castle, dating back to the
fourteenth century, has been home
to many Transylvanian nobles . . .
Dorian is now walking backwards, staring at the caretaker
who stands calmly staring back at him.
IOAN (cont'd)
(fading down the corridor)
Even the famous Vlad Tepes once
stayed here.
Dorian backs right into Lyle, who has stopped with Katy
to look at a wall painting in the corridor, the other
tourists moving on.
Turning to Dorian with aggravation, Lyle glances toward
the caretaker, still standing alone in the main hall,
watching, while Dorian still gazes at her.
Lyle bends down to Dorian as Dorian turns to him.
LYLE
Don't you know that it's
impolite to stare?
Dorian heads on down the corridor, Lyle watching him with
disgust. Katy is still looking at the painting.
There is a fluttering sound from the main hall. Lyle
glances toward the hall, then does a take.
No one is there where the caretaker was standing.
Looking rather puzzled, Lyle is rejoined by Katy, who
notes his expression.
KATY
What is it?
LYLE
That caretaker . . .
KATY
What about her?
As they start down the corridor, Lyle glances back toward
the hall with a chuckle.
LYLE
She pretended to fly away.
EXT. COURTYARD - DAY
Ioan is leading the tourists along one of the arcades.
As he stops and turns at a door:
IOAN
Through this door we shall
return to the main hall of the
castle. Then we shall -
KATY
(interrupting)
Excuse me . . .
Katy and Lyle step forward, Dorian not far behind them.
As Katy gestures across the courtyard:
KATY (cont'd)
That side of the castle over
there - aren't you going to show
that as well?
IOAN
No, madam. That part of the
castle is under renovation.
It is closed to the public.
Ioan opens the door and enters. The tourists begin
following.
INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY
Willard smiles back at Dorian and Sonya as they are
moving along with the others.
WILLARD
I haven't noticed one vampire
yet. Have either of you?
DORIAN
I wouldn't count out the
caretaker.
WILLARD
Tsch. She's a dog-and-pony
show.
The group continues moving. Dorian now deliberately
lags, glancing curiously back.
EXT. COURTYARD - DAY
The door from the corridor opens, Dorian looks out across
the courtyard.
He sees Lyle and Katy moving hurriedly along the opposite
arcade, looking for a way into the forbidden side of the
castle.
INT. THE MAIN HALL - DAY
Entering with other tourists, Willard finds that Dorian
is no longer with Sonya.
WILLARD
Where's Dorian?
SONYA
I don't know. Maybe the vampires
got him.
INT. A GALLERY - DAY
Lyle and Katy are walking through an ornate gallery,
admiring paintings and statues.
The gallery door quietly opens, and Dorian looks in.
Dorian sees Lyle and Katy disappear around the corner of
a corridor at the gallery's far end.
Dorian starts quietly following - then stops as he hears
the door mysteriously close itself behind him.
Concerned, Dorian hurries back to the door. It won't
open. Turning, Dorian looks anxiously down the gallery.
DORIAN
Hey! Wait!
His voice resounds in the stillness. He runs down the
gallery.
INT. CORRIDOR - DAY
Dorian rounds the corner, stops to look. Not a soul to
be seen. The passage seems cold and foreboding.
He walks along the passage. Something catches his eyes,
startles him to a halt.
It's a portrait on the wall - the rather unsettling
portrait of Vlad Tepes, the bejeweled, mustachioed
Wallachian prince with the large evil eyes, which seem to
glare at Dorian.
Dorian backs away, turns as he's moving, and walks right
into a suit of armor standing by the wall.
The armor topples, crashing to the floor with a
horrendous, echoing clatter.
This spooks Dorian even more, he goes running down the
passage.
Vlad in the portrait almost seems to be watching with
evil amusement, Dorian's footsteps running away, the
armor still rolling around.
INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY
Dorian desperately tries one door, then another. All are
locked. Dorian stops, scared and frustrated.
DORIAN
Where are you?! Where did you
go?!
Only silence. He looks up toward the corridor's only
windows - little more than holes, high up in the wall.
Dorian's about to cry - then he notes that a door is
standing slightly ajar.
Dorian goes over, listens at the door, then cautiously
opens it wider.
INT. A STUDY - DAY
Dorian pokes his head in. No one's there, he comes in,
looks around.
It's a nice little study, with oak table and chair.
Dorian hurries over to the regular-sized window.
EXT. WINDOW - DAY
Dorian leans out, looks around.
The castle's moat is several yards below. The window
faces woods, with mountains beyond. Not a person in
sight.
Dorian yells from the window:
DORIAN
Help!! Help meeee!!
A wind now mysteriously arises, gently blowing Dorian's
hair, and -
INT. STUDY - DAY
- the door slams shut as if blown by the wind.
The wind dies, as if mission accomplished.
Dorian doesn't know what to think. Then his eyes widen,
as Dorian sees a MIST, smokelike, seeping in under the
door. The mist is sparkling and swirling.
Dorian watches in terror as the mist keeps seeping in,
rising, not filling the room but staying right by the
door. It's gathering, boiling up into some kind of form.
Dorian turns, yells with all his soul out the window,
DORIAN
HELLLLLLLP!!
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