Dracula

Chapter one

 

He found himself standing before the dark, soft wooden door at least twice the height of him and wider than his wingspan. Being six foot two, this was quite the massive door. He knocked gingerly, tapping once with the heavy iron door knocker. After a couple seconds too long of silence, he tapped the knocker twice more and waited. A single bat flitted past him, nearly scratching his face in it's frenzy. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a swarm of the tiny black creatures. He frantically swatted at the air and ducked down in an attempt to protect his face, his body was adequately clothed already due to the freezing temperatures. He heard the door opening - a screeching noise that would have to be fixed when he sold the place - but he could do nothing for it, as he would get a bat directly to the face.

  Once the bats passed he straightened and made an attempt to fix his rust colored hair and smoothen his suit back out. He gave one last tug to his coat and spun on his heel to see a man in the door way and his immediate impression was how old he was. Much older than he thought he would be, and clad in a black three piece suit with an elegant cloak behind him. The outside was a black velvet, but the interior was some intricate design on a red silk. Jonathan raised his eyebrows a little, shocked at the wealth - but not fully surprised. The man beckoned him in gracefully, spreading his arm in a welcoming gesture.

  Skeptically, Jonathan, who is the poor man in the center of our story, entered the massive castle, turning once to look back at the snowy forest, wondering if it wasn't too late to catch the carriage which had taken him to this place. It must have been. He could no longer hear the distant jingle of bells and the shouts from the driver. He was here now... in the middle of nowhere... with a scary old man.

  The warmth inside the castle was feeble in the entryway, egged on by only a few wall scones that led the way down a corridor. Jonathan shivered, looking around at the articulate engravings on the stone arches that stretched across the roof, beautiful Victorian angels, bent in graceful positions. 

  "Thank you, Count Dracula." Jonathan said graciously, turning to look at the old man and addressing him as formally as possible.

  "No; thank you, my dear boy." He smiled, his English was rather good for a native Hungarian, but his accent was thick and        Johnathan already knew he would have a difficult time understanding him. Jonathan was a lawyer from London England and was good at keeping his graces, he would continue to practice this deal as best as possible despite barriers he may encounter. (There also may or may not be a little encouragement coming from the paycheck if he helped to sell this castle).

Not another word was spoken as Johnathan followed the Count deeper into his Castle. Jonathan would have said something to break the awful silence, but found he had nothing to say. He half expected the Count to say something about the castle or about how he planned to sell it, but he never did. Jonathan chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to keep himself calm in this nerve wracking situation. Something eerie buzzed within the walls of this place, he could feel it.

The halls were beginning to warm pleasantly, and as they continued to walk, they came to a massive dining room, with vaulted ceilings painted with renaissance aged art and high marble columns. There were two chandeliers made from antlers and dressed with thick white candles, their wax dripping into little pots that sat on the long wooden table. At the far end of the cavernous room was a fireplace, lit and roaring with warmth. Jonathan noted the strange decor on the mantle piece including a cloudy, smudged jar that was almost as large as his head. The table had more food on it than Jonathan had seen his whole trip over here (which was incredibly long). It was like a meal set for an entire clergy. It was dramatic, but it hadn't failed to thoroughly impress Jonathan, who could always appreciate a fanciful occasion.