Short Stories Anthology

"The Seductive Call of Dracula: My Journey Through the Carpathian Mountains"

The Seductive Call of Dracula: My Journey Through the Carpathian Mountains

I couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled across the castle in the Carpathian Mountains. I had been traveling for days, and I was exhausted, hungry, and completely lost. As I approached the castle gates, I noticed they were open. I hesitated for a moment before venturing inside. I called out for anyone who might be around, but no one answered.

I was greeted by an eerie silence as I walked through the dark, empty halls. The only sounds were the creaking of the old wooden floors under my feet and the soft rustling of the wind outside. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

Finally, I came to a room with a large fireplace and several armchairs. A tall figure emerged from the shadows, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. He introduced himself as Count Dracula and offered me a warm meal and a bed for the night. I was hesitant to accept his offer, but my tired body won out, and I followed him to the dining room.

As I sat down to eat, I couldn't help but feel like something was off. Dracula's manners were impeccable, but there was something about him that made my skin crawl. It was as if he knew something that I didn't, and he was silently laughing at my ignorance.

After dinner, Dracula showed me to my room. As I lay in bed, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was as if the air around me was heavy and suffocating.

Suddenly, I heard a soft tapping on my window. I sat up in bed and listened. It sounded like the tapping was getting louder and more insistent. I got up and cautiously made my way to the window. To my horror, I saw a figure on the other side of the glass. It was a woman with long, dark hair and a pale face. She looked like she was in a trance, and her eyes were fixed on me. I tried to back away, but she continued tapping on the window, her eyes never leaving mine.

I ran to the door and flung it open, but Dracula was already there, standing in the hallway. "What's going on?" I demanded.

"It's just one of my wives," he replied calmly. "She gets restless at night and likes to wander."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dracula had wives? And they were wandering around outside my window in the middle of the night?

I tried to go back to sleep, but the tapping continued, accompanied by whispers that I couldn't quite make out. I was terrified, and I knew I needed to leave. But where could I go? I was in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains, and I didn't have a clue which way was out.

The next day, I tried to act normal and pretend as nothing had happened. I asked Dracula about the woman at my window, and he told me that she was one of his wives who had died centuries ago. He had brought her back to life with his dark powers and made her one of his undead brides.

I was shocked and horrified by what I had heard. I had always thought that stories of vampires and the undead were just legends, but here was Dracula, living proof that they were real.

Over the next few days, I tried to learn as much as I could about Dracula and his wives. I read books on vampire lore and studied ancient texts on the occult. I was desperate to find a way to escape, but the castle was a labyrinth, and I couldn't find a way out.

One night, as I lay in bed, I heard a soft, seductive voice in my ear.

"Come to me," the voice whispered, "I can offer you everything you desire."