Hey, Readerland! The Ogre is back once again, this time for Day 21! This one should be fun.
So, I sent my story to my writing group for the last edits/ideas before sending it off. I could have it out before the end of the week at this rate. But let's get onto today's challenge. What was it?
12. Transcribe an interview with a mythic figure -- the Devil, an archangel, Hephaestus, your
deceased parent, the Burger King, whoever tickles your pineal gland.
Let's go.
I clicked on the recorder and nodded to the man across the table. "For the record, would you state your name?"
"Dracula." The man said.
"Full name?" I asked.
"Vlad Tsepesh, also known as Vlad the Third, Voivode of Wallachia, also known as Vlad the Impaler and Vlad Dracula." The man said, stroking his long beard.
"And you were born in fourteen thirty-one in Transylvania?" I asked.
"Yes. I am five hundred, seventy nine years old. My birthday is on the day Christians celebrate Christmas." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his impressive chest.
"Did you really impale one hundred thousand people?" I asked, looking over the file in front of me.
"No. It was probably no more than twenty thousand." Dracula said. "I released some prisoners to spread the rumors of greater numbers to inspire greater fear among my enemies. Quite ingenious, I thought."
"Absolutely." I said. "When the nineteen ninety two movie came out..."
"Bah!" Dracula said. "While I thought Gary Oldman did a wonderful job portraying me, the story was pathetic. Old Stoker didn't understand when I explained everything to him. He drew me as a villain instead of the man I am."
"What kind of man is that?" I asked.
"I am a warrior! I have always been a warrior." He said. "Whether as a soldier or a general, I fought for Romania and for the throne."
"Personally, I thought the story stuck as closely to the book as possible." I said. "Oldman did a particularly good job, I thought."
"Yes. The problem is that the book was incorrect from the start." Dracula said. "You see, when I spoke to Bram about who I was and what I had become, he immediately fashioned that tale with myself as the villain, as opposed to Doctor Van Helsing, who was the real villain."
"How so?" I asked.
"Lucy. Poor sweet innocent Lucy." Dracula looked down at the table, sadness coloring his features. "I came to her and explained my need for blood to her and that her status as unblemished was particularly attractive to me. She said that she would also speak to Mina on my behalf, but little did she know that Mina was not as pure. That Jonathon was quite insistent, from what I understand."
I was surprised when my guest stood up and began pacing the room.
"When I came to Lucy again, she gave me what I required and nothing more. However, Mr. Morris intruded and assumed I had some evil intentions toward Miss Westerna." Dracula almost growled. "Like a rotten child, he tattled to Mr. Holmwood, who told Dr. Seward. Dr. Seward, idiot that he was, summoned the great Dr. Van Helsing and they attempted to kill Miss Westerna."
"Kill her?" I asked. "They were trying to save her from you!" I paused when he glared at me. "They were giving her blood transfusions."
"Unnecessary blood transfusions!" Dracula yelled. "Those imbeciles knew nothing of blood types or sanitation! They were giving her the wrong types of blood, so her body couldn't use them and because they weren't exactly the cleanest of people, they gave her an infection. In order to rescue her from her 'saviors,' I had to turn her or she would have been lost forever. Obviously that didn't work very well, as those geniuses went and hunted her down as if she was some simple beast. I should have killed them all."
"Why didn't you?" I asked.
"Because...because Mina asked me not to, in respect to Lucy's memory." Dracula said. "It was for Lucy that I stayed my hand." He shook his head. "After that, Mina and I became close, though my behavior was never inappropriate, despite what Mr. Stoker wrote. She came to me because Mr. Harker was quite insistent, as I mentioned. He also raised his hand to her numerous times. I should have killed him first."
"Wait." I said. "The way it presented in the story, you entranced Mina and she became your slave. Or something. Are you saying that's not what happened?"
"Exactly." Dracula said. "Mina came to me as a friend and I comforted her only in appropriate ways. I was supportive and I listened to her. It was her own notion to stop relations with Mr. Harker."
"Mina was going to leave Jonathon?" I asked.
"She was hopeful that going out in public so everyone could see her bruised face would make Mr. Harker change his tune." Dracula said. "Sadly, that was not the case."
"What happened?" I asked.
"He began hitting her in places where no one would see except him. It gave him power over her." He said. "She came to me again. I called for a doctor and the doctor suggested leaving Mr. Harker. I suggested that she accompany me back to Transylvania, where even in my condition, I maintain a bit of power. I suggested she move to Transylvania and there she could recover and possibly find someone who would appreciate her."
"And you said that with no ulterior motives?" I asked. "I find that hard to believe."
Dracula laughed, deep and loud. "As much as I understand your accusations, you have to understand that due to my condition, there are certain...bodily functions that I cannot entertain anymore. My intentions were pure. I booked us passage to Transylvania, but Mr. Harker, being unable to accept his fiance's decision, convinced his friends that I had kidnapped Miss Harker and led them on a quest to retrieve her."
"And?" I asked.
"And they caught us near the Borgo Pass. I attempted to make peace between the parties, but Mr. Harker was having none of it." Dracula's hand went to his chest. "Mr. Morris is quite handy with a knife, but fortunately, it wasn't a wooden stake."
"You survived, but what happened to Lucy?" I asked. "The book states that she went back to Jonathon and they got married."
"Because Mr. Stoker needed a happy ending for his incredibly inaccurate tale." Dracula said with a smirk. "She returned to Transylvania with me and found herself a farmer who loved her and appreciated her. They were happy until they died, hand in hand, due to an influenza outbreak."
"Thank you, Mr. Dracula. I appreciate you speaking to me to clear things up." I said, offering him my hand.
"My pleasure. I am hoping you can write a book that will set the record straight." He took my hand and squeezed it firmly before leaving.
Okay, that was fun. Dracula has been one of my favorite characters of all time.
Okay, we're getting closer and closer to the end of the ride, ladies and gentlemen. I appreciate you sticking with me through this. Let's figure out what's happening tomorrow. The lovely assistant has drawn:
4. Write about first contact: not the time humanity first meets aliens, but the first time aliens
meet humanity -- meaning, from the alien POV. Or, hell, make it whatever you want:
werewolves, subterranean goblin-folk, an army of rampaging Snookis sent to pilfer the world of
its Red Bull and tanning cream.
Huh. That should be interesting.
Okay, that's going to do it for today and I'll see you tomorrow. Until then, take care and be awesome to each other.
#WWWYKI
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