Castle Dracula - LMS-English-8

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Castle Dracula
By Nina Wornhoff
A multigenre on Castle Dracula
From Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Journal Entry Count Dracula
August 16- Now that the weather is finally better and this blasted rain has gone off we can
continue construction at full speed. We are currently constructing the inner walls since the outer
defense are complete. Stone blocks are being lifted by teams of six men each while others
spread mortar to keep them in place. The head of construction is a Swiss man by the name of
Domenico Trezzini. Domenico is a tiresome man who is more unorganized than any I have
previously met. Papers are constantly flying off his desk never to be found again, while this is a
quite serious problem he does manage to get the job done. I cannot wait for the time when his
part in this task is over and he can be disposed of.
Today a group of young men were hauling one of the stone blocks when one of them got
a fright and jumped back in fear. His fright had come from seeing my dear wife feeding on his
comrade. I had warned her to do these things out of sight but she does have an awful memory. I
simply scolded the man at the moment for the block had gone tumbling down off the wall, but I
later implemented a more severe disciplinary service by threatening him with his life and others.
While this was a moot point as my wife and I will take care of all these workers when they are
no longer useful.
Since this castle is to be one with the most advanced defenses, I have taken the
precaution of building the most important and secret parts of it myself. For example no plans
exist depicting the two escape routes or the chambers where my boxes earth will be kept. This
secrecy will allow me the advantage should I ever need an escape route or a place to hide. Many
other secrets will exist in my castle but I shan’t mention those should this diary fall into the
wrong hands. My castle will be unreachable from three sides making all attacks predictable as
they must come from Eastern side. I must now rest, for tonight much progress must be made in
order for the project to finish on schedule. Farewell for now tomorrow will come with much
more news.
“Welcome to my house!
Enter freely and of
your own will!” Count
Dracula. Pg. 21
For Sale
Castle Dracula
 Over 20,000 square feet
 57 rooms
 8 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms
 12 acre grounds with a lake, fields, and forests
 Revolutionary heating and cooling systems
 Built in the late 1500s by the best architects of
the times
Asking Price:
$80,000,000
(£117,000,000)
“The castle is a veritable
prison, and I am a
prisoner!”
Jonathan Harker’s
Journal. Pg. 36
Recipe for Castle Dracula
Prep Time: 3-5 years
Ingredients:
 50,000 stone blocks (3ft X 3ft X 3ft)
 8,000 pounds of mortar
 One 25ft. moat surrounding castle complete with crocodiles
 5,000 cups of dust
 5 tons of creepiness
 1,000 square ft. of cobwebs
 NO MIRRORS
 100 wooden boxes filled with Transylvanian Earth
 One person only (Count Dracula) and his guests when necessary
Directions:
1. Stack stone blocks forming walls, rooms, and corridors within the castle. Use 8,000 pounds of
mortar to connect stone blocks. (Typically takes 2-3 years)
2. Dig 25ft. moat around castle after basic construction and fill with water and vicious
crocodiles. (Add other nasty touches as necessary)
3. Spread 5 tons of creepiness over the top of Castle Dracula and then sprinkle liberally with
5,000 cups of dust. Drape 1,000 square ft. of cobwebs over all surfaces.
4. Finally remove all mirrors from the premises and bring in Count Dracula alone. Allow no
admission to anyone except the Count’s special guests.
“. . . Should you leave
these rooms you will
not by any chance go
to sleep in any other
part of the castle.”
Count Dracula. Pg. 45
Recipe for a Castle
Prep Time: 3-5 years
Ingredients:
 50.000 stone blocks (3ft. X 3ft. X 3ft.)
 8,000 pounds of mortar
 One 25ft. moat surrounding the castle
 One wooden drawbridge (30ft. X 15ft.)
 One dungeon underneath the castle with 50 cells
 100 tapestries (8ft. X 10ft.)
 One great hall
 At least 4 towers (add more as needed)
 One huge armory complete with weapons and armor
 Many brave souls to defend the castle
Directions:
1. Stack stone blocks forming walls, rooms, and corridors within the castle. Use 8,000 pounds of
mortar to connect stone blocks. (Typically takes 2-3 years)
2. Dig the 25ft. moat around the castle. Fill the moat with water and place the 30ft. X 15ft.
drawbridge over it.
3. Excavate a dungeon under the castle. Place 50 iron prison cells in the dungeon with shackles
and handcuffs.
4. Hang colorful tapestries depicting heroic events in rooms and corridors to provide insulation
and spirit for the residents.
5. Include one great hall filled with wooden tables and benches. Use hall for all festivities and
meals. (The hall should have the best tapestries hanging on its walls)
6. Build the final towers for lookouts and weapons of war. One tower shall be devoted to an
armory where all armor and weapons are kept for times of war.
7. For the final touch spread a thick layer of brave souls over the castle and its grounds. These
souls will faithfully defend the castle from enemy invasion and any other threat that is posed.
The souls will also add the spirit of cheer to the castle at all times.
“ . . . The clear line of
Dracula’s castle cut
the sky” Mina Harker’s
Journal. Pg. 512
Journal Entry Jonathan Harker
April 29, 1893- I am currently on a train back to London from Transylvania. Mina suddenly died
of heart failure last week so I decided to take a trip back to the site of our largest, most exiting,
and most dangerous adventure of all. Arthur Holmwood accompanied me on my trip since his
wife had also recently died and he was longing a trip back to that ominous old castle.
When we were dropped off at the Borgo Pass the sight of the hard rock cutting a jagged
line against the clear blue sky was one that chilled the heart. Arthur and I began walking along
the path to castle in a reverent silence, as we both knew what memories belong to this castle. As
we finally arrived at the castle we saw thick ivy growing up the gates and walls. The door had
rotted away and was easily opened but what lay inside was a bone chilling sight. The front
entryway was open and with huge tapestries displaying the deaths of various vampires covered
the walls. As we further explored we found all the rooms that used to have locked doors opened
and filled with books on various subjects, but all concerning living beings with blood. In the
Count’s room the most gruesome artifact was found, a diary that he had kept of all his victims.
They ranged from small, innocent children to famous actors to elderly women. Along with the
terrible diary was a small secret chamber beneath the floorboards leading to a path excavated
down the mountainside on the back of the castle. It appears that the Count did not intend to be
left without an escape route in the case of trouble.
The next discovery was an arsenal full of rifles, cannons, and other weapons to gruesome
to mention. It seems the Count anticipated attack and prepared accordingly though it seems
pointless as no one would be there to fight other than himself. There were also huge pots of
pitch and water over what used to be large fires. I assume that these were intended to be poured
on attackers when boiling hot, this is no doubt a terribly effective tactic but also terribly
gruesome.
Everything in this castle seems to be old and worn down, it is aging as people do and it
will soon be nothing but a ruin. The passages between floors and dungeons are already decayed
to the point of collapse. The stones on the outside no longer hold their right angles and sharp
corners; they are smoothed and cracked in many places. Only the empty coffins seem to be
preserved as if waiting for their occupants to return. While everything else in the castle is solid
rock, it is the wood that survives the years of age and wear, perhaps they are cursed coffins
destined to remain in the castle for all of eternity.
Returning to this place has brought back more unpleasant memories than any one person
should ever have to deal with. The hard iron gates, empty coffins, secret passages, and gruesome
artifacts all are part of Castle Dracula and Count Dracula himself. While the Count in person is
gone his spirit still seems to lurk in the shadowy ruins of his home. This is the last time I shall
return to this site and I plan to avoid speaking and even thinking of the Count and his haunted
lair. My journal considering Count Dracula the vampire is now finished to never again be
opened.
Jonathan Harker
“Welcome to my house!
Enter freely and of
your own will!” Count
Dracula. Pg. 21
IM Conversation
November 8, 9:47 am
Dracula: Domenico, we need 500 more stone blocks for the NW tower
Domenico Trezzini: sorry, no can do we are over budget and it isnt goin to work
Dracula: what else are you going to use to build the tower w/ then?
Domenico Trezzini: idk, its your castle, your problem
Dracula: fine, I will buy the blocks and bring them for you
Domenico Trezzini: fine but im not paying for them
Dracula: you pay for 1/2
Domenico Trezzini: no, cant do that Count
Dracula: dont make me suck your blood mr, jk, or am i???
Domenico Trezzini: please, I am building you a castle, enough w/ the melodrama
Dracula: fine, ill do it. When is the dungeon going to be done
Domenico Trezzini: next month sometime
Dracula: good, I need a place for people I dont like :)
Domenico Trezzini: ok…
Dracula: now remember that I NEED to have everything perfect especially in the armory
Domenico Trezzini: tell me again why you need boiling pots of pitch
Dracula: to pour on attackers when they approach
Domenico Trezzini: isnt that kindof cruel??
Dracula: hey, they are attacking me i am just defending
Domenico Trezzini: ok, well I want to start working twice as fast to finish this job
Dracula: alright, well i gtg, see you tonight
Domenico Trezzini: bye
November 8, 9:59 am
Domenico Trezzini: hey
Worker #34: hi, um does the count creep you out as much as he creeps me out?
Domenico Trezzini: yeah he is really demented and scary
Worker #34: I cant wait till we are done with this job
Domenico Trezzini: me to
Worker #34: why do we only work at night
Domenico Trezzini: the count says he and his wife have very sensitive skin and dont want to get
a sun burn
Worker #34: oh
Domenico Trezzini: i dont think that’s true
Worker #34: when we were building his room I heard him talking about needing extra coffins,
what do you think that is about?
Domenico Trezzini: idk, but why would you need coffins, that is sooooo creepy
Worker #34: yep, hopefully we make it out of this job alive
Domenico Trezzini: I agree
Worker #34: well I gtg (delete this conversation please  )
Domenico Trezzini: sure, see you tonight :(
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