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? 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