12 September. Everyone is very kind to me. I really love Dr. Van Helsing. He is a wonderful man. He was very worried about the flowers yesterday. He was a little scary and angry. But he was right. The flowers make me feel better.
I am not afraid to be alone tonight. I can sleep now. I do not worry about the flapping noise at the window. Before, I had a terrible struggle against sleep. I was afraid of the night. Some people are very lucky. They have no fears. They sleep and have sweet dreams.
Tonight, I am waiting for sleep. I am lying in my bed with many flowers. I never liked garlic before. But tonight, I like it. The smell is very calming. I am falling asleep now. Goodnight, everyone.
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
13 September. I went to the hotel to see Dr. Van Helsing. We took a carriage to Lucy’s house. It was a beautiful autumn morning. The sun was bright. The leaves on the trees were many colors.
We entered the house. We met Mrs. Westenra. She always wakes up early. She was very happy. She told us that Lucy was better and was still asleep.
Dr. Van Helsing smiled. He was very happy. He said his medicine was working. But Mrs. Westenra said, "It is not only your medicine, Doctor. I helped Lucy, too." Dr. Van Helsing asked how she helped.
Mrs. Westenra said, "The room was very stuffy. There were many smelly flowers everywhere. Lucy even had flowers around her neck! I thought the smell was too strong for a sick girl. So, I took all the flowers away. Then, I opened the window to let in fresh air."
Mrs. Westenra went into another room. I looked at Dr. Van Helsing. His face turned gray. He stayed quiet while Mrs. Westenra was there. He did not want to scare her. But when she left, he pulled me into the dining room. He closed the door quickly.
Then, Dr. Van Helsing began to cry. He was very sad and angry. He put his hands over his head. He said, "God! Why is this happening? This poor mother wants to help. But she is killing her daughter! We cannot tell her the truth. If we tell her, she will die from the shock."
Suddenly, Dr. Van Helsing stood up. He said we must act now. We went up to Lucy’s room. Dr. Van Helsing looked at her face. Lucy was very white again. She looked like she was made of wax.
Dr. Van Helsing locked the door. He prepared his tools for another transfusion. I wanted to give my blood. But Dr. Van Helsing said, "No. You gave blood before. You are weak. Today, I will give my blood."
We did the operation again. Lucy’s face became pink again. She began to breathe normally. Dr. Van Helsing rested for a while. Later, he spoke to Mrs. Westenra. He told her she must not move anything from the room. He said the flowers were important medicine.
An hour later, Lucy woke up and looked better. Dr. Van Helsing stayed at the house that night to watch her. I am very confused. I work with people who have serious mental illnesses. I think I am becoming a little crazy, too.
Lucy Westenra’s Diary.
17 September. I had four days and nights of peace. I feel very strong now. The bad dreams are gone. Before, I was very afraid of the dark. I heard strange noises at the window. I heard voices that told me to do bad things. But now, those noises are gone.
I am not afraid to sleep. I like the garlic now. Dr. Van Helsing gets a new box of garlic every day. Tonight, Dr. Van Helsing is going to Amsterdam. He must go there for one day. But I am okay. I am strong enough to be alone. I am glad to be well again for my mother and Arthur.
The Pall Mall Gazette, 18 September
THE ESCAPED WOLF
I went to the London Zoo. I wanted to talk about the escaped wolf. I found the keeper, Thomas Bilder. He was an old man, and he was having tea with his wife. He works with the wolves every day.
Thomas Bilder said, "I will talk after I eat. A man must eat before he can talk." After tea, I asked about the wolf. The wolf’s name is Bersicker. He is a big, gray wolf. He was always a good wolf. He never tried to escape before.
Yesterday, Thomas Bilder heard a loud noise. He went to the wolf cages. He saw a strange man there. The man was tall and thin. He had a thin nose and a pointed beard. He had very white teeth and red eyes. Thomas Bilder did not like the man.
The man looked at the wolves. He said, "The wolves are angry." Thomas Bilder said, "Maybe they are angry at you." The man smiled. His teeth were very sharp. Then, the man touched Bersicker’s ears. The wolf became very quiet. The man said he had many pet wolves. Then, the man walked away.
That night, the moon was bright. All the wolves began to howl. At midnight, Thomas Bilder went to the cages. Bersicker’s cage was empty! The metal bars were broken and twisted. Thomas Bilder looked for the wolf all night.
Later, Bersicker came back to the zoo by himself. He was very quiet. But his head was cut. He had broken glass in his skin. He looked like he jumped over a wall with glass on it. Thomas Bilder put the wolf back in the cage and gave him some meat.
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
17 September. I was working in my office. Suddenly, the door opened. My patient, Renfield, ran inside. He was very angry. He had a knife in his hand. He tried to stab me. I moved behind my table. But Renfield was very fast. He cut my wrist with the knife.
I hit Renfield and he fell to the floor. My wrist was bleeding. A lot of blood fell on the carpet. Then, Renfield did something disgusting. He lay on the floor. He licked my blood like a dog. He said, "The blood is the life! The blood is the life!"
The workers came and took Renfield away. I am very tired. I lost blood today and I lost blood for Lucy. I need to rest. Dr. Van Helsing did not send for me, so I can sleep tonight.
A Telegram from Dr. Van Helsing to Dr. Seward
17 September. Go to Lucy’s house tonight. You must watch her. Check the flowers. This is very important. Do not fail. I am coming back as soon as possible.
(The message arrived 22 hours late.)
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
18 September. I am going to Lucy’s house in Hillingham now. The telegram arrived very late. I was not with her last night. I am very afraid. What happened during the night? I am afraid something terrible happened.
A Note left by Lucy Westenra
17 September, Night. I am writing this so people know the truth. I am very weak. I think I am dying. I must write this before I die.
I went to bed. I had the garlic flowers around my neck. I fell asleep. But then, a noise at the window woke me up. It was the flapping noise again. I was afraid. I called out, "Is anyone there?" No one answered. I did not want to wake my mother.
Then, I heard a loud howl in the garden. It sounded like a big dog. I looked out the window. I saw a big bat. Then, my mother came into my room. She sat on my bed. She was a little afraid, too. We held each other.
Suddenly, we heard a loud crash. Someone broke the window! A giant gray wolf put its head through the broken glass. My mother screamed. She was terrified. She grabbed the flowers from my neck and pulled them away. Then, my mother fell over. Her heart stopped. She died instantly.
The room began to spin. The wolf pulled its head back. I saw many small pieces of dust in the air. The dust moved in circles. I could not move. My mother’s body was on top of me. She was cold. Then, I fainted.
Later, I woke up. I heard a bell outside. I heard dogs howling. I heard a bird singing in the garden. I felt very weak and sick. I called the maids. They came into the room and saw my dead mother. They screamed.
I told the maids to go to the dining room. I told them to drink some wine because they were scared. But the maids did not come back. I went to the dining room to find them. All four maids were on the floor. They were in a deep sleep.
The wine had laudanum in it. Someone put the medicine in the wine. Now, I am alone. I am back in my room with my dead mother. The maids are asleep. I can hear the wolf howling outside the broken window.
The air is full of dust. The lights are low and blue. I am very afraid. I will hide this note in my dress. I hope someone finds it. Goodbye, Arthur. God help me!