30 September.—I arrived home at five o’clock. Lord Godalming and Quincey Morris were already there. They had read all the journals and letters. Jonathan Harker was still out. Mina Harker gave us tea. The house felt like a real home for the first time.
Mina asked for a favor. She wanted to see the patient, Mr. Renfield. I took her to his room. Mr. Renfield tidied his room quickly. He swallowed all his flies and spiders. I was worried. I stood near Mina to protect her.
Mina spoke to Mr. Renfield kindly. She shook his hand. Mr. Renfield looked at her with a frown. Then he looked surprised. He asked if she was the girl I had wanted to marry. Mina smiled. She said no, and told him she was married to Jonathan.
Mr. Renfield became very serious. He spoke like a polite gentleman. He talked about philosophy. I was very surprised. I had never heard Mr. Renfield talk this way. It was very strange.
Mina talked to him about his beliefs. Mr. Renfield explained his old ideas. He used to think he could live forever. He ate living things to get more life. He even tried to kill me once. He said that "the blood is the life." I said it was time to go. Mina said goodbye. Mr. Renfield said a strange thing. He hoped he never saw her again. He asked God to bless her.
I went to the station. Dr. Van Helsing arrived on the train. He was very excited. He asked about Mina and Jonathan. He asked about Lord Godalming and Quincey. He wanted to see everyone.
I told him about the typed journals. Dr. Van Helsing praised Mina. He said she was very smart. But he said she must stop this work now. He did not want her to be in danger. He wanted the men to finish the job alone.
We talked about the Count's house. It was the house next to the asylum. Dr. Van Helsing was very worried. He wished we had known this sooner. We could have saved Lucy. But we decided to focus on the future. We walked to my house together.
Mina Harker’s Journal.
30 September.—The group met in Dr. Seward’s study after dinner. We formed a board. Dr. Van Helsing sat at the head of the table. I was the secretary. I wrote down everything. Jonathan sat next to me.
Dr. Van Helsing talked about vampires. He said they were real. He said the Count was very strong. The Count was as strong as twenty men. He was very smart because he was very old. He could use magic to talk to the dead.
The Count could change his shape. He could become a wolf or a bat. He could control the weather. He could command rats and owls. He could become very small. He could also vanish. He was a very dangerous enemy.
Dr. Van Helsing warned the group. If we failed, we would become vampires too. We would lose our souls forever. But we must do our duty. Jonathan held my hand. He was very brave. All the men promised to help.
The group made a compact. We all held hands. Dr. Van Helsing put his golden crucifix on the table. We promised to destroy the Count. I felt icy cold, but I did not want to stop.
Dr. Van Helsing talked about the Count's limits. A vampire cannot enter a house unless someone invites him. His power stops during the day. He can only change his shape at sunrise, noon, or sunset. He cannot cross water easily.
There are things that hurt vampires. Garlic and holy things like the crucifix are powerful. A branch of a wild rose can keep a vampire in his coffin. A stake through the heart can kill him. We already knew about the stake.
Dr. Van Helsing told us about the Count's past. The Count was a brave soldier long ago. He was a very smart man. He learned secrets from the devil. He was a great leader, but now he was a monster. He came from a noble family.
Quincey looked at the window. He left the room quietly. Suddenly, a gun fired outside. A bullet broke the window glass. I screamed. The men stood up quickly. Quincey came back inside.
He said he saw a big bat at the window. He tried to shoot it, but the bat flew away. He said he hated bats because of Lucy. He apologized to me. He did not want to frighten me.
Dr. Van Helsing explained his plan. We must find all the boxes of earth. We must kill the monster in his house. He told me I must stay safe. I must not help with the dangerous work anymore. The men wanted to protect me.
I was sad, but I agreed. The men decided to go to the Count's house right away. Quincey said they must act fast. Time was very important. I went to my room to try to sleep.
Dr. Seward’s Diary.
1 October, 4 a.m.—A message came for me. Mr. Renfield wanted to see me immediately. I asked the others to wait for me. But Dr. Van Helsing and the other men wanted to come with me. They wanted to see the patient.
Mr. Renfield was waiting for us. He spoke very clearly and calmly. He asked me to let him leave the asylum. He said he was sane now. He even knew Lord Godalming's father. He spoke to everyone with respect.
I did not want to let him go. I knew that Mr. Renfield changed his mind quickly. I said I would talk to him in the morning. Mr. Renfield was not happy. He wanted to leave right now. He said time was moving fast.
He begged us. He said he had good reasons to leave. He said it was for the safety of others. Dr. Van Helsing asked him for the real reason. Mr. Renfield could not say. He said he was not his own master.
I started to leave. Mr. Renfield became very upset. He fell on his knees. He cried and begged. He asked us to save his soul from guilt. He said he was fighting for his soul. He was very desperate.
I told him to go to bed. Mr. Renfield stopped crying. He sat on his bed quietly. As I left the room, he asked me to remember this night later. He said he had tried his best to convince us.