5 May.
I must have been asleep. The carriage stopped in a large courtyard. The driver helped me down. He was very strong. His hand was like a vice (a tool that holds things very tightly). He put my bags on the ground. Then he drove away.
I stood alone near a big wooden door. It was very old and had iron nails. I waited for a long time. I felt afraid. I am a solicitor (a type of lawyer). I just passed my exams. I pinched my arm to see if I was awake. It was not a dream.
I heard heavy steps behind the door. I saw a light. Then I heard the sound of chains and bolts. A key turned in the lock. The big door opened.
A tall old man stood there. He was all in black. He had a long white moustache. He held a silver lamp. He looked like a statue.
The old man told me to enter. He spoke excellent English. He said, “Welcome to my house! Enter freely!” I stepped inside. He took my hand. His hand was as cold as ice. It felt like the hand of a dead man.
I asked him if he was Count Dracula. He bowed to me. He said, “I am Dracula. Welcome to my house, Mr. Harker.” He took my bags. I tried to help him, but he said no. He said his servants were not there.
We went up a winding stair. Then we walked along a stone passage. He opened a door to a room with a big fire. Supper was on the table. The Count took me to my bedroom. It was warm and had another fire.
He told me to wash and get ready. He said my supper was waiting for me. I was very hungry. I went back to the dining room.
The Count stood by the fire. He told me to eat. He did not eat with me. He said he had already finished his dinner. I gave him a letter from my boss, Mr. Hawkins.
The Count read the letter. In the letter, Mr. Hawkins said I was a good worker. He said I was a faithful man. I ate roast chicken and cheese. I drank two glasses of wine.
The Count asked me many questions about my journey. I told him everything. After supper, I smoked a cigar. Now I had time to look at the Count’s face.
His nose was thin and high. He had a very large forehead. His eyebrows were very thick. His mouth looked cruel. He had very sharp white teeth. They were very red and long.
His ears were pale and pointed at the top. His face was very white. I saw his hands. They were white and broad. There was hair in the middle of his palms!
His nails were long and sharp. The Count leaned over me. His breath smelled very bad. I felt sick. The Count saw my face and sat down.
Everything was very quiet. Then we heard wolves howling in the valley. The Count’s eyes grew bright. He said, “Listen to the children of the night. What music they make!”
He saw that I was surprised. He told me that people from the city do not understand the hunter. Then he told me to go to bed. He said he would be away until the afternoon. I went to my room. I am afraid. I feel strange things here.
7 May.
I slept for a long time. I woke up and went to the dining room. I found a cold breakfast. There was a note from the Count. It said he was away.
The table was made of gold. The curtains were very expensive and beautiful. They were hundreds of years old. But there were no mirrors in the castle!
I did not see any servants. I only heard the wolves. I went into another room. It was a library. It was full of English books and newspapers.
The Count came into the library. He was very happy to see me. He said he loved English books. He wants to go to London.
He wants to speak English perfectly. He said, “In my country, I am a powerful noble. But in London, I will be a stranger. People will know I am not from there. I want to be like everyone else.”
He told me I can go anywhere in the castle. But I must not go into the rooms that are locked. He said Transylvania is different from England.
I asked him about the blue flames from the night before. He said that blue flames show where treasure is hidden. Many wars happened here. People hid their gold in the ground.
He said the flames only appear on one night of the year. But the peasants are too afraid to look for the gold. I told him I would not be able to find the places again.
Then we talked about London. I showed him the papers for his new house. The house is called Carfax. It is in a place called Purfleet.
It is a very big house. It has a high stone wall and an old chapel. It is near a lunatic asylum (a hospital for people with mental illness).
The Count was very happy. He likes old houses. He said, “I am old. I do not like the sun or happy places. I like the shadows.”
After supper, we talked for many hours. Suddenly, a cock crowed. This means it was morning. The Count stood up quickly. He said goodbye and left me.
8 May.
I am very uneasy. I think I am the only living person in this castle. I only see the Count at night. I will write down the facts. This helps me stay calm.
I was shaving this morning by the window. I had a small mirror. Suddenly, the Count said, “Good morning.” I was very surprised. I did not hear him.
I looked into my mirror. I could see the whole room behind me. But I did not see the Count! He was standing next to me. But there was no reflection (the image you see in a mirror) of him.
I was so surprised that I cut my chin with the razor. I turned around. The Count saw the blood on my face. His eyes became very angry. He looked like a demon.
He tried to grab my throat. But his hand touched my crucifix (a cross with a figure of Jesus). He stopped immediately. His anger went away.
He told me to be careful. He said the mirror was a bad thing. He grabbed the mirror and threw it out the window. It broke on the stones below. Then he walked out of the room.
I finished my breakfast alone. I walked around the castle. It is built on a very high cliff. A stone would fall a thousand feet to the bottom.
I tried to open the doors. Every door was locked or bolted. I cannot leave the castle. The castle is a prison. I am a prisoner!