Cryptic Canticles presents Dracula

Episode Synopsis: Jonathan Harker arrives to stay with Mina and the rest of the men as guests in Seward’s asylum. He and Mina set to work ordering and organizing all of their separate accounts into a single chronological narrative. While working, Mina discovers that Renfield’s behavior coincides with the movements of the Count. Seward goes to visit Renfield, and finds him lucid, and discussing arrangements to be discharged from the asylum. Seward hopes to visit him later in hopes of uncovering more information on the Count.

Jonathan travels around town, tracking the Count’s boxes of earth and buying drinks for everybody every step of the way. A delivery man working for Carter, Paterson and Co. describes that they transferred the fifty boxes into the chapel of Carfax Manor.

Mina is delighted to see that Jonathan’s resolve in tracking the count has renewed his vigor as Van Helsing said it would. While Jonathan and Seward are away, Mina meets Arthur and Quincey, and in turn, comforts each of them in their trauma over Lucy’s death.

When Seward arrives at the asylum, and at Mina’s request, takes her to meet Renfield. He is astonished to find Renfield conversing with her on a high intellectual level, quoting philosophy, and explaining his Zoophagous behavior as an attempt at prolonging his own life by assimilating others. When Seward and Mina must leave, Renfield shocks Seward again by wishing Mina well and saying that he hopes to never see her again.

Seward picks up Van Helsing from the train station, and Van Helsing is glad to know that everybody else is already assembled. He tells Seward that they should not involve Mina in any further planning, as it might be bad for her in the long run.

In a meeting after dinner, Van Helsing lays out the path before them, that the Count is strong with many powers, and influence over animals and the dead, and that failure in their mission would doom each of them to the Count’s nefarious army. Each present at the table pledge themselves to the grim task in spite of the risks. Van Helsing goes on to discuss the details about the Count that they had observed through experience, and to say that his friend, Arminius, a scholar from Buda-Pesth University, was able to provide more details about the Count through research. In life, the Count was an unusually cunning war lord who defeated the Turks long ago. His family is said to have had dealings with the devil, instilling the Count with his evil, supernatural powers. He may only rest in the earth that is made holy by the graves of his biological children, which is why he must transport their dirt graves with him, and now which they must find.

At this point, Quincey, who had stepped outside to investigate a noise, shoots his pistol at a bat which had come to rest outside the window where the group was meeting.

Not wanting to lose a moment, the men agree to investigate whatever boxes remain at Carfax, and, to Mina’s chagrin, she must stay behind, and no longer be involved in their dealings with Dracula.

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Episode Synopsis: Arthur and Quincey meet with Seward and Van Helsing in complete confusion as to why they had been summoned. At once, Van Helsing asks that the two men assent to committing themselves to Van Helsing's wishes, intent unknown. Quincey agrees immediately, but Arthur is more wary. He reluctantly agrees to hear what the professor has in mind. Before Van Helsing can go too far into the details, Arthur is enraged, condemning Van Helsing's intent on the desecration of the grave of the woman he loves. Van Helsing, however, swears that he must do what he will for the honor of Lucy, and the others reluctantly assent to see his evidence and then decide for themselves.

Once inside the tomb, Van Helsing opens the coffin and peels back the leaden flange to reveal the empty coffin. Quincey questions Van Helsing's involvement in the removal of her body, but Van Helsing confirms with Seward that the body had been gone two nights ago, but present the preceding day. He asks the others to step outside and guard the tomb.

The gentlemen take up spots where they can watch the tomb, and Van Helsing produces a piece of holy Eucharist, which he mixes with a putty, and uses to fill in the gap in between the door of the tomb and the doorframe. After some time, the group is alerted to the presence of a white-clad figure approaching. Cold and hard, and clutching an unconscious child to its breast is none other than the form of Lucy Westenra. Once her eyes touch the men, she snarls like an animal and tosses the child to the ground. She approaches Arthur and entraps him under a sort of seductive spell, but Van Helsing interjects with a crucifix which he uses to ward her away. Lucy tries to regain entrance to the safety of her tomb, but is confounded by the putty that Van Helsing used to seal the door. As he keeps her trapped between the door and the crucifix, Van Helsing again asks Arthur for permission to carry out his ghastly procedure, and Arthur assents. Van Helsing removes a chunk of the putty from the crevice, and all are amazed when Lucy's body slides through the small slice in between the closed door and the doorframe. Van Helsing replaces the putty to the crevice to keep Lucy trapped inside, and the party agrees to meet the following day at twelve noon.

The following afternoon, Arthur, Van Helsing, Seward, and Quincey meet and travel to the cemetery. Once the mourners had departed and the gates had been locked, the men enter the tomb and open the coffin as before. They gaze with hate at the Undead body of Lucy, and Van Helsing sets out an array of ghastly tools. He states that once the procedure has concluded, Lucy will be purified, and that it should be Arthur, her lover, who performs the deed that saves her soul. Arthur does not falter as he pounds the long wooden stake through Lucy's heart, his friends empowering him with prayers. Once Lucy's body lay still again, all rejoice to see her reduced to her old self, worn with the care of her illness, and filled with peace. Arthur bids her goodbye, and he and Quincey exit the tomb leaving Seward and Van Helsing to remove Lucy's head and fill her mouth with garlic.

Once outside the tomb, Arthur praises Van Helsing for his devotion to Lucy, proclaiming himself at Van Helsing's service. Van Helsing explains that they are still at the beginning of a perilous journey to eradicate the evil that killed poor Lucy. The men, now believers, pledge themselves to the task.

Van Helsing receives a telegram that Mina is coming to join him, but he has to leave for Amsterdam, so he asks Seward to intercept her, giving him all the diary entries of Jonathan and Mina. Seward meets Mina at the train station and takes her back to his home at the asylum, whereupon Mina asks Seward to conference with her.

In Seward's study, Mina sees Seward's phonograph diary, and after some coaxing, convinces him to let her listen to it. Mina explains that she must finish transcribing his diary to add to the collective pool of knowledge so that the other men might learn from his observations as well, so they can all set to catch the Count.

Jonathan Harker travels to London to begin tracking down the fifty boxes of earth that the Count had sent from his home castle in Bistritz. Jonathan receives aid from Samuel Billington, and has the number of boxes confirmed by the harbormaster. Jonathan is able to procure the confidence of the dock workers by buying them a round of drinks.

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Episode Synopsis: After a night’s rest, Dr. Seward decides that Van Helsing’s theories, which he had been so ready to believe the night before, must be mere folly. He worries that Van Helsing might be losing his mind, and that he is such a clever man, he could easily fool them all, should he be behind this spectacle. Seward resolves to keep a keen eye on Van Helsing when he meets him tonight to watch for odd behavior.

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Episode Synopsis: Dr. Seward and Van Helsing visit the graveyard again in the afternoon once a group of mourners has cleared out from a noon service. Upon opening the coffin, Seward is shocked to see Lucy’s body lying inside, looking more radiant than ever. Van Helsing pushes back her lips, revealing her teeth, sharper than before. Seward fumbles for a logical explanation, but can find none. Van Helsing explains that because Lucy was in a trance when she was first bitten, and when she died, she does not appear as a Vampire in her tomb, which is uncommon. Van Helsing comes to the conclusion that he must not dispatch of Lucy’s Undead form until Arthur has a chance of seeing her and understanding what has happened, for if he should ever discover their actions without proof of her transformation, he would believe that she had been buried alive and killed by Van Helsing. Van Helsing tells Seward to go home and get rest, and tomorrow night, he shall come to Van Helsing’s hotel, where he will meet with Arthur and Quincey.

Van Helsing writes a letter to leave in his hotel for Dr. Seward. He says in his note that in order to ensure that Lucy reveals herself tomorrow night, he is fixing her tomb door with items that will ward her away, and keep her inside. He will then keep watch over her tomb as a precaution. However, if the Count should decide to visit upon Lucy’s grave, Van Helsing would surely be killed. In this case, he has prepared copies of the diaries for Seward to find and complete the holy mission. If it should be so, this letter may serve as Van Helsing’s final farewell.

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Episode Synopsis:

Van Helsing is amazed to see that Jonathan has made a full recovery.  Jonathan tells him that since Mina revealed Van Helsing’s assessment in the truth of Jonathan’s journal, his confidence in his own senses has completely returned and he is a new man.  Van Helsing cannot help but praise Mina to her husband, detailing how clever, resourceful, and compassionate she is. Jonathan realizes that Van Helsing is planning to go after the Count, and pledges his assistance in any way possible.  The three share breakfast as friends, and Jonathan takes Van Helsing to the train station. Van Helsing is distracted by an article in the Westminster Gazette and fears that events are accelerating more quickly than anticipated.

Dr. Seward was settling into acceptance of Lucy’s death, when Van Helsing paid him a visit, asking what he made of the “Bloofer Lady” article in the Westminster Gazette. Seward noted the details about the wounds on the children’s necks being similar to that on Lucy, but he could not detect the cause.  Van Helsing loses some patience, demanding to know why scientists claim that nothing exists that science cannot explain, and why Seward disbelieves anything metaphysical. He lists a bewildering number of examples until Seward is exasperated, and begs Van Helsing to speak plainly, and he will not let previous prejudice cloud his logic. Van Helsing explains that the wounds in the children’s throats did not come from the same source attacked Lucy, but from Lucy herself.

Seward is staggered by the claim, but Van Helsing suggests that they should investigate, starting with the injured child, who is currently being treated by a mutual friend, Dr. Vincent.  The two met with Dr. Vincent who tells them that he suspects a wild animal, perhaps a bat bred from a foreign source, inflicted the wound.

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Episode Synopsis: A reporter for the Westminster Gazette writes about children who have gone missing while playing on Hampstead Heath, and have been found later, sometimes the next day, with wounds on their throats. All of these children have given the excuse that they had been lured away by “The Bloofer Lady”. Whether this is true, or an excuse that the other children picked up after the first occurrence is unknown, as the children have taken to playing the popular “Bloofer Lady” game amongst themselves while playing on the Heath.

The reporter exclaims in an extra special that another child has been found injured, weakened, and emaciated. “The Bloofer Lady” was again given as cause.

Mina anxiously awaits the visit from Van Helsing. Her mind is filled with the horrors of Jonathan’s Journal, and while she knows she is to speak with Van Helsing about Lucy, she hopes for a chance to get his opinion of Jonathan’s experience.

Van Helsing arrives ask Mina if she might explain her vantage of the incident of Lucy’s sleepwalking to the churchyard. Mina mystifies Van Helsing by giving him her shorthand diary for a moment before producing her typewritten account. Van Helsing is overjoyed with the evidence that he is able to derive from her words, and praises her immensely, offering his services whenever she might need them. Mina takes this opportunity to ask him to help her with Jonathan’s sickness. After assuring Mina that he will not judge her and Jonathan, he takes Mina’s typewritten version of Jonathan’s Journal with him so he may read it and then discuss it with Mina and Jonathan at lunch tomorrow.

Van Helsing writes to Mina that Jonathan’s account is true, and that he can certify before meeting him that Jonathan’s mind is sound. He praises that Jonathan’s account has provided rich detail that he had been needing.

Mina writes back to Van Helsing exclaiming delight that Jonathan is sane. She says that Jonathan will be home earlier than expected, and asks Van Helsing to please come to breakfast instead of lunch.

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Episode Synopsis: Mina is deeply disturbed by what she reads in Jonathan’s travel journal. She wonders how much of it could be true, for there is a certain continuity that would explain the appearance of that man Jonathan spotted the other day. To be safe, Mina decides to transcribe Jonathan’s Journal on her typewriter in case they should need to consult someone.

Van Helsing writes to Mina asking if he might pay her a visit to discuss some of the details he found in Lucy’s writings. He states an awareness of Jonathan’s condition, and suggests it might be best if he meets her without Jonathan’s knowledge.

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Episode Synopsis: Mina is rejoiced that, since Mr. Hawkins has passed, Jonathan has taken up the mantle of responsibility excellently. He told her that he would be out late, and would be unable to return for lunch, so Mina has decided to take the opportunity to read Jonathan’s travel Journal.

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Episode Synopsis: Following the funeral of Mr. Hawkins, Mina and Jonathan take a walk through Hyde Park Corner. Jonathan undergoes a sort of trance as he sees a man intently watching a pretty woman, following her when she leaves. Jonathan proclaims that the man is the count, who has grown young again. Mina leads him away, and he falls asleep, awaking without memory of the encounter. Mina determines that she must find a time and read Jonathan’s travel journal to discover what horrors lie therein.

When Mina and Jonathan return to Exeter, they discover a telegram from Van Helsing telling them that Lucy and her mother are both dead.

It is with a heavy heart that the gentlemen friends of Lucy leave the cemetery where she and her mother are interred. Arthur speaks with guests about the blood transfusion he underwent on Lucy’s behalf, unaware of the other men who donated their own. He comments that he felt as though he and Lucy were married in the eyes of God. Once alone in the carriage with Dr. Seward, Van Helsing breaks down into a mixture of laughter and sobs. Dr. Seward is alarmed at the impropriety of laughter at such a morbid time, but Van Helsing explains that during times of great stress, it is a merciful laugh that breaks the strain, a laugh that cannot be stopped. He tells Seward that he cares for Arthur in his time of need more strongly because arthur reminds him of his own dead son. However, Van Helsing was struck by Arthur’s comment about the blood transfusion, because it would imply that Lucy was in fact “married” to all of them. Van Helsing tells Seward that he must return to Amsterdam to attend to some business, but then he will return to take care of further matters here.

Seward concludes his diary, heartbroken with the loss of his love.

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Episode Synopsis: The doctor that Seward had placed in charge of the asylum in his absence, Dr. Patrick Hennessy, writes to Seward describing an unfortunate incident regarding Renfield. Renfield had been witnessed shouting obscenities at some workmen who were retrieving some heavy wooden boxes from the neighboring Carfax Estate. When the men were preparing to leave, Renfield escaped from his room and attacked the men, almost killing one. He struggled against the attendants who managed to restrain him. The workmen were angry about the incident, but calmed down after Hennessy bought them a round of drinks and paid them a sovereign a piece to forget about the incident. Their names were recorded for future reference.

Van Helsing, Seward, and Arthur trade turns watching over Lucy as she nears the end. Seward finds it perplexing that when asleep, Lucy pulls the garlic away, and when she awakens, she draws it close. Her teeth continue to look longer and sharper than usual. Van Helsing removes the scarf around her neck and discovers that the wounds on her throat have completely disappeared. He calls for Arthur to be brought in, as he believes Lucy is nearing the end. Arthur tries to comfort Lucy, but Van Helsing will not let him kiss Lucy on the lips. Lucy undergoes a change, actively seducing Arthur to kiss her, but Van Helsing forcefully keeps Arthur back. Lucy regains herself, thanking Van Helsing, and asking him to bring her peace. She closes her eyes and breathes her last.

Lucy’s funeral is arranged for the following day so that Lucy might be buried with her mother, and so that Arthur may return to Ring immediately after to continue arrangements for his own father’s funeral. Rather than decay, Lucy’s body appears more luminous and beautiful in death such that the men can scarcely believe she has passed. Van Helsing insists upon looking over Lucy’s recent papers so as to prevent any critical or implicating information from being witnessed out of context. Once Mrs. Westenra’s solicitor had been notified of his client’s passing, Van Helsing and Seward check in on Lucy’s presentation. Van Helsing places garlic flowers among Lucy’s bouquets and a golden crucifix over Lucy’s lips.

Van Helsing stops by Seward’s room and asks Seward to procure tools such that he might remove Lucy’s head and heart. Seward objects to such desecration, but admits that he called Van Helsing because his methods are true.

As Seward bids goodnight to Van Helsing, he is touched by the sight of one of Lucy’s maids entering her burial chamber to pay final respects. The following morning, Van Helsing reveals that the maid had been robbing Lucy’s corpse and had stolen the golden crucifix that had been placed over her lips. As a result, Van Helsing’s ghastly desecration of Lucy would be postponed.

Seward meets with Mr. Marquand, Mrs. Westenra’s solicitor, who explains that Mrs. Westenra had all her affairs well in order, leaving everything to Arthur.

Arthur arrives to bid farewell to Lucy, and breaks into tears on Seward’s shoulder, disbelieving that she is truly dead. After the undertakers seal up Lucy’s coffin, Van Helsing asks Arthur for permission to hold and read Lucy’s private papers, to which Arthur acquiesces. For the remainder of the night, Van Helsing patrols the hallway beyond the burial chamber.

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