Dracula Ascending (Gothic Horror Mash-up)

by Cindy Winget

  Victor sighed. This was it. The next few seconds of his life would determine if he would be set free or left to wallow in prison.

  “Has the jury reached its verdict?” asked the judge.

  “We have, Your Honor,” said a tall juror on the end.

  “Then please read it out to the courtroom.”

  “For the crime of graverobbing, we find the defendant guilty.” Victor ducked his head. Well, he had admitted to that one so he wasn’t overly surprised.

  “For the crime of disturbing the peace, we find the defendant not guilty.” Victor’s head came up.

  “For the crime of involuntary manslaughter, we find the defendant…not guilty.”

  There was a shout of happiness behind Victor, making him smile as he pictured Mina’s face; alight with relief. He turned to find his father with his head bowed, as though in silent prayer, and his friends talking animatedly with each other.

  “I decree that Victor spend thirty days in jail for the crime of graverobbing. This court is now adjourned.” With the sound of the gavel hitting the wooden bench, Victor was released to say his goodbyes to friends and family before his sentence was carried out.

  *****

  Victor basked in the glorious warmth and light of the sun upon his face as he left the jail. His incarceration was over. His stint in prison gave him nothing to do but reflect on his life and what he would do better. He had been provided a copious amount of time to pray and decide what he did, or didn’t, believe about religion, and to sort through the trauma he had so recently endured.

  Ernest was there waiting for him.

  “Brother! You are finally here,” he cried and embraced Victor.

  Smiling, Victor wrapped his own wiry arms around him.

  “It has felt like an eternity since you went away,” declared Ernest.

  “Not to me,” Victor said.

  Ernest looked at him in surprise.

  “I know it seems silly, but it’s true. Being in jail was probably the best thing for me. I had time to reflect and ponder on what I want my life to mean and to gain some perspective. I could grieve Elizabeth, Henry, and all the rest, in peace without having to constantly consider others. I am incredibly grateful for the ones I have left.” To prove it, he once again drew his younger brother into a hug.

  Ernest contemplated this for a moment before nodding that he understood. Together they traveled back to their family home in a passing hansom, where they were greeted with joy by all the servants, stable hands, and most especially Alphonse Frankenstein.

  After eating the sumptuous dinner prepared for him by the cook, and feeling uncomfortable with all the attention heaped on him, Victor made an escape to his room.

  He took the opportunity to write a letter to Jack, Jonathan, and Van Helsing, telling them that he was now free and would visit soon. He also wrote a letter to Robert, detailing what had befallen him since taking leave of his vessel. He had made a promise to Elizabeth in his heart that he would no longer neglect his friendships and would write them often.

  Victor placed the pen back in its holder, sat back in his chair, and rubbed at his tired eyes. A strange peace had come over him. A burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The fiend was truly dead and gone. His friends and family were now safe. He would leave behind his youthful ambitions and strive from now on to simply enjoy life and all the wondrous possibilities it may have in store for him. In time, perhaps he would even find love once more, and he could leave these wretched memories in the past.

  The End

  *The author would appreciate it if you would take a minute to write a review of this book on Amazon.com. It helps other readers find my books.

  *If you are interested in learning about my books as they become available, send me an email at cindy_janae@yahoo.com and I will add you to my mailing list. Or you can follow me on my Facebook page at Cindy Winget Books.

  Author’s Note

  I had so much fun writing this book. I absolutely fell in love with the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley when I read it for a history class in college (yes, you heard correctly, history! We were studying Romanticism). And I have always had a fascination for old time folk lore and vampires like Count Dracula, back when vampires were the actual villains of the story. So being able to combine these two interests was very fun and interesting for me. I hope you found it equally so.

  I tried to remain as faithful to the two great masterpieces as possible, but obviously I had to make changes in order for my premise to make sense and I loved adding all of the historical aspects, as I also dearly love history. For those who have read both classics, or at least one of them, you will find my story familiar. My intent was not to rewrite the story of Frankenstein and Dracula but rather write how the story would have gone if the monsters of each story were one and the same. I hoped to stay true to the masters while still making it different enough to be appealing to people who are already familiar with Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker’s works.

  Frankenstein was written in 1818 and was set in the early 1700’s while Dracula by Bram Stoker did not come along until 1897. Therefore, it was up to me to decide on which year I wanted to set my novel. Originally, I wanted to set it in the same time period as Frankenstein since it is largely based around Victor Frankenstein, but ultimately chose instead to start out in the year 1832 because I wanted to include the information about the Burke and Hare murders, the Anatomy Act, etc. I was a little concerned about using blood transfusions, assuming that this was not performed until much later, but in the course of my research I discovered that in 1818 a British obstetrician by the name of James Blundell performed the first successful transfusion of human blood to a patient for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. Although it wasn’t until 1907 that blood typing became known—as I am sure everyone has thought about while reading Dracula and all the men who can give Lucy and Mina blood willy-nilly with no harm done.

  I did take some fictional licensing, however, with the demonstration done by Giovanni Aldini, which was actually performed in 1803, but I wanted Victor to witness the live performance, not just read or hear about it later. I also took some licensing with the books that Robert Walton read about the sea. Treasure Island didn’t come out until 1883, Mutiny on the Bounty in 1862, and Jules Verne didn’t become a well-known author until later in the 19th century as well, but it was fun to include them as it is not stated which books about the sea Robert read in Frankenstein. Also, Doctor Seward’s profession would not have existed in 1832. Wilhelm Wundt is thought to be the first psychologist who opened an institute for experimental psychology at the University of Leipzing in 1879. However, I wanted to remain true to Bram Stoker’s novel and since Ingolstadt was in Germany anyway, I figured, why not.

  All of the references made to the Burke and Hare murders, the London Burkers, the Anatomy Act, the demonstration performed by Giovanni Aldini, the frog experiment by Luigi Galvani, the Resurrectionists, Galvanism/Vitalism, Vlad the Impaler, and the Order of the Dragon is historically accurate.

  In appearance, I had my monster look largely like Frankenstein’s monster, but with the powers of Dracula, although I omitted and/or changed a few. One crucial aspect being that Count Dracula has no reflection, but I felt it important to the story of Frankenstein that he is repulsed by his own appearance.

  I also omitted the three women vampires, Quincy Morris, Arthur Holbrook, and Renfield (other than an honorable mention) because there was already getting to be too many characters and honestly these characters provided nothing to the story that another character couldn’t take on.

  I added a few minor things here and there (along with some big ones) when I found them warranted or convenient. For instance, the thought of building the female monster without any reproductive organs; which seemed like an obvious solution to at least one of Victor’s concerns. But perhaps with the absence of successful hysterectomies and the like back in 1818, Mary Shelley didn’t realize that a female can survive without such things.


  Acknowledgements

  I first want to thank my husband, Devan, for believing in my dreams and always being supportive in my aspirations to become a published author.

  A special shout-out to my friends and family, who are always inquiring about what I am writing and been excited with me during my successes and for always encouraging me to continue writing.

  I gratefully acknowledge Maialen Alonso from the book designer website for my cover and Kathryn Olsen for editing. Without these two wonderful people this book would not have happened. Thank you!

  I must also make mention Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker. Without their masterpieces, I could never have the fun of exploring a world where both of their monsters co-existed together.

  Lastly, but certainly not least, to my readers. You are what makes this difficult and sometimes frustrating process all worthwhile.

  About the Author

  Cindy Winget has always loved to write. Her first foray into the writing realm involved illustrated notebooks full of stories about her stuffed animals. She has since honed her writing skills but retains the delight and excitement of writing that she felt during those first attempts.

  She is a graduate of Weber State University and lives in Ogden, Utah, with her husband Devan,

  five-year-old daughter Daphne, and baby Lilly Rose.

  You can always find her curled up on the couch with a good book, jotting down notes for the many ideas she has for future books, or spending time in nature.