Dracula (Can You Survive)

by Ryan Jacobson

  Try again.

  You make your decision, and the Professor agrees. He must know how hard it is to leave your dear wife, and he speaks to assure you that you have made the right choice.

  “Friend Jonathan,” says Dr. Van Helsing. “You are young and brave and can fight. All energies may be needed. Besides, it is your right to destroy him who has caused such pain to you and yours. I am old. My legs are not so quick, and I am not used to riding so long or to fighting with weapons. But I can be of other service. I will care for Mina. I will take her right into the enemy’s country. We shall go and find our way to the Castle of Dracula. There is much to be done so that his nest of vampires is destroyed.”

  You interrupt hotly. “Do you mean to bring Mina right into the jaws of his deathtrap? Not for the world!”

  Van Helsing replies in a sweet, calming tone. “My friend, it is because I would save Mina from that awful place that I must go. There is work, wild work, to be done. If the Count escapes us this time, he may choose to sleep for a century. Mina would come to keep him company. She would be as those others you saw.”

  You shudder, knowing he’s right. “Do as you will,” you say with a sob. “We are in the hands of God.”

  Weapons are given to everyone. Arthur uses his riches to secure a steamboat. Quincey uses his wealth to buy half a dozen good horses.

  It takes all of your courage to say goodbye to your darling Mina. There must be no tears, though, unless they are tears of victory.

  Dr. Van Helsing and your beloved Mina leave by the 11:40 train for Veresti, where they will get a carriage to drive to the Borgo Pass. They shall do their dirty work at Castle Dracula and then wait there, a last line of defense against the villain himself.

  Quincey and Dr. Seward take off on their long ride. They’ll travel to the right of your steamboat, far enough off to get on higher lands. There, they can see a good stretch of river. It may be necessary for all of you to join forces if you do not catch the vampire before he lands. If so, there are horses enough for your whole party.

  You and Arthur board the steamboat, and Arthur fires up the furnace. You follow the Count by way of the Sereth River. There is plenty of water, and the banks are wide enough apart to make steaming easy.

  It is a wild journey. The cold from the river seems to rise up and strike you. You drift into a whole world of dark and dreadful things.

  Many days go by in much the same way: without news. You pass into the Bistritza River, believing your chance may be gone. Some of the crews from other boats tell you that a big boat passed them, going at more than usual speed.

  You feel very sleepy. The cold is beginning to wear upon you, and you must eventually rest. Yet you awaken a new man, revived and refreshed. You find that your steamboat has landed, and Dr. Seward and Quincey are there to greet you. You have your horses, and you have your rifles. You follow on Count Dracula’s trail.

  You cannot help but wonder where Mina is now, and Van Helsing. If they have not been delayed, they should be at the Borgo Pass.

  13. Back in Transylvania

  You have been riding for days now. Ahead of you, in the distance, you see where Dracula’s castle stands against the sky. Wolves howl in the distance. They are far off, but the sound is full of terror. The snow falls heavily and swirls fiercely, for a high wind has begun to blow.

  Straight in front of you, and not far off, a group of men on horseback hurry along. In the midst of them, a cart—a long wagon—sweeps from side to side along the road. You can see from the men’s clothes that they are gypsies.

  A great square chest sits on the cart, and your heart leaps when you see it, for you know the end is coming.

  The evening is drawing close, and at sunset the Thing will take new freedom and attack.

  “They are racing for the sunset,” you say.

  “We are too late!” Arthur exclaims.

  He may be right. If you have not destroyed the Count by sundown, you and your friends will surely be killed—or worse. Should you retreat, and resume your attack tomorrow? Or will you continue onward in a race against the sun? What will you choose to do?

  Continue your pursuit.

  Retreat.

  The sun is falling fast, and you do not want to be within Dracula’s sight when it shines no more. It is best to retreat, for now.

  You call a halt to the chase. You tell your companions, “We can do no more today. We will renew our efforts at sunrise.”

  Together, you turn and ride in the opposite direction. You find your way into the forest that borders the road. There, you dismount and lead your horses on foot. You arrive at a small clearing and decide to rest for the night. You pray that the Count will not find you. You pray even harder that Mina is safe.

  You awaken to the sound of screaming. At first, you forget your circumstances; you turn to where your wife should be. When you do not find her, reality returns to you sharply. You remember where you are and why you are here.

  Your heart races as you leap to your feet. You charge toward the cries for help.

  In the darkness, everything is shadow. But as your eyes adjust to the moonlight, you realize your mistake. The Count is not your only enemy in this dangerous realm. There are others that do his bidding.

  His wolves are waiting. You hear a snarl just before the first one is upon you. He leaps against your chest, knocking you down. A second and a third join the attack. Then another, and another, and more after that.

  Minutes after you first awakened, you are nothing more than a meal for a hungry pack of wolves.

  Try again.

  You speed onward, Arthur beside you, Seward and Quincey behind. Somewhere ahead of you, Van Helsing and Mina wait in ambush with their Winchester rifles. You may yet succeed!

  The howling of wolves comes louder and closer. Scanning the grass, you see dots moving in twos and threes and larger numbers. The wolves are gathering.

  The wind begins to blow in fierce bursts, and snow sweeps upon you. At times, you cannot see more than an arm’s length before you. At others, it clears around you, so you can see far off. By your watch, the sun will set in less than an hour.

  You and your party pursue Count Dracula and his followers. The gypsies seem to speed up as the sun drops lower and lower on the mountain tops. They do not know that, ahead of them, Mina and Van Helsing crouch behind a rock, their weapons ready.

  “Halt!” you shout.

  The gypsies may not know your language, but there is no mistaking the tone. They stop. In that moment you and Arthur dash at one side while Seward and Quincey dash at the other.

  The leader of the gypsies, who sits on his horse like a centaur, waves his men back. In a fierce voice, he shouts a command to proceed.

  They lash the horses, which spring forward. You raise your Winchester rifle and shout, “Stop!”

  At the same moment, Dr. Van Helsing and Mina rise behind the rock and aim their weapons at them. Seeing that they are surrounded, the gypsies tighten their reins and halt.

  The leader turns to them and gives another order. Every man responds by drawing whatever weapon he carries—knife or pistol—and holds himself ready. The leader rides his horse out in front. He points first to the setting sun and then to the castle. He says something which you do not understand.

  For answer, you and your friends jump from your horses and dash toward the cart. You feel no fear, only a wild desire to do something.

  The leader of the gypsies gives another command. His men instantly form a circle around the cart in an attempt to block your progress.

  You are determined to finish your task before sunset. You can allow nothing to stop you—not the gypsies in front of you, nor the howling wolves behind. You charge toward the ring of men from one side. Quincey does the same from the other direction. Perhaps the anger in your eyes scares those in f
ront you, but as you reach them, they cower aside and let you pass.

  You jump upon the cart. With a strength that seems incredible, you raise the great box and fling it to the ground. In the meantime, Quincey uses force to pass through his side of the ring. The knives of the gypsies flash, and they cut him.

  He is wounded and needs your help. And you need his to finish Count Dracula. Will you rush to his aid? Do you have time? Or will you continue your assault on the Count’s coffin, trusting that Quincey will get to you on his own? What will you choose to do?

  Help Quincey.

  Stay where you are.

  You would finish this alone, but you cannot. You need Quincey, and it looks like he needs you.

  You jump from the cart and rush to Quincey’s aid. You are met by a wave of gypsy men. They surround you, each of them wielding a sword.

  If this is to be your last stand, if this moment marks the end of your life, then Mina is destined to become as Lucy was. She will be the same as those three monsters at Castle Dracula.

  The thought propels you into action, but the gypsies’ swords are too much to overcome. You dodge one, but a second pierces your stomach. There is a sharp pain, and all of your strength seems to flow right out of you. You collapse to the ground. Your vision blurs, but you still manage to glimpse another blade falling toward you. And then there is nothing.

  Try again.

  Quincey parries with his great bowie knife, and it appears that he comes through in safety. You jump from the cart, and Quincey springs beside you. Only then, you notice that his left hand clutches his bleeding side.

  Arthur and Seward aim their Winchesters at the gypsies, and your enemies quickly give up the fight.

  With desperate energy, you attack one end of the chest, prying off the lid with your knife. Quincey pries the other end with his bowie knife. Under both of your efforts, the top of the box is thrown back.

  The sun is almost down, and shadows fall upon the snow. You see the Count lying within the box upon the earth. He is deathly pale, and the red eyes glare with a horrible look of vengeance. His eyes see the sinking sun, and the look of hate in them turns to triumph. Your time is almost up.

  You clutch a wooden stake and sweep it downward in a flash. It is like a miracle: Before your eyes, the whole body crumbles into dust. Count Dracula is no more!

  The gypsies turn away in retreat, as if for their lives. The wolves do the same, leaving all of you alone.

  Quincey sinks to the ground, pressing his hand to his side. Mina rushes to him. You kneel beside him.

  The wounded man leans his head against you. He smiles at Mina and says, “I am only too happy to have been of service. It was worth this to die. Look.” He points at her and says, “God be thanked that all has been for a reason. See? Look at Mina. The curse has passed away.”

  The others sink to their knees. A deep and earnest “Amen” breaks from each of them.

  With a smile, Quincey Morris dies a hero.

  Go to the next page.

  Epilogue: A Better Choice

  You snap awake, and you glance all around. For a moment, you forget where you are. But then you see the steering wheel, the dashboard, the seats, and it all comes rushing back: your parents, the homeless shelter...

  Count Dracula.

  Was it all a dream? It doesn’t seem like it. Your mind feels awakened like never before. You are oddly excited, like you can’t wait to see what today brings.

  You think about why you’re sitting here—and not inside the shelter—and you blush. You could be helping right now. You could be making a difference. You’re not, because you’re scared. You’re afraid of the unknown.

  That’s no excuse. Not anymore.

  You slide open the side door and crawl out of the minivan. You’ll go inside and help after all. As your parents like to say, “Many of the things that scare us to try end up being the best memories of our lives.”

  You pause for a moment, another choice about to be made. You nod your head and smile. You don’t really need another video game. Your money would be better used here. So you decide to donate it, and the decision makes you feel good. It isn’t exactly a stake through the heart of the monsters known as “homelessness” and “hunger.” But it’s a start.

  Can You Survive These Titles?

  Test your survival skills with a free short story at www.Lake7Creative.com and pick up these Choose Your Path books:

  Greek Mythology’s Adventures of Perseus

  Jack London’s Call of the Wild

  Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

  Sir Arthur Doyle’s Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

  About Bram Stoker

  Abraham (Bram) Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland, on November 8, 1847. He was very sick until age 7. So he spent much of his childhood in bed, unable to play with other kids. It is believed that he developed an interest in supernatural stories—and vampires—at that time.

  In the years that followed, Stoker grew healthier. By the time he started college, he was a good athlete. He graduated in 1870 and wrote theatre reviews for the Dublin Evening Mail.

  In 1878, Stoker married an actress named Florence Balcombe. They moved to London, and Stoker became manager of the Lyceum Theatre.

  Stoker wrote many novels and short stories, but he began his most famous work, Dracula, in 1890. The horror novel was published seven years later and has remained in print ever since.

  Stoker became ill in 1906, and he never recovered. He died on April 20, 1912, but his story lives on.

  About His Book

  Between 1871 and 1914, “invasion literature” was very popular. Many of Great Britain’s top authors wrote stories of monsters (and other forces of evil) invading. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is one of the most famous examples of invasion literature ever written.

  Stoker’s novel was published on May 26, 1897, but it took Stoker about seven years to write it. He spent time researching European geography, folklore and other vampire stories. He based Dracula’s character on an actor friend of his named Sir Henry Irving.

  It is also believed that Stoker built the character around a real person in history, Vlad III Dracula. Vlad ruled Transylvania from 1456 to 1462 and was rumored to have killed up to 100,000 Europeans. Vlad was also known for defending the region from Turkish invaders.

  From its first publication, Dracula was hailed as a great book. However, it didn’t become an international sensation until the first movie adaptation was made: Nosferatu, in 1922. Since then, a countless number of films have been inspired by Stoker’s novel.

  About the Author

  Ryan Jacobson has always loved Choose Your Path books, so he is thrilled to get a chance to write them. He used his memories of those fun-filled stories and his past experiences to write Lost in the Wild. The book became so popular that he followed it with Storm at the Summit of Mount Everest and the Can You Survive? series of adaptations.

  Ryan is the author of nearly 30 books. He lives in Mora, Minnesota, with his wife Lora, sons Jonah and Lucas, and dog Boo.

  Ryan invites you to read his free webcomic and blog at www.MonsterNinjas.com.