Olga Boyko - The Chronicles of the Counts Dracula-Cardie. Adapted from Baron Olshevris novel «Vampires»

Rita comes closer (her face is still hidden from the viewer). She takes Carlo’s hand and pulls him somewhere. He follows her meekly

RITA

Oh, signor, one can wait for you for an eternity!

END OF THE MEMORIES

EXT – CLEARING IN THE WOODS – SAME SUMMER DAY

Harry sits down next to Karl Ivanovich

HARRY

I come from the land of the Aztecs!

KARL IVANOVICH

Perhaps the old grandfather mentioned in the letters is the same relative whose burial record you need to complete your transference of inheritance, Sir.

EXT-FRONT GATES OF CARDIE’S CASTLE-SUMMER DAY

BEGINNING OF YOUNG CARLO’S MEMORIES

Young Carlo stands in front of a gigantic black coffin at the gates of the Cardie’s castle

TITLE: 1832

CARLO’S VOICE

(behind the scenes)

The old servant’s visit was followed by the arrival of the grandfather’s coffin the next day.

INT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, FAMILY CHAPEL – SAME DAY

Castle private chapel is brightly lit and elegantly decorated in an anticipation of a funeral Mass.

EXT – ENTRANCE TO THE CHAPEL – SAME SUMMER DAY

American servant stands at the entrance to the chapel. Behind his back, servants hold the gigantic coffin

AMERICAN SERVANT

The coffin is too large and will not pass through the chapel’s entrance to the crypt. Wouldn’t it be best to open the crypt’s western doors in the garden?

Count Frederick stands at the threshold of the chapel and looks up at the old man, clearly surprised

COUNT FREDERICK

How could you possibly know about the other entrance to the crypt?

AMERICAN SERVANT

I know it from my late master’s stories.

COUNT FREDERICK

(speaking to the servants)

We will have to forgo the funeral mass.

COUNTESS MARIA

How can we bury him without a proper service?

COUNT FREDERICK

(speaking to servants)

Open up the western doors to the crypt.

PETRO

Don’t worry, Your Highness. We will take care of it.

American servant gives Petro an evil stare. Petro gives sign and the servants lift the American coffin but as soon as they step on the stairs as the latter begin to crumble and the large coffin falls, almost toppling over. When the coffin connects with the floor a hollow sound is heard.

Petro eyes the coffin suspiciously

PETRO

(to himself, puzzled)

Empty? But why drag an empty coffin halfway around the world?

The American servant tries to escape Petro’s gaze by hiding behind other servants

INT – IN THE CRYPT UNDER THE CHAPEL – SAME DAY

The crypt has been cleaned and is brightly lit with burning torches.

Servants, led by Petro lower the coffin into a stone sarcophagus that has an inscription “Brought from America” carved on its lid.

The count and the countess watch the proceedings

COUNT FREDERICK

(to his overseer)

Michael, don’t forget to lock the crypt.

MICHAEL

(to the servants)

Who has the key?

The servants go around the sarcophagus, shrug their shoulders and shake heads

COUNT FREDERICK

(to the servants)

Who was the last man to hold the key?

PETRO

You have lost it, airheads.

MICHAEL

(to the count)

Perhaps it was stolen, My Lord?

COUNTESS MARIA

God forbid, please order a thorough search.

The count and the countess walk out through the open door of the crypt into the garden. American servant follows them

AMERICAN SERVANT

May I beg your permission to live in the old guardhouse near the chapel?

COUNT FREDERICK

But the old guardhouse is hardly fit to live in.

AMERICAN SERVANT

The only desire I have left in this world is to guard my master’s grave.

COUNT FREDERICK

As you wish.

The count, the countess and the American servant go out through the open western doors of the crypt to the garden.

EXT – GARDEN NEAR THE WESTERN DOORS OF THE CRYPT-SAME DAY

Count Frederick, Countess Maria and American Servant stand in the garden.

The old man bows deeply to the count, handing the countess a long dark velvet box

AMERICAN SERVANT

(bowing)

As per my master’s spoken command, in the memory of him.

Countess Maria opens the box, revealing a beautiful pearl necklace resting on the blue velvet. The necklace’s clasp is shaped like a serpent’s head with two large emeralds for eyes. The emeralds glint mysteriously in the light.

Countess Maria looks up at her husband questioning and he nods in approval. The Countess’ fingers touch the necklace

END OF THE MEMORIES

EXT – CLEARING IN THE WOODS – SAME SUMMER DAY

Karl Ivanovich puts sheets on his knees

HARRY

(eats olives from a saucer with fingers)

The great idol of Huitzilopochtli was once adorned with a pearl necklace fashioned into a snake with emerald eyes. It was supposed to possess some sort of a supernatural power. It vanished when the Spaniards looted Huitzilopochtli’s temple.

GEORGES

Who was she, Huitzilopochtli?

CAPTAIN WRIGHT

A he. An ancient god of war.

JAMES

So this is all?

KARL IVANOVICH

I cannot find the rest of this letter.

He shuffles through the pile of old letters

HARRY

(puts an olive into his mouth)

Well, please read the next one that you can find.

INT – CARDIE’S CASTLE, LONG CORRIDOR – NIGHT

BEGINNING OF YOUNG CARLO’S MEMORIES

TITLE: 1832

The empty corridor of the castle is dimly lit. The silence of the night is broken my Countess Maria’s scream.

INT – CARDIE’S CASTLE, CHILDREN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Young Carlo sits up in his bed, listening in the darkness. He can hear the doors slamming, the sounds of running feet and the voices of the excited servants (sound behind the scenes)

YOUNG CARLO

(frightened)

Catherine, Catherine, where are you?

He leaps out of his bed, barefoot and clad in a nightshirt and rushes out of his bedroom

INT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, COUNTESS MARIA’S BEDROOM-SAME NIGHT

Countess Maria’s bedroom is filled with frightened servants.

The countess lies unconscious on propped up pillows, her face as white as her sheets and nightdress. There are red spots of blood on her chest, on the white fabric.

The count sits next to her, lifting her head, and the FAMILY DOCTOR (40 years old) pours medicine in her mouth.

A few moments later she regains consciousness and looks around the room, terrified

COUNTESS MARIA

Freddie, did you chase him away?

COUNT FREDERICK

(lowers his wife’s head back onto the pillow)

Whom, my dear?

COUNTESS MARIA

(grabs Count’s hand)

The old grandfather, don’t let him in!

COUNT FREDERICK

(takes her hand)

Calm down, my dear, grandfather is dead and you must have had a nightmare.

COUNTESS MARIA

(squeezes his hand)

No, it was not a dream.

(touches her lips)

I did fall asleep, but then I sensed somebody come into the room. I recognized him, the grandfather. It was him, and yet, not him at all.

COUNT FREDERICK

(strokes her hand)

My dear, you just had a bad dream.

COUNTESS MARIA

(shakes her head in denial and clutches his hand even tighter)

No, listen…

INT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, COUNTESS MARIA’S BEDROOM-NIGHT

COUNTESS MARIA RECALLING HER DREAM

Countess Maria is awoken by a cold wind, blowing onto her face from the open window.

American GRANDFATHER (aka American Servant, 80 years old) is in her bedroom. He moves towards the Countess’ bed and leans over her. Eyes wide open with fear, she stares at him in the darkness

GRANDFATHER

Why are you not wearing my gift?

He holds the pearl necklace with the serpent’s head. He places it around the Countess’ neck and kissed her on the lips