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

JAMES

Here is the stopper. Whoever lived here had no time to close it.

HARRY

Why did the owners fled from here?

Georges looks inside a birdcage that stands near the window. Tiny bones of the long-dead bird lie at its bottom. Seashell-shaped feeder is empty

GEORGES

Good question.

Karl Ivanovich opens the drapes on the furthest window and discovers that it is really a door

KARL IVANOVICH

Here’s the door.

He turns the key and the door opens with an unpleasant creak. Evening breeze rushes into the room

Candles flicker, curtains and the dried flowers in the vase move, as if the spirit of the dead woman has invaded the room, angered at the disturbance

EXT – WITCHES” VALLEY – SAME SUMMER EVENING

The mist rises over the lake.

A quiet female laughter, like a bell, is heard here and there.

Nenufares seem to move on the water surface.

The mirror surface of the lake darkens.

INT – HIDDEN SALON WITH A BALCONY – SAME EVENING

Everybody looks around in a small adjacent room.

Miller approaches one of the four windows, looks into it, turns to everyone and gestures lively

MILLER

This salon forms a part of the suit of rooms that includes the lady’s bedroom.

HARRY’S VOICE

(behind the scenes)

I found a small balcony, the size of a bird’s nest!

Captain Wright comes close to one of the paintings decorating the side wall

CAPTAIN WRIGHT

Here is the door to the ghost-bride’s bedroom. It is disguised as a painting.

MILLER

(comes close to the painting)

Yes, it can be mistaken for a painting.

Karl Ivanovich joins Wright and pulls on the door handle

KARL IVANOVICH

It won’t budge.

MILLER

Let me try, sir.

He puts his shoulder to the door, but Wright stops him

CAPTAIN WRIGHT

Miller, it’s useless, the door is nailed shut.

Harry stands in the balcony’s doorway facing the room

HARRY

It’s because the door is blocked by the large wardrobe, the one where we found all those women’s clothes.

JAMES

Gentlemen, it’s time for dinner.

Everybody follows James. They close the door behind them and the room is empty again

EXT-FOREST – DAYTIME

Harry, Captain Wright, Georges, and James walk through the forest, carrying rifles and talking. A pair of spaniels follows them.

James carries their trophies, slung behind his shoulder

GEORGES

I think the lady in the abandoned rooms must have died suddenly.

CAPTAIN WRIGHT

And I think she ran off with her paramour.

HARRY

Who else agrees with him?

JAMES

I think something unpleasant happened at the Hunting House, but what precisely?

Georges picks up a stick from the ground and throws it, the dogs rush after the stick

GEORGES

What was a woman doing there?

HARRY

She was a foreign lady.

CAPTAIN WRIGHT

(stops, looking at Harry)

How do you know this?

HARRY

The village headman. He told me that a foreign lady died of a broken heart. She missed her homeland.

(pause)

His grandmother told him.

GEORGES

(comes up to them)

But why didn’t she live up at the castle?

JAMES

(laughs)

The headman’s grandmother did not specify why, did she?

Harry shoots a duck and hits. The duck falls behind the trees. Harry’s dog runs after it

HARRY

Sadly, she did not.

CAPTAIN WRIGHT

Goddamn!

He aims and fires a shot at the black bat flying above their heads but misses

EXT-FOREST-MORNING-COUNT FREDERICK’S DREAM

TITLE 1832

Hunt, Count Frederick, his guests and servants chase a doe. Suddenly a group of trees cuts Count Frederick away from the rest of the party.

He keeps chasing the animal without realizing that he is now alone. The doe mounts a steep hill and is transformed into Maria. She beckons the Count towards herself. He rushes towards his wife only to tumble off the cliff into the chasm below.

Maria is then turned into a laughing Dracula who, in turn, becomes a bat.

Count Frederick wakes up in cold sweat

INT-HUNTING HOUSE, DINING ROOM-SAME DAY

Harry, Wright, Georges and James leave the dining room for the smoking room.

INT – HUNTING HOUSE, SMOKING ROOM-SAME DAY

Harry, Georges, Wright, Karl Ivanovich and James select drinks and cigars, sit down and make themselves comfortable.

Karl Ivanovich sits down in an armchair too, holding a pile of papers. He sorts it nervously

KARL IVANOVICH

I am happy to tell you that I found the continuation of the letters!

GEORGES

Good!

Karl Ivanovich, takes a handkerchief out of his pocket, polishes his glasses and puts the handkerchief away

KARL IVANOVICH

Are you ready, gentlemen?

EXT-OLD VENETIAN STREET – AUTUMN DAY

BEGINNING OF GROWN-UP CARLO’S MEMORIES

TITLE: 1852

Carlo walks along the old Venetian street, he turns right and opens the glass door of an antique shop.

INT – VENICE, ANTIQUE SHOP – SAME DAY

Carlo looks around in the antique shop. The old Jewish SALESMAN greets him

SALESMAN

I have special goods for you.

The salesman opens up the cupboard and gets a beautiful jewel-box (the box from the Hunting House) and places it on the counter before Carlo

CARLO

Who did it belong to?

SALESMAN

To the roman Empress Messalina!

Carlo slides his fingers across the box

CARLO

It has no lock?

SALESMAN

(smiles)

I’d rather show you

(the salesman’s hand moves the apple into the bird’s beak and the box opens)

Voila!

CARLO

Rita will love this.

The salesman shows Carlo various compartments inside the box. Each is filled with ladies’ jewels. The piece de resistance is a large roman comb with pink pearls

SALESMAN

Your bride will be delighted, signore.

Carlo picks up the comb and looks at it

CARLO

It will look magnificent in Rita’s dark curls!

EXT – VENICE, STREET – SAME AUTUMN DAY

Carlo walks along the cobbled Venetian street. Wheels of carriages roll past him, frilled hems of the ladies’ gowns move along and a single blue blossom falls from the basket of the street flower seller, lying on the rough cobblestones

CARLO’S VOICE

(behind the scenes)

Up until now, if you do not count my mother’s fit and the disappearance of her favorite dog, everything was simple and logical.

After that we were plunged into something we could not understand

END OF THE MEMORIES

EXT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, GARDEN-SUMMER DAY

BEGINNING OF YOUNG CARLO’S MEMORIES

Count Frederick and his family doctor walk in the western part of the garden

TITLE: 1832

COUNT FREDERICK

She is recovering well, even her complexion is improving.

The doctor looks at his clock on the chain

FAMILY DOCTOR

The fresh air will be good for her, but still, don’t leave her alone by herself.

COUNT FREDERICK

I am worried about her hallucination, the one about the snake.

They stop and look at each other. The doctor puts the clock into the pocket

FAMILY DOCTOR

I am telling you, she put the necklace on herself.

COUNT FREDERICK

Well, either way, she will never see that damned necklace again.

The doctor looks at his feet and then at the count again

FAMILY DOCTOR

There is a strange epidemic in the village. Seems to affect girls and young women.

Count Frederick thrusts his hands into the pockets of his trousers. He fidgets in place. He doesn’t like this conversation

COUNT FREDERICK

Do you think it is somehow connected to what had happened to my wife?

They walk further along the garden