"My friend.--Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well tonight. At three tomorrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.--Your friend, Dracula."
4 May--I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German.
This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did.
He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask anyone else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.
Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a hysterical way: "Must you go? Oh! Young Herr, must you go?" She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:
"Do you know what day it is?" I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again:
"Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is?"
On my saying that I did not understand, she went on:
"It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?" She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally, she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting.
It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable. However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it.
I tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go.
She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me.
I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind.
She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.
I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach, which is, of course, late; and the crucifix is still round my neck.
Whether it is the old lady's fear, or the many ghostly traditions of this place, or the crucifix itself, I do not know, but I am not feeling nearly as easy in my mind as usual.
~Dracula, Bram Stoker, Chapter 1
The first one made it look so easy!
That poor black horse though, yeah I think he needs some work. 
Yeah, he needs to figure out how things work.
How are you by the way? Quiet night?
No, actually a really busy night. Drunks are everywhere! I do not see why people, if they just have to get plastered, cannot do it in the privacy of their own home? So stupid. Two people peed, thats right I sad “PEED!” in the back of the patrol cars… Nasty. Disgusting. And just so needlessly unsanitary. I do not understand people at all. Jeez.
Jeez I am so sorry to hear this. Drunks are nasty, filthy beings.
And you are right, why don’t they drink in the safe place far away from normal people.
One answer they are stupid and disgusting. Alcohol lowers the IQ.
Sorry again you are having difficult night. “hugs’
Busy, but not bad. The guys I am working with at least make it fun. So its not all bad. They come in here and tell me the stories, and make me laugh with what all happened. A Batman voice was utilized…And? Surprisingly effective.
Some of my officers are like big kids, I swear, but I love ‘em!
That’s good and I ma happy you have fun. That’s the best reaction.
Hey, what happened to the drawings for your fairy tale?
Are they finished?
No, the young man drawing them has been super busy and hasn’t been able to give the attention they deserve. I will probably just get the stories published without them, I suppose. Bummer. Ah well. *pouts*
Bummer.
What did you want from the drawings? I could try to make some, now that I read the text.
I am not looking for anything too detailed. I wanted it to have, very much, a classic Aesop fables like feel. Maybe something like this:
Just a little darker.
Basically I was wanting a well, maybe spider legs coming out of the well, dark woods…I don’t know, something like that. and thank you so much for the offer, really…I appreciate!
I want to try simpler style in my drawings, something similar to this illustration.
What about the girl, father, mother and stepmother? Do you have any preferences about them and last Q, how many you want. One or 2 in each book?
You are welcome. I was looking for the theme to try a new style and your fairy tale would work well for my inspiration.
Simple is good, like I said, very much what I am looking for. Especially since a lot of the old fairy tales have very basic, simple drawings with them. I want the whole old school feel from start to finish. As for the girl, father , stepmother, mother? I do not want them drawn specifically, no. I want the reader to be able to imagine them as they see fit, maybe even see themselves in the certain roles and if those characters are drawn it will limit that ability. So what I looking for is more of mood drawings, if that makes sense. And by ‘specifically’ I mean for example a blurred image through the tress carting a bag. (The Mother from Well of Envy in the beginning); hands, gnarled, reaching through the window towards a little girl, back turned, sleeping in bed. (The mother in Well of Wrath) Snapshots of scenes is what I am looking for. Oh, and you know me, I cannot stress DARK enough.
As for how many I am looking for. Eh, a coupe for each. But I really what them to make an impact. Much like the stories themselves, I want them to say a lot, with very little. I know I need at least ONE pic with a covered well, with huge spider legs emerging. And when you think about the well, think fallen turret, that type of deal. That is really the only one I NEED to have… The well has to be just right, because it is the place of so much misery, and so much of the action. That all make sense?
Makes sense to me. I got the feeling what you want. I can do moody and I can do dark.
I can see the scenes drawn in the whole old school feel, I know what you mean.
I will do first the drawing of the covered well with huge spider legs emerging. When the result is what you want, I will work on others.
I have couple of ideas already. I can promise you, it will be dark and moody. And scary.
Off to bed I go.
See ya tomorrow.
Thank you again, ma’am…I really appreciate it! *hugs* Have a good rest, I will catch ya tomorrow!