Adrian and the Vampires {a script never ilmed}

[Quinn-Ann]

The New Howell Theater presents
Adrian and the Vampires
A Screenplay by Ronald L. Ecker

Copyright 1986, 1996-2000 by Ronald L. Ecker
All Right Reserved
Log line: Ten-year-old Adrian Jarrett sets out to prove vampires exist. And the vampires are delighted to help him.

Lyrics to the song "Varney the Vampire" Copyright 1996 by Chordata Music. Used with permission.


ADRIAN AND THE VAMPIRES



FADE IN:

EXT. A NICE MANSION - NIGHT

Dark but for moonlight.

INT. MANSION - NIGHT

The dark parlor, a TICKING clock, a night light burning
in an upstairs hallway.

INT. A BOY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Dark. Suddenly

A VAMPIRE'S HEAD

rears up into CAMERA, as if out of an unseen coffin.

It's hideous, with sharp fangs and red eyes. And this
kid's only ten! He is ADRIAN JARRETT.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Dark. SADIE JARRETT, in her forties, begins waking
from a fitful sleep. She's gaunt, sick-looking.

A BLACK HUMAN SHAPE

stands silhouetted by the moonlit window. It's too
dark to tell which way the thing's facing.

SADIE

finds no one beside her, looks weakly toward the shape
by the window. As she fumbles for the bedside lamp:

SADIE
Willard?

THE BLACK SHAPE

turns from the window, as the lamp comes on.

It's only pajama-clad WILLARD JARRETT, fifty, who's
been staring out the window in sleepless worry.

WILLARD
I'm here, darling.

NEW ANGLE

as Willard steps to the bed.

SADIE
Oh darling. You shouldn't
worry so.

Willard sits down on the edge of the bed, takes Sadies's
frail hand in his.

WILLARD
How can I help it?

INT. SONYA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Dark, as SONYA JARRETT, about eight, is asleep. The
door quietly opens from the lit hallway.

A SHADOW falls over her. Something HISSING steals
toward her.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

WILLARD, very emotional, kisses SADIE's limp hand.

WILLARD
You and the kids, Sadie, you're
all that I have. All the rest
means nothing - nothing -

Sadie rolls her eyes, this is too much even for her,
as Willard kisses, caresses her hand:

WILLARD
(continuing)
- nothing, do you hear?

INT. SONYA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

The SHADOW is right over SONYA. Another HISS, she
awakes, looks up in horror at

ADRIAN

in black cape and top hat, face bestial as before, as
he's all set to get her.

CLOSE - SONYA

as she screams bloody murder.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

WILLARD and SADIE alarmed by Sonya's SCREAMING.

Willard discards Sadie's limp hand as he springs to
his feet. Her hand hits Sadie in the nose.

WILLARD
Sonya!

INT. SONYA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

The light's on as WILLARD rushes in. SONYA, in a rage,
is throwing things - a pillow, a rag doll, a vase - at
ADRIAN, who's trying to explain:

ADRIAN
Sonya -

SONYA
I hate you, Adrian!! I hate
you!!

WILLARD
Adrian, not again!

SONYA
I hate you, I hate you!!

WILLARD
Sonya, that's enough!

ADRIAN
I was just playing with her,
Daddy.

As Willard snatches Adrian's top hat from his head:

WILLARD
Some play! Get back to your
room! And get out of that
cape!

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

As ADRIAN, taking off the cape, heads from Sonya's room
toward his, WILLARD following:

WILLARD
I'm taking that cape away.

ADRIAN
But Daddy -

WILLARD
You can have it Halloween and
that's it.

They stop as Willard takes the cape.

WILLARD
(continuing)
Adrian, this has to stop. You
can't . . .
(distracted by
Adrian's fangs)
Take out those teeth!

As Adrian takes them out, Willard confiscating them:

WILLARD
(continuing)
Why can't you play Cops and
Robbers, or Cowboys and Indians,
like ordinary children?

As they proceed to Adrian's door:

ADRIAN
If they can play those games,
what's wrong with playing
Vampires and Helsings?

WILLARD
A Helsing? What's that?
(distracted by
Adrian's red eyes)
Take those contacts out of
your eyes!

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Bedridden SADIE is holding a handkerchief to her bloodied
nose as WILLARD returns, looking emotionally exhausted.

SADIE
Willard, what was it?

WILLARD
That little vampire we're
raising, that's what. He's
been sleeping in a crate!
I don't know what -

He stops, seeing that Sadie is bleeding.

WILLARD
(continuing)
Oh Sadie. Another nosebleed,
darling?

Sadie sadly nods yes.

INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE - DAY

ADRIAN lies calmly as blood is being extracted from his
arm. Young DOCTOR RAY steps over to check things.

ADRIAN
Ever met a vampire, Doctor
Ray?

RAY
Never have. What about the
headache? Is it gone?

ADRIAN
Just about.

RAY'S NURSE

sits by a counter, looking on.

ADRIAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
Do you know how to spot one,
Doctor Ray?

RAY (o.s.)
A vampire?

NEW ANGLE

Ray thinks, then:

RAY
(continuing)
The teeth.

ADRIAN
Not only that. He'll have
long pointed ears . . .

ON THE NURSE

She has long straight hair, from which protrude rather
long ears.

ADRIAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
And eyebrows so thick they meet
above his nose . . .

She also has rather thick eyebrows.

ON HER HANDS

folded in her lap.

ADRIAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
And he'll have hair in the palms
of his hands.

NEW ANGLE

Ray smiles at Adrian.

RAY
If I meet any hairy palms, I'll
let you know.

Ray gives him a wink and moves off. Adrian looks at

THE NURSE

Her eyes are fixed on

THE CONTAINER

in which Adrian's blood is collecting.

OVERLAP SOUND:

WILLARD (V.O.)
The kid has this blood disease:
polycythemia vera . . .

ON THE NURSE

In her eyes, as she's watching, is an odd, faraway
fascination.

WILLARD (V.O.)
(continuing)
It's sort of the opposite of
anemia . . .

ON ADRIAN

staring quizzically at the Nurse (o.s.).

WILLARD (V.O.)
(continuing)
The body keeps producing too
many red cells . . .

THE NURSE

snaps out of it under Adrian's stare. As she smiles
self-consciously, turns to busy herself:

WILLARD (V.O.)
(continuing)
Too much blood in the body . . .

ADRIAN

is keeping an eye on her.

INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY

WILLARD is lying on a couch as he talks:

WILLARD
(continuing)
It's incurable. All they can
do is treat it, keep taking out
blood.
(beat)
What I fear is that this disease
has begun affecting his mind.
This obsession with vampires . . .

ON PSYCHIATRIST

A weird-looking fellow named GROSS. He has thick bushy
eyebrows and long pointed ears.

[Quinn-Ann]

WILLARD (o.s.)
(continuing)
It's gone beyond reason. I
can't reason with the boy. The
doctor says not to worry -

Gross is not even listening. He's looking closely at
something he has found in his palm, begins picking at
it, idling his time.

WILLARD (o.s.)
(continuing)
- that it's natural, given his
disease, for Adrian to have
more than the average child's
interest in blood. That it's
something the kid will outgrow.

NEW ANGLE

as Willard sits up, turns anxiously to Gross.

WILLARD
(continuing)
Do you think he's right, Doc?

Gross, caught off guard, quickly lowers his palm.

WILLARD
(continuing)
It's just a boy's passing
fancy? He'll outgrow this
thing about vampires?

GROSS
I'm inclined to agree, Mister
Jarrett. Given time.

WILLARD
(sighs)
Well good for him, but what
about me? I'll be ready for
the bughouse by then.
(lying down again)
And his mother - the poor
woman has cancer as it is.
How much more can she take?
(beat)
Poor Sadie. I give her all
the affection I can. Believe
me I do.

Willard sits up again to make a point, Gross lowers his
palm:

WILLARD
(continuing)
If you could kill a person with
love, she'd already be dead.

INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

SADIE is dead. The attending PHYSICIAN gently closes
Sadie's eyes.

WILLARD, at the bedside, becomes ludicrously emotional
as only Willard can do.

INT. FUNERAL PARLOR - NIGHT

SADIE lies in an open coffin. A few feet away, FRIENDS
and RELATIVES speak quietly with WILLARD, ADRIAN, and
SONYA.

Adrian wanders over to stand

BY THE COFFIN

Adrian stares sadly at Sadie. After a moment, Adrian
starts to turn away, but Sadie (so Adrian imagines)
grabs his arm, pulls him close to whisper:

SADIE
Don't let them get me, Adrian.
Don't let them get me.

Adrian lets out a wail of terror, turns to flee. He
runs right into the arms of Willard:

WILLARD
Son, what is it?

Adrian looks toward the coffin. Sadie lies serenely in
death as before.

ADRIAN
Sorry, Dad. I guess I got
carried away.

Willard sighs. One of the Relatives, a middle-aged
LADY, comes forward.

WILLARD
(to Lady)
Carry him away.

The Lady soothingly escorts Adrian off, while Willard
gives dead Sadie a sad look of apology.

EXT. GRAVEYARD CEREMONY - DAY

LONG SHOT of burial ceremony in progress, MOURNERS
gathered.

NEW ANGLE

The MINISTER intoning, with sad but brave ADRIAN,
tearful SONYA, sobbing WILLARD, and RELATIVES seated
at the graveside.

Other Mourners stand about, the coffin set to be lowered.

MINISTER
Into thy hands, O Lord, we
commend thy servant Sadie.
Acknowledge, we humbly beseech
thee . . .

Adrian (imagining again) looks up at a middle-aged MAN,
in Victorian clothes, who has appeared at his side.
It's Professor ABRAHAM VAN HELSING.

MINISTER
(continuing)
. . . a sheep of thine own
fold . . .

Van Helsing, holding something in his hand out of view,
whispers to Adrian:

VAN HELSING
You know what has to be done.

MINISTER
May her soul . . .

Adrian watches Van Helsing move off toward the coffin.
No one else seems to notice.

MINISTER
(continuing)
. . . and all the souls of the
departed . . .

NEW ANGLE

As Van Helsing steps to the coffin, steels himself,
hammer and stake in hand:

MINISTER
(continuing)
. . . rest in peace. We
therefore commit her body
to the ground . . .

ON ADRIAN

watching wide-eyed, frozen.

MINISTER
(continuing)
. . . earth to earth, ashes
to ashes . . .

NEW ANGLE

Van Helsing flings open the lid. At once SADIE grabs
him by the wrist with superhuman strength. She yanks
the stake from his hand. During this:

MINISTER
(continuing)
. . . dust to dust; in sure
and certain hope . . .

ON ADRIAN

watching in horror.

MINISTER (o.s.)
(continuing)
. . . of the resurrection . . .

NEW ANGLE

as Sadie, sitting up, CLUBS Van Helsing over the head
with the stake, the man falling to his knees by the
coffin.

MINISTER
(continuing)
. . . to eternal life . . .

SADIE
(to Van Helsing)
I'm not a vampire, you idiot!

MINISTER
. . . As it was in the
beginning . . .

As Sadie throws the stake at the fallen professor:

SADIE
(to Van Helsing)
Leave me alone!

As Sadie lies back down and slams the lid shut:

MINISTER
. . . is now . . .

ON ADRIAN

amazed, his eyes moving from the coffin to

VAN HELSING

sitting in a confused stupor on the ground, a hand to
his bleeding head.

MINISTER (o.s.)
(continuing)
. . . and ever shall be . . .

FULL SHOT OF THE CEREMONY

The same as it began, no Van Helsing in view.

MINISTER
(continuing)
World without end. Amen.

INT. DR. GROSS'S OFFICE - DAY

A beautiful female PATIENT is lying on the couch while
GROSS, in a nearby chair, quietly opens a piece of mail.

PATIENT
I don't know exactly when it
began, Doctor - this feeling
that I'm just too good for men.

Gross has quietly removed

AN INVITATION

halfway from its envelope. The part we can read says:

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO
THE GATHERING OF WALPURGISNACHT
AT BRAN CASTLE, ROMANIA, ON
THE 15TH OF THIS AUGUST.

While we're reading, we hear:

PATIENT
(continuing)
The last guy I was really
attracted to turned out to
be gay.

NEW ANGLE

as Gross looks pleased by the invitation.

PATIENT
(continuing)
It was ironic, you know? In a
way, he felt he was too good
for me.

Now Gross seems to notice something striking about his
Patient.

PATIENT
(continuing)
My mother always told me to
be leery . . .

THE PATIENT'S NECK

looks so smooth, soft, and inviting.

PATIENT
(continuing)
. . . to guard my chastity, till
I had found Mister Right . . .

NEW ANGLE

Gross is clearly tempted, excited.

PATIENT
(continuing)
. . . and I was Mrs. Right.

Gross begins moving slowly, hungrily down toward her neck.

PATIENT
(continuing)
She said, "When that lovebug
bites you, you'll know it."

INT. OUTER OFFICE - DAY

Gross's SECRETARY is startled to hear a bloodcurdling
SCREAM from Gross's office.

The office door opens, the PATIENT rushes out in a
panic. She pauses, a hand on her neck, long enough to
scream at the Secretary:

PATIENT
You're just going to sit there?
He's a beast!

The Patient flees. GROSS steps out of his office. He
looks duly flustered.

SECRETARY
Doctor, what happened?

GROSS
Nothing, I . . . I need a plane
reservation right away. Cancel
all appointments. Take a paid
vacation.

As Gross starts back into his office:

SECRETARY
Where to, sir?

GROSS
Where to? How should I know?
Go where you -

SECRETARY
I mean the plane reservation.
Where to?

GROSS
Oh. To Romania. Bucharest.

As Gross goes into his office:

SECRETARY
How soon, sir?

GROSS (o.s.)
(from office)
The sooner the better!

A MAP OF ROMANIA

fills the screen. We are in:

INT. A SITTING ROOM - JARRETT MANSION - NIGHT

ADRIAN is lying on the floor with an oversized atlas,
opened to the map.

ADRIAN
Daddy?

WILLARD sits reading a newspaper on the couch.

WILLARD
Hmm?

ADRIAN
Are we still gonna go on a trip,
now that Mom won't be going?

WILLARD
(reading)
We'll see, son. Where do you
want to go?

ADRIAN
Transylvania.

Willard stops reading. As Adrian lugs the atlas to the
couch, sits down beside Willard:

WILLARD
Transylvania?

ADRIAN
It's part of Romania. Let me
show you on the map.

INSERT: THE MAP

as Adrian's finger points.

ADRIAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
See? "Transylvania." It's the
homeland of Dracula.

BACK TO SCENE

Willard sighs.

WILLARD
Adrian, there was no Dracula.

ADRIAN
There was too, Daddy. He wasn't
really a vampire - at least they
don't think so. His real name
was Vlad, Vlad Tepes. He was a
bloodthirsty prince. He'd put
people on stakes. They called
him Vlad the Impaler. And
Dracula, which means devil.
And he had a real castle, just
like those there today.

WILLARD
Romania is verboten. Capeesh?
You want to see a castle, we'll
go to, uh - Disney World. I'm
sure there's a Castleland there
and -

Willard stops - he sees that Adrian is about to cry.

WILLARD
(continuing)
Okay, maybe it's a good idea.
I'm going to take you to Romania
and prove to you there's no
such thing - and there's never
been such a thing - as a vampire.

ADRIAN
(delighted)
And I'll prove there is!

WILLARD
(sighs)
Wait till I tell my psychiatrist.

ADRIAN
What?

WILLARD
I have to go to Romania to look
for vampires. He'll laugh me
out of the office.

EXT. AN AIRLINER - AIRBORNE - DAY

High above the clouds.

[Quinn-Ann]

EXT. BUCHAREST, ROMANIA - ESTABLISHING - DAY

CAMERA MOVES IN on a taxi in traffic.

INT. TAXI - DAY

SONYA, ADRIAN, and WILLARD are in the back seat, Sonya
sulking.

SONYA
We could have gone to London or
Rome or the River Forever. But
no, we have to go look for Dracula.

WILLARD
No, darling, you're misstating
our purpose. There's no Dracula
to look for.

ADRIAN
We're looking for vampires and
I'm gonna find one.

SONYA
Good. I hope he sucks your
blood all out.

ON THE DRIVER

lean and beady-eyed. He's listening to all this with
veiled interest.

WILLARD (o.s.)
Okay, that's enough. Knock off
that kind of talk. Capeesh?

NEW ANGLE

Adrian looks wonderingly at Sonya:

ADRIAN
"The River Forever"? What's
that?

WILLARD
I think she means the French
Riviera.
(to Sonya)
Don't you, darling?

Sonya sticks her nose in the air. She's not telling.

EXT. A BUCHAREST HOTEL - DAY

WILLARD hands the TAXI DRIVER his money. A PORTER is
going in with the luggage.

DRIVER
I thank you.

Willard heads for the entrance with SONYA. ADRIAN is
looking around. The Driver watches him.

As Adrian starts toward the entrance:

DRIVER
(continuing)
Little man . . .

Adrian stops, turns to hear.

DRIVER
(continuing)
You wish to see castle like in
Dracula book? Go to Brasov.
From there to Bran Castle.

WILLARD
(from entrance)
Adrian . . .

ADRIAN
That's in Transylvania? Bran
Castle?

DRIVER
Of course. They say Vlad Tepes
himself used to stay there.

SONYA
(from entrance)
Adrian!

ADRIAN
(to Driver)
Thanks for the info.

As Adrian turns to go:

DRIVER
Little man . . .

Adrian stops and turns again.

DRIVER
(continuing)
If you go to Bran Castle, return
to Brasov before dark.

The Driver turns to go, leaving

ADRIAN

wide-eyed, looking eager to get there.

EXT. A TOUR BUS - MOVING - DAY

On a scenic Transylvanian road. The bus passes a Bran
Castle road sign.

INT. THE BUS - DAY

Full of TOURISTS. ADRIAN is excited, WILLARD and SONYA
show considerably less interest.

Adrian notes that American LYLE GREENWOOD looks with
plenty of interest at pretty American KATY HARRELL,
seated ahead of him. Both are twentysomething.

Katy, apparently unaware of her admirer, enjoys the
view, talks in Romanian with a PASSENGER beside her.

Lyle notes Adrian observing him. Lyle gives him a
cross-eyed look, which has the desired effect: Adrian
looks elsewhere.

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - DAY

The tour bus continues on its way.

EXT. BRAN CASTLE - DAY

Standing majestic, with its towers and turrets, in a
mountain fastness.

EXT. ROAD - DAY

The tour bus is approaching the castle.

A PEASANT WOMAN

watching from the roadside crosses herself.

EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY

The tour bus pulls up and stops.

EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - NEW ANGLE - DAY

TOURISTS are getting off the bus. ADRIAN, already off,
is looking up at the castle with awe. Now something
grabs his attention.

ADRIAN'S POV - A WINDOW

in which a WOMAN is standing, watching them. She is
pale, dressed in black.

BACK TO ADRIAN

staring wide-eyed.

INT. THE WINDOW - DAY

CLOSE ON THE WOMAN, watching, with thick eyebrows and
rather long ears. She's the CARETAKER.

EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY

SONYA joins ADRIAN, still staring off, as TOURISTS
continue disembarking.

ADRIAN
Look at that woman.
(glancing around)
Where's Daddy? I want him to
see her.

SONYA
Who? I don't see any woman.

Adrian looks up at

THE WINDOW - THEIR POV

No one's there.

BACK TO SCENE

as Adrian points:

ADRIAN
She was right there in that
window.

SONYA
Oh, come on, Adrian. You're
going to start seeing vampires
everywhere, right?

INT. CARETAKER'S QUARTERS - DAY

The CARETAKER steps to a wall mirror. Something o.s.
begins GROWLING irritably. As the Caretaker primps:

CARETAKER
I must go greet our visitors.

NEW ANGLE

We see now that there is no reflection in the mirror at
which the Caretaker primps. She looks off at the Growler
(o.s.) as the GROWLING continues.

CARETAKER
(continuing)
You behave yourself while I'm
gone.

She moves to the door, opens it, looks back at the Growler
(o.s.), then leaves, the disgruntled GROWLING continuing.

EXT. CASTLE - DAY

The TOURISTS are walking toward the entrance.

ADRIAN watches as LYLE moves cockily toward KATY, who
stands studying the castle, writing notes on a pad.

Lyle stops nonchalantly by Katy. Adrian listens nearby.

LYLE
Some castle, eh?

KATY
Sure is. It's going to be in
my dissertation.

LYLE
Yeah? What's it on?

KATY
Medieval castles, like this one.

Lyle lets on to be happily amazed.

LYLE
Lucky for me! Look, my name's
Lyle. Lyle Greenwood. And
you're - ?

KATY
Katy Harrell.

LYLE
Katy, I'm here for a little
research of my own. And you're
just the expert I need.

KATY
Oh, I wouldn't say that.

LYLE
No, believe me, you're just what
I've been praying for. Mind if
I tag along with you on the tour?

KATY
Not at all.

[Quinn-Ann]

As they move toward the castle, Lyle eyeing her:

LYLE
Boy, this is my lucky day.

ON ADRIAN

watching, apparently impressed by Lyle's technique.

WILLARD (o.s.)
Adrian!

NEW ANGLE

as WILLARD and SONYA wait for Adrian to join them:

WILLARD
(continuing)
Don't wander off. Capeesh? We
don't want Vlad Tepes to get you.

INT. MAIN HALL - THE CASTLE - DAY

The TOURISTS are milling about, waiting for their tour.
ADRIAN again eavesdrops on LYLE and KATY:

LYLE
You see, I have this theory -
which I hope to prove - that
Count Dracula really existed.
(on Katy's look)
I don't mean Vlad Tepes, the
impale-people guy. We know he
was real. I mean Dracula the
count, from Bram Stoker's novel.

KATY
Dracula the vampire.

LYLE
The same.

KATY
Lyle, really.

LYLE
Yes really. I'm going to write
a book. I've got it all figured
out.

CARETAKER (o.s.)
Welcome!

ON THE CARETAKER

as she speaks to the Tourists:

CARETAKER
(continuing)
Welcome, everyone, to Bran
Castle.

FAVORING ADRIAN

as he hears Lyle whisper to Katy:

LYLE
Tsch. She's made up like a
vampire.

NEW ANGLE

as the Caretaker continues:

CARETAKER
(continuing)
My husband and I are the
caretakers here. He is ill
today and unable to join us.
Ioan will be your guide for
the day.

She has gestured toward middle-aged IOAN, who nods a
courteous greeting to the Tourists.

CARETAKER
(continuing)
He speaks English, French, and
Romanian. He will answer all
questions. Now I bid you enjoy
your stay at Bran Castle.

Her eyes fall on Adrian. He returns her gaze with
obvious unease.

IOAN
You will come this way, please.

The Caretaker watches Adrian, who keeps glancing back
nervously toward her, as he begins moving with the other
Tourists, Ioan leading them off down a corridor:

IOAN
(continuing)
Bran Castle, dating back to the
fourteenth century, has been home
to many Transylvanian nobles . . .

Adrian is now walking backwards, staring at the Caretaker
who stands calmly staring back at him.


IOAN (o.s.)
(continuing; fading
down the corridor)
Even the famous Vlad Tepes once
stayed here.

Adrian backs right into Lyle, who has stopped with Katy
to look at something in the corridor, the other Tourists
moving on.

Turning to Adrian with aggravation, Lyle glances toward
the Caretaker, still standing alone in the main hall,
watching. Lyle bends down to look Adrian in the eye.

LYLE
Don't you know that it's impolite
to stare?

Adrian heads on down the corridor, Lyle watching him
with disgust. Katy is looking at a wall painting.

We hear a FLUTTERING SOUND from the main hall. Lyle
glances toward the hall, then does a take.

LYLE'S POV - THE HALL

No one is there where the Caretaker was standing.

BACK TO SCENE

Looking rather puzzled, Lyle is rejoined by Katy, who
notes his expression.

KATY
What is it?

LYLE
That caretaker . . .

KATY
What about her?

As they start down the corridor, Lyle glancing back
toward the hall with a chuckle:

LYLE
She pretended to fly away.

EXT. COURTYARD - DAY

IOAN is leading the TOURISTS along one of the arcades.

AT A DOOR

Ioan stops, turns to the Tourists.

IOAN
Through this door we shall
return to the main hall of
the castle. Then we shall -

KATY
Excuse me . . .

KATY and LYLE step forward, ADRIAN not far behind them.
As Katy gestures across the courtyard:

KATY
(continuing)
That side of the castle over
there - aren't you going to
show that as well?

IOAN
No, madam. That part of the
castle is under renovation. It
is closed to the public.

Ioan opens the door and enters. The Tourists begin
following.

INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY

WILLARD smiles back at ADRIAN and SONYA as they are
moving along with the OTHERS.

WILLARD
I haven't noticed one vampire
yet. Have either of you?

ADRIAN
I wouldn't count out the
caretaker.

WILLARD
Tsch. She's a dog-and-pony show.

As the group continues moving, Adrian now deliberately
lags, glancing curiously back.

EXT. COURTYARD - DAY

The door from the corridor opens, ADRIAN looks out across
the courtyard. He sees

LYLE AND KATY

moving hurriedly along the opposite arcade, looking for
a way into the forbidden side of the castle.

BACK TO ADRIAN

watching them.

INT. THE MAIN HALL - DAY

Entering with other TOURISTS, WILLARD finds that Adrian
is no longer with SONYA.

WILLARD
Where's Adrian?

SONYA
I don't know. Maybe the vampires
got him.

INT. A GALLERY - DAY

LYLE and KATY are walking through an ornate gallery,
admiring paintings and statues.

ON THE GALLERY DOOR

It quietly opens, ADRIAN looks in after

LYLE AND KATY - ADRIAN'S POV

They disappear around the corner of a corridor at the
gallery's far end.

BACK TO ADRIAN

He starts quietly following. Suddenly the door SLAMS
shut behind him. Adrian hurries back to the door. It
won't open.

Adrian looks anxiously down the gallery.

ADRIAN
Hey! Wait!

His voice RESOUNDS in the stillness. He runs down the
gallery.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

ADRIAN rounds the corner, stops to look. Not a soul to
be seen. The passage seems cold and foreboding.

He walks along the passage. Something catches his eyes,
startles him to a halt. It's

A PORTRAIT

on the wall - the rather unsettling portrait of Vlad
Tepes, the bejeweled, mustachioed Wallachian prince with
the large evil eyes, which seem to glare at

ADRIAN

He backs away, turns as he's moving, and walks right
into a suit of armor standing by the wall.

NEW ANGLE

as the armor topples, CRASHES to the floor with a
horrendous, echoing clatter.

This spooks Adrian even more, he goes running down the
passage.

ON THE PORTRAIT

as if Vlad is watching with evil amusement, Adrian's
FOOTSTEPS running away, the armor still ROLLING around.

INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY

ADRIAN desperately tries one door, then another. All
are locked. Adrian stops, scared and frustrated.

ADRIAN
Where are you?! Where did you
go?!

Only silence. He looks up toward the corridor's only
windows - little more than holes, high up in the wall.

Adrian's about to cry - then he notes that

A DOOR

is standing slightly ajar.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian goes over, listens at the door, then cautiously
opens it wider.

INT. A STUDY - DAY

ADRIAN pokes his head in. No one's there, he comes in,
looks around.

It's a nice little study, with oak table and chair.
Adrian hurries over to the regular-sized window.

EXT. WINDOW - DAY

ADRIAN leans out, looks around.

HIS POV

The castle's moat is far, far below.

The window faces woods, with mountains beyond. Not a
person in sight.

BACK TO ADRIAN

He yells from the window:

ADRIAN
Help!! Help meeee!!

ON ADRIAN - CLOSER

as a WIND now mysteriously arises, gently blowing
Adrian's hair, and -

INT. STUDY - DAY

- the door SLAMS shut as if blown by the WIND.

The Wind dies, as if mission accomplished. Adrian
doesn't know what to think. Then his eyes widen, as he
sees

A MIST

smokelike, seeping in under the door. It's sparkling
and swirling.

ADRIAN

is watching in terror as

THE MIST

keeps seeping in, rising, not filling the room but
staying right by the door. It's gathering, boiling up
into some kind of form.

ADRIAN

turns, yells with all his soul out the window:

ADRIAN
HELLLLLLLP!!




Adrian turns again. His terror turns to awe now, pure
wonder, at what he sees.

NEW ANGLE

At the door stands a MAN. He wears a black, high-
collared cloak and slouch hat, and a ring with a bright
red ruby. He's pale, with thick eyebrows and long
pointed ears.

For a moment they just gaze at each other, scared Adrian
and the Man.

ADRIAN
That was you - coming under the
door.

The Man smiles. His accent is Hungarian, like Bela
Lugosi's:

MAN
Pretty neat trick, eh?

A beat. The Man steps forward. As Adrian moves to
the side, circling around, trying to get to the door:

ADRIAN
No! Get away! Don't touch me!

The Man watches, amused, makes no move to stop him,
as Adrian gets to the door.

Adrian struggles desperately with the worn-looking
door latch. The door will not open. During this:

MAN
How often your parents must have
warned you: "Never wander off
alone."

Adrian gives up on the latch, puts his back to the door,
wondering desperately what to try next.

CLOSE - THE MAN

His eyes widen. He sees

ADRIAN'S FINGER

It's cut, dripping blood.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian looks down at his wound, glances quizzically at
the latch (a loose screw did the cutting, most likely),
looks down at

BRIGHT DROPS OF BLOOD

on the stone floor at his feet.

NEW ANGLE

The Man grabs Adrian by the wrist, Adrian almost
screams, then stifles it - the Man's only pressing
Adrian's cut with a handkerchief.

The Man gestures for Adrian to take the handkerchief,
which Adrian does, keeping it pressed to the wound.

Clearly rattled, the Man turns, steps away.

MAN
Take care. In such an old
castle . . .

The Man stops by the table and turns. He seems pretty
much calm again.

MAN
(continuing)
. . . it is easy to do oneself
harm.

Adrian, holding his wound, stares at the Man.

ADRIAN
Who are you?

MAN
Call me Vlad.

Vlad sits down, very gracefully, by the table.

ADRIAN
Vlad Tepes?

VLAD
No. Vlad short for Vladimir.
I am Vladimir Blasko.
(beat)
And you are Adrian.

[Quinn-Ann]

Adrian cautiously walks over. As he studies Vlad's
features:

ADRIAN
You're a vampire.

Vlad smiles cagily.

VLAD
What makes you so sure?

ADRIAN
Well, you have thick bushy
eyebrows, that almost meet
above your nose . . .

Vlad's smile disappears. He seems sensitive about his
eyebrows.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
And you have such long pointed
ears . . .

Vlad also seems sensitive about his ears.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
And you have hair in the palms
of your hands . . .

Vlad's getting fed up.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
And then there's your breath -

VLAD
Okay! I'm a vampire!

A pause. Vlad looks at Adrian's hand.

VLAD
(continuing)
How is the hand? Let me see.

Adrian lets Vlad take hold of his wrist and look at the
finger. Then we see why Vlad does this.

It's the ruby - the bright red ruby in Vlad's ring. The
sparkling red stone has caught Adrian's eyes, and holds
them.

VLAD
(continuing)
Look deep . . . deep . . . I
must take you to them. They
are waiting.

The red ruby looks liquid inside, something swirling,
its red glow lighting Adrian's face.

ADRIAN
(dreamily, gazing
into the ring)
Who are "they"? . . . Where
are we?

The ruby's RED SWIRL is expanding now, spreading out,
filling the SCREEN.

VLAD
You have come to the Vampire
Vortex.

BRIGHT RED FILLS THE SCREEN.

After a moment, MATCH CUT and slowly

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

a RED WALL HANGING in:

INT. AN APARTMENT - THE CASTLE - DAY

The wide wall hanging, almost covering the height of
the wall, is filled with satanic designs.

ADRIAN'S HEAD

springs up into CAMERA. He has awakened on a couch.
He stares off at

A MAN

standing nearby. He is BOGDAN, fortyish, a suave,
well-tailored American.

BOGDAN
Hello.

One wouldn't take Bogdan for a vampire right off. But
there is definitely something sinister about him. It
must be the eyes.

NEW ANGLE

as Adrian stares at Bogdan from the couch.

ADRIAN
Who are you?

BOGDAN
I am Bogdan. Grand Boyar of
Walpurgisnacht.

ADRIAN
(beat)
Walpurgisnacht?

BOGDAN
It's the name of our order.

YOLANDA (o.s.)
He is awake? Murtala!

From the door comes YOLANDA, a dark Peruvian vamp in
a red, low-cut dress.

Following her over is MURTALA, a Nigerian with a real
pearly smile. He wears a traditional cap and robe.

Yolanda leans down to smile brightly at Adrian, who
has risen from the couch:

YOLANDA
(continuing)
Hola, chiquito. I am Yolanda.
(admiring his
complexion)
Que rosado.

Adrian looks scared and confused.

ADRIAN
Are we still in the castle?

BOGDAN
Yes. In a very special part.

ADRIAN
(beat)
What are we here for?

MURTALA
For annual convention.

BOGDAN
Number fifty.

Adrian looks over their faces with dread.

ADRIAN
A vampire convention?

Their smug looks say it's so.

MURTALA
And you are special guest.

ADRIAN
(beat)
How did you know I was coming?

BOGDAN
We didn't. That is, not exactly.

YOLANDA
You had to come sooner or later.

BOGDAN
When we heard it was sooner -
this very year - we had to move
the date.

ADRIAN
Just for me? . . . Well, look,
uh . . .

Adrian begins backing away toward the door.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
I don't wanna be a vampire. I
never have. I just played like
I did. You know? It was all
a big game. I guess you guys
thought I was serious.

Adrian turns, only to find that his way to the corridor
is blocked by

A VAMPIRE

standing grimly in slouch hat and cloak just like
Vlad's. He's THUG #1, a mean-looking brute with an
ugly scar on his forehead.

NEW ANGLE

as Bogdan, Yolanda, and Murtala stroll over to Adrian.

YOLANDA
Tomorrow evening you will join
us. At la fiesta.

As she runs her fingers along Adrian's neck:

YOLANDA
(continuing)
La Fiesta de Sangre.

As Yolanda moves with Murtala toward the door, Bogdan
pauses by Adrian.

BOGDAN
Until then, this apartment is
yours. But don't try to leave
it.

Adrian glances at Thug #1, gets the drift.

BOGDAN
(continuing)
To try to escape would be
useless.

Bogdan starts toward the door, Thug #1 going out
behind Yolanda and Murtala.

ADRIAN
Wait - Bogdan.

Bogdan stops and turns.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
Where's my dad? And Sonya?

BOGDAN
Wherever you left them.
(then)
They can't find you here. It's
the Vortex.

As Bogdan proceeds to the door, Adrian following:

ADRIAN
What's that mean, anyway?

Bogdan stops at the door, looks at Adrian.

BOGDAN
Don't try to leave this
apartment. Capeesh?

A beat. Bogdan starts to leave. But something strikes
Adrian as odd.

ADRIAN
Hey, wait a minute - Bogdan!

Bogdan stops, calmly turns.

BOGDAN
Yes?

ADRIAN
What made you say that?

BOGDAN
To try to escape would be
dangerous, and -

ADRIAN
No. Why did you say "Capeesh"?

BOGDAN
(beat)
I didn't.

ADRIAN
You did.

BOGDAN
What kind of word is it?

ADRIAN
It's Italian.

BOGDAN
I don't know Italian.

ADRIAN
It means "do you understand."

BOGDAN
Well I certainly don't.

A beat. Bogdan again starts to leave.

ADRIAN
Bogdan!

Bogdan stops. He seems about out of patience.

BOGDAN
Yes?

ADRIAN
"La Fiesta de Sangre." What
does that mean?

BOGDAN
"Feast of Blood." Right after
sundown tomorrow.
(beat)
Guess who's bringing the blood.

Bogdan chuckles, turns to go.

ADRIAN
That means me, doesn't it.

As Bogdan is set to close the door:

BOGDAN
Every feast must have its fatted
calf.

Bogdan closes the door. Adrian listens to the RATTLE
of the key that locks him in.

Adrian turns from the door in a quandary. He hurries
over to one of the room's two or three airy windows
and looks out.

ADRIAN'S POV

from high up the castle. Only woods, mountains, a
faraway river. No sign of people.

BACK TO SCENE

Adrian turns from the window. He goes over and looks
into:

INT. A BEDROOM - DAY

There's a bed, a bathroom, but no way of escape.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

Returning from the bedroom, ADRIAN sits down to think
at the table. He gets an idea:

ADRIAN
A secret passageway.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian begins groping along one of the walls.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
Every old castle has one. A
bunch of 'em.

INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY

LYLE and KATY are lost.

Katy, trying another locked door, looks much more
worried than Lyle, who actually seems to like being
lost with Katy.

KATY
Lyle, how could we get so lost?
There seems to be no way out.

LYLE
Nonsense. We found our way in,
we can find our way out.

KATY
Then let's find it.

She anxiously moves off.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

ADRIAN still searching for a secret passage.

INT. A STAIRWAY - DAY

LYLE and KATY descending a circling stone stairway
into darkness.

KATY
Is this the one?

LYLE
At least it goes down.

NEW ANGLE

Dark. At the bottom of the steps, Lyle and Katy find
the doorway walled with long-set brick and mortar.

KATY
Oh Lyle.

LYLE
This isn't the one.

KATY
Why would they seal off a door?

LYLE
To keep people from using it?

KATY
Where's the stairway down?
The one we came up on.

LYLE
Look, not to worry.

KATY
What?

LYLE
Someone will find us.

KATY
Who? When?

LYLE
That brat from the bus -

KATY
What about him?

LYLE
He was following us.

KATY
So?

LYLE
He can tell 'em where we are.

KATY
What if he's lost too?

Katy moves off up the steps.

LYLE
Why do you keep asking
questions?

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

ADRIAN pauses in his search in frustration. He's
standing by the end of a bookcase. As he folds his
arms, falls back against it:

ADRIAN
Come on, secret passageway,
where (are you?) -

The bookcase gives way, Adrian almost falls. He looks
into the entrance that has opened. He sees only
darkness. He swallows hard.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
Looks like I found it.

INT. THE SECRET PASSAGEWAY - DAY

Dark and dank. Entering, ADRIAN descends a flight of
steps. He comes to a door.

INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY

The door from the passageway opens, ADRIAN comes
cautiously out, looks around.

The corridor looks like all the others. Closing the
door behind him, Adrian starts walking.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian comes round a corner, and stops dead in his
tracks. He sees

A WOLF

at the corridor's far end. It's GROWLING, eyes glaring,
as it begins moving slowly toward

ADRIAN

who steps back in fear.

THE WOLF

quickens its pace.

ADRIAN

flees round the corner.

[Quinn-Ann]

SERIES OF ANGLES

of the Wolf chasing Adrian. About to get caught, Adrian
stops, backs against some drapes on the wall by another
corner. He clutches the drapes in fear, the Wolf leaps
toward him.

Adrian flees, RIPPING the drapes from the wall, exposing
a glass window. The Wolf CRASHES through the window.

EXT. CASTLE - DAY

The WOLF begins plummeting amid flying glass.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

Scared ADRIAN, still running, looks back. Ahead, at
the next corner, is the closed door to:

INT. A LABORATORY - DAY

Someone opens the door just as tired ADRIAN, slowing
down, arrives, apparently intending to fall against it.

Stumbling in and falling forward, Adrian lands in front
of a counter, just as -

EXT. THE MOAT - DAY

- the WOLF plunges into the water.

INT. LABORATORY - DAY

ADRIAN, getting to his feet, finds himself face-to-face
with

A MONKEY

in its cage on the counter.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian HEARS escaping steam, looks. On the next counter
is boiling blood in a large glass container, emitting a
jet of steam, as if about to explode.

Adrian suddenly turns, sees

A MAN

lunging at him from the shadows by the door, arms open
to grab him.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian cries out in fear, but the Man grabs him only
to protect him:

MAN
Look out, lad!!

The container EXPLODES, blood and glass fill the air.

When it's over, the Man turns Adrian loose, Adrian
steps back to regard him.

The Man is fiftyish DOCTOR JUKES, a Britisher. He
has a friendly face despite the telltale eyebrows and
ears.

JUKES
(looks at damage)
Well! Foiled again, as they say.

As Jukes walks over to a table:

ADRIAN
Who are you?

JUKES
Doctor Jukes. Welcome to
Bernard Jukes Laboratories,
Limited. Very limited, I'm
afraid, at the moment.

As Jukes pours a Bloody Mary (he has apparently had a
few) from a pitcher on the table:

JUKES
(continuing)
All this traveling about. It's
like a medicine show. You don't
know what I have to put up with.
All the pressure. The pressure
to find it. The solution.

Adrian is looking around. It's a makeshift lab in
which every container holds blood. There are some
caged RATS in addition to the Monkey, who's peeling
a banana.

JUKES
(continuing)
You may call me Bernard. Even
Bernie if you like.

ADRIAN
I'm Adrian.

JUKES
Yes, I know.

ADRIAN
You must be a blood doctor.

JUKES
Brilliant deduction! You're
a very bright lad. And such
a ruddy complexion.

Jukes has already gulped down his drink. As he steps
to the table for another:

JUKES
(continuing)
There is blood here from all
over the world.

ADRIAN
What caused the explosion?

JUKES
A wrong mixture. Two tribes.
I forgot they were having a
blood feud.

As Jukes sits down by the table:

ADRIAN
What do you do with all this?
(then)
I know. I'll bet you're looking
for a vampire cure.

JUKES
That I am. It would be a good
thing to have, would it not?
There are many who would use it.
But then again there are others
who wouldn't. Immortality is
a hard thing to give up. Some
people can't live without it.

Jukes sips. Adrian goes to him:

ADRIAN
You already knew my name.

JUKES
Of course. We have a dossier.

ADRIAN
A what?

JUKES
A file on you, lad.

ADRIAN
You know about my disease?

JUKES
Of course. We know all about
you. We don't take just anyone.

ADRIAN
Then they wouldn't want my blood.
Why would they? It's diseased!

JUKES
There's nothing wrong with your
blood, lad. You simply have
too much of it. That's what
makes you so special. You're
a walking little blood bank.

Adrian looks disheartened, then:

ADRIAN
Are you close to this vampire
cure?

JUKES
How close is close?

ADRIAN
Do you think you might have it
by tomorrow night?

JUKES
Ha! Not a chance, lad.

Adrian despairs. He sits down, slouches forward on
the table.

ADRIAN
(as if resigned
to his fate)
What's it like, being a vampire?

JUKES
Oh, you don't want to be one.
(on Adrian's look)
Well, not by choice, anyway.
(then)
Would you like a Bloody Mary?

ADRIAN
(rising)
No thanks. I'm getting out of
here.

As Adrian goes to the door:

JUKES
Don't try, lad. I'm sure Bogdan
warned you. You don't know what
might happen.

Adrian looks out the door, then back at Jukes.

ADRIAN
Will you help me, Doctor Jukes?
Will you help me get out?

JUKES
I can't, lad.

ADRIAN
Why not?

JUKES
Tomorrow night's the big night.
Your escaping would ruin their
whole evening.

ADRIAN
Then I sure hope I ruin it.
Don't tell 'em, okay, Doctor
Jukes? Give me time to escape.

Adrian exits.

JUKES
To where, lad? There is no
escape. It's the Vortex.

INT. A CORRIDOR - THE CASTLE - DAY

ADRIAN is walking briskly, looking and listening.

INT. A CORRIDOR - DAY

LYLE and KATY are sitting on the floor, Katy looking
tired and despairing. As Lyle comforts her, gives
her a little peck on the temple, sniffs her hair, etc.:

LYLE
It's okay -

KATY
But, Lyle, I'm so worried -

LYLE
It's okay. Someone will find
us.

They don't see ADRIAN come peeking around the corner.
Lyle is set to steal a kiss.

LYLE
(continuing)
Don't worry. Just relax.

Katy suddenly notices Adrian.

KATY
(jumping up)
Little boy!

LYLE
(disgusted)
Someone found us.

As Katy eagerly goes to Adrian:

KATY
Are you lost like we are?

ADRIAN
Thanks to you. Didn't you hear
me call you?

Lyle and Katy glance at each other. They obviously
didn't hear any call. As Lyle rises:

ADRIAN
(continuing)
I was trying to follow you.

LYLE
What do you mean "trying"?

ADRIAN
Then I ran into them.

KATY
Who's "them"?

ADRIAN
The vampires.

Lyle and Katy exchange looks.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
Haven't you seen any yet? I've
already met six. And one monkey.

A beat. Lyle motions for Katy to join him for a
conference. As they huddle:

LYLE
This kid could be dangerous.
Let me try something.

As they rejoin Adrian:

LYLE
(continuing)
Wanna play hide-and-seek? You
go hide. We'll count to a
thousand and -

KATY
(to Lyle)
Oh come on.
(to Adrian)
We've been trying to find our
way out of here.

ADRIAN
So have I. We've got to keep
trying.
(starts walking,
they follow)
Tomorrow night there's a blood
feast and I'm on the menu.

LYLE
Now wait a minute. This is -

Adrian stops and turns:

ADRIAN
You've got to believe me.
First there was Vlad. He came
under the door. Then Bogdan.
He's the Grand Boyar. And
Doctor Jukes is a blood doctor.
And -

He stops - Katy is motioning for quiet. They listen.
Faintly we hear it: the rhythmic beat of COUNTRY ROCK
MUSIC. (A song's being sung, too faint for the words
to be clear.)

KATY
Do you hear it?

ADRIAN
Rock music.

LYLE
Country rock music. God, I hate
that stuff.

INT. BALCONY ABOVE A HALL - DAY

As ADRIAN, LYLE, and KATY come stealthily from the
corridor to a corner of the balcony, we HEAR from
below the song's swinging refrain:

SINGER (o.s.)
(singing)
VARNEY THE VAMPIRE
Turns women into wrecks
Loves to sink his teeth into
Their soft and tender necks
Once ol' Varney bites 'em
They're hooked and don't
complain
VARNEY THE VAMPIRE
Loves women all in vein.

The three stand at the corner, peeking, one head above
another, down at:

INT. THE "BUCKET O' BLOOD" - DAY

Like a big down-home tavern. The decor is hillbilly
red. A large, red-lettered banner reads WELCOME TO
THE BUCKET O' BLOOD. Another banner reads THIS IS
VAMPIRE COUNTRY.

A COUNTRY ROCK SINGER and BAND are performing on the
dais, to the delight of a motley, international audience
of VAMPIRES, some fifty in all, some dancing, some
drinking (Blood Marys, of course) at the tables.

Here's MURTALA. There's the CARETAKER. Here's BOGDAN,
with a vampiric GIRL FRIEND. There's YOLANDA, dancing
(to Adrian's shock) with Willard's psychiatrist GROSS.

INTERCUT ADRIAN, LYLE, AND KATY, WATCHING FROM THE
BALCONY, AS NEEDED.

SINGER
(continuing)
VARNEY THE VAMPIRE
Has long and pointy teeth
To puncture ladies' skin and
reach
Those arteries beneath
He gets two good holes going
Then he sucks to start the flow
He'll lap up any kind of blood
Type A or B or O.

THUG #1 (he's apparently the bouncer) has spotted
Adrian, Lyle, and Katy peeking from the corner of the
balcony.

While the REFRAIN is being repeated, Thug #1 steps over
to Bogdan, seated with Girl Friend at a table, and
whispers something to him.

Bogdan cuts his eyes toward the balcony, as the next
verse begins:

SINGER
(continuing)
VARNEY THE VAMPIRE's
Been eyeing Mary Lou
But if he nibbles her he'll
bite off
More than he can chew -

Bogdan says something to Thug #1.

INT. THE BALCONY - DAY

As ADRIAN pulls back from the corner, tugs on LYLE and
KATY, still watching:

SINGER (o.s.)
(continuing)
'Cause Mary's mine and if he
tries
To pry us two apart
I'll take a stake and drive it
straight
Into that sucker's heart.

This is OVERLAPPED by:

ADRIAN
Bogdan saw us.

LYLE
Who?

ADRIAN
We've got to hide.

LYLE
It's just some people having a
vampire party.

ADRIAN
It's vampires having a party.
Come on!

Adrian takes off. Lyle and Katy follow him into:

INT. THE ADJOINING CORRIDOR - DAY

ADRIAN, LYLE, and KATY stop in their tracks as they
look down the corridor and see

THUG #2

in black cloak and slouch hat. He transforms into a
big black BAT. It comes swooping toward them, jaws open.

NEW ANGLE

The three go running the other way, ducking as the Bat
buzzes them. Now they see three or four more BATS
coming from that direction too.

They turn, start running, here come more Bats. Ducking,
dodging, the three head in desperation for:

INT. THE BUCKET O' BLOOD - DAY

With BATS in pursuit, ADRIAN, LYLE, and KATY run the
length of the balcony and down the stairs.

The Bats end their pursuit now and hover, as Adrian,
Lyle, and Katy have nowhere left to run. Before them
stand BOGDAN, VLAD, THUG #1, and all the other VAMPIRES.

As Yolanda leers lustfully at Lyle:

LYLE
You people need to do something
about the bats around here.
(to Adrian and Katy)
Let's go.

Lyle starts forward but is confronted by Vlad, holding
up his ring with its sparkling red ruby.

VLAD
(hypnotically)
Look . . . into my ring.

Lyle looks at the ruby, then at Vlad, with disdain.

LYLE
You expect me to fall for that
old . . .
(as his eyes move
glassily back to
the ruby)
. . . hypnotic ring bit? . . .

INT. THE APARTMENT - DAY

THUG #1 deposits LYLE, eyes closed, mouth hanging open,
in a deep hypnotic sleep, in a chair.

BOGDAN and THUGS #1, #2, and #3 have just brought ADRIAN,
Lyle, and KATY to Adrian's apartment.

Behind the wall is the SOUND of someone working.

BOGDAN
Your secret passageway is being
sealed off.

THUG #2
Du wirst entfliehen nimmer.
(You will never escape.)

BOGDAN
I told you not to try to get
out. Little boys should do as
they're told.

As Bogdan moves toward the door, the Thugs leaving:

KATY
Wait a minute. What about Lyle?
You can't leave him like that.

Bogdan stops, looks at Lyle.

BOGDAN
He'll come out of it.

As Katy follows Bogdan to the door:

KATY
You can't do this. Why are
you holding us?

Bogdan turns to regard her. She clearly finds the gaze
unsettling.

BOGDAN
Well, we weren't planning on
three of you -
(looking her over)
- but we do make exceptions.
(beat)
Tomorrow night will be an
exceptional evening.

Bogdan leaves, closing the door behind him. As the key
RATTLES in the lock:

ADRIAN
Welcome to the menu.

Lyle awakes with the rattling of the key. He looks
quizzically around as Katy goes to him.

LYLE
Where are we?

KATY
Feel okay?

LYLE
What happened?

ADRIAN
The old hypnotic ring bit.

Adrian goes to:

EXT. THE WINDOW - DAY

ADRIAN hopelessly studies the view. As LYLE, still
looking confused, and KATY come to join him:

ADRIAN
How are we going to get out of
here?

Lyle leans forward, looks down.

LYLE
Why don't we jump in the moat?

ADRIAN
It's too far.

KATY
And too shallow.

LYLE
That's what I like: straight
answers.

Lyle leaves the window.

ADRIAN
Look at that river . . .

ADRIAN'S POV - THE RIVER

winding off through a valley as far as the eye can see.

ADRIAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
It looks like it goes on forever.

BACK TO SCENE

Adrian and Katy gazing off.

KATY
That's why they call it that.

ADRIAN
What?

KATY
The River Forever.

Adrian looks dumbfounded. He's thinking of:

FLASHBACK - SONYA IN TAXI

SONYA
We could have gone to London or
Rome or the River Forever. But
no -

BACK TO SCENE

Adrian looking confused, Katy beside him.

ADRIAN
I must be dreaming. That has
to be it. I'm dreaming all this.

KATY
I wish you were.
(beat)
It's no dream.

EXT. THE CASTLE - NIGHT

Dark towers beneath a full moon. WOLVES HOWL in the
distance.

INT. THE APARTMENT - NIGHT

ADRIAN is by the window. LYLE sits at a table with
a dictionary. KATY's browsing at the bookcase.

They're listening to the HOWLING. When it dies, Lyle
has to clear his constricted throat.

LYLE
According to this old Webster's,
a vortex is a whirlpool. What's
that got to do with vampires?

KATY
(beat)
I wonder how many there were
today at the Bucket o' Blood.

ADRIAN
I'll bet there were fifty at
least.

LYLE
That was probably only part of
'em. The rest were probably
asleep somewhere.

ADRIAN
Vampires don't have to sleep in
the daytime.

LYLE
So I've gathered.

ADRIAN
They get lazy, that's all.

LYLE
Well you know what I think?

As Lyle rises, goes to Katy, puts a comforting hand on
her shoulder:

LYLE
(continuing)
I think when we crossed that
courtyard today, we somehow
crossed into some kind of -
parallel universe.

ADRIAN
It's the same old universe,
Lyle. It's no different. We're
being held by a castleful of
vampires, it's as simple as that.

A key suddenly RATTLES in the door. They watch as the
door opens and THUG #1 steps in.

Thug #1 holds the door as the CARETAKER enters. She
is followed by strutting YOLANDA and a young vampiric
MAID pushing a food cart. THUG #3 waits outside.

CARETAKER
I am sure you must all be
famished. Please, be seated.

[Quinn-Ann]

Adrian goes to the Caretaker:

ADRIAN
What about my dad? And Sonya?
Where are they?

CARETAKER
I don't know.

Thug #1 takes a threatening step toward Adrian. Yolanda
takes Adrian gently by the shoulders, directs him toward
the table:

YOLANDA
Sientate, chiquito.

Adrian, Lyle, and Katy sit down at the table. Outside
there is distant HOWLING again as the Maid begins
serving dishes.

ADRIAN
Are there any more wolves in
the castle?

CARETAKER
Wolves?

ADRIAN
I got chased by a wolf today.

CARETAKER
Oh. That was no wolf, dear.
That was my husband.

KATY
Your husband?

CARETAKER
He hasn't been himself lately.

LYLE
He thinks he's a wolf?

ADRIAN
He crashed out the window. He
must have fallen in the moat.

CARETAKER
Yes. Unfortunately he knows
how to swim.

LYLE
He dog-paddles, right?

Yolanda puts a hand on Lyle's shoulder as the Maid is
through serving.

YOLANDA
You will love the ciorba
taranesca . . .
(as she leans
down to Lyle)
In Romania, I am told . . .
(she's flaunting
her cleavage)
. . . the people hold it dear
to their hearts.

Lyle, taking in the view, is unmoved. On the outside
at least. Katy's watching.

As Yolanda struts back toward the door, to leave with
the Others:

YOLANDA
(continuing)
Eat well. It will fortify your
blood. Your blood will have
gusto.
(stops and turns;
evil smile)
It's the kind that we like.

EXTREME CLOSE-UP: YOLANDA'S MOUTH

She pointedly enunciates, revealing the sharpness of
her sparkling white canines:

YOLANDA
(continuing)
Muy fortificada.

NEW ANGLE

Yolanda leaves, Thug #1 following, locking the door
behind them.

LYLE
What a sweet lady.

As Adrian, Lyle, and Katy begin eating:

ADRIAN
Let me ask you something, Lyle.
I heard you tell Katy about
Dracula - that you believe he
existed.

LYLE
Sure I believe it. I believe
vampires exist. I just didn't
want to meet any.

ADRIAN
But why Dracula? I mean, Bram
Stoker's book is a novel, right?
It's fiction.

Lyle chuckles at such naivete.

LYLE
Look at everything else Stoker
wrote:
(with disdain)
"The Lair of the White Worm."
"The Burial of the Rats." "The
Invisible Giant." He spent
years writing tripe.
(then)
But "Dracula"! He even left it
in the form of journals and
letters, because that's what
they were. Someone gave him
that story, he just changed the
names, a few places.

KATY
But who would do that?

LYLE
The people who had lived it -
but who had no proof - and
wanted the story to be known.
(beat)
I'll tell you something else:
I think Dracula still lives.

ADRIAN
But they destroyed him.

LYLE
Negative. They thought they
destroyed him.

ADRIAN
What makes you think they
didn't?

LYLE
Well the key to that, you see,
is Mina.

CLOSE - ADRIAN

fascinated, not eating a bite now.

LYLE (o.s.)
(continuing)
Mina Harker. If you remember
the story, it was Mina who came
under Dracula's spell.

EXT. A VICTORIAN MANSION - NIGHT

Eery, unlit but for moonlight, CAMERA MOVING IN on the
darkness of a window.

INT. MINA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

In moonlight from the window, young MINA HARKER sits
semi-conscious on her bed, as DRACULA, bent down, is
sucking blood from her neck.

As Dracula finishes, stands up straight, his face out
of shot, he continues to hold Mina up, blood trickling
from the holes in her neck.

DRACULA
You are part of me now. Flesh
of my flesh . . .

ON DRACULA

His face is in darkness, his head silhouetted in the
moonlight.

DRACULA
(continuing)
Blood of my blood.

INT. A VICTORIAN SITTING ROOM - DAY

CLOSE ON MINA, staring sightlessly off in a trance.
Her neck bears the vampire's mark.

LYLE (V.O.)
Because she was under the spell -

REVERSE ANGLE - CLOSE

on Professor VAN HELSING (whom Adrian imagined at
Sadie's funeral), gazing at hypnotized Mina (o.s.).
In b.g. stand TWO YOUNG GENTLEMEN, faces unseen.

LYLE (V.O.)
(continuing)
- Professor Van Helsing and the
others were able to use her,
under hypnosis -

EXTREME CLOSE-UP: MINA'S EYES

CAMERA MOVING IN closer, into one of the eyes.

LYLE (V.O.)
(continuing)
- to help track the count -

IN MINA'S IRIS

is the image of a fleeing, horse-drawn wagon.

LYLE (V.O.)
(continuing)
- and learn he was trying to
flee -

EXT. THE WAGON - MOVING - NEAR SUNSET

Aboard the wagon, driven by TWO GYPSIES along a
Transylvanian mountain road, is a coffin-sized
crate.

LYLE (V.O.)
(continuing)
- in an earth-filled box to
his castle.

EXT. THE CHASE - VARIOUS ANGLES - NEAR SUNSET

Pursuing the wagon, as it races for a pass through
the mountains, are YOUNG GENTLEMAN #1 and VAN HELSING
on HORSES. The sun sinks ever lower.

EXT. MOUNTAIN PASS - SUNSET

YOUNG GENTLEMEN #2 and #3 appear in the narrow pass,
rein their HORSES to a halt, blocking the wagon's way.

They have the GYPSIES covered with rifles as the wagon
comes to a halt. VAN HELSING and GENTLEMAN #1 now
arrive, leap from their Horses.

Gentleman #1, with a hammer, bounds onto the wagon.

CLOSE - GENTLEMAN #1

as he pauses momentarily to look triumphantly down at
the crate. He is Adrian's hematologist RAY.

NEW ANGLE

as Ray starts prying the crate's nailed lid, the Gypsies
helplessly watching.

Van Helsing, with a stake, is climbing aboard, glancing
anxiously off at the sunset.

ON RAY

throwing open the lid. He looks down spitefully into
the crate - then does a take at what he sees.

ON DRACULA

in the crate. Only it's WILLARD JARRETT, snarling, his
blood-red eyes darting toward the sunset, who lies on
the bed of earth.

NEW ANGLE

as Van Helsing impatiently nudges the confused Ray to
take the stake. Ray resolutely takes it, plants the
stake on Dracula/Willard's chest, and raises his hammer.

LYLE (V.O.)
At the moment of the vampire's
demise -

As the hammer STRIKES:

CUT TO:

INT. MINA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

MINA bolts up in her bed, as if out of a dream. As she
touches her now unscarred neck:

LYLE (V.O.)
(continuing)
- the curse was lifted from
Mina . . .

INT. THE APARTMENT - NIGHT

CLOSE ON ADRIAN, abstracted.

LYLE (o.s.)
(continuing)
. . . or was it? . . .

NEW ANGLE

Adrian and KATY look quizzically at LYLE.

LYLE
(continuing)
At the book's very end, Mina
bears her husband a child: a
boy they name Quincey . . .

EXT. A GARDEN - DAY

ON MINA, seated, as eight-year-old QUINCEY, wearing a
bowler, steps into frame, back to CAMERA, to hand her
some freshly picked flowers. Mina gives him a motherly
smile. During this:

LYLE (V.O.)
(continuing)
That child had to have been
conceived while Mina was still
under Dracula's spell.

REVERSE ANGLE

on smiling Quincey. He has the face of SONYA JARRETT.

INT. THE APARTMENT - NIGHT

ON ADRIAN, imagining.

LYLE (o.s.)
(continuing)
The count's spirit could have
passed into Quincey -

NEW ANGLE

LYLE explaining to Adrian and KATY.

LYLE
(continuing)
- at the very moment his body
- the old one - was being
destroyed.

KATY
Quincey could be Dracula
reincarnate.

LYLE
Exactly.

ADRIAN
But if that's true, he could
still be alive. He could be
here . . .

Lyle nods yes.

KATY
. . . tomorrow night . . .

ADRIAN
La Fiesta de Sangre.

LYLE
(beat)
Let's look at the bright side.
For once in my life, I could -
and I want to stress the word
"could" - I could be wrong.

[Quinn-Ann]

EXT. THE CASTLE - DAY

Bright morning.

EXT. APARTMENT WINDOW - DAY

ADRIAN is looking down at something below the window.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

ADRIAN turns from the window, looks thoughtfully
around. LYLE is still asleep on the couch.

ON ADRIAN

looking around. His eyes stop on

THE WALL HANGING

Large, made of sturdy fabric.

BACK TO ADRIAN

He looks like he has an idea.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

The vampiric MAID is clearing the table of used
breakfast plates, putting them on a cart.

ADRIAN, LYLE, and KATY are lazing about as if resigned
to their situation.

THUG #2 stands waiting near the door, THUG #3 waiting
in the doorway. Thug #2 looks suspicious, the Captives
seem too relaxed.

THUG #2
Wie war das Fruhstuck?

Lyle glances questioningly at Katy.

KATY
He said, "How was the breakfast?"

LYLE
Too much cholesterol.

KATY
(to Thug #2)
Zuviel, uh - cholesterol.

A beat. Then Thug #2 laughs. As he moves to the door,
the Maid and Thug #3 going out:

THUG #2
Das Blut wird nicht heute nacht
klumpen.

Thug #2 leaves chuckling, closing the door behind him.

The Captives watch the door while the key RATTLES in
the lock. During this:

LYLE
What'd he say?

KATY
"There'll be no blood clots
tonight."

LYLE
"There'll Be No Blood Clots
Tonight"? He ought to go into
songwriting.

ADRIAN
Let's get busy.

They hurry over to the wall hanging, start taking it down.

LYLE
I still don't like this, Adrian.
It's too dangerous.

ADRIAN
I'm going for help and you've
got to help me. What have we
got to lose?

The hanging's down. Adrian stuffs the whole thing into
Lyle's arms.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
Don't you see, Lyle? I'm our
only chance now.

Lyle clearly sees. And he clearly resents it, as Adrian
moves off toward the window.

EXT. CASTLE WALL - DAY

At the window LYLE and KATY are lowering ADRIAN down
the sheer castle wall by the wound-up wall hanging.
One slip and it's a very long fall to the moat.

The hanging is just long enough for Adrian to reach
his objective: a small, dark, open window below the
apartment's.

After some perilous, feet-first effort, Adrian manages
to get into the window.

INT. ROOM BELOW APARTMENT - DAY

A dark chamber, apparently long in disuse. As ADRIAN
comes down from the window, he is concerned not to
wake someone (o.s.) who is SNORING.

Adrian moves quietly along the wall, his eyes fixed on
the snorer (o.s.).

CAMERA ADJUSTS with Adrian's movement, revealing that
it's VLAD - hanging upside down in the middle of the
room - who is snoring. (We see only Vlad's head and
shoulders; what he's hanging from is unseen.)

Adrian reaches a door that is slightly ajar. Through
it, as he peeks, he faintly hears VOICES, overlapped
by Vlad's SNORING:

BOGDAN (o.s.)
What about the monkey? Have
you bit him?

JUKES (o.s.)
I can't bite the monkey, sir.

INT. JUKES'S LABORATORY - DAY

ANGLE ON ADRIAN, peeking in through the barely cracked
door from the adjoining chamber.

BOGDAN (o.s.)
How can you expect to have test
results of any validity if that
monkey's not a vampire first?

NEW ANGLE

BOGDAN is angry with JUKES, a bit tipsy, as they stand
by a counter.

BOGDAN
(continuing)
Where are your vampire rats?

JUKES
They all flew away, sir.

BOGDAN
The rats flew away?

JUKES
They turned into tiny little
bats, you see, sir, and -

BOGDAN
Okay, the rats flew away. Then
you'll have to use the monkey,
Jukes. That's what he's for.

JUKES
But I can't, sir.

BOGDAN
You bit all those rats. You
can't bite a monkey?

ON THE MONKEY

listening, watching with interest, from its cage.

JUKES (o.s.)
I can't bring myself to it.
Look at that face.

ON BOGDAN AND JUKES

as Bogdan orders, almost pleading:

BOGDAN
Then get someone else to.
Someone to help you.

ON ADRIAN

eavesdropping as before.

BOGDAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
Get Vlad. He's hanging around
someplace.

NEW ANGLE

as Bogdan goes to the door to the corridor, stops to
look back at Jukes.

BOGDAN
(continuing)
You don't have to do all the
dirty work, Jukes. Get some
help with it.

Bogdan shakes his head wearily and leaves, closing the
door behind him.

ON ADRIAN

watching Jukes (o.s.) through the cracked door.

JUKES (o.s.)
(to Monkey)
What does he know? Eh?

NEW ANGLE

As Jukes steps to the cage, the Monkey is busy moving
little pieces of paper around on the floor of the cage.
This is apparently nothing unusual.

JUKES
(continuing)
He wants me to turn you into
an undead monkey. What do you
think about that? Hmm?

The Monkey stops working, apparently wants Jukes to
inspect what it's done.

Jukes looks through the bars of the cage with great
hope at

THE PIECES OF PAPER

haphazardly arranged on the floor of the cage. On
each little piece is part of a chemical formula.

BACK TO JUKES

eagerly reading the pieces. Then, disappointed:

JUKES
No, no, that's gibberish.
Keep trying.

NEW ANGLE

The Monkey starts reshuffling the paper. Someone out
in the corridor BANGS on the door:

THUG #3 (o.s.)
(filtered)
Doctor Jukes! . . .

INT. ADJOINING CHAMBER - DAY

More BANGING from the lab, ADRIAN watching through the
cracked door.

JUKES (o.s.)
Yes! I'm coming!

VLAD snorts, waking up where he hangs. He is disoriented,
looks down at the floor, but doesn't see Adrian, who
hurries quietly for the corridor door behind Vlad.

NEW ANGLE

We see now that Vlad is hanging by his knees from an
old chandelier. He seems exasperated, unsure about how
to get down.

As Adrian, behind Vlad, peeks out into the corridor and
slips out the door:

VLAD
Not again.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

ADRIAN eases the chamber door to. Then suddenly THUG #3
steps out of the lab, at the corner only a few yards away.

Fortunately Thug #3's back is to Adrian. Thug #3 is
waiting for Jukes (o.s.).

JUKES (o.s.)
What's the fellow got?

THUG #3
No one is sure, Doctor. Blood
poisoning perhaps.

Adrian, with nowhere to hide, flattens his back against
the wall, as if that will somehow make him unnoticeble.

During this, JUKES, with a doctor's bag, exits the lab,
locks the door, with nary a glance toward Adrian.

JUKES
I shan't be surprised. Trying
to get them to use moderation
is like trying to get blood from
a turnip.

Jukes and Thug #3 move off past the corner instead of
coming Adrian's way.

Adrian sighs with relief. But now the chamber door
opens, right beside him, and out steps VLAD.

Adrian flattens himself against the wall again. He's
right behind Vlad's elbow as Vlad pauses.

Vlad is straightening his clothes while muttering to
himself in Hungarian. Lastly he checks the ring on his
finger - and begins falling under the red ruby's spell.
Vlad snaps himself out of it.

Vlad moves off, Adrian watching.

ADRIAN'S POV

Walking away, Vlad suddenly stops, freezing, as if he
has heard or sensed something.

ON ADRIAN

fearfully watching.

ADRIAN'S POV

When Vlad finally moves, it is not to turn around toward
Adrian. Instead, Vlad moves sideways to a closed door,
to listen.

ON ADRIAN

watching curiously as

VLAD

listens at the door. Inside is the faint sound of
melodramatic MUSIC.

After a moment, Vlad moves off on his way.

NEW ANGLE

Adrian moves to the same door and listens. The faint
music continues. Adrian glances both ways, then, with
a nothing-to-lose expression, begins slowly easing open
the door.

INT. AN APARTMENT - DAY

ON ADRIAN peeking in at the door.

ON A TV SET

on which a schlocky Dracula movie is playing. In the
movie, DRACULA is welcoming a YOUNG GENTLEMAN at the
door of his castle.

MOVIE GENTLEMAN
Count Dracula?

MOVIE DRACULA
I am Dracula. Welcome to my
house.

During this, PULL BACK TO REVEAL a nice room, fit for
a prince, including a posh empty coffin.

An OLD MAN is sitting in a high-backed chair, back
toward CAMERA, watching the movie. At the moment,
only his forearm and hand on the arm of the chair are
visible.

Sitting in a chair next to the Old Man's is the Nigerian
MURTALA. He's chuckling at the terrible acting, with
sharing looks at the Old Man, whose hand feebly slaps
the arm of the chair.

MOVIE DRACULA
(continuing)
Come in. The night air is
chill, and you must have food
and rest.

ON ADRIAN

watching, listening, from the half-open door, as WOLVES
HOWL in the movie.

MOVIE DRACULA (o.s.)
Listen to them -

ON TV SET

as the movie continues.

MOVIE DRACULA
(continuing)
- the children of the night . . .

Murtala is laughing, the Old Man chuckles.

MOVIE DRACULA
(continuing)
What music they make!

ON ADRIAN

He begins backing quietly out the door, pulling it to.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

ADRIAN eases the door to. He turns, and is startled
to find BOGDAN standing over him.

Adrian takes off running, barely eluding Bogdan's
grasp. Adrian flees down the corridor as Bogdan stands
watching.

INT. A DARK STAIRWAY - DAY

The door from the corridor opens, desperate ADRIAN
enters onto the landing, looks down into the darkness,
glances back.

NEW ANGLE

ADRIAN comes racing down the circling steps, only to
stop with a frightened cry at the sight of

THUG #1

blocking his way. The scarred, pale, grinning face is
virtually all that is visible in the mid-stairs darkness.

Adrian turns, starts hurrying back up the steps. Then
he stops, knowing he is trapped, as he looks up the
stairway at

BOGDAN

silhouetted by the light from the corridor.

NEW ANGLE

as Adrian sighs, giving up.

[Quinn-Ann]

BOGDAN
(calling down)
Come. He's been waiting to meet
you. And you've been waiting to
meet him.

INT. THE OLD MAN'S APARTMENT - DAY

BOGDAN, already inside, holds the door as ADRIAN
grudgingly enters, THUG #1 standing outside. As Bogdan
is closing the door:

MOVIE DRACULA (o.s.)
I never drink . . . wine.

MURTALA, rising from the chair, turns off the TV with
the remote control.

Adrian stands looking toward the back of the OLD MAN's
chair. Bogdan gestures for him to go present himself.

Adrian moves toward the chair. He pauses as he notes

THE OLD MAN'S HAND

clutch the arm of the chair. Such a pale, bony hand,
with long, pointed nails.

NEW ANGLE

CAMERA FOLLOWS as Adrian moves around the chair.
Stopping in front of the chair, Adrian studies

THE OLD MAN

He wears a black tuxedo. He looks feeble and gaunt,
with pure white locks. But his eyes, arresting, have
the glint of eternity.

NEW ANGLE

Bogdan props an elbow on the back of the Old Man's
chair. Murtala is seated again in his. The Old Man
and Adrian are gazing at each other.

OLD MAN
This is the one with all the
little red cells?

BOGDAN
Yes.

OLD MAN
(beat)
Bright-looking lad.

BOGDAN
Isn't he. Quite inquisitive
too. He wanted to know why
we call this the Vortex.

A beat. The Old Man chuckles, first softly, then more
loudly, soon he's laughing. Murtala laughs too.

ADRIAN
(resentfully)
What's so funny?

This shuts them up. The Old Man smiles.

OLD MAN
Why nothing, lad, nothing. You
must forgive our rude manners.

A long beat, then:

ADRIAN
You're Dracula.
(beat)
Or should I call you Quincey
Harker?

The Old Man, Bogdan, and Murtala exchange looks.

OLD MAN
Bright kid!
(then, gesturing
for something)
Murtala . . .

Murtala begins pouring a Bloody Mary from a pitcher by
his chair. During this, the Old Man intones grandiosely
to Adrian:

DRACULA
(continuing)
Yes, I am Dracula. In my veins
flows the blood of many brave
races, who fought as the lion
for lordship.
(Murtala hands
him the drink)
It was one of my own who, as
Voivode, crossed the Danube and
defeated the Turk. It was he
who -

ADRIAN
Knock it off.
(Dracula glares)
You're quoting from the book.
That's the speech Dracula gives
Jonathan Harker at the castle.
Chapter three.

DRACULA
Well it's a darn good speech.
I gave it before, I can give
it again.

Dracula drains his glass. He makes a face as he returns
the glass to Murtala:

DRACULA
(continuing)
Yecch!
(to Adrian)
Synthetic.
(wipes mouth with
back of hand)
There's nothing like blood. I
mean the real stuff. Doctor
Jukes has had me on this stuff
for years - for decades - while
we wait for his miracle. He
thought this stuff might help.
A maintenance program, he calls
it. But look at me.

Adrian is looking, but only with contempt.

DRACULA
(continuing)
Hah. A lot you care, I see.

As Dracula now feebly rises, Bogdan and Murtala giving
him steadying hands:

DRACULA
(continuing)
Well, that's not important.
What's important is: Tonight
is the night. I get blood
- real blood - only once -

He strolls feebly toward Adrian; Bogdan and Murtala
walk beside him:

DRACULA
(continuing)
- only one night - during
every long year.

He stops by Adrian, gives him a malevolent smile.

DRACULA
(continuing)
And you are my special occasion.

Dracula turns, starts moving toward the coffin, Bogdan
and Murtala escorting him.

DRACULA
(continuing)
Ah, that Jukes. He's been at it
for years now. One concoction,
then another. And what's there
to show for it? Nothing! Placebos!
His monkey could accomplish as
much.

Dracula proceeds to climb into his coffin, Bogdan and
Murtala assisting:

DRACULA
(continuing)
I can't go on in this rundown
condition. I'm not the young
rounder I was even a century
ago. And I can't even die!
What's a vampire to do?

ADRIAN
How about a stake through the
heart?

DRACULA
Heh, heh. You would like that,
wouldn't you.
(lying down in
the coffin)
Now if you will excuse me . . .
we old vampires . . . like to
sleep till it's evening . . .
(lifts his head, to
smile at Adrian)
See ya later.

Bogdan begins lowering the lid.

BOGDAN
Till later, sir.

Dracula stops the lid with his hand, to look up at
Bogdan.

DRACULA
Don't start without me.

BOGDAN
Wouldn't dream of it, sir.

As the lid is lowered over him:

DRACULA
There's nothing like blood.

INT. THE CAPTIVES' APARTMENT - DAY

ANGLE ON THE DOOR

as a key RATTLES in the lock.

ON THE BACK OF THE COUCH

as LYLE's head, hair mussed, pops up, to look anxiously
toward the door.

NEW ANGLE

Lyle and KATY jump up from some loveplay on couch,
straighten their clothes and hair, as the door is being
opened.

THUG #1 brings in ADRIAN roughly by the arm, shoves him
forward, while THUG #2 strides over to the wall hanging
(back on the wall).

YOLANDA enters, prances over to Lyle. THUG #3 waits by
the door. Thug #2 yanks the hanging from the wall,
begins gathering it up.

As Yolanda touches Lyle's face:

YOLANDA
We'll be back for you soon.
After the sunset.

There is contempt in Lyle's eyes. Yolanda glances at
Katy with disdain, smiles at Adrian. As she turns,
sashays toward the door:

YOLANDA
(continuing)
That is when La Fiesta begins.

Thug #2, heading out with the wall hanging, pauses by
Adrian to taunt him:

THUG #2
Du brauchst nicht dieser
Wandteppich. (You don't need
this wall hanging.)

Thug #2 chuckles, proceeds out with his fellow Thugs
and Yolanda.

As the Captives are being locked in:

ADRIAN
He's here. I met him.

KATY
Dracula?

As Adrian begins worriedly pacing:

ADRIAN
Yeah. Quincey. Whatever his
name is. King of the Vampires.
What are we going to do?
"Tonight's the night," he said.
Tonight he gets his blood, and
I'm the one with all the little
red cells. They're having a
feast, and I'm the fatted calf.

LYLE
What's that make me and Katy,
the Worchestershire sauce?

Adrian sits down, begins rubbing his brow.

ADRIAN
Sorry, Lyle. Katy. We're all
in this together.
(beat)
Have I got a headache! I always
get a headache like this when I
get too much blood in me.

Lyle and Katy seem to wish Adrian hadn't said that.

EXT. THE SUNSET

A dying red glow on the horizon.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

ADRIAN, KATY, and LYLE sit close together, holding
hands, on the couch. They're awaiting their fate,
scared, their eyes on the darkness outside.

ADRIAN
Katy, tell me a story.

LYLE
Tell us both one.

KATY
(thinks, then)
Once upon a time there were
three people being held captive
in a castle by vampires. And
they knew there was no escape.
So you know what they did? The
three of them sat down close
together on a couch, just like
this, and they wished with all
their might that they were
somewhere far away from that
castle. And lo and behold -

LYLE
What kind of story is that?
You think we can wish our way
out of this?

KATY
Okay, smartie, let's hear you
make one up.

LYLE
At a time like this?
(then)
Okay. One time there was this
perfectly good decent guy, who
had never done one evil thing
in his life, who suddenly found
himself being held in a castle
by vampires. And he kept asking
himself, "Why me?" And there
was simply no logical answer.
And -

KATY
This guy was all by himself?
There were no other captives
with him?

LYLE
(after a moment)
Of course there were.
(looking sadly
at Katy)
There was a young woman, whom
he loved . . .

Katy seems touched.

LYLE
(continuing)
And there was a little boy, who
had all these little red cells -

The RATTLE of a key. The door opens, and VLAD steps
in. He smiles at them, THUGS waiting outside.

VLAD
You are invited . . . to our
feast.

ON THE CAPTIVES

It's the last thing they wanted to hear.




INT. THE FEAST - NIGHT

CLOSE ON A CHARCOAL BRAZIER, as MURTALA'S HAND begins
burning herbs in the flame.

MURTALA (o.s.)
(chanting)
Hear me, O Terrible and Invisible
God -

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

a scene not of feasting but of ritual magic, with most
of the hall in darkness.

ADRIAN sits, arms and feet bound to his low-backed
chair, in a magic circle drawn on the floor. (Maybe
a spotlight is on him.)

Behind Adrian is darkness. Ranged before him, in a
great semicircle, watching from the shadows, are the
fifty or so VAMPIRES seen earlier at the Bucket o'
Blood.

MURTALA, in priestly red robe and jewelry, continues
his chant by the brazier:

MURTALA
(continuing)
- and make all the spirits of
heaven, of earth, below earth,
on land and in water, now
subject to me!

LYLE AND KATY

stand off to the side, hands bound behind their backs,
grimly watching. They are flanked by THUGS #1 and #2.

NEW ANGLE

BOGDAN, bejeweled, in his Grand Boyar robe, steps over
to Thug #1, speaks in hushed tone:

BOGDAN
Where is Jukes with the goblet?

Thug #1 shrugs that he doesn't know.

BOGDAN
(continuing)
Go get him.

JUKES (o.s.)
(approaching)
Grand Boyar, sir.

JUKES arrives, fairly drunk, with a fancy goblet.
Bogdan takes the goblet, glances in it, looks hard
at Jukes.

BOGDAN
Is it going to work?

JUKES
I most fervently hope so.

Bogdan moves off with the goblet. Jukes is now
standing by Lyle, Thug #1 is behind them.

During all this, Murtala's incantation continues:

MURTALA (o.s.)
Thee I invoke, O Iduna, in the
name of Odin, of Thor, of Loki,
of Balder, of Freya; thee I
invoke, O Iduna, in the name
of Vithar, of Nanna, of Tyr,
in the name of all gods of
Gladsheim and Vingolf. I
invoke thee, O Iduna, to be
with us now in thy spirit.

NEW ANGLE

Bogdan, quickly moving to his mark as leader of the
ritual, hands the goblet to Murtala in passing.

Facing the vampire Audience, Bogdan gestures with an
outstretched arm toward the darkness behind him.

BOGDAN
Arise, O Voivode, come forth,
mighty Boyar, for the spirit
of Iduna is with us!

ON ADRIAN

helpless, sweating in fear, in his chair.

BOGDAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
Arise, O scion of Vlad Tepes,
brave Prince of Wallachia, who
broke the Hungarian yoke . . .

ON THE DARKNESS

in which DRACULA can dimly be seen, in tuxedo and
scarlet-lined cape, coming forth from a thronelike
chair.

BOGDAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
. . . who crossed the Danube
to beat the Turk on the Turk's
own ground . . .

ON KATY, LYLE, AND JUKES

as they are watching.

BOGDAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
. . . who with the blood of the
Huns, of Attila himself, in his
veins, did vanquish the Magyar,
the Lombard, the Saxon . . .

LYLE
(to Jukes)
Now we meet him, eh? Hail to
the Prince of Darkness.

JUKES
You would call him that. That's
always the way. We vampires
always get a bad rap.

During this and UNDER it:

BOGDAN (o.s.)
. . . thou whose place is the
place of all honor in the Order
Eternal of Walpurgisnacht.

NEW ANGLE

Dracula, emerged from the darkness, is moving toward
waiting Bogdan.

BOGDAN
(continuing)
Again we humbly welcome thee,
Prince of Wallachia, scion
of the Dragon, O Voivode of
Voivodes!

ON KATY, LYLE, AND JUKES

Their dialogue, quietly spoken, will OVERLAP Bogdan's
speech:

BOGDAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
There is new blood and old, O
Voivode, in our temple this
evening. Such new blood may
enrich, or such new blood may
dilute, the old blood, tried
and true, of our order. The
judgment, O Voivode, is yours.

Jukes, amiable drunk that he is, seems eager to make
Lyle see the light:

JUKES
We're not so bad. You'll see.
This is our good deed for the
year.

LYLE
Good deed? Okay, Doc, I give
up: What good deed?

JUKES
(gesturing off
toward Dracula)
It's there, in the drink.

FAVORING DRACULA

as Bogdan, receiving the goblet from Murtala, hands it
to Dracula.

BOGDAN
Drink now of this blood - the
old, tried and true - of the
Order Eternal.

Dracula raises the drink to his lips.

ON KATY, LYLE, AND JUKES

watching Dracula (o.s.) drink.

JUKES
There, you see? It's coating
his teeth. Which will soon
be in Adrian.

LYLE
You call that a good deed? Tell
Adrian that.

JUKES
We can't. That's the trouble.
(Lyle looks at him
quizzically)
We have to be appropriately
evil, like the vampires we are,
or he might stop believing.
We could hardly have that,
now could we?

This seems to start wheels turning in Lyle's head.

FAVORING JUKES

as he looks off toward Dracula (o.s.). Jukes speaks
softly now, as if to himself, so that Lyle, thinking
beside him, doesn't hear:

JUKES
(continuing)
The boy must be injected, to
effect our good deed.

ON DRACULA AND BOGDAN

as Dracula, wiping his mouth, hands the cup back to
Bogdan:

BOGDAN
Pass judgment, O Voivode,
if new blood is to now be
commingled.

DRACULA
(burps)
Let new blood be commingled.

BOGDAN
(returning cup
to Murtala)
Let new blood be commingled.

DRACULA
There's nothing like blood.

ON KATY, LYLE, AND JUKES

as the truth is beginning to dawn on Lyle.

LYLE
Katy, I think you were right.

KATY
About what?

LYLE
Wishing our way out of this.
That's how we got in!

KATY
What?

LYLE
You heard him. They've got
to keep Adrian believing -
in vampires!

NEW ANGLE

as Dracula and Bogdan move toward terrified Adrian.

DRACULA
Whose blood have you brought
me?

BOGDAN
The blood of three mortals, O
Voivode.

ON KATY, LYLE, AND JUKES

Lyle more anxious, more certain, Katy quizzical.

LYLE
The Vortex. It's like a
whirlpool, yeah - of belief!

ON ADRIAN

His terror mounting, as Dracula puts a bony hand on his
shoulder.

DRACULA
Then let us begin, that new
blood be commingled.

INTERCUT CHARACTERS AS NEEDED:

LYLE
(voice rising)
Get thousands to believe
something - millions -

JUKES
Every little bit helps.

LYLE
Then someone like Adrian -

JUKES
It works wonders.

BOGDAN
Comes now Adrian Jarrett -

ADRIAN
No . . .

LYLE
Without Adrian -

JUKES
Why, it would catastrophic.

BOGDAN
- to join us in the Order
Eternal -

Dracula begins slowly, hungrily leaning down toward
Adrian's neck.

ADRIAN
No . . .

BOGDAN
- of Walpurgisnacht . . .

LYLE
(loudly, to Katy)
We helped, too, by believing,
coming here to Bran Castle -

JUKES
Indeed.

Dracula stops, his teeth only inches from Adrian's neck.
Everyone can hear Lyle now, and all the Vampires look
toward him with concern.

LYLE
But it's Adrian! He made the
difference!

JUKES
Bless his soul.

LYLE
He put 'em over the top!

KATY
(understanding)
If Adrian stopped believing -

JUKES
Don't say that.

LYLE
It would put 'em out of
commission!

BOGDAN
Silence him!

[Quinn-Ann]

YOLANDA, shoving two or three Vampires out of the way,
is rushing toward Lyle.

LYLE
Adrian, you can stop 'em!

Thug #2 grabs Lyle, slaps a hand over Lyle's mouth.

BOGDAN
(to Dracula, who's
dottily confused)
Go ahead!

KATY
Adrian, don't believe it!

Lyle bites Thug #2's hand, Thug #2 screams.

LYLE
(to Adrian, as Thug
#1 now grabs him)
Don't believe that it's happening!

As Dracula, fire in his eyes, is about to bite Adrian's
neck:

ADRIAN
Don't believe it?

As Yolanda sinks her teeth into Lyle's neck, Thug #1
holding him:

LYLE
DON'T BELIEVE IT, ADRIAN!!
YOU CAN STOP 'EM!!

DR. GROSS, out of nowhere, lustfully sinks his teeth
into Katy.

KATY
DON'T BELIEVE!! . . .

ON ADRIAN

Dracula's teeth sinking into his neck now, blood
pouring down.

ADRIAN
NOOOO!! . . . I DON'T BELIEVE
IT!! . . . I DON'T BELIEVE
THIS IS HAPPENING!! . . .

NEW ANGLE

As Adrian continues screaming, a strong HOWLING WIND
bursts into the room.

With Dracula's teeth still in Adrian, Yolanda's and
Gross's still in Lyle and Katy, the Vampires begin
turning to bright, reddish dust, spiraling clouds
of it, as if in so many whirlwinds.

ADRIAN
(continuing)
I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS
HAPPENING!! . . . I DON'T!!

LYLE & KATY
(moaning, losing
consciousness)
Don't believe . . .

Swirling dust fills the room, all that's left of the
Vampires, save for a few visages that float here and
there, like spirits trying to cling to reality.

CLOSE ON ADRIAN

through the swirl. He's still screaming "I DON'T
BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING" but it seems far away,
under the SOUND of the Wind.

He begins FALLING AWAY FROM CAMERA, he's falling in
SLOW MOTION through the dust cloud and what looks
like splintering boards.

He lands in SLOW MOTION, losing consciousness, neck
bleeding, amid fallen rubble.

INT. A ROOM - THE CASTLE - DAY

WILLARD JARRETT hurries in from a corridor. He stops
(part of the floor is missing) and looks down in horror.

WILLARD'S POV

through old wooden flooring, collapsed. ADRIAN lies,
unconscious and bleeding, on the rubble-strewn floor
of the room below this one.

BACK TO WILLARD

looking fearfully down.

WILLARD
Adrian!

EXTREME CLOSE-UP: ADRIAN

somewhere else now. He begins groggily opening his
eyes.

WILLARD (o.s.)
(continuing)
Adrian . . .

CLOSE ON WILLARD

looking down, smiling fondly. We are in:

INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

WILLARD is at the bedside as ADRIAN is awaking. Also
present is a smiling ROMANIAN NURSE, who will linger
briefly and leave.

Adrian, neck bandaged, looks around, Willard holding
his hand.

ADRIAN
Where's this? Where are we?

WILLARD
In Brasov. You little bugger.
You wandered off alone, in a
closed-off part of the castle.
You fell through an old wooden
floor.

After a moment, Adrian frowning:

ADRIAN
No . . . No, wait, that -
that's not what happened.

WILLARD
Don't try to deny it. That's
where we found you. One of the
nails cut your little neck open.
Lucky for us you're alive.

Adrian looks very confused.

ADRIAN
What about Lyle and Katy?

WILLARD
Who?

ADRIAN
Lyle and Katy. They were with
me.

WILLARD
There was no one with you,
Adrian. You wandered off alone.
And I hope you've learned your
lesson.

ON ADRIAN

He's a mixed-up kid.

EXT. A U.S. AIRPORT - DAY

A U.S. airlines jet touches down.

INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE DOOR - DAY

The plaque reads DR. MICHAEL S. RAY, HEMATOLOGY.

OVERLAP SOUND:

RAY (V.O.)
Three weeks in a row . . .

INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE - DAY

DR. RAY reporting test results to ADRIAN and WILLARD.
Adrian has quite a scar on his neck.

RAY
(continuing)
The hematocrit ratio continues
to hold at forty-five percent,
with no sign of increase. None.

WILLARD
But with Adrian that's unheard
of.

RAY
Yes, it is.

WILLARD
What does it mean?

RAY
I don't know what it means,
Mister Jarrett. But apparently
Adrian no longer has polycythemia.

EXT. JARRETT LIMO - MOVING - DAY

The CHAUFFEUR driving ADRIAN and WILLARD home from the
doctor's. There's an argument going on.

WILLARD (V.O.)
It's gone into remission, Adrian,
that's all. Let's be glad! I
don't want to hear any more about
vampires.

INT. THE LIMO - DAY

ADRIAN and WILLARD arguing:

ADRIAN
But Daddy, that's what happened!

WILLARD
They do not exist.

ADRIAN
They had this blood doctor,
see, doing blood experiments,
for a vampire cure, and he came
up with a cure for what I had.
So I got an injection. And
Dracula did the injecting.

WILLARD
(to the heavens)
I don't believe what I'm hearing.
(to Adrian)
Why don't they give this cure
to the world? Why be so
selective?

Adrian has to think momentarily, then:

ADRIAN
'Cause they can't go public,
that's why. What would happen
to 'em then? They're vampires.

WILLARD
Oh, I see. They have to keep
the lid on till they decide
to come out of the coffin.

ADRIAN
Okay, don't believe me! What
about your shrink Doctor Gross?
Ask him when you see him. He
was there.

WILLARD
(beat)
I won't be seeing him.

ADRIAN
Why not?

Willard seems reluctant to discuss it.

WILLARD
I, uh - I understand he left
town.

ADRIAN
(knowingly)
About the same time we left
for Romania?

WILLARD
Just a coincidence.

ADRIAN
Why did he leave?

WILLARD
Some trouble with a patient.
That's irrelevant. I'm sure
he didn't go to Romania.

ADRIAN
He did too.

WILLARD
He did not. There were no
vampires.

ADRIAN
There were too, Daddy. And
there still are - there must
be. I'm going to prove it.

WILLARD
Where have I heard that before?

Willard turns his attention to the scenery, as if the
argument's over and he's won.

CLOSE - ADRIAN

He fumes in frustration. HOLD, then

ADRIAN'S ATLAS MAP OF ROMANIA

again fills the screen. CAMERA MOVES IN on:

EXT. BRAN CASTLE - REESTABLISHING - DAY

Majestic in its mountain fastness.

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - DAY

A tour bus (a later model than the one seen earlier)
is approaching the castle.

ON THE ROADSIDE

The PEASANT WOMAN, several years older now, crosses
herself as before.

EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY

The tour bus pulls up and stops.

NEW ANGLE

A YOUNG WOMAN, pretty, early twenties, is among the
TOURISTS who have disembarked. She excitedly snaps
a photo of the castle.

As she's readying her camera for the next photo:

YOUNG MAN (o.s.)
(a bit shyly)
Some castle, eh?

She glances at the Young Man (o.s.) beside her, looks
through her viewfinder at the castle.

YOUNG WOMAN
Yes, it certainly is.
(snaps photo)

YOUNG MAN (o.s.)
Your first time here?

YOUNG WOMAN
Sure is. You've been here
before?

YOUNG MAN (o.s.)
Once.

NEW ANGLE

The YOUNG MAN is handsome, early twenties, intellectual
in his horn-rimmed glasses.

YOUNG MAN
(continuing)
I'm Adrian. Adrian Jarrett.

YOUNG WOMAN
Hi, Adrian. I'm Lynn, Lynn
Haven. I'm a grad student,
anthropology. I'm here to do
work on the Szekler community.

ADRIAN
Yeah? I'm in English lit. I'll
be starting my thesis this fall.

LYNN
What's it on?

ADRIAN
Subliminal sex in the works of
Bram Stoker.
(then)
And I have this theory - which
I hope to prove - that Dracula
really existed.

LYNN
Oh really?

ADRIAN
That's why I've come back.

INT. MAIN HALL - THE CASTLE - DAY

IOAN, who is gray now, is doing the honors as greeter
of the TOURISTS assembled.

IOAN
I am Ioan. I shall be your
guide through Bran Castle.

ON ADRIAN AND LYNN

listening with the Others.

IOAN (o.s.)
(continuing)
At all times during the tour,
you will kindly stay with the
group.
(Adrian smiles
innocently)
This way, please.

INT. A GALLERY - DAY

ADRIAN and LYNN are lagging behind IOAN and the OTHERS.
They speak quietly, overlapping Ioan's speech:

IOAN
During the Second World War,
Transylvania was annexed by
Hungary. Then after the war -
(fades)

ADRIAN
Tell me something. Being a
student of anthropology -
(they stop, look
at each other)
- what do you think about
collective consciousness?

LYNN
(beat)
That sounds more like a subject
for psychology. But I am rather
skeptical.

ADRIAN
Well don't be.

As they resume walking:

LYNN
And why should I believe in
collective consciousness?

ADRIAN
Wait till I tell ya.

As they move off:

ADRIAN
(continuing, fading)
When I first came here - that
was, let's see . . .

CAMERA PANS to

A PORTRAIT ON WALL

It's the one of Vlad Tepes, with the large evil eyes,
which almost seem to be watching the couple.

INT. A STUDY - DAY

ADRIAN enters from the corridor, looks around with
pleased recognition. He motions for LYNN to come in,
which she does.

Adrian looks the room over, Lynn closing the door.
There's nice carpet on the floor, everything looks
fairly new.

ADRIAN
This is it. It's different
now, but this is the room.

LYNN
What do you mean?

ADRIAN
This is where I met Vlad. "Vlad
short for Vladimir."

LYNN
(beat)
Adrian -

ADRIAN
Lynn, think about it: How many
people in the world - modern,
primitive - believe vampires
may really exist? Why, there
must be millions. And all the
tourists at the castle that day
- I'll bet half of them believed
too. And here I was - sort of
the believer of believers. And
Lyle and Katy.
(beat)
It all came together, here at
Bran Castle.

LYNN
(after a moment)
I hate to say it, Adrian, but
it sounds to me like so much
wishful thinking.

ADRIAN
That's what it was, in a way.
It's like mind over matter.
There's a way, yet to be fathomed,
in which what we collectively
think and believe - "we" being
enough people - can make
something happen or be.
(beat)
I had an experience that proves
it - if I can prove I had the
experience.

A beat. They suddenly HEAR the door latch turn. They
look as

THE DOOR

begins slowly opening.

ON ADRIAN AND LYNN

watching, almost fearfully.

ON TWO FEET

in shiny black shoes, as they step in and stop.

CAMERA MOVES UP TO REVEAL

IOAN, with a reproachful look.

NEW ANGLE

as Ioan scolds them:

IOAN
We must insist you not wander
in the castle. I said "Kindly
stay with the group."

Adrian and Lynn move compliantly toward the door. Ioan
leaves, obviously expecting them to follow.

Adrian holds the door while Lynn steps out into the
corridor. He takes a last look at the room, starts
to go.

Glancing down at the fairly new door latch, Adrian stops.
He remembers:

FLASHBACK - ADRIAN

desperate, pressing his back to the door, then looking
at his finger, cut, dripping blood on the floor. VLAD
grabs Adrian's wrist.

BACK TO SCENE

Adrian looks down toward his feet. He quickly steps
into the doorway, off the carpet, then kneels, tries to
lift the carpet but it's tight.

Lynn looks curiously down over his shoulder. Adrian
has opened a pocketknife, starts cutting the carpet.

LYNN
Adrian, what are you doing?

As he cuts:

ADRIAN
Looking for blood. Just one
little bloodstain.

LYNN
Adrian -

He folds back the piece he has cut. They both look
down intensely at the area exposed.

INSERT: THE STONE FLOOR

Clean. Not a trace of a bloodstain.

BACK TO SCENE

Adrian staring at the stone with disappointment, Lynn
over his shoulder, sympathetic.

EXT. FRONT OF CASTLE - DAY

ADRIAN and LYNN stop, look back at the castle, the other
TOURISTS heading for the bus.

Adrian muses, looking sad and confused:

ADRIAN
Nothing's the same. But it
happened. I know it. Maybe
they're gone now. Maybe I
destroyed them. Forever.
But it still happened once.
(pause, then)
Would you like to have dinner
somewhere this evening? Or
is that wishful thinking.

LYNN
Sounds like positive thinking
to me.

ADRIAN
Have you tried the ciorba
taranesca?

CAMERA MOVES UPWARD along the front of the castle, the
voices begin fading away:

LYNN (o.s.)
No, I haven't.

ADRIAN (o.s.)
It's sort of a national dish.
It's delicious . . .

INT. THE CASTLE - A MONTAGE - DAY

VARIOUS ANGLES devoid of people: a corridor, a suit of
armor, a stairway, the Vlad Tepes portrait, another
corridor. And lastly

A DOOR

The plaque on the door reads CARETAKER.

INT. CARETAKER'S QUARTERS - DAY

Caretaker LYLE, sitting slumped in a chair, slams shut
a book entitled "Hematology," tosses it aside with
disgust. He is at his wit's end. He's pale, but he
hasn't aged, in his vampiric black.

He hears a TAPPING sound. He looks over at

THE MONKEY

in its cage. The Monkey is beckoning.

Lyle jumps up with great hope, hurries over to the cage.
Through the bars the Monkey hands him a little piece of
paper.

LYLE
Katy! Katy, he's got
something!

KATY, in vampiric black, comes out of an adjoining room.
She hurries over, as the Monkey hands Lyle a second
piece of paper.

Lyle eagerly puts the two pieces together and reads.
He reads it two times and three, Katy waiting.

KATY
Lyle, what is it?

LYLE
It's nothing!

Lyle throws away the pieces. He's distraught.

LYLE
(continuing)
At this rate we'll never find
a cure.

KATY
Give him time, Lyle.

LYLE
Time? I thought this monkey
had some smarts! He can't do
anything but peel bananas!
(to Monkey)
No more bananas!

The Monkey goes into a rage, starts filling the air with
little pieces of paper.

LYLE
(continuing)
You heard me! No more peeling,
you piddling primate!

The Monkey is pitching a fit, squawking, rattling its
cage. Lyle moves right up to the bars.

LYLE
(continuing)
You give me a formula, you can
have a banana! Till then, no -

The Monkey grabs Lyle by the hair. Lyle yelps, can't
get free without losing his scalp:

LYLE
(continuing)
YAAAAA!! Okay, you can have
a banana! YIEE!! Katy -
YAAAAA!!

As Katy is running to get one, the Monkey furiously
yanking Lyle's hair, Lyle screaming:

LYLE
(continuing)
GET THIS MONKEY A BANANA!!

EXT. THE CASTLE - DAY

A black helicopter lands. As the engine stops, its
blades' wash subsiding, IOAN moves to meet a VISITOR
emerging from the chopper.

NEW ANGLE

The Visitor whom Ioan greets is BOGDAN.

IOAN
Welcome, Grand Boyar, sir.

BOGDAN
Ioan. Good to see you again.

IOAN
You are the first to arrive
this year.

They hear a distant CRY of pain (and something about
"A BANANA!") from a window high above.

IOAN
The caretakers, sir. The worst
we've ever had.

For a moment, Bogdan seems to contemplate some action.
Then he lets it go.

Bogdan starts toward the castle, then stops, as if
remembering something.

BOGDAN
Oh - by the way. Adrian Jarrett.

IOAN
He was here, sir, just a few
days ago.
(assuringly)
He believes as strongly as ever.

Bogdan looks pleased, though not surprised.

BOGDAN
I don't know what we'd do
without him.

As Bogdan and Ioan move to enter the castle:

OVERLAP SOUND:

The opening riffs of "Varney the Vampire."

INT. THE "BUCKET O' BLOOD" - DAY

The COUNTRY ROCK SINGER and BAND are again performing
for fifty or so partying VAMPIRES.

SINGER
(singing)
VARNEY THE VAMPIRE etc.

During this, there is a SERIES OF SHOTS of the Crowd:

BOGDAN makes eyes over drinks with - by golly, it's Dr.
Ray's vampiric NURSE. YOLANDA dances with - whattaya
know, it's DR. RAY himself. THUG #1 flirts with the
vampiric MAID. LYLE, with KATY, shows something in
"Hematology" to the MONKEY, who rips out the page. The
former CARETAKER is here with her WOLF. JUKES tries
his latest concoction on DRACULA.

Things look "alive," if not "well," at the Vampire
Vortex.

FADE OUT.



THE END