Level 9

Level 9

Dracula 5
Jonathan Harker’s Diary 3
Jonathan Harker’s Diary 3

Copyright © 2013 by Little Fox Co., Ltd.

All rights reserved.
Journal Entry: November 7, 1876, London
My beautiful Mina was devastated by the news of
Lucy’s death, and she just sat in her room and wept for
days after the funeral. I was quite concerned for her well-
being, but I hadn’t a clue what to do for her. Besides, I was
still recovering from my own illness, and having terrible
nightmares about my time in Transylvania. I was consumed
with worry and nothing seemed able to bring me out of my
depression.
One day, the postman knocked on our door, and when
I answered, he handed me a letter from Professor Van
Helsing, a friend of Arthur’s, who we’d met at the funeral
service. He wanted to set up a meeting to talk to Mina
about her time with Lucy at her seaside home in Whitby.
He was conducting a post-mortem investigation into the
events leading up to her death. I was reluctant to bring this
to my wife’s attention, considering her fragile state, but and after spending all day fretting over which dress to
thought that she might benefit from a conversation with wear and what to serve her guest, she finally settled down
the professor. Mina agreed without hesitation; anything a few minutes before his arrival. When he entered the
she could do to unravel the mystery of Lucy’s death would front door, we both greeted him, and our servant took his
definitely make her feel more useful than she had felt coat. We asked him to have a seat in the sitting room and
during Lucy’s illness. offered him a sandwich and tea. He gladly accepted, and
Mina was nervous about meeting with Van Helsing, after he had finished eating, we got down to business. He

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explained to us in great detail the turmoil that had occurred
after the funeral and how Arthur had eventually put an end
to Lucy’s suffering with a stake through her heart. Mina
was too upset to respond and simply left the room in tears.
I continued to ask the professor many questions about
vampires and their habits. Finally, once I’d exhausted his
knowledge, I excused myself and retrieved my diary from
my bedroom. “I think you should read this,” I told him and
handed over the book.
I left the professor to read and went upstairs to check
on Mina. “I understand now what happened to Lucy,” I told
her. “You see, when I was in Transylvania, the count asked
me many questions about shipping his belongings abroad
by sea. The ship that washed up on shore the day Lucy
fell ill─it was the boat the count had hired to carry himself
and his coffins across the ocean. At the time, I didn’t make
the connection, but now I know. The professor explained that the black dog that was found on the ship that morning
to me that vampires must sleep in their own caskets, but may have been the count in disguise. Mina, Count Dracula
they will have a restless slumber if the earth under which killed your best friend, and we must stop him from striking
they were originally buried does not surround them. The again!”
soil in the coffins on that ship belonged to the count. He By the time I returned downstairs, our guest had
must have sustained himself on the long voyage to England finished reading my diary and was quietly pondering our
by feeding on the captain and crew. Van Helsing believes predicament. “I know what we must do,” I told him. “I will

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help you find him and drive a stake through his heart. Let’s
end this madness for once and for all!”
We began preparations at once. Mina went to locate
Jack Seward and tell him and Arthur about the count, while
I looked through my paperwork trying to find out any
information I could about the shipment of coffins that my
office had helped arrange. I eventually learned that they
had been delivered to the count’s property in London.
I rushed to find the doctor, Arthur, and the professor
to tell them of my discovery. The four of us met in my
sitting room and Mina was kind enough to offer us tea and
cookies. “I’ve read many histories of vampire lore and
legend,” explained the professor. “I know they cannot come
out in the sunlight because it hurts them, so we can work
freely in the daylight. As long as the sun is up, the count
will need to hide in his casket. I have an idea─Jonathan,
did you find out where his coffins are located?” go there straight away without sapping his power, he will
“Yes,” I replied. “At his house here in London.” be too strong to fight against. Then, the following evening,
“Great. Well, vampires also fear anything that has been when he has returned to his casket, we will sneak into his
blessed by the church. If we can get into his house during house again and put a stake through his heart, killing him at
the night, when he is out, we can spray his coffins with holy last. Are you gentlemen ready?”
water, making it temporarily impossible for him to hide in We gathered our things and left Mina at the house─I
them. This will make him weaker─I’m worried if we do did not want her risking her life by joining us. We filled up

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several bottles with holy water at the local parish and then
made our way by coach to the count’s house. We waited
until the sun had set and then scaled the high stone walls
and crept quietly across the lawn toward the cellar doors.
The professor guessed that the count’s coffins would be
stored in the basement, where they would be the most
protected from light. And sure enough, when we descended
the stairs and came to the cellar, there were the coffins,
sitting in rows on the dirt floor.
The sickening smell of blood permeated the room,
causing us to feel light-headed, but we worked through
the night, pulling open coffins and drenching them with
holy water. In fact, we were so preoccupied with our task
that we didn’t realize that it was nearly sunrise and we
had not yet finished. Just then, the professor let out a cry
and announced, “It’s too late! He’s coming! The count is
coming!” up the stairs. I thought I saw a challenge in his look. “Mina!”
We looked up toward the entrance and saw the count I yelled. “He’s going after Mina!”
come through the door like a cloud of black smoke. When At breakneck speed, we hurried back to the house and
he realized we were there, his face turned hard and angry were terrified to find that the front door was open and a
and he bared his sharp, white teeth. We thought we were trail of what looked like muddy animal tracks led up to the
facing certain death, and then, in a bizarre twist of fate, he bedroom. I ran up the stairs and banged on the locked door
looked me directly in the eyes, turned around, and ran back with both fists. “Help me!” I called down to my colleagues,

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and together, we broke down the door.
There he was, standing next to the window with my
beautiful wife held in his arms, but she was drinking his
blood. “Let go of her!” I screamed and held up my gold
cross. The count jumped back, releasing Mina to the floor,
and floated out the window in a black cloud. I ran to catch
her and she fell limp into my arms.
“What happened?” I asked her.
“Hold me!” she whispered. “Just hold me . . .”
I waved the others from the room and lay down beside
her on the bed. I held her in my arms until the sun rose high
in the sky the next morning.