The Chronicles of the Counts Dracula-Cardie. Adapted from Baron Olshevris novel «Vampires». Olga Boyko
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pies in front of the brother)
Eat, I’ve baked in the morning.
She sits down in front of him, pours out tea
TEACHER
(bites off a pie)
My favourite. Thank you.
MINA
(pours out tea)
Maria is glad that Heinrich was found. Truly speaking, he has become odd. Silent. So the old church watchman invited him. The watchman is strange, has planted garlic everywhere in the garden.
She gives a cup of tea to the brother
TEACHER
(takes the cup from her hands)
I should go and see Heinrich.
MINA
Go-go. It won’t be bad.
She puts a pie on her saucer.
EXT – WITCHES” VALLEY – SUMMER NIGHT OF THE SAME DAY
The teacher stands in the Witches’ Valley near the water, on the lakeshore.
Mist rises over the lake, taking on different forms: now the white cloud takes shapes of a lady with nenufares in her hair.
And now nenufares on the water surface open their petals, fireflies float over them.
Blossomed trees, growing near here, give their white petals to the wind.
White snowstorm of petals whirls in the air over the lake and the schoolteacher’s head
TEACHER
(peers into the white whirl over the lake)
What if everything that the villagers say about the valley is true?
He goes into the lake
END OF THE MEMORIES
EXT – CLEARING IN THE FOREST OF CARDIE’S CASTLE – EVENING
Harry and the company enjoy their picnic, Smith accidently spills some wine on Harry’s shirt
HARRY
(shouting)
What the hell is the matter with you, Smith? My shirt isn’t a wineglass, damn it!
Smith spreads his arms in embarrassment
SMITH
Forgive me, it was an accident. For a moment I imagined that someone was looking at me from the forest. Someone with red eyes.
Everybody looks around nervously
JAMES
There is no one!
HARRY
I never took you for someone who suffers from a persecution complex, Smith. Oh well, pour me some more wine and, for once, try to aim for the glass and avoid my shirt.
Smith pours the wine but his hands shake. He shivers and points towards the forest
SMITH
My God, it is still there.
Captain Wright grabs a rifle and fires a single shot in the direction pointed by Smith. Black bat flies out of the forest
HARRY
Calm down, Smith, it is only a perfectly harmless bat.
Suddenly the bushes behind the resting men creak. Everyone jumps to their feet and grabs their rifles
CAPTAIN WRIGHT
Halt before you get a bullet in your guts. Who is there? Answer me, damn you!
A VILLAGE HEADSMAN, a fat middle aged man emerges from the bushes
VILLAGE HEADMAN
Gentlemen, calm down. It is only me.
HARRY
You see, Smith, he is hardly a demon.
Smith crosses himself and kisses a religious medallion at his neck
HARRY
Gentlemen, it is time to get going. We haven’t had the chance to explore the Western side of the castle yet. And now that we are so lucky to get a tour guide, – the village headsman, we should really waste no time.
(addressing the headsman)
Have you got a horse?
VILLAGE HEADSMAN
No.
HARRY
Then Smith’s mare will have to carry you both.
CAPTAIN WRIGHT
(quietly)
The poor mare – a hysterical damsel and a fat man together on her back.
Everyone mounts their horses and rides away.
EXT-VILLAGE CHURCH GARDEN – SUMMER DAY, TEACHER’S MEMORIES
BEGINNING OF THE MEMORIES
The yard is planted with garlic flowers. The teacher goes by the white flowers to the church, holding his nose with his hand.
INT – IN THE VILLAGE CHURCH – SAME DAY
The teacher enters the village church.
It is ornamented with crosses and lined with wreathes of garlic over the windows and doors.
CHURCH WATCHMAN (aka Petro in his old age, 60 years old) stands on a ladder and fixes a wreath of white garlic flowers above the entrance door from the inside.
Heinrich sorts mistletoe crosses
TEACHER
How are you, Heinrich?
HEINRICH
(sorting crosses)
So far, so good.
TEACHER
(comes up to Heinrich)
And what about your neck?
HEINRICH
(touches a bandage on his neck)
Scratched, the wounds are not healing well.
CHURCH WATCHMAN
(comes off the ladder)
And they wouldn’t heal, until she bites somebody else.
The teacher turns to the entrance door and points to the wreaths of white flowers
TEACHER
What is it?
CHURCH WATCHMAN
She doesn’t like it!
TEACHER
(wrinkles his nose)
I guess, me too.
Heinrich looks askance at the teacher
TEACHER
(continues)
I’ve heard your stories. Can the dead rise from their coffins?
CHURCH WATCHMAN
(takes the ladder away from the entrance and puts it in the corner)
You are still young, wait till you get to my age.
TEACHER
(turns