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vampiremediaHey all,
Here's the seventeenth discussion post for Dracula Daily covering the week of Sept. 13-19.
We are cooking with gas! Dreadful events over the week!
If you've fallen behind and don't want to play catch up, here's what's happened, in brief:
September 13: Van Helsing and Dr. Seward arrive at Hillingham where Lucy's mother reports Lucy is sleeping well. Yay!
Oh yeah, and in the night, she took away "those horrible, strong-smelling flowers" and opened the window for fresh air.
Van Helsing maintains a strong front in front of Lucy's mother, but then breaks down in distress before Dr. Seward. When they go to Lucy, she is awfully pale. They perform another transfusion with Van Helsing as the donor. When Lucy wakes, she is improved.
September 17: Lucy reports that she has had four days and nights of peace and her health is much improved. Though something—the boughs or bats—have been napping angrily against the window panes.
Meanwhile, at the asylum, Renfield attacks Dr. Seward with a knife and cuts him. Renfield licks up the blood where it falls on the floor. And we get the famous line: "The blood is the life! The blood is the life!"
Van Helsing telegrams Dr. Seward and tells him to be sure to go to Hillingham that night, stay with Lucy, and make sure the flowers are placed. Buuuut... the telegram is misdelivered to Carfax.
In the night, Lucy makes an addendum to her journal though she has "barely strength to write." A bat beating at her window awoke her followed by howling from the shrubs. Her mother comes in and lays down with her when suddenly the window crashes! "[A]nd in the aperture of the broken panes there was the head of a great, gaunt grey wolf."
Lucy's mother dies from the shock of it. Then, "the wolf drew his head back, and a whole myriad of little specks seemed to come blowing in through the broken window, and wheeling and circling round like the pillar of dust that travellers describe when there is a simoon in the desert."
Lucy is unable to move as if under a spell and weighed down by her mother's body. The servants come running at the sounds and help move her mother's body and cover her with a sheet. Lucy lays the flowers on her mother. While she is cognizant of Van Helsing's direction to leave the flowers, Lucy feels she will be okay as the servants are now awake and can sit with her.
Except they don't. When Lucy investigates, she discovers all the servants are passed out, the sherry they were drinking having been dosed with with laudanum. Lucy retreats with her room to stay with her mother's body, frightened and fearful that she too will not survive the night.
She can't leave because she hears the wolf howling outside. And in the room, the "the air seems full of specks, floating and circling in the draught from the window…"
Mina, wholly unaware of Lucy's danger, writes a letter that Lucy will never open. She has good news: she and Jonathan are back in England, Jonathan has been improving, and Jonathan's boss and mentor says he is writing Jonathan and Mina into his will as they are dear to him. She is eager to hear Lucy's news and all about her impending nuptials to Arthur.
September 18: And now, a news story. A wolf has escaped the Zoo. According to the zookeeper, the wolf "was a nice well-behaved wolf, that never gave no trouble to talk of." But the day before, he went mad aggressively trying to escape his enclosure with the arrival of a visitor, "a tall, thin chap, with a 'ook nose and a pointed beard, with a few white hairs runnin' through it. He had a 'ard, cold look and red eyes, and I took a sort of mislike to him, for it seemed as if it was 'im as they was hirritated at."
Curiously, the wolf returned of its own accord, docile as ever.
Meanwhile, Dr. Seward goes to Hillingham, but no one answers the door. Van Helsing arrives shortly thereafter and the two break into the house where they discover the unconscious servants. They find Lucy and her dead mother in Lucy's room. Lucy is deathly cold and white but still alive, just barely.
They warm her up in a bath, which has some small effect. She needs another transfusion, but Van Helsing and Seward are too exhausted to donate.
Enter, figuratively riding to the rescue wearing a white hat, is everyone's favorite cowboy, Quincey Morris. 🤠
Arthur sent him because he has had no word of Lucy in a few days yet also cannot leave his ill father to look in himself.
The transfusion does not have the restorative effect on Lucy that the prior transfusions did. Quincey has an apt anecdote. He has been reminded of riding in South America and a horse was mortally weakened after being bitten by a… vampire bat.
Meanwhile, Mina, still unaware of Lucy's condition, reports to Lucy (in another letter Lucy will never open), that Jonathan's mentor died suddenly. She and Jonathan will be coming up to London to bury him, and Mina will try to find the time to see Lucy.
September 19: Dr. Seward reports on Lucy's terrible state. She can barely move. What little she can eat doesn't do her any good. And strangely, her teeth are starting to look sharp.
They finally summon Arthur.
— — —
What are your thoughts about last week's events?
Let's discuss!
(If you want to keep updated on the discussion, click the "track this" link below to get an email when someone shares a new comment.)
Here's the seventeenth discussion post for Dracula Daily covering the week of Sept. 13-19.
We are cooking with gas! Dreadful events over the week!
If you've fallen behind and don't want to play catch up, here's what's happened, in brief:
Oh yeah, and in the night, she took away "those horrible, strong-smelling flowers" and opened the window for fresh air.
Van Helsing maintains a strong front in front of Lucy's mother, but then breaks down in distress before Dr. Seward. When they go to Lucy, she is awfully pale. They perform another transfusion with Van Helsing as the donor. When Lucy wakes, she is improved.
Meanwhile, at the asylum, Renfield attacks Dr. Seward with a knife and cuts him. Renfield licks up the blood where it falls on the floor. And we get the famous line: "The blood is the life! The blood is the life!"
Van Helsing telegrams Dr. Seward and tells him to be sure to go to Hillingham that night, stay with Lucy, and make sure the flowers are placed. Buuuut... the telegram is misdelivered to Carfax.
In the night, Lucy makes an addendum to her journal though she has "barely strength to write." A bat beating at her window awoke her followed by howling from the shrubs. Her mother comes in and lays down with her when suddenly the window crashes! "[A]nd in the aperture of the broken panes there was the head of a great, gaunt grey wolf."
Lucy's mother dies from the shock of it. Then, "the wolf drew his head back, and a whole myriad of little specks seemed to come blowing in through the broken window, and wheeling and circling round like the pillar of dust that travellers describe when there is a simoon in the desert."
Lucy is unable to move as if under a spell and weighed down by her mother's body. The servants come running at the sounds and help move her mother's body and cover her with a sheet. Lucy lays the flowers on her mother. While she is cognizant of Van Helsing's direction to leave the flowers, Lucy feels she will be okay as the servants are now awake and can sit with her.
Except they don't. When Lucy investigates, she discovers all the servants are passed out, the sherry they were drinking having been dosed with with laudanum. Lucy retreats with her room to stay with her mother's body, frightened and fearful that she too will not survive the night.
She can't leave because she hears the wolf howling outside. And in the room, the "the air seems full of specks, floating and circling in the draught from the window…"
Mina, wholly unaware of Lucy's danger, writes a letter that Lucy will never open. She has good news: she and Jonathan are back in England, Jonathan has been improving, and Jonathan's boss and mentor says he is writing Jonathan and Mina into his will as they are dear to him. She is eager to hear Lucy's news and all about her impending nuptials to Arthur.
Curiously, the wolf returned of its own accord, docile as ever.
Meanwhile, Dr. Seward goes to Hillingham, but no one answers the door. Van Helsing arrives shortly thereafter and the two break into the house where they discover the unconscious servants. They find Lucy and her dead mother in Lucy's room. Lucy is deathly cold and white but still alive, just barely.
They warm her up in a bath, which has some small effect. She needs another transfusion, but Van Helsing and Seward are too exhausted to donate.
Enter, figuratively riding to the rescue wearing a white hat, is everyone's favorite cowboy, Quincey Morris. 🤠
Arthur sent him because he has had no word of Lucy in a few days yet also cannot leave his ill father to look in himself.
The transfusion does not have the restorative effect on Lucy that the prior transfusions did. Quincey has an apt anecdote. He has been reminded of riding in South America and a horse was mortally weakened after being bitten by a… vampire bat.
Meanwhile, Mina, still unaware of Lucy's condition, reports to Lucy (in another letter Lucy will never open), that Jonathan's mentor died suddenly. She and Jonathan will be coming up to London to bury him, and Mina will try to find the time to see Lucy.
They finally summon Arthur.
— — —
What are your thoughts about last week's events?
Let's discuss!
(If you want to keep updated on the discussion, click the "track this" link below to get an email when someone shares a new comment.)
(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:05 pm (UTC)Letter, Mina Harker to Lucy Westenra.
(Unopened by her.)
DEVASTATING foreshadowing! 😭😭😭😭
Dracula is, as is his way, up to no good. I don't know that there was ANY way they could have stopped him. He's hellbent on continuing to bite Lucy (who knows why, but we know he is arrogant and domineering and will not be thwarted by his lessers). He brings a wolf! A WOLF! That he can control to break into the place.
Question though: who originally invited Dracula in? Possibly Lucy herself. But maybe a servant. He can hold people in his power and make them do his bidding. Also, he can just drug them.
It was interesting to get a glimpse of Dracula out and about in the world interacting with someone who is not one of Our Heroes.
Speaking of Our Heroes, a reminder that Dr. Seward can be a bit of a dick. When the drugged maids come to and he needs them to prepare a bath, Seward reported, ""I was stern with them, however, and would not let them talk. I told them that one life was bad enough to lose, and that if they delayed they would sacrifice Miss Lucy."
BRUH. *They* would sacrifice Miss Lucy. Come ON now. Perhaps we can forgive him due to the incredible stress of the moment.
Also, some misogyny from Van Helsing. He doesn't trust the maids to be blood donors (I mean... what??) and then says to Quincey, "A brave man's blood is the best thing on this earth when a woman is in trouble." Yeah okay, dude, whatevs.
A glimpse into how this book can be misogynistic (and definitely very paternalistic towards women). Yet, a woman will be a (the?) major hero of this story. Perhaps a topic for discussion when we finish the novel!
(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:10 pm (UTC)Right! That's so creepy.
Yeah, I think Lucy in her sleepwalking?
I thought part of that was because they were already drugged. But yeah, women are too dainty for that sort of thing. It's not like we've never seen blood before *cough cough* Coincidentally I can't give blood because I pass out, but I'm not squeamish about blood at all. I watch the needle go in etc and have no problem with blood tests, but I must have low blood pressure or iron or something because every time I've donated I've ended up conked out.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:16 pm (UTC)Yeah, I wondered if part of it was that they'd been drugged. But then I thought "trust" was such an odd word to use here. I think it was really about those dainty ladies just cannot possibly do it.
(Though I admit strange word choices are not unusual for Van Helsing. We did have that whole corn metaphor to deal with last week.)
(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:06 pm (UTC)Lucy's mom is the WORST. I know she meant no harm but Jesus she really just kept making everything worse.
I loved the part with the zookeeper, and how he basically told the creepy guy it would serve him right if he got eaten. Unfortunately, creepy guy was planning on doing all the eating.
Welcome back, cowboy! I'm sure everyone thought that good ol' Texas blood would cure poor Lucy. Alas, it was not to be.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:11 pm (UTC)Yeah, the zookeeper is great lol.
Sadly, even the power of Quincey's unrelenting Texasness will not save dear Lucy!
(no subject)
Date: 2026-09-22 07:21 pm (UTC)There was an episode or House (maybe? I don't watch a ton of medical shows so it's probably that one) where the treatment wasn't working and they found out the kid's mom was giving them aspirin or something while they were in the hospital. Just trust the damn doctor!