The Blood of Dracula II.
By
Kirsty White
As the play starts Emma and Susan are in a London hotel room, with a sofa, small television and a single bed It is a cramped room, with clothes and other accessories scattered across the floor. Emma and Susan are sitting on the bed.
Susan: Oh I do wish it would stop raining, how are we supposed to tour London in this weather.
As she speaks there is a great roll of thunder.
Emma: You know this is supposed to be summer? Anybody would think it’s the middle of winter, the way people are going around in hats and gloves, carrying umbrellas everywhere and probably using them too!
Emma peers fretfully out of the window in Susan’s fifth floor room.
Emma: It would be warmer back in the Transylvanian Alps than here, talking of which we mustn’t forget why…why we’re here –
Susan No, don’t say it, we both know why but we are also on holiday, paid for by the British Government I agree, but there wasn’t anything in the job description to say we couldn’t enjoy ourselves as well.
Emma: How can we enjoy ourselves while possibly looking for a blood -
Susan: Shh, we could be being eavesdropped on, the room might be bugged…remember, this is our first big job, not like the baker’s missing flour or Mr. Flock’s bottle of scotch that his wife had drunk. This is something really, really important, we can't mess it up, we can’t.
Maid: Room service.
Emma crosses the room to the door and look through the peephole then opens the door.
Maid: Vegetarian breakfast and a plate of toast for room 501.
Susan: Oh, thank you very much, please add it to my room bill.
Susan takes the tray leaving the maid to close the door.
Susan: Mmmmm…give me my toast then – shall we watch the breakfast news, see what’s on about you know what?
Susan: Yes, might as well see what people make of the whole affair.
Emma switches on the TV.
Emma (jumping in surprise) That’s this hotel!
Susan: Quiet, we need to hear the end of this.
News Reporter ...separated when a giant bat-like figure swooped down on the crowd. This creature may have carried the two young girls away. Anyone who saw the incident, or has seen the huge bat should contact the police on the number that will be announced after this programme.
Now, polls have shown that Labour has…
Emma switches off the set, and there is silence for a moment.
Susan Well we had better go and see the police, but first where is that card from the Embassy, we will most definitely need it, I’ve heard that the police in this country are most suspicious of foreigners. Disgraceful, I say!
Emma: The card was on the table (walks over to get it) It’s gone!
Susan: It can’t have just disappeared, it must be somewhere else.
Emma: (Looks at the table in amazement) It has gone. I know I put it just here on this table right by the door. I remember thinking it would be easy to pick it up and go if I put it there – oh no!
Emma: What? What is it?
Susan: The maid! The one that brought us breakfast. What if she took it?
Emma Did she have a chance to…
Susan: Oh yes, don’t you remember, I lifted the tray out of her hands, said about the bill and turned my back, she could have picked it up then, before closing the door.
Susan ‘flops down’ dismayed that she could have let something like that happen. Emma tries to cheer her up.
Emma: Don’t worry, at least we still have Dr. Van Helsinky’s manuscript from that chimney, we found it when we were looking for ghosts!
Susan: Please do not try to make me feel better Emma. I’m the one that lost the card…How can I even call myself a private investigator when I can’t even keep a stupid card safe, let alone the Queen! And it was Dr. Van Helsing!
Emma: Whatever! Hey, what was that about the Queen?
Susan: Or keep my big mouth shut.
Emma: What are you talking about.
Susan: Well, when I first told the British Government about the manuscript, they told me that the Queen had been acting strangely, demanding red meat when usually, she only likes white. Just small very odd things, that nobody can understand but seems to tie up with her possibly having been bitten by a vampire, maybe even Count Dracula himself!
Emma: But Dr Van Helsinky or whatever his name –
Susan: (Exasperated) Her! Dr. Van Helsing was a woman Emma, a woman!
Emma: All right, all right but Dr. Van Helsing said that Dracula had been killed by a stake through the heart – the way that you kill vampires!
Susan: The stake could have missed…
Emma: Are you saying that Dracula might still be alive?
Susan: (Tiredly)I don’t know, I just don’t know.
Emma:Come on, let’s take a break, we will go and have a ride on the London Eye, visit Trafalgar Square, and then, only after some fun will we speak to the highest policeman we can find!
Susan: But…
Emma : Oh come on!
End of Act One.
Emma and Susan have just alighted from the London Eye. Susan is looking a lot happier after the short piece of fun they’ve had. However, now they had to go and begin their investigation.
Susan (giggling) I really enjoyed that it made me feel young again, like I was on one of those old fairground rides. Up, up and away!
Emma:Are you quite all right, Susan?
Susan: Yes No! I’m nervous about speaking to the police. What if they think we’re just imaging all this?
Emma: Then we will tell them to go and talk to the Embassy, they are sure to verify our identities.
Susan: That doesn’t mean that the police will – Oh my Go-
Screams fill the air as a bat-like creature swoops into the queue for the London Eye, then flies off with something in its grip.
Emma: I suspect, and I hope it wasn’t but it could have been…DRACULA!
Susan: That is what I was afraid you would think because that is what I thought. I still had a hope though, that this whole thing was just coincidence, because if it was Dracula then it means we have lost a weapon against him – daylight!
Emma: The police have no choice, but to believe us, we have to tell them at once, before he strikes again! He may be very thirsty after all these years of lying low.
Emma: Taxi, hey taxi!
Taxi pulls up. Emma and Susan jump inside.
Susan: Yes – now drive!
T. D. Why are you in such a rush then?
Emma We can’t tell you, we just need to get there quickly?
T. D ‘Ere you ain’t criminals are you?
Susan: NO! Will you just drive?
T. D. Sorry for trying to make a bit of pleasant conversation then.
While this takes place a Scotland Yard scene is revealed. The taxi driver drives off stage, and amid angry shouts of
T. D. ‘Ere, you ‘aven’t paid me a penny yet!
Susan and Emma run from right and into the reception hall of Scotland Yard.
Susan: (gasping) We need to…to see somebody…Dracula has returned…need to see somebody….
Receptionist: Have you got an appointment?
Emma: (also gasping) No…but we need to see an important person like a…a
Receptionist: Chief Superintendent?
Emma: Is he important?
Receptionist Oh yes, but before you see him you need to tell the whole story to a Chief Inspector.
Susan: We must tell someone soon.
Receptionist: Hang on, I will see if he has five minutes.
Receptionist: Second door on your left.
Emma and Susan walk of in the direction the receptionist had indicated and stopped outside the second door on the left. They knock.
Susan enters first with Emma following.
Emma: We’ve come to tell you we know what the giant bat thing is and why the Queen is acting strangely.
C. S.: What! How can you possibly know that? How did you know the Queen is acting any differently in the first place?
Susan: We are private investigators from Transylvania, while investigating another case we discovered an ancient manuscript written by a woman called Dr. Van Helsing, telling of a vampire’s death – Dracula and his plan to take over the world with ‘Seward and Browne’s sausages’ by injecting his blood into them. We think that even though she thought Dracula was dead the stake actually missed his heart and he is still alive!
C. S.: Preposterous! Impossible! Even if it were true, how does it explain the Queen?
Emma: We suspect that if you were to examine the Queen’s neck you would find two small puncture marks. These show that Dracula has drunk from her, and she may possibly be half-vampire.
C. S.: You do understand this is a serious matter?
Emma Of course!
C. S.: If what you say is true than this is a major crisis that will affect the whole country.
Susan: We know, but it is true. If you want proof all you have to do is check the Queen’s neck.
C. S.: All right. We will go at once to Buckingham Palace.
End of Act Two.
The act starts with the Chief Superintendent, Emma and Susan inside Buckingham Palace. The furniture is very grand as befits a Palace and the room they are in, a reception room is huge with a high ceiling from which a chandelier hangs.
C. S.: Yes, it is very urgent.
C. S.: It is about her illness that we wish to consult her. These two ladies here think they know what is wrong
The maid exits the room, closing the door behind her. Emma, Susan and the C. S. are left in the room.
C. S.: If the Queen consents to see us then we will ask the maid to check her neck then we will know whether you are right or not.
Emma: We are, I know we are!
Susan: We must be, it is the only explanation that fits in all the clues.
Emma: I agree, so what do we do when we have proved it?
Susan: According to legend vampires can be killed by driving a wooden stake through the vampire’s heart, although light and crucifixes can injure them.
C. S.:You two seem to know what you’re doing, how many other cases have you handled?
Susan: Well...er...none this big, but plenty of smaller ones.
C. S.: I’m sure you are both highly qualified, but you understand we have to check in high profile cases such as this.
Emma and Susan look at each other, slightly worried.
Emma: Yes, yes of course.
The maid re-enters and the Queen in her high collared nightdress follows her.
Queen: (sleepily) I understand you want to see me?
Susan: I…er…
Queen: Don’t stutter with me child!
Susan: I’m very sorry Your Majesty I just wasn’t expecting someone like you.
Queen: Whom were you expecting? Me all dressed up, wearing a crown? How ridiculous!
C. S.: Yes, quite ridiculous Your Majesty.
The C. S. shoots a warning glance at Susan.
C. S.: This may seem like an impertinent and silly request but will you please reveal your neck?
Queen: Reveal my neck? Why should I reveal my neck to you, complete strangers?
C. S.: We believe there may be some clue there as to why you are tired and ill.
Queen: All right if you insist.
The Queen pulled her high collar down to reveal a pale neck with two puncture marks.
Emma: (excitedly) We were right, we were right!
Queen: Will somebody please tell me what is happening?
C. S.: It is like this Your Majesty: These two ladies here discovered a manuscript written by a woman called Dr. Van Helsing in the 19th century. They had heard about the disappearances in this country, and for this reason contacted our Government who hired them to investigate their claims.They have concluded that a vampire called Dracula, supposedly killed in the Dr.’s time had not been killed and had risen again. It is that vampire that they suspect has been drinking your blood and weakening you.
Queen: Oh!
C. S.: Take her to the nearest hospital and tell them she has lost a substantial amount of blood.
The Queen’s maid and another women that came in when the Queen cried out, carry the Queen off stage.
Emma:Well, that’s the Queen saved now we have to destroy Dracula once and for all.
Susan: He must be somewhere that is dark and rarely visited, so he has little chance of discovery.
The maid who has come back in unnoticed suddenly made a commotion.
Maid: Sir, I think you ought to know the Queen, she said, well she might have been delirious, but she said something about St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Emma Of course! The vaults at St. Paul Cathedral! They would be perfect to hide in; no one ever goes down there now.
Susan: We need a wooden stake, a flashlight and a crucifix.
C. S.: Why?
Susan: The wooden stake will kill him, but if we have a flashlight and a crucifix will injure him so he cannot harm us first. Garlic would also help.
C. S.: Right, I’ll get those things sent to St. Paul’s Cathedral straight away Meanwhile let’s get there ourselves.
Emma, Susan and the C.S. walk off stage and the lights dim, there is the sound of a siren blaring with flashing blue lights and the scene is changed to the vaults of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The three characters all have torches, garlic and crucifixes; the C.S. is carrying a wooden stake with a sharpened point.
Susan: I don’t know, but I think we should all stick together.
Susan tries to lift the lid of a stone tomb, peers inside and drops the lid with a bang.
C. S.: I’ll do the looking, I’ve seen more dead bodies than you have – I’m less squeamish.
Dracula: Who dares to disturb my rest?
Emma: Quick, out with the garlic and crucifixes, and shine the flashlight in his eyes!
This is done, and even though Dracula holds an arm up to protect himself, he still falls to the ground.
Susan: Now for the stake, Chief, make sure it goes right through his heart.
The C. S. places the stake over Dracula’s heart and with a mallet he is carrying, hammers the stake in with an expression of disgust.
C. S.: That’s it then, it’s gone through.
Susan: Dracula is finally dead.
Emma: Can we just get out of here please?
C. S.: Yes, of course.
Susan: Let’s go immediately, Dracula’s body can be dealt with later.
Voice: That is the story of Dracula’s two deaths and of the courageous people who eventually defeated him. Dracula will never terrorise the people of England or any other country because of Emma, Susan and the Chief Superintendant.
The End.