Anne Hathaway

 

her husband Adam are at a charity function. Her dress, not vulgar, only a little piece of skin, and yet, men who look at her feel seduced. The way she moves, it is charisma, pure and simple. The host of the function addresses everyone's attention. He says they now have the funds to convert an old burned down manor into an orphanage. And as a special bonus, they have a rare piece of art, thought lost. A portrait of Austrian royalty. He opens the curtain, and the crowd gasps, many now looking at Anne.

As Anne and Adam leave the event, they're approached by an old man, with a limp, and a scar above his right eye. His voice, a German accent, speaks with a strange mixture tenderness and gravelly bitterness. He asks if he can speak with Anne.
Well, he wouldn't be from the era of the painting. But yes, let us hear his grim story. He talks about how he has trailed Dracula through the decades. How he targets women. Artists. Royalty or royalty adjacent. They sate his urges for a brief while, but he always comes back to that same face. Obessisively.

But yes, Anne recounts the journal the scrapbook to Adam. She doesn't know whether she hopes he takes her seriously, or dismisseses it, saying vampires aren't real, allowing her to do the same. I suppose the best thing to do is to contact Otto again, consult his expertise.

Anne researches. But she finds herself lingering. On accouns of experiences with Dracula. Of being ravished. Of how they beg for more. One entry from a witness, a priest, uses words like "abominable", but the vivid way he describes it makes it seem like he's trying to fight how much, deep down he enjoyed the sight.

They hear moans. Long drawn out moans. Cries of ectasy. Of passion. And a woman's evervescent laughter. It sounds like Anne, but Adam has never heard her like this before. They hear rustling, shifting. Flesh.

They hear moans. Long drawn out moans. Cries of ectasy. Of passion. And a woman's evervescent laughter. It sounds like Anne, but Adam has never heard her like this before. They hear rustling, shifting. Flesh.

She flickers, but then looks back Dracula. Whether is is his supernatural gaze. Whether is a not wanting to confront the hurt and horror in face. She reaches towards him and pleads for more. And as she obliges, she giggles, joyously, like she was the heroine in a romance for less dark and twisted than this.

I mean, who's she going to heed; This curt, gnarled stranger, or the debonoir figure that seems to...stir something in her? Yes, let's dance.

As the evening unfolds, the host steps up to a curtain. He thanks everyone for coming, particularly the star in their midst. He also has a special thank you, to a Prince Vladamir. Anne spots a familair figure modestly taking a bow. You see, this mysterious Prince Vladamir has donated donated a rare piece of art, from renown 17th century Austrian artist. thought lost in a castle fire. And now, recovered. He unveils the curtain. Everybody gasps. And looks in the direction of our heroine.

Naturally she's brimming with questions.

Anne notices he's being evasive, perhaps it's something confidential. But she has a right to know. She asks Adam to get her a drink. Pleads almost. Begrudgingly, he complies. She whispers, to "Vladamir". He must know more than what he's saying. Dracula reluctantly...almost with lament, relents, warning her it is indeed a tragic tale.

The Princess was in love with a soldier, brave, who rose through the ranks by merit. But the Nobleman was, well, noble. It was a very strategic marriage. But he was a wicked man. Upon disovering the two's love, he had the soldier sent to a precarious position. A suicide mission. Word got to he was killed. In grief, and in dread of the union to the nobleman, she plunged a dagger into her heart. Of course, the soldier did not die. But when finding out the news of his beloved, he wished he was. The only thing driving him now was hate. He tracked down the nobleman and made him eat steel. But the nobleman was a practicioner of black magic. With his dying breath placed a curse on the soldier. What happnes next is rumor. Women started dissapearing. Wives. Drained of all blood in the morning and disappearing at night. One such man spotted his wife on the castle grounds. Eventually, it was believed the place as cursed, the clergy declared it Hell's portal, and the village burned the castle down.

Anne tries to lighten the moment. First she deflects by point not a *real* princess. It's just what fans call her. Princess Mia. It's sweet. But it's just a nickname.

So fast. But now dutiful Alan returns with her drink.

Anyways, Anne has had quite a night, she's ready to go. She thanks Vladamir for such a gripping tale...she thinks. He bids her adieu, naturally, with "Princess". She looks down and and fails to supress a smile.

As the two are walking their car, the old scarred man appears. He walks with a limp. His visage is frightening, and yet, when she speaks, there's a strange soft, almost tender quality to it. "Please, I must speak to you, especially you, Miss Hathaway." Adam tries to be polite, he doesn't want to be mean to an old man verging on disability. But he has had just about enough of strange men with accents hovering over his wife.

They get to heir hotel. What a night it's been. the two caress each other fall asleep. It isn't long before she finds herself in a place. Unfamiliar, and yet...so familiar. She looks at her arms. What she's wearing. She feels her hair.

She’s soaked in sweat. Or at least, she hopes it’s sweat. She covers her legs. In guilt. But it’s not real. Just a freak from an overstimulated imagination. Dreams aren’t real. Dreams aren’t actions…

Anne wakes up, takes a shower. She still thinks about the dream. About him. The shower takes longer than usual. She sits down to have breakfast with Adam. Perhaps some more sightseeing. No art galleries though. Adam with a joking disappointment wonders if maybe his twin can be found somewhere.

“It’s about the painting…”. Adam is really at his wit’s end. He’s had enough of paintings, enough cryptic sayings, enough of everything.

Anne…frightened, turned back. So…he was the cursed soldier in the story?

She asks him why he would do such a thing. Is it because he seeks love? She retells the story. Gregor explains it wasn’t QUITE a tragic romance. Oh he was a soldier, and she was engaged to engaged to a man she may or may not loved but it was…a little more one-sided. Maybe a fling. Noblewomen were not always like that in the fairy tale. He pleaded with her to elope. She would do no such thing. They fought, she tried to back off, ease herself away, fell down the stairs. He was mad with grief, but moreso, surrounded by a very angry royal palace. In truth HE was the practitioner of the dark arts. After his descent he started targeting the village women. Wives. Not just to feed, but to spit in the sanctity of marriage. The villagers had the right idea burning that castle dish. But in the long term, were ineffective. Dracula is a not a tragic soul. He is an avaricious manipulator and a monster. But he seeks Anne out. Seeing her face has brought out all of his most possessive qualities.

 Adam is still skeptical, but Anne takes it quite seriously. Out of fear or...something else. She does research on vampires, on Dracula...As Adam falls asleep, Anne's morbid curiosity leads her to watch clips of vampire movies. Of them putting the bite on their fetching leadings ladies.

The heat is stifling. Adam's snoring seems espedially loud. Dracula extends his hand. She looks at it. Then at her hotel room. She can return to her husband. Her children at home. The adoring millions. If she takes his hand, she knows what will happen. The two enter his limousine, to go his villa, just outside the city. Anne is in such a trange state, in a trance, yet her heart is beating, her blood is rushing so fast. she instinctively brushes away her hair. Not, not yet, he says. They arrive at his villa. He presents her a gown. This will be her wedding gown. Her funeral gown. Her baptismal gown. She asks if she wants her to wear it. For a little bit, anyways...

He asks her to make a vow, not of the typical wedding vows (After all "Til Death Do Us Part" would be especially useless), but one of submission, of depravity, of offering her blood.

Meanwhile, at the hotel, Adam wakes to find the spot next to him empty. He looks for Anne, calls after her, to no avail. He calls her, only to find the phone ringing near the nigthstand. He panics, doesn't know what to do. Against all reason, he looks through the latest message. Calls it, and on the other line, is Gregor. Gregor gives him directions to the Villa. They'll meet there. Not to worry, they'll save her. But as he hangs up, he looks solemny at his equipment. Anne Hathaway, the idol of millions, Adam's wife not be saved in a way he appreciates. But her soul could be...

The two meet at the at the front gate. Gregor assures Adam to be prepared for what he may see, his eyes may play tricks on him...and horrors where that is not the case at all. But Adam will not be prepared. The two make their way through the halls. Adam calls out for his wife. Frantically. Until he's hoarse. Until he hears a voice? Her voice? It's a lot of sounds. Yelps. Moans. Screams. Grunting. But then words form. Thins like "Yes! Yes! Oh...God please forgive me, Yes!!!" The pair slowly walks up the steps...