Editor's Note: This story, currently untitled, has one chapter as of now. Any comments, encouragements, etc. should be sent to JSTO9407@URIACC.URI.EDU Let's hope for some more, I think its really good... It's raining again here, it's been so depressing in the last few days. I don't know how or why I feel this way but perhaps it has something to do with my life. I think that this journal entry shall detail the aspects of my life, and my family... I remember a time when I was young and so full of life. My mother and my father were very happy and we all lived together in our castle which was on the edge of our people's land. Mother, her hair shines like gold, and she is pure in every aspect. Her delicate body gives way to her demure behavior and regal upbringing. My father himself came from a long line of very distinguished men. He is extremely tall for his age, at least seven foot and his body is densely packed with muscle. Such an opposite to my mother's lithe and minature frame. His hair is like ebon at times, but when I was very young I remembered a time when it was streaked with silver. The more I think of it, the more I remember a very different father when I was extremely young. My father in my youth was no more than six foot tall then, he had silverish hair and he appeared very gaunt. Yet now, things have changed so much... he is a giant of a man. Lastly I must speak of my first cousin, Elizabeth. She is what the English may call a pixie-like child, so full of life and vigor that she makes my weak state seem to be near death. There were times when she would come over that I truely hated the day, for she would break all of my toys and then obsess about how there was nothing for her to do once all of my things were broken. Now though, Elizabeth has blossomed into a young and lovely woman, she is nearly a match for my mother in beauty, even though she is not from my mother's side of the family line. She gained the status of a Countess after she married an old true love of hers. I am glad that she is not living so close as she was before now that she has been married. Still, there are times when I return from hunting and I find her speaking silently with my father... I cannot put my finger on it, but there is something definately going on in the castle. My cousin Elizabeth has been around nearly all hours of the day, every day of the year. She brings with her one of her retainers, a woman who is odd in her own aspects. Her retainer is very fond of a cat that she in turn brought along. I detest that cat and think it is evil. I can understand the fact that my cousin may insist on remaining near our family seeing as how the recent death of her husband had recently made her a widow. The details of his death were being held secret by the officials of their kingdom, yet whenI spoke to her of it all she would mention is that he looked very pale and gaunt when he died. This information would have set my mind at ease save for the fact that Elizabeth and her faithful retainer continually reappeared exiting from my father's personal quarters. They never even offered me an explanation as to why theywere being so secretive either. I cannot understand this and it hurts me that my own blood relations will not tell me what is going on. Harsh, harsh is the word, my father is becoming such a cruel dictator. I can understand that he feels the need to enforce a strict code against the townsfolk who have become a cowardly lot against the ever encroaching forces of the Monguls, but still his dictatoristic behaviors are not welcome at home. Just this afternoon after a game hunt my mother and I were returning and happened to fall into a fit of giggling when we saw a servant make a small mistake. Then out of the shadows themselves it seemed, my father came out of hiding and began to horribly scold the servant who had made one of the most miniscule mistakes. I held tightly to my mother as we both witnissed the horror of the man as he drew his sword and sliced the unsuspecting servant in two. Later that evening, my mother, cousin, and father along with myself were all being seated for the evening meal when much to my surprise and mother's only apparently we were treated to a horrific scene. My father clapped his hands twice and the curtain to the stage where traveling shows would perform began to rise. There on the stage were pikes, set up in a haphazard fashion that made no sense. I looked to my mother and she looked back in confusion. My cousin and father though were sharing a special look as he once again clapped his hands. I nearly passed out from the smell afterwards. Reflecting on the thing that my father did that night, and every night after that was so shocking that I think it will stay with me forever. He is truly changing from the man that I once knew... I fear for my family and what is happening to them. To have the name Vlad "The Impaler" Tepes on one's title is not exactly a gratifying title. It seems the moment things calm down, the moment things go insane once again. I just happened to be walking around looking for two nursemaids that my cousin had employed not more than a few days ago. They had wanted to see the town and I had volunteered to show them the glorious beauty of Transylvania. Well, after they did not show at the oppointed time I took it upon myself to find them. I wish now that I had found better ways to spend my time that day. After much searching and encountering servants who supposedly knew nothing I came upon the bathing chambers where I heard the shrill laughter of my cousin. She was in the bath and beckoned me in to speak with her. As I walked in the horrid rancor of the room washed over me with an intense strength. There in the bath lay my cousin holding some sort of hair mound in her hands in front of her face. I drew closer and for a moment I couldn't believe mine own eyes. There in her hands lay the head of Grizelda, one of the nursemaids that she had come to employ. The bath that had been drawn for her was filled with blood, it swirled and ran all over Elizabeth's body and she grinned at me asking if I wanted to take the bath after she was done with it. I passed out at the time and the last words I heard were hers. "Adrian? Adrian!? Oh my, you sure can't stand the sight of blood. Too bad you're going to have to get used to it..." she added with a low growl, then the area around me went black. A dark day has come to pass, my mother was found by myself in the middle of doing an act that has totally destroyed me. I cannot forgive anyone for what has driven her to go the route that she has, I don't understand and I don't care to. My mother was my world, and now she is gone. Her last words to me were very sacred and I shall always hold them dear to me. Her words meant much and I shall always remember them, nothing shall ever stop me from doing so. I see her in my dreams, I hear her words and they give me piece. Let me not have any more traumas come to pass in my life. Please let nothing else happen. The day started out fine, it was actually very bright and I felt like my old self again. I went for a walk outside and found the countryside to be quite enchanting and beautiful. I found the sun to be such a wonderous thing. I don't know why, but my remaining family didn't appear to appreciate the sun as much. Stranger things have happened around the castle though... That night there were hundreds of guests. I could recognize a few but the majority of then were total strangers to me. One very tall man who had a whip by his side and a cross which flew through the air like a boomerang, among other weapons was speaking with my father. He had a grave look on his face and seemed to be in the middle of a heated discussion. Then at the last minute he flung his hand up into the air and threw out his other hand grabbing my father by his neck. Lifting him slowly he spoke very strong and loud for everyone in the room to hear. I was shocked at what I heard next and it lead me to believe that once again in times past my family had been involved in something they had negelcted to tell me of. "You, Vladamir Tepes have offended the great and powerful Poltergiest Spirit King. And for this all of your actions shall be thwarted by the avatar of my choosing. Hear this, and heed my words well, do not go through with what you are about to do, otherwise you shall truely pay for your crimes with your soul." He then turned and looked at my cousin and pointed at her as he let my father down slowly. "You as well shall feel the wrath of my course Elizabeth Bartley. Do not think that you shall slip free of my cruse either." Then he began to leave and from the corner of his eyes he saw me standing on the stairs. "Adrian Tepes, you shall feel all of this man's pain, he is your forebearer and he is your kin, but his way is not destined to be yours. Heed my words and the effects of my curse shall not fall upon you." Then with that the large man dissappeared and was gone from the sight of everyone in the room. A few seconds later all the partygoers began to continue with their festivities and my cousin's retainer pulled me aside tospeak with me. She told me that the curse of the Phantom-like figure that had just left the castle was in fact going to fall on me no matter what I did. She explained that I needed to drink something and leave my window open that night so that I may ward the curse. Handing me a dark chalice filled with a red colored wine she lead me to my room and told me to stay there. My father and my cousin were watching me go as I went to my room. I now understand why my father and my cousin were being so secretive. It was a petty reason, fear, they thought that I would condemn them for what they were dabbling in back when my mother was alive. But I now think that things would have went differently. Last night they both came to my room in different forms, my cousin in that of mist and my father in that of a bat. They both took my blood until there was in fact no life in my body at all. Now I am just like them, I understand their ways and revel in their parties which turn into blood gorging fests as the night draws. There are many different types of children in the castle now. Children of the night as my father would call them, they listen to his commands, mine and my cousin's. We are no longer the Tepes and Bartleys living together in Transylvania. We are something more, villagers call my father Dracula. They gave me the name of Alucard. My cousin has often been mistakenly called the Daughter of Dracula. Oddly enough the people of her husband's homeland have not heard news of her change. She lives there now and feasts on their hot English blood. Transylvania is my home, the villagers fear and respect us, my word is law. Yet there are times when I feel as if there is something wrong. I keep seeing my mother's face in my dreams. She is saying something to me that doesn't quite make sense. Something about humanity in general. Every day I am plagued with dreams of her. I see things from her point of view and I do not like them at all. I can't help but feel, that something is wrong. Am I the one? Is it myself who is in the wrong? I need more time to think about this...