After the game room doors closed, Dracula returned his attention to Mina who stepped away nervously.
“Finally, we are alone.” Lust filled his eyes. “Let’s see. I believe we were talking about us.”
Her hand went to her pocket. “As I remember, I was going to show you something.”
“You don’t want to show me what you think you want to show me.” He waved his long slender fingers in her face.
“Why are you waving your fingers in my face?” Mina, as usual for her, looked confused.
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Yes you were.” She held up her own delicate little hand and wriggled her fingers. “Like you were trying to hypnotize me or something.”
“Well, when you do your fingers like that it makes my masterful gesture look silly,” the count replied with a pout.
“So you admit it!” She beamed. “I suspected as much, and I already know what showing you that something would confirm.”
“That made absolutely no sense at all.” He shook his head.
“You’re probably right,” Mina retorted, putting her hands on her hips. “I don’t make much sense when I’m scared senseless.” She ran for the stairs. “Oh, Dr. Van Helsing!”
Dracula pointed menacingly at her. “Stop!”
She froze on the bottom step. “But I don’t want to stop,” she whined. “I want to see Dr. Van Helsing.
“You will do as I say,” he ordered in a tone that would make anyone wet his pants.
“But I don’t want to,” she continued to whine.
“Obey!” To any casual observer, one could tell that Count Dracula was used to having his own way and this little twit from London was getting on his last nerve.
Mina turned and cringed. “Very well. “But I won’t like it.”
“Go to the front door and open it.”
Her face brightened. “You mean I can leave? Oh thank, thank you, thank you!” She ran to what she thought was her salvation. When she opened the door, the cold night air braced her face.
“Stop!” He said that word really impressively.
“Oh, drat.” Mina stopped. “I didn’t think you meant it.”
Dracula’s body shivered a moment at the thought of what he was about to say. “Take that thing you don’t want to show me out of your pocket and throw it out the door.” He turned away and lifted his cape to shield himself from looking at the crucifix.
“Do I have to?” Mina whined.
“Yes, yes. Hurry it up. Get it over with.” His cape shook as his arm spasmed. He could not stand the fact a holy relic was only a few feet away from him
Mina took the crucifix from her pocket and threw it out the front door and into the darkness of the wilds of Transylvania.
“Have you done it?”
“Yes,” she replied simply.
Dracula lowered his cape, turned and smiled in triumph. “Good. Now close the door so the children of the night won’t sneak in and track mud all over the place.”
“That’s the first thing you’ve said all evening that’s made sense.” Mina wrinkled her brow and closed the door. As it shut, the door made a loud echoing thump which caused her to jump and jolt her to her senses.
“Why, Miss Mina,” he said, sliding across the floor to her, “you sound disenchanted.”
“Don’t come near me,” she ordered.
“Very well.” He stopped and extended his arm, his wickedly thin fingers accosting her. “You will come to me.”
“No, I won’t.” Her chin shot up in defiance.
“Yes you will,” Dracula intoned with cold calculation. “Come here!”
Mina tried to open the door to escape but her body, slowly, particle by particle began to move back to the count, as though they were buck shot drawn with inevitability to a magnet.
“Why am I doing this?” she asked in awe of Dracula’s control over her body.
“Because you are a weak-willed twit.”
Her eyes widened in revelation. “Oh.” Once she realized the truth of her situation, Mina relaxed and floated as a leaf in a mountain stream into the arms of her fate.
“I just love weak-willed twits.” The count lead Mina to the tapestry which he lifted, opened the door, and guided her down the stairs to the basement.