June 2019 – Cryptic Canticles

Having scaled the castle exterior to the Count’s bedroom once again, and having traveled the passage to the chapel, Jonathan Harker discovers the Count lying in his earthen box. To Jonathan’s horror, the Count’s youth has been half restored, and he lies gorged with blood that trickles down his chin. Jonathan is unable to find the front door key on the Count’s body and tries to stab the Count with a nearby shovel. However, a twitch reaction from the Count startles Jonathan, and the shovel only grazes the Count’s forehead, leaving a deep gash. Jonathan returns to the Count’s bedroom, but when he hears the Szgany entering the chapel by some other means, the door the the passageway blows shut, trapping Jonathan in the Count’s bedroom. Fearing the promised return of the spectral sisters, Jonathan writes a final goodbye message to Mina before attempting his most perilous climb yet- down the treacherous precipice to escape the Castle Dracula.

Jonathan Harker observes the Count, dressed in Jonathan’s traveling suit, delivering the last of the postdated letters that portend his doom. The Count tells Jonathan that his carriage will deliver him to Bistritz tomorrow evening. Jonathan asks to leave immediately, but changes his mind when a multitude of wolves appear at the front door. Once back in his bedroom, Jonathan overhears the count whispering to the spectral women that they may feast on him tomorrow.

The first of Jonathan Harker’s postdated letters has been sent, and Jonathan grows desperate. Determined to discover the secrets about the Count, Jonathan perilously climbs down the exterior of the castle wall into the Count’s bedroom. Once inside the seemingly disused room, Jonathan takes a deep passage that opens into a ruined chapel. Jonathan discovers that the Szgany had been filling large wooden boxes with earth from the chapel, and that the Count is lying as if dead inside one of these boxes. The sight so startles Jonathan, that he returns at once to his bedroom.

While the Szgany work somewhere in the depths of the castle, Jonathan Harker observes the Count climbing out the window wearing Harker’s traveling suit. Jonathan realizes that by appearing in the town in Harker’s clothes, the townspeople will think he is acting out nefarious deeds of his own will. Jonathan’s plans to await the Count’s return are halted by the appearance of the three spectral women who frighten him from the room. Once safely in his own bedroom, Jonathan hears a stifled wail from the Count’s room, and a woman appears in the courtyard and screams at Jonathan to return her stolen child. The Count’s voice calls the wolves who devour her before Jonathan’s very eyes. Follow us on Twitter.com/CryptiCanticles, Facebook.com/DraculaRadioPlay, and at crypticcanticles.com

Episode Synopsis: John Seward’s inmate, Renfield has taken to collecting spiders, and is feeding them with his flies.
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