Horror Story Review: "Dracula's Guest" by Bram Stoker

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The unnamed narrator, an Englishman staying in Munich on his way to Transylvania, has decided to go for a drive in the lovely weather. The maître d’ of the hotel arranges for a carriage, horses and a driver. As they’re departing, he warns the driver to be back before dark. The weather might turn. Plus he mustn’t forget what night it is: Walpurgisnacht. The name commemorates an 8th century English missionary abbess, but the date (April 30/May 1) coincides with a night it was believed witches came out to dance in the woods. Anyone out abroad after dark was in danger. The Englishman and his driver, Johann, come to a crossroads. The Englishman decides he wants to go down road that appears less used. Upon hearing that, the poor driver appears agitated, crossing himself and trying to talk the narrator of driving down that road with its abandoned evil village. He also doesn’t want to linger at the crossroads, either. It’s a place where, “Buried him—him what killed themselves.” The narrator gets out. He understands the driver is worried about the restless spirits of suicides buried at crossroads so they can’t find their way home. He’ll walk. “Walpurgisnacht!” the driver says. “Walpurgisnacht doesn’t concern Englishmen,” he says. He thinks he sees the figure of a man down the road. The horses, already nervous, now bolt. It goes from bad to worse for the narrator. Wolves howl. Not only does the wind kick up, it storms. Lightning strikes the ground near him. He can’t make it back to the hotel before nightfall. He finds the abandoned village the driver warned about, and it appears he’s a goner, except, of course, the story is written in in first person. Chances are he’ll make it out to tell the tale. How that comes about is worthy of the story. This is a moody, scary little story that was originally part of Dracula. It was cut for length and first published in 1914. It later formed the basis for the 1936 movie Dracula’s Daughter. Text is available here: _____ Title: “Dracula’s Guest” Author: Bram Stoker (1847-1912) First published: Written in 1897 as part of Dracula, this chapter was omitted from the published book for reasons of length. First published in 1914 Source: ISFDB