Lucy's death
When heard from Arthur the terrible news of Lucy's strange illness, I went to her immediately. I could see that she was very ill. She lay in bed all day and did not move. She was as white as a ghost and she was very thin. When night came, she was afraid to sleep, and in the morning, on her neck there were two strange little wounds. did not know what was wrong with Lucy. She was losing blood. But how? Was it through these two little wounds in her neck?
l decided to send for my old teacher Professor Van Helsing from Holland. Perhaps he could help.
He came immediately, and when he saw how ill Lucy was, he said, "We must give her blood at once “
‘She can have my blood!' cried Arthur, 'All of it - to the last drop!.
Van Helsing was right. With Arthur's blood in her, Lucy began to get better immediately. But before he left, Van Helsing did one more thing. He brought some flowers with a very strong smell, and he put a circle of them round Lucy's neck. "My dear," he said, "these are garlic flowers. Do not take them from your neck tonight, and do not open your window.
Van Helsing had to return to Holland for a few days and before he left, he told us: 'You must watch Lucy every night and be sure that she wears the garlic flowers.
Lucy's mother was ill herself - her heart was not strong - and Arthur had to go back home because his father was dying. So for a week l watched over Lucy myself at night, and sometimes, when sat by her bed, I heard strange noises at the window. Perhaps it was a tree, or the wind, l thought.
was working at my hospital during the day, and after a week I was very tired, so one night I did not go to Lucy's house. I needed to sleep, and l knew that Lucy's mother and the servants were there. Also, Van Helsing sent new garlic flowers every day, for Lucy to wear at night.
The next morning at the hospital I had a note from Van Helsing. "Watch Lucy carefully tonight," he wrote. "I shall be with you tomorrow." But that was now today! The note was too late!
I did not wait for breakfast, but hurried to the house immediately. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Just then Van Helsing arrived.
'What happened?" he cried. "Did you not get my note? Quick! Perhaps we are already too late!'
We knocked again, but there was still no answer. We went round to the back of the house and Van Helsing broke the kitchen window and we went in.
It was dark in the kitchen, but we could see the bodies of the four servants on the floor. They were not dead but asleep "Someone put something in their drinks,' said Van Helsing.Come! We must find Lucy. If we are not too late!
We ran up to Lucy's room, and stopped outside it. With white faces and shaking hands, we opened the door softly and went into the room.
How can I describe what we saw? The bodies of two women - Lucy and her mother - lay on the bed. The faces of both women were white, and on the mother's face there was a look of terrible fear. In her hand she held the flowers from Lucy's neck, and on the floor there was glass from the broken window Van Helsing looked down at the two women. The poor mother is dead," he said. "But for Lucy it is not too late! Go and wake the servants!' ran downstairs to wake them. 'Put her in a hot bath,' Van Helsing said. After a time, Lucy began to show some life, and they took her and put her in a warm bed. From time to time she slept, but she did not fight to stay alive. She could not eat anything, and she was very weak. We sent for Arthur, and when he came, he was very unhappy. His father was now dead, and he could see that Lucy was very, very ill. One of us sat with Lucy all the time, and that night Arthur and Van Helsing slept in the sitting-room, while I watched over Lucy.
When Van Helsing came back up to me at six o'clock, Arthur was still asleep downstairs. Van Helsing went over to Lucy and looked at her. "The wounds on her neck have gone, he said. "She will soon be dead. Bring Arthur. When Arthur and came back, Lucy opened her lovely eyes. 'oh, Arthur,' she said softly. 'Kiss me, my love.' He moved his head nearer to her, but Van Helsing pulled him back. 'No!' he cried. For a minute, Lucy's face was hard and angry. She opened her mouth, and her teeth looked very long and sharp. Then her eyes closed and she slept. Soon she woke again, took Van Helsing's hand and said softly, My true friend.' And then quietly, Lucy died. "She's gone," said Van Helsing, and Arthur put his head in his hands and cried Later, I went back into Lucy's room, and Van Helsing and l looked down together at her beautiful face 'Poor girl," I said. "It is the end. No," he replied. "This is only the beginning Some days later there were strange stories in the newspapers, stories about young children who went out at night and did not go home until the next morning. And when they did go home, they talked about a beautiful lady All these children had drops of blood and two little woun