HEINRICH
(quietly)
I do.
INT – LIVING ROOM IN THE TEACHER’S HOUSE – EVENING OF THE SAME DAY
Mina sews in a chair by the window. The teacher rocks in a rocking chair
MINA
(darns a shirt)
They say, the old man knew better life. He was the uncle of one of the young Counts Dracula and lived in the castle.
(bites the thread in two with her teeth and examines her work)
Then the family suffered some sort of misfortune. The castle was abandoned.
(puts the shirt on her knees and looks at the brother)
The counts have relatives somewhere in America, but no one knows them.
TEACHER
(stops rocking)
Are you talking about our church watchman, Mina?
MINA
(sighs)
About him. Who else?
END OF THE TEACHER’S MEMORIES
INT-ROOM IN THE VILLAGE INN – SAME NIGHT
Karl Ivanovich looks into his notebook and keeps silent.
TITLE: 1912
GEORGES
(rubs his eyes half asleep)
The teacher writes about your relatives, doesn’t he?
HARRY
Why do you think so?
GEORGES
(shrugs his shoulders)
Intuition.
KARL IVANOVICH
(reads the teacher’s diary)
Today the church watchman came to our house, bringing some objects for Mina to clean. I lured him to my study and gave him a cup of tea, into which I had poured two tablespoons of rum.
INT – STUDY IN THE TEACHER’S HOUSE – EVENING, THE TEACHER’S MEMORIES
BEGINNING OF THE MEMORIES
The teacher and church watchman sit in the teacher’s study at the table. The teacher gives the church watchman some tea from the tray
TITLE: 1852
CHURCH WATCHMAN
(a little drunk)
And I dare say, she almost bit me to death!
TEACHER
Who, the hound bitch?
CHURCH WATCHMAN
What bitch? The Countess herself! She died, but at the time of the full moon she starts to stroll around. If she gets stuck on someone – you know, the poor man is dead!
He bites off a pie, washes down with some tea. The teacher watches him
CHURCH WATCHMAN
(continues)
Once we were walking together on the clearing, and a big wolf jumped on me, knocked me over flat. And she, my darling Nettie, my beauty, she flew into a rage and grabbed the bastard by the scruff of his neck.
TEACHER
The dead Countess?