Dracula – Chapter 15: The Empty Tomb

Title: Dracula – Chapter 15: The Empty TombSubtitle: A Chapter-by-Chapter Reading of Bram Stoker’s ClassicSeries Name: Dracula (Chapter-by-Chapter Reading)Series Entry: 15Description:In this horrifying and undeniable turning point, the supernatural reality of the vampire can no longer be ignored. Following his chilling declaration that Lucy Westenra is one of the Un-Dead, Professor Van Helsing sets out to prove the impossible to a deeply skeptical and outraged Dr. John Seward. Yielding to the professor's earnest authority, Seward joins him in investigating a wounded child whose neck marks eerily match Lucy’s own. Their grim quest leads them into the dead of night to the Westenra family tomb in Kingstead churchyard, where a shocking discovery awaits: Lucy's coffin is entirely empty. [1, 2, 3]Seward's desperate rationalization of grave robbers is shattered at dawn when they witness a mysterious white-robed figure gliding through the trees, abandoning a newly preyed-upon child. Returning to the tomb the following afternoon, they find Lucy lying in her coffin, preserved in a radiant, monstrous beauty with sharp, elongated canine teeth. Finally convinced of the vampire's curse, Seward listens as Van Helsing explains the gruesome, necessary rituals required to free Lucy's soul: decapitation, a mouth filled with garlic, and a stake driven through her heart. Yet, before they can act, they must first bring the agonizing truth to Lucy's grieving fiancé, Arthur Holmwood, setting the stage for a tragic confrontation. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]This is Chapter 15 of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, narrated by Amazon-bestselling horror author Jonathan Dunne, part of a complete chapter-by-chapter audiobook presentation of this enduring Gothic masterpiece. Public domain text. Original publication: 1897. [1, 2]