A/N Let me start with a confession: While I know almost all of the stories on the prompt list, I feel I know none of them well enough for a retelling. This story is therefore mostly based on a plot summary I found on the internet. What I did find was that the original Dracula was written in epistolary form, which I found really interesting. That's why I've decided to keep that detail for this story. Enjoy!

Dearest Jonathan,

How is Transylvania? I hear that country is swarming with the most beautiful castles... and with brown bears! Do be careful, my love. You never know what could happen in a foreign country.

I hope you are enjoying your journey. Although I must say, I still don't understand why you chose to take this job, so shortly before our wedding. Couldn't that Count of yours come to England if he's so eager to buy English real estate? I guess there's no changing your travelling nature.

You should know, Lucy has fallen ill. Fortunately for her, she's got her best friend taking care of her! The timing is both perfect and terrible. We're lucky it happened now, while the schools are out for the summer. By the time I have to go back to work, she'll surely be on her feet again.

On the other hand, she's just chosen her suitor, Arthur, who is now very worried about her. I bet this isn't how the two of them planned to spend their first few weeks together. Arthur and I are tending to her together. Hopefully, she feels better soon.

I hope to see you again soon. I miss you. All the best in Transylvania. Lucy says hi.

All my love,

Your Mina

Dearest Jonathan,

Lucy isn't doing well. We've asked Dr Seward for help. It's awkward because he's her former suitor, but at the same time I know he'll do everything he can to help her. So far though, he has no idea what the problem is. He won't admit it, but he seems to be quite puzzled with Lucy's illness.

How is Transylvania? Have you reached that Count Dracula yet? I like his name, Dracula. It sounds very exotic. Is he as exotic as he sounds? I bet that would make it more difficult to seal the real estate deal.

Be safe, my love. Write to me when you get a chance, will you?

All my love,

Your Mina

Dearest Jonathan,

I'm getting a little worried. Would you please write back to me? I hope you haven't run into any trouble. I know Transylvania is very far away, but I would've thought my letters would have reached you be now – or yours me.

Lucy hasn't gotten any better. She's so pale, it's terrifying. Dr Seward has enlisted the aid of a former mentor of his, Professor Van Helsing. Strange name, I know. Apparently he's Dutch. From Amsterdam, can you believe it? Wouldn't that be a wonderful place to travel to sometime, together?

Hope to see you soon.

All my love,

Your Mina

Something's wrong, Jonathan.

Lucy's not getting better and there have been attacks around London. All at night. Whole families found slaughtered in the morning. It happened three times already. I don't know what to make of all this.

Professor Van Helsing has been acting weird also. He knows something, I'm sure of it. But he won't say what it is.

Arthur and I are very worried. Van Helsing uses such strange methods of healing. Things I've never heard of before. Dr Seward trusts him blindly, but even he has never seen such strange methods. The man used garlic flowers to try and heal her! What on earth is that going to do?

Lucy's mother has come all the way from Whitby to London now as well to be with her daughter. We are all working together to make her better. We are doing whatever we can, but it feels like it isn't helping much.

It's serious, Jonathan. She doesn't look like she's getting any better.

Please write to me.

All my love,

Your Mina

Things have become very strange. It turns out Lucy has become so pale, because she has lost an unusual amount of blood. But there's no signs of hemorrhage or anemia! Dr Seward is baffled.

Van Helsing is acting like he sees this every day. He is now trying some kind of charms. I mean, honestly! Fortunately, Dr Seward also seems to have convinced him to give Lucy permanent blood transfusions, to recover all the blood she's lost. Hopefully that will keep her alive until her body can fight off this horrible illness.

The professor also finally told us what he knows about the attacks all over London. He says there are monsters roaming here called vampires. Apparently they are creatures that bite people and drinks their blood. Drink their blood, that's what he said! Absurd. Have you ever heard of such a thing?

Perhaps Van Helsing is simply a madman. I don't even know whether to trust him. I might talk to Lucy's mother and advise her to send the professor away to let Dr Seward deal with it instead.

I hope Transylvania is better than London right now. Be safe, come back in one piece. Please come home soon. I need you.

All my love,

Your Mina

I'm scared, Jonathan. Please come home.

The creatures, vampires as Van Helsing calls them, have become more vicious. There have been so many deaths this past week. The police is doing nothing. I don't think they know what to do. They are just as clueless as the rest of us.

Van Helsing thinks he knows, though. He keeps telling the police to wear garlic flowers for their safety, but nobody is taking him seriously. I can't blame them. It doesn't really seem to help Lucy either. Although to be fair, her garlic flowers seem to be disappearing every time. One time her mother took them away because she thought the smell was bothering Lucy. One time they fell under her bed as she moved in her sleep. Every single time without fail she woke up in a worse state in the morning. Do you think it has to do with the garlic flower? I don't know what to think anymore.

I miss you, Jonathan. Please come home.

All my love,

Your Mina

Jonathan,

Van Helsing has lost his mind. He wants to raise the bodies of those who have fallen to the vampires. They would be able to walk around, even though they're not really alive. Zombies, he calls them. He wants to use them to create an undead army. He's mad, Jonathan! What do I do? I've told him it's a preposterous idea, but he's adamant. He thinks it's the only way to stop the vampires.

He says he already knows how to make them, and he will do it tonight. I don't know how to stop him, Jonathan. I don't know what to do. Dr Seward can't help me, because he's too busy keeping Lucy breathing.

I need you, Jonathan.

All my love,

Your Mina

Van Helsing's zombies have turned against us. I can still hardly believe he's actually managed to raise the dead. But he did. And they turned against us within days.

We're locked up in Lucy's house, but it won't be long before they get to us as well. I cannot give this letter to the postman, so I'll put it in Lucy's desk drawer. Hopefully someone will find it and give it to you.

I'm sorry, Jonathan, I don't know what kind of London you'll return to. I don't know if there will be any London left for you to come home to.

I love you. Please know that.

Your Mina

They got to us.

They're right outside, I can hear them clawing at the door.

I love you, Jonathan. I'm sorry for leaving you like this. I love you.

I wish I co—

Round 1.3

Prompt: Write a retelling of one of the Classics among a certain selection, but include zombies. Classic chosen: Dracula.

Wordcount: 1235 according to Word (1518 according to Wattpad, but I think it does something weird with the graphics)