Cronos: All magic comes at a cost. Magic that brings immortality is expensive, indeed.

Cronos is the first feature length script written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. It unveils the twisted stories to come in his career of thrills and horror. The story starts with a preface. 

In 1536 an alchemist named Fulcanelli flees Spain for the New World to avoid persecution during the Spanish Inquisition. Upon his arrival in Mexico he attains the position of watchmaker to the Viceroy. He soon begins work on a bio-mechanical device that will unlock the secret of eternal life. Fast forward to 1937 when a structural collapse destroys an old home, killing its strange elderly old man. The ruins of the home are raised and it's contents sold at auction. The story opens in modern day (1990) Mexico. Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi), his daughter Mercedes and his young granddaughter, Aurora (Tamara Shanath). 

After breakfast Jesus and Aurora go to Jesus' antique shop where he and Aurora play games while awaiting customers.  A scruffy looking young man enters the shop and starts poking around at old statues. He stops at a statue of St. Michael, the Archangel approaches and asks him what he's looking for the young man says nothing and immediately leaves the store.

he next scene opens in a factory where we meet two Americans, Angel de La Guardia (Ron Perlman) and  Uncle de La Guardia (Claudio Brook). Uncle has terminal cancer and is desperate to find the Cronos device which he believes will cure him of the cancer and give him life everlasting. In his pressurized clean room, Angel walks down a long aisle,  dozens of angel statues hang on either side. He tells his nephew to buy the latest. He instructs his angry nephew to purchase the lates statue. 

Meanwhile, Jesus discovers a hidden chamber in the base of the statue. He opens it where he finds a strange gold wind-up toy. Soon he discovers the strange secret of the device. Angel arrives at the shop to purchase the device sans the the golden toy.

Thus begins the brutal struggle for possession of the golden toy.

 The director uses Aurora, the little girl, to create an underlying state of tension that is there in almost every scene she's in which she appears. Jesus starts as a very kind, level headed  and loving family man; he soon finds his character tested by the promise of immortality and tempted by the restoration of youth. His struggle is within himself as well as the outside world

The de la Guardias on the other hand are petty and twisted from the get-go. Uncle is a bitter  old man who thinks of no one but himself. His ruthless pursuit of the Cronos device he  makes a thug  his not-so bright nephew. He's in it for the inheritance  yet doesn't realize that should his uncle ever attain possession of the device he will never inherit a penny; he will always be enslaved to the man he loathes. Guillermo del Toro said in an interview he created the pair as evil, two dimensional characters in  retribution for the way Mexicans are portrayed in Hollywood movies. 

This is a great film. I really find I prefer del Toro's  Spanish language work to his English films.  Good characters, script and acting are what make the film work. The English films come with big budgets ans special effects   

This film deserves my highest recommendation. There's a reason it won all those awards.! 

Angels of Darkness AKA Styria REVIEW

I had high expectations for this movie which made my disappointment all the worse. Maybe it was cognitive dissonance because of my familiarity with the story it's based upon, Carmilla. First, the things that were right about the film. The acting was very good.  Eleanor Tomlinson (Lara)  does a great job  portraying of the dark and disturbed teenager who accompanies her father, Stephan Rea (Dr. Hill) an art restoration expert, on a journey to the Hungarian town of Styria.. It's 1989 and both of them carry dark secrets when they arrive at the deteriorating castle that had served as a tuberculosis sanitarium during the early part of the 20th century. A renowned muralist had been a patient there and painted his 

final murals on its on its walls. 

It's not the actors that disappoint; rather it's the characters they portray; the gruff and sullen Dr. Hill has shunted his now teenage daughter off to a boarding school since the age of six following the death of her mother whose early demise remains a mystery till late in the movie. Lara for her part accompanies her father on this trip only because she'd been expelled from the school for her alleged involvement in a violent act against another student which she denies. Neither of these characters are very likable except to the extent I felt pity for the girl. 

The scene takes place at the end of the Cold War and has the heaviness we usually associate with life behind the Iron Curtain. The rotting castle and gloomy scenery create an atmosphere ripe for vampires. 

Upon their arrival tLara and her father are introduced to the villainous General Spiegel (Jacek Lenartowicz), a very creepy guy who rules over the town and exploits his subjects, especially the women. It is through this that we are introduced to the mysterious Carmilla (Julia Pietrucha). 

Carmilla and Lara immediately form a bond because of their mutual isolation. From there the mysterious events and strange dreams begin for Lara, usually ending with Lara waking up on the floor and not knowing what happened. Scary events ensue and dead girls begin to accumulate.  

The story violates a lot of the conventions of vampire fiction which is fine so long as we know what the vampire universe looks like. Here it is introduced as-it-happens which left me confused a good deal of the time. The original LeFanu story also contained a lot of sexual tension between Lara and Carmilla which was largely lacking in this modern adaptation.  

The acting and production values and some of the vampire world it introduced made it worth a watch but it created more questions than it answered. Watch it on a raining Saturday afternoon. It should keep your interest. 

The Haunting of Cameron House - A San Francisco Legend

   

San Francisco has a long and rich history related to Chinese immigration to America. One of the toughest tales to hear about is the history of young Chinese girls who immigrated to the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

During this period of time it was only the single men of China who were able to experience relatively easy immigration into the United States.  Women were excluded and relations with white women were excluded so it set the stage for the exploitation of Chinese women. 

Rich Chinese men could easily get exemptions for their families The poor men would pay them  a fee,  so their families would be sent over and they would all live "happily ever after". It was essentially just a business transaction. 

Tthe history of humans is littered with exploitation. This part of that history is no exception. More often than not the process did not go as simply as it did for the few women who immigrated here with business-like ease. Instead what would happen was the poor women would arrive and the rich men would hold them hostage. They would demand a higher sum of payment from the poor men who had already struggled to secure the funds to bring the women over. The women, living in the country illegally, had no recourse. The families often failed to pay the increased fees. When that happened, the women were usually sold in to slavery.  The younger girls would be sold as house slaves, a task which they would perform throughout their young adolescence. They worked for families all throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As these girls aged into puberty, they would be sold into sex slavery. Women kidnapped who were at or older than puberty were automatically made into sex slaves. 

However, there were a few angels working to make changes to this terrible situation. Donaldina Cameron one such an angel. Originally from New Zealand,she had lived in the San Francisco  most of her life. As a young girl she embarked on her lifelong pursuit of social justice.Her primary social service focus was to aid the Chinese women who were suffering this terrible fate. She worked in the services of the Presbyterian Mission House in San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood. 

By the turn of the twentieth century, Donaldina Cameron was the superintendent of the home for girls. It was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fires ravaged the area. Taking in to consideration the unique situation of Chinese slave women, a new house with built with secret passageways and sealed doorways to hide them. The women would be safe and anonymous until a time when they were legally allowed to begin a new life in America. 

The basement of the home created to be a place where the Chinese women could rest in peace while figuring out what their next move. To keep the basement room secret both from slave traders and the San Francisco police there was no entry from inside the home. Instead there was a secret underground passageway leading from the street directly into the basement of the  home.

For a little while, the new home served as a safe place for the women. Sadly, it wasn't too long before a new tragedy struck. The house caught fire. With no escape except for the secret passage, numerous Chinese women died, suffocating to death in the home's basement. 

The dark past of the home remains present in it's walls. Many people say that the building is haunted. The doors to the basement are sealed. There are gold and red charms hung there to ward off the evil spirits. Nevertheless, the ghosts of the women killed in that basement's fire remain there to this day. Photographs show white figures floating in the background. The tortured spirits of the past remain within the building.

Thanks to Rand Richards

Angels of Darkness - Carmilla in a modern setting.

Okay! A new vampire movie based on my favourite vampire story, Carmilla. Set in the 1980s at a Hungarian town called Styria., the harsh Cold War setting adds to the film's dark Atmosphere. Newly released on Showtime, it's available for streaming on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. $4 SD, $5 HD on Amazon. Haven't seen it yet but I will tonight!

MONSTERS _ review

MONSTERS _ review

In the not too distant future an American space craft is returning to Earth with specimens from another planet. Something goes wrong and the craft goes out of control, crash lands in Mexico and spills it's contents into the environment. As fate would have it the samples contain alien life forms. The life forms are released into the environment and proceed to grow into very large creatures inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhus Mythos. 

The governments of the US and Mexico launch an effort to contain the creatures to a large swath of Mexican territory and prevent the contagion from spreading to the United States. We learn during the film just how challenging a task this proves to be.  

The story begins when photo journalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) arrives in a Mexican city, intent on taking pictures of the destruction the creatures have caused as well as a living specimen. Soon after his arrival he receives a call from his boss. The daughter of their publisher, Sam Wynden (Whitney Able) has been injured in the recent attack on the town. Andrew is ordered to get her out and on her way home. What seems like a simple task becomes more complicated since air transport isn't available. A journey down the river is the only way out and that route will also be closed in the next 24 hours. Of course Sam misses that boat and our heroine is left up shit creek without a paddle.  Thus begins the story of their journey home. 

Monsters is not your typical creature feature. Yes there are some scary creatures and battles but it's much more than that. It's about the impact the war has on the lives of the people who live in the restricted zone as well as Sam and Andrew. It focuses on the sadness of the survivors and how it effects our heroes, Andrew in particular. This is more of a drama than the action adventure story one usually gets in a sci-fi horror film. There is much more to it and all the actors do an excellent job of carrying the story. My vivid imagination can see analogy in the relationship between the 2 countries. At the end I found myself asking who were the bad guys? 

Plan of Attack o Plan de Ataque

As I mentioned in my previous post I plan on watching and reviewing Spanish language horror movies both for the fun of watching them as well as review them to help me learn to speak, read and write in Spanish. 

Como mencioné en mi post anterior yo planeo mirando y revistar peliqulas de terror de la lengua españolas ambos para la diversión de ver así como los examino para ayudarme a aprender a decir, leer y escribir en español.  Todos las peliqulas son de Guillermo de Toro, un director de mexicano  famoso por sus peliqulas de miedo.

Primero;  Pan's Labyrinth, Segundo : The Orphanage, Trecero: Cronos

Segundo: The Orphanage - El Orfanato

Trecero: Cronos

The House at the End of Time - La Casa del Final de los Tiempos

Last night I watched a movie titled The House at the End of Time. It was a haunted house story with a few twists to it. Time shifts are involved and it all comes together at the end. It's creepy with some thrills but lots of psycho drama. It's complicated and in Spanish with subtitles. It reminds me more of The Awakening or Saint Ange (House of Voices) than Poltergeist.

On the whole I liked it but if you're looking for a Steven King story with lots of action and things that jump out of the dark you may not like this film. The story goes back and forth through time but the characters remain the same. Much of it is set in the 60's and the film makers did a great job recreating the past in a gritty semi-impoverished town. I did catch a costume error near the end but it's not important. I didn't exactly love it as I did The Awakening, but I it's worth a watch if you like paranormal interpersonal drama.

I'm learning Spanish and I'll be reviewing Spanish language horror movies, something that Mexican film makers do rather well.

Dulce sueños! 

Nostra Morte - Perséfone

I'm a lover of opera and by extension, opera rock/metal. I'm learning Spanish and my program of immersion includes listening to music rock and pop music and I found a Mexican band called Nostra Morte (Our Death in Latin). It's songs reflect the darkness their name implies. What really stands out for me in this song are the vocals. The feature a duet between a mezzo soprano and a tenor, both of whom have wonderful voices.

This song is awesome! It's operatic in theme and vocals, melodic metal in execution. Persefone was the goddess queen of the underworld, wife of the god Hades. She was also the goddess of spring growth, who was worshipped alongside her mother Demeter. Persefone was seized by Hades and carried off to the underworld as his bride. She was also the goddess of spring bounty. After her abduction the spring never came until it was agreed by the gods that she would spend half the year in Hades and bring spring upon her return to Earth. Sung in Spanish, the story is easily followed even by people like me who's Spanish is weak.  Enjoy!

Lilith's Brood (Xenogenesis, #1-3) by Octavia E. Butler

I'm not generally a fan of science fiction but this is one of my favourite books. It's a trilogy that I read in a weekend. I just couldn't put it down. Humanity nearly kills itself off in a nuclear war, the details of which are left mostly unstated. Out in the solar system a star ship of the extragalactic Oankali has been watching us for some time. They take the opportunity to save the remaining humans by sweeping them up and putting them in stasis for 250 years. Once the Earth has healed sufficiently they return the humans to their home planet. 

They want to interbreed with humans and create a hybrid race. This sounds creepy but the Oankali are collectors of genetic material which they use to enhance themselves. In return they give the humans genetic material that enhances their species, curing disease and extending lifespan for example. The thing they want from humans is cancer because of it's ability to replicate and grow so quickly. But can mankind overcome the Human Contradiction? That being high intelligence coupled with a hierarchical social system. These are the characteristics that nearly destroyed the human race.

Each of the books has a different protagonist, Lilith in the first book and her progeny in books two and three though Lilith remains an important character in all both of them.

Black September - Chapter 1

Cassandra Flynn went through the dresses hanging in the wardrobe of her boudoir. It seemed to be filled with black and navy dresses but today was to be different. She finally settled on a long sleeved empire dress, white with an azure ribbon beneath the bodice. She rang for her ladies maid to come help her dress. She was a beautiful young woman, 25 years of age. Her face was slender with high cheekbones separated by soft gray eyes, a crown of thick auburn hair tied in a braid lay around her shoulder. Her lithe figure concealed the fact she had already birthed three children. 

It seemed a lifetime ago that she had married Henry. He was a junior solicitor in her father's law firm and had shown himself to be a rising star at the firm. After completing an especially successful contract negotiation, her father asked him to join the family for supper. It wasn't until much later she discovered he had hopes that Henry and his eldest daughter might form an attachment. The seating was arranged such that Henry and Cassandra would be seated next to each other affording them the chance to become better acquainted.  

At 17 Cassandra was in her first bloom and had only just started to think of marriage though there was no one waiting in the wings. She had little experience with men outside her own family. She'd met Henry before and liked him well enough but had never thought him a potential husband. At 25 he seemed positively ancient but she was sensitive to the fact that marry she must and a man regarded highly by her father was someone she should at least become better acquainted with. 
During dinner she discovered him to have a wonderful sense of humour and a gift for gab; he kept her entertained throughout the meal. After supper they adjourned to the drawing room where they were partnered in a game of whist where once again he kept her, her sister and brother entertained for the entire game. 

When at 18 she came out into society at a cotillion he had been there. To her great pleasure they danced three times and her father was not at all displeased. It was that night Cassandra admitted to herself she was becoming attached to Mr. Flynn. After six months of dinners, balls and long walks he offered her his hand in marriage and she accepted him. Both she and her father were equally pleased. 
They married in the Spring just before nineteenth birthday. The first two years were easy and her first pregnancy was without trouble and Catherine was a healthy baby. In just three years she had gone from young maiden to become a wife and a mother. Shortly after the birth of her second child, James, was born two years later their idyll would come to an end when a third pregnancy followed shortly after the second.

***************************

They lived in a three level Georgian home in Dublin Ireland’s Rutland Square. A modest home of the time, it had six bedrooms on the upper floors each having it’s own parlour, two drawing rooms on the first with a dining hall and breakfast room as well. 
After she'd finished dressing she'd gone downstairs where she entered the library, sat at her writing desk and began to compose a letter;


“1 January 1805,


Dearest Charlotte,

I apologize for my tardiness in writing and I hope this letter finds you well. 
I have finally come to the end of my mourning. The death of James broke my heart. James at three years had become a little person. We would go to the park for walks and he would speak to me in his little voice we would converse about the birds and flowers. A part of me went to the grave with my little boy. Yet life must go on. 

 Priscilla was not yet 4 months. While I loved her as only a mother can I was not so attached as I was to my son. Perhaps it was unwise not to hire a wet nurse. Having all three suckle at my breast brought me very near to both of them. Will I do it again when another child comes along? Most likely.  Even though childhood is a risky time for the children and myself I could not love my children too much.
Henry will be pleased to have his wife back. Not that Henry did not love them both, he loved them dearly but a mother becomes far more attached. It’s my shame to say I was not there to help with his grief as he was for my own.

Catherine is doing well. She is young in age yet old beyond her years. She understands my grief. She is always there to comfort me and tell me of her love for me. If anything should happen to Catherine, I don’t think I could continue.  My heart would be completely broken. 
But enough of this sadness.

How are you Lottie? Our brother is doing well in his new situation? Father told me you looked healthy and happy on his recent visit. Are you still seeing Mr. Bentley? I wonder if we’ll soon  hear news on that account?

Do you think you can come to visit next summer? Catherine would so love to see you. She dearly loves her favourite aunt. I too would love to spend time with you, too. It’s been so long since we’ve had a chance to catch up on the latest news.

I hear Henry arriving so I must say goodbye for now. Please write soon, Charlotte.

Your loving sister,

Cassandra”


Henry Flynn was a Dublin solicitor; he advised the well to do of the city on business matters. He was a man of thirty and three with dark wavy hair showing just a few flecks of gray and a fair angular face; he wore a blue waist coat, matching trousers with a white shirt and cravat. 
He entered the drawing room and was met by Cassandra. She approached him, put her hand on his shoulder and welcomed him home with a kiss. He was startled to find his wife so gaily dressed in white as opposed to the somber attire she had chosen since the death of their son.

 “My dear Henry,” she began as she lay her head over his heart,  “Thank you for being so patient with me. I know I have mourned James’s death overly long but I am finished as of today. I will cherish him always but I want to be your wife again; I want to be the mother Catherine deserves.”
“Welcome back Cassandra! I have missed you so.” and tenderly embraced his wife. The governess, Marianne,  came  to the doorway with 7 year old Catherine in hand.   Her mother and father turned and smiled to her and the nanny released her hand. 

“Father!”, the little girl cried as she came quickly across the room and put her arms around her father.
“Don’t forget your mum,”

Cassandra bent down and turned her head so that her child could kiss her cheek. Cassandra had not ignored her daughter but in her grief had not always been there to give her the affection she needed.
“Tell cook we’ll be having supper together tonight”, Cassandra said to Marianne. During her mourning she had frequently taken meals alone.

“Right away, Mum.”

When the Marianne arrived at the door of the kitchen she cried, “The misses has a white dress on; she looks happy! They will be having supper together tonight!”
“Perhaps this will be a happy house once again”, the cook said smiling broadly
While not quite merry, the family's supper was more lively than it had been for months. 
“What say you we take a turn by the square when supper has finished? I’ve not had fresh air all week”.

“Of course, my love. Catherine, would you like to join your mother and I?”

When supper had ended and the dishes were carried away all gathered in the anteroom. The warmth of spring was in the air and summer was quickly approaching.  Still they donned their coats and hats to guard against any sudden chill.

Once outside the conversation became more animated as Catherine reviewed her lessons of the day.
“The French is doing well Miss Taylor has told me. My needle point is coming along. A little more of that and she will show me how to make a dress for myself. Piano forte is the most difficult; reading music especially. The playing itself is coming along though longer fingers would certainly help.”
Her mother laughed at this. “Your hands will grow in time my darling. Keep up, the reading of notes is necessary if you are to be lively at parties and a pleasure to those around you.”

They took several turns around the square until it began to grow cool and dark. Returning home Catherine was put in the care of Marianne who would dress her for bed.

“I feel the need to be especially kind towards dearest Catherine. Shall we go upstairs and say goodnight?”

Henry gazed upon his wife lovingly, “Of course we shall. Bring a candle and lead the way.”  
Catherine smiled as her mother tucked her under the covers. She read to her from The History of Little Goody Two Shoes for ten minutes then kissed her goodnight. Once Cassandra and Henry  had exited to the hallway she whispered, “ I’ve begun to make amends to Catherine tonight. I would like to do the same with you.” 

She inclined her face towards his and he gently kissed her full rosy lips.
“You’ve nothing to atone for, my love. I have never doubted your love.”
“Then come to my bed this night. Don't think of it as atonement but my need for your tender touch.” 
“It is only but 9:00 o’clock.” he paused to put his arms around her, “You saucy little thing! I’ll meet you in your chambers in ten minutes.”

They departed their separate ways, she to her chambers and he to his. Ten minutes later he gently rapped on her door. She bade him to enter and he backed into the room quietly closing the door behind him. He turned and to his surprise he found his wife sitting up in her bed, covers pulled to her waist. The light of a single candle illuminated the side Cassandra’s face and breast. She was a vision of loveliness, her long hair untied and spilling across her shoulders.

Henry removed his dressing gown and crawled naked onto the bed beside her. Sitting upright he took her into his arms and kissed her gently her lips. Retreating for a moment he softly said, “God, I have missed you so much.” He resumed kissing Cassandra, this time harder on the lips. The tip of his tongue traced the line of her mouth till hers met his in the centre. Henry’s hand reached for and grasped the warmth of her breast; cupping it from below, he gently took it into his grasp then kneaded the soft flesh. He moved his thumb to her nipple and rubbed the nub quickly then lightly pinched it. Cassandra moaned, took his hand in hers then pushed it down toward her waist. She felt her need arising. Together they slid beneath the covers. 

His wandering hand found its way to the more intimate parts of his wife’s body. Teasing her, he tugged at her outer lips, “Open for me, Darling, let me come inside.” he whispered in her ear. 
Cassandra was breathing hard, “ I want you so badly!” She said, wrapping her hand around his engorged cock. She found herself staring at his muscular chest, leaned forward and took his nipple into her mouth. Henry gave a little gasp. 

Perhaps it was the euphoria of the moment or maybe the letting go of her grief but she had the sudden desire to devour this man. She played with the other nipple then moving toward the centre of his chest she kissed her way down to his naval.
 
“Where are you going, Love?
”
Cassandra answered with a grunt then continued her journey down his body.
She soon found herself eye to eye with Henry’s manhood. She had never seen it this close up. She pulled down it’s hood and could not resist the temptation to kiss it’s soft mushroom top. She wrapped her hand around the shaft then took half of the organ into her mouth. To her delight it grew harder and larger.

Cassandra returned to Henry's side. He forcefully pushed her on her back, spread her legs and plunged into her. She put his hands on his ass and pushed him in as far as he could go. 
Henry fucked her hard and fast. As her body started to tense she reached down with her hand and began to rub her little jewel, faster and faster until she began to feel her love channel start to contract. She let out a cry as her body fell over the edge into a blissful orgasm.

Henry continued thrusting until Cassandra could feel every muscle in his body go taught. He let out a grunt, pulled out and shot his load all over her tummy. 
Cassandra was shocked. He had never done such a thing before. Hovering over her body still he whispered, "You're not ready for another child and neither am I." 

Finished, they lay in each other’s arms. Cassandra spoke, “I am still young, Henry. I hope to give you more children and a son to be your heir.”

As she said it even her heart was begging that she not become pregnant from this night of love.  She had taken precautions earlier but they weren't always effective.

“Worry not about such as this. I am not so old either. Let us take time to enjoy ourselves and our family such as it is. If more children come, so be it. You are not my broodmare. You're my wife, my love and a beautiful woman .”

* * * * * * * ** * * * * * * *

Life returned to its normal routine. Cassandra and Catherine were able to spend a great deal of time outdoors walking through the city. On some occasions they would join a party of friends for an excursion to the countryside. 
By September the temperatures had begun to decline and a group of friends formed for a final excursion to the green hills outside the confines of the city A woman Cassandra was not acquainted with joined the party on this time out, so Cassandra made the effort to make her acquaintance. Jane and her son joined them for the picnic lunch that was packed for the happy event. 
It was early Fall and the temperature had already begun to dip so the party had dressed more warmly, The women and girls in a heavier shawl than previously and the boys all had all donned jackets. As the women conversed Catherine and Jane’s boy Sean were speaking together as well.
In the course of the festivities Sean had a bout of coughing. All the festivities came to a halt. A coughing child posed a danger to all. Jane hurried Sean away from the others. The servants were called to gather up the remains of the dinner and all headed to the carriages for the ride back to town. 
Three days passed without incident and Catherine resumed her studies but on the fourth day she had a bout of the cough. The following day day the cough became frequent and harder. By evening her temperature had risen and tea was served in the upstairs parlour Cassandra stayed by her and coaxed her daughter to eat something though she had little appetite. The cough grew worse, ending each time in a high pitched whine. The doctor was called to examine her. After the exam he motioned for Cassandra and Henry to join him outside the room. He had a somber look on his face when he told them that Catherine bore all the symptoms of the chin-cough, (whooping cough).
“I am seeing more and more children and some adults with this ailment. I will be honest and tell you that not all survive. There is but one treatment for this malady and that is to keep her warm, comfortable and pray. A small amount of laudanum when the cough grows fierce may be of some help.” 

Catherine was never left alone. Her mother stayed by her side through the night, Marianne was there in the day while Cassandra caught a few hours of much needed sleep. 
On the third day the girl’s condition improved. Her fever had gone down; all breathed a sigh of relief. On the following night the cough returned with a vengeance. As midnight approached the laudanum the doctor had left ran out. 

Cassandra was in a panic. Someone had to go to town, wake up the chemist and procure some more. Catherine’s governess Marianne was sleeping so Cass called her ladies maid to watch
over the girl whilst she went out on the errand. She trusted only herself for the task. Since they lived in the city the distance was not far. She decided she could walk it faster than waiting for a rig to be prepared. 

She moved quickly through the darkened streets and was soon at the chemist’s shop. He and his family lived above the store; she climbed the stairs and began pounding on the door to the living quarters. A maid servant in a nightgown holding a candle soon answered.
“I must see your master; it’s a matter of life or death”

“But madame, it’s after midnight. Surely this can wait until morning.”

“It won’t. My daughter may be dead by then."
The household had been awakened by the noise and the master of the house was soon at the door in a disheveled state of dress.

“What’s all this noise about?”

“Mr. Barkley I beg you, my Catherine has the chin cough. We thought she was better but the cough returned even worse than before. I desperately need some laudanum.”

Seeing her desperation he replied, “Of course Mrs. Flynn, let me get my coat and key.”
They went down the stairway and were soon in the shop. Inside, Barkley mixed the ingredients and finally the task completed. He handed the bottle to Cassandra wrapped in a handkerchief.  She put the bottle in her clutch and headed for the door.

“You be careful Mrs. Flynn. The glass is thick but the road is dark. It could be tragic if you fell and broke it.”

“I can’t thank you enough Mr. Barkley and I promise to be careful.”

Cassandra exited the chemist’s and quickly made her way home. In the distance she could hear a coach and quickly moved to the right side of the road. Looking over her shoulder she saw the mail coach rapidly approach but could move no further, the buildings flush to the street. It looked as if it would pass but suddenly veered to the right. The side lamp of the coach struck Cassandra hard, tearing the back of her dress as it passed. She was thrown forward then  landed hard on the cobblestone street, breaking her ribs and puncturing a lung. She  attempted to rise from the street but experienced overwhelming pain. Unbeknownst to her she had collapsed a lung as well as punctured a vein. The wounds were mortal yet all she could think of was how she had failed her daughter.

Sabine was a vampire. She looked to be about 25 though in reality she was  more than 200 years old. She was tall for the time, almost 5’ 8” with long slender legs and voluptuous figure. This night they were hidden beneath a dark violet, high-waisted gown with short ruffled sleeves and a satin sash around the waist. Her shoulders and arms were wrapped in a blue shawl, her long black hair piled high on her head, crowned with a jeweled tiara. Her deep blue eyes and pale white skin were offset by the blood red rouge she wore on her lips. 

Sabine was on her way home when she caught the scent of blood. Her appetite was satiated but she was always interested in an easy meal. Sabine expected to find a drunk or one of the many prostitutes working the streets of Dublin and was surprised when she found a Rutland Square matron crumbled on the ground.


She heard the woman whisper; " St. Jude, friend of Jesus, please pray for me who am so miserable; make use of that particular privilege accorded thee of bringing visible and speedy help where help is despaired. Save my daughter, please!"

Help had come,though not from St. Jude. It came in the form of the vampire Sabine.