Dracula's Guest

"Dracula’s Guest" is a chilling story by Bram Stoker, originally intended as the prologue to Dracula but published posthumously. It follows a young Englishman traveling in Bavaria on Walpurgis Night, who disobeys local warnings and takes shelter in an abandoned crypt during a violent storm. There, he encounters a terrifying female vampire and a mysterious, powerful woman who seems neither alive nor dead. The story blends Gothic horror, supernatural dread, and vivid atmosphere, featuring elements later expanded in Dracula, such as ancient evil, folk superstition, and the thin veil between life and death. With its icy landscapes, eerie isolation, and haunting imagery, "Dracula’s Guest" stands as a masterful tale of horror and the unknown—an essential piece of Stoker’s dark literary legacy.