Transylvania After Dark
Gothic castles. Cloaked strangers. Cauldron couture.
And four Floofy Newfies who may have uncovered an international conspiracy.
October 31, 1958
Transylvania, Roumania
The latest dispatch from Katharine arrived at midnight.
After nearly a month behind the Iron Curtain, the travelers have begun to suspect that the men stationed outside their hotel may not simply be enthusiastic readers of the morning newspaper. Their matching suits and ties have done little to ease suspicion.
Fortunately, Transylvania has offered other distractions.
There are villages straight from a fairy tale, hillsides ablaze with autumn color and a castle whose reputation appears to have been greatly exaggerated. There were no vampires in the dungeon. No matching coffins. Not even one vial marked Blood of Virgin Martyrs.
There was, however, couture.
And a cauldron.
A Dispatch from Behind the Iron Curtain
READ THE TRANSYLVANIA DISPATCH
Four Newfies Walk into a Castle
Bran Castle’s reputation preceded it.
The travelers were hurried through shadowy stairwells, narrow corridors and down into the dungeons, where they found no coffins, no vials of suspiciously labeled blood and no convincing evidence of the undead.
Meret remained unconvinced.
While the others admired the architecture, she conducted a thorough investigation of the castle cauldron—possibly searching for soup bones, possibly uncovering secrets best left undisturbed.
The official findings remain inconclusive.
Couture for the Witching Hour
One does not visit Transylvania without dressing for the occasion.
Katharine traded her traveling clothes for a black dress and capelet, an ornate jeweled buckle and a spectacular flower-trimmed hat worthy of a midnight gathering at the castle.
With a Newfoundland familiar at her side, she was ready for whatever the evening might bring.
Stephen answered with a black tuxedo and sweeping brocade cloak, its scarlet satin lining providing exactly the right amount of Transylvanian drama.
In Transylvania, couture begins after dark.
The Hat Has a History
This was no ordinary traveling hat.
A vintage map, a spectacular hat and a copy of the Witch World Classifieds offer several clues—but few answers.
According to a recent report in the Witch World Dateline, the hat was knocked from Witch Weyward’s head during a midair collision with a teenager piloting a three-bedroom, two-bath house. The teenager fled with a small, suspiciously bathmat-like dog.
The Newfie-sized cauldron Katharine spent months building has since been identified as the hat’s last known hovering place.
How the hat traveled from the scene of the incident to Transylvania—and ultimately into Katharine’s possession—remains under investigation.
The Castle Court
Every castle needs a proper court.
Re, Ooset and Kitty settled easily into their new surroundings, posing among roses, candlelight and rolling fog with the confidence of seasoned world travelers.
Meret, still new to international travel and castle protocol, continued to approach the assignment with considerably more curiosity.
Together, the four Newfies brought exactly what Transylvania had been missing:
More drama. More mystery. And substantially more floof.
Onward to Bucharest
By morning, the travelers would trade Bran Castle for an old, slow train bound for Bucharest.
Katharine hoped the journey through the Carpathians might include a glimpse of one of Europe’s elusive brown bears. The Newfies remained more interested in whether refreshments would be served.
Their time in Transylvania was drawing to a close. The luggage was packed, the couture carefully folded and everyone accounted for—including Meret.
The Floofy Newfie World Tour continues next in Sweden.
HAS YOUR LITTLE DARLING BECOME A LITTLE DEMON?
The venerable and questionably licensed Belladonna & Brimstone Apothecary is pleased to introduce:
HUSH-A-BITE
Fussy Baby & Teething Potion
One tiny spoonful calms troublesome gums, quiets midnight howling and discourages the chewing of furniture, broomsticks, familiars and unsuspecting family members.
Suitable for babies, changelings, imps and unusually floofy puppies.
Available in Soothing Spiderberry, Candied Newt and Extra-Strength Nightshade.
Ask your local witch for Hush-a-Bite today!
Possible side effects include green drool, temporary levitation, prophetic burping and the sudden ability to speak Latin. Belladonna & Brimstone Apothecary assumes no responsibility for accidental transformations—or babies who simply refuse to be soothed.
Behind the Magic
Months of cauldron construction. Increasingly questionable correspondence. There’s more to this adventure than meets the eye.