Barbara’s supernatural transformation and Vicki’s disappearance
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Barbara quotes John Donne, prompting Vicki to remark on Barbara's hair turning white, a change Barbara initially dismisses until Vicki assures her that it suits her.
Count Dracula appears and introduces himself, shocking Barbara, who struggles to accept his reality, only for him to disappear behind a door shortly after.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Panicked and disoriented, oscillating between disbelief and visceral terror as the supernatural forces of the house overwhelm her. Her emotional state is a mix of confusion, fear for Vicki, and a growing sense of helplessness as the house’s illusions and threats escalate.
Barbara recites John Donne’s Meditation 17, triggering her hair to turn white—a physical manifestation of her fear. She expresses disbelief at Count Dracula’s appearance and attempts to open a door where Vicki has vanished. Her emotional state spirals as the White Woman materializes, screams, and violently drags her away, leaving her screaming for Vicki in terror.
- • To understand and rationalize the supernatural occurrences in the house, seeking a logical explanation for the illusions.
- • To protect Vicki and ensure her safety, even as the house’s threats separate them.
- • That the house’s horrors are illusions or tricks, initially dismissing Count Dracula’s appearance as impossible.
- • That reciting poetry or engaging with the house’s supernatural elements will somehow ground her in reality, even as her hair turning white contradicts this belief.
Initially calm and slightly dismissive of the supernatural elements, Vicki’s emotional state shifts to ambiguity as she vanishes. Her lack of fear or panic contrasts with Barbara’s terror, suggesting a resilience or detachment that may be a coping mechanism for her past trauma on Spaceship 201.
Vicki questions Barbara’s recitation of poetry and casually acknowledges Barbara’s hair turning white, treating it as a minor, almost amusing detail. She greets Count Dracula with pragmatic indifference and disappears abruptly through a door, her fate left ambiguous but implying abduction or transportation by the house’s supernatural forces.
- • To maintain a sense of normalcy and rationality amid the house’s supernatural chaos, downplaying the severity of the situation.
- • To ensure Barbara’s safety, though her pragmatic approach may unintentionally leave her vulnerable to the house’s traps.
- • That the house’s illusions are temporary and not a lasting threat, allowing her to remain calm despite the escalating dangers.
- • That engaging with the supernatural elements (e.g., Count Dracula) is futile, as they will eventually disappear or prove harmless.
Purely hostile and aggressive, driven by an instinctual, almost predatory need to eliminate or remove threats from the house. Her emotional state is one of relentless, unthinking violence, reflecting the house’s malevolent nature.
The White Woman materializes on the landing, her piercing scream shattering the moment as she physically assaults Barbara, dragging her away violently. Her role is purely aggressive, embodying the house’s supernatural defenses and the immediate, visceral threat to the companions.
- • To eliminate or neutralize Barbara as a threat or intruder within the house’s supernatural domain.
- • To escalate the terror and chaos, reinforcing the house’s role as a trap for the companions.
- • That the companions are unwelcome intruders who must be removed or destroyed to maintain the house’s illusions and defenses.
- • That violence and fear are the most effective tools for achieving this goal.
Neutral and detached, embodying the archetype of the vampire as a commanding but ephemeral figure. His emotional state is not explicitly expressed, but his presence exudes an air of menace and supernatural authority.
Count Dracula materializes briefly, introducing himself with theatrical certainty before vanishing behind a door. His presence serves as a spectral interruption, reinforcing the house’s illusionary nature and the fragility of perceived reality. He does not interact further, leaving his role ambiguous but menacing.
- • To assert his identity and presence as a supernatural force within the house, disrupting the companions’ sense of reality.
- • To serve as a harbinger of the house’s dangers, foreshadowing the escalation of threats that will separate Barbara and Vicki.
- • That his role in the house is to challenge and expose the fragility of human perceptions, particularly in the face of the supernatural.
- • That the companions are intruders in a domain governed by illusions and ancient forces, and their presence will be met with resistance.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Barbara’s copy of John Donne’s Meditation 17 acts as a symbolic and narrative trigger for the supernatural escalation in this event. Her recitation of the line ‘For whom the bell tolls’—a meditation on mortality and the inevitability of death—serves as a catalyst for her physical transformation (her hair turning white) and the subsequent appearance of Count Dracula. The poem’s themes of mortality and fear resonate with the house’s supernatural forces, making it a literal and metaphorical bell tolling for the companions’ impending doom. Its role is to heighten the tension and foreshadow the dangers they will face.
The unopenable house door serves as a critical barrier and narrative device in this event. Barbara attempts to open it after Count Dracula vanishes behind it, only to find it locked or sealed by supernatural force. Moments later, Vicki disappears through this same door, implying she has been transported or abducted by the house’s forces. The door’s refusal to open underscores the companions’ helplessness and the house’s control over their movements, symbolizing the inescapable nature of the supernatural trap they are in.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The lower level near the TARDIS in the Gothic house serves as the primary setting for this event, where the companions’ sense of safety is shattered. The cobweb-draped, eerie atmosphere of the lower level preys on their fears, with supernatural sounds and illusions (e.g., the carved mantle twisting into a leering face, maniacal laughter from a wooden case, a skeleton dropping from the fireplace) creating a sense of impending doom. This location is a battleground where the house’s illusions and threats manifest, forcing the companions to confront the fragility of their perceived reality. The landing, in particular, becomes a site of violent supernatural intervention as the White Woman materializes and drags Barbara away.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"BARBARA: And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee. Vicki, I feel as though my hair's turned white."
"VICKI: It has as a matter of fact."
"BARBARA: What!"
"VICKI: It's all right though, it quite suits you."
"DRACULA: Good evening."
"BARBARA: Who are you?"
"DRACULA: I am Count Dracula."
"BARBARA: But you can't be, I mean, not, not really."
"BARBARA: Vicki, do you think there's something strange going on around here?"
"VICKI: Oh. no."