The Vampire

Two newcomers arrive on the social scene of London’s noble classes. The first one is Lord Ruthven. He is frighteningly pale and has a self-absorbed, uninterested attitude. Yet everyone he meets is attracted to him and seeks to win his affection. The other man is Aubrey, a handsome, wealthy orphan who uses his wild imagination more than his judgment. Aubrey becomes fascinated by Ruthven and obtains approval to accompany the lord on his travels through Europe.

The pair meet at a party, and Ruthven begins discussing his upcoming travels through Europe. Aubrey is fascinated. “Would you like some company on your journey?” 

“Sure, but don’t be annoying or anything,” Ruthven replied.

When they tour Rome, Lord Ruthven gambles and gives his money to impoverished people with vices, rather than virtuous people in need. He also tries to seduce a young, innocent woman, though Aubrey attempts to stop him. Appalled, Aubrey leaves Ruthven and travels to Athens, where he meets Ianthe, a beautiful Greek girl. He falls in love with her, and she tells him supernatural tales, including the legend of the vampire Alaric Morticia. 

“Alaric Morticia was…. “Said Ianthe, “the cutest, strongest, fastest vampire to first be created on the planet.”

One day, Aubrey goes on a trip. Ianthe and her family urge him to return before nightfall because his route goes through the woods haunted by vampires. But Aubrey runs late and he is caught in a storm in the woods at night. He hears a scream and eventually finds the dead body of Ianthe. She has blood on her breast and neck and bites marks on her throat. The townspeople who see her corpse believe that her death was the doing of a vampire. Back in Athens, Aubrey contracts a violent fever. In his delirium, he calls out to Ianthe and Ruthven and pleads for the latter to spare the former.

Ruthven appears by Aubrey’s bedside and attends to him. When Aubrey recovers somewhat he proposes traveling with Ruthven to take his mind off Ianthe. On their journey robbers attack them and Ruthven is mortally wounded. 

“Aubrey, everything will be okay. We will find the animal that did this madness and destroy what they have,” Ruthven tells Aubrey. 

On his deathbed, Ruthven demands that Aubrey make an oath with him: that he will not mention his death for a year and a day.

When Aubrey returns to London, he meets the surprisingly healed Ruthven, who has started seducing Aubrey’s sister while he was away.  Aubrey tries to warn his sister and their guardians.

“Ruthven is a dirty manipulator and liar! I know you might think this is insane, but I think he is a vampire!” Aubrey told his sister and their guardians. 

 But everyone dismisses him as crazy and Aubrey can’t reveal any proof, due to the oath he pledged to Ruthven. Ruthven and Miss Aubrey marry the night before the oath expires. 

After Ruthven marries Aubrey’s sister Aubrey tells Ruthven that he will expose him for the creature he is and tell everyone that he was the one who killed Ianthe. Ruthven replies with his hand on Aubrey’s chest, “don’t you” dare threaten me!” With a blink of an eye, Ruthven snatches Aubrey’s heart out of his chest. Aubrey’s body drops leaking blood.

After Aubrey’s death, he dies. Miss Aubrey is also found dead, the presumed victim of a vampire. And Ruthven left town at midnight when it was dark and never came back because things started to get noticeable and people were asking questions like, how is the body drained out of blood? and how his heart got ripped out of his chest?.