The Forgotten Files
The old building smelled like dusty books and secrets. Dr. Elena Popescu walked through the dark halls of Brasov's city hall. Her flashlight made scary shadows dance on the walls. 🔦
"Just a few more boxes to check," she whispered to herself. Elena loved finding old stories about Romania. She was looking for papers about how people lived long ago.
The basement was cold and quiet. Rows and rows of metal shelves held boxes full of old papers. Some boxes were so old, they were falling apart! 📦
Elena picked up a box marked "1784 – Police Records." Her hands shook with excitement as she opened it. Inside, she found something amazing.
“Official Report: Vampire Sighting in Brasov Market Square”
Her eyes got big. "This can't be real!" she said out loud. But there it was, written in faded brown ink.
The box had lots of papers about vampires. The police wrote about strange things that happened at night. People said they saw scary creatures with sharp teeth!
Elena sat on the cold floor and started reading. The first paper was from a police officer named Ioan:
"People are scared. They say something is taking their animals at night. We found weird marks on sheep and cows. The marks look like teeth…"
More papers told spooky stories. Some people said they saw shadows that moved by themselves. Others talked about weird noises at night. The police wrote everything down!
"These are real police reports," Elena said. She couldn't believe what she was reading. "They really thought vampires were real!"
She found a map of old Brasov. Red marks showed where scary things happened. Most were near the Black Church. That's still there today! 🏰
Elena's phone buzzed. It was getting late.
"I need to study these more," she said. She carefully put the papers in her bag. These old files could change how we think about Romanian stories.
Walking back up the stairs, Elena felt different. She used to think vampire stories were just made up. But these police files showed that people really believed in them.
The street lights were on when she left the building. Elena looked over her shoulder. Was that a shadow moving? She walked faster.
Tomorrow she would start reading all the files. Maybe she would find out why people thought vampires were real. What other secrets were hiding in those dusty boxes?
A cold wind blew through the empty streets. Somewhere, a dog howled at the moon. Elena hurried home, holding her bag of vampire files close. 🌕
The truth about Brasov's vampires was waiting to be found. And Elena was the one who would find it.
Shadows of the Past
Elena couldn’t sleep that night. The vampire files kept calling to her. At sunrise, she rushed back to her tiny office at the university. 🌅
She spread the old papers on her desk. “Let’s see what you can tell me,” she said softly.
Written by Police Chief Mircea Dalca
Date: March 15, 1784
Elena read the first page out loud:
“Another attack last night. Three sheep found dead near the forest. The marks are different from wolf bites. The shepherd boy, Andrei, claims he saw a tall figure with glowing red eyes…”
Her hands shook as she turned the pages. More reports followed:
“April 2, 1784: Villagers refuse to go out after dark. They hang garlic on their doors. The priest blessed the town square with holy water.” 🧄
A knock at her door made Elena jump. It was her friend Maria, bringing coffee.
"You look tired," Maria said. "Did you find something good?"
"Good? Maria, these are amazing! Look at these police reports. They took vampire attacks seriously!"
Elena showed Maria a detailed drawing. It showed bite marks on a cow’s neck. The police officer had measured them carefully.
“But the really interesting part,” Elena said, pulling out more papers, “is how the whole town worked together. The police, the church, even the doctors – they all helped investigate!”
She found a list of things the police did to catch vampires:
• Watch at night with silver crosses
• Put holy water in the town well
• Mark houses with special signs
• Talk to people who saw strange things
• Write down everything that happened
Maria looked worried. “Elena, these are just old stories, right?”
“That’s what makes them so special! The police wrote everything down like real crimes. They believed it was all true!” 📝
Elena picked up another file. This one had a red wax seal:
“To protect our city, we must find the creature’s hiding place. Tomorrow night, we search the old cemetery…”
The sun was setting outside her window. Long shadows stretched across her desk. Elena thought about those brave police officers, hunting vampires in the dark. Were they scared? What did they really see? 🌙
She opened her laptop and started typing notes. These weren’t just spooky stories. They showed how people lived back then. What they feared. What they believed.
“I need to go back to the archives,” Elena said. “There must be more files.”
Maria looked at the darkening sky. “Not tonight, okay? Those reports are giving me the creeps!”
Elena smiled, but her mind was already racing. Tomorrow she would dig deeper. Something big was hiding in those dusty boxes. She could feel it.
As she packed up the files, a small piece of paper fell to the floor. It was a map of old tunnels under Brasov. And someone had marked a special spot with a big red X. 🗺️
What was down there? Elena couldn’t wait to find out.
The Vlad Connection
Elena stared at the tunnel map, her heart racing. The red X marked a spot under the old church. Could this be connected to Vlad the Impaler? 🏰
“This is bigger than vampire stories,” she whispered, tracing the faded lines with her finger.
Vlad the Impaler ruled this area in the 1400s. People called him Dracula. His castle still stands in the mountains near Brasov.
Elena found a new file labeled “Royal Guard Reports – 1462.” Her hands trembled as she opened it:
“Prince Vlad moves only at night. His soldiers wear black armor. The local people say he drinks strange red wine from silver cups…”
The phone rang, making her jump. It was her boss, Professor Gheorghe.
“Elena! Come quickly! We found something in the church basement!” 📞
Twenty minutes later, Elena stood in the cold basement. Workers fixing the floor had found an old door. Behind it was a small room full of boxes.
“Look at this,” Professor Gheorghe said, holding up a dusty book. “Guards wrote down everyone who visited Vlad’s castle.”
Elena read the names. Most were normal – knights, traders, priests. But some entries were strange:
“Visitor arrived after sunset. No reflection in mirror. Left before dawn.” 🌙
“These guards were scared,” Elena said. “See how their writing gets messy? They thought Vlad was…
“A vampire?” Professor Gheorghe finished. “Many people believed that.”
Elena found more papers. They showed how the stories about Vlad grew bigger over time:
• First, he was just a strict ruler
• Then people said he was cruel
• Later, they said he never died
• Finally, stories said he was a vampire
But the police files told a different story. They had real clues about strange things that happened.
“Professor, look at this!” Elena held up a drawing. It showed the tunnel system under Brasov. The red X matched her other map! 🗺️
“These tunnels connected the castle to the city,” she said. “Perfect for someone who didn’t want to be seen in daylight…”
The professor’s eyes got wide. “You think Vlad used these tunnels?”
Elena pulled out her phone and took pictures of everything. She needed to compare the old police reports with these new files.
Back in her office, she laid out all the papers. A pattern started to appear:
Elena’s computer dinged. A message from the science lab:
“Blood samples found on old documents. Very strange results. Can you come see?” 🧪
She grabbed her coat. The sun was setting again, painting the sky red. As Elena walked to the lab, she felt watched.
High up on the church tower, a dark shape moved in the shadows. But when she looked again, it was gone. 👀
The vampire stories weren’t just stories anymore. They were starting to feel very real.
Cryptic Evidence
The science lab was quiet except for the soft hum of machines. Dr. Mircea held up a small glass slide. 🔬
“Look at this blood sample from the old documents,” he said. “It’s not normal.”
Elena peered through the microscope. The red cells looked wrong – they were shaped like stars instead of circles.
“That’s impossible,” Elena whispered. Her hands shook as she wrote in her notebook. 📝
Dr. Mircea nodded. “There’s more. We found this tucked inside one of the police files.”
He carefully opened a cloth bundle. Inside was a silver cross, black with age. Strange marks were carved into it.
“This cross was taken from suspect’s home. Warning: Do not touch with bare hands. Causes burning.” – Police Report, 1462
Elena put on gloves and picked up the cross. It felt ice cold, even through the rubber. ❄️
Back in the archives, she met Maria, a local folklore expert. The old woman’s eyes got big when she saw Elena’s photos.
“My grandmother told stories about the police catching vampires,” Maria said. “I thought they were just tales. But these files…”
They spread the documents across the table:
• Maps showing where bodies were found
• Lists of garlic suppliers to the police department
• Sketches of strange footprints in the snow
“The police were hunting vampires!” Elena exclaimed. “They really believed in them!”
Maria pointed to more papers. “Not just believed. Look – they caught some.” 😱
The arrest records described pale suspects with superhuman strength. They couldn’t go in sunlight. Mirrors showed no reflection.
Elena’s phone buzzed. A text from Professor Gheorghe: “Found something in church tunnel. Come NOW.” 📱
She and Maria hurried to the church. The basement door was open. Cool air drifted up from below.
“Down here!” the professor called. His flashlight beam bounced off the stone walls.
At the end of the tunnel was a heavy wooden door. It had claw marks all over it.
“Those marks are new,” Maria whispered. “Someone – or something – tried to get out recently.”
Elena’s flashlight caught something red on the floor. She bent down to look closer.
Fresh blood drops made a trail leading deeper into the darkness. 🩸
“We should go,” Professor Gheorghe said quickly. “It’s almost sunset.”
They hurried back upstairs. But Elena couldn’t forget what she’d seen. The vampire stories weren’t stories at all.
The truth was much scarier. And it was still alive in Brasov.
That night in her apartment, Elena sorted through her evidence. The blood tests. The cross. The tunnel maps. It all pointed to one thing.
A soft scratching sound came from her window. When she looked up, a dark shape moved away into the night. 🦇
Elena quickly locked the window. She had to finish her research fast. Before whatever she was chasing decided to chase her instead.
The Dark Investigation
Elena’s hands trembled as she drew her curtains closed. Strange shadows had been following her all week. 👀
“You need to stop this research,” Maria said over the phone. “It’s not safe anymore.”
“I can’t stop now,” Elena replied. “Look what I found in the old jail records.”
Someone knocked on her door. Elena jumped. It was Dr. Mircea, looking worried.
“The lab was broken into last night,” he said. “All the old blood samples are gone.” 😱
Elena’s heart raced. “What about the silver cross?”
“Stolen too. And look at this.” He showed her his phone. Pictures of claw marks on the lab walls.
The same marks they’d seen in the church tunnel.
“They know we’re getting close to the truth,” Elena whispered. “They’re trying to stop us.”
That afternoon, Elena met with an old police officer who’d worked in Brasov for 50 years. His hands shook as he talked.
“We had special rules,” he said. “Never work alone after dark. Always carry garlic. Report any citizens who never came out in daylight.” 🧄
“Are there still vampires in Brasov?” Elena asked.
The officer looked around nervously. “Some say they live in the old town walls. They protect their secrets. People who ask too many questions… disappear.”
Back in the archives, Elena found hidden files marked “DANGER – DO NOT OPEN.” Inside were maps of secret tunnels under the city. Places where vampires could move in darkness. 🗺️
But someone had been there before her. Pages were torn out. Notes were crossed out in red ink.
Her phone rang. Professor Gheorghe sounded scared.
“Elena, they broke into my office! They took all our research! You need to-” The call cut off. 📱
Elena ran to the university. The professor’s office was empty. Papers were everywhere. On his desk was a note:
That night, Elena couldn’t sleep. Scratching sounds came from her walls. Her lights flickered. Cold air crept under her door. ❄️
She packed all her research into her backpack. She had to hide it somewhere safe.
A shadow moved across her window. Then another. And another.
They were coming for her files. Coming to bury the truth again.
Elena grabbed her backpack and ran. Down the stairs. Into the street. Dark shapes followed, moving faster than any human could.
She had uncovered their secret. Now she was part of it.
The chase through Brasov’s dark streets had begun. 🏃♀️
• Strange blood samples
• Police reports of vampire arrests
• Maps of secret tunnels
• Missing historians’ files
• Claw marks in lab and church
The truth about Brasov’s vampires was in her backpack. If she could just make it until sunrise…
But the night was long. And the shadows were getting closer.
Truth and Transformation
The sun peeked over Brasov’s mountains. Elena burst through the church doors, gasping for air. 🌅
“Father Dimitri!” she called. “Please help!”
The old priest rushed from his office. His eyes went wide at Elena’s torn clothes and scratched face.
“They’re real,” Elena panted. “The vampires. They chased me all night.”
• Photos of her attackers’ red eyes in darkness
• Piece of cloth with impossible age
• Recording of inhuman sounds
• Blood samples that sparkled strangely
Father Dimitri locked the heavy church doors. “I know. The church has protected these secrets for centuries.”
“But why hide it?” Elena asked. “People should know!”
“Come,” he said. “There’s something you need to see.” 🔑
He led her to a hidden room under the altar. Inside were centuries of vampire research – photos, diaries, even videos.
“We don’t hide the truth to protect the vampires,” Father Dimitri explained. “We hide it to protect people from destroying themselves with fear.”
Elena understood now. Her whole search had been wrong. The real story wasn’t about proving vampires existed. It was about how people lived with them in peace. 🕊️
“Look at these,” Father Dimitri said, showing her old photos. Vampires and humans together at festivals. Helping each other during wars. Protecting the city.
“They’re not all bad?” Elena asked.
“Like humans, some are good, some bad. We learned to live together long ago.”
Professor Gheorghe walked in, alive and smiling. “Sorry for scaring you. We had to be sure you were ready.”
“Ready for what?” Elena asked. 🤔
“To be Brasov’s new historian. To help keep the balance between two worlds.”
Elena looked at her research. She wouldn’t publish it. Instead, she’d use it to help protect both humans and vampires.
“I accept,” she said.
That night, Elena walked home safely. The shadows still moved around her, but now they felt like friends. 🌙
In her apartment, Elena opened a new notebook. On the first page she wrote:
“The Brasov Archives aren’t about proving monsters exist. They’re about proving monsters and humans can be friends.”
Outside her window, a dark shape nodded. Elena smiled and waved. 👋
She had wanted to expose the truth. Instead, she became part of it.
Now she had a new job: keeping Brasov’s best secret safe. And she was ready.
The old police files still sat in the archives. But Elena knew they weren’t the whole story. The real story was in the streets every night – vampires and humans, living together in their beautiful city.
Some mysteries are better left as mysteries. Some truths are better kept safe. And some historians become more than just writers of the past.
They become guardians of the future. ✨