¶ Episode Intro and The Vampyre's Beginning
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Hello, I'm Mariam. Today's story involves love, death, and a bloodsucking vampire. It was written a long time ago, but is just as good to hear today. We start with a young Englishman called Aubrey, who's travelling with an older man called Lord Riven to the beautiful city of Rome. However, somebody has told Aubrey to watch out for Riven, as he's not a very nice person and can't be trusted. What can they mean?
In Rome, they meet a woman who Riven takes an interest in, but Aubrey warns her to keep away from him, because he's not to be trusted. Aubrey isn't happy about Riven's behaviour and decides to keep travelling but on his own. He ends up in Greece, and it's here he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Iantha. She keeps him company and tells him tales of local legends about a vampire. Then, after a while, Riven turns up and shortly after, Ianthi is killed by a vampire.
Hm strange coincidence, don't you think? But Riven just tells Aubrey to keep his eyes open for anyone acting suspiciously. The two men continue their travels, but they are attacked by robbers, and Riven is killed, but before he dies he makes Aubrey promise to keep his death a secret for a year and a day. His body is left on a rock, but it disappears overnight. Somebody has stolen it. Following his traumatic journey to Greece, Aubrey returns to England.
¶ Riven's Return, The Secret, and Conclusion
He's back working in London, when amazingly, Riven turns up alive and well, but with a different name. He reminds Aubrey to keep his word and not tell anyone about his death. Riven then returns to his bad ways, trying to seduce Aubrey's sister and make her a kept woman. Aubrey tries his best to stop him, but unable to tell anyone about the secret. He goes crazy and has a nervous breakdown. He is confined to bed and stays there for a very long time.
After a year and a day since Riven has been killed, the wedding is about to take place. But the oath Aubrey swore is over, and he no longer has to keep the secret about Riven's death to himself. He writes a letter to his sister, revealing the truth about the man she is about to marry, and asks her to keep the letter in a safe place so that he doesn't find it. But it doesn't arrive in time, and the wedding takes place.
Aubrey then dies from poor health, and tragically, his sister has an unhappy ending too. She is discovered dead with her body drained of blood, and there's no sign of Riven. Well, I think it's clear who the vampire is now. It's a gruesome ending to a good story. I hope you enjoyed it, and join me again for another one soon. Bye for now. At the BBC, we go further. See clearer.
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