Sounds like the vampire was more dangerous dead than undead. It's powers were similar those in a Robert Bloch story that was made into a movie.

Questions/comments about this story:

1. If Trisha was not someone who believed in the supernatural or read about it before she saw the skull, how did she know what vampires/Nosferatu were? Most Americans in 1870 probably didn't know about those things. Especially since Dracula wasn't published until 1897, and this is the world in which the book takes place, so she couldn't have read it anyway.

2. Quincey Morris (the guy from Texas) dies in the book, so he could not have brought the skull back with him. Also it was Morris who stabbed Dracula in the heart with the Bowie knife, while Jonathan Harker cut his head off. Are you going by one of the movie versions instead of the book? If so which one? Also, it is Abraham Van Helsing, not Abram.

3. If Quincey Morris IS still alive in your version, why DID he bring Dracula's skull to Illinois? And where is he when this story takes place?

4. NO decent and halfway intelligent single woman in 1870 would take whiskey from a man (especially in the middle of the day!), then ask him for a bed (also in the middle of the day!), then get under the covers right in front of him! You should read some Jane Austen or Bronte sisters to learn more about what was and was not done back then. Especially for women the rules were very strict--not at all like things are today.

5. Also, later on it mentions Trisha's boyfriend. People in those days did NOT have boyfriends or girlfriends, they were just friends until they were engaged. You could call him her suitor or beau.

6. Ma'am is not spelled 'mam. (I know this wasn't a type because you did it more than once.)

7. Ophelia is not spelled Ophillia. I don't think people in 1870 were starting to spell their kids' names wrong on purpose yet.

8. If she was really sick they should have gotten a doctor from way closer than Milwaukee! I looked it up on Mapquest--Milwaukee, WI to Glen Ellyn, IL is almost 95 miles which was a long trip back then. In the time it took just to send a telegram they could have gotten a doctor from the nearest town, if there wasn't one in Glen Ellyn.

9. Did the ghost of Dracula feed on everyone who saw the skull, or was Trisha sensitive/psychic in some way, or did Dracula CHOOSE her, like Mina? This should be made more clear.

10. How does she know exactly when her fever goes over 106 degrees? I don't think she would be able to focus on a thermometer by that point.

11. How do the menthol leaves help her recover? I know vampires are hurt by garlic but I never heard of menthol having this effect. I know I bring up a lot of points but I think that thinking about them could help you make your story better!

Here's my pledge to you, Nicky: each time you take down the review I leave for your story, I will return the following day and post it again. Either gain control of Fictionpress and ban reviews, or be prepared to spend a lot of time taking down reviews that don't praise your collection of misspelled words. Here's my review: this was terrible. Learn to spell first, then learn how to write. Hope that helps!

A very eerie description of fevered dreams. Its interesting how so simple a plot can, simply through the description of the torture of an illness and the infirmities of the mind, still hold horror.
The sentence structure is a bit non-standard and takes some getting used to, but its still fairly easy to comprehend.

Right, I've noticed a great deal of praise being distributed. While that is fair and good, I cannot conceed to the greatness of your story. I find the style choppy, and the tenses disruptive to the work. You tend to shift quickly from things, or word them vaguely. Such as the way a shopkeeper knows a great deal of random imformation about vampire skulls, then offers the girl a drink of whiskey, then loans her a room. Is it a shop, or an inn?
I also found the part about her dreams in the third paragraph extremly back and forth.
"Didn’t even disrobe just went into bed with what she had on during the day – slept in her corset" An example of what I mean. Its fragmented. Likewise...
"Silence was something that was quite strong in the room as Trisha looked outside the window, from her bed she could hear the trains howling as a wolf to the moon." The work is ripe with grammar faults which detract beyond the normal minor level from the work. Silence isn't usually appropriated a strength, perhaps try heavy. And the trains howl like wolves, but not as them.
This has not been a flame, just some opinion and criticism. A good idea, and an honest attempt, but it could use some second-party editing in my humble opinion. Keep trying and
Keep it Wild,
-Ace

I liked that. Did you know that the word Nosferatu is Greek in origin? From Nosophoros, "he who carries the disease".
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere in this one, as in all of your stories.
A couple of formatting notes:
*"27 years old but young" It is said that one better avoid numbers and replace them with words, especially at the opening of a sentence.
*you tend to start too many sentences with "though". It gets tiring to the eye after a while and disrupts the flow of words.
Other than that, I found this a highly enjoyable story.

Your such a great writer...I really love the way you put words together :) lol...I'm looking forward to reading more of your stories

Always the good plots my friend. Though like one of the other reviewers said, this read was a little choppy, not because of grammer, hell I make grammer mistakes all the time.
Otherwise, well done on the dream sequences. I could actually picture this as the beginning of a movie.
Well done as always.

This one's very different from all the other things I've read of yours, very different, and it's a great story! I think you should write more of them in this fashion!

Awesome idea! I found the flow of the story a little choppy at times, but all in all it was pretty good. I loved the idea of the Texan bringing the skull home (picking up where Stoker left off). Thanks for the link to the contest at eBD, I think I might try it. Great job, keep writing!
**Slave**
PS. Thanks for the review of The Toe Monster(a story inspired by what a friend told his son). If you have the time, I would like to hear what you think of To Whom It May Concern and Closure (my two personal favorites).

great story. i especially like the ending. the looking into the eyes of a skull idea was pretty cool. lemme guess: you saw the Van Helsing movie. i did too. anyway, i picked up the book "The Best of HP Lovecraft last weekend and i see now how alike you two's writing styles are. there was just one thing wrong with this story: it has a few grammar mistakes, and a few runon sentences. also, the first sentence of the story was a bit awkward: "the telling of a harrowing discovery can be said but what they say of what they found was something too terrifying for words." a sentence like that may shy a reader off. anyway, great story. it's nice to see you're writing again.
~~sg

That was a great story you got Nick! Leaves off really good to where you can only wonder what happened to skull afterwards. A great read for anyone who likes vampires even just the slightest. Nice mix of the mythos in there as well!

Nick- this story was crazy. its very close to Darkness From The SKies. It was a good read, and even though I am not a vampire fan, it had the darkness I like.