I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You — Beneath the Gilded Frame (Sub Rama Poleită)

BENEATH THE GILDED FRAME

SUB RAMA POLEITĂ

hey lived in darkness.

Breathing shadows.T Hands plunged deep within their pockets, hiding frozen fingers balled into fists.

They avoided the eyes of others. To look into the face of fear brought risk of getting trapped in its undertow. But somehow— invisible eyes—they were forever upon them. Even in the darkest

darkness.

Watching.

Always watching.

Romania’s perpetual sense of surveillance.

That’s how it’s been described: the burden of a secret storm.

This is not recited from memory.

There was a student, a young man in the capital city of Bucharest.

He wrote it all down.

Then feared it was a mistake.

We speak of mistakes—some believe that Dracula is the most frightening character associated with Romania. When they learn the truth, will it haunt them?

Dracula is fiction, with no real connection to Romanian history.

But there was once a real bloodthirsty monster living in a castle in Romania. He remained in his tower for twenty-four years. While

Dracula chose specific victims, this other monster chose to be evil and

cruel . . .

To everyone.

He denied them food, electricity, truth, and freedom.

The citizens of Romania were stoic and resilient, but they

suffered a terror of tyranny.

How many, you ask?

Twenty-three million people.

Names and history, largely unknown. Then— A metal box. Found next to a grave. Inside was a manuscript.

This is how one boy told the story.