That night (September 19th) Arthur Holmwood arrives to stay with Lucy. Dr. Seward's entry for September 20th notes that he is despondent and depressed. Arthur's father's death, along with the death of Mrs. Westenra, has disheartened him, and, it seems, Lucy's condition is worsening. Arthur, Dr. Seward, and Van Helsing take turns looking over her. Van Helsing has placed garlic all around the room, as well as around Lucy's neck, and he has covered the wounds on her neck with a silk handkerchief. Lucy's canine teeth appear longer and sharper than the rest. Around midnight, Seward hears a noise outside Lucy's window, and he sees a great bat flying around. When he checks on Lucy, he discovers that she has removed the garlic from around her neck. Seward also notices that she seems to be fluctuating between two states — when she is conscious, she clutches the flowers close to her neck, but when she is unconscious, she pushes the garlic from her, as though it were abhorrent. At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 20th, when Van Helsing examines Lucy, he is shocked and calls for light. The wounds on Lucy's throat have disappeared. He announces that she will soon be dead. Arthur is awakened so that he can be with her at the end, and when he comes to her, she revives. As Arthur stoops to kiss her, Van Helsing notes that Lucy's teeth seem as though they are about to fasten onto Arthur's throat. He stops Arthur and tells him to simply hold Lucy's hand, for it will comfort her more. Seward again notices that Lucy's teeth look longer and sharper than before, and suddenly Lucy opens her eyes and says to Arthur "in a soft voluptuous voice" that Seward has never heard before "Arthur, Oh my love, I am so glad you have come! Kiss me." As Arthur bends to kiss her, Van Helsing, in a fury of strength, flings Arthur across the room, saying, "Not for your living soul, and hers!" He then instructs Arthur to come and kiss her on the forehead, only once. Suddenly, Lucy is dead! And in death, Lucy seems to regain some of the beauty that she had in life. Seward remarks, "It is the end!" but Van Helsing replies, "Not so. It is only the beginning. We can do nothing as yet. Wait and see."
Chapter 13 begins with a continuation of Dr. Seward's diary, where we read that arrangements are made for Lucy and her mother to be buried at the same time. Meanwhile, Arthur must return to bury his father. Van Helsing, who is also a lawyer, looks through Lucy's papers and retrieves all those documents which he feels might give him a clue about her death.
