Notes: I haven't written anything related
to The 10th Kingdom in years, but felt the stirrings of inspiration and decided
to run with it. This story is purely comical with a dash of fluff and isn't
meant in offense of the elderly. The nosy on the other hand... Enjoy.
Disclaimer: The 10th Kingdom and all related characters belong to
its creator Simon Moore and to Hallmark.
Hearing Is Believing
By Frozen Phoenix
She never had liked them.
The sky was blue, insects buzzed and Arabella Flores had never liked her
neighbors.
The elderly woman, ("I may be old enough to be your grandmother, but I'm still young enough to turn you over my knee!"), had admittedly never been vocal with her aversion.
Her
elevated breeding and exemplary reputation would never have permitted it.
But even
those factors did not sway her deeply ingrained opinions. She simply didn't
like them. So much trouble had come about lately and there was no doubt that
they had been at its center. It was an obvious assumption.
Arabella
had seen the entire Murray get dragged from the building by police officers,
screaming for some "Master" all the while. She'd also seen the extraction of an
odd refrigeration unit from her apartment. The police had been forced to
barricade the refrigerator's small door, yet even that hadn't prevented the
many bottles of alcohol from spilling out.
What a sight it had been! Almost like a scene from one of
those late-night television movies she was so fond of not watching.
And to
make matters worse, she had appeared weeks later, with leaves in her
hair and a guilty expression. Not to mention the strange beau on her arm, a
rakishly handsome man who would most likely be romancing a waitress in days to
come.
No, Arabella
Flores had never liked Virginia Lewis or her slovenly janitor and drunk of a
father, Anthony.
And that
dislike had not alleviated with the disappearance of Anthony Lewis, who was
wanted by the police for armed robbery and was suspected of cult brainwashing,
or the return of the good-for-nothing Virginia and her lothario lover with the
most insensible name.
It had in
fact, deepened.
Why
Virginia Lewis had been allowed to return to her apartment by the new landlord,
she would never understand. Perhaps the man was weak when it came to evicting
expecting women (an even greater shame in Arabella's eyes when she had heard of
it) or perhaps Virginia's paramour Wolf had used his expanse of charm to
manipulate him. She wouldn't have put it past him.
He had
tried to do the same to her one harried afternoon, as she was returning from
her grocery shopping. The rouge had attempted to flatter her into letting him
carry her food, probably waiting for the chance to pilfer her apples. Her
refusal had been curt and short, causing his alluring smile to fade not nearly
as much as she had wanted it to.
The man
was bad news; it didn't take one of great substance to see that. Virginia was
obviously lacking in substance, as well as in manners, class, a future…the list
went on.
Arabella had finally had enough. Strange sounds, unexplained instances...she
planned upon finding out what really went on in the Lewis' apartment that very
evening.
Arabella
crept ever so quietly down the hallway and to the front door of Virginia Lewis'
apartment. Pushing all politeness aside, she pressed an ear against the cold
wood and listened…
"But
Virginia, you know what the moon does to me!" The voice was melodic and masculine, but with a
trace of a whine most unlike the dashing Wolf.
"That's no excuse." A feminine voice ripe with frustration reproached the man. "You not only ate the entire turkey and the ham, but even the pork chops I bought to make for you tonight."
"Oh,
huff puff! But I was ravenous!"
Arabella
snorted lightly. He was a charmer, a whiner and a glutton, a complete waste of
space.
"Of
course you were."
A sigh. "I'm just glad I bought the extra chicken, just in case your stomach
decided to do your thinking."
Whatever reply
Wolf made was muffled. Arabella pushed herself even farther against the solid
door, anxious to hear what was happening.
"It's
getting late."
Virginia muttered, the tiredness in her voice apparent. There was sudden
movement and something metallic clinked lightly in response to it.
There was
a pause, then came Wolf's voice, with a sly note that made Goosebumps rise on
Arabella's thin back.
"Why
Virginia, whatever do you plan on doing with those?"
It didn't
take a greater elaboration for Arabella to guess what Virginia had revealed.
And Wolf had to be leering. One didn't say something of that nature in such a
tone without leering.
"You
already know what I'm doing with them. You broke the rope last month, so I
decided to get something stronger."
"If you
had tied it tight enough, it would have held me."
"I
wasn't about to cut off your circulation. We would have had enough trouble
explaining the bite marks."
Anything
Wolf may have said was lost on Arabella. The woman was too busy taking deep breaths
and trying to determine if she was still capable of standing. Spying was one
thing, but she would never be a witness to such-perversion! To such carnal,
wanton debauchery!
As quickly
as she dared, Arabella backed away from the Lewis' door. She had heard enough,
more than enough to last her to the end of her lifetime.
Arabella
walked-ran down the end of the hallway and nearly flung open her own door. Only
when she was within her brightly lit, sensibly decorated apartment, did she
breathe more easily.
At least until she heard the loud, feral howl…
The sun
was shining and Wolf couldn't have been happier. The lovely, magical-terrible,
evil moon had finished her cycle, thereby releasing him from his. Shuffling
somewhat, Wolf did his best to reach behind the toilet, where the key to his
bondage was hidden.
It took
him some time; the handcuffs really were efficient deterrents, but he
eventually managed to free himself. It was only then that he noticed the
disarray of the bathroom around him. The paint on the radiator had been clawed
at, tiles shattered and bones scattered about the room…
Taking a
moment to glance at his reflection, Wolf found himself relieved. His hair was
mused, his face sweaty and his hands bruised, but there was no blood. He was always
terrified of loosing control during the full moon and hurting Virginia, the
very thought made his heart beat faster.
With a
renewed passion to see the woman of his dreams, Wolf crossed the bathroom to
the door and exited it. He surprised and considerably worried to find Virginia
leaning against the wooden doorway, her body in a position that couldn't have
been comfortable.
Shaking
his head over Virginia's stubbornness, Wolf then scooped her gently into his
arms. He couldn't allow his creamy love to get a crick in her neck on his
account. Making his way to the bedroom that they shared, Wolf deposited
Virginia on the disheveled bed.
He took
the time to admire her delicate features, the gratefulness he felt for her
presence was as always, immeasurable. It was also why he planned upon making up
for the trouble the full moon caused Virginia, starting with a fresh breakfast.
Just the
very thought of food nearly made Wolf salivate. He didn't remember eating last
night and could feel the familiar pang of hunger. Something four or five
helpings of bacon would remedy.
That
thought in mind, Wolf pulled the blanket until it fit snugly under Virginia's
chin and gave her a quick peck on her soft forehead. If he wanted to surprise
her, he would have to hurry, though the fine culinary art of cooking bacon
could never be rushed.
As he
tried to make himself more presentable, Wolf's eyes flared with the primal,
golden light. He absently realized that despite being hidden by clouds and
sunlight, the moon still remained overhead. He would have very careful,
although according to Virginia, New York was always full of strange people.
Finishing
his change (and wishing wholeheartedly that the bathroom hadn't been reduced to
shambles), Wolf dashed from the room and eased the bedroom door closed. There
was so much to do, so little time.
Walking
into the living room, Wolf did a swift hunt for any discarded money that may
have been dropped on its lonesome. He was rewarded by a few dollars (hidden in
the couch no less) and pocketed the money quickly.
Wolf made
his way to the front door and opened it grandly. Things were going so
well...and the thought of surprising Virginia filled him with anticipation. It
was only when he stepped outside the apartment, into the garishly decorated
hallway, did Wolf notice something amiss.
There was
a scent. Very faint, yet still fairly fresh. Since Wolf had been in contact
with just about everyone in the building at some time or another, it took him
little time to decide upon the scent's origin. It belonged to a woman who lived
at the end of the hall, one who was as old as Virginia's grandmother and
judging by her scent, twice as dry.
Wolf had
tried to be kind to the old woman on occasion, even offering to carry her bland
vegetables for her. Her rebuttal caught him off guard and made any notion of
him eating her vanish. She would probably have given him indigestion anyway.
Still,
Wolf couldn't help but wonder…his recollections of last night were hazy at best.
The old woman might have heard something that frightened her; perhaps he should
pay her visit. Help rid her of any…unnecessary worrying…
Oh, he was
so bad. He had learned the error of his ways, sworn away any further ideas of
granny-eating completely!
In an
effort to regain control of his thoughts, Wolf tried once again to focus upon
bacon. The warm, crispy meat bubbling in a pot…the sight of crunchy little pigs
just begging to be eaten…
The old woman was suddenly unimportant. Besides, he could always visit her later…
~The End~
