Anni drove slowly down the road towards modern day Denton. She and her friend, Zach, had been partnered together today during a lecture they'd attended on biochemistry. They had been out all day collecting specimens to categorise for an assessment. It was late, but Zach had insisted on staying those last few minutes in order to collect one final sample.
It had happened so quickly, Anni barely noticed the transition at all. But it happened. Outside the car went from empty paddocks, clear skies and a gorgeous sunset, to a road winding dangerously through a dark forest and dark, pendulous clouds sporting a heavy shower of rain and lightning overhead. The rain pelted down around them. Anni thought she must've taken a wrong turn at the previous fork in the road. However, a sign told her that she was headed in the right direction.
"This is strange." Anni said to herself, as Zach slept in the passenger seat beside her.
She passed a castle and, not recalling having passed one before, slowed down to take a closer look at it. It looked like it was out of an old horror film, with its dark flag flying high and gargoyles atop each of the torrents. But she kept driving, following the signs, finally coming to a dead end.
"Guess we'll just have to turn back." Anni said as Zach woke up. She reversed back, to do a three point turn, when the back right tyre blew and the engine gave a loud bang.
"What was that bang?" Zach exclaimed, nearly flying out of his seat.
"The tyre, Zach. It's had a blowout." Anni said, rolling her eyes at him, pulling out her mobile. "Damn, no signal."
"What?" Zach pulled out his phone. "I don't have any signal either!"
"Okay, calm down mate." Anni said, her Australian accent incredibly noticeable, as she reached back for her jacket. "I'll go for help. Wait here."
"I'm coming with you." Zach said.
"What? Why? There's no sense in both of us getting wet." Anni reasoned, zipping her jacket up.
"I don't want to be left alone here. You might never come back, and then where would I be?" Zach smiled, getting out of the car with Anni.
They walked for maybe a kilometre or two before Zach realised that he had absolutely no idea where they were headed.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"There's a castle just up ahead. I'm hoping they have a phone we can use." Anni replied, peering through the heavy sheet of rain that surrounded them.
Anni led Zach back down the road that they had travelled down, only an hour ago, to the castle. Despite the ominous gates, and the sign warning them to stay out, Anni persuaded Zach to come in with her to ask if they might use the resident phone. There were only a few lights on, but it showed that someone was home. Zach walked ahead but Anni looked up at the flag. 'No, it couldn't be.' She thought to herself as she looked up at the flag that flew above the castle. It looked like the flag that was in the movie 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. Anni was attending several lectures at her university that explained the possibility of time travel and inter-dimension travel, but that was only scepticism …wasn't it? Anni stopped and looked properly at the castle. At exactly which windows were lit up inside. 'There!' she thought, as she saw the blonde haired figure of Riff Raff at the upper most lighted window.
She ran over to Zach who had now rang the doorbell. 'If I'm right…' Anni thought. A little frightened of what might be unfolding as they stood there on the doorstep. Zach looked at her as she said "Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea."
"Come on Anni," Zach seemed elated. "It's a castle!"
"Normally I would share your enthusiasm but…" Anni silenced herself as the door before them opened, revealing Riff Raff in all his weird, creepiness. 'Yep,' Anni though, now utterly terrified. 'I was right… it's Riff Raff.'
"Hello," Zach said, extending his hand. "I'm Zach Lincoln, and this is my friend, Anni Leeroy." Seeing that this man was not about to shake hands, Zach quickly withdrew his.
"May we please use your phone?" Anni asked, immediately capturing Riff Raff's attention.
"You're wet." Riff Raff stated in a bored voice.
"If I said it was raining, would you be surprised?" Anni asked sarcastically, wondering just how far she could push this.
"Yes, well… I think you'd better both… come inside." Riff Raff said, a strange expression crossing his face as he looked at Anni.
They stepped inside and looked about themselves. Zach was fascinated by the interior design and the historical books on the shelf opposite him. Anni watched Riff Raff with caution, listening for any sound that the others might be approaching.
"Follow me." Riff Raff motioned for them both to follow him down the dark hall to his immediate left. Zach went immediately, eagerly asking questions about the castle's lineage, but Anni hesitated, only following after hearing what she thought were high heels on the wooden floor not far from where they currently were. She had gone from confident to shy and frightened in an instant.
'Hang on,' she thought to herself. 'I know this world inside-out. I can deal with this.' And she then proceeded to demand the use of the residing telephone, or to keep on their way. However, fate, it seemed, had a very different plan for them both. As they entered the ballroom, Zach's confidence subsided, Anni realised she'd have to be brave for both herself and her companion.
She watched the other Transylvanians talked in several groups, as she and Zach shivered from the wet and the cold. Several heads turned towards Anni, but didn't look long. Anni recognised Magenta and Columbia amongst the crowd, as well as a few of the faces amongst the other Transylvanians, but Dr. Frank N Furter was nowhere to be seen.
"Excuse me," Anni said, tapping Riff Raff on the shoulder. "May we please use your phone? We won't be long…" There was a soft chuckle from behind them, but Anni chose to ignore it. "Please?" Silence was the stern reply.
"'Ere, why'd you wanna go?" Anni turned to look at Columbia. "We scare you or sommin'?"
"We're just in a bit of a hurry is all." Anni replied as Zach tugged on her arm, but she slapped his hand away. "Our car broke down a few miles back, on our way back to the university -" Zach tugged on her arm roughly again. "What?" Anni whispered at him.
Zach was looking behind her, a look of unease on his face. Anni thought for a short moment, then realised what he was looking at. 'He' was behind her, Anni knew it. She sighed in exasperation and turned around, folding her arms across her chest as she did so.
There he stood, about five meters from them, looking as if he expected one or both of them to pass out. Dr. Frank N Furter, Anni recognised him immediately.
"Okay…not so good…"
