A/N: Hello everyone, here's yet another one. This is actually one I've been hoping to do for a while now. It's a Romy, and also Kitty-centric, designed along the same story as an app game I have, called the Stroke of Midnight. So the credit for Kitty centric parts is mostly due to the game itself, but I made up a lot of the backstory for the Romy parts myself. So it's a mix of serious parody and my own creation. It's AU with no powers, but I'm sure you'll like it anyway. I'll try to update once a week since it isn't sinfully long. So, let's cease with the rambling and on with the story. I present to you…
Stroke of Midnight
= Chapter I =
At midnight's stroke, the dreaming sleep
Of sorrows past and oceans deep.
The black velvet romance
In the darkest hour
Let angels advance
And demons devour.
She who waits for the one she loves
Will count the final stroke.
The chime has passed, midnight is gone
She is left alone; the dreaming sleep shall fade.
~.~.~.~.~
"Katya, may I come in?"
Katherine Rasputin's head darted up from where it rested on her desk, scattering the papers laid askew over the wooden surface. She swept her messy hair from her face and tried to rearrange the mess.
"Yeah, yeah come in honey," she called back through the door of her study.
The door swung open and Piotr, her husband of a year, entered the room. Kitty smiled faintly. His large and muscular figure always made him look like a giant in the tiny and cluttered room. He sat down on the spinning chair beside her desk. His blue eyes gazed at her sympathetically.
"Are you all right my love?"
With a groan, Kitty's head dropped back to the desk. "No. My life is in chaos. My publisher wants the draft for my newest novel by next month, and I haven't even written anything yet. Everything I come up with is so bland I wouldn't read it in a doctor's office waiting room. On top of that, I promised to help Jean take care of Nathan and Rachel while she's still studying her extra medical training, and I'm going to be helping Kurt down at the office with his paperwork all next week. With all this stuff going on and your long work days, we never get a chance to be together anymore." She sighed and leaned over to rest her head on his chest.
Piotr began to gently rub her back as she closed her eyes. "Katya, you are overworking yourself. Don't you think it is time you took a break?"
Kitty cuddled a little closer. "I think you're right. I have some money saved from publishing my last book, but where should I go? I could visit Wanda and John out in Detroit."
Piotr pulled her onto his lap. "I think it would be best if you were on your own. I wish that I could spend time with you, but my work will not permit it. I still believe you would enjoy yourself very much if you got away for a time. You have always spoken about going to Europe."
Kitty thought for a moment until her face lit up slowly. "You know, that's a really good idea. This would be a great time to visit Europe. Yeah…I think that's what I'll do. Thank you for the idea Pete!" She embraced her husband, who grinned. He loved how he could make her happy when she was under so much stress.
"Do you know where you would like to go my darling?"
She smiled even more widely. "I have an idea."
~.~.~.~.~
Kitty breathed deeply, taking in the cool autumn air that was blowing in the window of her rental car. The rolling countryside of the Romanian territory of Transylvania was truly a sight to behold. It had always been a place she had thought to visit as a writer. It was after all the birthplace of Dracula, one of the most famous legends of all time. Maybe her creativity could be reawakened here. She clutched her newly bought notebook to her side. She had purchased it just before leaving America, and it seemed perfect for her excursion. It was old fashioned looking, with a red leather cover and imitation brass decoration. Kitty couldn't wait to see what story would be born between its pages.
She drove on for several hours, admiring fields and forests, with their multitudes of colored leaves. At last she reached the small town of Sighisoara, where she decided to stop for the night. It was a very nice place, quiet but picturesque.
"Pete was right, I'm so glad I took a break. This place is beautiful. It's a pity I only have a weekend." Taking in the light golden sunlight on her creamy skinned face, she stepped out of the car and pulled her light bag onto her shoulder. There was a bar across the road and the smells coming from it were enticing.
She entered the place and looked around. The scents of food were even better inside.
Kitty sat herself down at the bar and looked around. Just then a dark haired young man came out from the kitchen wiping a glass dry.
"Ce pot sa ajung pentru iti lipseste?" he asked her, leaning on the counter.
"I'm sorry, I don't know much Romanian," she replied, hoping he knew English. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to order dinner.
"Ah, you speak English. Would you like anything Ms.?" He smiled at her in a friendly way.
"Some soup would be nice; it's a bit chilly out there." The man returned to the kitchen and several minutes later he brought out a steaming bowl. With enthusiasm she tucked in.
The man smirked. "Visiting for zhe scenery?"
Kitty swallowed her latest spoonful of piping hot stew and replied. "Yes and no. I'm a novel writer and I'm here looking for a new story."
"How interesting. I think you will find many intriguing stories in this region, especially the legends surrounding the Dimitruv castle up in the mountains."
Kitty's head snapped up from her meal and her eyes gleamed. "Did I hear castle?"
The man nodded. "It has been abandoned for many decades. It is said that it was once occupied by a wealthy crime family. Few people will go there. Do not worry," he said as he caught her expression. "It is not dangerous, but many find the place very sorrowful. I passed it once at a distance while hiking with my wife. It is a beautiful place, but we did not go near."
"An old castle in the mountains with a sorrowful air? The muses must be looking out for me," Kitty thought.
"Where exactly is this place?"
~.~.~.~.~
Kitty drove her car along the road, if it could be called a road that is. It was overgrown and filled with ruts and potholes. Despite the decrepit state of the roadway, she was truly enjoying the drive. Her car wound in and out of forests, passing the occasional lake or stream. Through the gaps in the tree branches she could see the mountains looming higher in front of her. However, Kitty felt a prick of concern when she noted the dark clouds beginning to creep down from the towering heights.
"Please don't rain on me, please don't rain on me," the young writer chanted under her breath as she continued to drive. She hoped she could reach this castle soon, but as the journey grew longer and longer, she began to consider that she might have to turn back. When she passed bodies of water Kitty could see rings rippling out from the few raindrops that had fallen prematurely from the clouds. It could be dangerous to be stuck out here in a storm.
When Kitty finally decided that she would have to return and wait out the storm, the trees broke and she pulled out into clear space. She stared. There it was.
The bartender was right; the castle was a beautiful one. It wasn't of massive height, but the turrets and tower lofts were carved clearly in light gray stone. The oak front doors could be reached by way of a sweeping bridge that spanned a moat-like lake, which in turn surrounded half the castle. Expertly carved statues stood on the bridge and on the ramparts of the walls.
For a while Kitty just stood and admired the place, before a crack of lightning made her jump. The boom of thunder heralded a drenching downpour to follow the tentative drops. Within seconds the brunette was soaking wet. She growled.
"This is one cliché I could have done without," she muttered as she clutched her jacket tightly around her. "It's like someone is writing this out and thought it would be great for the atmosphere. THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE!" Kitty howled into the black sky. Receiving no response she stomped up toward the castle, still muttering about the predictability of her position. It wouldn't be safe to travel back down the mountain in this storm, so staying here in the castle would be the best option.
Reaching the front doors, she proceeded to yank on the iron handles. They didn't budge an inch. Leaning down and squinting through the dark she saw that there was no keyhole, but there did seem to be an intricate lock system connected to the handles. It was strange, like a mixed up puzzle. In frustration, she kicked the door and damned nineteenth century lords and their paranoia under her breath. Her excursion was not going how she had imagined it at all.
Dejected, Kitty trudged soppily back to the car. It looked like she was going to be spending the night in a cold and cramped backseat.
Kitty abruptly whirled in place. She thought she had seen something in her peripheral vision. She stared for a good minute, but nothing moved. She slowly turned back to her car before spinning back almost instantly. She knew she saw it that time, like a flash of orange and purple light over the lake. She stared where she thought she had seen it. Then she noticed that what appeared to be a stepping stone path leading across the pitch black water around to the darkened shore on the other side.
Her curiosity got the better of her, and her wetness and lonely position vanished from her mind. Disregarding the still-falling rain she made her way down the steep bank beside the bridge. The stones weren't large and were slippery. At one point she almost had a swim, her foot dipping in the icy water. After that she nearly flew over the precarious path.
Panting, Kitty arrived on the opposite bank. She could now see what was here. She felt uneasiness when she took in the ancient graveyard in front of her. Rusting iron fences surrounded the grounds and the elaborate tombs stood out starkly. The clouds weren't as thick anymore and the moon was able to shine through somewhat, setting a faint glow over the cemetery.
Kitty shivered, reluctant to move forward. She couldn't see the strange light anymore and had very little intent on going into the graveyard. Instead her eyes caught sight of a tree without leaves standing beside the stone pathway, with a single grave below it surrounded in rock flowers. Strange…it was outside the cemetery. It was worn by time. The carved cherubim and flowers that decorated the stone were chipped. Across the path from the headstone was a small bush with a single lovely flower blooming on it, even in the late season.
Kneeling down, Kitty tried to make out any information carved in the surface. All she could make out was a single name.
"Anna…" she murmured.
Lightning lit up the sky once more, showing the name clearly. It also showed something that hadn't been there before.
With a cry of shock and fear Kitty hurtled backward from the grave, slamming into one of the stone pillars at the cemetery entrance. The light was gone in an instant and she was left momentarily blinded. Gasping, she leaned against the pillar and recalled what she had seen.
In that instant of light, she had seen the shape of a tall young man sitting leaning up against the grave. The image had been pale and transparent, with colors faded, but the shape had been nonetheless distinct. He was a handsome man, with long hair and a muscular physique. But his appearance was not what she had been concerned with. Despite the brief sight, Kitty had seen utter pain on his face, his eyes darkened and broken. They had been downcast as he looked at something in his hand. An agonized whisper echoed mistily through the air.
"Anna, why?"
Behind the man's turned back had been another figure: a beautiful young woman in Victorian dress, auburn curls mixed with ebony-white falling in her face. Her pale arms reached out desperately to the man, her green eyes reflecting the same tragic longing that the young man's face held. Her transparent hands were nearly close enough to touch him but he didn't turn. The raw emotion Kitty had felt flowing from them was overwhelming. A burning pain had brazed her throat and chest, and her eyes welled with tears.
Then the flash of light had died and Kitty was alone again. She stood leaning against the pillar and didn't move. What had she just seen? Normally she would have dismissed this to weariness and frustration, but the pain she had felt was all too real. It still hurt inside.
Leaning her head back against the stone she waited for her heartbeat to slow down. Her blue eyes blinked open again momentarily observing the carvings on the stone. Then she pushed off and rushed back across the stones and to her car once again.
For a long time she sat in the driver's seat with the doors locked. When she had finally calmed down enough, Kitty tried to shake herself out of her state.
"Come on, even if you really did see something, it was nothing to be concerned about. It didn't hurt you and it probably wasn't real anyway," she mumbled as she clutched the steering wheel. She reviewed everything she had witnessed, mulling it over. Then she paused, focusing her attention on the brief glimpse of the carving in the pillar. It looked familiar…
Of course! The carving on the pillar had been the same symbol that was mixed up on the door lock. Only it had been properly arranged.
Kitty was gaining her courage back. Steeling herself, she grabbed up her bag from the backseat and climbed from the car again. Running through the rain she reached the door once more. She got to work on rearranging the tiles to match the emblem she had seen.
It took a few minutes, but at last there was a metallic clank and the doors drifted open without the foreboding creak. She slipped in quietly.
The entrance hall must once have been splendid. A many-leveled fountain stood in the center of the room, with carved angels and lions standing like sentries in the corners. A dusty chandelier hung from the ceiling, and two wide staircases led to the second floor. Now the place looked just as a deserted castle should: cobwebs were everywhere, the fountain held dark and dirty water, and the carvings were gloomy and cracked.
The novelist couldn't stop looking around as she softly ascended the stairs. Turning down the left hand hall, she entered a corridor lined with many paintings and mirrors. Her footsteps were muffled by the tattered carpet. She turned into the first room she came to.
Pushing open the double doors, Kitty now found herself in a room that had obviously belonged to a woman, outfitted for what looked like royalty. The colors of the walls and furniture, though faded, were warm and comforting. The round table was covered in boxes of jewelry and decorative hair pieces. A fireplace was situated in one corner, and in the opposite corner was a mirrored bureau. Between them was a large canopied bed heaped with sheets and pillows. A window with decorative colors and designs framing the edges stretched over one wall, with a window seat below it. The place would have a gorgeous view of the grounds.
Instantly, Kitty felt comforted by the place. It felt welcoming. Setting her bag down in a chair she set about making the room more suitable. She found several rotted logs in the wood box beside the hearth, and was soon able to start a cheery little fire. She then stripped the bed of the old moldy sheets and replaced them with a well-preserved comforter she had found in a cupboard.
By the time she was finished, the place felt safe and warm. Changing into sweats, a soft t-shirt, and a sweater, Kitty flopped onto the bed. Flipping on her flashlight, she laid her notebook out in front of her and stared at it. At first, she didn't know what to write. Then her mind drifted back to the melancholy presences outside the cemetery. Whether they had been real or just a figment of her imagination, they stirred the creativity within her. Before she knew it, her lucky blue pencil was scratching out words on the pages.
She didn't know how long she had been writing, when chimes made themselves heard. Kitty raised her head and listened. It was quite impressive that the clocks still worked in this castle. There were many of them too, chimes ranging from tiny pings of sound to great distant booms far off in the castle halls. Eleven o' clock. Kitty felt her eyes drooping. With a yawn, she decided she had written enough for now. Setting the flashlight and notebook aside she blew out the candle on her bedside table and nestled beneath the covers. The pattering of rain against her window and the last tolls of the clocks lulled her, until her eyes finally closed and allowed sleep to caress her into dreamless slumber.