Alfred's father was a collector of odd things. As far as he could remember, from his earliest childhood memories, the whole mansion was filled almost to the brim with the eccentric objects acquired from God only knows where. Obsession was the word the servants muttered, but Alfred's father said every living man had some sort of hobby. This one was just his.
Grotesque statues, rare artwork of the morbid, exotic animals, and much more festooned this place like it was a museum for the underworld or at least those who had a taste for the hidden strangeness of this world. Alfred's friends were always the type to visit once and never come around again. He was a lonely child, thanks to all of this.
He hated his father in some ways. The man was always too busy seeking the next big trophy of some kind. A naga, half-human and half-snake, wasn't quite as exciting when you locked the pitiful thing away in a cage. The thrill of the hunt was over. It was time for the next catch, it was always time for the next catch.
Alfred's mother was a beautiful woman. She had the same big blue, innocent eyes as him. She told him the story of how she and his father had met. It made him laugh, but these days the memory of her made him feel depressed. It had been a few years since Alfred last saw her. She ran off with a Russian businessman and started a brand new life. Alfred knew why she had left, of course. His father didn't care for anything but his stupid collections. What good was all this stuff if he couldn't have the love of his own family? He couldn't understand and he knew he probably never would.
After high school, Alfred packed his bags and left for the university, vowing to never come back to this place that was never really a home. But not long after graduation, Alfred received a phone call that changed everything. His father died mysteriously or rather he was poisoned by some plant he had little experience with and suffered because of that ignorance. The lawyer wanted him to sign some papers and claim his share of the inheritance. Alfred decided to do it only for the money. Everything else, that junk, the animals, even the historic mansion would have to go. He wanted nothing of the past. The money would be the only substance he wanted from his father.
The drive back to the place he dreaded seeing again was relatively quiet, save for the splashing of the rain on the windshield of his car. His mind was still fuming from old and new bouts of anger. It had to be all about him, didn't it? His dad had to be a freak in everything he did in life and now after his expected, but also unexpected untimely demise, Alfred had to be there to witness the aftermath. He had to sort all this mess out and stress over the matters of his estate. Selling it all would time some time, heck, he might even have to throw some of that shit away. After all, who would want cursed chairs and coffins made of glass?
"Home sweet—hell, I guess," he muttered, speeding through the open black gates of the driveway, circling around until he made it to the front of the mansion, parking and turning off the engine. An uneasiness came over him, and he hesitated. "Might as well get this over with."
Before Alfred reached the top of the stairs, one of the massive doors opened. "There you are, Mr. Jones. Wasn't quite sure if you were going to make it here on time. We have a lot to talk about." It was the lawyer, Mr. Barnes, who was speaking. He was pale, silver haired, and usually kept his thin lips pressed into a tight frown.
"Sorry man," Alfred responded with a laugh, entering in the doorway to escape the chill of the air. "Got caught up in something, plus the weather ain't too pretty right now." He sighed, removing the scarf from his neck as his gaze burrowed ahead into the hall.
Mr. Barnes closed the door behind him and then moved to lead Alfred through the hallway and down a few stairs on the left that gave way to a private office that Mr. Barnes had used only a few times before when the elder Mr. Jones had legal matters that needed to be tended to, since all those exotic animals came with a huge price and legal, sometimes illegal, dealings.
"Please, have a seat.." he said, motioning to the leather chair positioned in front of the oak desk. "It shouldn't take too long, so let's get straight into the matter." The lawyer grunted, plopping his weight into his own chair, thumbing through the papers on his desk. "First thing, the will."
Alfred leaned forward, squinting, while the other man spoke. "So what did the old man leave me? A hard time?" He linked his hands together, watching Mr. Barnes open a sealed envelope in which the will was kept. He wondered who else would be in that will, he doubted his mother would be remembered, but then again, he knew his father was a nutcase and probably wanted to be buried with his possessions. Nothing would really surprise him at this point. "Just give me the gist of it."
"Everything," replied Mr. Barnes. "I get a generous sum for my services and you inherit everything. The mansion, the cars, and his wealth." He didn't mention the weird collection that practically swallowed up the place, but even he knew how Alfred felt about it all, and he didn't even have to say it. Pushing the piece of paper over the surface for Alfred to see, he reached for a few small stacks of paperwork concerning the estate. "Just sign these and everything will be taken care of."
Alfred glanced from the will, eyes glaring over the familiar signature, to the forms which tied up some legal loose ends. "So this is it, huh?" He quickly filled out all the necessary information and gave them back to Mr. Barnes. "Could I ask, do you think I could go ahead and sell what I can of his things? The house, I know, will take some time. But the other pieces, art and whatnot could go now, right?"
"If I were you, I would give it a little time. Lest we be disrespectful of the dead, Alfred. Perhaps when you've really thought about it, I can help you sell what you want to see go." With that he collected his things and promised to return in a few days to check in on him. He had some new clients to meet with now that his usual business had been depleted in number.
He was now alone and unsure of what to do. It was too, he didn't know how to describe it, eerie. Alfred was almost half expecting the kooky old man to pop out from behind the large statues and plants that lined the halls. He held his breath, inspecting what had changed since he was last here. More clutter of weird junk, check. More animals? He would have to find out what exactly his father had in captivity now. Last time, he was wanting some more aquatic life, but Alfred left before he saw anything new come in.
In the center of the mansion, that's where they were kept. The most unusual animals. They were the prized possessions of the late Mr. Jones. Nagas, Mermaids, and humanoid rabbits are only a few examples of what was locked away in that room. Alfred had no idea what he would see in there and all that was stopping him was the door and the anxiety that kept him from it.
A/N: Stay tuned for chapter two.