The dim candles flickered, reducing the low lighting in the room even further. The stubs of wax hissed, and then finally died. A shutter banged open, allowing the summer wind into the room. Outside, a dog howled, cats fought, and somewhere, underneath all these sounds, the whisper of a snake was heard. ----
Outside of the locked door to the room, a cat sat, watching everything with dark brown eyes. It stood up and began to walk, moving down the hall and through an open door. MREEEAOOWWWW! The cat jumped at a large white shape. A moment later, a white owl perched on the door and laughed at an eighteen-year-old girl with bushy brown hair.