Requiem for the Living
By Jinxd n Cursed
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I merely play in the world of J.K. Rowling; she still owns the characters.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam,
ad te omnis care veniet.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Chapter One
The stone cottage was situated beside a stream. If one did not know it was there, it was rather difficult to spot as it blended in surprisingly well with the surrounding green of the trees. A whimsical person might say it looked like a fairy tale cottage but the occupant had a much less romantic view of the structure: It was small but it served his needs.
The inside of the cottage was larger than it had any right to be. The arched wooden door opened to a small sitting room with a large sofa, a single worn leather club chair, and an antique cabinet radio. Beyond that was a surprisingly large kitchen with wood cabinets, and a massive iron stove spanning almost an entire wall. The wash room was serviceable with a claw foot tub and pedestal sink. At the end of the narrow hall was a small library stuffed to the gills with books, and a small bedroom with a wardrobe, a narrow bed, and a small dresser.
If one were to look about the cottage, however, they might notice a few oddities. First was the complete lack of electric light fixtures. There were no ceiling fans or sconces or pot lights or any of the usual accouterments. In fact, there weren't any lamps either. There were candles, including those planted in iron ring chandeliers hanging from the ceiling in the sitting room and kitchen. The rooms seemed brighter than windows and candles alone could provide, however. There were no heaters, freestanding or built in but the rooms were warm and cozy even in the deep of winter.
Strangest of all, though, was the strange feeling a person felt as they approached the house. It was difficult to describe, almost a tingle or a thrumming just below the skin. One might have the inexplicable urge to turn around and go back the other way.
Not many people found themselves at the cottage to begin with, however. It was situated in the mountains of Wales on government protected land. The house wasn't strictly supposed to be there but no one had ever complained and thus the government remained wholly oblivious to the cottage and its occupant.
One day, the cottage was noticed by a hiker that had long strayed away from the path having seen an owl that was shockingly active for the daylight hours. Camera in hand, he followed the snowy white owl through the trees and down the stream when the owl came to a gentle stop on a tree branch outside the window of a small stone cottage. He watched, fascinated as the owl hooted loudly twice.
He blinked several times, not believing his eyes as a set of metal cellar doors shimmered into existence and opened. A tall, skinny man with black hair emerged, but when he closed them, they disappeared behind him, and the hiker thought he must have imagined it all. The snowy owl flew down from the tree branch and landed on the man's arm. The man removed an envelope from the bird's claw and offered the owl something in his hand. The owl took the offering and flew back up to the tree branch, tucking its head under its wing and apparently going to sleep. The man went into the cottage with the envelope.
A strange feeling settled in the gut of the hiker as he turned to leave. He certainly wasn't a peeping tom, of course, and wanted to leave the man in peace. Turning to leave, the hiker pulled out his portable GPS unit to aid him in returning to the trail. He whacked it a few times against a tree as it seemed to be having trouble determining his location. He walked a few paces away from the stone cottage and began thinking more of his waiting picnic lunch and the drive home than the owl and the strange man.
He didn't know it yet, but once he headed home intending to look over his pictures, he would find that his memory card had been mysteriously erased and the photos of the snowy owl and the stone cottage would be gone.
Author's Notes: This is my first fanfic in a good long while so you'll have to forgive me. Updates will be slow (I'm hoping once a week) but I vow to complete this story.
Minor edit 8/18/14