A/N: I'll attempt to complete this short story within the month of October, but can make no promises.
Growing Unease
Seras left the company and cheery fire with much hesitation, stopping for a moment at the threshold of the doorway as she peered into the dark hallway. To her dismay the storm still raged overhead, the lack of glass of the windows within the passage allowing for a full view of the lightning. She looked back over her shoulder one last time as she exited the room, feeling as though she were being sentenced to an unknown fate.
Silently Seras walked along the hallway, her feet making little noise upon the cobble stones beneath. She glanced around almost feverishly, her eyes darting to and fro as the flashes of light from without created eerie shadows around her.
"This place certainly is gloomy, isn't it?" Seras commented aloud to herself, shivering as a blast of cool air drifted through the halls. The echoing of her voice, rather than giving her the comfort she expected, only seemed to increase the tension in the air.
Thus did Seras remain quiet for the rest of the hallway, one hand upon the wall to her right so should would not lose her way. When her path took her near the passage in which she had seen the figure, the young woman carefully stopped and slowly peeked around the corner.
To Seras' utter relief nothing was visible but the darkness, allowing her to breath a sigh of relief and continue on with her journey. She entered the courtyard and stood upon the edge of the stones which made up the ground, the rain beating down upon the rocks unmercifully. Her eyes glanced around in search of familiar plants, hoping she would not be forced to venture into the storm. Within a few short moments she recognized an herb at the far side of the open space, quite near to the overhang surrounding the inner yard.
Seras hurried along the covered walk, holding her dress so as not to trip. She halted at the familiar plant, noticing with joy the many other plants of the same variety which grew beside. She knelt down and began to pull them forth, using her dress as a basket to hold the food. The crack of the lightning interrupted her retrieval, causing her to look up often in fear of what may lay in the darkness when the light faded. Finally, after a few minutes of gathering she looked to her pile and nodded in satisfaction, rising to her feet and turning toward the entrance to the hallway.
Someone was standing there.
Seras gave a loud gasp of surprise as she noticed the figure standing stiffly before the passage's threshold, jumping in fright. Her hands, which had been holding her dress and the herbs within, jerked upward and the food dropped to the ground with several dull, quiet thuds. She stepped backward, her eyes never leaving the darkened figure as she realized the horrible truth.
They were blocking the hallway.
The revelation utterly failed to calm her increasingly pounding heart as Seras clutched her hands against her breasts. The figure stood as they had in the hallway, still and silent with the rain pounding down upon their tall shoulders. As another bolt of lightning split the sky she was able to decipher the outlines of a large cloak covering the person's body, the hood raised and concealing their face. However, the figure's red, blazing eyes could clearly be seen even amidst the total darkness which followed the flash, hellish orbs following her movements as she stepped to the side.
With sudden inspiration Seras quickly moved behind one of the nearest columns, terrified the figure would approach her standing without protection. However, after a moment without and trembling as she slowly peered around the stone slab.
Seras' eyes came face to face with the pale, ghastly sight of the figure's eyes not more than a half a foot's distance.
The young woman let out a loud, piercing scream as she swung around the other side of the column and bolted for the hallway, not looking back for fear the person was following. She clattered through the passage, heedless of her footing as she finally spotted the light coming from the fire.
"There's someone in the castle!" Seras yelled as she rushed into the room, breathless and gasping for air.
Everyone within the room turned their heads toward the distraught young woman, their eyes filled with curiosity at the sight of her disheveled appearance. For a moment there was silence, each attempting to absorb what Seras had exclaimed. However, disbelief soon entered the faces of the other group of house mates, though they looked to one another sharing unknown gazes between themselves.
"Obviously" one of the girls on the floor finally commented dryly, apparently unimpressed with the possible implications of Seras' words. "We're here, aren't we?" she sarcastically added, bringing a nervous giggle from her other female companion.
"You don't understand!" Seras argued, angered at being ridiculed so when her warning was justified. Regaining the last of her breath and standing straight, she walked to the center of the group of people. "I saw a figure in the hallway when we came and just now, in the courtyard. There is someone here besides ourselves!"
"Why did you not tell me of this earlier, Seras?" Integra demanded quietly, though her eyes roamed over their companion's faces. "Do you know who this person may be?" she questioned, calmly standing to her feet.
"Why would we know someone roaming the halls like a madman?" Daniel argued with disbelief in his voice, waving his hand toward the doorway. "Any one of us would get lost in this darkness and not find our way back. If you accuse us of playing a jest, then the joke would have turned on the person long ago."
"I accuse you of this jest because you have yet to be entirely truthful toward us" Integra countered, bringing a pale color to the four friend's faces.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about" Daniel stuttered, taking hold of himself before he continued. "Regardless of how you feel, if your servant speaks the truth then we have a dilemma" he said, reverting the subject back to the previous point. "We don't know if this person is a friend or foe."
"I agree with Daniel" spoke the woman who had commented earlier, the female Seras now recognized as Lucy. "If there is a madman roaming the halls of this castle, there should be something done about it."
"And what do you propose?" Integra stated, stepping up to one of the windows facing outward toward the side of the castle. Fortunately for the group of stranded strangers, the room they now occupied held windows with glass rather than empty alcoves. "We have no way to navigate through the darkness, nor do we know anything about this person. Without light the stranger would surely eliminate us one by one if we ventured forth."
"Um, there is one way to find him" Seras hesitantly offered, having remained quiet after her reprimand by her mistress. "His eyes, they...glow" she explained, receiving the disbelieving looks which she had expected. "They do!" she insisted, stomping her foot in frustration. "In the darkness, they appeared to be a glowing red!"
"Enough, Seras" Integra quietly spoke, her tone silently ordering her young charge resume her place. "My servants do not lie" she explained to the foursome, turning to gaze into their still doubting faces. "With her words we may yet be able to find this mysterious person."
"We are still left with the problem of light to lead us" the other gentleman, Matthew, observed. "Merely searching for two red dots in a sea of darkness barely improves our chances of finding the fellow."
"Surely torches are not unheard of in your part of the world" Integra bitingly commented, turning to face Walter and giving a nod.
The elderly retainer returned the gesture and walked over to one of the couches lined around the fire, tipping the furniture over with a crash. Lucy and Mira stepped out of the way in order to avoid being hit, each giving Walter a scathing expression. However, he either ignored or took no notice of their faces as he placed one foot upon the leg laying on the floor and wrapped his hands around the leg above. With one strong pull the leg in his hands broke from the cushions, leaving him with a long, thick stick suitable for their needs of a torch.
"Bravo, old man" Matthew impressively commented, clapping his hands in congratulations. "Now to the rest" he said, both Daniel and him stepping forward and quickly finishing the task.
For a cloth to wrap around the sticks the group tore apart the cushions, tying them tightly together. For oil to keep the flames fueled, Walter and Daniel cautiously made their way out to the coach to retrieve the fuel used in the lanterns upon the vehicle. For several minutes were the gentlemen gone, past the span of time which was required to simply fetch the fuel. Finally, upon their return they announced they explained their delay.
When they had they found the drawbridge had been raised, shutting them off from reaching the carriage. It had taken them some time to find the mechanism to lower the huge wooden slab, discovered built within a guard house upon the left of the entrance, and to force the chain loose. The storm had also grown worse in intensity, forcing them to release the horses from the carriage and harbor them within the courtyard.
"I don't know who could have been able to pull up the chain for the bridge by himself, especially with the difficulty we had in merely lowering the thing" Daniel commented, handing the oil flask to Matthew as he removed his soaked coat. "Though what I can say is the machine is well oiled, so whoever decided to close the bridge the first time will catch us just as unaware the second."
"Then shouldn't we put someone there as guard?" Lucy commented, her eyes looking about the men.
"There is not enough of us to keep guard upon the bridge, so we must be all the more wary" Integra sensibly observed, the others agreeing.
Dispensing with the conversation the group set about finishing the last portion of their improvised lights. Dousing the cloths with the oil and lighting the torches, the sticks blazed with flame and created sufficient light with which to journey through the halls.
"Now how shall we decide who goes and who stays?" Daniel asked, looking about the group for answer. "There are three men, of course, but one should stay with the women. If there aren't any objects, I shall gladly volunteer for the duty" he offered in a light tone, smiling widely. "Matthew, I believe that shall leave you as companion to Walter."
"I also shall also accompany the group" Integra firmly stated, her eyes narrowed in determination "I do not appreciate someone scaring one of my servants and I shall not be left behind."
"Very well, then" Matthew agreed, nodding his head in acceptance. "Though if there is to be an odd group, then I offer we go for an even number. Luck may not be on our side otherwise" Matthew suggested, his eyes shifting toward Seras. "I will gladly receive your servant girl, Seras was it, as a suitable companion" he spoke, flashing a smile which the young woman did not appreciate.
"Very well then" Integra slowly agreed, giving a nod of her head. "She shall be no safer here then with you. However, I wish to speak with my charge before we begin."
"Certainly" he replied, stepping back into his own group. "I also wish to converse with my companions."
Seras, confused and slightly bitter at having been offered so easily to the young man, followed Integra as her mistress led her to the hallway. When they were out of earshot, though within reasonable distance of the room, Integra stopped and turned to face her servant.
"I warn you to be wary, Seras" she cautioned, her tone grave. "Our fellow travelers are not who they appear to be."
"Do you assume some foul play among them?" Seras questioned, growing more nervous toward the arrangements which had been made.
"That I do not doubt" Integra answered quickly, wishing to hurry the conference along. "By fortune I have left you alone with only one of their group, but you must manage your companion without our assistance. Your sightings of this strange gentleman worry me, as does this place."
"Then you feel it as well?" the young woman asked with almost glee, thankful she would not be solitary in her unease of the surroundings.
"I feel nothing but this blasted draft around us" Integra commented with a shiver, holding her dress close to her as a small breeze drifted by them. "But what brings me unease are the possibilities which this castle may hold for anyone seeking to do harm. If our discussion is over then I suggest we return before our companions become restless."
"Yes, Lady Integra" Seras quietly answered, following obediently her mistress back to the room.
"We are prepared" Integra stated, taking the torch which Walter held and standing before the doorway. "Walter and I shall search the southern portion and courtyard while you and Seras shall venture into the northern portion" she firmly commanded, leaving without waiting for a reply.
"Shall we then?" Matthew spoke as he gestured for Seras to follow him as he led her into the dark passage.
While the torch lit the hallway with some success, Seras still found herself staying diligently by Matthew's side as they left the safety of the room and turned to the right. The way they had been given led deeper into the castle, the windows no longer a source of light from which they could support. Her eyes traveled about the walls, hoping beyond reason to never see those red eyes peering at her from the darkness. Through their journey they passed several offshoots of the passage, the discoveries always causing the young woman to jump in fright at the change in the light reflection. However, those halls were often more narrow than the one they occupied so the couple continued on their way, a stony silence between the two companions.
"What is your occupation?" Seras finally asked, if only to bring some relative normalcy to the situation she found herself in. She was also unable to forget Integra's warning prior to their expedition, the danger appearing more threatening than during their conversation. Perhaps Matthew could provide her with vital information to either dispel her mistress' words or, though she hoped not, prove their worth.
"I'm afraid I have none" Matthew honestly answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I have no special talents, so work doesn't seem to suit —" he began to explain, but was suddenly interrupted by a gust of wind through the passage.
To the companion's horror the wind's force was enough to extinguish their torch, thus leaving them in nearly total darkness. Seras could hear Matthew curse as he held the useless stick in his hand, both looking about them with apprehension.
"We should go back" Matthew suggested, turning without waiting for an answer and beginning to travel back from where they had com.
Unfortunately for the couple, the return trip was not so easy as they had assumed. Though they kept to the main path they soon realized the passage was no longer the same. The walls had grown narrower and the dank smell of earth and forests wafted upon their senses, forcing them to slow their pace as they both looked around in bewilderment and growing worry. Seras silently bit her lip nervously while Matthew beside her quietly grumbled, his words too low for her to understand.
Turning a corner, the pair were suddenly shook when a bolt of lightning shot through the sky, reflecting two forms before them. Seras shrieked as Matthew took a step backward, both startled by the shadowy figures. However, as the light faded they both realized the people before them moved as they moved. Taking a cautious step forward, the young gentleman began to laugh in relief as he comprehended their foolishness.
"It's only a mirror" he explained to Seras, turning and giving her a wide smile. "The figures we saw were only ourselves reflected in the glass."
As Seras peered into the darkness before her she realized the truth in Matthew's words. Indeed, the hallway was short, only a few yards long, and upon the wall stood a full-length mirror. The glass hung within an ornate wooden frame, shining in the darkness as a beacon in their state of confusion.
"Thank goodness" Seras said as her hand came up to clutch her rapidly beating heart. She looked about them with apprehension, though, as nothing appeared familiar. Also, looking through the windows they could now see a large clump of trees in the far ground, showing they had somehow wandered into the opposite side of the castle. "Perhaps we should rest here and find our bearings?" she suggested with a weak smile, looking at the reflective glass with some interest. "Walter and Lady Integra may find us."
"Agreed" Matthew commented as he peered out one of the few windows in the short hallway.
Seras, meanwhile, stepped up to the mirror in curiosity her hand reaching up and softly touching the heavily carved border. She smiled at the exquisite craftsmanship, her eyes drifting over the broken parts of the glass in regret at the damage. However, a flash of lightning from the storm suddenly illuminated Matthews figure behind her, his face twisted in an expression of malevolence. He was silently creeping closer to her, the dead torch in his hand now a threatening weapon.
"Matthew?" she questioned with a quiver in her voice, still facing toward the mirror. "Is something wrong?"
"I am truly sorry for this, Seras, really" Matthew enigmatically replied, a wicked smirk upon his face as he stepped closer. "But your tale of the stranger in the castle, and now the situation we've found ourselves in, the opportunity cannot be passed." With those words the young woman quickly turned around, ready to defend herself from the attack she knew would come.
But he had found them.
To Seras' horror she glimpsed a figure behind Matthew, the familiar red eyes causing her to crash backwards into the mirror in terror. The gentleman, still proceeding with his arranged hostilities and oblivious to the danger he now found himself in, merely assumed she had realized his true intentions.
Thus Matthew was shocked as a hand suddenly gripped his own which held the dead torch, their strength crushing his bones in a vice-like grip. Seras looked on in horror as the figure lifted the squirming gentleman off his feet and turned his body around so as to face one another. Then did her companion realize who had trapped him.
Matthew screamed loudly as a flash of lightning cut off the sound. The person holding him merely began to chuckle, peering to the side of the young man's body and staring directly at Seras. With a flash of long, white teeth she watched as the figure suddenly swooped down and bit deeply into Matthew's neck.
A piercing cry of agony from the young gentleman shocked Seras from her stupor as she flung herself from the mirror and rushed past the two men. Not looking back, she covered her ears from the pain-filled sounds of her former companion, intent only on placing distance between the figure and herself.
Tears filled Seras' eyes as the sound suddenly stopped, her worst fears rising to her mind. She rushed around a corner and suddenly collided with another warm body, her terror and the images taking their toll. She fainted dead away.
