here is chapter 2. Remember, to please give feedback ( I promise I don't mean to annoyingly hound)
That afternoon, I was shown up quite a few sets of stairs and down multiple thin corridors to a pokey little corner. It was a door. A flimsy door. Vlad produced a rusted, heavy key from his pocket and unlocked it. It swung open and he stepped through fluidly. He made me wish I could do that.
"Come on in." He smiled.
I nodded and slipped in, careful not to touch anything yet. I didn't want…anyway! I was shown through the dark gothic house full of candles, curtains and coffins. Coffins! In all shapes and sizes. Shades unknown to man. Metal, glass, wood. Vlad wouldn't explain that to me, only saying that it had always been like this. What? Full of dead peoples' beds? As we went into the dining room, we saw a sullen young woman. Her eyes were a haunting star blue and she wore a tight black dress and towering, toothpick-thin heels. She was swirling red liquid I put down as rare wine in a fragile wine glass. I could see the family resemblance – blue eyes, obsidian hair, pale tone.
"Ingrid, this is Alsme. She's staying with us. She's Alex's niece." Vlad said an undercurrent of authority present in his kind voice.
She put her drink to the side. "Huh. Nice to meet you." The words that passed her red lips were seriously sour. "Not."
But, I took an instant liking to her. I liked her honesty and her style. She was cold and unafraid to say or show anything. She reminded me of a vampire. But the cool and bad-ass evil kind. I was, however, too afraid to read her, scared of that moment where I couldn't read her.
I gave a smile. "Nice to meet you Ingrid." I gave a nod to her shoes. "Cool heels."
She glanced down at them. "Yeah. I know…thanks."
I waved vaguely at her in farewell and left after Vlad, my strappy sandals shuffling against the dusty wooden floor.
The moment he shut the door I said, "Is she your sister?"
"Yeah, sadly." He muttered, showing me to my room.
"Nawww, c'mon, she's not that bad. You have to admit she is kinda cool." I bantered.
"I don't." He said flatly.
Opening the door for me, Vlad walked in, placing my few bags at the foot of the mocha covered bed. If I was holding them, I would have just thrown them in – literally.
"The bathroom is through that door – be careful of the hot water as it is very temperamental. If you want your curtains open, please tell us. Our family has a rare skin condition – we cannot go out in sunlight. Uh, a wardrobe and dressing table are there and there" – he pointed to the wall opposite my bed and the one next to it. – "So you can put your things in there…anything else?" The last bit sounded as if he was speaking to himself.
I shook my head helpfully though.
"Right. Well, I'll let you settle in." He backed out slowly, giving me a smile and a wave.
The moment the door was shut, my hands were on everything – the floor, the door handle, the dressing table. Nothing. I pressed my hands all over the bed. All I got was some ugly dude shifting this thing in all on his own. I gave up and flicked on some music, beginning to unpack.
I placed my coats and dresses as well as my uniform in my wardrobe. The rest went into the dressing table. Now, where would my things go? I put my few books onto my floating shelves. I pinned my timetable to the mirror on the inside of my wardrobe. Next, I left the dusty room to the kitchen…if I could find it…
Hey! It was that ugly guy! He had wonky teeth and seemingly bad hygiene (I could smell it from here) He was stirring some sort of concoction.
"'Ello! And who are you? What do you think you're doing in my kitchen?" He asked.
I could barely stop myself laughing at his attire. He wore a grimy pink frilly apron. It was patterned with adorable bunnies and roses.
"Uh -"I sniggered. "I'm Alsme. Alsme Gray, Alex McCauley's niece. I'm living here for now." I explained.
He let his item on the stove burn as he rushed over to me, sitting me down. In front of me was a bad onion.
"Chop that, will you? I need it for the stew I'm serving tonight." He said.
I screwed my nose up at it. "But, it's off! We'll get sick." I looked up at him. "Who are you anyway?"
He then rolled his shoulders back proudly. "Renfield, miss. Loyal servant to the Dracul – Uh, I mean, Count Household."
Why did he just correct himself? I hadn't even been here a day and things were already being hidden.
I pushed the onion aside. "Sorry Renfield, but I have to go. Pleasure to meet you though."
He nodded, clearly not disheartened by my exit and got to the job himself.
Notes to self: Wash Hands and don't eat his food.
I pushed away from the table and froze.Uh-oh.