It was a Saturday evening when Alfred and Matthew decided to throw a party. Well, mostly Alfred decided, but Matthew had nothing against it. At first it was supposed to be one of those wild parties, where everybody gets drunk and there is that one person who falls asleep on the roof. Then Mrs. And Mr. Jones decided that they don't want to leave home for this weekend and that meant no alcohol and parents under the same roof. Most of Alfred's friends said that if there was no beer and no loud music then there is no need to show up and that's how they ended with the small group in their living room, watching "Pirates of Caribbean" for hundredth time. When the movie ended it was already dark outside.
"We should tell some ghost stories," said Gilbert. Everybody cheered and one of the girls stood up and started to turn off all the lights.
"Why ghost stories?" Alfred wailed. "Wasn't that creepy pirate-ghost scary enough? Come on guys! Let's just play something else and, I don't know, play spin the bottle?" he pleaded.
"Shut up Al and sit down," Gilbert yanked him down by his T-shirt. "Kiku's going to tell us some awesome stories, right?" he asked dark haired Asian boy, who pass for the best knowledge for ghost stories in their school.
Kiku looked awkwardly to others and said, "Well, I could tell one or two stories".
Everybody moved closer and sat tight in a circle, no light in the room except a flashlight that Kiku was holding, as he started his tale. First one, about a half-child half-wolf, elicited a few gasps. Second one, about bloodthirsty people on the other side of a mirror, made everyone tremble and the circle tightened.
Kiku started another story, "Somewhere North America there was a town, where life went slowly. Everything was normal; everyday ended the same, where nothing that would cross the borders of normal human lives happened. One of the residents, a boy, nearly our age, was walking back from his friend's house. It was already dark outside and the only thing that was giving light to the road was the moon. He walked alone. Every step echoed around, louder than it should be. The wind blew, bringing the smell of fresh grass. The boy stopped, giving in to the aroma, but he tensed. There was still the sound of steps on the pavement. He turned around, but there was nothing there. He started walking again, this time slower, trying to listen-…"
"AAAAAAA! WHO'S THERE?!" someone screamed, girls shrieked and the lights were turned on.
Alfred was trembling from fear, "Dude! Where the hell did you come from?" he screamed at Matthew, who winced.
"I was sitting next to you since the movie," he said, slightly offended by being not noticed by his own brother.
"No, you weren't! I swear he just appeared from nowhere! Like a ghost!" Alfred tried to explain his screaming to laughing people.
"Yeah, sure Al," Gilbert was rolling on the carpet from laughter. "It's not like you are actually scared by Kiku's stories," he mocked.
"It's alright Alfred-kun," said Kiku. "I think that story was a little bit too much."
"No way! You have to tell the rest. It wasn't even the good part!" one of the boys whined.
"So~ karaoke?" asked Alfred already turning on the mikes. There were few whines and a sigh from Matthew, but everybody was stiff from sitting so long during the movie and the story so they'd quickly agreed to sing. They split into two groups, with Alfred and Gilbert as the leaders. Everyone quickly engaged in fun, some of them singing, being backup singers or simply cheering "Team Awesome" and "Team Awesomer".
Half an hour later, when twins' mum climbed down to complain about screaming her son called singing, Alfred was forced to hand over the mike. Not sure what to do with himself he spotted Kiku sitting in the corner of the couch. Grabbing the bowl of popcorn, he plopped down next to the Asian boy.
"Popcorn?" he offered, waving the bowl in front of Kiku's face.
"No, thank you very much."
They sat in awkward silence, with occasional munching noises from Alfred, watching others jumping around while singing.
"So…" Alfred began, "I was wondering if you know some more stories, like scary ones, about our town or surroundings," he pretended to be mildly interested in the topic, when in reality he wanted to ask this questions to Kiku since they'd been telling ghost-stories.
"I thought that you are not interested in those kinds of stories, Alfred-kun," questioned Kiku, although he visibly perked up.
"Yeah, about that," Alfred gave sheepish smile, "that was really Mattie's fault. He teleported!" Alfred was waving his arms around, strewing popcorn all over the couch. "Never mind! You know those stories, right? Like about a ghost graveyard, forests with demons or… haunted houses?"
"I wouldn't say that I'm an expert, Alfred-kun. But I can promise that I would try to help as much as I'm able."
"Ok, so here's the deal. Just don't laugh, ok?" Alfred asked nervously. Kiku nodded, so he continued. "Is there any story about a really old manor around here? One that's sometimes invisible and gives off a really creepy feeling, like it doesn't belong there?"
Kiku sat in silent for a minute or two, clearly thinking. "No, I'm sorry, but I can't help you Alfred-kun. I know most old stories about this area, including the ones that involve fairies in the forest like you asked, but I've never encountered story about disappearing manor here. Have you seen something like that, Alfred-kun?"
"I thought I saw it, but now I'm not even sure. Anyway! If you say it's not haunted that's good enough for me," Alfred laughed. "Everybody can sleep peacefully while the Hero is around!"
And it's time for the Hero to look closer to this mystery himself.
Alfred was standing in front of the manor. Here it was, standing right where he saw it a week ago. Since Saturday evening Alfred was observing the building. On Sunday morning he almost ran to this spot, just to prove it to himself that the manor has not disappeared. The same thing repeated every day, Alfred getting closer and closer to the front stairs. But today was the day. The day when he would go inside and finally know what is inside. He just had to wait a little more to gather his courage, or if you had asked him, doing reconnaissance.
Kiku might be an expert, but there still might be some lonely bloodthirsty ghost inside, he thought.
He stepped closer to the stair, eying warily the door knocker. Light danced on the doors, giving the lion almost real gaze, like it was anticipating, watching Alfred's every move, judging. Alfred lifted his foot and jumped on the first step, not letting his eyes off the lion.
He waited, expecting something to happen. When nothing did, he smiled reassuringly to himself and climbed the rest of the steps. Stopping right in front of the door he looked at the knocker and said, "It's stupid. You're just grim fat lion". Grabbing heavy loop hanging from its jaw, he knocked.
After few moments of silence he knocked again. Still nothing. He pushed the handle down, opening the door slightly with loud creek. "Hello?" he called through the slit. "Hello?" he pushed the door further open and stepped inside. "Is anyone here? A ghost?" Alfred lifted his head and looked around.
He stood in a vast entrance hall. Most of it was hidden in darkness, not a single lamp being lit and all windows covered by heavy curtains. He stepped further into the manor, noticing that inside was as well decorated as the front of the building. He could recognize that the floor was made of marble. Heavy chandelier above him was glistening even in this darkness and Alfred was almost certain that it wasn't run by electricity.
Every step that he took echoed, giving an illusion that it was bouncing from wall to wall, back to Alfred and away. Almost like it was really someone else repeating every sound that was made. Directly opposite the front door, at the other site of the hall, was a wide staircase, covered with thick carpet. It led to the first floor with the balcony going around the main hall. There were few doors on the ground level and few visible ones on the upper floor. Every one of them was as heavy incrusted and enormous in size as the front door. All of them were closed.
This whole place looks like in the movies, Alfred thought. I bet that behind one of those doors is an old armour or something creepy like that. Kiku said that this place didn't have any ghosts, but who the hell knows. Nobody never asks ghosts if they want to be somewhere.
He stepped closer to the staircase, running his hand on wood encrusted railing. He slowly climbed up the stairs, looking ahead at the wall on the upper floor. There, between sconces, were hanging two natural sized portraits. One of them depicted a beautiful woman, with long brown hair, that fell in waves on her shoulders. She had a yellow flower clipped in her hair. It must be a really old house, Alfred thought looking at her bottle-green Victorian dress. Or a really old portrait. She was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes, that were looking at Alfred with sad resignation.
He looked at another painting, hanging beside the first one. It was also a portrait, this one of a man, looking the same age as the woman. He wore navy blue frock coat, with matching vest, trousers and a tie, white shirt with a high collar. He had sandy messy hair, which had fallen on his sizeable eyebrows. What had distinguished him from the lady on the previous painting was his expression. One corner on his mouth was lifted in a smirk, like he was above the person watching him. His eyes had dangerous glint in them, giving the feeling that they were real, eyeing and appraising.
Alfred thought he looked like one of High Lords of Snobbishland. He's missing the staff. One with a diamond or another gem on top would suit him, he mocked.
He turned from the paintings and walked along the balcony. Looking at the opposite wall he wondered what that indistinct shape he saw was, there was little light at the ground floor, and upstairs was almost dark like in morgue.
That is REALLY helping me here. Thinking about dead people, he scolded himself.
He walked to the strange shape, feeling a little more anxious because of his comment. When he was near the stair he stopped abruptly.
Voice! He gasped shuddering.
"…it is always so dark". Alfred's eyes were big as a plates. He didn't dare to move an inch, hearing that the voice was coming from behind him.
He stood there for what seems like an hour, listening to the voice that was now reduced to mere murmurs. When the fear let go he decided he had to check.
Heroes don't fear voices, he encouraged himself and looked back.
"FINE!" deep voice boomed through whole manor. With a loud snap all the curtains on the windows drew themselves, letting the light inside.
Alfred did not wait to see what the shape or the voice owner was. He never ran as fast as then in his whole life.
A/N:
If any of you took no notice of genre tags - it's not a horror story, although it may be pretty clear given the way Al/Gilbert duo works. I'm trying to keep this story light-hearted, but that doesn't mean there won't be any drama ahead. I love drama and clichés ;)
It may seem slow now, but it picks up the tempo in few chapters. Introductions must be made, so things must be said.