The Gates of Hell

It had taken Daniella the better part of three hours to reach the small, decrepit town of Dark Bay. It was on the Eastern coast of England, but nobody came to a place like this to enjoy the ocean. It was a port town with a notorious reputation. She had driven through the town as quickly as possible, feeling a bit unsafe just being there. The rain had dwindled away during her long trip, but that did nothing to improve the gloom of this place. She kept an eye out for Snake Drive, but could not seem to find one anywhere in the city. This man claimed to have a mansion... but she could not picture a mansion in an area such as this. Something just didn't fit.

She began to drive away from the town, wondering if this was a mistake, when she finally found it. Snake Drive was a lone road outside of town that seemed to travel along the rocky coastline. She turned onto it, a small flame of hope being her only reason not to flee this place like her instincts were telling her. She traveled down the road for a few miles, following the coast, unsure exactly what she was looking for. She suspected it was about midnight, and she could hardly see a thing beyond the range of the headlights. All that was visible was the ghostly reflection of the moon far out into the water. Suppose they don't call it Dark Bay for nothing, she thought idly.

She drove over a hill, and suddenly, a dark shadow loomed in front of the car. It only took one look to realize this was the place she was looking for. It was a huge house, out in the middle of nowhere. Daniella was reminded of the castle she was at. As she got closer, she could see it more clearly, and noticed that most of the lights were turned on inside the house. It was right on the bay, and she could even make out docks behind the house. The boats moored there reflected moonlight off their metal exteriors. Red flashing lights indicated that there was also some kind of radio tower behind the house, far out into the bay, its purpose a mystery to her. The closer she got to the house, the bigger it seemed. This guy must be loaded to be able to afford living here, she thought.

Daniella pulled up to the gate in front of the driveway, the number 63 painted large at the top. It was a huge iron-barred gate, taller than three of her... but oddly it stood wide open, permitting her entry. She slowly turned in to the long brick driveway that led up to a semicircle in front of the mansion. She saw two other cars parked up there. As she approached them, she realized they were very old-fashioned; they looked like cars you'd see in the 1930s or something. Did he collect these...? She pulled to a stop behind one of them and opened the door. As she got out, she noticed the stunning architecture in the entryways. It was very beautiful, all wood-carved. There were designs of vines and wind, of water and fire. She marveled at this as she approached the gigantic oak double doors in the center, the entrance doors.

She walked up to the doors and, hands trembling, knocked loudly three times. She could hear the sound echoing around her, then silence. She listened for anything inside the house, the only background noise being the subtle hum of far-off crickets. She waited for nearly a minute, but still no sign of a reply. She decided to knock again, harder this time. Again, total silence. She got the feeling nobody was going to come to the door. The small flame of hope quickly dwindled. She should have listened to her instincts... this had been a mistake. But... where would she go now? She slowly turned around, despair washing over her like a current, when a crack of light appeared on the front steps. It widened and bathed the porch in light. Daniella turned around.

A tall man stood in the doorway. He had pushed the left door wide open and was staring at her. Or at least... that's what she assumed. This guy would give anybody the creeps. She could tell immediately from his exposed arms and neck that he was black... but couldn't tell much beyond that. The man wore a mask, so she could not see his face. The ghostly white mask was slightly reminiscent of a jester's, there were two holes for the eyes, slanted downward, and the mouth hole was a wide grin, giving the whole thing a very strange, almost sinister look. It cast a shadow over the face underneath, and she could not see his eyes or mouth, just dark holes.

He wore a blue tunic and long black pants, and his hair behind the mask was long, black, and braided in strands. And the man wore the strangest earrings she had ever seen: two red glass spheres hanging from each ear. They almost looked feminine in a way, but no girl in her right mind would wear those. Hanging at his belt was what looked to be an old Italian rapier, a long, thin sword used for stabbing. In all, he almost looked like somebody ready for a Halloween party... but still, his presence was very imposing.

Daniella unconsciously stepped back upon seeing him. She got herself together and cleared her throat.

"Um... Excuse me. Somebody wanted me to come here... were you the one who gave me that note?"

The man remained standing there, his unnerving mask turned in her direction. He said nothing for a moment.

"No."

Daniella was taken aback, not only by his blunt remark, but by his voice. It was very deep, and she would not have imagined such a voice from a man as thin as he was... but he went on.

"But yes, I know who you are. The master has been expecting you. Please, follow me."

She followed him inside. The door boomed shut behind them. The man motioned to the gigantic foyer with his gloved hand. Now that she actually looked around, she noticed the interior was gorgeous. Lining the room was more masterful woodwork, and the ceiling was painted with Renaissance-style art, reminding her vaguely of the Sistine Chapel. Directly overhead was a large dome of glass to let in light during the daytime. Stairways gracefully spiraled up to the second-floor balcony, and all of the decorations and artifacts around the room looked very old and valuable. Suddenly, she heard the noise of an animal growling from the other side of the room.

A fairly large black-and-white dog was walking toward her with a threatening look on its face. It looked a little bit like the dogs they used in Alaska, the markings looking a lot the same... but she knew it was different. She stumbled backwards, trying to calm it down.

"It's all right, Poppy. She's with me."

The dog looked at the man, then back at her, and stopped growling, seeming to understand. Slowly, it approached her. She was still afraid it might do something to her, but it just sniffed her hand, and even gave it a little lick. She gave the dog an uneasy pat on the head, and backed up another step.

"I must apologize... we found this dog in the wild, and took him in about a month ago. He makes an excellent bodyguard. But... Allow me to introduce myself. I am the servant to the master of this household. You may call me Fendari."

"Fendari." Daniella repeated the name uneasily, eyes still on the muscular dog. "That's an unusual name."

"It is Nigerian," he replied impassively. "Is there anything else I can do for you, miss?"

His deep voice had an edge to it she wasn't quite sure about. There was certainly something bothering him.

"Well..." replied Daniella, her gaze resting on the man's feet, "Could you tell me where exactly the master is right now?"

He was silent again, the mask hiding any emotion on his face. Finally he spoke.

"I'm afraid he is out right now. You'll have to wait for him to return. Feel free to roam the mansion if you wish. If you are tired, the bedrooms are on the second floor. I will inform the master of your arrival upon his return. Will there be anything else?"

Daniella felt uncomfortable in the company of this man. She wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"Um... No, I guess not. Thank you."

He kept his mask turned in her direction for a moment longer, then turned around and headed for one of the spiral staircases that led up to the second floor. Daniella, left alone in the huge foyer save the canine, who was now sitting in front of her and staring at her, continued standing there, not quite sure what to do next.