Sometime later, driving in heavy rain and thunder that was the scene of the night, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln began their trip to visit their teacher and friend, Dr. McBride. It wasn't that far but both had thought it was best to get started at night, that way they'd have more time to spend with McBride in the day. The drive so far was fairly boring to say the least. With the rain beating down onto the car and monotone reading voice that spewed from the radio, neither of the two had an energy to say anything more than a few words. Although, there had been a loud rattling noise that would shake the couple a bit as a few motorcycles would pass by every so often. It didn't both Lincoln but it surely did annoy Ronnie Anne.
After a few more moments, the car slowly came to a halt. The tanned woman looking at her fiancée with a confused look, she turned to him and stared with beady, innocent eyes, "What's the matter, Linc-darling?"
He hummed and pointed forward, behind the window and it's wipers, where a giant sign stood in front of them reading: DEAD END. Lincoln sucked his teeth, "Must've taken the wrong fork a few miles back."
As Ronnie Anne's brows furrowed in confusion, Linc spoke up loudly and turned to face the rear window. Putting his hand on the other seat after putting the car in reverse, "Guess we'll just have to turn back!"
After barely pressing on the gas, the car jerked forward then back. A loud bang sounded out through the lot, making Lincoln yelp in surprise and Ronnie Anne shout out.
"What was the bang?!"
The white haired man looked around the front of the car, then in the mirror beside him. He noticed his back tire had gone flat, having the car tilt over on it. He scoffed, "We must've had a blow out."
No shit, Lincoln. No shit.
Lightning flashed over the the car and everything surrounding them, barely letting the two catch a glimpse of what they could. It was soon followed by a clap of thunder that immediately scared Ronnie Anne for a moment, but she quickly recovered and focused on the task at hand.
Lincoln unbuckled his seatbelt and laid his hand on the car door handle. He turned back to his love and gave a weak smile, "You better, keep warm. I'll go for help."
"Where will you go in the middle of nowhere?" She rolled her eyes at her fiancé's stupidity… so did everyone else too.
The white haired man tapped the wheel for a moment as he thought, his face scrunched up and he tried real hard to think of something. He raised an eyebrow for a moment and opened his mouth, "Didn't we see a castle a few miles back? Maybe they have a telephone I can use!"
Ronnie Anne scoffed as her eyes widened, the audacity he had to leave her here. She felt insecure, but for all the wrong reasons… that's Ronnie for you.
"I'm coming with you."
"Oh darling, there is no point of us both getting wet." Lincoln tried to deny her presence, but forgot of the Latina's stubbornness.
"I'm coming with you," She hissed out for a moment before closing her eyes and laying a hand onto Lincoln's shoulder, she smiled and opened her brown orbs, "Besides, the owner of that phone might be a beautiful woman and you may never come back again."
"Ha, ha, ha," Lincoln laughed blandly, his smile barely reached his eyes as he humored his lover.
He probably wished that was the alternative, then again, would it be so bad?
The two walked arm in arm back to the big castle in all it's dimly lit glory. Stained glass shone in the front of the big place, decorated with random images and some seeming foreign to the two, they were ones they had never seen before. Then again, they didn't care much for the place, since their only destination was to reach a phone and get the fuck out of there.
Upon reaching a gate, Lincoln read a big sign that hung on it. The wording was black, written sloppily but still legible.
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Pushing on it hard while totally ignoring the sign, the Loud was able to open and allowed Ronnie Anne to enter first before following. He walked ahead and the Latina paused for a moment to open some newspaper she had been reading in the car and held it above her head as some makeshift umbrella. Poor protection but hey, innovative.
Walking up, Ronnie Anna ran into a low hanging tree. It's bare and wet twigs getting caught up into the paper, making her dance stupidly around to get it off. Once she did, she took a deep breath and did the best thing she knew how to do, sing.
Ronnie
In the velvet darkness
Of the blackest night
Burning bright, there's a guiding star
No matter what, or who you are
Finally, she bumped into her fiancé, she saw him staring up at the castle with 'awe' and furrowed her brows, but followed his line of vision and realized it was the beautiful feeling the look of the house gave that caught their attention fast. She opened her mouth to sing more, this time joined by Lincoln and… some random ladies that were nowhere near them but allowed it to happen.
Everyone
There's a light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)
There's a light (Burning in the fireplace)
There's a light, light
In the darkness of everybody's life
In the tallest tower of the castle though, staring out the window and towards the dark distance, was a stranger that Ronnie Anna and Lincoln didn't notice. He had short brown hair, big and goofy glasses. His outfit was a torn suit that was finished with dark green dress shoes. Atrocious ones at that.
He opened his mouth and started to let words flow out, singing to himself which honestly didn't surprise anyone at this point.
Stranger In The Window
The darkness must go
Down the river of night's dreaming
Flow morpheus slow
Let the sun and light come streaming
Into my life, into my life
Back to outside, where the couple now stood facing each other with smiles. Their eyes scanning each other's face with loving looks, although I don't know what's so romantic about this.
Everyone
There's a light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)
There's a light (Burning in the fireplace)
There's a light, light
In the darkness of everybody's life
Suddenly, another flash of lightning with a roaring boom of thunder invaded their vision and punctured their eardrums. Ronnie Anne screams before flinging herself into Lincoln's arms, causing the man to quickly guide her towards the castle entrance. There, they were under a small cover from the rain.
"Linc, let's go back. I'm cold and scared!"
"Just a minute, Ronnie. They may have a phone." He brushed her off as he reached for the doorbell. Jeez, this man was determined.
Ding-dong!
…
Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong!
…
The couple waited for a moment before the door finally opened. Before them was a very familiar man of brown hair, glasses, and… weird green shoes (that's putting it nicely).
He poked his head out the door and looked them up and down, keeping his mouth shut and making it awkward for the other two people.
Lincoln hummed for a moment, unaware of what to say at the moment before recollecting himself and putting on a show winning smile, "Umm, hi! Lincoln Loud, and this is my fiancée, Ronnie Anne Santiago. We're in a bit of a spot and wondered if you can help. Our car broke down a few miles back and I wanted to know if you guys, perhaps, had a telephone I could use?"
The man stared blankly at Lincoln for a moment and blinked slowly, "You're all wet."
Ronnie Anne began to lose patience, but kept on a grin matching Lincoln's. These two goody fucks knew how to keep their cool… or did they?
"Yes," She said through her teeth, "It's raining."
The man looked up to the sky and smirked softly, he then looked back to Ronnie before nodding slowly, "Yes."
Then, he swung the door open, keeping the sly look on
his face as he held an arm up, "I think you better both come inside."
Lightning and thunder, once again, made an appearance as Lincoln gladly waltzed right into the strange place, while the Latina was more cautious of it. Taking a step inside and bowing slightly, which amused the man.
"You're too kind." She nodded softly and stood next to her lover, watching as the man closed the door, an evil smile placed upon his lips.
Again…somewhere, inside a dimly lit office.
The criminologist flipped through a book, a cigarette in his mouth as he scanned the contents of the pages. Finally landing upon one page that held a map of Ronnie Anne and Lincoln's destinations.
He looked to you with a brow raised as he held the cig between his fingers and pulled it out. Sighing softly, he speaks.
"And so, after braving the inclement weather, and some not too little time. It seemed that fortune had smiled on Ronnie Anne and Lincoln and that they had found the assistance that their plight required… or had they?"
There you stood at a different angle, you wondered how you got there but didn't question it and looked as the criminologist turned to you slowly on his chair, leaning against the desk, watching like a hungry lion watched a zebra, "There was certainly something about this house (to which, a flat tire and a wet night had brought them) that made the both of them uneasy… but, if they were to reach their destination that night, they would have to ignore such feelings and take advantage of whatever help was offered."