Ok I know that the whole trip being free of charge seems unrealistic but just go with it ok? Thanks! If you have no idea what I'm talking about then just read and you will. Just so you know ALL the rhymes in this story from here on out are completely original! So please don't say, OMG you got that off of… I don't want to hear it! These are MY rhymes! Sorry if I seem mean but I want you to know this and not flame me cause' you thought I stole them. Please and thank you!
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When she got to school it seemed as if everyone knew her. She walked to her locker and put her books away. She locked her locker and started to walk around to find the rest of her classes. When she turned the corner she saw Roy talking to a girl in the hall with his back turned to her. She ran back to her locker as fast as she could. She could not let Roy see her today. He hurt her last night. He broke what little trust she had for him. The way he violated her. She was remembering that night and leaned against her locker as Richard came up behind her and touched her shoulder. She jumped and turned expecting to see Roy. Luckily it was Richard.
"Hey uh Kori, when we danced last night I'm sorry I, well you know, put my hands on your butt. If that led you on sorry, but right now I just can't get involved with someone else." He said apologetically. Kori felt as if her soul had just left her. Like the only thing that kept her sane floated away into the clouds of nothingness. 'Someone else? Did he mean he already was involved with another girl?' she was fighting back tears.
"That's ok. I'm used to guys like you." She said and walked to her class just as the bell rang. 'Guys like you?' he asked himself. 'Crap. I hurt her.' 'Great going genius.' He thought to himself and walked to history class. He sat down in his seat and surprise surprise Kori was sitting next to him. When he sat down she didn't even look at him. Now he felt bad. The teacher, Mr. Conerea, stood in front of the class. "Class I have very exciting news. Since we have been studying castles and the history behind them the school has given all the sophomore history classes permission to go to Transylvania and stay a night in a castle free of charge!" Now usually the teacher couldn't get the class excited about anything but this time the class erupted with excitement. "Class, class please!" he said trying to calm the talking. It became a dull roar then stopped completely. "The trip will be in two weeks. We will leave the 26th and stay that first night in a hotel. Then the next night pack your bags you will be headed to one of the most said to be haunted castles in the world. The castle of the count. Also known as castle of Vlad the Impailer. Well you guys know him as Count Dracula." He chuckled. All the girls in the class gasped. Even though some of them tried not to look a little concerned they couldn't hide the worry in there eyes. Even Kori had a little. All the boys in the class were happy about this. The way they saw it was they could get a girl that was scared and have her cling onto him for "safety" and then hopefully have a make out session afterwards. Richard leaned over to Kori as the teacher was drawing a diagram of an impale spear.
"Kori what's wrong?" he whispered with concern.
"Nothing" she replied sitting up straight not even looking at him.
"Something's obviously the matter or else you would at least look at me. And what was with the, 'that's ok, I'm used to guys like you'? What do you mean by guys like me?"
"What I meant!" she repeated sounding mad on the verge of furious. "What I meant was I'm used to guys using me just because I'm pretty. I'm used to guys that make you like them then drop you like last years trash the next day once they've had there public viewing of me and them together. Yeah I'm used to guys like that, and you've proven to be just like that." She whispered now sounding furious. "Excuse me?" he reeled back.
"Kori, Richard, is there something you want to share with the rest of us?" Mr. Conerea asked them. "No." they replied in unison. "Good. Now where was I in my lesson? Ah yes." He trailed off and started to draw another diagram on the board. This time one of the castle.
"Look, Kori I'm sorry I played you. And I'm sorry that I dropped you off like that. And I'm sorry for all that you had to go through in the past but I just can't have a girlfriend right now." He whispered pleadingly
"Another girl?" she asked in a pouty whisper.
"Not exactly. More of a harsh break up."
"Is that what happened on Friday?" she ask
"In a way, yes."
"What do you mean by in a way?"
"Kori! Richard! Please!" the teacher called to them.
"Sorry!" she said to him in an oops I did it again tone. The bell rang and the class stood up. "There's a list and a permission slip up here with me you need to turn it in by Friday if you want to go on the trip." Two seconds flat the whole class was lined up to get the papers. Kori and Richard were in the back. By the time they got up to the front the break was almost over. The took the papers and scanned them. All your basic needs were on there. Like a tooth brush, pajamas, and so on and so forth. "So Kori do you forgive me?" Richard asked
"We'll see, Greyson." She said starting to walk off
"Hey how do you know my last name?" he asked
"Got it out of bee." She said back and walked off.
When she got home Karen was watching TV and the guy she was with last night was gone.
"Karen! I need you to sign something." Kori called out sounding depresses knowing she was going to get some kind of crap from her older sister. She always does. Kori walked over to the couch and handed the papers to her. Instead of saying anything she just signed it and gave it back to Kori. Her eyes never leaving the TV. "Thanks." Kori stated and walked upstairs. She did her homework and went straight to sleep. It was 4 in the afternoon. She herd engine noises and looked out her window and a motorcycle was parked out in front. There was a guy on it and there was Karen, getting on. Probably not to be back until morning. She grabbed her closest stuffed animal, Mr. Bear and hugged him. "Well Mr. Bear, I guess it's just you and me for now." She continued to look out the window and saw a black corvette drive by. She could clearly make out Richard in the drivers seat but there was a passenger. A blonde passenger. At first glance she looked like Terra. But when she looked harder, it wasn't her. The blonde leaned over and kissed Richard on the cheek and he smiled. He looked towards her house and saw Kori looking at him. Kori felt a pang on sadness as she watched him lie to her and watch as her hero was nothing more than a player. She left the window, still carrying Mr. Bear, and flopped down on her stuffed animal covered bed. She slowly shut her eyes letting all her stuffies snuggle her to sleep.
Wednesday came and she avoided Richard as much as she could. This was no use because he was in all her classes minus one. In first period he wrote her a note and passed it to her. It read,
Hey! Saw you in the window yesterday wanted to stop but I was kinda busy.
She read it rolled her eyes and shook her head. She wrote him back.
Too busy with your blonde girlfriend. I saw her kiss you! Don't even dare lie to me Richard Grayson!
When he read the note he smiled and wrote back.
That blond is my adopted sister. Sorry for confusing you.
She read it with a sigh of relief.
The next few weeks were like that up until the trip. They were seated together on the plane ride. It was about a 12 hour round trip flight to Romania, Transylvania. While on the plane they watched Oceans 11 and ate lunch. After lunch they watched Pirates of the Caribbean. Once the movie was over Kori started to feel just a bit drowsy. As she dozed off her head landed right on Richards shoulder. He smiled to himself and fell asleep to. His head landing on top of Kori's. They stayed that way for a few hours until the wheels of the plane had hit the pavement. They woke with a start. Kori had the window seat so she opened the blind on the window and saw darkness of the Romanian sky. She smiled to herself remembering that she was in a foreign country and she didn't have to come home to her slut for a sister for the whole weekend! Just as the plane was about to stop Roy came up and saw Kori leaning on Richard. "Hey guys what ya been up to?" he asked casually. "Nothing, you?" Richard replied. The plane stopped and Mr. Conerea directed the students off the plane and into the small terminal. They collected their bags and took a bus to the hotel. Luckily she was rooming with Terra so she wouldn't have to worry about weather her room mate liked her or not. When they got to there room they crashed. No washing there face or brushing there teeth and hair.
The next morning they were woken at 9 in the morning. They had breakfast and walked around town a bit. Richard, Kori, Victor, Bee, Terra, Rachel, Roy and Logan all walked around together. For some unknown reason to the others Richard always walked very close to Kori. Around 5 they all got dinner and headed back to the meeting spot. When Mr. Conerea counted all the students heads, there were about 20 students on the trip they took there bus to the castle of Vlad the Impailer. They reached the castle gates and saw only torches lighting there dark leaf covered pathway.
"You should know class. That the only reason this trip was free was because the owners of the castle are trying to find out if the castle is haunted." Mr. Conerea said to the class leading them to the door. Kori took out her digital camera and took many pictures of the castle and the people around her. When they got to the door there was an omen carved into the stone. It read,
Two Star crossed lovers will soon fuse together
As they will be locked in destiny's riddle forever
They will be locked in the tower by 3
Haunted by the spirit that needs to be set free.
"Wow, creepy." Kori shuddered
"Yeah Rach, Right down your alley." Victor said jokingly.
Kori took a picture of the omen and entered the castle. Once the whole class was in, the doors shut behind them and the teacher gave them all a flash light. "Now you can find a room and stay in it for the night. But while you're here take a look around the castle and try to learn about what this guy was like." Mr. Conerea told the class and walked off. "You would think that with all the money these people have to buy a castle they would have enough money to get electricity in this damn place." Terra said. The group agreed with her. They started to walk through the dark halls shining there flashlights every which way. As they looked around they realized they were the only ones there. Everyone was in different parts of the castle and it was quiet. All you could hear in the dank castle was the slow monotonous foot steps that echoed off the walls.
"Hey guys, someone wanna carry my bags? If not can we go upstairs and find a room so I can put my over stuffed bags down?" Bee asked
"I agree completely." Roy said lugging his bags behind him. They turned into the nearest room and saw the kitchen. It was dark, stone and looked like someone was just cooking in there and just left. All the pots were out the putrid smell of decayed meat and other food filled there lungs. "Ugh! Who died?" Rachel asked dropping the small duffel bag that was in her hand and plugged her nose. They exited the room and began looking for a stairwell. After an hour on finding nothing they finally found a stairwell, but it was going the wrong way. It was going down. "Ok maybe there's rooms down there." Terra said making her way towards the stairs with her flashlight when she got to the beginning on the stairs she took one step down. The floorboard creaked; she screamed and dropped her flashlight. It clattered down the stairs and rolled to a stop. "Oops." She said. She slowly walked down the creaky wooden steps, when she finally got to the ground floor she grabbed her flashlight and shined it on what was in front of her in the room.
"Whoa, guys you have to come down here and see this." She said staring shocked in the flashlight lit room. The group went down one by one each stunned by what they saw. What was in front of them was a torture chamber. Blood on the shadowed walls and on the medieval devices. A chill fell over the room and froze everyone in there places. No one could speak, no one could breathe. It was as if they could hear the cries of the previous inhabitance and the laughter of Vlad. Kori remembered seeing bloody long spear like poles out in front of the castle, now she knew what they were for. "They didn't call Vlad the Impailer for nothing." Kori stated trying to lighten up the mood.
"Kor, as much as we love you, that didn't help much." Terra said as if she were ready to throw up.
"Let's just go." Kori said scurrying towards the stairs. The rest followed with great haste. They went up the stairs and still they saw nobody. "Ok this just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Roy said
"Maybe we should split up. You know in pairs, like in Scooby Doo!" Logan said excitedly masking his fear.
"Yeah! That's a good idea Logan. And then when the nasty ghost comes to eat us we'll be the perfect defenseless meal." Bee said with a little attitude.
"Bee, give the guy a break he's just trying to help." Victor said.
"Fine but if we do split up I think it should be boy girl pairs. That way if us girls get scared then we will have a big strong guy to cling on to." Terra said in a mocking voice.
"I agree to that." Said Logan moving closer to Rachel.
"Dream on little man." Rachel said. Making Logan look depresses.
"Well I think that's a great idea. If one of us finds a stairwell going up then we can yell across the castle and we can all get a room." Richard said. Victor and Logan started to laugh. "What?" Richard asked.
"You said get a room." Logan said snickering.
"Right. Well lets all choose pairs. I pick, um, Kori." Richard said turning towards her.
"Surprise, surprise." Roy said under his breath
"Fine, I pick Bee." Victor said
"And I pick Rachel!" Logan chimed up bouncing up and down.
"Oh, lucky me." Rachel said in a very sarcastic tone.
"Then I guess Roy and I are partners." Terra said with a depressed tone. She glanced longingly at Richard but he was just staring at Kori. 'Damn girl, I wait 3 years for Richard to realize I'm here and this new girl comes and take all my chances away! I've seen him go through at least 10 girls in the past 3 years. Ever since 7th grade and he still doesn't know I'm here!' she glared at Kori but when Kori sensed someone watching her she glanced in Terra's direction. When they all got settled in there "groups" they all linked arms.
"Ok you guys know the plan right?" Richard stated again with Kori looking relaxed linked on his arm.
"Yeah, yeah, we know. Shout if you find what were looking for." Logan said seeming a little jittery.
"Which is what?" victor asked knowing good and well that Logan forgets things easily.
"The staircase, Duh! I'm not that forgetful." Logan said. Everyone looked at each other.
"Right Logan, you just keep telling yourself that." Roy said lightly patting him on the shoulder.
"Hardy har har." Logan said
"Ok. Let's go!" Richard said "Before this gets ugly." He said under his breath knowing that Logan and Roy had issues between them. Kori and Richard started to walk along the stone hallway. Kori tuned around to see where the others went. When she turned and couldn't see any of them. "Wow they went fast." Kori said out loud sounding impressed. Richard looked at her.
"What?" he asked as if she was insane.
"Look for yourself. Everyone's gone."
Richard turned and looked; sure enough no one was there. They came to a stone archway and entered the room. There was another hallway. They followed it for what seemed like an hour silently. Soon there was a rattling inside a chest. Kori turned and let out a mouse sized scream and practically leapt into Richards arms. He turned to see the chest shaking violently like something was in there trying to get out. "Um, right." Richard said trying to mask his fear. "Richard, Let's go." Kori said clinging to Richard tightly as if he was going to fall down a cliff if she didn't hold onto him. "Yeah." He said letting out a giant breath he hadn't realized he was holding. They ran as far down the hall way until they found what they had been looking for, the long sought staircase. They clambered up about half way, Richard then stopped Kori.
"What? You think we lost it?" she asked breathing hard.
"Sure Kori I think we lost the chest that doesn't have legs." Richard said sarcastically putting an emphasis on doesn't have legs.
"Oh right." Kori said sounding discouraged.
"Hey guys! We found it!" Richard yelled remembering the original reason they split up. No one responded. "Guys! Come on this isn't funny! We found the stairs!" Still nothing.
"Maybe they can't hear us." Kori said softly touching Richards shoulder. Then around the corned turned, a little girl?
"What's a little girl doing here?" Kori whispered
"No idea."
The little girl was singing something. When she got close they herd what she was singing. It was chant.
"Can't even run.
Can't even hide.
The impailer's commin' just in time.
Can't cling to your love
Cause' they won't be there.
Your gonna' die screamin but you won't be herd."
"Morbid much?" Kori asked a little too loud. The little girl stopped in her tracks and looked at them. When they saw her face she didn't look so little. She was blonde and looked to be about 13, wearing a white dress. Nothing fancy or anything just a plain white dress. She had murky blue eyes and pale skin. "Um. Sorry but we have to go." Kori said to the girl. "Go, go!" She whispered then got louder on the last go.
"Good luck getting out of here." The girl said in a dead tone and laughing maniacally while disappearing. "Richard." Kori said staring wide eyed at the spot where the little girl used to be.
"Yeah." He said staring at the spot too.
"I'm officially scared." She said starting to run upstairs. Richard hurried to follow her. When they got up there they started to walk around lightly. They turned the corner and saw a door. They opened it cautiously. There was the girl with a butcher knife in hand. There were little doll pieces around the whole room. It looked like it was the girl's room. The girl got up and turned with the knife still in her hand. "Wanna' play?" she asked with a smirk. Kori and Richard screamed and ran the way they came but the staircase was gone. Replaced by a hallway. They ran down the hallway. Waiting for them was the girl, still with her knife. They screamed again and ran the opposite direction. The girl's room was replaced by yet another hallway. They ran down that hallway and saw a room with a door. They ran in the room and locked the door. Breathing hard they leaned on the dark door and turned. They were in the library. No little girl. Kori and Richard started to scan the perimeter to make sure they were correct in there being no little creepy girl in the room. Once they had that established they walked around the library. Kori pulled out a book and the bookcase silently and swiftly.
"Wow and I thought they only had these in movies." Kori said with a oh wow tone.
"Cool!" Richard said
"Should we go in?" Kori asked
"Anything to get away from that psycho chick, I mean girl." Richard said walking in. there was a winding stare case inside. They followed it all the way up. And there was a single wooden door and a window looking out. Kori went over to the window and looked out. "How cool!" she said. Richard walked over and looked out with her. They were in the tower. Kori then went over to the door and opened it.
"Let's try it." Richard said in a why not tone. They entered the room.
"This must be the attic." Kori said. Looking around at all the dusty things in the room. She walked over to one of the chests put the flash light in her mouth and opened it. There were what looked like a bunch of journals. She took one out and started reading. She skipped to the last few pages and read them. "How sad." She said in a sighing tone.
"What's so sad?" Richard asked walking over to her.
"The girl her names Vanessa and she fell in love." Kori said in a heartfelt tone.
"What's so sad about love?" Richard asked
"She never got to finish this journal. Her father did. She was killed by her boyfriend."
"Talk about tough love." Richard said trying to make a joke.
"That's not funny Richard. I think that's why he became Vlad the impailer, because he wanted vengeance on the world for his daughters death." She said with tears almost in her eyes.
"Wow. He killed all those innocent people for revenge." Richard said realizing how sick this man really was.
"Richard how would you feel if someone your daughter loved killed her in cold blood?" Kori asked
"I'd probably be furious." He said
"So was Vlad. He just had a bad way of showing it." Kori said trying to reason with him.
"Hey Kori can we change the subject?" Richard asked
"Sure."
"I'm sorry about what Roy did to you. And for the emotional roller coaster I've put you through."
"Thanks. That means al lot to me." Kori said hugging him.
"I guess we found the place we're gonna sleep tonight." Richard said breaking the embrace and motioning towards the room they were in.
"Ok I know this sounds so wrong but we can use each other as a pillow. By the way, nothing wrong and perverted meant by that." Richard said getting a defensive look on his face that Kori thought was adorable. Kori laughed
"Nothing taken that was wrong." She said. "If that made any sense at all." She finished up laughing and making eye contact with Richard.
"Good." Richard whispered moving closer to her. When they were just about to kiss she broke away from the trance. "I'm feeling a bit tired." She said in an innocent tone only see could use and have it affect Richard. He smiled. Kori sat down on a bunch of old clothes and waited for Richard. When he sat down they looked at each other for a moment. Kori Yawned and put her head in Richards lap and laid there. She stared up at him. He stared down at her. "Kori, I'm sorry about-"he was cut off by her.
"You talk too much." She said grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down to a kiss. They kissed for about 1 minute before Kori got up and walked over to the door. It was locked. "Why do I get the feeling I'm in a bad horror movie?" she said mimicking Lindsay Lohan from life size; a movie she watched while on the plane ride over to the castle. "Wait, what time is it?" Richard asked. The big grandfather clock chimed 3 times.
"I guess it's 3 in the morning." Richard said.
"I didn't even know he had a grand father clock in his castle.
Kori walked back over to Richard. "What ever happened to our bags?" Kori asked moving in for another kiss.
"I think we dropped them when we saw the girl with the knife. We didn't notice it though."
"Oh." Kori said. She was thinking that if she ever got out she would get back her bags and when she got home, she would take one very long, shower.
"Kori."
"Yeah." She said in a day dreamy voice.
"I love you."
"Prove it." She said sitting up after lying down.
"Well, I don't need you for your money. I have my own. And I don't need you as a trophy girl because I could have any girl I wanted. And because I'm over Parker." He said. Playing with the ends of her hair from his laying position on his back with one arm under his head.
"Who's Parker?" she asked
"My Ex." He stated
"What happened on Friday the 13th?" Kori asked
"Um."
"If you don't tell me then obviously you don't care enough to fill me in on that little detail that you won't tell me."
"Fine!" he said sitting up. "I was drunk driving with Victor and all the guys after a party. And my girlfriend at the time, Parker was driving on the same road. We had a head on collision. Good lawyers and lots of money let me keep my license. But I still have to live with the fact that I killed 5 girls that night. Including my girlfriend." He said feeling the old pain come back fresh like lemon on a fresh cut. "I'm so sorry." Kori said putting a hand on his shoulder. She could see the pain in his eyes. They stayed like that until Kori fell asleep. Her head was in Richards lap and he smiled at the delicate sleeping figure in his lap. "Two Star crossed lovers will soon fuse together." He quoted. He smiled now realizing that they were the lovers. He herd a clicking on the door. He tensed up. 'No one is going to hurt Kori.' He thought. But nothing happened. He soon fell asleep too.
In the morning they woke when the sun hit there faces. When they opened there eyes they were in an empty room. Nothing but a note. It read,
You showed me that there is true love in the world.
And for that I thank you. You set me free and it is only
Right that I set you free.
-Vanessa
The couple smiled and they walked over to the door where there bags were sitting waiting for them. They took the bags and went down stairs. Everyone was waiting in a group. They joined the group and waited for everyone else. When they met up with there clique they were all in couples except Roy and Terra. "Ok anyone else have a weird trip?" victor asked holding Bee's hand. Kori and Richard did a little laugh, "You have no idea." They said in unison.
In about an hour and a half they were on the plane and Kori was seated with Bee and Rachel. They had middle seats. Bee, Rachel, and Kori were talking about there crazy nights. Terra glared at Kori. 'Just you wait, Kori Anders, I'll get you. One of these days, Richard will be mine.' She thought in her head. "Did anyone else see an apparition of a girl?" Terra herd Kori ask Bee and Rachel.
"Nope." Came Bee's reply
"No, sorry." Came Rachel's
"Did anyone notice that the castle seemed to switch and mix up so no one was able to find anyone?"
"You know that is one thing I did notice." Rachel said
"Yeah me too." Bee said
Then it clicked in Kori's mind. She replayed the night in her mind and then remembered the omen on the castle door.
Two star crossed lovers. Her and Richard
Will soon fuse together. Sleeping in Richards lap.
As they will be locked in destiny's riddle forever. Everyone loves someone or something there whole lives.
They will be locked in the tower by 3. The door was locked when they were in the tower at 3 in the morning.
Haunted by the spirit that needs to be set free. The girl and the note!
She took out her digital camera and looked at the shot she took when she first entered the castle. Then the one she took leaving. The inscription was gone. The omen was no longer there! The curse was broken! All thanks to her and Richard. When the flight was over she got a ride to her house from Richard. She kissed him and took her bags. She walked up the walkway and opened the door. She went inside and Richard drove off. When she turned around she was staring into the face of a very pissed off sister.