Two days later Sophie went back in the same alley that she and Howl had previously met in earlier in the week. The necklace was still tucked safely beneath her collar and the ruby still found its home on her finger. She thought about Howl while closing her eyes to rest. Suddenly she felt a cold breeze, not thinking that it should be cold at all in August. Her brown eyes opened a bit to see light blue mist coming straight at her.
Of course, she thought nothing of it but soon saw and heard Howl walking towards her. He was smiling, expecting good news.
"Hello Sophie. Did you talk things over with your...master?" He didn't like that she was being owned by someone else and proved his point by grumbling the last part.
"Yes actually, I did. She doesn't want me living with some strange man who wants to take me to a castle that was used as food storage for vampires."
"The same strange man who saved you from a drunken idiot?"
"Maria doesn't know that. Her intentions are good but she just doesn't want to lose me. She made that point as clear as day." She turned around and winced.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She chuckled a bit with morbid humor.
"I told you, she made her point as clear as day." Howl hid his rage. So this Maria character enjoys hurting my girl. I'll have to end Sophie's suffering by midnight.
He huffed a bit before changing the subject. "I see. So, you honestly believe that castle was used by vampires?" Sophie looked over at the ominous castle.
"It's not that I believe it it's just that why take a risk? I mean, what if vampires come back again? They could repopulate."
He was confused, there was only two vampires left in the world and they were both male. The other being his brother. "But Sophie, the only vampires left in this world are both men. Vampires can only reproduce with their own kind, not the living." She looked him over.
"You know about vampires?" Now was the time that Howl's story came into play, make her believe he was human and not fifty percent of the remaining vampire population.
"Of course I know about them. They're putrid beasts who locked me up about ten years back. I was only twelve at the time and of course, wouldn't you be scared out of your wits too if you were the future appetizer? Anyway, they rarely fed us, we never saw sunlight, the air was dry and cold, the men would torture the younger children to hear them scream, I was one of them." He pretended to wince and clenched his eyes shut.
"Howl, are you alright?"
"I'm fine Sophie. Just, I'm never going back to Italy again." Her eyes widened in amazement.
"So your story didn't happen in that castle?"
"Of course not. My family went on a visit just for fun. Then it ended in disaster. My father, dead, my mother, a vampire, and my brother...gone." Sophie looked down.
"You mean dead?"
"No. He just disappeared a week before the castle was burnt to the ground. I was lucky to escape with my life, but I never stopped looking for him."
"I'm so sorry. It must've been hard for you." Howl tried effortlessly to hide a chuckle as she gave him her condolences for a false story. This will be far too easy Sophie, thank you.
"To make matters worse, I live in the castle alone. No one to talk to, no conversation, no companionship, no smiling, just me." Sophie felt a tug at her heart. Even though it was the wrong thing to do, she wanted to live with Howl now. She had never been alone once in her entire life and to be the only person in such a big castle, she could only imagine how depressed he would be to live out the rest of his days like that.
"Howl, I do feel bad for you, I really do...but Maria is my master and there's nothing I can do about her decision it's final." He nodded, a little disappointed she refused to disobey her master...the one sign of freedom and rebellion.
"I understand." She nodded back and turned on her heel to walk out of the alley.
"I'm sorry Howl, maybe you should talk to Maria. I work in the hat shop, you can find us there." When she disappeared and her scent vanished Howl burst out in laughter sinisterly.
"You can count on it Sophie my darling! I'll do more then talk with the coward!" In another round of evil fits he disolved into the blue mist as thunder boomed and lightening flashed when heavy rains began to fall.
He was back at the castle in no time, his servants greeting him properly.
"Welcome back Master Howl. Did you find the girl?" His butler asked. Howl gave him his hat.
"Yes I did Jona." Jona bowed while walking backwards to the closet.
His maid questioned him after Jona had gone out of sight. "My lord, why is it that you seek this girl you only met just once?" Howl smiled sincerely to himself, trying not to let his maid see how triumphant he felt for he was not one to gloat.
"Because long ago, centuries before, I knew this girl. Sophie wasn't her name when I first met her. Have I not told you this story before Charlotte?" She shook her head. "My apologies. Anyway, Sophie's real name is Eternity and I believe if I call her by that name she will remember me as I have her."
The teenaged looking maid sighed dreamily. "Oh master you're such a romantic. There's no possible way she can turn you down." Charlotte smiled at Howl before skipping off with his cloak in hand. Howl walked up the spiraling steps to his room and upon entering found spiders scattered every which way, dust sleeping on books, cob webs among the corners, and the picture frame that held split glass and the photo of a silver haired girl with dark brown eyes. The photo of Sophie's past life, Eternity.
"I will have you Eternity. If I can't, I'll make you mine by force." In time it was dark and Howl took his form of a raven for faster travel. He knew exactly where the hat shop was and that only increased his speed. Soon enough he landed on the roof without a sound and jumped to the ground, again soundless. The lights were on, and he prayed to anyone that was there that Sophie wasn't the one awake. Howl marched up the stairs and knocked on the door with his finger. In time a small, blonde haired woman who looked to be the same age as Sophie opened the door.
"I'm sorry sir but we're closed. You can come back tomorrow." Running his plan through his head, Howl closed his eyes and smiled.
"Are you Maria? The owner of this place?" Maria felt the need to put her guard up, she had this feeling, a hunch, that she shouldn't be talking to this guy. She leaned on the door frame with her left elbow and put her right hand on her hip.
"I am. What do you want? A reading lesson? We're closed for the night. You can come back in the morning, we'll be ready for business." She claimed not so nicely. Eyes still closed, Howled replied.
"I see you're a worshipper of God. What is it that you see in him?"
"He's our savior. Without him there would be no us. Are you some kind of anti-Christ?" He laughed darkly and opened his piercing blood red eyes.
"In a way. He's the one that did this to me." Maria gasped, thinking that Howl was a monster. "Now, about your little slave girl, I want her." Her own sky blue eyes shot open.
"I beg your pardon? I don't have a slave."
"Oh but of course you do. Sophie I believe it was. She told me you hurt her last night, very badly. I'm here to give her freedom, here to take her with me." Maria's mouth widened in realization. She pointed an accusing finger at him.
"You! You're the man who gave Sophie that medallion! The symbol of the vampire!" Howl smiled a toothy grin, baring his fangs to the world. She screamed when he lunged at her but it was too late. He had bitten her neck and started drinking the metallic blood from her veins. Her skin turned pale, and her eyes got darker. She was struggling for air, to breathe at this point. Then she finally went limp on the floor. Howl heard Sophie running towards them and quickly transformed into a wolf to prevent being accused for her death.
To make it look like more of a wolf attack, her bit at her limbs and tore at her flesh. He also scrtached several parts of her body including her face, neck, shoulder, both legs, btoh sides of her stomach, and her right arm. Of course the brutality goes to Howl and his quick thinking. He smelt Sophie coming even closer and dashed out the open door.
"Maria! Maria are you alright? Where are you?" Came her voice from the hallway. Then she got to the front door and saw Maria's mutilated corpse. "Oh my god! Maria!" Sophie's hands covered her mouth as an attempt of not throwing up. It was the most hiddeous thing she'd ever seen, and it had to be her friend. "Oh Maria, I should've ran quicker. Forgive me." She knelt by the body and felt for a pulse.
When she got nothing, she began to sob. What she failed to notice was the bite mark on her neck that was smaller then the others that decorated Maria. Getting the courage to leave her friend's side, Sophie left for the police. Howl watched her from the roof, still in his wolf form. It looked like he was smiling, but he howled to Sophie shortly after.
He returned to the castle as a wolf but greeted Jona and Charlotte in his human form.
"The results sir?" Jona asked.
"Mission one, complete."