Fright Night (1985)
Twist Of Fate
Chapter 6
by
~GaGa4FrightNight~
~Vendehla~
Aiden woke up where he had fallen asleep, face down against an open book. He groaned, stiff from having slept slumped onto his cluttered desk. His eyes opened and looked down where his face had used a thick book as a pillow. He had spent many hours researching after returning to his cramped little one room loft nestled above a quiet little shop. The boy, Charley, had intrigued him with all those odd mumbles about something called a vampire which was oddly referenced towards Lord Dandridge.
He achingly rose up out of the chair then closed the large book and decided it was time to return to the Dandridge estate. He wasn't concerned about the boy's health, the boy seemed quite healthy, but was more curious to what else the young man would speak of once awake and alert. He scrambled and shoved the text into his physician's bag, snatched up a dried and crumbly biscuit then rushed to return to the estate. Yes, so excited he was, such a curious case was the boy which was much more exciting than some sick sheep or a typical cold.
A courier arrived to the Dandridge estate just as Doctor Aiden McHoolihee.
Aiden stepped to the grand entrance of the estate manor and stood beside the young man. "Shall I announce our arrival?" he asked the young man.
"Aye, if you like, Sir." the young man responded.
"Very well," Aiden smiled then grabbed the large bronze knocker by the ring that dangled from a gargoyle's mouth. One, two, and three, he knocked then stepped back, tucked his hands and bag behind his back. "A lovely day." he commented and the young man beside him simply nodded.
One of the large doors crept open and Aiden eagerly smiled to an older man.
"Doctor, welcome." the older man greeted and stepped aside.
"Good afternoon!" Aiden chimed and eagerly stepped over the threshold.
The older man, the household head butler Lawrence, looked to the young courier and simply said, "Aye?"
"Aye, a letter for Lord Dandridge, sir." the young man announced and handed the sealed letter to Lawrence.
"Very good." Lawrence said then took the letter, "Thank you." He handed the young man a small tip then gave a farewell nod to the young man who rushed away from the manor.
Aiden stood for a moment, heard the door close then looked to Lawrence. "Might it be alright if I go to the patient?" he asked, anxious to speak with the boy.
"Aye, that be fine, Doctor." Lawrence nodded, "I shall inform the Lord you are tending to the boy." He stepped passed Aiden who eagerly rushed for the grand stair. He moved through the manor, knew the Lord was in the study tending to important financial needs of the estate.
Jerry sat behind the large and intricately carved mahogany desk. Before him lay all important documents concerning every detail of the estate's financial investments, owned lands throughout the township, and everything else that made up the estate's fortune. A knock sounded and he granted entrance.
Lawrence stepped into the study and graciously nodded his head. "My Lord, I apologize for the interruption but a courier brought a letter." he explained then stepped to the lord's desk outreaching the letter, "I believe, My Lord, it is from Lady Regine."
"Ah, excellent," Jerry chimed then took the letter from Lawrence, "Thank you, Lawrence."
"Aye, My Lord." Lawrence again nodded then left the lord alone.
Jerry eagerly broke the wax seal and opened the letter. The letter was earlier then suspected but was refreshing nonetheless. His eyes eagerly read over his sister's lovely penmanship and gradually his eyes widened with a glimmer of happiness. His lips formed a firm smile for he read wonderful news. In an excited rush he rose up, had to immediately give the wonderful news.
Aiden walked through the corridors, desperate to remember where the boy was located. He paused, heard the sound of rushing feet. Slowly he turned to the side and eyes widened. Quickly he took a step back and Lord Dandridge rushed passed. "My Lord," he quickly greeted.
"Good day, Doctor!" Jerry called back as he hurried towards the direction where he knew Thea was located caring for the strange young man.
Thea set a tray on Charley's lap. "Eat you must." she sweetly sang as Charley frowned at the food set up on the tray.
Charley eyed what was in front of him. He had no idea what he was looking at but what was worse he had no idea what had happened. He remembered the nightmare before he upped and landed wherever the hell he was. Everyone around him talked with, he guessed, an English accent. Everything around him was confusing and sure in the hell wasn't familiar. What happened? Where was he? What new nightmare was he stuck in? Who in the hell was the woman smiling at him?
"Come now, eat!" Thea chimed, "The sooner you eat, the sooner you shall return home, wherever that might be."
"Yeah," Charley mumbled, "Whenever."
"Hmm?" Thea hummed in question with a frown.
Suddenly the door came flying open.
Charley quickly looked to the doorway, his jaw dropped and face lost color. In a sudden rush panic struck him. "NO!" he shouted and suddenly shoved the tray off him scattering the food and setting everywhere. He scrambled out from under the blankets. He continued panic, where was his cross? "Where is it?!" he shouted.
Thea was startled by Charley's reaction to Jerry entering the room. "Oh my goodness," she mumbled then asked, "Where be what?"
Jerry froze upon the boy's sudden panic. He stepped towards Thea.
"My damned cross!" Charley yelled then spotted his jacket blazer. He darted to the fireplace and snatched up the blazer then started to fumble within its pockets. "It has to be here!" he shouted, "Where the hell is it?!" He spun around then took a rushed step backwards, the blazer dropped from his grasp. His eyes darted and looked to the sunlight illuminated windows then again looked to the face from his living nightmare.
"Charley Brewster," Thea spoke up, "What be the matter?"
Charley shakily lifted his hand and pointed at Jerry. "How are you walking around during the day?" he asked, more so himself, "You can't walk in the daylight!"
"What in God's name are you speaking about, boy?" Jerry asked, saw the fear of him in the boy's wide eyes.
"You...you should be," Charley breathed heavily while nodding, "Yeah, should be sleeping the sleep of the undead, yeah, is what you're supposed to be doing!"
"What madness do you speak, boy?" Jerry asked, confused by the boy's outbursts.
Charley shook his head and stated, "This ain't right! You're supposed to be dead!"
Jerry took immediate offense and stepped forward which caused the boy to startle. "That be a threat, boy?" he quickly asked, felt Thea grab onto his arm.
"My Lord, please," Thea pleaded, saw nothing but fear in the boy's pale face.
Aiden rushed, quickly placed himself between the lord and the boy. "Please, My Lord," he spoke, focused on Jerry, "Let me a moment alone with the lad."
Jerry's brow was furrowed, the boy was beyond disturbed. His eyes looked to Aiden then he nodded and agreed, "Aye, anyways, I came to speak with Thea." he looked to Thea at his side and stated, "Come with me."
Thea nodded in agreement then looked to Aiden, "Back I shall be in a little while."
Aiden nodded and smiled, "Please, take your time."
Charley couldn't alleviate his focus from Jerry. His eyes followed, slowly he leaned to the side and watched Jerry and Thea leave the room. "How the hell..." he mumbled then shifted his eyes to the curious expression over the face of a younger version of Peter Vincent, "Who the hell are you?"
"You have forgotten?" Aiden asked, "I be Doctor Aiden McHoolihee, you do not remember?"
Charley frowned, the guy in front of him looked so much like Peter. "All I know is you kinda look like Peter when he was in his movies." he commented with a little confused twist about his face, "And," he pointed at the closed door, "He looks just like that son of a bitch Dandridge!"
"Aye, he be a Dandridge, lad." Aiden confirmed, "But not a son of a bitch."
"No," Charley shook his head then said, "The bastard I knew, he can't walk in the daylight because it'll kill him! Actually it did kill him, dammit!"
"Lad, might we sit." Aiden calmly requested, "We shall sit and you could speak to me of what you know." He was anxious to hear more about the boy's beliefs in the supernatural world of vampires. He waved his hand and summoned the boy to return to the bed.
Charley found Aiden's voice actually comforting, so much like Peter's. He nodded then glanced down and took notice he was wearing a nightgown. "What in the hell am I wearing?" he asked.
"A nightdress," Aiden answered, "That be what you sleep in." He sat down on the edge of the bed then patted next to him and encouraged Charley to sit.
"No, I sleep in my damned underwear." Charley stated and looked to Aiden, "Not in a damned girl's nightgown!" he glanced and saw his tidy-whities and snatched them up, "I sleep in these!" He shook the fisted underwear.
"Oh, you call that underwear?" Aiden questioned, "I had wondered what might those be."
Charley's face again twisted in confusion. Where in the hell was he and why?
Thea stumbled a bit as Jerry excitedly tugged her by the hand down the corridor and asked, "What do you wish to speak with me about?"
"Alone first." Jerry stated then turned and again tugged Thea with him.
"Oh," Thea again stumbled, "Why such privacy and urgency?"
"Just you wait." Jerry said with a grin then abruptly stopped before his chamber door. He quickly opened the door and tugged Thea inside with him.
Two servants startled, in the midst of neatly making the lord's bed.
"Please leave!" Jerry shouted to the two female servants who quickly curtsied and rushed out of the room, one softly giggled.
Thea frowned as she watched the two servants, older was Sylvia and the younger of the two who giggled was Mary. She looked to Jerry then aimed a thumb at the door and stated, "You know they will rush straight away to gossip about I being alone in the lord's chamber with the lord, correct?"
"I care not!" Jerry quickly proclaimed then lifted the letter.
Thea again frowned and asked, "And why you care not and what be that?" She lifted her hand and pointed at the letter.
"A letter from Regine." Jerry announced with his smile broadened.
"Oh," Thea continued to frown, a letter from Regine didn't quite explain Jerry's odd excitement, "How is Regine?"
"Quite well she is." Jerry stated, "And she shall be returning home quite soon." he turned and stepped towards the side table against the wall, "By the letter's date, I predict Regine shall arrive in a few days time."
"Oh, well, wonderful that is." Thea smiled as she curiously watched Jerry invade one of the side table drawers, "Yet, why such secrecy? You could have announced in front of Aiden." she frowned and commented, "You again make more complications than need be, drag me here to your private chamber in front of Sylvia and Mary." She shook her head then frowned again upon noticing the bed unfinished.
Thea stepped to the bed, as if programmed, and started to finish tucking the expensive linen. "Will the husband be joining her?" she asked while neatly smoothing out the satin trimmed comforter, not paying attention that Jerry finished his search and now approached her.
"You need not do that." Jerry commented as he stepped up behind her.
"Well, your fault it was not finished." Thea commented leaned against the edge of the bed fluffing the pillow, "I cannot stand an unfinished bed."
"I mean," he spoke and elaborated, "You longer need not do that, not from this point on."
Thea again frowned, her head turned and looked at him in question then inquired, "And why is that?"
"Regine shall be home soon." he again stated.
Thea continued to frown then faced him. She nodded and commented, "Aye, that you said."
She stood before him and unconsciously chewed on the nail tip of her left hand, tried to figure out what he was speaking about.
Jerry shook his head then grabbed her left hand and ended her chewing habit. He held her left hand then lowered onto one knee.
"Um, what might you be doing?" she asked, yet knew the only reasons any man got onto one knee were either to propose marriage or tighten his bootstrap. Her frown tensed, he wasn't tightening his bootstrap.
He smiled up at her, loved the confusion and question throughout her expression. "What had I said last evening, Thea?" he asked her and watched her begin to think, "What had I promised upon Regine's return?"
Her eyes shifted side to side then widened, remembered what he said.
"Aye," he saw the remembrance in her eyes, "My sister returns and so," he lifted his left hand and between his thumb and fingers was pinched a gold band with an emerald setting. He watched her eyes shift and look to the ring. "And so," he spoke clearly, "Thea Elizabeth, will you give me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Her mouth slowly inched into a gape. Her eyes shifted from the ring to his face, back to the ring then back again to his handsome face. "What?" she asked, not certain if she had heard him correctly, "Pardon but what?"
"Thea, will you marry me?" he asked then smirked in response to her stunned expression.
Her eyes continued to shift back and forth from the ring to his face. She honestly had doubts that a proper proposal would ever be made, always assumed Tayte would end up being correct about the affair. Her eyes again shifted to his face and froze upon the sincere expression within the layers of richness that filled his large brown eyes.
He slightly huffed then asked, "What say you? Will you be my wife or not? I shall not stay on my knee forever."
She wanted to say yes, well verbally say it but slowly nodded. That was a moment she hadn't thought would come. Yes, he said the moment Regine returned he would willingly let the world know of their relationship and marry her.
"Yes or no," he refused to take her nod as an answer.
"Ah," she mumbled then swallowed and pushed out her answer, "Aye."
His lips formed a satisfied smile. He eagerly took his mother's engagement ring and slipped over her left hand ring finger. He brought her hand forward and kissed the ring in honor of her agreement of marriage. He rose up then pulled her forward. His arms swiftly gathered her tightly against him. He felt nearly complete, the completion of his happiness would happen the moment they were wed and she was made his wife.
"From this moment on, no more shall you do as a servant." he stated with the side of his face buried against hers, "Now that you are my fiance and soon to be my wife, never shall you live as a servant in our home."
Her eyes were wide, her arms embraced around him. "What of Tayte?" she asked in concern for her sister.
"She shall do as she pleases." he answered then leaned back and cupped her face between his hands, "Tayte shall be family and what ever it is she wishes, never to be or not to be a servant that shall be her choice."
"Oh, she shall not like this." she commented, knew a fuse would again be lit for her sister upon the announcement of the engagement.
"I care not," he laughed, "My only care is you, for I love you. Tayte shall have but no choice to accept that we shall be wed, we shall become husband and wife."
"Perhaps we shall wait to speak of this." she suggested with a smile, "Wait for Regine's return, hmm?"
He nodded in agreement then asked, "But shall we wait to celebrate?"
"Celebrate?" she asked, again frowned, "How can we celebrate when not any other knows? Of course we wait."
"No," he shook his head with a smirk, "Why should you and I wait to celebrate, hmm?"
She huffed and slumped her shoulders then commented, "If what you are blatantly suggesting be your ideal of celebration, well, celebrate we already had last night."
He continued to smirk then elaborated on his meaning, "No, I wish to celebrate much, much more elaborately than previously."
Her mouth gaped, knew exactly what he meant. She shook her hand then gave him a shove back. "Take such a lovely moment and twist it into a highly inappropriate scheme." she scolded him and listened to him laugh, "Funny it is not." she glared at him as he obviously found her amusing, "You are suggesting, because of this," she lifted her left hand with the ring, "That you shall now be allowed to, well, you know what I mean."
"But of course." he blatantly agreed, "I see no better celebratory activity.
"You are hopeless." she commented with another disbelieving shake of her head.
"Aye, I am," he agreed and took a sly step forward, "Hopeless the moment I fell in love with you."
"Oh, do you not attempt sweet words." she scolded him and took a step back, "Your sweet words shall not deviate me into the direction you are so determined to guide me."
"Ah, but I am hopeless remember?" he reached and brought his hands against her hips.
"Aye, you are." she agreed with a nod, "And I shall not be deviated, understood?" She again took a step back which forced his hands from her hips.
He lowly grumbled with frustration then suggested, "At the least, might you give me a kiss." His head lowered at the chin as his bottom lip softly pouted.
"Fine," she agreed then took a step forward. She slightly lifted on the tiptoes of her slippers then pecked a kiss against his lips.
His pout faded, that was not the kiss he had suggested then asked, "That you call a kiss?"
"Aye," she gave a sharp nod but attempted to hide her smirk then explained, "No specifics did you give." She dropped flat on her feet.
"I propose marriage, give you my Mother's ring," he complained, "And a pathetic excuse for a kiss you give in return. I am but offended."
She briefly narrowed her eyes at him then her expression softened. "Aye, my mistake." she confessed then again lifted up on her tip toes. Her lips softly smiled then very gently she pressed her lips again his. She always loved the sensation of his lips against hers since the very first time. Now it was their first true kiss as fiances. Her lips broadened their smile through the kiss. She was finally engaged to the man she loved. Finally their moment to confirm their relationship came. The happiness of that moment finally blossomed inside her heart. No longer a mere servant involved in an affair with the estate's lord, she was now that lord's fiance.
Yes, that kiss was much more appropriate, he praised. Now, he thought, only if there was a way to expand on that kiss in a much more appealing manner of celebration. His arms wrapped around her and firmly he gathered her against him. He deepened the passion of the kiss, she eagerly responded and competed with that heightened passion. He wanted more, no more simply touching, caressing, and kissing. He desired more, no more layers of clothing to prevent from exploring her beautiful body that was always hidden from his sight.
Her eyes snapped open the very moment his hands started to gather the hem of her skirting. She pulled back and looked to his overly lusting eyes. "Had you not enough last night?" she asked, "Yet by the expression of yours it says not."
"Aye," he agreed with a lift of his brows, "Alas I am unable to know the meaning of the word enough."
"Aye, I sense that about you." she nodded in agreement.
"But I care not to know the meaning." he slyly stated then slightly licked his lips and lifted a hand and gently grazed his fingertips along the soft lift of her breasts, "And my suspicion is that you are quite similar."
"Oh, you are mistaken." she corrected him, "I humbly admit I know the meaning quite well for if not, our complicated situation would become greatly out of control."
His eyes lifted and looked into hers then he confessed, "Out of control be my wish right in this moment."
She sighed then asked, "We have managed this far and why not further until the appropriate night of our marriage?"
"Because," he slightly frowned, "What makes any difference if now or then? We shall be married either way. I have waited, we both have waited."
"Yet, what we have done is not enough?" she quickly asked. She understood his frustrations but they have done many other things to satisfy their needs, things she knew were highly inappropriate but were done.
"That I had not said." he stated, "I desire more, that is all. You are now my chosen intended. I love you and you love me, yes?"
"Aye, I love you." she quickly answered.
His eyes lowered. He took a step back, relinquished the embrace. He turned from her. "That is fine." he reluctantly agreed, "We shall wait until our wedding night."
She suddenly felt ashamed. Her hand lifted and she briefly admired the emerald ring on her petite finger. Her hand gently folded into a fist then rested against the bare portion of her chest. "Please," she spoke up, "I wish you not upset with me. I do truly love you with all my heart and soul." she took a step forward, "There is but so much uncertainty still. We do not know if Regine would give us her blessing."
He turned to the side and looked to her concerned expression then firmly stated, "It matters not to me if she gives her blessing, even Tayte's or anyone's for that matter."
"Would you sincerely not care if Regine denies blessing?" she asked, her hand gently gripped the sleeve of his white shirt, "Would you go through with marriage to me if not a single soul gives not one blessing?"
"Aye," he firmly stated with a determined nod, "Would you?"
Her eyes studied his firm expression. Her eyes briefly lowered then returned to his. "Aye," she nodded, "The only blessing I need is yours."
He turned and faced her, grabbed her left hand. He lifted her hand and again kissed that symbol of their engagement and love. His left hand reached and gently brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. "Aye, we wait." he agreed, "We have waited this long haven't we? What is but another fragment of time, hmm?" He watched her lovely face brighten with appreciation to his understanding. "You," he stepped before her, "I shall wait centuries if need be."
"Well, centuries you shall not need to wait." she sweetly sang then swiftly embraced him, "Only a short time and the wait shall be over."
Aiden sat beside the odd young man named Charley Brewster. His eyes were frozen in a frown and face nearly unreadable. He sat there silently and had heard the most unbelievable tale. A tale that the boy claimed would happen in the far future within the twentieth century. A tale that begun with a glimpse of a coffin and ended in a basement that was within a vampire's lair. Yet, the vampire in that tale, the name was what troubled him the most, Jerry Dandridge.
"Yeah, so," Charley finished his tale, "Well, there went Dandridge, the sun destroyed him." his eyes stared blankly as he remembered that final moment, "Well, apparently it did more than that because," he blinked and looked to the younger Peter, "Well, here I am, somewhere or sometime. I don't know what the hell happened when that bastard exploded but something did and it brought me here, wherever the fuck I am."
"Hmm," Aiden blinked, his eyes felt dry, "Hmm, that, well, I really not heard anything that remarkable in all my years." He slowly rose up. He lightly tapped the tip of his finger against his chin as his mind wove through the boy's truly peculiar story. "Yet, I have read much," he spoke and turned to the side and looked to the troubled boy, "And throughout the night, I read more and more. So many myths and legends surround creatures such as you have described."
Charley looked to the familiar but more youthful face of Aiden's. There was something so calming about that familiarity. Though he didn't know where he was or what brought him there or how he was going to get back, just having that glimpse of Peter Vincent through the younger appearance of Aiden's made it seem less hopeless. "Do you believe me?" he asked, knew what it had taken to convince Peter.
"Well," Aiden stumbled a bit on his words, wasn't entirely certain, "Well, Charley, I believe that you believe and at this moment it shall be sufficient enough for I to help you." He stepped up to the boy and stated, "You must understand that the Jerry Dandridge of your time be not the same in this time."
Charley gave a nod then lowered his eyes and commented, "It's hard not seeing the vampire when I see him."
"Aye, that I understand." Aiden said and rested a hand on Charley's slumped shoulder, "Lord Dandridge is but a gracious man. A fine Lord and nothing as the monster you have described." he again sat down beside Charley, "Lad, you saw yourself that he walked in daylight, your monster cannot."
"That's what I don't get." Charley commented and looked to Aiden, "Is this before it happened? Where I am, is this before he became a vampire?"
Aiden's eyes shifted in thought then stated, "That must be, for he is not your monster at this moment."
Charley looked forward, his mind churned with reasons why he was there. "Vampires are possible, I know that." he spoke the reasons, "And what says time travel ain't possible?" his eyes shifted erratically in thought, "Maybe I'm here for a reason, has to be. Maybe," he looked to Aiden believing he had figured it all out, "Yeah, I'm supposed to stop him from becoming a vampire, either that I'm supposed to kill when it happens."
"Oh," Aiden startled a bit, "Oh, lad, do not go speaking of such things. Do not even keep that thought of killing the Lord." he pointed at the boy and waved his finger in scold, "That just might lead to your own demise. Not highly recommended, Charley."
"Okay, god." Charley shook his head, "Well, we just have to figure out how it happened and stop it. Then maybe I'll get my ass back where I belong that none of that shit ever happened."
"Um, we?" Aiden nervously questioned.
Charley slowly turned his head and looked to Aiden. Yes, too many similarities, for the cowardly lion was showing himself right before his eyes.
(Author)
Okay, now we're getting somewhere! Hope y'all didn't mind the filler about Thea and Tayte. Well, more Twist of Fate to come. And what will happen once Regine returns? You had a glimpse of the outcome of Jerry's doomed relationship with Thea in The Twins. So, where is this time traveling ride gonna lead us? Just you wait and read... *wink-wink* Vendehla... sorry I've been spelling your name wrong! :D
FRIGHT NIGHT FOREVA!