Dennis and Mia met the girls when they reached the other side of the bridge, and escorted them to where Levana had another delicious feast prepared for them. On a table there were foot-long hot dogs with relish, grilled cheese sandwiches, curly-fries, piles of coleslaw and potato salad, an array of cupcakes, and five flavors of soda-pop. Charlie and Vaggie had not eaten lunch or dinner today due to the horrible event that had happened at school so naturally they were starving and dug into the meal without second thought.
"Levana is most pleased that you two came for another visit." Dennis said. "She has been most anxious to see you both."
"Yes." Mia said. "She was very upset when you didn't come see her for those two nights."
"We're sorry." Charlie said. "We didn't know that she was expecting us."
"Well just try to keep that in mind next time. Believe me, you wouldn't want to see Levana angry."
Dennis looked at Mia, Vaggie didn't see it but Charlie did and could have sworn that he was giving her some kind of warning with his stare. Mia then put a finger to her lips.
"Is everything alright?" Charlie asked.
"Yes." Dennis said. "Everything's fine and about to get better. After you eat, Levana has something very special planned for you."
"What is it?" Vaggie asked.
"It's a surprise, but you'll definitely love it."
Before he and Mia left them alone to dine in peace, Dennis told them to follow a corridor in the palace and when the girls finished eating, they went down that corridor, eager to see what wonders Levana had for them this time. The two were halfway to the other end of the hall when there came a polite noise from behind them both. Charlie and Vaggie turned around and some how, standing at the top of the left wall was Alastor.
"Good evening ladies." He said. "Didn't expect to find you back here anytime soon."
"What are you doing up there?" Charlie asked him. "How did you get up there?"
He answered her question by merging his body with his shadow, seemingly vanishing into the black figure. The shadow then slid down the wall and when its feet touched the floor, he reappeared from his dark-colored doppelganger.
"Charlie, do you know this guy?" Vaggie asked.
"Yes. This is Alastor." Charlie introduced.
"Alastor? Isn't that the name of the creep Levana warned us about?"
"Possibly." Alastor said. "I'm not the only person in the world named Alastor, you know?"
"But I bet you're the only one with that name in this world." Vaggie said suspiciously.
"And what if I am?"
"If you are then you better leave us alone."
"Now there's no need to be alarmed by my presence Vaggie. I have no reason to cause you any harm or misfortune."
"How do you know my name?"
"I make it my business to know everything that goes on in this place. He lives here and who visits here. What everyone does here and what little secrets everyone here is hiding. And no one's secrets are more juicy than Levana's. In fact I know all of her secrets. Care to hear them?"
"I don't think we should." Charlie said. "Everyone is entitled to have secrets and privacy."
"True, very true my dear. But sometimes, certain secrets must be told. Especially the ones that belong to the likes of her."
"What do you mean?" Vaggie asked.
"Well Levana just seems so perfect, doesn't she? She plans fun activities for you, cooks the most delicious meals for you, pretty much gives you everything you want. Everything about her and what she does is just so good that it can't be real."
"Is there a point to this?"
"Yes, did it ever occur to either one of you that she might be just a little too perfect? Hmm?"
"What are you getting at exactly?"
"If someone is as seemingly perfect as Levana then it normally means that she has quite the collection of inner demons."
"What are you talking about?" Charlie said. "She's one of the nicest, sweetest, most generous people I've ever met. She does all these amazing things just to make kids happy."
"Yes, that's what she says. But how do you know, she's telling the truth?"
"Why would she lie about that?"
"Oh come now ladies, you can't really be that naive, can you?"
"Well why don't we take a moment to describe the two people who informed us about the other and figure out who's telling the truth?" Vaggie said. "Levana is albeit very strange but she's caring, generous, from what we've seen, she just wants to make kids happy. Then there's you, who is totally creepy, sneaks around in the shadows, wears a mask, and has produced no evidence to indicate that we should be suspicious of Levana. Now if you were in our position? Who would you believe?"
"Hmm..." He said thinking and looking somewhat amused. "You make a very convincing argument. My compliments to your debate skills, ever thought about going into law school when you graduate?"
"So you admit that Levana is right about you?"
"I never said that. I just said that you propose a good argument. You can do that and still be wrong. Now let me propose my own good argument, what evidence has Levana produced that indicates that you two should be wary of me instead of her? How well do you really know Levana?"
"We know that she doesn't act creepy or stalk girls."
"Not in a way that's obvious."
"Look what do you want from us?"
"I'm trying to warn you. You really shouldn't be here. If you're smart, you'll go home. Now."
"Why are you telling us this now?" Charlie asked.
"Because it's not easy to warn people about her in this place. She's got eyes and ears everywhere. But she's away at the moment, in a part of this place where she can't see or hear as well. I took the opportunity when I could."
"And you expect us to just automatically believe you?" Vaggie asked.
"No. I know all too well how good of a manipulator that woman is. But I'm hoping that you will at least think about my words and act cautiously."
"Well if she really is a threat, why don't you tell us what makes her so dangerous?" Charlie asked. "Why should we leave this place?"
"I'm afraid you won't believe me. The others didn't believe me when I told them. They just thought I was crazy."
"Others? What others?"
Suddenly Alastor froze, as if he could sense something coming. His rather arrogant and cocky facade didn't change but Charlie somehow knew that he was afraid. Very, very, afraid.
"Forgive me for leaving you, but if she ever catches me it's curtains."
However he didn't leave without giving them something to aid them. He opened his jacket, and from the inside pocket he presented the crystal that he had tried to give Charlie the last time she was here. Next he gently took Charlie's hands into his own, placing the crystal into them.
"I know you said that you didn't feel comfortable accepting gifts from me, but please, for your own sake take this. It's not just a pretty bobble. It's magic. If you ever want to see anything or anyone in this world just look through this crystal and if you ever want to find anyone here, just roll the crystal on the ground and it will lead the way. And whatever you do, don't let Levana see it."
Then Alastor scrambled across the floor and disappeared into his shadow which flew off around the next corner.
"It's official, he is by far the creepiest person I have ever met and I know Angel and his cousin." Vaggie said.
"Yeah he is very peculiar." Charlie agreed, but then looked down at the crystal in her hand anxiously. "But maybe we should consider what he said."
"Charlie he had all the red flags. Stalking, breaking in, targeted two teenage girls, even giving you gifts. These are all the classic moves of a sexual predator."
"I know but I don't think he was lying and...He did save my life, remember?"
"But Levana said it was all an act."
"But what if it's not."
"You're saying that you believe him?"
"Not exactly. He does have a point, we don't really know Levana that well. She is sweet and caring but we don't know who she is or where she came from. At the moment I don't know who to believe but he seems sincerely convinced that she is dangerous."
"She seemed convinced that he was dangerous too."
"I know but if he wanted to get us into bed, wouldn't he have already done it by now?"
"Not all rapists go straight to force. Statutory rape is when an adult seduces a minor. He's probably trying to seduce us."
"Okay I might have no experience with sex yet but nothing he did came off as seduction to me. Did it come off that way to you?"
"It doesn't always start out as seduction. Nine out of ten, it's starts out as friendship and trying to do someone a good deed. Like warning them?"
"I can't argue with that." Charlie said recalling how Stolas went about seducing Blitzo by offering to help him sort through the misplaced mail. Granted, Blitzo wasn't a minor at the time. He and Stolas were both consenting adults. However was Alastor even an adult?
"Vaggie about the whole suspicion of statutory rape, I don't think that's possible. At least not now and not entirely."
"How do you mean?"
"Well Levana said that he was forty but he told me that he was born in 1991, that makes him a year and a half older than us."
"Obviously he's lying about his age. I mean you saw him, he looks like he and your foster father could be the same age."
"Well maybe he has a hormone or a growth disorder. Something that makes him look older than he actually is? Or maybe it's just that costume he's wearing."
"That's another thing, what's with the mask? How can he expect us to trust him, if he hides half his face?"
"You're not wrong about that. I tried to take a look under there once but he panicked. Telling me that what's under that scarf is worse than anything I can imagine and he ran off."
"Once again, he's the one acting suspicious. So maybe he's the only real danger in this place."
"I suppose you're right. If anyone acted like that back home, I'd run straight inside the house and not come out until they were gone."
"So let's stay away from him like Levana said. Clearly he's the bigger threat."
You're right."
Still Charlie kept the crystal Alastor gave her. She dropped it right into the pocket of her sweater. It couldn't hurt to hold on to it right?
