Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 17

 17. 

 

Rudolf approached Sven, and asked for their stay at his cottage. “I am …….” Sven was reluctant. “It is a small place.”

“I can pay, Sven,” Rudolf offered.

“No, sir. It is not the money. I ……. Okay, you may stay. I need to clean the chamber.” Sven relented. “It is ……”

“Do not worry, Sven. We can manage. She is use to staying at the barracks and campsites.” Rudolf smiled. “We all did then.”

It was past dusk when Lauren was brought there and offered the bedding laid there for her near the fireplace. It was a simple layout of basic furnishings, and the windows were without any drapes. Sven was busy clearing the flooring of discarded items while she sat down and looked at the picture frame on it. It was the picture of Henry.

“My son. You may not have met him.” Sven smiled when he saw Lauren looking. “He is ……”

“I never met him, but father told me he was killed by ……. Someone. I am so sorry.” Lauren looked at the elderly man. “I was ……”

“You were at the mansion, and he …… Henry hardly stepped over there. He was always with Master Victor at the lab. They work together, or rather he helped there most times. He was not a …...”

“He was buried at the rear there?” Lauren motioned to the rear of the cottage.

“Yes, not far, but yes, there. I wanted him to have a proper place. And not far from me.” Sven nodded. “Please rest here.”

“Sven, did you find any stone necklaces at the mansion? Anyone you saw taking it?” Lauren asked. “It was ……”

“Lauren, do not be rude. Sven …….” Rudolf cut in.

“No, it is fine. No, I did not find anything of such. There were ……. Break ins but I am not aware of what was taken.” Sven placed on a weak smile. Suddenly, Lauren screamed out.

“It is…” Lauren pointed with her right hand at the window. “I saw …….”

Rudolf rushed to the window and peek out. He saw nothing out there in the dark. Sven had rushed out of the cottage, and paced the front of the cottage.

“Was it ……” Rudolf joined the other. “Was it ……”

“No, Sir. I do not think it was the ……. Your daughter may have seen a shadow and overreacted.” Sven turned towards the other. “I will check the surroundings. Please step in.”

Sven walked off while Rudolf took to the cottage. The elderly man walked towards the grave and saw nothing was out of place. He then whispered out.

“Do not come here. I have some guests. She is young and easily frightened.” Sven continued looking at the woods. “I will …… see you tomorrow.”

Unseen by Sven, Mary was hiding behind the tree. She had leaned at the window to see the girl. The girl was young and looked pretty, more than she does now. She held her hands towards her face, and felt the facial there. She hardly looked at her reflection in the pool, or river. Henry did not mind her looks at all, but a lady needs to look pretty. She recalled that from her memory.

The scream caused Mary to run and hide. She heard the men took to search at the front of the house. She waited for them to leave and then made her way to the grave. She looked at Henry but in the dark, she could not make out his expression.

“Mary….” Mary heard the low whisper. “You need to ……. Hide. No… stay away. I have guests.”

Mary did not turn to look but she knew the voice. She stepped off towards the woods, without looking back. She knew when she was not wanted.

“Mary……” Sven whispered but the lady faded into the woods. He turned to leave and then saw the stones inlaid there by the side of the grave. He was without a lamp but was used to the surroundings. He stepped over and looked at the stones. It was like any stones and did not look like a necklace. He stood there looking and then turned to go back to the cottage.

“Anyone outside?” Sven asked.

“No. I checked the surroundings and saw nothing. Rest now, Sir. Tomorrow we will search the …… mansion.” Sven took to the kitchen. He had not prepared his supper.

“Would you like to join me for supper, sir?” Sven asked. Rudolf shook his head and then replied.

“We are fine. Please go ahead.” Rudolf looked towards Lauren who had remained seated. He approached her and sat down next to her.

“Lauren, I ……”

“Father, I saw a monster there. It was a lady …… monster.” Lauren looked at her father. “Is it the creature you mentioned?”

“Creature? I did not ……” Rudolf denies it.

“The others told me of it. The creature is not of us nor of the living. It is the creation of …… another and we cannot sense it. However, I saw it then. It was by the window,” Lauren said. “I did not sense it.”

“Lauren, you may be tired. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we will look for your runes.” Rudolf assured the young lady. “I will stand guard here next to you. I still have the iron pegs. And my gun. No creatures or demons will get at you.”

Guarding was the thing on the mind of Victor then at the tavern. He was tired and took to rest on the spare bedding at the chamber. Mary Annabelle, however, was awake and stared outside the window. She was curious to see if she could make out her mother walking there, who was supposedly in the town. She felt sad that her mother will not take care of her. It was, well initially fun to be with her father but when he was at work, she was at the attention of the nannies. She did not realize she was without a mother till she was six. She asked her father, and all he said was her mother was away. It took her another year before she raised the question again.

“Will Mother come back?” Mary Annabelle asked. “Kathy’s mother is with her now. She returned to take care of her.”

“Soon. I will tell her.” Victor said. “Why do you ask now?”

“I have …… dreams of her. I cannot tell how she looked …… I was a baby then, but she appeared to me as my mother.” The young lady said. “I have not seen Mother’s face.”

Victor and Elizabeth had none taken of their picture. It was Elizabeth who declined.

“Well, when she comes back, I will tell her.” Victor said. “Now, may I ……”

“Father, I have bad dreams.” The young lady looked at her father. “I was running away from bad people.”

“It was a dream, my dear. Do not worry about it.” Victor shrugged his shoulders. “I have it too sometimes.”

“Did you see the lady who stopped them?”

“What lady?” Victor asked.

“Huge lady……. Ugly looking ……” Mary Annabelle sniggered. “She was there to protect me.”

“Ugly?” Victor turned to look at her then. “Was she dressed in men’s shirt?”

“Yes, she was, and covered in dirt.” The lady replied. “She did not speak but fought fiercely against those who were chasing me. I liked her. She was in my dream.”

“Mary… please rest.” It was that moment Victor decided to return to the town. He was to find his creation.

At that moment, Carmilla approached her sister at the other mansion. Annabelle was watching the strength of her shields.

“It is holding. The attacks by the demons are reducing,” Annabelle told her sister. “How are you holding up?”

“I am better but more rest is required. However, that is not the more urgent matter.” Carmilla pressed on the issue on her mind. “I am concerned on Lauren. She is ……. Alone and unexperienced to act on any threats.”

“I know, but she needs to get the runes. Once that is done, she will be complete.” Annabella said. “It is a task she must undertake. It must be done soon.”

“I am aware, but while resting, I was able to check on …… the mansion. I was there for some time.”

“I placed you there.” Annabelle said. “Soon after you were ……”

“Yes, and even when you were not there, I stayed on. There was one other matter I need to tell you.” Carmilla looked at Annabelle. “The creature…… the one that Victor was working on. Well, it was not to be …… alive.”

“It was a pleasant surprise to me. I was not expecting ……. Did you have a hand in it?” Annabelle stared at the sister.

“Yes, I did. I was there, and with my spell, I animated it……. Yes, animated it. I brought it alive.” Carmilla sighed. “I was not sure why, but it was done.”

“You broke the rules. It was a sacred spell. We were not to ……” Annabella looked at the other. “Why?”

“I do not know. At one moment, I was with Lauren and then to the lab, and I did it. I do not know why, or what but I did. It was the sacred spell, and I used it. I knew it was not allowed…… but it was done.”

“The spell was reserved for the …….us when we are …… Resurrection was our last resort. It has its ……implications. What did you do?” Annabelle shook her head.

“I gave the ……. Creation a part of me. It became ……. animated and somehow, I could not sense it as I would of any other living creations. Its …… alive and yet not. I know it was still in the woods near the mansion, and no one had discovered it.”

“Why did you bring it up now? Was it Lauren …... is she in any danger?” Annabelle grabbed her sister’s arms.

“No, Lauren …… should be fine. I sensed the return of Victor to the mansion. He is there with his … daughter.”

“My granddaughter? I have one?”

“Yes, you do now. We have been busy defending the mansion and Lauren that we did not sense much of anything else. Yes, you have a granddaughter named Mary Annabelle Frankenstein.” Carmilla smiled. “Her mother is Elizabeth Muriel.”

“No…….” Annabelle cried out. “William Katt….”