"Follow me." He muttered strictly while they followed.
"So, how long have you been living here?" Jessica asked and Sir Shkodra stopped, taking a chew on his strong Jaws. Adrian was scared-stiff that he was angry at his mum.
'Why on earth would she stop him?!!!!' he cried mentally, not saying a word
Then, Sir Shkodra continued.
"Why would you ask him that?" Adrian jerked at his mum.
"What?" She gave a low hum, but it was audible. "I'm just trying to be nice."
Jessica and her kids followed the strange man upstairs as he walked with both jaw and chest out and in a single file. Then he spun, his chest almost meeting with Jessica's face. She startled and took a step back just to take a better view.
"Boy, girl. That is your room." He pointed with a flashlight at hand. They didn't know he had it all this while.
'And why are the lights low?' Adrian gave a thought.
"Mother, your room is this way. Then he stared at the three of them. "Only two rules; stay in a room at night. Lock door and no noise."
"Actually, that's three rules." Stormie whined.
"Stormie, don't argue with sir Shkodra." Jessica warned, her eyes fixed on the strange man and a fake smile spread on her lips.
'Crrrrkkkkk!'
Then he pushed his neck backwards, making it creak.
"Okay kids. This is where we say goodnight." Jessica told Stormie and Adrian.
"What? But... " Adrian wanted to talk, but his mum cut into his words.
"No buts. Now, go to your rooms. Go, go, go..." She signaled to them while they both watched their mother in mystery to why she was acting strange, too.
"Lock your doors and sleep tight. Love you." she bade them goodbye as they walked into a distance.
Turning back to the front, her smile met Sir Shkodra's stone face. There was nothing to compare his stare but death himself. Startled, Jessica's smile dropped as she walked into her assigned too with fast footsteps. Sir Shkodra's neck creaked to the back without him turning, but Jessica was frightened to look back at him. She just entered the room and slammed the door at his creepy face.
Meanwhile, Stormie and Adrian were going to their room and admired the vaulted ceiling in the hallway.
"Hey, Adrian. Look at this." Stormie pointed to a photo-frame hang to the wall. It was a den of wolves in the picture. It read...
'What frightens us today is exactly the same sort of thing that frightened us yesterday. It's just a different wolf.' She paused, as if trying to understand.
"By Alfred Hitchcock. But dad always used to say that." Stormie pointed out.
"Yes, Alfred Hitchcock made the quote from the book, Little Red Riding Hood." Adrian replied.
"Who's Alfred Hitchcock?"
"Hitchcock is one of the greatest British film directors with a bunch of hits to his name, including over five Oscar nominations for Best Director, and a prestigious Irving G. Dad loves this quote because he enjoyed working with Alfred Hitchcock." Adrian explained to his sister.
"Oh, I see. I'd love to meet this Hitchcock guy, though."
"Yes, probably in the future. Now, let's go into our rooms." Adrian said.
"Why the rush? This place looks so heavenly, let's explore around a bit." Stormie persuaded.
"Are you crazy? Do you want to get caught?" Adrian spat, unwillingly.
"Caught by who? Look, there are no cctv cameras. It's just an empty castle." Stormie pointed, glancing upwards.
"Sir Shkodra."
'Crrkkkkk' The wooden door squeak and rattle eerily, making the both of them turned to each other in fear, wondering who it was.
"To your rooms!" Sir Shkodra's thick voice echoed down the gloomy hallway as if he was right behind them. Adrian and Stormie grabbed their bags and ran into their assigned rooms.
Adrian slammed the door shut, with his eyes, closed tight. He tried controlling his racing heartbeats, then gently opened his large, hooded eyes under his reading glasses. They decorated the room with heavy and ornate furniture, illustrating the Victorian style. The red velvet cushions and thick brown clothes were the least Adrian expected.
Stormie stared at the enormous chandelier that stood in the middle of her room, holding burning candles. With the support of the old lamps placed on the table, she knew how different she compared the place to her room in California. It was a good thing. Her room was purple themed. It reminded her of home.
"Wow, I so love this place." Stormie's lips muttered in awe as she moved towards her princess like bed.
Jessica, who had just entered her room too noticed this. On the tall wooden shelves were old books with fabric and leather covering the bookcases. The thickness of the rugs and the designs gave the room a rich and luxurious feel. The brown painted the wall was spectacular.
Jessica placed her luggage in a corner to check out the books. As a nurse, she has a great taste in books and wondered what these are about. Her index finger lingered on the first row abd she realized they were science book of chemistry, biology and physics.
"Wow, she must have been a scientist." Jessica thought, as her joint cracked.
She left the shelf and walked back to bed. Taking a tired glance at the entire room, she sat on the soft master-sized bed.
Then her eyes caught a cream coloured pamphlet, despite designed with red-velvet roses. She opened its first page and a tiny complementary card dropped out. She picked it up with care and it read...
Jerry Properties,
With compliments, Jerry Kelmendi. Your local real estate professional.
"Hmm, good." She took off her clothes, showered and tiredly went to bed.
The illuminating moon sank into the ocean of clouds. The night sky was a mix of black and navy blue, giving the castle a Gothic, silhouette effect. Everything aside from the bricks and trees was ebony and coal.
Just then, the lady in the red-velvet cape, Red riding hood, dropped a red-rose from her wooden basket by the gate and smiled at nothingness. Then she walked away, disappearing into the fog of the night.
***
It was morning. Sir Shkodra, like an electric robot, marched to the dining table with a big silver tray at hand.
"Umm, before you open that, I think you should know that I'm a vegetarian." Adrian explained.
"Vegetables and crunches. Was Magdalena's favourite." he explained and turned away.
"Umm, sir Shkodra?" Adrian called him back.
'Crrkkkkkk'
The three of them on the table looked around, wondering which door creaks anytime his name was called.
"Ummm, we are going to town after breakfast. Is there anything you need?"
"I'll give you a list." He replied.
"Is there is an internet cafe?" Stormie interjected. "I need to get online."
"We have good Wi-Fi here, girl."
"Really?" she smiled at Sir Shkodra.
"The password is crossbones. Hahahahaaaa!!!" His evil laughter echoed in the house, and Jessica dropped her cup of tea. It spelled horror. She thought and with one look at Jessica, his smile stopped.
"Here's the key." He dropped a bunch of keys on the table. "Be careful on the road, the truck speeds trap." Sir Shkodra warned and walked into the kitchen.
Jessica took her kids into the old truck and. It zoomed swiftly on the road. In town were statues, enormous trees and a hundred of people. Some were dressed in gothic costumes that would make one wonder what the occasion was.
Stormie put on her dark shades, in her black dress and thick leathery boots. While Adrian wire a casual, sky-blue shirt and black Jean trousers. With his transparent reading glasses fixed on the straight bridge of his nose.
"What, Jerry Properties?" Jessica's eyes read the signboard before her. She looked amazed and interested to meet this, Jerry.
"Okay kids, you can go shopping. I will catch up with you guys later." She told the both of them and stopped again.
"Adrian, take care of your sister and Stormie. Don't bring home any stray vampires, okay?" Jessica warned before walking away, in the direction the signboard was.
Stormie chuckled as they walked into the market. The place was a big crowded with Alpha's Saga hung out on posters around the place. Adrian watched some kids buying balloons while a young teenage boy like himself was selling decorative masquerade masks. He'd always wanted to try it on, though, but he just passed through.
"And Alas! The great protector of Wolfsberg! The beast, standing tall on the highest mountain." A man dressed up in black called out in the middle of the market where the status of Wolves was.
"Behold, the Alpha wolf of Wolfsberg! The beast, standing tall on the highest mountain."
He was reminding the people about the upcoming fest.
"Adrian, I can't believe we came here like seriously? This place is exceptional! Let's cruse around and check around." Stormie persuades in excitement.
"No, naughty. We are not cruising. We have a list, remember? Let's buy the stuffs first.... Is that the grocery store?" He asked, standing in front of a shop that held a big signboard.
"That should be it!" Adrian smiled. "Let's go!"
He pulled Stormie by the hand, but she jerked her brother's hand off.
They got in and it was another surprise. Everything was there. Fruits, veggies, foods, ingredients, oils and everything pertaining to food.
"Wow, this is outstanding!" Stormie smiled, taking off her sunglasses. She walked towards the oils and then the powder.
"Oh, cool. Scorpion venom. Python Oil, Lily flower roots..." She took a bottle, trying to get what colour it was exactly, but she couldn't figure out because it was in a small black bottle.
She moved to the next, which were eggs. Eggs of different species and she was amazed.
Jessica got to the pub house and knocked on the wooden door. It wasn't locked, so she peeped in. Unsure whether to enter. Then, she saw a paper, folded in a bottle and hanged to the gate knob. She pulled it out to read.
'I'll be back by 6:00 p.m.'
"Oh, he must have stepped out." Jessica said to herself. "Should I call him or not?" her mind played on the thought.
Adrian opened the list Sir Shkodra have him, confused about what language it was because he couldn't even understand a thing except... Pumpkin.
Kalebasse.
He carried a big round pumpkin and lifting it up; he mistakenly hits someone. The big pumpkin on his hand fell on the person and her feminine groan made him realise it was a girl. She had red-to-orange ombre hair that almost looked like the pumpkin and her wavy hair covered her face. She was on the floor with all she picked in her shopping basket, scattered on the floor.
"Oh mein Gott! bist du blind?" The girl packed a portion of her hair and hissed at him. Pissed.
Her green-leafy gown expose a better portion of her thigh, she quickly adjust it while Adrian watched her confusedly.
"Backpfeifengesicht, you idiot! Why are you staring at me like that?" It was the first time of seeing a girl in Wolfsberg, about his age and she lost him for a moment.
"Umm, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were there." He carried the pumpkin off her so she could stand.
Looking at him properly, her slim, raised eyebrows dropped as they both gave a strong eye contact. "You should be careful around here, okay?" She chime in.
"Okay, I will." Adrian replied adjusting his reading glasses.
"Maria." She introduced, giving her hand.
"I'm Adrian." He wanted to shake her back, but the pumpkin almost dropped. Maria smiled, knowing that he couldn't carry it with a hand.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned around, picking up the fruits and vegetables into her shopping basket.
Adrian watched her from behind. Thinking about how to talk to her. He literally has called no lady's name except his mum. Right now, he was in an awkward position. After picking the fruits, Maria turned back to him and he held the list with closed eyes. She wondered if he was meditating or something.
"Verzeihung... Excuse me." She told him and he woke up from his thoughts.
Her doe-like black eye searched his as if asking what was wrong, and he stared at her once again.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thing is, I have a list and I don't really understand anything about it." He stuttered, speaking a little faster.
"Okay, let me see." She offered.
Adrian gave her the list, and her eyes scrolled through it, briefly.
"So where do you live?"
"At the Wolfsberg's mansion." he replied her.
"Oh, that's good. So you know Sir Shkodra?" she asked.
'Crrrkkkkk!'
A high, groaning sound, like a rusty gate swinging shut interrupt their conversation. And Adrian felt watched.
"Yes." he replied, scratching his neck while she smiled. Getting a shopping trolley for him.
"I see you're new here. Are you American?" She picked some leafy greens and onions for him.
"Yes. I came in yesterday."
"Wow, that's exceptional! I would really have to visit America someday. To own a restaurant and visit the Golden gate Bridge at San Francisco, Disneyland park, palm springs, Santa Monica and other beautiful places." Adrian ended up laughing at her.
"Don't mind me. I always sound stupid when fantasizing." Maria admitted.
"No, you don't sound stupid. You're cute. And sweet. I mean.. " He turned his back to her and closed his eyes. "I have always loved football as a kid, but I really suck at it."
She seemed to be cheerful, and he was, as usual, boring.
"Umm, I just want to say. Maybe one of these days, we should go out together. I mean, I could show you around Wolfsberg as friends. Especially under the full moon." Maria suggested, even though it was their first meeting.
"Oh, that would be great, but I don't go out. I mean, I'm new here and I won't be staying for so long. I need to look for my sister now." He wiped off the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. As if horror-struck.
"But we could-" She interjected.
"I'm leaving now. I should be leaving." Adrian turned his shopping trolley away and some of the foodstuff dropped along as he walked away.
It looked awkward to watch him leave, but Adrian was petrified.
'Under the full moon?' He would literally die a hundred times than going there once. He wasn't interested in seeing the Alpha werewolf even if was a guy in the beast suit. He would literally have nightmares for years. He was thinking about this, Adrian just had to leave.
Maria toyed with her auburn hair, staring at Adrian as he fought his way out of the grocery store.
"I knew American boys were hot, but he's actually a cute..."
"Vegetarian." Stormie cut in. "He's my brother so don't waste your time crushing for him. Else, you'll get crushed." her fingers squashed a grape illustrating it.
"Where exactly can I find fresh chicken eggs?"
Maria couldn't understand what just happened but she felt crushed already.