Josh didn't know where he was going; he just needed to get away. As soon as he was out of the dining room, he ran. The air in the mansion felt suffocating, and the tension from dinner had been like a weight pressing on his chest. He sprinted through the mansion's vast hallways, barely noticing the dark wooden floors or the flickering chandeliers overhead, and burst through the heavy front doors into the night.
Outside, the cool night air hit him like a slap, but he didn't stop. The mansion's expansive grounds stretched out before him, a labyrinth of gardens and dark, twisted trees. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't be out here alone—especially at night, when the grounds took on a different, more sinister atmosphere. But he didn't care. He needed to be away from them—from the constant bickering, the strange glances, and the sense that he was an intruder in this new family.
He ran until his lungs burned, finally stumbling to a stop near a cluster of dense, overgrown bushes. The moonlight barely reached here, casting everything in eerie shadows. As he sank to the ground, his back against a rough, gnarled tree, he let out a shuddering breath. Maybe this had all been a mistake. Maybe he didn't belong here at all.
Back in the dining room, the silence lingered after Josh's abrupt exit. Perkus leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, that went about as well as expected," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Acacia rolled her eyes, exasperation clear on her face. "Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, he wouldn't have bolted," she snapped.
"Me? I wasn't the one making him feel like he's under a microscope," Perkus shot back, his eyes narrowing.
"Enough," Theen growled, his voice low and commanding. He stood, towering over the table, his eyes flicking toward the open door where Josh had fled. "We need to find him before he gets himself into trouble."
Paylah, who had been hovering just above her chair, twirled a lock of her ghostly hair around her finger. "Looks like it's time for a little hunt," she said, her voice light and playful, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Who's up for some ghostly hide-and-seek?"
Acacia sighed, but her eyes held a hint of concern. "Fine. But we need to be smart about this. We don't know where he's gone, and he could be anywhere by now."
Theen stepped out of the dining room, his nose twitching slightly. "I can track his scent," he said, his voice steady. "It's faint, but distinct. Let's go."
The group moved quickly through the mansion's grounds, Theen leading the way with his heightened senses. It wasn't long before he caught a whiff of something that didn't belong—a mix of fear and sweat, mingling with the night air. He turned to the others. "He went this way."
They followed the trail, moving deeper into the darkened garden. Acacia's sharp eyes scanned the shadows, while Perkus lingered at the back, his expression half-amused, half-bored. Paylah drifted along, her form slightly translucent in the moonlight, a playful grin still on her lips.
The scent led them beyond the mansion's grounds, down a winding path that snaked through the woods. The further they went, the more uneasy the atmosphere became, as if the darkness itself was pressing in around them. After what felt like hours of walking, they found themselves standing in front of an old, abandoned house. It was small, dilapidated, and looked like it hadn't been inhabited in decades. The windows were shattered, the wooden boards creaked with age, and the door hung ajar, swaying slightly in the breeze.
Theen stopped, his eyes narrowing. "He's inside," he said, his tone grim. "I can smell it."
Acacia looked up at the house, her eyes narrowing. "Of course he would end up here," she muttered. "It just had to be the creepy abandoned house."
Perkus grinned, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "Well, this is getting interesting," he said, sounding more excited than concerned. "Shall we see what kind of trouble our little zombie friend has gotten himself into?"
Paylah floated forward, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Ooh, maybe there's a ghost inside! I could use a new friend."
Acacia shot her a look. "Focus, Paylah. We're here to get Josh, not make friends with whatever haunts this place."
Theen stepped up to the doorway, his shoulders tense. "Stay close. We don't know what we'll find in there," he said, glancing back at the others. Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, the floorboards creaking beneath his weight.
The house was dark, the air thick with dust and the faint smell of mildew. Theen's eyes adjusted quickly, scanning the room for any signs of movement. It was Paylah who noticed it first—a faint, metallic clinking sound, coming from somewhere deeper inside. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The group followed the sound, moving cautiously through the dark, narrow hallways. As they turned a corner, they saw him—Josh, sitting on the floor, his hands cuffed to a rusty old pipe. His eyes were wide with fear, and his clothes were dirty, as if he had been struggling to get free.
"Josh!" Acacia gasped, rushing forward. She knelt beside him, her fingers working quickly to examine the cuffs. "What happened? Who did this to you?"
Josh looked up, his expression a mix of relief and fear. "I-I don't know," he stammered. "I just... I thought I saw someone, and then..."
Before he could finish, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway behind them. Theen turned, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of a small, shadowy figure stepping out of the darkness. It was a dwarf, his beady eyes glinting in the dim light, a crooked smile spreading across his face.
"Well, well," the dwarf said, his voice low and gravelly. "Looks like I've got more guests than I expected."
Perkus stepped forward, his eyes flashing red. "Let him go," he said, his voice cold, a hint of a threat lacing his words.
The dwarf laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Or what? You think you can scare me, vampire?"
Theen growled, baring his teeth. "We're not here to scare you. We're here to take him back."
Paylah floated closer, her eyes glowing faintly. "And if you don't, well... I have a few tricks up my sleeve." She raised her hands, and the air around her seemed to grow colder, a faint whispering sound filling the room as the spirits she commanded began to stir.
The dwarf's smile faltered, and he took a step back, his eyes darting nervously between them. "Fine, fine," he muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key. "Take the boy. I was just having a little fun."
Acacia grabbed the key and quickly unlocked the cuffs, helping Josh to his feet. "Come on," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "Let's get out of here."
As they led Josh out of the house, Perkus glanced back at the dwarf, his eyes still glowing faintly. "Next time, pick someone else to mess with," he said, his voice low and menacing.
The dwarf said nothing, his smile now gone, as the group made their way back through the dark woods toward the mansion. For the first time since dinner, Josh felt a strange sense of comfort. Maybe he didn't belong with this family yet, but tonight, they had come for him. And that was enough.