As my car putted to a stop, I cursed myself for not stopping to get gas when I had the chance. I decided to walk and get help or use a phone to call a tow truck. As I started to walk, the rain began, followed shortly by thunder and then some lightning. It was then that I saw the large mansion that loomed in the distance. I decided to walk to the mansion to use their phone. The rain beat down in sheets, soaking me with every step The lightning lit the sky with a crack of thunder that shook the heavens. Enough to make even the Lord shiver.
As I reached the house, I looked to the sky, two red eyes glared back at me. Chills ran down my spine, taunting my with my fear. Suddenly a large bolt of lightning illuminated the sky and showed the large gargoyle statue that stared back at me evilly. I clutched my chest with relief and reached for the large knocker on the cold, heavy steel door. Before I was able to pull the bronze knocker, the door swung open slowly. I walked through the proscenium arch, and entered a long, dark corridor. On each side, there were gargoyles guarding each doorway. The musty smell lurked heavy like a fog. The many pairs of red eyes staring at me from the sides gave me shivers as I walked past them. They seemed to follow me with a protective gaze.
I entered the large room at the end of the long, musty corridor. In the center of the room sat a long, dark table. Sitting at either end were tall backed chairs. In the chair at the far end, sat a woman in her twenties. She offered me to dry my clothes for me, I agreed, after all, my wet clothes were weighing me down and rather uncomfortable. She led me down the corridor to a bathroom as she pointed to a black satin robe hanging on a bronze hook behind the door. I nodded and closed the door. As I waited for my clothes to finish drying, she gave me a tour of the main floor.
After my clothes dried, I changed into them and made my way back to the dining hall. Beth sat in the same seat as when I had first entered. She offered me a seat and a meal. I accepted as I took my seat opposing her own. We sat through dinner not speaking more than a few words. After we had both finished our meals, we went into an adjoining room to talk.
In the new room, there lay a single table, joining two black throne-like leather chairs. We sat down and began to talk. It was hard for me to focus because of the smell of sage and rosemary incense. It was over powering in conjunction with the smoke from the great numbers of candles strewn about the room. There, on a great pedestal, lay a great book, bound in human skin, with yellowed pages from the tests of time. On the cover, a pentacle centered with an eye stood guard over the content of the book. Large brass hinges keep the book from being opened by the wrong person.
I then realized my exhaustion. So I asked if I may stay in a spare bedroom for the night. She agreed and led me down a long spiraling staircase surrounded by cold, stone walls. The must strengthened, almost consuming. She opened the door at the foot of the great stairs, and led me down yet another great corridor guarded by numerous red-eyed, winged demons. They were again following me with their eyes as I passed them. We reached the end, of what seemed a mile, and opened the great steel door. On the other side, was a room comparable to the size of the dinning hall. A great statue adorned the room. The figure of another winged demon, only now watching over me, rather than for me.
After my hostess, left, I readied myself for a long slumber. Once I was ready for bed, I peeled back the covers and slithered into them. As I was getting situated, I noticed an ajar door. I got up to investigate, only to discover a room full of glass jars and books. There, the sage and rosemary smell was strongest, coming from the large incense burner on an altar on one wall. Hanging above the altar was the same symbol as on the old book, a pentacle centered underneath an eye. To the left of me, was another bookshelf containing more jars and books. I was getting tired, and it was getting late, so I headed back to my room to go to sleep.
It didn’t take me long to fall asleep, I was, after-all, very tired. I didn’t wake until late morning. When I did wake, I awoke to see my hostess standing over me, trying to get me up for breakfast. I looked across the foot of my bed to see my own guardian, the red-eyed gargoyle perched on it’s marble pillar. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and got out of bed and got dressed while Beth waited outside of my room. We walked down the long corridor as the guardian demons stood guard. We then began to ascend the long, winding stone staircase.
We proceeded to the large dinning hall to eat a breakfast of eggs, steak, and hash browns. After we finished our meal, she led me to another room to use the phone to call a tow truck. The phone was an older looking phone, very elegant. Made from brass and cherry wood.
As I was about to leave, I offered to pay Beth for her hospitality, but she refused any payment. I told her that if she needed anything, to call me. She agreed, and I was off. As I walked to my car, I looked back to see Beth staring out the window. I waved and she waved back then disappeared behind the curtains. When I finally reached my car, the tow truck was here. I asked him if he had any extra gas, and he did so I put it in my tank and drove away.
When I arrived home after the long drive, I decided to call Beth to tell her that I arrived home safely. She answered the phone and we must have talked for three hours.
A month has passed and the phone rang. It was Beth. She called me to her house so I made the long drive to discover her deathly ill. I asked what she called me for. She asked for my hand and placed in it a tattered parchment. I open the parchment to discover it was her will. She wanted me to have her house and belongings. And to continue to practice her magic and to help anyone who asked for it. She chose me because I had been the first to befriend her rather than betray her. I swore to her that I would fulfil her last request. She then cast her dying spell of knowledge so I would know her magic. And she was gone.
That was ten years ago. I am still living in her house with my gargoyle guards and my large dinning hall.
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