He needed to pee, badly. Trouble was he couldn’t remember where the bathroom was and he couldn’t find a light switch. The house was pitch black and deathly quiet. Unnerved by the silence he headed in what he thought was the right direction, trying not to make a sound. In what he took to be a corridor he tripped on a rug and slammed his head on the corner of a piece of furniture. Cursing furiously he rose and steadied himself against a wall, rubbing his head.
He paused, listening, but the house remained silent. Good. He hadn’t woken her. Relieved, he leant back against the wall and felt something digging into his shoulder. Finally, a light switch! He flicked it on and found himself in some sort of study. Now he could clearly see what he’d hit, an oak desk. Stained a dark brown like the floor it was large and old fashioned, and quite beautiful. There was a high-tech computer sitting on it, some paper and a printer. An old, wooden bookcase stood in the corner filled with various books. Peculiar ornaments were dotted about.
He found the door he’d been looking for staring at him from just across the hall. He sighed in exasperation as he made for the bathroom. Once he had satisfied his bladder he examined his injury in the mirror. It was already turning purple. Grimacing, he prodded it gingerly. That would hurt tomorrow; in fact it was hurting now. What he needed was some ice.
He found the kitchen, tugged open the freezer and pulled out a pack of frozen peas. They’d have to do. He turned to go but found that he was hungry. As long as he was here he might as well have a snack. Clutching the bag to his head he began to raid the fridge. He found a single slice of apple pie, his favourite, hiding at the back. There was a note attached.
Keep your hands of my pie or I swear I will feed you to Fang.
The hand with the pie in it froze half way to his mouth. He was afraid of her, and he was definitely afraid of Fang. Something about that wolf unsettled him, besides his enormous size, claws and teeth – something in his eyes, a look that spoke of abnormal intelligence, of an ability to understand every word you said. It gave him the creeps. Neither of the two had any love for him. Better not to eat the damn pie. He didn’t need to give them another reason to cast him out.
Carefully replacing it he settled instead for a swig of milk and cold slice of pizza and closed the door. Only then did he see the other note. Stuck to the fridge door by a magnetic letter X it read:
Gone to kill Marcus. Be back by 05:00. Stay in the house. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t go in my room and DON’T touch ANYTHING you don’t know how to use. Not that I care if you get hurt but I really don’t want to have to clean up the mess when I get back and then have to explain to Xandra why you are missing an arm. So I repeat, stay where you are and try not to get yourself killed. Brina
Frowning, he looked at the oven. The clock read 05:32. She should be back by now.
To be continued...
