SnowBaz One-Shots

The Pitch Manor 1/7

The rattling of the train tracks jolts me awake with a startled gasp. I momentarily had forgotten where and who I was. I sit upright and wipe the back of my hand on my mouth, to clean off any excess result of sleep. I look to my left and see a man with a beard that I can swear moves and a lock of hair that keeps fluttering with each breath. I breathe a sigh of relief and lean back on my chair, looking out the window.

I try not to think of what just happened. What has been happening? And what is yet to happen. I don't want to think about him. I don't want to think about what he just did. I just don't want to think.

The train stops at yet another station, but this one happens to be mine. I fidget against the head of the seat in front of me, not wanting to rub the man in the wrong way, and get my small duffle bag from the compartment overhead. My wand threatens to fall out that I quickly tuck back in. Another thing I don't want to think about.

The station is crowded with people rustling again each other to get to places. I shuffle past them to get to the front of the building. I guess I need a taxi or something of that sort. I reach inside my pockets to take out the crumpled up paper that has an address messily scribbled on it. That's where I'm supposed to be.

I spot a taxi and it's driver who is waving for me to come, and I almost do. But then I remember something else that I need to do first. I go back inside the station and to the bathrooms. I make sure that no one is lurking around inside a stall before going in one my self and taking out the wand. I pull out some pieces of paper from a notebook that has chemistry notes scrawled on the pages. I won't be needing those anymore.

I take the paper and point my wand to it and whisper a quick "You are worth more," and the paper spins into money in front of my eyes. I tuck the notes in my pocket and blow the smoke from the top of my wand before stuffing it back in my bag and leaving the bathroom to get back to that driver. I should make me feel guilty that I'm making money out of nothing, and it would've at one point, but I can't bring myself to feel much of anything right now.

I call for the driver and get in the seat beside him while showing him the address, he huffs a breath of exasperation as he starts the car and moves us to the road. I guess the manor is quite a bit further away from the main city. But I didn't expect a mansion in the middle of town either.

The sky is dark outside, and the streets are bustling with activity. The lights illuminate the shadows in the corners engaged in heavily intimate activities, and a couple of people walking, or more like stumbling, on the sidewalk and they come to a door, burning it open and strutting in. There are two people huddled together as one giggle and the other swings an arm around her shoulder. They do that all the way to the end of the block and then disappear from view. There is a man kneeling next to a plant pot hurling in fluctuating gasps and another caressing his make. There is a girl slipping off her heels and handing them to her friend, and a boy with a briefcase speed walking to an apartment. A man losing up his tie as he ruffles his hair. Everyone here belongs. It sends a pierce through me.

An hour and forty-five minutes later, the car pulls up to a huge driveway that eventually leads to a porch. There is a small silver of activity happening at the back as the noise and laughter would suggest. I hand the driver the money and I barely get out my duffle as he speeds off and I'm left standing in front of this house - if you can even call it that - not knowing what to do next. I should've just gone to Agatha's and waited for her to come back from her vacation. But a small part of me knows that she would not welcome me with open arms either. I go up to the door that intimidates me as I ring the doorbell. The door is carved with delicate swirls, and I'm sure that there is a hidden message in there somewhere, and if I wasn't so nervous, I would look for it. But I shuffle on my feet and don't have to wait long before someone swings it open. I extend my hand in greeting but am met with nothing.