The Vampire and Gear-head

Oh, Can't You See (Karl Heisenberg)

(The reader is inspired by Rosemary Walten from The Walten Files— you what's about to go down...)

———

"Why, no, Mrs. Walten. I'm afraid I haven't seen your husband in quite a while— I was hoping you knew where he was and why he had not returned to work."

Mrs. Walten looked up at her husband's employer, her eyes widened upon hearing that her husband's boss— The Duke, had not seen her missing husband either.

"C-Certainly you must know where he went off to! He couldn't just disappear into thin air." The distressed wife cried out, stepping forward and almost falling to her knees to bow to The Duke. "Please, I must find him..."

"My dear, I'm afraid I haven't a clue where Mr. Walten went to. The last time I saw your dear husband I had sent him to deliver an order to Lord Heisenberg at his factory—"

"The factory? He went to deliver an order to Lord Heisenberg." Mrs. Walten perked up upon hearing the mention of the lord. The Duke stared down at her as she turned away. "Perhaps the lord knows where he went to!"

"Mrs. Walten, it would be in your best interest to stay away from the path of Lord Heisenberg's property. He doesn't take kindly to those who simply show up on his doorstep." The Duke stated, his lips turned downward. "He's an unpleasant man and it would do you no good trying to search for your husband there."

"I don't have much of a choice! I must go see him. He may know where my Jack has gone!" Mrs. Walten said, looking back at him one last time. "If anyone can help me find my husband, surly the lord will." And with that, she departed from The Duke and began her journey to the gate that led up to Heisenberg's path. The Duke watched her body grow smaller as she grew distant, a sigh left his lips and he shook his head.

"I do hope you find him... Mrs. Walten..."

———

It was night now. The sun far behind the mountains.

The travel took most of the day and with winter well on its way, made the air dense and light. Mrs. Walten's feet were sore and blistered, her life as a stay-at-home-wife did not prepare her for such a journey. She would hope that Lord Heisenberg would show kindness and at least stay for the night. Surely he would.

Mrs. Walten grew tired, her legs burning and her chest pounding as if it would cave in on itself. She kept on though, the will to find her husband keeping her on the path to the factory. Even if Lord Heisenberg could only answer one question that would help her search, it was worth it.

Her husband— Jack Walten, was a long time friend of The Duke and helped the merchant with many delivers around the village and especially the four lords. Jack had seen the inside of each lord's property, all but one— Heisenberg, whom he had recently been sent to to relieve an order The Duke couldn't deliver himself. Jack hadn't been seen for the past week, seeming gone missing on his journey to the factory. No one knew what happened to Jack but they all had their suspicions.

Could it have been a lycan attack?

Perhaps he slipped off the mountain and hurt himself?

Do you think he took a wrong turn and got lost?

Different questions led up to the same conclusion— that Jack was dead and that he wasn't coming home. This left this poor wife home alone, with no answer nor husband. Each day she waited by the door, hoping— praying that Jack would walk in and embrace her with a loving kiss.

He never did.

And now she traveled up the mountain, just as he did a week prior.

Mrs. Walten stopped, a moment to catch her breath as the air grew thinner. She leaned herself against the steep side of the mountain, the strong stone supporting her weight. The higher she traveled, the colder she got. Winter was rushing in quicker than she could catch up, her thick, goldenrod yellow sweater tucked into her long burgundy skirt about the only warmth she'd get. Mrs. Walten wrapped her arms around herself before starting to continue her journey, however she paused when she spotted something up ahead. Something she recognized—