Heart of Glass

Chapter 2

The dark clouds opened and rain started pouring in a light drizzle. Ariel climbed out of the car, the cool air seeping through her jumper and she instantly regretted every light article of clothing she had packed. She held the box close, as if trying to draw some unknown warmth from its metal hinges. She glanced nervously at the house.

The sun had disappeared behind the heavy clouds and with the orange glow gone, it looked more ominous than inviting. The limestone appeared dirt encrusted with vines of Wisteria climbing over a large majority of the front wall. Some parts were covered in smooth green leaves and others left bare; the thin brown skeletal branches crawling up the house and reaching towards the Victorian windows.

The garden was filled with wilted flowers; lavender, dahlias, snapdragons, daisies, hydrangeas - and more that she couldn't label. A white rose stretched along the left outer perimeter wall, cascading over the top in a white shower of petals.

Outside of the car, she realized the house was actually three levels high. Two windows adorned the highest level. Movement flashed from the second level and she saw a face in the far right corner window. It was only for a moment; but she could have sworn it was some sort of malformed dog -

Crunch.

She jumped. Dobson had retrieved her suitcase from the trunk and it landed on the gravel loudly. When she looked back at the window, the face was gone.

"Would you like me to wait with you, Ariel?" Dobson asked.

She shook her head, feeling sick. "I've got this."

"Okay then!" He smiled and pulled out a card, passing it to her. "I'll be staying in the Cotswolds for the next few days so if things here don't work out for you, give me a call and I'll help you find somewhere else to stay."

She took the card, his cheeriness no longer so annoying. "Thank you, Dobson."

He gave her a final smile and climbed back into the car. She watched as it turned back down the long white pebble drive until it disappeared into the shadow of trees. A gust of wind blew down the drive, knocking her backwards and she turned to look at the house. She suddenly wished she wasn't so stubborn and had let Dobson stay.

Grabbing her suitcase, she dragged it awkwardly across the gravel to the front step. It weighed more than the allowed flight limit and she now knew that more than half of its contents were going to be useless while she was here. Unless she layered them, she would freeze to death. Breathing heavily, she stood before the large oak wood door. Her scar tingled and she rubbed it, closing her eyes.

Don't chicken out now, Winters.

She raised her fist and knocked loudly three times. There was a moment of silence and she wondered if anyone was home. Her thoughts drifted to the strange face she had seen in the window and wondered if it would be them who opened the door. Unless he was locked in his room, just like she had suspected -

"Hello, can I help you?"

The door had opened a crack and she saw half of a man's face peering back at her. No creepy dog, so the locked in bedroom scenario was still a possibility.

"I'm Ariel Winters. You were meant to be expecting me."

The door opened wider and she took a slight step back. The man appeared to be in his late thirties; round wire rim glasses adorned his face, hazel eyes just visible behind the smudged lenses. His straw coloured hair hung limply to his shoulders, the shadow of a scruff beard lining his jaw. Everything about the man appeared unkempt. It looked as though he had slept in the white shirt and moss green pants he was wearing for several weeks. Even though she couldn't smell anything untoward, Ariel's hand twitched to rise to her nose.