Blood Shades

Chapter 2

Looking around, I hailed a taxi, desperate to get out of the rain. The only protection I had was my thin- but warm- hoodie. A yellow taxi pulled over, and the man rushed out from the driver's side, and roughly grabbed my suitcase, dumping it into the boot of the car.

I slid into the back seats of the car, twisting my thick, dark brown hair to get the water out of it.

"Excuse me senorita, where must you go?" the man asked, with a heavy Spanish accent. He had dark beady eyes, and greying cropped hair.

"Umm... to 34 Kase rd, gracias" I muttered, I had learnt Spanish when I was in 10th grade- it seems like times like these it comes in handy.

"Ahh...Tu sabes espanõl?" he asked- do you know Spanish?

"Si" I nodded my head. After that the car fell silent, as we headed down a main road. The streets were littered in garbage, but it still looked fascinating- I loved exploring new places.

"Cuánto tiempo hasta que lleguemos allí?" I asked the man-how long till we get there? I was starting to get a head ache- it had only been 2 hours.

"Ya mero" he replied- almost there. I nodded my head to tell him I heard what he said. The scenery hand now changed to a forest, there were about a million trees, and it seemed to go on forever. It was green, green, and green, brown. Green, green, green, brown. It seemed to go on forever.

"Estamos aquí" the man quipped- we are here, then he slowly pulled up into a giant car park, filled with cars and bikes and all that stuff. Behind it though, was the biggest house I had ever seen; it was as big as a 5 star hotel- and as luxurious.

"Gracias" I thanked, handing him some notes. He got out of the car, and took out my suitcase.

"Buena suerte" he winked- good luck, I got out of the car and waved to him. He started the taxi, and drove away, a content smile on his face. Breathing in deeply, I picked up my suitcase, and headed towards the entrance of the mansion. I gripped the letter tightly in my left hand, and knocked on the large oak door.

"State your name, and purpose" a deep gruff voice boomed. I gulped.

"Leera Evans and I'm here for Par Odor Lux" I said in a slightly shaky voice. There was a pause, before someone cleared their throat, and the door opened.

"Hello Miss Evans, please make you way through the hall, and the lady at the end will give you your details for your stay" he smiled unemotionally, as if he was a trained robot. Smiling faintly, I walked past the buff man, and headed down the marble corridor.

There were paintings of old people dressed in formal attire, dating back to the 1800's. They all had cocky, up-tight expressions on their faces. Walking past some more doors, I came to a stop at a modern, sleek desk, with an old lady behind it. She had a kind smile, and held her hand out when I smiled back at her.

"Hello dear, you must be Leera. I'm Jacqueline" she said warmly as I shook her hand. Taking out some pieces of paper, she shuffled them neatly, and placed them in front of me.

"Now, you will be staying on the second floor, in room...14" she said, handing me a map of the building.

"These are also your details for when you depart, and when you will get you blood drawn" she stated formally, picking up the rest of the pile.

"Thanks..." I said wearily, picking up the papers.

"No problem sweetie, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask. I hope you have a nice stay here at the House of Wolves" she waved, adjusting her glasses on her nose. I sighed, and looked at the map. My room was right above where I was now so... I had to find some stairs. Looking right ahead of me, there were stairs.

At least everything is turning out for me today.

Skipping the steps by two, I heaved my suitcase over the last step, causing me to stumble a little bit. Turning around, I studied the numbers on the doors- 8, 10, 12...14! Jogging over to the door, I noticed the envelope attached to the map. Inside was a key.

Ripping it open, I shoved it into the key slot, and turned it. It opened with a click, and I picked up my suitcase, dragging it inside. The room had a double bed, with a plain red doona, and cream walls with gold trimmings. Looking outside, I realised I had a view of the forest, and right in the top left hand corner, I could just see a waterfall. Sniffing the air, I could make out the faint scent of the maids and the cleaning products they used.

Having heightened senses did pay off, I thought smugly. Looking around, there was door to my right which I guessed lead to an en-suit. Taking a look, I grinned at the colour choice, everything was black and gold, with a hint of red, here and there.

Opening my suitcase, I pulled out my clothes, and stuffed them into the dresser, not bothering to fold them.

A knock at the door startled me.

"Excuse me Miss... are you decent?" a small, feminine voice whispered.

"Ahh... Yes! Yes I am" I muttered startled, a small body came through the door.

"Here are some soaps and toiletries you may need for your stay, and a few snacks and drinks for tonight, in case you get hungry" she smiled, and hurried out the door, closing it behind her. Looking over what she brought, I saw some bottles of shampoo, some cans of water and soda, and a few biscuits and fruit.

That's when I realised I hadn't eaten in a while, I had been on the go for 8 hours. Stuffing my face with some chocolate chip cookies, I jumped on my back, relishing the feel of the soft mattress underneath me.

Sighing softly, I knew my freedom would only last a little while. But for now I would enjoy it while it lasts.

 DeathxDemon