"Just admit we are lost"
"We are not lost, I know where we are"
Janette and Johnny had been mount climbing with a group of foreigners when Johnny fell off the cliff and dragged Janette with him. They had found a small village hidden in the woods, the owners of the tavern had told them about the castle that stood far from any civilization where monsters lived. Apparently, the path was full of challenges, such as ghosts and a cemetery that people swear zombies lived in; no one had ever tried to accomplish the journey.
So, of course, Johnny was totally on board to go take a look and see if the tale was true.
She sighs and readjusted her backpack, her feet were killing her and she just wanted to fall to the ground and sleep there. It wasn't impossible as they had a camp tent and some food and water.
"Janette, look!" Johnny smiled pointing ahead of them.
"Are they..."
"In flames? Yeah"
Janette watches confused as Johnny smiles excited. Without thinking, they lean and witness as a passage opens from beneath the ground and they walk to it.
"We should go" Janette says, starting to pull away.
"Right, let's follow them!" No questions asked, he just left her to follow him.
"Johnny! That's not what I meant!" She screams in a low voice but doesn't see any other way to make him stop. "You're going to be the death of me" And follows him.
Of course, Johnny would believe that following a bunch of dudes lighted in flames is a good idea.
The last time she had been underground in a small passage like this one was in Paris, when she visited the Catacombs, it was an interesting trip but there was a difference between being surrounded by death than following guys that were defying life by being burnt alive and still moving.
"Whoa!"
As they emerge from the passage the view of a castle greats them. This must be the place haunted by spirits and monsters that the locals were talking about, Janette has to admit this is as pretty as the last castle they visited. If only they were following a tourist guide Inter of flammable people she may have enjoyed it.
Once they are in front of the door they see many people inside, Janette tries to get in but doesn't see Johnny also moving forward.
"Ugh! Wait, we are stuck!"
"Back away!"
"I can't, the backpack won't allow it!"
Miraculously they manage to get out but just as they take into the place a force grabs them and they are back inside the door, with a man using a suit and a cape.
This keeps getting weird.
"Who are you? And how did you find this place?" The man has a thick Romanian accent, but they can understand him.
"Oh, I'm Jonathan this is Janette" Janette looks around and notices they are going to a un humanly fast speed, but none of her companions seems to care "And we were just mountain climbing with some dudes...and heard this story about a spooky forest, and who's not going to go into a spooky forest, right?
"Everyone that told us not to venture into it"
He ignores her. "So, then we see these goofy-looking dudes on fire, and we just kind of followed them to this, like, amazing castle."
The man takes a time thinking what Johnny has said before speaking again. "How many of you are there?"
"Just us." Janette responds.
"We like to hit it alone. You meet so many awesome people in the youth hostels. Hey, speaking of awesome, that cape thing is killing it."
"Is there, like, a costume party here?"
"What have I done?! This is all my fault! You have to leave!" He hovers over Johnny and Janette. "Oh, no"
The man is probably having a life crisis.
Janette watches as a bunch of guests move to where they are, and is surprised by their appearance, they must be having a Halloween party or this is some sort of cosplay convention for monsters.
"Excuse me, one of your piranhas in the lake is very rude. He ate my sister-in-law"
"Be right with you." The man covers their mouth as he avoids others seeing the humans behind him.
"Mr. Dracula, we asked for a room with a view of the pool"
"The room's fine. We want to book a massage"
"I'll get back to you, Mr. Hydraberg"
"Dude, seriously, what's up? It's kind of funky to breathe under here" Johnny manages to take the hand off his mouth, but Janette just stares surprised at what seems to be a three head animal.
How do you even do that?
"Hey, Drac. How'd it go with Markus?"
In an instant, they were in what seemed to be a janitor closet.
"Ugh, could you tell me before you do that?" Janette complain, holding her head "I'm getting a migraine"
"Wow! This room's kind of small for a big castle. No bed, but check out these awesome dustpans they give you."
"Johnny, we are not sleeping here"
"Quiet, you fools! What weapons are you keeping in this container? Your pitchforks...?" The man takes Johnny's backpack and starts trashing it, he takes one of Johnny's clothes and sniffs.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you" But he didn't listen to her.
"Oh! I can't breathe. It's killing me!"
"Yeah, definitely due for a fluff and fold"
"That thing should be burned" Janette watched as Johnny threw the cloth back on the backpack.
"What is this? A torture device? A secret mind controller!? You won't read my thoughts. I won't let you!"
"It's just music, relax" Janette catches the phone and hands it to Johnny.
"Here, try it" He puts his earphones on the man.
"Ohh! It's taking my soooooouuull!"
"I mean, that's a way to put it"
"What?! But it's a good jam! Don't be a grandpa"
"You need to go. No human has ever entered this castle and if someone should see you, the safety of the hotel, the sanctuary, no one would ever come again!"
"Aw yeah! Go for it! Ever come again! I love your Dracula voice"
"It's so over the top!"
The guy dressed like Dracula doesn't even acknowledge their comments, lost in his own words.
"And Markus... If he saw you, he would know that I lied"
"Who's Markus? Is this his room? I'm good with a roommate. I had six brothers growing up, so I could totally share"
"If there is no other option, I guess I can share a room too"
Johnny and Janette wandered the room, thinking on how to divide the space for three persons.
"I can't kill them" Janette thinks she hears him murmured "It would set monsters back hundreds of years"
What?
"One time, in Hamburg, I roomed with this dude who I caught stealing my shampoo.I said Whoa, man, and he threw a flower pot at me, but he was cool"
"Good thing I rented my own room" She didn't want someone stealing her shampoo, it would be weird.
"What are you babbling about?"
"What? Whoa! Check out these awesome costumes" Janette walks to his side.
"Costumes"
Suddenly, the man grabbed their backpacks away and started pushing them close to where the costumes were. Johnny's complaints fell on deaf ears as the man pushed him onto new clothes, he gave Janette clothes and signal for a secluded space in the room where she could change.
"Whoa. Hey, what are you doing? What are you... What are you doing to my hair? Stop! Oh, wait, that tickles!"
Janette put the black dress that fell to her knees, it seemed like an old dress with embroidery on the sleeves and at the end of the skirt. He had given her some black shoes also. When she emerges from her spot she sees Johnny dressed in what she assumed is a Frankenstein costume.
"Check it out, I'm a Franken-homie!" Johnny poses guffinly.
"I'm either a witch, a vampire or a goth" Johnny laughs "I haven't decided yet"
"Enough talk, let's go"
He pushed them down the hall full of people dressed in costumes, Janette admired the decoration on the castle and found herself wanting to stay at least a night. She wondered what could be the activities in mind for a group like this.
"This is totally normal, not a problem here, this is just a monster with me"
"You really need to loosen those shoulders" Janette eyed the guy and watched as he gave her a hard look, telling her to stop talking.
"Man, everybody stepped it up tonight. Wait, why are we going to the front door?"
"Are we leaving? Because if we are, I need my backpack. Everything I need is in there"
"Bonjour, Dracula!" A small guy dressed as a chef with a French accent appeared in front of them.
A rat got close to their face and sniffed them, as if it was a dog.
"Hey, Sniffy. What's going on?"
"Not right now, Quasimodo" The man pushed them behind him.
"What? No. Don't be absurd. It's not a human, but Monsieur Dracula" He is walking with the rat. He is talking with the rat.
"How ridiculous. It's me"
"Monsieur. They're deviled lizard fingers!"
"Deviled lizard fingers?! I asked for spleens-in-blankets!"
"You ugly fool! I told you, he doesn't like the lizard fingers!"
"But you said..." Janette and Johnny take advantage of the argument to look at their surroundings. Johnny sees a skeleton and approaches her.
"Whoa! Check that costume out! Wow, seriously, I just have to ask: how are you pulling this off? I mean, it looks so real, like," He reaches his hand through her chest "I could just reach my hand through and..."
Janette gasps as Johnny's hand goes through the skeleton body.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Another skeleton approaches Johnny who backs away until he's beside Janette.
"She's... She's real! You're real!" He says, frightened.
"Yeah, and I'll give you a real beating! Keep your hands outta my wife!" He slaps Johnny who bumps into a big food, Janette runs to his side and looks up to see Bigdood's face. They start shrieking.
Johnny starts running and drags Janette with him, trying to get away and to a safe place.
➽──────────────❥
Markus helps his aunt Wanda go down the stairs, one of her hands was wrapped around his for support while the other caressing her swollen stomach.
"Honey, I just didn't know where you were. We thought you were still out."
He didn't want to tell her or any other about his awful trip to the human village or how he wont leave anymore.
"Oh, no. I don't know why I ever wanted to leave, the humans are so boring."
"Out of the way!"
Markus pushed Wanda into safety, as a broom crashed into him. He, Johnny and Janette landed on the floor, some meters away from the stair.
"What?" Markus grabbed his head, he was a little disoriented by the impact.
"Ugh!" Johnny shakes his head and moves to help Janette get up, as she was still lying on the floor "Woah, Janette! You okay?"
"My head hurts" Her voice was low.
Janette and Markus raise their heads at the same moment, and stare into each other's eyes. A purple flash passed by their eyes and a unknown feeling rushed through their bodies.
Markus smiled while Janette remained frozen on her spot, too disoriented from what had just happened. Dracula appears in front of Janette and Johnny, his back facing them.
"Markus, honey, are you all right?"
"Yeah, I think so" He laughs "That was weird"
"Ohh... My head hurts" Johnny complains after he lifts Janette off the floor "Are you okay?"
"Could be worse"
Markus tries to get another glance at the mysterious girl, but his father prevents this from happening. "Um, who is that?"
"Who is what? Oh! Oh, that?" Dracula answers nervous "That is nobody"
"Seriously, Dad?"
"Dad?" Janette and Johnny appeared moving Dracula's cape.
"Yeah, I know. Dracula's son" Markus rolls his eyes "Everybody freaks out."
"Dracula?!"
"Okay, we gotta go."
♡✩°｡⋆🕷- - - - -☽───⛧ ༺♰༻ ⛧───☾ - - - -🕷⋆｡°✩♡
ᴬᵗᵗ: ᴿᵉᵈQᵘᵉᵉⁿ-¹🌸