[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 5 ~ Midnight Howls

Anastay hated being told what to do and when to do it. Sheriff McLean had no right to tell her to stay away from the mansion. It wasn’t his property. As far as she knew, no one ever ventured onto this property anyway. Why couldn’t she just have a tiny peek at the place?

“He doesn’t intimidate me,” Anastay gritted to herself as she arrived at the pathway leading to the mansion’s entrance. The weeds in the front of the mansion stood almost to Anastay’s knees. She noticed the large oak doors guarding the entrance to the home. She knew that the doors were probably locked. She noticed that some of the windows had been boarded up. The old bricks had turned to a sour gray, some chipping and breaking from its age.

Anastay let her eyes absorb all the sights within the estate. She noticed that the bushes of dead roses grew in front of the home, but had been unkempt for many years. Now weeds and dead grass choked the frail bushes from life. Anastay noticed a small pathway leading to the back of the house. She peered curiously at the stone pathway. It looked to be made something other than rough stone. Obviously, it was aged and dirty with years of soot. She bent down to rake one of her slender fingers over the stone with an eager curiousness. The stone wiped clear and Anastay’s eyes grew wide in surprise. The stone that lay before her was a snow-white marble.

“How could someone let such a beautiful place go to ruin?” Anastay asked herself as she stood up. She wiped the dirt off on her jean shorts and followed the marble stepping-stones.

She hummed softly to herself as she followed the winding pathway. She wondered what she would find ahead of her. She noticed slightly that the sun was dipping into the trees, but she didn’t care. She wanted to see what the mystery was behind the mansion.

She stepped over weeds and thorns as she continued down the winding path. Curiousness was getting the best of her. She kept trying to imagine what these marble stones could possibly lead. Was it a special place where two star-crossed lovers met in their midnight rendezvous? Could it be a special secret between a father and son, or daughter and mother? She couldn’t help wanting to know where she was going.

Then she saw it.

“Holy Mother of God,” Anastay whispered huskily as she stopped walking. Her hands dropped limply to her sides. The sight before her was astounding. There were miles of roses raking across the garden.

The placed looked to be exploded with roses. Anastay’s eyes glazed over at the overwhelming brightness of each single rose. They each were the color of crimson red. She had never seen roses so brightly colored before. She dropped to her kens at the beauty before her. The sweet smell enchanting her as she slowly brought her finger to touch a rose.

Her fingers slowly reached to brush the rose petal. She wanted so badly to feel the velvety softness. She took a small breath of air, but something stirred her.

Just as she went to reach for the petal, a low growl startled her from her thoughts. She yelped in surprise as her fingers slipped, brushing against the sharp thorns. A slice of pain ripped through her finger, instantly drawing blood.

She yelped in surprise, turning toward the source of the growl. Anastay’s eyes grew wide with surprise as she held onto her aching finger. She could not believe what she was looking at. The menacing growl grew into a louder snarl. Anastay’s eyes caught on a dark brown ember, which were the beast’s bright eyes. His dark lips curled around his sharp, white teeth. The saliva dripped down to the ground as his fur stuck up straight into the air.

Anastay was suddenly aware of how dark it was. Her primal instincts began to kick in as her senses became sharper. She actually feared for her life. She took a deep breath as she went to scramble away from the beast. She went to reach for something to grab, but the thorns sliced her skin again. She yelped in pain. Her mind blanked. She scrambled back to her feet, ready to outrun the animal, but the animal was gone. She heaved a breath of relief, clasping her hands tight together. “A wolf – My God, it was a wolf,” was all she could say.