Came for the Low- Revised

Untitled Part 38

EPILOGUE

The morning was silent in the deep countryside. A thin mist hung low over the ground obscuring the view of the single lane road just beyond the shut iron gate.

    Bringing her bike to a full stop, Ava Starr placed her foot on the ground, balancing and waiting. She'd been given no code or instructions, so she chose patience.

    Her electric motorcycle was silent as she sat, allowing her to hear the birds in the distance and the rustle of the leaves in the brisk winds, all of it slightly enhanced by her helmet.

    It didn't take long before she heard the pop and crackle of gears coming to life, parting the gate down its peaked center.

    She revved the bike waiting for the gap to widen enough for her to ride through.

    With enough clearance, she picked up her foot and went flying down the private drive, the white mist swirling in her wake.

    Following the winding road down its incline she came to a spot in the road where you could stop and see the top of the hidden estate, its spires and turrets rising up from the valley like a dream. She parked her bike and pulled off her helmet, wowed by the sight.

    Her life —difficult as was— had taken her down so many unexpected paths. This one was no different, though what she'd been told to get her here had Ava wondering if there was hope for a better future. At least one in which she was not counting down the days to her death, or worse, a return to her physically tortured state.

    Slipping her helmet back on, she gripped the bike's bars and took a deep breath.     Whether or not she was ready didn't matter, they knew she was here now and there would be no turning back.

*

    "Hello?"

    The place seemed empty but she knew that wasn't true. There were signs of life everywhere—fresh flowers in the large vase on the entry table, the faint aroma of coffee and fresh bread—and the doors had been unlocked once she'd gone under the portcullis and through the courtyard. After all that she thought for sure someone might have been there to greet her. Not the warmest welcome, but she'd sure as hell had worse.

    "Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out taking it all in. The interior was a bit of a surprise. She'd been expecting nothing but doom and gloom after that long ride in and the fortified exterior, but in here— it was really quite beautiful.

    Ava walked through the massive foyer with its wood paneled walls, past the table with the flowers and towards the grand staircase made of marble and stone. Her eyes followed along as the stairs turned sharply to the right, ending in a long balcony. The cathedral window at the top of the landing let in a nearly blinding amount of sunlight which made her smile. She did not smile a lot, but there was something about this place... it was old, one hundred percent medieval, but she was not afraid. Instead it seemed to welcome her in.

    "I was told to be here today at this time?" She said a little quieter, clutching her helmet under her arm as she looked to the left. The doors that way were shut, but to the right was a sitting room with chairs and little tables and a few chaise all arranged so that she imagined you could have lots of people in the room for many conversations. She didn't like big groups of people.

    "I would have called but there was no number." She added walking towards the room only to be distracted by a large bust set in a stone niche in the wall to the left of the doorway.

    Going to investigate, she peered at the marble face. It was some man whose features were hard to make out in the smooth white, but he looked very serious, and very proud. She leaned in close to see the detail, until the sound of something like claws on stone came scrambling towards her making Ava spin on her heels, ready to fight for her life as she so often was.