A Ghoul in the Making by Ryder Frost

Chapter Two: Ryder meets Kitty

The next morning, you wake up and there's clean clothes on the end table by the bed, raising an eyebrow you look at the outfit. It consists of a black shirt, black slacks, black suspenders, and black dress shoes. Confused you turn to see a big fluffy towel on the edge of the table as well and you raise an eyebrow. That's odd. You shrug and walk to the bathroom and eyes widening you see a huge claw-foot tub and a vanity with a sink that looks like it cost more than your entire apartment. The vanity is black stone with a blue sink that looks to be marble. There are toiletries, some shaving cream, a bronze razor, and some soft washrags and hand towels folded up. You look at the shampoo and open it, it smells a bit like burning wood and mint. There's a body wash that looks to be the same scent and grabbing a washrag, you walk back to the tub, filling it with warmwater and adding a bit of the bubble bath to it, as the bubbles hit the water, the scent of juniper floods your nostrils and inhaling deeply, you step into the tub and sink into the water letting it fill. Once it's full you turn the gold tap off and just sit and relax, closing your eyes, feeling the aches and pains from your fight fall away. A while later, a knock sounds at the door, opening your eyes, easing yourself out of the warm bath, donning the robe that was on the vanity chair, answering the door. A sister is there, and she looks away, speaking softly.     "I um I was asked to escort you to the dining hall, Papa wants you to join him for breakfast."     She looks up slowly seeming to take you in, blushing you smile and nod.     "I um, sure just uh let me get dressed.     Blushing a deep red, she nods and brings you the clothes you stupidly left sitting in your room. Mumbling a quick thank you to her, you close the bathroom door and get dressed, grimacing, you notice a tie mixed in with the outfit.     "Great, I never learned to tie these things." Sighing, you just wrap it around your neck and don the outfit, surprisingly, it fits perfectly. It looked like some kind of uniform, but it was soft silk and was rather comfortable. Putting the shoes on, you open the door and notice the Sister of Sin is making your bed, clearing your throat to let her know you've finished getting dressed, you smile stupidly at her and hold your hand out to shake hers.     "I'm Ryder, what's your name?"     "I'm Kitty, it's nice to meet you Ryder, let's get going but first, let's get that thing tied properly."     Nodding, you let her fix your tie.     "There we go, that's better, let's get to breakfast, we shouldn't keep Papa waiting."     Following her through the hallways, you realize how massive this place is and begin to wonder who the hell Papa is and whether they're someone to be afraid of or if they're just another face in this grand place. As you walk with Kitty, you see portraits of the brothers and they all have odd make up on, that looks skeletal in nature and each are wearing some kind of robes, reminiscent of the Pope but a bit flashier.     "What in the world is this place, and have I been thrown in the midst of some weird cult?"     Shaking your head, you continue taking in the walls of the Ministry, they're solid and built a bit like an old Abbey, the kinds you've read about in History books. You're so lost in the architecture, the high ceilings, painted to look like a stairway to who knows where, and Kitty taps you on the shoulder and you realize, you've arrived in a massive dining hall. It reminds you a bit of the mess halls at your old school and as you look around, there's more people dressed in the same outfit as you and a few are dressed like the Sisters. You file that away for contemplation later. For now, you're being guided to a higher table, like what the headmaster would sit at. Kitty gestures to the chair next to the higher one and blushing you sit down stupidly, terrified but intrigued as to why you're here and not with the others. Kitty smiles and walks away, leaving you there to wait and wonder what's about to happen. Suddenly, the grand doors to the Dining Hall open and everyone stands up and bows their heads almost reverently; you are now officially, freaking out. Quickly, standing up you bow your head as well so as not to offend whoever just entered. Suddenly, it occurs to you, you're sitting at this man's right hand, and you start blushing and sit back down sheepishly, unsure of what to do next. As you're sitting waiting for breakfast to start, Kitty hands you a mug of coffee and with a nod of thanks, you take it and sip it. It tastes slightly sweet, not at all like coffee and it puzzles you as it has a bit of a licorice aftertaste. The next thing you know the figure that was coming up the walkway is next to you and Kitty looks at you and gestures.     "Ryder, meet Papa Emeritus the Fourth."     With a gasp, you realize it's Copia and you blush even redder, feeling even more stupid. Copia chuckles and clasps your hands in his, you realize he's wearing similar make up to what the brothers wore in the pictures in the hallway, a white face with black details that are a bit skeletal in nature and you swallow softly, oddly confused but also, intrigued by this new look of his.     "It's alright Kitty, we've met."     She nods and curtseys walking away. You look down at your cup and continue sipping it wondering why you, of all people were chosen to sit up here. What's so special about you? You're a nobody that works for a restaurant that barely pays your rent. Clearing your throat, you sit back down unsure what to do anyway. Very confused by this odd reverence people seemed to have for Copia.     "Um, Copia, why are they calling you Papa?"     He laughed lightly. "It's my title hereat the Ministry, my brothers were Papa before me, but outside of services, I'm just Copia."     "Oh, well ok than."     Still perplexed, you shrug and sit down to eat your breakfast. After a few bites, you start to relax a bit and listen to the various chit chat around the dining hall and glance back at Copia, he is surveying the hall as if he's surveying an army. You wonder what has him so preoccupied and push your plate away after you've finished and continue drinking your coffee.     "Um Papa?"     Unsure how to address him at this point, you just use his title. He looks over at you and sits down.     "What's on your mind young man?"     He asks you and you stammer a bit.     "W why, did you have Kitty bring me up here? "I'm nothing special, and it looks like you have plenty of other folks here that would be willing to sit at your right hand, judging by how they looked at you when you entered the hall."

 Papa chuckled and looked at you his one silver eye seeming to sparkle.     "I see some potential in you Ryder, a lot of it actually and given your knowledge of guitar, you'd be quite useful around here I think."     "I um, well ok"     Kitty steps back up at this point refilling your cup and you notice that Papa doesn't seem to be drinking his, maybe he just doesn't like coffee or prefers tea, he has a cup, but it appears to be empty, and you don't recall seeing him drink anything.