Inverted Deck

Inverted Deck (Chapter 44)

Chapter 44

The rusted doorknob begins to shake and turn, as the door slightly creeks opens.

"Who goes there?" An older woman's voice seeps out.

"Blythe Pendragon? Mother of Silas Pendragon?" Rosaleen says in a soft tone.

"Who wants to know?" The older woman asks still holding the door creaked, as her golden eyes stare through the small gap.

"I'm... it's been years and... I don't even know if you got my letter about my arrival but... I'm Rosaleen Blanchette, daughter of-!"

In a flash, a medium sized, older woman with gray hair with many streaks of brown, swings the door open and throws her arms around Rosaleen in a quick hurry.

"I know who you are, granddaughter." Blythe says holding onto Rosaleen firmly.

"Grandmother." A teary eyed Rosaleen reluctantly returns the affectionate hug. "Grandmother, your hold on me is s-so strong-strong."

Blythe quickly let's go of Rosaleen.

"Sorry dear, Atleast you know where your father got his monstrous strength."

Rosaleen laughs as Blythe holds her tear soaked face in her large wrinkly hands.

"My, you've gotten so much bigger since the last time I seen you! It's been far too long, come, come inside!"

Blythe ushers Rosaleen inside, I slip in behind them.

"Come, let me make you sone tea or something, your journey here must have been perilous!" Blythe says firmly holding her shoulders.

"My, what large hands you possess now Grandmother." Rosaleen says looking down at Blythe's large wrinkly hands pushing her forward.

"All for holding you my dear! You and your beautiful blonde hair! My son made a great decision choosing your mother so she could give you that radiant blonde hair."

Rosaleen instantly stops in her tracks, within the dark and cold wooden cabin room.

"What?" Rosaleen utters.

"What seems to be the problem deary?" Blythe asks.

"I got my blonde from my father, your son... my mother's hair is white." Rosaleen replies, slowly turning around.

"Oh... oh, RIGHT! Sorry deary, as I get up in age my memory begins to fade, hahaha!" Blythe laughs holding her large wrinkly hand to the back of her gray head.

Rosaleen continues to slowly turn around without saying a word.

Before she can fully turn around to face her forgetful grandmother, Blythe's large wrinkly hand on the back of her gray head, quickly and suddenly grows into a much larger, furrier hand with six inch claws at the end of her long fingers.

Blythe delivers a downward slash with her claws on to Rosaleen. Rosaleen blocks the slashes last second with her bare arms, leaving three large gashes into Rosaleen's arm, causing her to stumble backwards, leaving a trail of blood.

"Rosaleen's grandmother is half Beastian!? Or a quintessential Beastian!? No. Neither of those are it. Why would she attack her own grandchild after not seeing her for years? Thinking about the story of Red Riding hood and it makes total sense. This woman is an imposter."

The fake Blythe swoops in to finish off Rosaleen, but Rosaleen's eyes immediately turn red. The Caedis. The blood trail on the floor from the previous attack, leaps off the floor and cuts the fake Blythe's furry arm.

"NGHHH!!"

Rosaleen quickly kicks high for the fake Blythe's hand, but she quickly blocks.

The Shroud Scale instantly shoots around Rosaleen arms and legs. In the moment afterwards, the fake Blythe is flung to the closed door they just entered through.