The Mistletoe

Chapter XII

The girl, named Laura, after helping me clean the bloodstains off my face, escorted me with the other servants to the room where the rest of the servants stayed. I imagine they left the girls relatively close together, and having a boy in a room nearby wasn't well-seen.

I overheard that Carmilla seemed to come from an affluent family and had been abandoned by her mother after a carriage accident. Unlike her, I was practically a wandering homeless, so it's not surprising that they didn't trust me much, and I completely understood it. To me, it was already a miracle that they had taken me in.

The people in this era seemed much kinder and more trusting than in my modern time. The saying "things were better in the past" didn't seem so cliché anymore.

After bathing in what seemed like a kind of tub with boiled water, I managed to remove the remaining stains, and they gave me clothes from that era. Ready and dressed, I was waiting for someone in the living room, filled with decorations, candles, and lamps I wasn't familiar with.

"That's an oil lamp... Don't you have those in your land?" Laura's father asked.

"Yes... Yes, we do," I said, then thought, "There were, but it was a long time ago."

I noticed he had my backpack on the side with some things. His face was quite serious but with a touch of kindness; it seemed like I was about to be part of an interview.

"Laura told me your name is Miguel, right?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, that's correct," I replied, trying to pay attention to his British Accent.

I had learned modern American English online, through video games and other types of media like music and movies. I felt like I was in a British wizarding film; his English was formal with a British touch. I sat next to him and prepared for what would be a long night.

"Look, Miguel, I have a couple of questions for you. First, tell me what happened to you today?"

I paused, trying to remember my alibi, to keep it consistent.

"I was walking in the woods when I came across a pack of wolves. I had an axe with me for such cases, and I had to defend myself with what I could," I explained.

The man looked at me and then affirmed, "It's a great miracle that you came out unscathed; not many can achieve such a feat. But it's quite reckless to wander through the woods alone; I hope you've learned your lesson, young man."

"Yes, sir," I affirmed, wondering what else he might ask.

"I haven't checked anything of yours there, in case you're thinking I was rummaging through your belongings. But I need to know more about you. Where do you come from? What is your family lineage? Why are you in these lands?" After speaking, he paused to let me explain.

I had an idea, so I started. "My name is Miguel, I'm from Chile. My mother left my father and me when I was young, and my dad... sorry, my father...worked very hard as a teacher. I decided to seek a new life and took a ship to Europe. Since then, I've been wandering across the continent, looking for a place to stay," I finished telling him.

They say the most convincing lies are those that always have a mix of reality in them; one can even convince oneself many times. I couldn't tell Laura's father that I came from the future, let alone that I had just been fighting a group of vampires; they'd take me for mad, and I'd end up on the streets. This place was where I needed to be for now, until I found a way back to the future.

"Damn..." I thought. "I'm like Marty McFly, but with magic."

Laura's father observed my backpack carefully and said, "Both Madame Perrodon and Madam De Lafontaine found your clothes very peculiar, and the bag you carry is something I've never seen before. Are these your inventions? Are you a tailor?" he asked.