Paradigm Shift [On-going]

Trouble

The start of the following week provided a distraction for Dean when Frederick contacted them, asking them to come to his house. He didn't tell them why he wanted them to visit, and even Seth did not know what was happening. Which annoyed him. He enjoyed having the upper hand in the form of his power, but for the first time, it had let him down. Seth didn't hesitate to verbalize his disappointment on the journey to Frederick's house and Roman and Dean were relieved when they finally arrived because it meant that he'd have to stop talking.

A tall hedge on either side of an electronic wooden gate hides the house from view and they had to be buzzed in by Frederick to gain access to the house. Inside the gate, the house sits central between a circular gravel driveway and is painted a pale cream colour. Only the front of the house is visible from the driveway. The rest of the house is sandwiched between tall trees, providing privacy to the backyard. All three men make their way towards the main door and Frederick opens it before they have the chance to knock.

"Thank you all for coming at such short notice" Frederick says as they make their way inside

The interior of the house is modern and as they step inside, they stand in the large kitchen / dining area. The counter tops are made of marble that blend perfectly with the grey and white color scheme of the kitchen.

Dean whistles as he takes in his surroundings. "Nice place"

Frederick smiles. "Let me show you around"

Just beyond the kitchen on the far right of the house is a lounge area with two large sofas, a coffee table, an open fire and a modest sized tv. The floor to ceiling glass windows in the lounge provide great views of the exterior of the house, which features a sizable pool and lawn area that extends up to the opening of the forest. As Frederick leads them towards the forest Roman, Seth and Dean are all wondering why Frederick had invited them here. He was showing them around his house like a viewing agent and Dean was just as annoyed as Seth was when his power failed to provide him with any answers. The forest itself is alive with wildlife and the three men scanned the trees as they made their way through the wildflowers, outgrown roots and fallen leaves, searching for the birds they can hear singing. A meadow is set amongst a variety of trees, plants, animals, birds, and insects, and a narrow lake is hidden just behind the meadow, carrying water downstream. As they followed Frederick back inside the house, Frederick showed them his games room directly to the right of the lounge area before leading them towards the staircase. There was a door to the right of the staircase which revealed an enclosed indoor pool and jacuzzi. Upstairs were three large bedrooms and a guest room. Each room had its own ensuite bathroom.

"Do you live here by yourself?" Roman asked.

"I do" Frederick confirmed

"It's a pretty big house just for one person" Seth added

"I haven't always lived alone" Frederick explained

Before anyone could ask anything else, Frederick continued the tour. Underneath the staircase was a door which led to a secret room which Frederick called 'the hideout' it was set up like another bedroom but on a much smaller scale. It contained a small bed, drinks fridge and wash room and Frederick seemed reluctant to tell them more about the room and what it was used for and instead led them down to the basement. The large space held a storage freezer and fridge in one corner where Frederick stored his blood and Frederick had some exercise equipment set up as a makeshift gym. Once they made their way back into the kitchen, Frederick offered them a drink and they sat down in the lounge.

"Not to sound rude, but why are you showing us all of this?" Dean asked

"It's time for me to move on" Frederick replied "and I'm leaving the house to the three of you"