The Battle of Goodwin's Grave

Exploring the Castle

"Time to find a bed," I say aloud, trying to get up but my legs have fallen asleep. "Ugh just my luck..." I try to push myself up but my legs shake as I stand. I grab onto the table and steady myself.

Guess that took more out of me than I thought...

When I finally feel able to stand without holding onto the table, I walk over to my bag and pick it up along with the muffin and start eating as I wander around looking for a place to sleep. I walk around for what seems like hours but must only have been minutes, the sheer size of the castle overwhelming me, until I find the perfect room. It has a view overlooking the beach perfectly and once again, the scenery takes my breath away.  Looking around the room, I notice the luxurious white bed, the huge mahogany bookcase, a light pink arm chair, and a giant wardrobe, to point out a few items. The walls are also a light pink, matching the armchair and making me think of roses.

Perhaps there is a garden. I can only imagine how beautiful it would have been...

I drop my bag at the foot of the bed and look at the exquisite antique rug beneath my Doc Martens. I then notice something in the corner, facing away from the window, covered in a white sheet. I walk over and carefully pull the sheet off to reveal a beautiful vanity table and seat.  I let out a soft gasp, taking in the beauty and craftsmanship of the table. It also confirms my suspicions that the this room belonged to a woman, but not just any woman. Genevieve Goodwin, Vladimir's sister, the only person who ever really got close to Vladimir. I always admired her and her strength because the townfolk were quick to claim her as one of their own, but not her brother, but she refused to leave him behind. She always looked out for him, no matter what the personal consequences were, including dying without ever being in love. But then again, could she ever really have loved someone who couldn't accept her brother? I look at my reflection in the mirror and sigh as I look at my mangled hair, my red, puffy eyes, my mascara and tear stained cheeks. I decide to go and get myself cleaned up so I walk over to my bag and pull out a set of Batman pyjamas and fluffy socks. I take off my shoes, leaving them beside my bag at the foot of the huge bed and pull my jacket off, draping it over the top of my bag. I remember when my father described the layout of the castle when we came up here for a drive. I head to where the caretaker's room should have been and open the door to find I am correct. Smiling, I head in and look around the simple and almost bare room. I look through the cupboards and find a hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo and a soft white towel. I put my clothes down and wrap everything into a little bundle then pick it up, holding it to my chest as I walk over to the door on the other side of the room and open it to find, much to my surprise, a modern en suite bathroom.

"They must have renovated this room when they first opened the castle as a tourist attraction. It's a lot more plain than the other rooms." I wonder aloud and head over to the toilet, shutting the lid and I put my bundle of clothes and toiletries on top. I do my teeth first and then walk over to the shower, turning it on and letting the water heat up as I begin to undress. I grab the shower gel and shampoo and step into the shower. I put the shampoo and shower gel on the rack on the wall and start to get my hair wet, letting the hot water run on my aching shoulders. I lean my head bac and listen to the water run, focusing on the rhythm rather than thinking about my situation. Once I scrub all of the dirt and grime off of me and I wash the dust out of my hair and my fingers resemble prunes, I get out and wrap myself in the towel, humming "Car Radio" by twenty one pilots as I dry off and get dressed. I start to brush my hair when I hear what sounds like a violin.

"What the hell..." I mutter and grab everything, once again wrapping them in a bundle and carry them out of the bathroom and out of the caretaker's room. The music becomes a little louder as I head down the corridor and drop my things off in my room. I decide to go exploring again and end up in the kitchen. I walk to the pantry to find it fully stocked with fresh food, fresher than most of the food in the local supermarket and as fresh as the food from Hilary's.

"Something weird is definitely going on..."

I end up in one of the may rooms of clothes, wondering if I am just imagining the music when it stops. I get a weird chill down my spine and decide to look through the clothes to take my mind off of the eerie vibe I'm getting from the house at the moment. Some of the dresses are ravishing with beautiful fabrics and patterns and they are all hand sewn and all tailored. The weirdest part is that it seems that Genevieve and I were the same dress size. I see a few pairs of slippers which must match the dresses and pick out a few outfits which I put on one of the abandoned rails which would have been used for the costumes of the actors who took part in the re-enactments and push it back to my room. I open the wardrobe and find an abundance of dresses, coats, blouses, shirts and skirts, all varying in colour and style but all beautiful.

"Genevieve certainly had style, that much can be said..." I say as I hang up the other outfits and place the boxes of shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe as once again, the sound of a violin drifts towards my ears, this time a bittersweet melody which makes me feel elated yet sad at the same time. The player is very talented to be able to evoke these kind of emotions but the question remains - where is the music coming from?

AN - Any ideas? Finally a new chapter! Hope to get another one up tomorrow, I've got some already edited so I might be able to if I have time.

Thanks for reading!