Blood Cherries

The Manor

Nigfhtfall, I'm cleaning this old and grim house. My name is Alexandrix Delano. Being a butler at the Rancroft Manor, you can expect the same thing every night: nothing. It's tedious, it's monotonous, uneventful. There is something about this house though, that is it could either give someone the creeps, or give one a feeling of suspicion. When I first started, the decrepit owner Mr. Rancroft told me stories of the house, saying that 5 of his butler didn't last long. I did my research and found that the butlers had disappeared without a trace. Were they murdered? Who really knew? You ask anyone about Mr. Rancroft, and they'll tell you inconceivable stories about how he's a murderer, an heir to Satan himself. To me he seem like a cliched cantankerous old man, the type to read the newspaper while sitting in a rocking chair, telling stories about the good old days. I didn't mind getting constantly yelled at, he's an old man, he doesn't have that much time to live anyways. Although, there's another rumor. Some believe that Mr. Rancroft is immortal, and that he's 178 years old. I find it to be preposterous. But hey theories are known for being ridiculously wild. Anyways, I was walking through the dark and ominous halls of the manor and I passed a room where Mr. Rancroft's safe stood.

I had been looking for this for the longest time, it was a bronze and gold safe, and I knew what was in there. The wealth of the Rancroft family. The story of the Rancroft's family rise to wealth is that Mr. Rancroft's great-granfather Henry Rancroft had married a fat whore whose father was a dying businessman looking for someone to take over his industrial business. And sure enough Henry Rancroft nominated himself as successor. But the dying businessman said he would only appoint Henry as successor, if he could poison the competition. Henry did, but without getting his hands dirty, the old man died and he took over. Generation after generation there was always an heir who took after the last when they died. The Rancroft's net worth is 850 million dollars. I knew Mr. Rancroft didn't trust banks so he held all of his money in 3 safes.

As I went to observe safe #1, I noticed Mr. Rancroft left it opened. Was this a trap? I wondered. But the old man is senile. Forgetful, just last week he forgot he is no longer married. Geez that was a nightmare. While I was taking the money all I could hear was TICK TOCK. It was coming from the grandfather clock, the ones with the pendulum and the chime that goes off at midnight or at noon. I can't let it be a distraction. No no, I've waited a long time for this moment. I put some of the money in a roll and stuffed in my butler's jacket. I knew I had to be wise not to take it all, just about $500,000. I left the room and closed the door, I walked through the halls again. That's when I saw the only room I've never been able to enter. Curiosity always struck my mind about what was in that room. I imagined exquisite jewelry, or just a room of old junk. Of course, I always look the room at night and just wonder what is in there. I had turn to go to the living room to pour myself a glass of champagne, but I heard a small moan. I thought it was Mr. Rancroft, until it got louder. It was coming from the mysterious locked room.

I looked through the keyhole, and just saw a bright light. I frantically went to look for the key. I checked the stand over the fireplace, nothing. I searched the kitchen, and found nothing. I decided it be best to check the old man's room. I had to be careful, because the floor is creaky in his room. So I have to step on the rugs. I took small steps from one rug to another. I had to get to his dresser. I stepped on another rug, but when I took that last step the floor creaked. "WHO'S THERE!?" Mr. Rancroft asked loudly. "I WILL BUST A CAP IN YOUR ASS IF YOU DON'T GET OUT." He doesn't have a gun, he usually acts like his cane is rifle or a shotgun. To be honest it's pretty funny. I stepped up to the dresser and found a box, I opened it and found 3 keys. Took them and placed them in my left pocket. When I turned around the old man was standing right behind me with a gun in his hand. What perplexed me was that Mr. Rancroft was without his old black leather cane. "Put the keys back Mr. Delano," Mr. Rancroft said softly. "Put the keys back, and I'll let you walk out of here with your life." I turned back only to pull out a gun, and fired at his hand. The bullet knocked the gun out his hand, and my instincts kicked in. I punched the old man on to the bed and shot him 3 times. "Good, now I'll be able to take all your money," I said while trying to catching my breath. "Being your butler was the worse, it was humiliating, but it was worth it."

My official resignation. See I was playing the part of the butler role as a ruse to steal all of his wealth. I pulled out a Cuban cigar, lit it, and puffed smoke all throughout the living room. Then I put the cigar in a ashtray, and continued to go to the room. What was he hiding? I put the key in the lock, and opened the door. The room became luminous, so I had to shield my eyes a bit. The light began to die down a bit and what I saw shocked my very eyes.