Swan Lake

Death Knocks

After dinner of roasted rabbit and boiled artichokes dipped in melted golden butter, Paul (Priscilla's Papa) and Cilly went to the bed, the room where she, and her other siblings used to sleep. Odette stoked the fire and cleaned up, soot dusted across her nose like the stars in the sky. She went outside and took a deep breath of the cold, clear air. It revived her tired bones. After counting the cows and goats, making sure they were all in their pens, Odette headed back to the friendly cottage, fenced in by crocuses.

When she went inside, she went into the room that used to be her parents. She was about to take off her frock when three knocks sounded at the door.

"Who is knocking at this time?" She asked herself.

Hurrying to the door, she grabbed Paul's rifle from above the mantle. She tiptoed towards the door and, after unlocking it, gracefully opened it.

What she saw next surprised her.

"Odette!" a handsomely aging man cried.

"Uncle?" Odette replied dumbfounded.

"My poor, sweet Detskiy! How are you?" he inquired.

"Gm, surprised." Rothbart nodded in agreement.

After a moment, Rothbart asked "Well, are you going to let me in?"

Odette was startled by her rudeness, but a sense of uneasiness enveloped her. Her papa told her to always follow her instincts. So, she changed the subject. "I don't mean to sound brash but what are you doing here?"

He looked taken back. "My dear Odette, I heard about the death of your family."

"Yes, yes, very trajic." she replied nonchalantly, wanting to get this over with.

"How are you doing. All alone on this cursed mountain. Away from the village." Odette didn't like her uncle described her mountain. It was beautiful and magical.

"The village is only 20 protokol away. And, I'm not lonely."

"But, are you doing well financially? Because, I am a wealthy benefactor." The way he said that made Odette shiver. Shiver like, for example, when she thought of dolls coming to life and cutting her with her broken porcelain hands.

"I actually am making more money than I thought possible, and I am housing two others."

"Oh?" he raised a long bushy eyebrow. "And, who are they?"

Odette backed up a bit." New friends."

"Odette, I'm only concerned with your safety."

"Where are you staying?"

He sighed. "At the inn in the village."

Odette yawned, but not from tiredness, for she was fully attentive. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." She said in what we call today as very good sarcism. "It's just getting very late, and I'm very tired."

"Of cousre. Spokoynoy nochi, nevinnyy angel." He tipped his hat and walked to his smokey black horse that Odette had not notice until now.

"Bezopasnyye puteshestviya." she said and waved with her free hand.

"Till we meet again!" he called.

"I seriously hope not." Odette whispered.

A/N

I thought the chapter title was perfect for chapter three. Because if you hear three random knocks that have no cause, it means death was at your door. And, someone in your family will die very soon.

It's just a superstition.

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