It happened one night

chapter 5

Cathy POV

I wondered how far it is as I kept walking, following the green dot in the map on my phone screen. The road I had taken had somehow been many lefts and rights until it now stretched miles before me with barely any habitation in sight. I was boiling with curiosity by the time I took the last bend in the road. There were just a few houses and small mansions separated by wild fields in between. I kept glancing around and absorping the change in the structure of the houses as I continued my journey towards the villa. This part of the town looked mysteriously silent and remote.

I chuckled thinking how excited Bess would have become if she was to come in this trek. She would have perhaps started her fancying by the sight of the solitary road that this area is some place cursed off by an archaic witch or the haunt of ghosts and other supernatural things. The way she would create all types of reasons to validate her assumptions, her eyes glazed over... while Jen and I would snigger behind her back. Bess was always such a romantic at heart!

Maybe I should take some pictures and send them to her later tonight when I describe her this. I took a few snaps before my mind returned to more pressing issues.

Wasnt it supposed to be a fifteen minutes walk from our campus. I frowned to myself. If it wasnt for Bess and her miscalculations, I would have been pretty annoyed by now. It was more than an hour since I left that cafe in a hurry. And all I could see on both sides of this empty road was fields of wild grass. I huffed in frustration. How would we walk this distance everyday to the Mcleen University without being exhausted?!

I narrowed my eyes in concentration as I suddenly noticed the top of some building in the distance. I picked up my pace as I realised that that must be the villa. Simultaneously the green dot flickered feverishly on my phone advancing with each of my steps nearer to the destination.

When I could see an iron gate standing right on the edge of the road few yards away from me, I broke into a run. I skidded to a halt in front of the rusted gate that was more than me in height by a foot at the least. My jaw dropped down.

Behind the iron gate a thin gravel path went straight upto the stairs to the porch which spread out towards a huge wooden door. Alongside the gravel path were wild shrubs and bushes tumbling over each other and growing in between the gravel. There were tall trees and some pines near the structure of the villa. The stone villa though looking subdued by neglect yet had the charm of mystery looming over it heavily. It had painted glass windows that threw colourful splashes reflecting the dull sunlight on the porch below.

I closed my jaws and gulped. Could this be real?

This was so awesome.

I looked overhead to read the inscription engraved on the top og the iron gates. The elaborate calligraphy was difficult to decipher having lost its sharpness and details over the years. Yet after sometime I managed to make out the words "Aelus Villa".

I dialled Ching and shouted into the phone as soon as she picked it.

"OMG!! Hiiiiiiiii Chiiing!!! This villa is soo freaking awesome!! I cant believe you are the proud owner of this magnificent thing!" I screamed and fist punched the air with excitement.

"I would probably reach there within next week. Cath, please wait for me before you begin to clean or inspect it" she started requesting me. I started shaking my head. There was nothing that would hold me back now. I was standing in front of this amazing ancient structure which had this aura of mystery and ruin exuding from its structure and I was free to enter it at my will. Nobody could stop me from exploring this intriguing thing!

"No ways dude! This property is presently under my sole control and I would exercise my powers completely until you come. That's final." I voiced my thoughts in the serious tone I use when I dont take 'no' for an answer.