Open Invitation

CHAPTER 3

I look about the hall I find myself in. I ignore everything, but the stair case. It's slightly ornamental, much more so than I was used to, and it spirals downward. I descend it, taking in the atmosphere the house embodies, as I looked about at all the artwork and fancy lights that grace the stairs.

My foot comes to the end of the steps as it hits a hard, marble floor which opens up into an even bigger hall than the one upstairs. The first thing to catch my eye is two large double doors that have a sort of porch that lead up to them. I assume it's the front door and linger a moment, contemplating whether I should run, or not. The door is very old looking and it has no dead bolt.

"They probably locked it," I muse to myself before turning from it.

The next thing I see is a set of sliding double doors that aren't far from where I'm standing. I put my hand to it and start to slide the one open. I stop dead. My ears pick up two people speaking to one another through raised voices. My instincts tell me to run, but I'm curious and follow the voices.

I continue down the hall passing up everything else, searching for where the sounds are coming from. I stop at a door and put my ear to it, they're coming from inside and despite myself, I open it.

The first impression I have of the room is that of a library, as there seems to be thousands of books lining the walls. In front of the backdrop are the man and woman from upstairs, who are standing at an antique looking desk, across from each other.

"Confound it woman," he shouts angrily. "I have told you over and over again, you have your fun, then they leave! I didn't expect I'd have to serve him breakfast!"

"No one twisted your arm, you didn't have to serve anyone anything!" the woman shoots back in defiance. "Besides all you did was serve, the cook was the one who made breakfast!"

"The devil be hanged, I shouldn't even of had to see him this morning!" the man shouts as he slams his fist on the desk.

"Is that all the point you can argue from?!" the woman leans across the desk, as she challenges him.

"Woman, I will argue from wherever and however I please," the man retorts. "And I will take no coaching from you, or that louse you dragged in!"

"Don't you talk about Max that way!" she shouts defensively, seemingly wounded from his words.

The color vanishes from the man's face and he stands slack jawed, "Max?" he barely breathes before raising the timbre of his voice. "You never remember the names of your conquests! Don't tell me you've developed feelings for him?!"

The woman recovers and returned to the offensive. "And if I have?" she fires back.

"That's it!" the man screams more loudly than he had before. "I can deal with all manner of these, your mindless excursions, but I will not have them become a part of our life!"

He thrusts his hand to the side of the desk and flings open one of the top drawers, from which he produces a very evil looking revolver. "Where the devil is this Romeo of yours?!" he bellows as he holds the gun a loft. His eyes dart about the room until they spy me. "There you are!"

I turn and bolt from the room, running as fast as I am able in socks, on a very slick floor. I hear a heavy shoed foot hit the marble and assume it's the man coming for me.

I see the front door in the not so far off distance and jump the stairs that lead up to it. I take hold of the handle and push down on the lever. The door opens and I jump inside slamming the door behind me as I hear the gun go off.

I sprang from the first door to the next one that bars my progress, feeling nothing but hatred for these portal style houses. My hand goes to the second door and I throw it open and dash off down the street.

Alas, this was another illusion my mind had concocted. The door was locked and before I could register this, I jump full force into it. My head hits the hard wooden door, before hitting the even harder marble floor beneath me.

Consciousness fades from me. "You should have listened to me," I hear my mind taunt.