The Traitor (The Third Wheel's spin-off)

Chapter One: The Island of The Culprits

Pic: The village of  Herridghock. 

The Island of The Culprits. 

That's how humans actually call it, in shabby pubs at night, when booze unties their tongues and gives them a semblance of courage. That's the name they whisper, when they forget someone else is closely listening to them. Because I'm there. I'm always there. So quiet people tend to forget I'm here.

Although I am a loner at heart, I forced myself to go to the pub every night since I got to the small town of Herridghock, discreetly enquiring about the so-called Island of the Culprits. 

I now have a lot of drinking pals, and not much money left.

I don't regret it though, as I have always been extremely careful not to share anything personal with anyone from the village. It was quite easy - humans are naturally very  keen to talk a lot about themselves, very little about others, even more so when they've had a drink or two. 

All in all, my little excursions at night proved to be very useful.

This is what I've learned so far:

It seems that all the fools who dare setting a foot on the island share the same goal: be hired by the Huserdown family. 

How is that foolish, you might want to ask. The employees are all housed within the luxuous mansion of the Huserdown family, the salary is more than good and the landlords are supposedly decent vampires, who would never harm humans in any ways. Nobody ever resigned from their position so far. That's how good the job seems to be. 

Think again, a beefy sailor who, believe me or not, goes by the name of Hulk once told me. Why would a normal person like you and I want to be hired by these bloodsuckers? Only criminals, villains, or desperate people who want to forget about their  shady past. I'm telling you, Bran. These vampires do something to their employees. I've seen some of their staff from afar, when I deliver  packages of food on the island. They all look so happy and yet so ... empty. And don't forget that once they hire you, it's for life, if you see what I mean. 

My name is Alex, short for Alexander, not Bran, I mentally corrected him. I lied to you, dumbie. And I'm not a normal person, like you said.  That's why I'm so interested in your story: because I want to go to this island. You say it's a secluded place, forgotten from the world? Even better!

So here I am, three weeks later, sitting in the waiting hall of the Huserdown's mansion. I have given what was left of my spendings to the only sailor who begrundgingly accepted to take me to the island. As soon as the money was into his pocket, he took off, not even bothering to say goodbye. 

Regardless of what Hulk thinks, it is a good thing that I'll never leave the island alive if I'm hired, because I thought I would die during the short trip on the troubled sea. 

A werewolf on a boat? Ah!  If that's not an oxymoron, I don't know what it is. 

"Sir? Excuse me, sir. The masters are waiting for you. I will guide you, if you don't mind"

I look up and see a tall girl with a dark skin and fuzzy brown hair. She gives me a serene smile, as if she has all the time in the world and would be perfectly content to wait with me for an eternity. 

"What's your name?" I ask. 

"Serena" she doesn't stop smiling. 

Serena. How fitting. 

Hulk was right. She looks too untroubled. They probably all do. 

I don't smile back, and start following her. We climb more than one flight of stairs,  go through rooms full of expensive-looking furnitures and mirrors made out in copper and inlaid with gold. Bleh. Not my taste.