The Endowment of the Red-Eyed Demon

Chapter 3

It was odd, being so far away from the city. So far from the life I had known. And though my mother sat beside me for those two days it took to travel to the manor, it felt as though she were a great distance away. I felt alone, with only my thoughts to comfort me.

When we did arrive at the manor, I came to realize it was hardly the place I remembered. It was terrible. None of the glory I had expected was there. The manor looked as if it had been sitting alone for decades. It showed its age in the worst way possible.

The white stone of the house was brown, covered in a layer of dirt so thick that it would surely never shine again. Moss had begun to creep along the dirty stone, doing its best to turn the brown to green. The large cobblestone courtyard was full of chipped stones, and the fountain that had once greeted visitors had not seen water in what I assumed was years. I was sure that one rainstorm would knock the manor down and sweep it away.

Even worse, the gate whined with such ferocity that I was sure I would go deaf. It was enough to make me expect the horses to become fearful and run from the intimidating house and its loud gates. Instead, they trotted on without any sign of distress. Even the grizzled old man who had unlocked the gates did not scare them.

The man looked as if he had not left the grounds in years; even though I dressed far better than him, I knew his clothes were years out of style. His wool coat had holes in it, and his cotton shirt and trousers had patches covering them. His boots were polished, but the leather was wrinkled and his face had followed suit.

My mother took my hand into her own gloved one. I looked over to her, but I could not read her expression. Her light eyes did not betray her emotions and I wasn't sure if she was alarmed or excited. I wasn't even sure of my own feelings as we got nearer and nearer to the manor.

Once our carriage had come to a stop, I stepped out, trying to admire the scenery that surrounded me. The sky was blue, but was nearly impossible to see through the gathering clouds. My thoughts were cut off as I heard the gates loudly close.

The man approached us, his shoes clicking an odd pattern against the cobblestone as he carefully avoided the broken stones of the courtyard.

"I assume you're the groundskeeper. You maintain the house, yes?" I asked.

"Yes, I do, sir." He responded.

"Then do you suppose you could fix those gates. My head is pounding and that squealing makes it feel as though it'll explode."

"Sorry, sir. It's just, I've preferred them that way. Wif the way the sound carries, if they're squeaky, I can 'ear them all the way in my cabin out back. That way, I'll know if anyone is comin' in or goin' out."

"I don't care, I want those gates fixed as soon as possible."

"Come now, Huxley," My mother called as she left the carriage, "Leave the man alone, we've only just arrived. Those gates will be fixed in due time, I'm sure of it."

"Ms Beaulieu, it's good te see ye back on these grounds again." The man greeted her.

"It truly is lovely to see you again, Arthur. Considering how long you have maintained your position here, it would be odd to see anyone but you," She said, changing her attention to focus on the manor, "My, it has hardly changed, hasn't it?"

I chuckled, "Hardly changed?"

The man ignored me, "I've been tryin' te keep up wif 'er. But, she's getting old and startin' te crumble apart. It's 'ard to do, but the old girl is still alive and grand as ever."

"Good, we'll need the manor in good condition if we intend to sell it someday." I said.

"I could never bring myself to do such a thing, Huxley. It gives me comfort knowing the manor is here, even if I cannot always bring myself to visit it," My mother sounded surprised at my suggestion, "Perhaps I should take my reminiscing to the yard, I spent many fond days there. Arthur, would you take my trunks to my room?"