Unexpected Short Stories

Castle of the Damned

Chapter One

Even though it was in the middle of a bright sunny afternoon, the towers of ancient brick tainted the clear blue sky with an ominous feeling.  Majestic strength combined with old-world engineering slathered the green grasses with a massive shadow.  The taxi that recently arrived found no delay in leaving the place.  The driver was more than happy to quickly discharge his prepaid fare so he could stomp on the gas pedal. 

The gorgeous woman with flowing brown hair was without a doubt an actress of growing fame, and she didn't like the castle anymore than her recent cab driver.  The motivation that kept pushing her forward consisted of several zeroes on her contract.  Money.  If it wasn't for that, she wouldn't have even left the cab.  The place felt so wrong, it was nearly surreal.  But from a modern non-superstitious viewpoint, there wasn't anything visually disturbing. 

The posted sign was almost missed.  Small, written with tiny letters that seemed to baffle the eyes, it took her several minutes to decipher the minuscule directions to the servant's door, which was partially hidden by the tall bushes on the far side of the old building.  The main double doors out in front of the castle were still boarded up, large ancient nails slammed home by ancient hammers. 

It all represented an unknown history, with faceless people courageously sealing the castle.  Perhaps they were terrified of something inside, real or imagined.  There wasn't any way to know what really happened in those long-gone days, from what she read about it in the local newspaper. 

The small room she entered owned two other doors that led further inside.  She felt no desire to explore the naturally weird interior.  This was an appointment she was proudly keeping, made by her agent who was earning a hefty fifteen percent of the contract.  She located a small wooden desk, obviously modern, surrounded by small ancient iron chairs.  An odd mix for sure, but it somehow felt appropriate. 

Alisa sat down with the intent to look casual.  It was rather difficult for the six foot two woman to adjust her pose in the small seat, but she pulled it off without her tight skirt hitching up too high.  As expressed in the agreed upon details, she needed to appear sexy, not slutty.  Her trademark features did most of the job when it came to looking sexy.  Her light silky skin contrasted nicely with her long brown hair and full lips.  Men would always turn their head, long before she got in front of any camera.

One of the interior doors cracked open.  Ah, I see you've arrived.  Excellent.  Jonathon finished entering the brick lined area, pleased that the new lead for their reality television show arrived on time.  I hope the flight from California wasn't too rough. 

She smiled a cold, professional stretch of naturally pretty lips.  The emotion didn't reach her intense light brown eyes.  I can handle four hours of jet lag.  So this is the castle we're doing the show for?  Her gesture around the room appeared uninterested, as if she was struggling to find a topic to discuss. 

Yes, Jonathan happily shared, eager to educate.  This place is almost identical to the Grey Towers Castle in Philadelphia, but with differences, of course.  Pennsylvania is home to a few castles it can boast about, but this one is completely remarkable.  It's mostly unknown, built somewhere in the eighteenth century.  No caretakers or owners could be found in the local records.  The state officially claimed the property last month, when it was discovered by a pair of hikers.  They were looking for a unique place to camp for the night.  He chuckled.  Imagine that, right?  For us, it's more than preserved enough to do our show. 

That's nice.  Alisa leaned forward, as if she was going to share a state secret.  If any of the cast members go off script, thinking it would be funny to scare the lead actress silly, namely me, the union will have a field day in court with your producers.  Understood? 

They're professionals, all of them.  Jonathon pushed a bowl of wrapped candies across the desk, making sure they remained within her reach.  He sat down, regarding her carefully.  Nobody will be going off script.  All of the haunting sounds, moving furniture, shadow people and other silly stuff, will go according to our plans.  You and your fake paranormal hunting group will have one hell of a good time pretending to be scared.  No surprises, I promise.  His grin was the creepiest thing she ever witnessed in the modern world.  Like the skilled actress she was, she didn't project any visible sign that his expression bothered her.

She ignored the candy.  I have a bodyguard.  He's going through the castle tomorrow morning.  My dressing room will be remotely located at least a mile away from this place.  He'll drive me back and forth.  Once he's satisfied that I'm going to be safe from the aging environment, I'll be happy to act afraid of your fake ghosts.  When do I get to meet the rest of the cast? 

Tomorrow afternoon.  Jonathan sighed, doing his best to show respect for this stuffy actress.  She knew her popularity was quickly rising, that she could make or break this new show.  So for now, he remained pleasant.  Still, he needed to set standards for her.  Important boundaries.  He wasn't a mousy director who allowed the professional dictators any room for crazy last minute demands.  They're a good bunch, eager to make friends.  They want to do this new show, all for the sake of entertaining the couch potatoes.  If you have a problem with any of the cast, just remember that I'm in charge.  I hire and fire for this outfit, so you come see me with any issues first. 

Now she seemed interested!  If I have a problem with anybody, I'll be seeing you alright.  On the other end of the webcam from California.  I won't tolerate jerks, I'll leave this show the moment anyone intentionally insults me.  They better be nice, especially in this creepy place.  Other than that, if all goes well with the others, I'll make sure your program gets enough ratings to warrant at least three seasons.  Once that's done, we'll talk about more money.  Agreed? 

Oh yes, Jonathon easily replied, I agree.  If you land me a fourth season, I'll even add in a bonus.  Of course, we'll discuss more of that near the end of the first season.  He spread his hands before her, a gesture of innocence, flavored with an offering of service.  Anything else I can do for you? 

As long as the perks in my contract are in place when we start filming, we won't have any immediate problems.  She shifted to stand.  The name of my bodyguard is Will Jones.  Tomorrow morning, he'll need access to the entire castle.  Make sure he gets it. 

Jonathon's return smile was darker than he intended to make it, but she didn't seem put off.  Oh, he'll get it, alright. 

Alisa finally stood, her inches causing her to gaze down at him.  Not bad.  If this was a B rated horror movie, you might have an audience for that line.  Let the cast know that I'm looking forward to meeting them. 

He chuckled.  Most certainly. 

When Alisa stepped back out into the world, the sunlight spilling over the rolling Pennsylvanian hills became a highly welcome sight.  The castle's shadow seemed eager to play with her imagination.  The longer her feet remained within it, the stickier the gravel felt.  It was a good thing she was off to the side of the huge place.  A couple more steps, and the warm sunlight would heat up her ankles. 

Miss Morris, Will said, touching her elbow from behind. 

Her brief jump and the resulting rush of adrenaline nearly made her slap him across the face.  Alisa knew her bodyguard would be waiting for her.  She also knew he touched her elbow out of courtesy, so she wouldn't be startled.  Unfortunately, that's not how things turned out.  She hated being frightened.  Absolutely despised those intense short-lived emotions.  Jesus Christ, Will!  Were you hiding on me? 

Apologies, Miss Morris, I was waiting for you right here.  He politely gestured to where he was standing by the brick exterior.  I stood close to the wall, to make sure I could hear through that door.  You didn't notice me when you came out, is all. 

Unlike most other bodyguards she previously employed, Will wasn't a large strapping man.  He didn't need to be, with the various martial arts he mastered for more than two decades.  Missing his presence was an easy thing to do.  Because he didn't stand out in a crowd, it allowed him to spot trouble well before any psycho-fans recognized his protective role.  If he wasn't superb at his job, she wouldn't have tolerated this incident so well.

Apology accepted, she warned him.  Startle me one more time, I'm putting a damned bell around your neck.  Now, please tell me what you found out.  She allowed him to guide her towards their car.  It was his routine to provide transportation in a bullet proof vehicle, parking in a safe place of his choosing.  The taxi driver brought her from the airport, now it was up to him to make sure she got from point A to point B without becoming a target.

Will gladly made his report.  He really didn't mean to make her jump, but his twisted sense of humor couldn't leave it alone.  Their set security is a good firm, they'll be in place by tomorrow morning, when we get here.  Even though they're doing a daily sweep of the castle, I'll be looking for occupied coffins.  It's not my fault that long neck of yours is vampire candy. 

Alisa smacked him on the shoulder.  It wasn't a hard hit, but laced with enough effort to make him flinch.  Stop it.  That place is seriously weird, you're not helping. 

He chuckled, not minding the reprimand at all.  His own sister would smack his shoulder in the same manner when he teased her, though he wouldn't tell Alisa that.  I read the county engineering report.  It's made of brick, stone and mortar, as one might expect.  There isn't any wood superstructure, inside or out, except for the doors.  So there's no danger of falling through rotten flooring or flimsy steps.  Hell, even the glass isn't broken in any of the windows, which is rare for such an isolated place.  Bad weather, nesting birds and large rodents, all tend to eventually break something.  There's no sign of such things happening.  I'll see it up close for myself, soon enough.  As far as I can tell, the castle shouldn't be dangerous to work in.  At least it shouldn't be, if you can ignore the dark atmosphere it tends to generate. 

Alisa nodded.  If the money wasn't so damned good, you couldn't get me this close to it.  I can understand why the producers jumped at the opportunity.  The blurb lines alone will draw a big audience.  She adopted a dramatic tone.  A team of paranormal investigators locked in a haunted castle for six months, with Alisa Morris as the guest ghost hunter!  Stay tuned for next week's new episode!  Her snort of derision helped make the castle feel less threatening.  As if.  It's a good thing people will think we're locked in, not that it will actually happen.  No amount of cash is worth that. 

They arrived at the car, quietly sitting alongside the freshly made dirt road.  A simple looking silver 2008 Toyota Camry briefly flashed its lights, indicating that the doors unlocked themselves when Will pushed the proper button on the key chain.  Nobody looked for a celebrity in an older Toyota, especially one that was fitted with custom bullet proof glass and armored doors.  The vehicle blended in with the rest of traffic, which is just the way Will liked it.  Hiding in plain sight was his preferred style. 

As Alisa slid into the passenger seat, Will turned to give the castle one more glance.  Tomorrow, he would go through all forty-five rooms, looking for anything that could endanger his client.  The secrecy of this new show meant that no crazy fans would be lining down the dirt road for a glimpse of her, but he also knew those nut-cases would eventually track her down, no matter where she went.  God help any of them should he find somebody hiding in a closet, or behind a dusty tapestry, in their efforts to merely touch something she wore. 

It wasn't the imaginary vampires, false ghosts or anything else remotely inhuman that bothered him.  It was the living.  Real people.  Crazy star-struck folks who couldn't keep a grip on their own reality.  They were the dangerous ones, and he would do his best to make sure none of them got close enough to harm Alisa.  Sighing, he got into the car and drove her away.

Chapter Two

The pale sunlight pouring down on Pennsylvania didn't register on Alisa's skin, which felt odd to her.  Compared to the thick yellow blanket that merrily microwaved most of Southern California, this was nothing.  She even felt funny wearing the sunglasses.  Today, the designer shades were more of a prop than eye protection.  Wearing casual jeans, t-shirt and sunglasses with her hair tied back, she wasn't the celebrity Alisa Morris at first glance. 

She was also