Post by G E N E R A L ||*TINA*|| on Aug 21, 2010 21:24:38 GMT -5
Rose’s Tea Party.
By Christina Van Horn
By Christina Van Horn
There sat a house on 302 Digoro drive, that everyone decided was no good. No child would play near it, their parents told them to stay away. People ran to get passed it, but every now and then a traveling salesmen would end up knocking on the door. The children had a rumor, a rumor that the woman who lived in the house ate unsuspecting children and townsfolk; the only reason she wasn’t caught or thrown in jail was because she had been good enough to cover her trail.
Today was not a good day, no, today a man by the name of Haines Kerger, a traveling salesmen from Nebraska, was in town trying to get a few bucks.
So far no good.
He came to a little quaint house, it’s lawn was manicured and a row of black dahlias and rose plants lined the outside of the house, the house it’s self was light blue with white trimming. He walked up the little dirt pathway to the front porch, he turned briefly and looked around, some of the neighbors were now watching him, shaking their heads and sighing, though no one made an attempt to come stop him, or come chat with him. However they seemed to know something he did not. He waved at them and turned back around lightly knocking on the door. He looked down to inspect himself to make sure he was well dressed enough, though there was a sweat stain around his collar, the rest of his brown business-like suit was cleaned and professional looking, his brown leather dress shoes, though now the soles were littered with dirt from the short walk up to the door, still shined in the light.
It took a few moments until movements sounded by the door, but he waited, and soon received the door opening slightly. Blue eyes staring at him, He took a deep breath and smiled. “Hello there, I am Haines Kerger, I am here to tell you about an amazing product.” The door shut, he sighed deeply, there went another one. The door suddenly reopened all the way there stood a young woman, she had to be younger than he was, she looked about twenty-five, he was thirty. She wore a white sundress that stopped about one or two inches short of her knees, her blond hair done up in a fancy bun, white Victorian style button up boots, clad her feet.
“Hello, can I help you?” her voice light almost smoky.
“Yes you can. May I come in so I can tell you about the amazing new product by the scientists of R.F.S.A.B, it can stop aging and make you look ten years younger, not that you need it miss.” He smiled and took off his brown bowler hat, and stepped in as she moved to allow him entrance to her house. She shut the door and a faint click of the lock was heard but the man paid no attention.
“Mrs. Valentino, actually. My husband is down stairs, he is always so busy in his study, a big professor fellow, work has him kept up in his study.” she smiled and lead him into the kitchen. 'So she was married' he thought, he was hoping to use flirtation in this game of 'please by my product.' Haines forced another smile as she motioned to a chair at the table. “Can I interest you in tea sir?” she smiled and poured him a glass as he nodded, she took his tea to him and poured herself a glass as she sat in the chair opposite to him. “So this new product of yours.”
Oh, the cream stuff he thought and smiled. “Oh, right It’s called ‘Forever’, it’s the best product out there to keep yourself looking young, and I am sure that your husband would love to have a young pretty wife forever…though I don’t think you need it, doll.” she smiled and he continued seeing complements were the best route to go with here. “This tea is fantastic, where did you get it?”
“Peru, we travel a lot.” She smiled again and watched him take a sip of the tea. “it’s made with mint, and special tea leaves.” She smiled “It’s really good for body preserving.” she nodded.
Haines smiled, figuring that she was a health nut. “Ah I see, so that is how you stay so pretty, yeah?” he smiled downing the rest of the tea, she poured him another glass. He didn’t even see it odd, that she wasn’t drinking the drink or that the house seemed too quite and clean.
“So sir.”
“Oh Haines, call me Haines.” he smiled and held out his hand and she took it.
“Rose, you can call me that, after all, all my friends call me that.” she smiled brightly and traced the cup’s rim, with her finger tips.
“Well Rose, I will make you an offer, I’ll give you two of ‘Forever’ and you give me thirty bucks and a few bags of tea.” of course one ‘Forever’ was only ten bucks, but she didn’t need to know that, and the tea was really good, what could he say.
“Well Haines, I have to talk it over with my husband, but please stay here and I will be right back.” with that she stood and walked from the room.
Haines stood as well but sat once she was out of the room he returned to sitting. He started to feel tired and yawned he must not have gotten enough sleep last night, it was possible, the hotel room's bed must have been made out of rocks. He closed his eyes for what seemed like only three minutes, but when he opened them it was dark and the clock read nine thirty. Funny thing was, he got there at eleven in the morning. He looked around and stood, but stumbled and almost fell down, but he caught the chair and steadied himself. He could make out small shapes in the little light, apparently Rose had been busy lighting all these candles, the kitchen was light by only white candles and moonlight, as was the rest of the house from what he could see.
“R-Rose?” He called but it came out a mere whisper. His movements were brash and his limbs felt as if he were a iron pole wading through tar. “Mrs. Valentino?” he called a little louder.
A shadow moved behind him, the sound of high heels on polished wood floors, a cold laugh and a sharp pain. “Say say oh playmate come out and play with me, and bring your dollies three, climb up my apple tree, slide down my rain barrel, into my cellar door, and we’ll be jolly friends forever more.” the light smoky voice of Rose filled the air as Haines hit the floor. It felt as if he were hit by a ton of bricks.
“R-Rose?” he asked and received a cold drawling laugh. as he held his side in pain, his eyes looked up to her trying to comprehend what was going on.
The moon now shining through the little kitchen window reflected off of something metal in her hands. “Ro-Rose?” he scrambled to his feet.
“You were suppose to be asleep for another thirty minutes, you ruined my plan…there are consequences.” the voice was edgy almost daring him to talk. “I’d hate to ruin such a handsome doll, I mean you would be once I gave you a shave, and cleaned you up some.” she spoke.
“What are you talking about? You‘re mad!” but the metal object connected with his side once again with a harsh crack. He tried to speak again but the wind escaped him, and he doubled over in pain. He made a mental note that once he got out of here, to call the police and never try to sell stuff to a crazy woman who is way to friendly. He stumbled backwards to try and distance himself from another attack and caught a steak knife from the kitchen counter.
“ ‘But I don’t want to go among mad people’ Alice remarked
‘Oh you can’t help that’ said the Cat ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad, you’re mad.’
‘How do you know I am mad?’ said Alice.
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’” there was a pause. “Lewis Carroll, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’” She finished after her brief recital.
“And now my dear pet, it’s time for tea.” but as she got close to him and tried to grab from his arm he stabbed the steak knife into her side and moved away. He turned to see her fall to the ground an ungodly scream coming from her mouth, some of her blond hair escaping the bun and falling into her face, as she pulled the knife away. She put her hand over the bleeding mess, and turned to look at him her eyes seeming to ask him why did he stab her. With a few coughs and whimpers she fell in a bend to lay on the floor. Against his kind heart to check to see if she were still alive he moved to the back door, it was dead bolted shut, so he tried to front door, the same.
The crazy witch locked him in here, and now that she was dead he couldn’t get out, a thought crept up on him, her husband must have heard the scream, and what if he was coming up here, what if he had a really big gun? Haines panicked. He stumbled down the hall, half tripping on his own two feet, and trying to hold his side, which was most likely broken.The hallway seemed to go on forever, he felt something wasn't right, but then again after the crazy bitch attacked him, nothing could be right. He looked back to make sure Rose hadn't gotten back up, and connected with the door at the end, he gasped and gripped the door handle pulling it opened, this must lead to the basement, where there was a basement there was another way out, though of course there was a window, but what if it too was dead bolted or shatterproof. He didn’t want to hurt himself any further to test it. He took one of the candles that were lighting the hallway and fumbled down the steps.
The house was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside, the basement area was huge and there were three separate rooms that he could count, via the doors that the little flame shown. Another thought crept up on him, something about this house didn’t seem right, well other than the woman trying to beat him to a pulp with a metal baseball bat or something like it. His thoughts and gut feelings lead him to a large door that was slightly opened, dim lights pooled from every area it could escape from and hit the stone floor reflecting over the shining rock that, if he hadn’t known any better could have been wet. He let his hand dance above the handle before he swung the door open, if this were her husband’s study perhaps he could use the element of surprise.
But an attack never came, instead he stood arms in front of his face as if shielding it from something, for a few moments, when a gunshot didn’t come he lowered them and looked in, a shiver took his body as he walked in, there wasn’t a study, no instead there was a large room set up to look like a tea party, like one that could have come from ‘Alice in wonderland.’ mix matched tea cups and tea pots, little bits of food, though the food was now old and rotted, left out for guests. Another shiver, as he came face to face with one of the guests. She was a tall woman, long blond hair, similar to Rose’s, only she had purple eyes that glistened in the dim light.
A doll? he thought to himself as he inspected some of the other ‘guests’, yet again a wave of terror struck him, the dolls seemed so life-like, to human. He touched the purple eyed doll’s face, and instantly recoiled, for it was soft and smooth, it felt real. He backed up and bumped into another ‘doll’ he turned to come face to face with a decaying body, it was practically mummified, assuming it was a he due to the attire, he was wearing a fancy professor like suit, and wore glasses, though he didn’t need them for he had no eyes. He was sitting in a big lounge chair that was off from the table.
“I see you have meet my husband, awful thing he is, he just hates company, but I have told him, he needs to get out more and live life.” the familiar drawl of Rose Valentino sounded, Haines turned around instantly to see Rose standing there the kitchen knife soaked in her blood in her left hand and her right one over the spot where he stabbed her, apparently she had given up on the metal object.
“Y-you, you are dead!” Haines cried out.
“In a manner of speaking, but we won’t get into that…will we…look.” she moved her hand away and the stab wound was gone, and better yet there was no sign on the skin that there had even been a stab wound. “Magic.” she wiggled her fingers in a taunt at the man, they were blood soaked, he didn’t get it. “Lets make this fun, I want to share with you a secret, before you join the other, yes Haines, they are real, they use to be like you, I’ve collected them over the years, and I have made an discovery…wanna know what that is Haines?” She asked shutting the door behind her, he back away, something was terribly wrong here, he stabbed her practically watched her die and no, she was now there, about to kill him…what the hell.
“you see Haines, love, darling, pet.” she hissed and moved to step closer to him. “your little ’forever’ stuff, that’s nothing, it doesn’t work, serums can’t make you live forever and if you stop using them the years you’ve ’peeled off’ will come back with such force you’ll look older than you really are…but I-- I have found a way to stay young and beautiful.” She paused to let the words sink in.
“B-Blood? A-Are you a vampire.” Haines said stepping back again to distance himself from his would be murderer. It was a foolish thought to think someone was a vampire, those were only in children's stories, teenage romance books, or the rare erotic novel.
“of sorts…but no blood is not the answer here, though Elizabeth once told me that it was working, I knew better…and see what happened to her, she got herself caught and died…now if she did it my way my dear friend would still be alive.”
“Elizabeth?” He questioned he needed to keep her talking.
“Bathory…Blood countess, though I’ve never liked that nickname.” her voice had taken a different tone, something more dark then he had ever heard.
“You knew Elizabeth Bathory…. how old are you?”
“Well lets see I was about” she paused to think. “100 or so when I knew Bathory….hum let me give you a timeline, I dined with King Arthur, when I was fifteen.” She nodded. “Now my secret, to looking so young, find the common factor around the room Haines, look at all my dolls, each one in there twenties or early thirties. They are young, so their souls are still in the process of forming…did you know that souls only are fully mature when you are forty-five?” Haines looked at her with terrified eyes. “and did you know that if all guts are removed they make excellent hosts, and I have been looking for the perfect host, my husband has grown so tired of waiting in his former.” She made a motion to the decaying body.
“N-no….oh my god I know what you are.” before he had a chance to say much of anything else she had him in a tight embrace shoving him against the wall, their lips connected and with in seconds it went black for Haines. The taste of tea still hung on his lips, you see the tea was wonderful for what she said it was, Body preserving, all the people that she had killed had drank the same tea, the herbs were special, the same ones that the Peruvian monks used for preserving the bodies of fallen holy men, and almost fatal if consumed by humans.
The next day Rose was out in her garden looking younger than the day before, a man that oddly looked like Haines Kerger sat on a lawn chair. “You see honey, we are going to be together forever. I told you that when we first tried it.”
“I know Rosey, I know.” the slick voice called back to her, and brought a glass of lemonade to his lips. He was now Jonathan Valentino, after waiting for his wife to find the perfect vestal, he was free once again.
There sat a house on 302 Digoro drive, that everyone decided was no good, no child would play near it, their parents told them to stay away. People ran to get passed it, but every now and then a traveling salesmen would end up knocking on the door. The children had a rumor, a rumor that the woman who lived in the house ate unsuspecting children and townsfolk; the only reason she wasn’t caught or thrown in jail was because she had been good enough to cover her trail.
