The First Steps He Took

Before getting in the mansion, Lei talks to the Uncle he has never known. Then somebody he probably shouldn't have met appears.

September 18th, 2011

It was a long and auspicious road. Though worn, it tangled itself into the trees and slithered through the green mountains. The yellow paint that turned the road into a distinct two-way path had vanished decades ago. A slender, shiny limousine made its royal way hiding under the crevasses of the forest. Something along the street caused the black automobile to bump. In the row of seats behind the silent driver, a pair of brown eyes jet open.

The young man with his head on the rich, brown leather seats jerked, sitting straight up. "I fell asleep?" With his heart beating fast he peered out outside through the closest window. An ominous feeling overcame him. To the short, black haired man's dismay, the lovely forest he once saw had been shrouded by a thick fog. Large and shadowed tree trunks stretched far beyond what the mist would let him see. The vehicle was surrounded by the dark giants. Was no one keeping track of how long this trip was taking? He stared at his wristwatch and imagined the hour and minute hands somewhere on his wrist.

There was no clock to be read. The young adult squinted at his wrist, wondering where his watch had run off to. His desperate eyes scanned the black floor. No wristwatch. His arms reached into the leather seating. Nothing. He unbuckled the seat belt that confined to the limousine and went up high to check the luggage compartment. His belongings had been untouched-- save one. He shook his head in frustration and knocked on the small window where he could see the driver's head beyond it. The young man could make out the figure of the driver's face against the white scenery but nothing else as he slide the window in reply.

"Excuse me, we haven't stopped anywhere, right?" The young man tried to clarify. He didn't care if it sounded stupid. After all, he didn't know what time it was or how long he had been sleeping. "Have you seen my watch? I know I had it before I fell asleep." The driver concentrated on the road more so than he did the young man. After a few seconds of split thoughts, the driver shook his head. "Are you sure?" The black haired young adult was skeptical. "Okay, fine. Do you know what time it is?" The driver slid the door shut.

"Fine, don't tell me." Offended, the man sat on the seat where his head had fallen asleep. "And you were so nice when we first met." Just then, a quiet knock came from the small window. "What?" The man uttered in annoyance. He could see the driver's finger point towards the windows. The young man's eyes followed and the creepy fog that had covered the beautiful forest was thinning out as the limousine traveled. "So what?" Despite attitude, underneath he was relieved that nothing had happened.

Suddenly his eyes caught something hiding within the trees and their rustling leaves. Ah, alas. The black limousine's destination was in plain view. A sigh of relief escaped the young man's breath. The vehicle gradually slowed down as they got closer to the man-made structure which looked like house. However, it went from a house that appeared to be two floors to three and then to four. They took another turn. "Wow," he stared in awe as he watched the third dimension of the flat faced house stretch into the depths of the forest.

The limousine came a full halt as it stopped right outside the grand entrance of the the mansion. Patiently, the driver exited the automobile first and calmly opened the side door where the young man stepped out with his two cases of luggage. The one he carried on his right was matted red and was marked with a thick black marker 'Clothes'. The blue, steel faced suitcase that the young man held on his right had a stripe of white tape labeled 'Other'. The youth said nothing, looking up at the mansion as it towered high above him. Never had he felt so belittled.

The young man had not realized that someone was waiting for him at the front porch of the mansion until they bluntly said, "You greet yourself before the mansion and fail to do so for the owner of the said mansion." His voice was deep and somewhat sinister... yet charming. This person was much older than the young man. Somewhere in his late forties. His face showed signs of aging and the wrinkles were beginning to show. It all was complemented by his black hair with faint touch of gray. The young one wanted to apologize, but that was before the older man made a very fake and insulting laugh, then sarcastically remarked "I hate irony."

The young man tried not to think much of it. He supposed it was bad behavior, but at the same time was not very sure. He wanted to start properly. "I'm--"

Cut off. "I know who you are, boy." The older man stared with narrowed and condescending eyes. "Do you believe I would forget the face of those whom carry the Revya name? And please tell me you haven't forgotten my name."

Young Revya had been told about this. However, now that the man he anticipated to be very unkind is right in front of him, Revya was now wishing that he was not standing by himself and being judged so harshly. A tinge of sweat ran down the young man's neck. Nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. Now was not the time to recall the deviled woods that he had just passed. "I do know, Uncle."

A satisfied smug crept onto his Uncle's face. "My little sister did something right for once. The family knows how much I hate my real name." An unbelievable amount of stress was put on a word already so powerful. "Before you walk in and invite yourself into my home, there are a few things I need to clarify. You better be listening, boy."

"Yes?" The young Revya answered.

Uncle Revya opened the thick, wooden double doors. His body turned to enter the mansion, but his head was locked on his nephew. "I already don't like you. I will never love you. I am only obliged to keep you." There was silence. "Enjoy your new Hell." He walked in and slammed the doors shut.

Young Revya's body jumped. What a great first conversation with an uncle you have never met. The young man looked back towards the limousine driver who had stood there quiet. He had watched the entire conversation unfold. The nephew asked the driver, "Does he greet everyone like this?" The driver first replied with a blank expression, then slowly condemned his head to face the ground. The driver had accepted some kind of thought that had run through his mind. Some thought that was very disturbing to the uncle's relative.

---

The wooden steps up to the front door creaked ominously as they tried to hold the young man's weight. It was a gigantic house for sure, thought young Revya. However, with his uncle's cold shoulder looming in the atmosphere the nephew knew that he was not welcome at all into the château la grande. Each step to the door meant accepting the few, cold blooded terms and conditions that Uncle Revya splattered on the floor for the young man to pick up. The door handle that Revya reached out to touch brimmed with a ghastly chill. Its pulse ran through his veins and into his spine. He took a heavy breath and let it go by saying, "Home sweet home." He twisted the doorknob watching it open reluctantly.

The youth sneaked into the quiet foyer, witnessing the house covet the darkness before letting it go and sharing space with the sun light from outside. The hardwood floors made more creaking sounds as young Revya pressed his feet on them. How strange he thought despite the floor's beautiful and well cared for wax finish. He looked outside when he heard footsteps and watched the limousine driver walking back into the vehicle. The car marched at a slow pace into one of the mansion's many garages. This one was on the left side near the front porch.

There was no time to observe the house itself. From within, a temptress walked forth with no warning. Her legs were long and skinny and she wore nothing to cover her feet. She was a thin and six foot tall figure with eyes glowing emerald. She crossed her arms and one of her fingers touched her short, dirty blond hair. "Take your shoes off," she demanded and smiled while Revya stood stunned at the marionette in front of him. "The floor is that clean." He watched her eye lashes gleam as she blinked and walked closer as Revya did as he was told. The satin dressed maiden touched the young man gently, but she took an especially keen interest in his face and embraced it. "You must be Mister Hell-low's nephew. You're cuter in person than in the pictures your mom showed us."

"Mister Hello?" Young Revya tried to repeat.

"Your Uncle." She smirked and quietly laughed a bewitching and haughty laugh. "Pay attention to how I'm saying it. Mister Hell-low. It's the nickname I gave him since he likes to be a badass and scare anyone off the moment they step foot on his doorstep. The castle of the Beast himself, if I didn't know any better." The pale skinned woman let go of Revya as he held his luggage with an intense grip. "Congratulations for stepping into the lair of the monster and living to live in it."

No words were uttered from Revya. He was befuddled and wanted to panic. His brain was wrecking itself due to the constant reminder of his Uncle perhaps watching him creep and defile every inch of his mansion kept telling the young man to not budge. And now a strange and seductive woman has appeared out of thin air. Who is she? His Uncle's wife? Girlfriend? Fiancee? "You're silly, you know that?" The rose lipped lady shook her head and grinned with her pearly whites showing. "Lighten up. Seriously, I'm too old for you, anyway. I'm the least of your troubles."

"W-what?" was all he could mutter.

"There are some," the lady showed a thoughtful stare, "strange guests staying here. You'll met them all eventually. I'm so lucky that you met me, first." She offered another strange smile. Her elegant hand touched young Revya's own; the one carrying the blue suitcase. Instinctively he let it go and the tall, blond haired woman caught it in the short second it should have taken to crash land onto the waxed floor. How did she know he was going to let go? "Let me help you with that," She insisted. "I bet Mister Hell-low didn't tell you where your room is." The lady, with both hands holding young Revya's blue suitcase went up a flight of stairs only a dozen feet away from where they had been standing. The young man almost forgot that the front door had been open through their entire conversation and closed it. His fate was now sealed.

"By the way, I never caught your first name," the satin dressed beauty stated.

"Sorry 'bout that," the young man answered as politely as possible. He had put himself in an awkward position, allowing a much older woman carry half of his luggage. Plus, she was wearing rather luxurious, hand-crafted clothing. Her attitude told him that he should pay her no mind. "My name is Lei."

The woman tried to hide the darker intentions of her smile. "Short and sweet."

Author's Note

Every chapter is split into small sections by three consecutive dashes together. This makes the massive blocks of text easier to read and also serves as an identifier if a reader wants to go back and re-read a certain part of the story.