Chapter 2

I must have hit my head harder than I thought, when I’d fallen. I still never remembered telling her my name. Besides, why would someone like her even bother with someone like me, I wondered. One thing stuck out in my mind, though. We walked into her parlor, said the fly, I said one more thing to the beautiful spider. (Hey isn’t the Black Widow a spider?)

“You’re beautiful.”

That little piece of fluff walking alongside me, holding my hand, was making my entire trip worth it. Did I mention she was beautiful? Bianca Von Steffen! I loved the name. Yep, I could see being with her the rest of my life, my wife, my lover, the mother of our children even. Dream on, I thought. She doesn’t look old enough to even drive a car, back home, maybe not even to get married. She looked fifteen, maybe sixteen, perhaps even younger though. But the way she acted, and the poise she showed, made her seem ancient.

I wasn’t sure what happened, but I got out of that dream fast. When I looked, she was still holding my hand. We stood in front of that Castle, now ... you know, Bran Castle, the one usually ‘closed for repairs, ‘ that one. It was open today.

She tilted her head as we walked towards the side ... the side, not the entrance. Half way around we stopped, and she turned us to face a blank wall. She pulled me forward and we just slithered in. Yep, ‘slither’ was the only word I knew that could describe how we could go through a solid wall. I felt a bit strange, and started to check myself out with my free hand. I looked and yup, still one real head, and no body parts missing. So, I knew this was just a dream caused when I really did hit my head when I fell. No ‘sir-ree’ Robby! What looked to me like a solid stone wall, just melted away for us. Where we entered there was a dimly lit room, just ahead.

I saw her and figured things could be a lot worse. She was still there and looking as beautiful as ever. I had a fleeting thought about how she might look without all those clothes on.

‘No way’ I thought. Then she spoke, really, she spoke, but I could not see her lovely mouth move any.

“If you’re a good little man, you may get your wish. I don’t wear much to bed. Yes, I think I am old enough to drive and get married in your country; but, tell me, why would you really care to leave here?”

Just with that out, we were approached by ... something. I really can’t say if it was a human or a beast of some sort. On the other hand, if it was real, I hoped I was still dreaming. Then its thoughts were in my mind also.

“Mistress, we bid you welcome. Your father awaits you and the Lieutenant. If you both will follow me.”

‘Well now’, I thought. ‘All he needs to ask now are if my intentions towards his daughter are ‘honourable, ‘ or not!’

“He won’t ask that, darling. What he will ask, is if you had one and only one wish, what it would be. I am sort of interested in what your response is, as well.”

Whoever or whatever had been leading us opened two massive wooden doors. As we came closer; first the glow, then the scent, and finally the sight of hundreds of young girls kneeling on both sides of a long aisle came into view. Naked girls, adorned with collars and a blood red mark on their left breast. Ahead were seven steps, each held more kneeling girls. We seemed no longer to walk. We just sort of floated along. As we drew closer, I could see the girls on the steps were marked with a dark blue crescent symbol, and not the red dagger that those along either side of the aisle had. At the top, a platform, stood seven naked girls with two seated, right to left of what appeared to be a man. They were adorned with golden collars and each with some strange and unique symbol, like a letter or picture from some ancient language, or carving found in a temple or pyramid. These seemed to be Violet or Royal Purple in colour.

As we drew closer I was glad, very glad, Bianca had told me not to be afraid. I was only shaking and in a cold sweat when behind the seated one I saw the biggest wolf in existence. A horse might be a bit smaller. Then I saw the ‘Seated one’, with another ‘Godzilla’ at his feet, he was what appeared to be a not an ordinary man. It looked like a man, but even seated he was taller than the wolf.