Spooky Mission

On the outskirts of the city of Birmingham, on street number four, stood a castle in a desolate location with no immediate houses in its neighborhood. The Gothic architecture and the exterior walls with paintings of the Blackthorn were its striking features.

Tenuous gleams of crimson red lamps lit the house in great vain, though their reach was inaccessible to objects at remote angles.The gramophone started playing itself with a clear, resonant voice, “Get the hell out of here,” when the clock ticked twelve at midnight. The walls, suffused with black wash and the blood-red draperies hung upon them, spared no chance of enhancing the insufferable pain of the stayers’.

The rattling of wind chimes in the dining hall and the echo of peculiar screams from the graveyard nearby at night filled the aura with no less than terror.The castle had become a gateway of fear, following the inexplicable death of corporate baroness, Veronica in 1923. Since then, neither a family nor a bachelor dared to enter this house after the lady’s gruesome death, due to which it had been left uninhabited for almost seven years.

But on October 5, 1930, flouting the time-honoured fears, an old man named Andrew, and his manservant Daniel, stepped into this horrendous street number four.The thunder and lightning in the sky, accompanied by heavy rainfall, the swinging of the trees and the bushes, the massive explosion of street lights, and the water-deluged roads left the beautiful city of Birmingham deserted.

At half-past ten, an emerald-colored car entered street number four with Daniel in charge of driving and Andrew seated at the back.

The moment Daniel halted the car in front of the castle, a black-colored cat suddenly jumped over the front window screen.

"Good heavens! Sir, just now a black cat leaped over the front window screen," Daniel said, his voice trembling."I hope you are fine," Andrew replied, his tone calm."Yes, sir, but I got frightened at once," Daniel admitted.

"Okay," Andrew responded, a hint of understanding in his voice."The castle is scary in its outlook!" Daniel exclaimed."When you step in, you will tremble," Andrew remarked matter-of-fact.

"Better we move from here," Daniel suggested, his fear palpable."I am here on a mission, you can leave now," Andrew declared, his tone resolute."Sorry, sir!" Daniel apologized, his voice small."I will get something for us to eat," Andrew announced, already planning his next move."

"But it’s raining heavily outside," Daniel pointed out."Don’t worry; I will be back in 10 minutes," Andrew reassured him.Daniel took the luggage inside the castle while Andrew, attired in a green cloak, sporting red rose eyewear, and a fag in one hand, drove his way in a hunt for food

At a quarter past eleven, when Andrew pulled his car into street number four toward his home, an unknown person, muffled up to the nose and attired in black, hurriedly strolled across the road in front of his car. Andrew stopped his car and turned his head back to take a glance at that stranger, but due to the pitch of darkness and heavy downpour, he found no one.

At twenty minutes past eleven, Andrew reached home, and the moment he entered inside and switched the lights on, he was astounded to see Daniel lying wounded on the ground with his neck punctured and blood oozing out of it prodigiously.

"What happened to you, and who did this?" Andrew demanded, his voice filled with concern."My time on this earth is over, sir," Daniel whispered, his voice weak."Wait a minute, I will go and get the first aid box from the car,"

Andrew offered, already moving towards the door."No, sir, I won’t survive anymore," Daniel admitted, his voice fading."Don’t say that, Daniel, everything will be alright," Andrew reassured him, though doubt lingered in his mind."Sir, be careful!" Daniel warned him, his voice urgent."Okay, just hang on, Daniel!" Andrew said, his determination unwavering."Goodbye sir!" Daniel's voice trailed off as he breathed his last.Andrew was once again thrown into the greatest alarm.

Despite all these jolts, he continued to stay there without trepidation.At ten minutes to twelve, Andrew went to his bedroom to hit the hay. The clock heralded twelve, and the gramophone started playing itself with a clear, resonant voice: “Get the hell out of here.” The wind chimes rattled loudly, and a chorus of painful screams emerged from the graveyard

Andrew stirred up from the sleep with a jerk. In a half-bent posture, he ambulated and glanced across the house in search of a gramophone. The gleams of encrimsoned lamps didn’t aid him easily in mapping out the exact location of the musical instrument. He took out his torch and flashed its light at each and every room meticulously.

Finally, at the corner of the dining hall, he located the gramophone and opened the main door of the house to throw it outside, but encountered an apparition of a gorgeous young lady, due to which he trembled and took a step back.

"Who are you?" Andrew demanded, his voice shaking with fear."I am Emily," the lady replied, her voice calm but tinged with something sinister."What are you doing here?" Andrew asked, trying to keep his composure."Sir, I came to my friend's house in the morning and got stuck up here due to heavy rain," Emily explained, her voice smooth like velvet."No problem, I will drop you off at your home if you want me to," Andrew offered, though he doubted her story.

"But sir, it's raining heavily outside, and it's not safe for us to travel at this point in time. I beg to spare a room for me in your home tonight, and I promise that by the first ray of dawn, I will check out from here," Emily pleaded, her voice honeyed but with an undercurrent of menace."Okay, you can stay here tonight," Andrew reluctantly agreed, his mind already formulating a plan.

"Thank you, sir! I hope I am not bothering you," Emily said, her voice dripping with false innocence."No, you can sleep in the bedroom while I comfort myself in the hall," Andrew replied, trying to hide his suspicion."Once again, I thank you for sheltering me tonight!" Emily's voice was full of gratitude, but Andrew sensed something insincere in her tone."It's okay. Good night, and take care," Andrew said, trying to sound reassuring."Good night, sir," Emily replied, her voice fading as she retreated to the bedroom.

At fifteen minutes to one, Emily walked to the bedroom while Andrew slept on the floor in the drawing-room.At half-past one, Emily moved to the drawing-room and stooped to seduce Andrew. As she came closer to him, he opened his eyes and pushed her aside, using his hands forcibly."I know what you up to!"

With a triumph of red in your eyes and no reflection of your image in the mirror hung above the wash basin, I understood you were my target," Andrew continued, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins."Who are you, and why are you after me?"

Emily demanded, her facade of innocence slipping slightly."I am a secret paranormal investigator and gallivant around the city in search of beasts like you," Andrew revealed, his tone resolute."So you have come here to let your life bleed hot onto the stone step beneath yours!" Emily hissed, her true nature beginning to emerge.

"No, I will send you to a place from where you will never come back. Unfortunately, I lost my manservant, Daniel, at your hands," Andrew declared, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the confrontation ahead."Yes, I have killed him and will persist in hunting as many humans as possible. Dare to kill me!"

Emily challenged, her voice dripping with malice."I won’t let this happen anymore!" Andrew vowed, determination burning in his eyes."First, you survive at my hands," Emily taunted, her lips curling into a sinister smile."Don’t give me a damn!" Andrew retorted, his grip tightening on the weapon at his side.With a sudden movement, Emily lunged at Andrew, her claws extended and gleaming in the dim light.

Andrew reacted swiftly, dodging her attack and countering with a swift blow of his own.The battle between human and monster raged on, each combatant fighting with all their strength and cunning.

Andrew took his sword from his car's bonnet and with a whistle of steel cutting through the air beheads Emily.

The vampire's lifeless body crumbled to the ground, Andrew took a deep breath, the weight of his victory settling upon him. But his respite was short-lived, as he collapsed to his knees, exhaustion and pain finally catching up to him.And so, amidst the ruins of the haunted castle on street number four, Andrew emerged as the lone survivor, a beacon of hope in the darkness that had once shrouded the city of Birmingham.

The End.