Soul Mirror: FIRST DRAFT: Ch.02 A Castle in America?

Alex was driving north through the Brookfield suburbs and it didn't take long before he was driving through the woods. For it being such a beautiful bright day, the woods seemed ominous. The trees were thick and blocked out a lot of the sunlight, making the path darker and darker.

'It's like a horror movie scene or something. What if there is a crazy killer here that's going to murder me,' Alex thought to himself as he drove further along.

'Gah! Don't be stupid, Alex! The boss said I'm one of his best, and I'm not going to let him—Oh, wow!'

As Alex turned the corner, he was met with the imposing sight of a massive wrought iron gate bearing the name Vanderbilt. The fence, standing at a formidable ten feet, exuded strength and solidity, mirroring the gate's own sturdy construction. Beyond the gate, the sprawling estate perched atop a lofty hill came into view, encircled by towering 30-foot cliff walls.

'Holy Shit. It's a fuck castle!?... I didn't know that the U.S. had a castle? That's neat!' Alex thought to himself, amazed by the size of the place.

He pulled up and stopped in front of the intercom and pushed the button. A few seconds later an old scratchy voice came through the speaker.

"Who is it and what do you want!?" The old man asked.

"Oh, Hi, uh, I'm Alex, and I'm here to move your stuff, sir," Alex responded, nervously.

"Stuff?... Ah, yes... The help..."

The intercom crackled and then fell silent, leaving an eerie stillness in the air.

"Hello?" Alex asked.

The iron gate creaked open slowly, revealing what lay beyond.

'Um... Why am I getting a bad feeling about this job,' Alex thought as he began driving through the gates.

As he ascended the lengthy gravel driveway, Alex couldn't help but admire the breathtaking beauty of the mansion and its surroundings. Lush, meticulously tended gardens and shrubs lined the pathway, leading up to a stunning stone fountain.

'Wow! It's beautiful,' Alex thought as he continued up the driveway.

He pulled into the parking spot, turned off the ignition, and opened the car door. Stepping out onto the gravel, he took a moment to stretch his legs before heading towards his destination.

'Damn, this place is huge. How many people live here?'

Alex looked up at the menacing manor. The windows were all dark and boarded up, while the rest of the home was painted white, it was all gray now and looked old and decrepit. It looked like it could be haunted. Alex gulped.

'Why did my boss send me out here? Grrr! Because I'm his best worker, and he knows I can get the job done,' Alex thought, trying to reassure himself.

"What the fuck took you so long, worm?" a voice screeched behind Alex, causing him to jump.

"AH!" Alex yelped.

He spun on his heels and caught sight of an elderly man with a lengthy white beard, stooped over and relying on a cane. The crown of his head was bare, yet he sported straggly, lengthy locks and donned a remarkably well-maintained black suit reminiscent of late 19th or early 20th-century fashion, exuding an air of opulence. His eyes were deeply set and clouded with cataracts, while his skin resembled weathered leather.

"I asked you a question, insect, why did you take so long to arrive here?" The man asked in a stern voice.

"I-I just got informed about a half hour ago. I got here as soon as I could," Alex responded, nervous about talking to the man.

'What is up with this guy? Is he for real?'

"Hmpf, it doesn't matter now. Come with me! Hurry up! I'm too old to wait for you!" The man shouted and began walking towards the house.

Alex trailed behind the old man, anticipating the moment when he would unlock the imposing door located at the top of a staircase. The door resembled a massive bank vault or a sturdy bomb shelter.

'I don't know if I want to be here alone with this guy. I'm getting some crazy vibes from him.'

The old man fiddled around with the key, and then there was a click, and the door opened.

"I-Is this the entrance to a safe room or something?" Alex asked.

Samuel creepily turns toward Alex. The college boy tried to take a few steps back but ended up falling on his ass. Samuel looked down at him with disgust. His wrinkles scrunched up in an angry scowl.

"Do you think I'm paying you for your opinion, you ignorant worm," the old man hissed as he walked into his room.

Alex felt a lump in his throat and shook his head.

"N-No sir! I was just wondering. It looks really cool," Alex said as he got back on his feet while Samuel continued to glare at him.

"Tsk!... I miss the old days when I could just discipline the flock without all these legal repercussions. It's a shame that people no longer appreciate the old ways or understand when to bow down to their betters," Samuel complained as he walked into his mansion.

Alex was about to say something, but the old man's words made his brain hurt. He had a hard time following his thought process.

'Bow down to our betters? This fucking dude is nuts... I know it's the 21st century, and he's probably a racist asshole, and he's probably been living alone for decades, but he's acting like an entitled prick. More than normal rich people... I think?'

"Come on. You have a lot of work to do," the old man said as he limped into the house.

The sound of a wolf's haunting howl echoed in the distance, sending shivers down Alex's spine.

"Right!"

The college boy hurried after the old man, not wanting to be left alone out there.

"Whoa, this place is huge," Alex exclaimed as he looked around the giant foyer.

Samuel didn't respond as he continued to walk up the grand staircase.

As they walked through the mansion, Alex noticed a few things about the interior. The furniture looked old, but they were still in great condition. But everything seemed creepy because the old man only used candle light. And the candles were placed around the room, casting dark shadows and creating a dim glow. It was like something out of a gothic horror movie.

'What is up with this fucking dude? S-Should I ask if this place has electricity?'

Samuel led Alex to a set of large double doors, and he opened them.

"This is one of two storage rooms that I need you to pack up and move. I've accumulated too many things that are no longer useful to me at this time. And—What!" Samuel snapped at Alex when he saw the college boy raising his hand.

"Ah! Um?... Does this house have electricity?... N-Not that I'm complaining, but it would make my life easier," Alex asked, trying to be polite.

Samuel glared at Alex, and the college boy felt his blood turn cold.

"Of course, it has electricity, you imbecile! I just choose not to use it," the old man said, pointing at an old push-button switch by the doors.

Alex walked over and pressed it, and the lights came on, removing the whole horror aesthetic.

"Just know that this will be deducted from your pay, you worm!"

"Huh? Why!?"

"Because I've lived before you worms stumbled upon electricity, and I will be damned if I'm going to use such a primitive device in my home, you worm!" Samuel shouted, making his voice echo off the walls.

Alex was taken aback by Samuel's statement.

'Is this guy for real? No... He's probably just senile. The way he's talking is like he lived before the invention of electricity and the light bulb... I mean, this guy can't be older than 200 years old... That's impossible,' Alex thought as he looked around the storage room.

"Okay... I'll start loading stuff up," Alex said.

"See that you do, worm! And don't forget to pack up the other storage room, too! I will be in my study. Call me when you have finished!" Samuel yelled as he walked out of the room.

"Y-Yes, sir."

Once the old decrepit man was out of sight, Alex let out a sigh of relief.

'Oh, thank god... Mr. Jones was right about this dude. He is fucking weird,' Alex thought as he looked around the large storage room full of old sculptures, books, and paintings. They all seemed like things you see the occult would have.

"What is up with this shit. Why does this creepy old fuck have these things?" Alex wondered as he began to pack the old paintings.

The old man was creepy and acted like an entitled prick, but Alex still had a job to do.

"Alright, Alex, just keep your mind focused on the task. And before you know it, you'll be out of here and back in the city. And Mark said he was going to buy dinner, so you'll have a free meal and beer," Alex whispered to himself.

The college boy started to load up the boxes, which took him over an hour to do. He was about to dolly all of the boxes downstairs and pack them into the pod, but he remembered that the old man said to pack up another storage room. Alex would be wasting his time if he had to rearrange everything inside the storage pod if there were bigger items to store from the other room.