Welcome to the Draig Estate:
(1925 A.D., The Draig Estate, The Township of Resdren, Nornland, Scotland, Greater Germania)
The dark deafening silence presses down on Oskar, suffocating him as he lies in his bed, unable to sleep. The restless youngster lies trapped in an endless loop of tossing and turning. You don't need to be afraid anymore. He is gone. He is not coming for you anymore. You're safe. Then he hears it. Something scurrying, something scratching. It is small at first, but the more he listens, the more the subtle sound builds till it is undeniable.
"John… John…" Oskar calls into the dark places of his room, but no answer comes.
Oskar stealthily climbs from his bed. It's okay... it's okay. Just be brave and make your way to the door. He lightly tip-toes over to the bedroom door, a chorus of indecipherable whispers adding to the cacophony of scratching echoing from just beyond the door. He reaches out shakily for the door handle as thunder suddenly booms outside his window, reverberating through his bones and shaking him to his core. Don't turn around. Just open the door and go to John.
Sanguine lightning scorches the storming scarlet sky outside his bedroom window, casting a bright red wall of light down upon him from behind. Oskar's silhouette falls dark upon the door before him, enhanced by the ruby backlighting of the world outside. Oskar conjures up what little courage he has left and once more reaches for the door handle as from out of his silhouette cast upon the door abruptly bursts forth the screeching and contorted form of a young girl with dark sunken eyes drenched in trails of black tears.
Blood flows from the girl's putrid, glass-filled mouth. Oskar falls backward hard against the floor, accidentally pulling the girl down on top of him as he falls. The girl's body bends and spasms, straddling Oskar as she coughs up bits of bloodied glass and bile all over him. Oskar turns his face away, desperate to protect his eyes and mouth as best he can, crying out in terror.
"John! Emma! Somebody! Anybody! Help!" Oskar screams, flailing about desperately but unable to get the girl off of him.
She grabs his flailing arms and firmly pins them down over his head, rendering him even more helpless. Oskar goes mute with fear as she locks eyes with him. The world goes silent as she leans in close. He can feel her rotten breath on his face.
"Help… Please… Help me… Please…" the girl pleads in a weak and garbled voice, dribbling more glass and gore from her lacerated lips and tongue.
It's not real, it's not real, it's not real.
"Please... No more… Make it stop… It hurts so bad..." the girl begs.
Suddenly Oskar's body jerks backward through the hardwood floor beneath him as the world back-flips, lurching him forward. Oskar finds himself back in his bed, soaked in sweat and cloaked once more in the cold stillness of his empty room. No storm outside, no scratching, no crying girl, just quiet.
John bolts through the door, casting his concern-ridden eyes upon the sweat-soaked boy. Upon seeing John, Oskar bursts into tears. He stretches out his open arms towards his new Childminder. John rushes over and pulls Oskar in close, embracing him.
"It's okay, Oskar. It's okay. It's over. Whatever it was, it's over," John proclaims, holding the scared lad tightly.
"No, it's not over. It's never over. If it's not him, it's them. Always, always," Oskar sobs into John's warm, comforting shoulder.
"Them? Who is this them?" asks John, pulling away to look into Oskar's eyes.
"The things from the dark places. They won't leave me alone. They never leave me alone." mutters Oskar, as his crying slows, but the fear remains.
Things from the dark places… That explains the ill-will I have been feeling since I first arrived here. Well, he's your responsibility now. You cannot fail him like you did them, not this time.
"Oskar, I know you're scared, but I can help you. I can help Emma, and I can keep you both safe."
Oskar pulls away, shaking his head "No" wide-eyed and terrified as he crawls backward away from John and curls up into a ball against the headboard of his bed.
"No… No… You can't protect me. No one can protect me. They'll kill you like they killed her. Just like her… They'll kill you."
"Who… Who did they…" questions John, confused.
"Not now, not here. They will hear us, but… are you saying you believe me?" interrupts Oskar, whispering softly.
"Yes, Oskar, I believe you. I am not like other adults. I know there are worlds beyond this one, so how about this? I'll stay here with you tonight and in the morning we will talk as we take our morning ride around the Estate, okay?" Oskar nods meekly as John tucks him back into bed. John turns to pull a nearby chair closer to Oskar's bed, but Oskar reaches out and grabs his wrist with one hand and pulls back his covers slightly with the other, gesturing for John to join him. John looks at him with uncertainty in his eyes. Oskar sees his hesitation.
"Of course. I'm being stupid. The chair is close enough. I'll be fine," Oskar mutters weakly, turning his gaze downward in shame. What are you, a girl? Stop being such a baby. Better to be afraid, better to die than to be a…
John sees a heavy shade of shame fall over Oskar as the boy hangs his head. Oskar lets go of the older man's wrist. John reaches down and lifts Oskar's chin softly.
"Oskar. It's okay, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I'll join you. It's no big deal," John replies, taking off his coat and waistcoat before placing them on the nearby chair. John undoes the top few buttons of his shirt and removes his shoes before climbing into the bed next to Oskar. Oskar slides in close to him, playing little spoon to John's big spoon. Wrapped snugly in John's soothing embrace of safety, sleep finally finds the young boy and drags him down into the cool depths of restful oblivion.
******
"Good morning, maîtrise!" Emma proclaims, smiling playfully as she barges into the room loudly and starts tidying up minor things here and there. Emma exhales deeply, stepping out of the room momentarily and returning with a breakfast trolley loaded with delicious breakfast foods and a steaming carafe of coffee. Ils forment un couple tellement adorable, thinks Emma as she looks at John and Oskar in bed together. She comes to a stop with the trolley next to the bed and begins pouring two warm cups of coffee for them.
"Here you go, Oskar, black just how you like it," says Emma, handing one of the coffee cups and saucers to Oskar as he sits up in the bed. Emma blushes for a moment and smiles as she sees he is wearing nothing but one of John's button-up shirts. John takes note of Oskar for a moment as he starts drinking his coffee. Strange for a child to take their coffee black.
"And how do you like your coffee, Monsieur?" continues Emma, now looking to John. John turns back to Emma with a pleasant grin.
"Umm cream, three lumps. Thank you," replies John, feeling slightly uncomfortable under her naughtiness-implying gaze. He knew what she was thinking. He had come across this reaction from women before, at times when he had been observed in somewhat intimate moments such as this with other males. It didn't really bother him. After all, men are much the same when it comes to seeing two girls together.
Emma prepares John's coffee as instructed and hands it to him. She then follows up by placing a plate of delicious warm scones down on the bed in front of them.
"Oh, this is very good, thank you," John exclaims cheerfully as he takes his first sip of his coffee. So she's sexy and makes a fantastic cup of coffee, thinks John with a subtle grin.
"Thank you, Monsieur," replies Emma appreciatively. Emma curtsies to the two of them and then, with one last bubbly smile in their direction, she departs with her trolley out of the room to go about her other morning duties. John cannot help but watch the tantalising swaying of her perfect hips as she leaves. John's starring does not escape Oskar's notice. Of course, he stares at her. Why wouldn't he? She's beautiful and I'm… I mean… I'm just… stop it, Oskar. Stop thinking like that.
John downs the remainder of his coffee in one gulp and then climbs out of bed. He walks over to Oskar's wardrobe and opens it while Oskar watches from the bed, downing the rest of his coffee and one of the delicious buttery scones Emma left them. John turns to Oskar with a smirk and calls him over to him. Oskar places the plate of scones, his empty coffee cup and its saucer onto the nearby bedside table and climbs to his feet. Standing up on the bed, Oskar pulls John's shirt off over his head and tosses it off to the side of the bed before hopping down to the floor and proceeding to walk naked up to John to retrieve his new clothes for the day.
"So who picked out your daily clothes before now? Rufus or you?"
"Rufus. He would pick out my clothes… After he was done with his fun," Oskar replies with a grimace as his skin crawls momentarily at just the remembrance of Rufus's hands caressing him. I hated it. I hated him… not like you. Nothing like you.
"Well, needless to say, that changes now. You are nearly thirteen years old and can thus pick out your own clothes to wear. But don't worry, I'm right here to make recommendations if need be," retorts John, his tone warm but firm.
"Of course, I'm not a baby," counters Oskar indignantly.
"Wait… these are ladies' underwear and the risqué kind at that," responds John, noticing the complete absence of male underwear in Oskar's wardrobe.
"This is the only kind he let me wear. The only kind he liked. He said it suited a little lizzie like me," Oskar answers averting his gaze, embarrassed. A hypocrite who rapes boys while being homophobic. He sounds more like a priest than a Childminder.
"Well, then we have two options. You can choose to go nude under your clothes for now until we can get you proper undergarments or you can keep wearing these until I can get you proper undergarments. Do you have a preference?" Oskar nods and grabs one of the female undergarments and puts it on, covering his manhood.
"Very well then. Next, you will need to pick out some pants, a shirt and a warm coat for our morning ride. It looks chilly out there," John declares, casting his eyes out the bedroom window for a moment before returning his attention back to Oskar and the clothing situation.
"Okay. well, how about this and this?" responds Oskar, taking out some black fleece-lined leggings with some black silken breeches and for a shirt, he takes out a red silk blouse and a dark black waistcoat.
"Okay, those are all fine, but what about a coat?" John continues. Oskar looks back at his available coats, thinking, and then picks out a black long coat and shows it to John before putting it on.
"Yes, that will do. That will do nicely," John responds as he walks over to the door and opens it while Oskar puts on his riding boots. John smiles at Oskar, gesturing for him to take the lead.
Oskar and John make their way down the stairs towards the front door. As they pass the entrance to the dining room, they can hear Mrs. Draig enjoying her morning tea as she laughs and chatters away with Tilda and Hilda. Oskar speeds up at the sound of his mother's nearby presence, rushing out the front door. John exits the house behind Oskar, shutting the front door behind them before following Oskar towards the stables. Upon reaching the stables, Oskar hurries over to a nearby beautiful mare with a pilose but seemingly well-kept coat. Its coat immaculately blended every shade of grey he could imagine.
"Hey, good morning, girl. How are you feeling?" coos Oskar, petting the elegant beast's toned shimmering shoulders and neck before scratching the great magnificent mare's chin.
"I have never seen a horse like this. She must be very special to you," John proclaims, looking at the horse dumb-struck for a moment before swiftly regaining his composure and making his way over to Oskar. She is shorter and thicker than any horse John has ever seen.
"Yes. Yes, she is. Her name is Astri. She has been with me for as long as I can remember. She's an Icelandic Fjord. You can tell by her build and fluffy coat," Oskarreplies, smiling lovingly at her. John's heart smiles as he spies a deep gleam of adoration in his young master's eyes.
"Yes, I see. She is very beautiful, a stunning mare indeed," John declares as he helps Oskar apply Astri's bridle and then her saddle. After the bridle and saddle are secured, he lifts Oskar up and places him upon Astri.
"Now which one am I to ride this fine morning, my dear young master?" asks John with a grin as he turns and looks around the stable at the three other horses remaining. Oskar casts his pondering gaze at the three remaining horses.
"Well, that horse there," Oskar points to a toned slender Arabian breed horse with a fur coat pale as snow, "is my mother's horse though the only time she has ever gone riding since father died was when Rufus would take her out on one of their evening rides. However, it is still probably for the best that you not ride my mother's horse without her permission," explains Oskar. John admires the fine horse. It looks just as well cared for as Astri, though John struggles to imagine Mrs. Draig putting in the work to care for something other than herself.
"If you do not mind me asking, who cares and maintains these fine horses?"
"I care for Astri, but Crowler covers for the times I cannot. Crowler cares for the other three, though I help out when it comes to my mother's horse; Pandora."
"Strange," replies John, casting a curious eye to Oskar.
"What is?" asks Oskar.
"Well, it is clear that you help Crowler take such good care of your mother's horse even though your mother only seeks to cause you pain and I assume that great black Welsh Cob next to Pandora was Rufus's. Rufus, of course, is another person who caused you nothing but pain…" replies John. Oskar nods, catching John's drift.
"My mother and Rufus are the ones who hurt me. Their horses should not be made to suffer because of it. Now, as for which you should ride, take that one there." Oskar points towards a fantastic-looking Akhal Teke with shimmering golden colored fur, "Her name is Setti."
"A capital choice young master, Setti looks like a very fine mare," replies John, making his way over to Setti and equipping her with her bridle and saddle.
"If you do not mind me asking, what is the name of Rufus's horse?" asks John, mounting Setti.
"Cheron… the horse is named Cheron."
"Ah hello there masters… heading out on a morning ride I see," Crowler proclaims, stepping into the stables with a great jovial smile.
"Oh hello, Crowler. How is the morning treating you?" Oskar asks, returning Crowler's smile.
"Wonderful young master, it is indeed a fine morning," Crowlerresponds with a chuckle as he feeds Pandora and Cheron.
"Yes, Oskar is taking me on a morning ride to show me the grounds of this fine estate, although it is already abundantly clear that you are a wonderful groundskeeper, mister Crowler," explains John.
"You flatter me, master, but I do the best I can," responds Crowler bashfully.
"Yes, it is clear you do," John says.
"Well, I must be tending to my chores. I wish you both a fine ride, dear master," Crowler continues as John and Oskar proceed out of the stables on horseback, leaving Crowler to his work.
"So, my dear Oskar, where to first?" John asks.
Oskar suggets, "How about the Burning Gardens?" taking off at a casual trot around the corner of the servant's quarters building towards the back of the estate, with John riding at his side.
"Why are they called the Burning Gardens?"
As they close in on the back of the estate, John can see immaculate hedgerows composed of well-kept rose bushes extending towards and enclosing around a grand central fountain made of black marble. The roses growing on the bushes are all a deep purple and the central fountain is multilayered and flanked by white marble benches on all sides.
Hedge-lined cobble-stone paths branch out away from the central fountain in all directions. The path south from the fountain leads right up to the back access of the Manor. The path north from the fountain leads to a hedge-enclosed elevated polished stone terrace adorned with a medium-sized pagoda with a white marble bench and supporting columns and a dark red roof beyond which stands a grand towering hedge maze. The hedged path west of the fountain leads to a shimmering silver altar of some kind placed before a colossal statue of an unknown sitting woman.
"Best not to talk about it. However, I suspect you will find out soon enough," Oskar answers.
"Right. So who's the goddess?" asks John, chuckling.
"To be honest, I am not sure," Oskar replies, with a smirk.
"So let me get this straight, your family has a massive effigy of a menacing-looking naked woman and you do not know who she is?" continues John, amused.
"In all my life, I have never left these grounds, and yet this place is still very much a mystery to me," Oskar says.
"I understand, I guess," John replies as he and Oskar continue to meander around the estate grounds to the western grounds of the estate.
"Rufus once explained the oddities of this estate to me by saying that 'the Draig Family has a rich and diverse history which is eternally reflected by the oddities found here'. I decided it best not to push the matter further with him. One thing I know is that every Draig Family wedding in recorded family history took place in front of that silver altar."
"I see. Will that include yours?" replies John, nodding. Oskar sighs but does not answer.
The two riders pass by an ornately designed steam-cabin. However, looming off in the distance just beyond the steam-cabin rises a great shimmering pyramid of silver and glass shining with the colours of the rising sun.
"Hey Oskar, what's that?" John asks, gesturing to the pyramid.
"Oh, that is the Pyramid of Dawn, and before you ask, I have no idea what it is for but I think it predates the manor," Oskar answers, as John can feel an aura of tension radiating from his master.
"Oskar, I know you're scared to talk about it, but it's time. I need you to finish telling me what you started to tell me last night. Please Oskar. I can only keep you safe if I know all the facts," John explains.
"I know but…" mutters Oskar, hanging his head.
"Please Oskar..." John presses.
"I can't remember her name. They told me I imagined her. But I didn't, I know I didn't," Oskar replies, tilting his head away from John's direction. John does not need to see the tears building in Oskar's eyes to know they are there. John leans over in his saddle and gently strokes the back of Oskar's head for a moment.
"She was my nursemaid. I remember her smile looking down on me as I suckled. I remember the sound of her voice. I think she used to sing to me. She was the first and last person in this place to ever show me kindness till Emma got here and now you," Oskar answers, trembling.
"You said 'they killed her'. Can you explain that further?" John asks softly.
"I still remember her face, her screams. To this day, I still hear her cries sometimes in my quiet moments. Her face still finds its way in my nightmares. It was dark outside and there was a storm that night. I was still scared of thunder back then, and so I was crying. She came into my room to check on me. Then something happened as she approached my crib. I saw things moving behind her in the dark shadows of my room. She must have heard them moving, because I saw a look of sheer terror suddenly fall over her eyes. She screamed and I cried harder, but there was nothing I could do. It was as if the very darkness had come alive and swallowed her, erasing her from the face of the Earth. I never saw her again," explains Oskar as John listens intently.
Setti and Astri both start to clatter their hooves and neigh nervously as a great silver mist descends from out of nowhere. Silence consumes the world. The mist is so thick that John can no longer see Oskar or Astri by his sound.
"Oskar… OSKAR!!!" John proclaims, surveying his surroundings as best he can through the thick, glistening fog.
"The boy is not here, Childminder," whispers Murmur into John's ear. His cold breath nips at John's neck and face.
"I warn you, Oskar is under my protection now," John says sternly, turning to face the direction of the soft raspy unknown voice only to be greeted by more fog.
"The boy is ours,"Murmur whispers menacingly.
"I swear I will free him from you," John presses resolutely.
"Never, not ever," Murmur mutters and John feels his chilling presence dissipate into the mist. John takes a moment to calm Setti down a little more before proceeding to search the fog for Oskar. A bitter chill wind blows past John as from out of the mist ahead of him comes a headless dark rider atop a great black steed with burning red embers for eyes.
The fearsome dark rider rushes towards John and Setti, his sabre drawn. John leaps from Setti as quickly as he can, kneeling down and placing his right hand firmly on the ground. He lets his hidden power flow through him, building it up at the point where his right palm meets the soft moist grass until he feels the spark he is waiting for. He slowly lifts his right hand up from the ground, drawing forth from out of the soil and foliage, a fully formed and fully loaded lever-action repeater rifle. John takes aim.
John unloads three shots into the great black-steed causing it to rear-back with a blood-curdling cry as it exhales crimson flames from its nostrils, tossing the headless rider to the ground about twenty feet from John's current position. The ebony steed collapses to the ground before vanishing in a plume of purplish-black smoke.
The headless rider climbs to his feet, rushing towards John, blade still in hand. John unloads three shots from his rifle, striking the advancing opponent square in the chest, causing purplish-black vapours to plume out from the three small bullet wounds. The rider closes in on John, drawing forth a pistol with his left hand and opening fire. The rider unloads on John, firing off four shots. John leaps out of the way of the incoming pistol-fire as he de-summons his rifle and instead places his hands on the ground, summoning forth a sabre in his right hand and a small shield upon his left arm.
The rider brings his blade down hard upon John, who deflects the blow with his shield as he slashes at the rider. John's sabre tears into the rider's side, leaving a long deep gash bleeding purplish ebony smoke. The rider counters with a second slash to John's left side, but John dodges backward and counters with a powerful forward thrust into the rider's torso. John's sabre pierces clean through the rider's chest and out his back, causing the rider to cry out with a savage, monstrous scream of agony before abruptly bursting into a massive cloud of smoke just like his steed.
As the purplish-black cloud of smoke from the rider's dissipated form fades, so does the mist, returning normal visibility and sound to the world. John finds himself standing before a great and magnificent mausoleum flanked by four looming statues. He turns to see Setti standing just a few feet off to his right side, munching down on some wet green grass. John recognizes one of the statues to be a highly-detailed and adorned sculpture of the Egyptian god; Anubis. However, John does not recognize the other three towering statues. The door to the vast mausoleum seems to be made of heavy polished black and white marble with a large circular golden locking mechanism. The door is covered in intricate entangled sequences of runes, cuneiform and hieroglyphics and other mysterious symbols.
"It's the Draig Family Mausoleum," comments Oskar from his saddle atop Astri a dozen or so feet off to the left of John.
"You found me," John chuckles.
"It wasn't hard. This is the mist's favourite place to bring me," continues Oskar, his voice uneasy.
"Every member of the Draig Family since the beginning has been buried here. I hate this place. I hate how it makes me feel. I have never known any of the people buried here other than my father and yet I know there was not a single good soul among them. I can feel their evil like a dark cloud hanging over this place. They were all monsters. I feel disgusted… ashamed to carry their blood in my veins."
"You're not like them, Oskar. The burden of their sins is not yours to bear. You are not a monster just because they were," John responds, remounting Setti and trotting over to Oskar's position.
"How can I not be?" Oskar mutters, averting his gaze.
"You are not a monster," John responds firmly, leaning over in his saddle and pulling Oskar into a soothing warm embrace.
"Come, let's head back up to the house. It should be almost time for brunch," John suggests, gesturing for Oskar to lead the way back up to the manor.