Chapter 3: Good Deed

Scott never believed in vampires or supernatural creatures due to his skeptical mind. He was a simple young man who loved doing his duty but the situation he found himself in made him question his beliefs.

"From your look, I can tell you don't believe me. Of course, you don't have any reason to. Perhaps this might be of help to you." Jasmine said pulling out a sheet containing a medical report.

Scott took it from her hand and began reading from the sheet containing the report. Gradually his expression changed as sweat began to drip down his face. The sheet of paper he was reading from had his name, designation, physical features, and injuries were all listed in detail. Also on the sheet of paper was the cause of the death stating- 'Mauled by a canine, most probably a dog or wolf.' On seeing this piece of information, his fingers trembled as he read the word, 'deceased' over and over again with his eyes fixed intently on the report. Jasmine wasn't lying and Scott had been pronounced dead 3 days ago.

"I hope you believe me now. It is time for us to go." Jasmine casually flicked her wrists in the direction of the exit door and it immediately flung open.

"Where are we going? I am a dead man!" Scott cried out as he looked at Jasmine.

"You needn't worry about that." Jasmine brought her fingers to her lips and whistled aloud.

A black limousine pulled up in front of the gate leading into the graveyard. Scott could tell from one look that the Limo was the latest brand. One of the most expensive in the world. Not even the richest man could afford such a Limo because they had stopped producing that model many years ago.

"I must admit, this model is quite perfect for a pretty lady like you."

Jasmine straightened out herself and made her way towards the door. When she was about to leave, she called out once more, "Come, Scott. The spawn of Dracula waits for no one."

Hastily Scott wrapped the shredded sky-blue gown tightly around his shivering frame and followed Jasmine with unsteady steps. Though he knew very little about her, he had no other option but to go with her. After all, he was declared dead. Although his mind was still curious and rife with questions he thought exactly like a law enforcement officer. He wants to get to the bottom of the mystery he has gotten himself into. He couldn't resist but kept mute and climbed into the Limo.

She tapped the driver from where she was seated next to Scott. "Let's go, our guest needs a place to rest."

The wheels of the Limousine rolled over a puddle of water. With the windows rolled up, the driver drove through the nearly empty streets. The Limo turned softly at St. Luke’s Avenue and trailed off towards an older part of the county.

The Limousine finally came to a halt at the blind end of a narrow lane in front of a mansion built with old bricks.

"You are welcome to my abode," Jasmine announced, stepping out of the Limo.

Scott opened the back door and climbed down as he stared around the brick mansion. The entire streets were shrouded in darkness except for the brick mansion. A few white lamps hung from an iron pole. This was the only source of light that stood like an ancient usher outside the gate. Jasmine's house was old-style.

She walked up to the door and rapped the iron knocker with the shape of a woman. Scoot patiently stood behind her, shivering in the cold. However, they didn't have to wait too long as the door was soon answered by an old man with gray hair and wrinkled bony hands. His sad pale face was a crisscross of wrinkles and scars. He held out an old lantern and welcomed them inside. "The power has been out for quite some time. I would have lit the candles if I had known you were coming."

"Don't worry; I don't mind the darkness. But our guest might feel lost," Jasmine replied, gesturing for Scott to come inside.

As he entered through the door, the wrinkled old man held up the lantern directly to his face. "Wow, a fine young-looking man. He looks quite like me in my younger days." He grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards him. "Come in, young man. You will be staying here for a long time with us."

"Mr. White, it is rude to behave like that with our guest. Where are your manners?" Jasmine intervened. "You are making Deputy Anderson very uncomfortable."

"I am deeply sorry. It's just that we haven't had guests in such a long time now. Forgive me, Deputy Anderson," he replied, releasing his grip and making a half-bow.

Jasmine instructed Mr. White, her bottler to bring Scott fresh clothes and dismissed him. She then turned to Scott and welcomed him with warm cordiality. "You are welcome to stay here till you are ready. The first room up the stairs is yours and the second one is mine. We are neighbors, so go get some sleep, it's going to be a long day ahead of us."

Scott however felt apprehensive about Jasmine's house and its residents. He feels like he has willingly walked into a trap. He had watched enough horror movies to know where this was probably going. But he knew quite well he had no choice at all especially now he had been declared dead.

"I know you have your questions and this looks like an inhospitable home meant to snare any innocent souls, but don't forget looks can be deceptive, Deputy Anderson. I can assure you that no one will hurt you while you are in my house. But remember to knock before barging into my room and it will help us get along smoothly!" Jasmine said, placing her arm around Scott's shoulder.

"Seems like you are hiding a bunch of secrets from me, I will probably be disposed of immediately."

"Fuck! You do have a wild imagination. I believe it is rude to barge into someone's room without knocking first. I am not your enemy and neither are my servants. I am just helping you and you have to show some appreciation. I think you need time to overcome the fear of death. We shall speak further in the morning. Please go rest your thoughts and relax your brains. It would do you good."

As Scott began climbing the stairs, the electricity returned and lit up the interiors in bright white light. Although some corners of the house had red bulbs. The bright lights relieved him of fear and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The house was well-decorated and most of the curtains were red. The furniture looks gothic and the rugs were red too. The maple wood flooring was well maintained. Every corner of the hall was tidy. Not even a single speck or cobweb was seen. Jasmine had her mansion well decorated with fine precious stones and some gothic images. Everything about her was steeped in mystery.

Approaching the front door of his new room, Scott unlocked the door and found himself in a small bedroom with a well-dressed bed and a table with a fancy lamp on it. The sheets of the bed were darker, making it look gothic.

As Scott was about to get in bed, Mr. White arrived with his clothes and a blanket. Having handed them to Scott, he smiled through his gapped teeth and whispered, "Goodnight, Scott. Don't be carried away deep in sleep. And don't leave the window open at night. Always sleep with one eye open."