Forest Walk

The day went on. The members were already concerned
with other matters, putting what they experienced that afternoon to the side. Sassilia
always came back, despite what happened to her. She usually came back a few
hours later, or the next day.

But the day turned to days. Those turned to weeks.
The members started to worry. They were missing a key part of their team. The
weeks turned to a month. Money started to get low. The members worry increased.
Soon none of them could fully concentrate on their tasks, and with Sassilia
gone, the missions became tougher. The month turned into months.

He had enough. He needed the money back, he needed
the work to be easier, and he needed his companion back. He hasn’t been able to
pull up information on Caretaker. Everything about him seemed more under the
radar than he was. The only information he could dig up on Caretaker was that
he ran an orphanage deep into the forest of the outskirts of the town. An odd
place to run an orphanage, he thought.

Demvare looks to the entrance of the forest. He’s
been through here multiple times, but never fully aware of his surroundings to make
a mental map. He has to rely on his memory to get him through.

The night grows darker as the midnight hour starts
to come to life. He can feel his instincts kick in. He’d blend in perfectly to
the atmosphere.

The forest gets thicker the more he travels on.
Midnight skin against midnight sky. Candlelight hair blending with the shining
pale stars. Claws out like thorns waiting to pierce the leg of the next
traveler.

After an hours walk through the forest, he come out
of the other end. A few yards away, a stone cottage rests there, flowers and
vines running near it. The cottage looks like something from a grandeur
fairytale. The sign on the door is faded. He could almost read ‘Erar’.

He knocks on the door. “Mr. Erar? Are you here?”

No response.

“Mr. Erar?”

The door creaks open. The lights are dim inside.

A flash of white meets his eyes before Erar steps in
his sight. “Oh, Mr. Demvare.”

“Caretaker.”

He grimaced. “Here on personal business, I assume.”

“You'd be right. I assume you know who I’m here
for?”

“She’s not home right now.”

“Liar.”

He sigh, opening the door more. “Correct. She's s up
in her room, sleeping.”

“Is she really?” He surveys the room.

The door opens to a large room that holds the
kitchen on the side and a set of stairs near the other wall. A ways in front of
him is an open doorway to a living room.

“Yes, she is.” Caretaker shuts the door, fixing his
gloves. “She’s been content here, welcoming travelers or visitors to the
abode.”

“A hometaker, eh?”

“Indeed.”

Demvare sits on the table. “Mind telling me what
that locket’s about?”

“I do mind.”

“Mind telling me what your plan with her is?”

“I do mind.”

“Mind telling me who her real parents are?”

Caretaker stops. An odd smirk comes to his face.
“Dead. She's an orphan.”

“I’m aware.” He fiddles with his claws. “You don’t
have any of her genetics and I refuse to believe her kind soul was birthed from
you.”

“Her parents were important and that’s all that
matters.”

“Her parents were royalty. I’ve seen inside her
locket. Her father was in kingly robes and her mother in a queen's dress.”

“She's a princess.”

“Also aware.”

Caretaker sighs out. “Just know that despite me
training her to the perfect villainess, I raised her after her parents died. I
hold some regard for her. I do care for her. That’s why I’m her Caretaker.”

“You’re despicable.” He spits out vile.

“Correct.” He chuckles.

Demvare suddenly grabs onto the stairway rails and
launches himself up the stairs.

“Stop! Now!” He starts to follow afterwards.

He busts open the shut door.

I'm asleep on a fancy bed, under the large purple
covers. He unblankets me and hold me in his arms as he jumps back down the
stairs. My nightgown flutters in the air.

Caretaker stands in front of the door. “Put her
down. Now.”

“Move.”

“Put her down and I will.”

He holds to me tighter, a wild look in his eyes.
“Move, or I’ll tear you apart myself.”

Caretaker chuckles. He steps to the side. “I want to
see you again, monster boy. Try not to die while you’re out. And make sure she
doesn’t die either.” His eyes wander to my locket. “She’s not done yet.”

“You’re horrendously creepy.”

“I may be, but at least I’m not a demon.”

Demvare growls, barreling out the door and running through
the forest.

~

I awaken inside my bed at the Clubhouse. I blink a
few times, then wipe my eyes.

Demvare comes inside the room. “That was an awful
dream you were having.”

“Dream…?”

He puts his fingers on her forehead, laying her back
down. “Sleep. You need to rest up for your next mission.”

I nod, pulling the blankets back over me, and close
my eyes.

He stares down at me, then to my locket. “That gives
you too much trouble. You shouldn’t always have it on.” He hesitantly puts his
hands on the chain, and lifts it over my snowy locks.

It slips off without an issue. He eyes it carefully,
then sets it on my dresser.

“Sleep well for once, Sass.” He curls up his hands,
retracting his claws. “For the both of us.”

“Mr. Demvare?”

He turns around. “Oh. Webb.”

“Does she need any-"

“No. She’s fine.”

He nods. “Just want to make sure.” He exits out the
room again.

Demvare stares at the locket on the dresser again.
He could do it. He could take the locket and study it. He could learn all its
secrets, but it could hurt her. It was a gamble.

He stops before grabbing it. A gamble. A real gamble
is living your life being stalked by some psychotic caretaker. A real gamble is
laughing with friends and loving them while praying the locket doesn’t activate
and hurt people. A real gamble is waking up in the morning and hoping you can
be yourself that day.

Sassilia's entire being a truthful, dangerous
gamble.