Red - Dragon story part 1

Red. The color was so vibrant. I’ve never seen blood fresh from a dying body before. I watched him slay the man from a distance. I hadn’t imagined that such refinement and regalness would be the exterior of a killer. I thought I was far enough away to slip back the way I came unnoticed, but he turned and looked right at me. As if he knew I was there the entire time. I froze. Most people would have started to run if a murderer started towards them, not me. He’s moving like a predator, but doesn’t have that fear instilling look about him. I freeze unable to think of what to do or say.
“Don’t worry, you don’t deserve the same end. In many minds he deserved worse for the ones he killed.” His voice was deep and had a gravelly edge. Sounds odd and accented. Nothing like I’ve heard. His suit was dark, I couldn’t tell if it was navy or black. Black would be my guess. The white shirt beneath had traces of blood spattered across it. Almost artistic in a way. I remember his hands. No blood there. Even those hands had muscles that were visible. His eyes. I could feel them on me as I looked him up and down. If he was going to kill me, I at least wanted an eyeful first. He turned away and walked halfway to the dead man and bent to pick something up. I hadn’t seen it in the snow. It was getting dark and all I could see was a shimmer of reflecting light as he picked it up and placed it in his pocket. I watched in my dumbstruck state. You should be running, my lady. I would have believed it was my own mind saying it, if there wasn’t that “my lady” at the end -and that accent. Who speaks that way?
He stops only inches from me. Hmm. Maybe he’ll seduce me before he kills me. I hear a car door open as he releases a deep chuckle. I didn’t even realize I was standing next to a car. Yes, the passenger door to some kind of classic Mercedes is open and waiting. I’m staring blankly at the seat. Stupid. It would be so stupid to get into a killer’s car. He was getting in the driver’s seat and leaned over, holding his hand out as if he were going to help me into the car so I don’t fall. Decisions like this should be a no-brainer. But I have no family and who wants to take the final on quantum physics tomorrow anyway? I take his hand and get in. Deep breath.
Snowflakes were falling in some eerie serenity. We didn’t speak. I don’t know how long we were driving. My mind couldn’t help but wonder if there was another passenger in the trunk. Okay, starting to second guess myself now.
The street turned from pavement to gravel and I realized we were hell and gone from Napoleon. I would’ve been scared, but at the end of the road was a mansion with numerous lights on. Someone would hear me scream. There looked to be four stories and I assume there will be some creepy butler waiting at the entrance when we get there. Addams Family style. I had good ole Lurch pictured in my mind. Engine off and he was around to my door before I could find the handle to open it myself. Creepy. Chivalry was dead wasn’t it?
The massive wooden front doors opened and revealed not an old butler, but a teenage girl who was dressed like she belonged in the eighteenth century.
“Oh, come on. Grey, if you bring home one more...” She stopped mid-sentence and looked at him. “Ugh. Whatever.” And she turned to leave. Weird. So, she was wearing old clothes, but definitely was with the times with her mouth. Damn sassy teens. I sigh. Maybe there’s some costume ball or something coming up.
“I know. A shame our culture no longer speaks properly.”
“You related?” I asked because they had the same eyes.
“Shamefully so. My sister. Not quite.... eighteen yet. Centuries ago, she’d have been married off and out of my hair. I keep reminding her of that.”
“Gee. And you wonder why she talks like that to you.” My heeled boots clicked on the marble floor. “So, you just kill people for kicks because you’re too rich to have a job or what?”
“I’d appreciate you refraining from discussing that when Violet could be within hearing range.” Okay, I laughed.
“She called you Grey, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Oh.” I roll my eyes and begin to look around at the various pieces of art.
“Was that oh pertaining to me? What were you just about to say before you got distracted by all the fineries?”
“Oh, nothing. I just had a hypothesis on how you have so damn much money. Grey, Violet. Did your parents own Crayola?”
“Now that’s just insulting.” Yet there was a smile that showed all the way to his eyes. I think he somehow enjoyed that jab. “Right. Enough sparring, let’s get on with a tour. Did you have somewhere to stay for the night? Or perhaps someone expecting you?”
I didn’t, in fact. All my things were at Rachel’s house, but she was having family home for the weekend and I wasn’t about to go back to Toby’s after that horrendous breakup. I actually planned on renting a hotel room for a couple of nights and soaking in a hot tub for hours.
“You’re too kind to offer me a place to stay and you know nothing about me. Maybe I’ve been sent here to kill you.” Yeah right, like I’d even know where to find the switchy thing on a gun to make it shoot or be able to devise any way of ‘offing’ anyone. All I knew about weaponry came from movies. Yeah, great education.
“Well, you don’t seem to be a threat except for the lapse in mental judgement. You have to admit not many would willingly get into a vehicle with a stranger whom they saw kill another man.”
“Whoa.” I’m seriously trying to control my laughter - out of nervousness, I tend to make jokes of everything. “Sorry. You could be a deranged madman, and I shouldn’t be laughing, but did you say ‘whom’?”
“Yes. Now this way to your room. I daresay it’s warmer than any hotel room and has a tub large enough to swim if you desired.” Creepy. How did he know that’s what I wanted? Well, what else would a woman want on a cold, snowy night: A chilly room and no bathing? I walk in. Paintings everywhere. I could write some serious poetry just based on the faces of the people in those painting. I think creepy has become my general word to describe the entire place. Okay, the door is burled wood and has a skeleton key. He unlocked the room and opened the door. I don’t think there are rooms like this in the most expensive hotels. At least if I die tonight, I’ll be doing it in luxury. There was a fireplace with a roaring fire keeping the room warm. I won’t even say the word, but the fact that it was lit and the door was locked - let’s just leave that one alone. The bed looked like it had a tapestry over it. Stained glass windows showed a glint of moonlight shining in. The tub was Olympic size. The kind that you could have an orgy in. Maybe he’s a vampire. Not a bad way to go. Suck my neck, get some nookie and be undead. Okay, I’ve been reading my sister’s vampire books too often lately. I got closer to the tub to look at the faucet. I have no idea what kind of creature was the spout....wait, Dragon?
“It’s a dragon’s head. The feet holding the glass beneath are the claws of the dragon and the handles are the horns. See, the metal wrapped around the side are wings. Once you get your water good and hot the metal seems to help keep it that way.”
“What, it doesn’t breathe fire to keep it warm?”
“It could if there wasn’t water running through it’s throat, I’m sure.” I looked at his eyes again. Almost an orange. Fire. His eyes looked like fire. Aaaaand he’s looking away from me now. Guess staring made him uncomfortable. I almost asked him to join me in that tub just in case the wings wouldn’t work for me. He could truly keep a woman warm all night. Or all weekend, in my case. If he doesn’t kill me before then. I noticed an ink drawing, just above his head. Trying to break the tension, I opened my mouth.
“Hey, that’s St. George and the Dragon isn’t it? Just as he’s about to kill the beast.” Sinister - whatever grumble that came out of him, it was evil.
“What makes you think St. George is going to win?” At just that moment, I could almost see him on top of me with that feral sound. Our eyes locked. I wanted nothing more than wild animal sex when he looked into my eyes like that. Okay, kill me now before I find that no other man will ever satisfy me again. He only broke eye contact when he moved behind me. I could feel his breath in my ear. My eyes closed instinctively. I felt something around my neck, was it fabric, metal, I couldn’t think with him so close. Going to die now. Damn, no sex. I felt his hands brush over my neck and down my back. “The dragon always wins.” I heard him say it right next to my ear, but when I opened my eyes, he wasn’t there. How long did I stand here that he had time to leave?