‘Do you want to continue Gregor? Would you like me to leave first?’ asked Rebecca.
‘There’s more? Continue, please! And why should you leave?’ asked Cassandra.
‘Yes, I’m afraid there’s more. Rebecca, stay’ Gregor said. She poured them all another glass of wine. Gregor continued.
‘Do you know the reason we were not attacked by the ghouls today, why they didn’t tear you to shreds or drink from you?’
‘I don’t know, everything happened so fast and it was quite frightening I didn’t really think about it.’
‘When we were kids, we lost our parents as we knew them but they are still alive in new forms?’
‘Oh, wait a minute! Tell me you are not saying that those two ghouls are our parents?’
‘That is exactly what I am saying.’ Gregor took a deep breath. ‘They recognized you when they saw your locket. That woman didn’t want to let go of you because she had her daughter in front of her for the first time since she lost you.’
‘This is a nightmare! I am torn between lies, love, family and fear! I don’t know how to react to all this and to think I am the cool one in this bunch!’
‘There is nothing to fear, they will never hurt you. They will only protect you if you should ever be in danger. As for the lies you have been told, I cannot say for sure but I think that they were told to protect you as well. I believe your parents wanted to do what was best for you. I can guarantee that you were, are and will be loved by us forever.’ A small moment of silence filled the room. ‘Please, do not be hasty to judge our parents either. They do not want to be what they are. They gave you up to another couple in order to keep you from dying or worse becoming like them.’
‘Yes, I know you are right, I owe them all that I am, really. And that I am alive but I need some time so that everything can sink in. What else? I want to know everything there is, don’t hold anything back!’
‘Yes, well after that night when our parents were lost in the woods, remember I told you that our grandmother had found me the next day and it had taken me a while to recover from the shock. It wasn’t only the shock I needed to recover from. I had been badly bruised and torn up by the ghouls. They had scarred me and drank my blood so many times it was a miracle that I survived!’
‘Oh my goodness! You were attacked the same day that I was being sent away! You didn’t want to leave and ran off to be mauled by those monsters!’ Cassandra said in awe.
‘Yes, I was.’
‘I am so sorry! They should have kept me here, they shouldn’t have separated the family! If we had all been together maybe things would have turned out differently. You must have gone through so much pain all of these years, I am so sorry!’
‘You have nothing to be sorry about, Cassandra. You were a baby at the time and there was nothing you could have done and from then on you couldn’t have known that I even existed since you weren’t told about your real family. The story though doesn’t end there. Grandmother cleaned up my wounds, nourished me back to health and she helped me get over the frightening nightmare that I kept having repeatedly for months afterwards. After almost a year, she found the she found the courage and the manner to tell me the disturbing truth about how I had been infected and had gradually turned into a ghoul too!’ Gregor took his eyes off of Cassandra now and looked deep into Rebecca’s eyes, wanting to feel her devoted understanding to regain his voice once more. Cassandra took Rebecca’s hand into hers and squeezed tightly.
‘Did you know about this?’
‘Yes, I knew. He told me just a few hours ago. Cassandra, Gregor has been honest from the very beginning.’
Cassandra continued. ‘You may be a ghoul or whatever but I have seen the side of you that I want to know. Besides, you are my brother, my blood, my family. How could I possibly reject you? I want to get to know you and love you and catch up to everything we should have done all those years damn it! I don’t care if you’re a damn ghoul!’ Cassandra got up and hugged Gregor tightly. Gregor’s smile lit up the room. He took both girls in his arms and let out a sigh of relief. He was thankful that the outcome was a positive one.
‘This is the happiest moment of my life! You have given me more joy than all the joy throughout my entire life! I can hope to finally live a normal life again. I love both of you so very much!’
‘We love you too!’ They both answered in a voice.
They all sat back down and continued to talk in detail about their lives passing into the midnight hours finally Rebecca decided to end it.
‘I think it’s time we give it a break and turn in. We will wake up to a new day of adventures that we will be sharing from now on.’
‘You’re right!’ said Cassandra ‘Come, brother dear, escort us to our room, please.’
‘It would be my pleasure.’ He took both of them by the hand and soon they were on the upper floor outside of the girls’ room. He gently kissed Cassandra on her forehead.
‘Goodnight sister, sweet dreams.’
‘Goodnight, Gregor. Thank you for revealing the truth. See you at breakfast.’
Gregor then turned to Rebecca as Cassandra went into the room.
‘I can’t find words to express how happy you have made me. I only hope that I will be able to live up to your expectations.’
‘You have already done that! Good night, my love. Sleep peacefully from now on.’ They kissed and parted.
Daylight came but everyone was still in a deep sleep. Marina and Fanis along with two female staff members prepared for the days events. It was open season for hunting boars and this was the first day of the season. Hunters from all parts of Greece came in every year to hunt boar, rest and eat Mrs. Marina’s special cooking. It was already Thursday and it seemed as if there would not be enough rooms to accommodate the hunters if Cassandra’s friend didn’t leave on time.
Marina had already found the solution though and had the staff prepare the renovated rooms as fast as possible for the weekend. Marina may have been old but she respected her customers and knew all too well that it was important to keep them happy if she wanted them to return the year after. Boar season was actually the time of year that gave extra income which made it possible to support the inn’s expenses all year round. The rest of the year not a soul showed up.
‘Come with me, Sophia, I’ll show you what is to be done in this room. Maria, you take the two rooms that are next to Gregor’s room and don’t forget to take the paint buckets downstairs later.’
Marina, Gregor and the staff had been doing the renovating in these rooms quite awhile before the English arrived. They hadn’t finished but now they needed all the space they could get. As Maria wiped the dust off the furniture she felt a draft that made her look around for an open door or window. Nothing was open and so she continued her duties. She set the sheets on the bed and straightened the cushions on the love seat. This room was quite dark. Only a tiny window above the bed let in some light but it was only for a few minutes a day that it was bright as the mountains blocked the sun. The young woman started cleaning the mirror which was covered with a think layer of dust. Suddenly, her cloth fell out of her hands and she let out a loud scream. She looked into the mirror again but saw nothing this time. This left her to wonder if she had seen anything in the first place or if she had imagined it.
Marina came in to answer to her scream thinking she had fallen off a chair or something.
‘What is the matter, why did you scream?’
‘I thought I saw someone or something in the mirror but now I’m not sure.’
‘Well, if someone had been in here we would have seen him come out; we were right outside the door when you screamed’ Marina replied.
‘Perhaps my eyes were just playing tricks on me.’
‘Come on, there is much more to do. This room is fine, let’s move on.’ The women both left the room and went down stairs.
Gregor stood at the desk with a cup of coffee in his hands.
‘What was all the ye
lling about?’ Marina showed her anxiousness. Gregor took on quickly. Again something was wrong.
‘Go to work, girls, I have things to do here.’
Marina thought that it had been Gregor upstairs in the mirror but it wasn’t possible for him to have come down before them. “Someone else was in that room!” she thought to herself.
‘Gregor, we must talk. There is a ghoul in the hostel. Maria screamed because she saw someone in the mirror. I thought it was you but here you stand in front of me.’
‘If there is a ghoul in here, then the girls are in danger and where is he hiding? I will search; don’t let the women come upstairs for any reason.’ Gregor went to the upper level and searched for the intruder.
He kept thinking how he got in without them noticing. Gregor opened the doors of the wardrobe. It wasn’t to see if the ghoul was hiding there but to see if this is how he got into the room. All the wardrobes of the hostel had secret passage ways that were built in the days of the ottoman invasions so that when the people were under barbarian attack they could flee through these passages. He opened the sliding camouflaged doors and to his surprise found Fanis trying to lither his way through it.
‘Fanis! You are ghoul?’
‘I am sorry Mr. Gregor. Yes, I turned couple of months ago. I was ashamed, I didn’t want to lose my job and I have only been watching them, I swear!’ Fanis was more frightened of Gregor sending him away than he was of him uncovering that he was a ghoul and he didn’t even know that Gregor was one too.
‘Fanis I’m not going to send you away but you mustn’t go into the girls’ rooms or any tenants for that matter. Also, if you are tempted to drink you must go far, very far from the inn. It would be best to go to another village. We don’t want to bring trouble down on our home, do we?’
‘No, we don’t, sir. And yes, I will do as you say, thank you!’
‘How did you find out about these passages anyway? I never told you about them.’
‘By accident sir, I was cleaning out the closet when we started renovating and the door somehow opened.’
‘So, are you infatuated with this girl Maria?’
‘Yes, sir! Since I first saw her a year ago I was attracted to her. I finally got the courage to ask her to dinner or a walk but never got around to it because I was turned brutally. Now, I haven’t a chance in hell to be with a beautiful, sensitive girl like Maria.’
‘I know you don’t believe this but I actually know how you feel. Come on, let’s get back to work, I’ll explain to grandmother. She will understand. Fanis, one day we will take walk together and I will tell you a story. One that will be very helpful to you. Now remember, no feeding on our tenants. You must control your urges.’
‘Yes, sir, I will.’ After saying that, Gregor felt guilty because he had not abided to his own instructions. He had lingered in those wardrobes and he had drunk from his tenant. He lowered his head and was disgusted by himself.
Rebecca came down the stairs like a fifteen year old girl and took that look right off his face with her romantic girly way of hers.
‘Good morning! Kiss me, my love; I have missed you greatly for the last five hours and thirteen minutes that we have been apart.’
Gregor smiled deeply and taking her in his arms, he kissed her so passionately it seemed as if he were kissing her for the very first time. Gregor didn’t take her presence for granted. He wanted to make all of their moments special. He wanted them to see each other as a reason to live, now and forever.
‘I have missed you more!’ He led her to sit down. ‘I will bring you your coffee this morning while you wait for your friends.’
‘You are absolutely spoiling me, love!’
‘Yes, that is what I intend to do so get use to it.’
‘I would rather we have our breakfast together if you have the time.’
‘What? Our first breakfast together? Sure, why not.’ The couple went into the diner and had breakfast.
Meanwhile, Sam, Sarah and Cassandra were preparing for another adventurous day. They were determined to see the rest of the points to finish their photo shoot. Cassandra wouldn’t let all the events that took place to distract her from achieving her goal. She was determined to win that scholarship she would finish up what she had originally come here for.
‘Come on you guys, shake a leg! We’re running late! I’m the one who should be dragging my legs, I didn’t get to sleep until this morning’ she said.
Alright, dark eyes; calm down. We’re almost ready and by the way, I can’t work on an empty stomach so let me have my breakfast first!’ said Sam.
‘One hour tops, Sammy! Not a minute more!’
‘Understood, now stop wasting my breakfast time.’ He laughed.
‘Aren’t you in a big hurry today?’ asked Sarah.
‘I’m not in a hurry; I just want to get all the points shot before we leave on Sunday.’
Rebecca heard this while they all walked toward them.
‘Good morning, love birds’ said Sarah.
‘Good morning, guys, come sit with us. Are you really leaving on Sunday as scheduled, love?’
‘Yes, I really need to get things done. The developing of the films, the contest, my parents and who knows what else. I need some closure.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Sarah asked.
‘Okay, let’s see. My parents are not my real parents, my real parents are ghouls, my new friend is the brother I never knew I had and my grandmother is the owner of this beautiful hostel that I was attracted to from the moment I stepped foot here. I think that about covers it! Don’t you all think that I need some time to let all of that sink in slowly?’
‘Sammy, bring her a tranquilizer, she’s babbling awfully!’ said Sarah joking around.
‘Every word of it is true! Have some breakfast and we’ll fill you in’ Rebecca continued.
‘Are you coming with us or not Rebecca?’ Cassandra asked in an irritating tone.
‘Of course we’re coming with, we’re a group and we have our own personal guide to protect us.’ Gregor said nothing, he just nodded.
‘I don’t really know which point we haven’t seen yet but I’d like to see them all if possible by Sunday. Can we do that, brother?’
‘Yes, we can get most of them done today if you’re up to it.’
‘Alright then, let’s finish up here and roll on out of here.’ Everyone realized that Cassandra was very upset. She was over last night’s shocking news and was now angry. Not at Gregor or her grandmother but at all of her parents, new and old.
She hated the fact that her step parents had kept the truth from her. She hated that she had been adopted and that her real parents gave her away even if it had saved her life. Cassandra felt stripped of the opportunity to grow up with her brother. The sibling she always wanted to have actually existed and she wasn’t aware of it all those years. Her anger grew even more as time went by and she thought more and more about it. She planned to confront her parents and they in return surely expected that day would come. She gulped the second cup of coffee and mechanically and checked her lenses for a third time.
‘I’d like to follow the same trail we went on yesterday to get to St. George’s point, that you mentioned brother. Is it possible?’
‘Of course, it is the longer way and it will take up some precious time but if that’s the where you want to go then that’s where we’re headed.’
‘Yes, that is our heading today for starters. Any rejections? Great! Alright then, lead the way, Gregor, we’re right behind you.’
All of them picked up their bags started off. At the door, Marina gave each one a bag of lunch that she prepared at the hours of the morning. Cassandra was the last to go out the door and Marina grabbed her by her arm.
‘Cassandra, anger makes a person wither away little by little. Let your work help you escape it. Forget what happened in the past and live your present, live for your future.’
‘I will, grandmother, I will! All in good time�
� Cassandra kissed her on the forehead. ‘Wish me luck; I need to get that best shot!’
‘Good luck, may you find whatever your heart desires!’
They all stayed close together and followed Gregor tightly as they had done the day before. Gregor really didn’t want to take that trail again but he knew that his sister had the family hardheadedness ever since he first laid eyes on her. He had a good intuition and he felt that they would have surprises pop up again today. Besides, the ghouls that met them yesterday were very deviant and extremely dangerous, they would even attack family had they not fell upon Gregor.
What was to stop them from lurking around to find one of them alone? These ghouls had no barriers and they ignored all prohibitions. Never had they complied with the laws of their kind, they were beasts but for some reason they kept to Gregor’s wishes and that is what he counted on.
As the friends went along the trail they told Sarah and Sam all the details about Gregor that they had missed. Gregor listened, but didn’t say a word the whole way.
‘You’re not serious! Gregor is your brother! Your brother is a ghoul and now your best friend’s fiancée! Where were we through all this? On another bloody planet?’ Sam screeched.
‘Yes, that’s right!’ Cassandra answered.
‘So, that is why we weren’t attacked by the ghouls we met at the falls. Because they knew Gregor in that way, right?’ Sarah asked.
‘Not exactly, it’s not like that’ said Gregor, finally speaking. ‘They know me well, that’s true. But they are flesh eating ghouls, they shift into ugly feens when they are hungry and make dinner out of anyone and everyone in their sight. No exceptions! The only reason he didn’t harm you all yesterday was because long ago Georgio had been seriously injured. I helped him get recuperate. It was then that he swore to me that he would never hurt a family member of mine in that showing his gratitude. If he should realize that I was lying about you all being my family members he will surely attack and I cannot save all of you, only one at a time!’ Gregor kept walking at a quick pace hoping that they wouldn’t meet the ghouls again.
Secret Of The Crest Page 9