13 THE FRONT DOOR
Charles glanced at the people he and Irife passed by. They all looked ragged down; dirty to the point of smelling anything but. Anyone who he made eye contact with avoided him.
Charles didn't know where they were, he would have never attempted going there if Irife didn't made him follow.
"It's safer," She had said, but doubt creeps up on Charles. After all that had happened he no longer trusts anyone other than his companion, but he would not be surprise if she betrays him in the end. It's all man for themselves he realized.
Charles shoes were already soaked, it came from all the puddle they walked into, and others he didn't want to know. They walked about half an hour without talking. He just followed Irife behind without question.
They came to a very crowded place where people was mingling with each other, then passed through to another crowded area. He then again doubted where the heck where they. He was sure when they arrived earlier; the place looked ragged down and unpopulated but lately as they walked through the place became more and more crowded.
This time the people were not afraid to make eye contact, some even called out to them as if they knew who they are. Afraid, Charles hurriedly followed Irife's heel. He wasn't ready for another encounter.
The crowd became thinner as he realized they were going to the town's outskirt.
Irife never slowed down so Charles never did too.
The only time she did was when Irife looked around before beckoning him to follow around the grove, he hesitated, and although it looks like it was the border of the town, across it was the thick forest.
"Don't tell me," he said to himself. "I am going to live in the wilderness?"
Irife saw his reaction and shook his head in disapproval. Charles had grown up on the city, seeing a little green in the wilderness chickens him out.
"Come on slowpoke," Irife said. She feels that his reaction was ridiculous.
She didn't wait for him to follow and walked through disappearing behind the grove.
Charles wasn't surprised by any less. He wasn't just sure if he can hide himself in this kind of place. What person on their right mind would want to live in the forest when all your life you've grown up on a city with a lot of civilized people and right now that he realized what had just happened to him, but not completely accepted he was expected to live like Tarzan?
"Okay, that just sound more ridiculous to me," He whispered to himself. "What other bad things can happen to me in this place anyway? Other than bad plumbing I rather be alive than dead."
Irife chuckled upon hearing him talk to himself, "Come on!" Charles heard her voice echoing.
He followed.
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Thinking about forest and what not, Charles didn't expect to appear in front of a barricaded medieval looking mansion. He gaped at the ridiculousness of it all.
He was sure it was forest around but when he stepped through he was magically teleported?
Irife could only laugh at the gaping Charles.
"Magic," She said as a way of answer.
"The hell with all this, my mind can't keep up." Charles grumbled.
He watched as Irife pushed open the iron gate, it took her some effort before a small gap that they can easily pass through was made.
It also looks too heavy.
Once again he followed her behind, they walked around the very well maintained front lawn until they arrived at the front door. He admits this place was nothing unlike the present buildings, this kind of things only appears in movie, even the double door was made with wood and iron, so tall he can only crane his neck up to see.
What kind of people lives in this place?
He saw Irife took a deep breath before finally making three loud knocks.
Both waited a minute, but no one answered. Irife repeated her knocking, but still no one answered.
Maybe no one's home, Charles thought.
Irife's next knock was stronger, and then another round but still no one answered.
Irife was now frowning in annoyance.
"Open the damn door!" She screamed. Charles was taken aback.
She took a few moments to compose herself again, and then breathes deeply.
"My old man wanted me to come here, and I brought someone." She said, "I know we have never met before but I often saw you at our shop, I also overheard that you are willing to help if my old man asked a favor of you."
Another moment of silence, even Charles was convinced no one was home.
Irife then knocked again her annoyance clearly shown on her face. "Damn it Viole! I know you are in there! The windows on the upper floors are open!"
Charles resisted the urge to look.
"Maybe no one's home, Irife," He said, "Let's just stop."
"No!" She replied firmly. Charles can only shrug this time.
"My old man said if the windows of the upper floor are open then he is home. He never leaves his windows open when there are no one inside." She said, "This place is enchanted, when all doors and windows are close no one can barge in even if you try and bomb the area."
"Wow," Charles answered, by this time he already believes anything bizarre Irife introduce. He glanced again at the door, he wondered if one can easily open it if there are people inside.
Irife crossed her arms and let out a curse under her breathe. Charles heard her mumbled before finally knocking once again.
"Alright," She shouted over the door. "I accept your invitation, but only for a day!"
Charles wondered what that was, he was about to ask when suddenly the door opened a crack, and a man with an orange hair smiled broadly over the open door.
"You damn a**, let us in," Irife was on a verge of bursting with anger.
"Gladly," The man answered, beaming.
