Cold, damp night air forced me to break out in goosebumps. Fog rolled through the headstones of the graveyard, tempting my eyes with fanciful illusions. What that a ghost? No, only more fog. One could imagine they were high in the clouds, standing atop a maelstrom as it rained down upon the earth.
Knowing the beast was a hoax made it infinitely less unnerving to be outdoors, especially on a night like this.
Hoot, hoot.
An owls call rumbled through the dense air, adding to the already haunting aura. Why would Miss Diana want to meet me here? Of all the locations this would hardly be optimal.
Hmm, some of these gravestones are faded but I can still make out the wording on quite a few.
Jerald Smith, 1820 – 1878.
Mary Shills, 1847 – 1871.
Henry McMillon, 1790 – 1829
It’s hard to believe but one day my time will be up just like these poor saps. When that day comes, I wonder if I too will be nothing more than a weathering old headstone.
Snap!
What on earth was that?
As I turned my head, I saw a cloaked figure emerge from the fog, a dimly glowing lantern clutched in their hand. They made their way into the cemetery, pushing the creaky iron gate open and letting it slam shut. Like a phantom, they moved across the stone path that separated the headstones, their fingers reaching out to caress the slabs.
“Hello…Miss Diana, Is that you?”
“Indeed,” she replied, pulling back her hood and revealing her face.
Her appearance was much like Miss Dupont’s. Dark blonde hair flowed from her head to her shoulders, moving majestically in the bitter wind. Piercing blue eyes cut through the darkness and forced all observers to marvel at their grace. To crown it off, just like her sister Ella, her face was sculpted like a Greek Goddess, their features forcing all to jealousy.
“Thank you for coming out to meet me, Miss Diana.”
She stepped closer until we were just a few headstones away. “The pleasure will be mine, assuming you truly have a use.”
“What exactly do you need from me? We didn’t go into much detail over the phonograph.”
“I assume you already know a bit about me from Miss Fontaine do you not?” I nodded my head, confirming her suspicions. “Then you know I was cast out of my own home, forced to become a black sheep, stripped of her status and family name.”
“I do. Although I was never told why.”
Miss Diana’s expressionless face formed a bitter smirk. Staring off into the distance she replied, “Years ago, before my sister was married, things were more or less stable in our family. That was until she met Mister Dupont. The second he stuck his face through the doorway of our Chateau things fell apart with incredible speed.”
“What do you mean?”
A mist began to form in her eyes, the light from her lantern casting warming rays across her sullen face. Clenching her fist, she explained, “First, our parents died under mysterious circumstances, leaving their entire fortune to my sister and me. Then, Mister Dupont purposed to Ella the very next day, not even waiting for their bodies to turn cold. They wed in only a weeks’ time and as soon as they did Mister Dupont began to behave very erratically.”
I shook my head as she spoke. It was unbelievable that Miss Dupont agreed to such an expedited marriage to a man who would practically be a stranger. I suppose grief can make one do strange things. “You say he started to act erratic…how so?”
“Well, he began to leave rooms at random times, even in the middle of conversations. He had the staff replaced entirely and started implementing strict rules when it came to conversation. We were not allowed to talk about any of his dealings, his associates, or questions his business ethics. Any who did were severely punished. I was one of those unlucky few.”
“What kind of business dealing did he engage in? He told me he was a buyer and seller of rarities.”
She smirked once more, this time her face donning a pained appearance. “That is…somewhat true. He did, and still does buy and sell oddities. His real specialty is actually much more sinister.”
She stopped speaking, instead looking at me in silence as though she wished for me to take a guess.
“Uhm, is it taxidermy?”
Through a vivacious laugh she replied, “No, although you are on the right track. His real business is longevity treatments.”
What it the world is a longevity treatment?
“I can’t say I am familiar with the term, Miss Diana. Could you elaborate a bit more?”
Pulling a small object out from under her hood, she tossed it to me. Holding it up to my lantern, I admired the intricate cutting of the crystal vial. “What is this?” I asked, unable to deduce the nature of the liquid within.
“Take a sip,” she commanded. “It will tell you all you need to know.”
I popped the cork off and gave it a sniff. “Good heavens! The smell is rancid!”
Nodding her head, she replied, “Indeed, now, take a drink.”
Gagging, I brought the vial closer to my lips, the putrid odor singeing the hair inside my nose. “Miss Diana, is it necessary that I imbibe?”
“Should you wish this partnership to move forward…yes.”
Just think about Miss Fontaine old chap. Perhaps her sweetness can offset this mixtures wretchedness.
I gulped it down in one setting hoping it would lessen the flavor. “Ack, agh, oh my! That was positively the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted! Why did you find it necessary for me to drink that?”
Rather than answer, Miss Diana simply began to count down on her hand. The moment her final digit was counted, a swell of energy surged throughout my body.
“W-w-hat is ha-happening to me?”
“That power you feel, that’s the longevity formula doing its job.”
This experience is incredible. My arms feel weightless, my legs as strong as tree trunks. Even the cold air no longer bothers me. Instead, a warm, calming sensation is flooding my heart and making my mind feel as though its soaring above the clouds.
“So, Mister Dupont is selling this incredible, vigor-boosting mixture. What’s the harm in that?”
She stepped closer and grabbed the vial from my hand. “The harm is how this formula is made. Only with high quality animal extracts can this life extending boost come about. The older the animal, the stronger the effect.”
“Wait, hold on, did you just say life extending?”
“I certainly did. This mixture, if taken daily, will halt the aging process.”
“Ahem, that statement, Miss Diana, is simply nonsense. There is nothing in modern science even approaching such an accomplishment.”
She rolled her eyes, huffing as she returned to her original place in the graveyard. “Believe it or not, this is what Mister Dupont is after.”
“I’m still not understanding the issue here. If Mister Dupont wants to play God by extracting the life force of a few animals, then what’s the harm?
“As I said, the older the animal, the stronger the brew. Elephants, tortoises, tuataras, all these beautiful creatures are being bought and slaughtered in massive quantities and nothing is being done about it. Anyone who gets in his way either ends up dead or mysteriously disappears.”
“So, the party guest in the fountain. They were just another casualty in all this?”
“Yes, he was a friend of mine. I should have never sent him to that part alone. Now his death is on my hands.”
“No Miss Diana, it’s on Doctor Winston’s hands.
Her face lit up as I was talking. It was as if she just received the final piece to a long, grueling puzzle.
“Doctor Winston, the local inventor? I heard stories about the man but never figured him into the equation. What proof do you have of his involvement?”
“I’m his new apprentice. Not only have I discovered a secret room in the basement of the lab, a room full of blood and bones, I have shadowed him and learned a wicked truth. For whatever reason, the man is dressing up as a monster and haunting the townsfolk.”
She nodded her head and gazed through me. It was clear she was deep in thought, linking the final pieces of this mystery together. “Okay,” she announced, breaking the silence of the night, “here is what we are going to do. I am going to reach out to my contacts on the east coast. The local law is worthless and I trust none of them. I need you to gather as much physical evidence as possible so that when they arrive in a few days’ time we have everything we need to put both Mister Dupont and Doctor Winston behind bars.”
“And Miss Dupont, right?”
“My sister? No, while she may be dumb, she is not involved. In fact, I guarantee she has no idea any of this is happening.”
With a nod, she turned around and began to walk back into the fog.
“Wait!” I cried out, causing her to stop and turn. “Why are you helping us?”
A large smile grew from one of her ears clear to the other. In fact, she was practically beaming. “With Mister Dupont out of the way I get my old life back. My name will be cleared, my status restored, and my wealth secured.”
Ah, how foolish of me to assume this was being done out of justice.
“Oh, and Mister Taylor,” she announced, the misty air enveloping her like a blanket. “Do be careful around Doctor Winston. My sources tell me he can be quite unstable.”
Tell me something I don’t know.
“Will do Miss Diana.”
A moment later she vanished into the thick gloom, the thick autumn leaves cracking a crunching with her every step. Now silent, I too made me way out of the graveyard and back to the lab. I had a lot to do before her contacts arrived and had no time to waste.
Matters seemed straightforward. Mister Dupont and Doctor Winston might have murdered someone and should undeniably be brought to justice. However, would it really be that simple? What if I confront Doctor Winston instead, force him to confess? Maybe I could cut through all the leg work if I can appeal to his sense of decency. Although, he seems to have a knack for making his assistants disappear. I would hardly like to join their ranks. What of Miss Fontaine? With her involved I can hardly let things turn in the wrong direction. Oh father, why did you send me out here? Why did you force me to study under this homicidal madman?
The walk back to the lab was not horribly long, though it was much more difficult at night. Perhaps it was the elixir I just imbibed, but I am not feeling a single ounce of fatigue, and I have been up since last morning! Rather than head directly to the lab, I stopped and sat by the river, taking in the serene sounds. Unable to sleep, and unwilling to stay in the same home as a murderer, I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the night serenade me.
Ribbit…ribbit…ribbit.
Ah, mister frog, your distinctive croak is music to my ears.
Hoot…hoot.
And you mister owl, are a wonderful composure.
Chitter…chitter, chitter.
Is that a raccoon I hear? No doubt looking for scraps to nibble.
Haouuuuu!
Huh, I cant say I am familiar with that call? Is that a coyote?
Haouuuuu!
There it is again…only louder.
In the distance, the sound of twigs and branches snapping grew louder with every second. A grunting accompanied the now labored breaths echoing through the inky black air. That smell…is it rotten eggs? No, perhaps its sulfur?
A foul odor was being carried in the wind, filling my nose, and causing my eyes to water. In the distance, walking through the trees, was a dark figure. A large dark figure.
Is that a bear? No, bears don’t walk like that. Whatever it is, its upright.
Standing up on a large boulder, I tried my best to get a better look. Whatever it was, it moved fast, like it knew exactly were it was going. In fact, based on its direction, it was heading directly for the lab.
Could it be Doctor Winston in his monster suit?
“Hey!” I shouted to the figure. It stopped in its tracks and turned to face me, plums of steamy breath floating up into the air.
Without a reply, the shadow continued its trek, still grunting as it bounded through the trees.
“Doctor Winston!” I shouted again, hoping to get an honest answer.
Whatever it was ignored my shouting and disappeared.
“Oh well, I suppose he didn’t want to talk. It looks like I will have to gather some evide—”
POP! POP!
ROAAAR!
The sound of gunshots and a monstrous roar silenced every creature in the forest and made me jump. From beyond the bridge, the sounds of a scuffle blended with frantic screaming.
I rushed over, running like a madman until I got to the bridge. There was nothing around and not a single person in sight. Turning up the oil on my lantern, I cast a light across the bridge. Smears of blood coated the cobblestone and a lone rifle lay broken beside them.
I followed the crimson trail to the river’s edge and watched as the same figure, now on the other side, re-entered the forest.
Perhaps Doctor Winston isn’t the only monster roaming about in the night.
ns18.232.179.5da2
