Deal with the Devil

7 - Evelynn

POV: Evelynn

I'm almost out the door when I think of something. "Sir", I say, a bit quiet but also frustrated.

"Yes" He answers, waiting for my question.

"I can tell the time by the placement of the sun, but in these woods I would be unable to due to the cover of the trees. Do you by any chance have a pocket watch I could lend, so that I can fulfil your request in time?"

"Of course."

His hand slides in his pocket and he grabs a sliver coloured pocket watch. "Clip it to your clothing, it will cost you if you lose it." He says, and I follow his command, making sure that the pocket watch says in place.

He closes the door behind me, I have an hour and 15 minutes to make it to the house. I grab the map Mr. Burton had given me and head in the correct direction from the mansion.

The path which the map shows me has not been travelled in a long time, nature is taking over again and it is hardly visible. My path is blocked by many fallen trees, mud pools and overgrowing bushes. Which cause me to wander slightly off-road, but never too far, at least that's what it seems like.

The pocket watch tells me this conference will start in 30 minutes, but I have no worries. I should be close, almost at the location, but there is no house in sight yet. Mr. Burton spoke about a 'secured house', it must be hard to get in to, but also hard to find.

Suddenly I hear a familiar sound, but it's slightly off. Animal footsteps, like horses, but they seem heavier, and faster than I've ever heard any horse go. But that must be the people going towards the house, the same house I have to be at. I take a sprint towards the direction of the sound, jumping, and running through the bushes that block my path. But which direction were they going to? It sounded like north-west, but of course I did not have a compass with me.

I kept walking around, I should be in the correct area, but there is no house to be seen. It is as if I'm walking around in circles, endlessly trying to find my way, and I only have fifteen minutes left. Was I going to fail this task?

But then in the corner of my eyes I catch a glimpse of sunlight, reflecting on something, blinding me in my path. I crouch and through the bushes I see, it is a carriage, being pulled by two massive, black horses.

"Oh no." A slight whisper leaves my mouth, as I notice the carriage is coming straight towards me. Crouching, I make my way more to the right, quickly. It is as if they suddenly go off path, in a second the horses turn towards the right, going through the high bushes and almost vanish into thin air. No sound of the hooves can be heard, they are gone.

"What just happened?" I stand up from my hiding spot. Am I hallucinating, what is going on? I walk towards the place where the carriage vanished. Carefully and cautiously, the bushes seem almost untouched, how did two horses and a carriage not leave any kind of mark?

I breathe in, gaining confidence, and then push myself through the same bushes. I stumble through them, and then I see what I've been looking for.

A massive wooden house, hidden in plain sight, how did I not see this before? The house was covered in plants, almost as if the woods claimed it as a part of itself, plants were growing all over it.

"No time for questions." I whisper to myself, I have about ten minutes to make it. As far as I can see, there is no one around the house. It barely has any windows, like Mr. Burton had said, I guess that would make it secured.

I was definitely not looking at the front of the house, there was no door on this side. However, there was a window and a door, at the second floor, with a small French balcony.

If I wanted to make it in time, I had to think fast, there was no time to be cautious. I had to get in, or I would fail this task. And I was not going to fail this task, I would show Mr. Burton that I can do his jobs, follow his ludicrous rules and take his money for it.

I ran over and leaned against the wall of the house, looking up towards the balcony. The wall was covered in ivy, and lots of other overgrowing plants. Using these plants, I made my way up to the balcony, opening the door that was already slightly ajar.

"This seems too easy." I whispered to myself as I slowly step into the house.

The wood planks of the floor slightly creak under my footsteps as I make my way to the open archway at the end of the room.

Laughter can be heard, old men, young men. It echoes through the house, but I'm not close enough to hear the words that they are speaking. I have to get closer.

Focussing on where the sound is coming from, I know they are downstairs. I crouch towards the hallway, which opens up to the staircase leading down. Their voices can clearly be heard from the top of the stairs.

Silently I sit down, with my back towards the wall, looking through the safety railing of the stairs down into the entrance hall. I grab the notebook and pen Mr. Burton had given me and take a deep breath.

A voice starts to speak, and claps in his hands, "Thank you all for meeting here! You all made it through the light to come here today."

"I have granted every single one of you this power. Which means you all have no reasons to hide in the darkness any more, your loyalty to Me is what is most important."

"Now let's start, for which we are here to discuss today..."