The Vampire's Lady

4: Get the party started

Anya staggered back and leaned weakly against the door.

I... have time-travelled!

The sun was shining brightly over hundreds of acres of rich, green meadows. She could see a magnificent, sapphire-colored lake at her far left followed by thick lines of pine trees. On her right was a narrow, stone pathway lined with large copper beeches. Beyond that was the reason why she had concluded that she was in a different time.

A huge, medieval castle with a massively enclosing bricked wall loomed before her eyes. The whole area was situated in the middle of a moat just like what they had always described in history books. She counted about ten towers with turrets, arrow loops and curtain walls. Red flags with an emblem – probably the realm's symbol as depicted in history books – danced wildly with the wind atop the corner towers. The drawbridge was brought down and she could make out a lot of people walking to and from the gatehouse. A towering structure stood erect past the high wall and she could say that it was the main building where the lord and lady would have resided. Just like in history books.

What have I done? Why did I come back to who knew how many centuries ago? How did all of these happen? I must be dreaming! Yes, that's it! It was time to do her usual trick when she was having a bad dream. Anya closed her eyes, shook her head firmly and basically slapped her cheek.

Ouch. That really hurt.

She was still rubbing her face when a realization suddenly struck her. Am I going to be stuck in this world forever? With that thought in mind, she sprinted back inside the chapel towards the hidden room where she came from. She frowned and walked back and forth in front of the wooden wall beyond the altar. I swear it was just here. She ran her hands all over the panel. She tried pushing each slat of wood, but the wall did not budge. No!

Anya pounded against it, punched it and kicked it in frustration. She thought someone was playing a trick on her. "Damn you, whoever you are, open this door now!" She was absolutely certain that the door which she pushed open to enter the bizarre world was the wall in front of her. But to her surprise, it did not have the slits of a door frame like before. The panel was completely and smoothly attached to the entire wall. A door surely couldn't turn into a wall. She kept on knocking and shouting – panic now making her voice rise. "Hey! Do you hear me? Open the door! Please!"

"What is happening here?"

Anya whirled around and saw the priest going out of his room.

He stopped in mid-step and gawked at her.

O-oh. It was no wonder why the priest, dressed in a conservative, long, brown tunic with a belt around his waist, would gape at her black-rimmed eyeglasses, short-sleeved shirt, colorful backpack, skinny jeans and high-cut Chucks. She looked totally out of place in a medieval era. Anya thought that maybe she was even underdressed and was violating a proper dress code as she recalled women in previous centuries wearing gowns that covered them from head to toe.

The priest clutched the cross-shaped pendant of his necklace and began retreating.

"G-good morning, father."

He fainted.

Oh my God. Anya rushed towards the sprawled body while covering her mouth in shock. The priest didn't seem to hit his head on the floor so that was good. Maybe I wasn't really wearing the proper clothes of a lady. Or maybe... maybe he thought I was a witch! Oh, no! Maybe this century was when witch hunting was prominent. I'd be hanged or, worse, burned alive in a public plaza!