Tommy and the Monster

Chapter Two

 Roy felt like he had made the journey to the city for nothing.

 It was stupid to think there could be something good waiting for them, he thought.

 His letter hadn't gotten there in time. All of his old business partners had believed him to be either dead or having moved somewhere far away, probably never to return. They had already split the profits between them, and he and Tommy still had nothing.

 He thought about how much work and time his stepfather had put into that merchant company, how Mr. Karevik had always believed in him and Tommy as his successors. He would always refer to them as 'my boys', as if it didn't matter that Roy was his stepson. It was Tommy who had suggested years before, "We ought to rename the company 'Karevik & Khan' if it's going to be you and I." Roy hadn't been sure the change, but Mr. Karevik gave it his blessing.

 Thinking about his stepfather now, he wished the old man were still alive. He needed help, and he felt that Mr. Karevik probably would have had some idea as to what to do.

 Roy could think of nothing he could do now besides go back to the farmhouse. He'd wanted to get Tommy a new pair of shoes, something well-made and suitable for the outdoors, and perhaps go to that bookstore down the street from their old office in hopes of finding a better cookbook than that useless one he currently owned.

 "Go on, Bella," he said, tugging gently on the reins. "We're going home."

~~~~~~

 As he drove on, Roy began to wonder if he'd gone the right way. He wouldn't normally go travelling at night, but he didn't enough money to stay anywhere until the morning. He'd thought he was going the right way, but now he wasn't so sure; none of this looked familiar at all. Of course it could have been that everything looked different in the dark, but he wasn't so sure. He suddenly wished Tommy was with him; he would come up with a way to make Roy smile and put him at ease.

 Roy was a little relieved when he saw what looked like a clearing up ahead. Perhaps that was the way out of this dreadful forest. If he was where he thought he might be, then he wasn't far from the farmhouse. He could put Bella in her stable, enter the house as quietly as possible so he wouldn't wake Tommy, and get as much sleep as he could before it was time to get up to make breakfast.

 What he found wasn't the way home at all. It was a dark, looming figure that looked to be a castle. But that couldn't be. Roy had never heard any talk of a castle nearby, unless he was more lost than he thought he was.

 He placed Bella in the stable next to the castle and pushed the front door open a small bit to look inside. It was dark, with no signs of life. But when he stepped inside, he could see the light from a fireplace in one of the rooms. Someone had to live there, so he sat down on the couch next to the fireplace to wait. Whoever it was had to be nearby.

 Roy thought he only closed his eyes for a few minutes, but perhaps it was longer. It was still dark when he awoke, and next to the couch was a little table with a tray of food. He wondered if it had been left for him. He didn't spend much time thinking about, since he hadn't eaten anything in hours, and quickly ate what was left on the tray.

 Perhaps whoever lived there wouldn't mind of he just slept there until the morning, he thought. He could rest a little longer, and leave early. It wasn't long before he fell asleep again.

~~~~~~

 Roy was still alone when he awoke again. The sun was rising now, so he could find his way home much easier now. Before he left, he turned around and said, "Thank you, whoever you are, wherever you are." 

 He brought Bella out of the stable and began to ride slowly back down the road. He could see now what a magnificent place this was. On the side of the path were rosebushes. That made Roy think of something Tommy had said.

 "You ought to bring back some flowers to plant. That way no one will have to know what a terrible gardener you are."

 He hopped down from the cart and plucked one of the roses. He looked down at it and said, "At least we can have a laugh about this. I could make a centerpiece, brighten up that dreadful kitchen."

 Before he could pick anymore, he heard behind him the sounds of creaking branches, and a thump, like something hitting the ground. He turned around to see what it was.

 It descended upon him before he could cry for help.