The Demon Of The Night [OUTDATED VERSION]

Nepenthes Rafflesiana

The gloves around Barbara's hands made her feel tough. They made her feel threatening. And the baseball bat she carried around certainly added to the effect.

The last of her birthday money was used on the cab fare to and from the Isley mansion, but that didn't bother her too much. It was for a good cause. If she could finally get some damn answers about Officer Bard and these people, it would well be worth the expense.

The whole way to the mansion Barbara kept shaking her leg as she gazed at the forest that stretched on for miles past the city. She hoped that the mansion would come into view any second now. But the taxi kept on driving through the winding road, making her even more uneasy.

This place was isolated.

"You can drop me off here," Barbara instructed, ensuring they would not pull right up to the entry in front of everyone to see. "I can walk up to the door."

Once she paid and exited the car, she gave a weary but determined sigh at the sight of the mansion. "Yeah, there is no way I'm walking up to the door."

She walked off the main path and into the surrounding woods, trying to stay out of view. Trying to find a way in. Luckily, the vines that covered the mansion could act as climbing rope for her. But now there was the problem of finding an open window.

For being a weathered and ancient building on the outside, no jagged remains or shards of glass were visible. Only darkness could be seen from the inside. What lied on the other side of the windows was unknown due to the heavy drapes that covered them.

Except for one window.

It was slightly ajar and no drapes obscured what the room looked like. It was painted a light blue and had all sorts of Victorian-esque furnishings in it from what Barbara could see.

"Alright, let's do this." Barbara adjusted her backpack straps, making sure the bat was secured in the bag.

She slowly approached the wall, noting the strangeness of that particular window being opened. However, she chose not to think about the unfortunate implications and what that probably meant for her as she began to climb the vines. As she gripped the tangled-up lianas with all her upper arm strength, all she could think was that she glad she wore pants and boots for this.

By the time she reached the window, she was already feeling the ache of fatigue. As she balanced herself over the windowsill, Barbara nearly tumbled back down. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she left the windowsill and climbed into the room. She observed how pristine it was, lacking any speck of dust or dirt. The room looked frozen in time from an era gone by and the many flower bouquets seemed to mourn that fact.

But what caught her eye was the vividly detailed painted ceiling above her. It certainly fit the aesthetic of the room. It also made sense that a blue sky with puffy white clouds would be painted in a city such as Gotham.

After a few more seconds of scanning, Barbara equipped herself with a flashlight, sensing this would be the only room with light based on the draped windows. Taking a deep breath, she opened the closed door that led her into the darkened hall and the rest of the mansion.

She entered the first door she could find, which happened to be a bedroom covered in emerald green wallpaper. She hadn't realized until now how fast her heart was beating, and she kind of regretted leaving the beautiful and bright room.

Careful not to make a sound, Barbara moved around the bedroom, trying to find any sign of Officer Bard. She wanted to call out his name, but knew that would be a stupid and dangerous action. She was already in legal trouble for being in here and the last thing she wanted was to be caught while doing so.