Black
You could say it was love at first write. Pauline and Darren had been corresponding in the on online chat room, Weird But Nice for only around six weeks but Pauline was thrilled when Darren invited her down to Leicester for the weekend. Her flat mate Carol thought that she was crazy.
“For heavens sake Pauline, you don’t even know what he looks like”
“But Carol, don’t you see? That’s the fun of it, the man of mystery could be the man of my dreams.”
“Oh well”, Carol said,“ don’t come running to me if he turns out to be an ogre.”
Pauline checked her case once more to see if she had forgotten anything. “I don’t know why Carol is so worried, Darren seems to be a perfect gentleman, even said he had made up the spare room in his penthouse. Pauline paused in her thoughts as she scanned her wardrobe. Now which nightdress shall I take? Ahh maybe this black see-through negligee will do the trick.”
Pauline left her flat to catch the 15.30 train from the remote village station situated in the Yorkshire dales. Dusk was approaching when she arrived in Leicester. After negotiating her way through the building works at the station she took out he mobile phone from her bag and texted the number Darren had given her. “Arrived safe and sound, P.”
After a while a while a large black car pulled up alongside her. A blackened window was half open and a voice from inside said “Pauline?”
“Yes” she answered. The back door opened and she climbed inside. A short time later the car pulled into an underground car park. The door opened and she got out.
Before her stood a man around six feet tall dressed in a black suit and wearing black tinted sunglasses. He held a black gloved hand to her.
“Welcome to Leicester”, he smiled, “I do apologize for the strange look and sunglasses. I suffer from a hereditary condition where my eyes and skin are sensitive to the light.”
“That’s quite alright”, Pauline said, “Black is my favourite colour, I have a group of friends who also wear black and we meet up every month and have a girls night in.”
Darren smiled, “Then we should get along fine, come, I have prepared a dinner especially for you.”
He took her hand and led her to a elevator. Inside Pauline watched the neon numbers change until they stopped on 13. Darren once again took her hand and led her along a corridor stopping at a door with 1313 on.
“I hope you are not superstitious.” Darren said as he unlocked the door.”
“Oh no”, Pauline answered, “13 is my lucky number.”
Inside the room there was a table in the centre set for dinner. Two candelabras were placed at the centre of the table. Tall wine glasses were stood alongside place mats.
“Dinner is not far off ready”, Darren said, “While you wait why not have a look at the night view of Leicester?” He pointed to a balcony that looked out over the City lights.
Soon Pauline and Darren were in deep conversation. Darren spoke of his ancestral line and how he was born of aristocrat blood. But that had virtually all ended at the outbreak of the 2nd World War. His family had fled their homeland. They had managed to smuggle part of their fortune out of the country which accounted for his lifestyle.
As Pauline drank the red wine which seemed to be flowing well, she felt empathy for her host. She related to his story and told him how her grandmother used to tell her of the old days and how members of the family were persecuted for making their own medicine from woodland herbs. Herbal cures were frowned upon in days of old.
After a while Pauline told Darren that she was feeling tired. He told her that he had prepared a room for her and showed her where it was. Laying down she fell into a restless sleep. She saw a black coach pulled by four black horses as it raced towards a huge dark house. The scene switched to that of a room. On one side there was a partition with a black curtain. The curtain was drawn back and a figure slowly moved towards her. It moved closer and Pauline saw white teeth bearing down on her. She screamed and woke in a sweat. She felt a sudden pain in her neck. She heard a soothing voice.
“It’s OK Pauline, you have just had a bad dream.”
Before her stood Darren giving a broad white smile that she had come to like. He brought a hand across his mouth.
“It’s nearly morning, I came to tell you that I was preparing breakfast. After you have freshened up and have eaten I have hired someone to take you on a tour of Leicester. I would accompany you but it’s the light…”
“It’s Ok, Darren, I will be fine.”
After a days sightseeing which included several famous landmarks she was driven back to Darren’s place for a second night. Again after a wonderful meal she had to retire because of feeling sleepy. Again she had the same dream and heard Darren’s soothing voice in the morning. She felt uneasy during breakfast. Something about him reminded her of something her grandmother had said many years before about the meaning of dreams.
A driver was at hand again to take her to the station. As she sat down in her seat on the train she felt her neck. “I should have a remedy for that in m collection. You picked on the wrong person Darren”
Pauline thought back to Darren’s parting words as she was getting into his black hearse and just before she turned him into a frog.
“I hope you enjoyed your stay in Leicester.”
“For heavens sake Pauline, you don’t even know what he looks like”
“But Carol, don’t you see? That’s the fun of it, the man of mystery could be the man of my dreams.”
“Oh well”, Carol said,“ don’t come running to me if he turns out to be an ogre.”
Pauline checked her case once more to see if she had forgotten anything. “I don’t know why Carol is so worried, Darren seems to be a perfect gentleman, even said he had made up the spare room in his penthouse. Pauline paused in her thoughts as she scanned her wardrobe. Now which nightdress shall I take? Ahh maybe this black see-through negligee will do the trick.”
Pauline left her flat to catch the 15.30 train from the remote village station situated in the Yorkshire dales. Dusk was approaching when she arrived in Leicester. After negotiating her way through the building works at the station she took out he mobile phone from her bag and texted the number Darren had given her. “Arrived safe and sound, P.”
After a while a while a large black car pulled up alongside her. A blackened window was half open and a voice from inside said “Pauline?”
“Yes” she answered. The back door opened and she climbed inside. A short time later the car pulled into an underground car park. The door opened and she got out.
Before her stood a man around six feet tall dressed in a black suit and wearing black tinted sunglasses. He held a black gloved hand to her.
“Welcome to Leicester”, he smiled, “I do apologize for the strange look and sunglasses. I suffer from a hereditary condition where my eyes and skin are sensitive to the light.”
“That’s quite alright”, Pauline said, “Black is my favourite colour, I have a group of friends who also wear black and we meet up every month and have a girls night in.”
Darren smiled, “Then we should get along fine, come, I have prepared a dinner especially for you.”
He took her hand and led her to a elevator. Inside Pauline watched the neon numbers change until they stopped on 13. Darren once again took her hand and led her along a corridor stopping at a door with 1313 on.
“I hope you are not superstitious.” Darren said as he unlocked the door.”
“Oh no”, Pauline answered, “13 is my lucky number.”
Inside the room there was a table in the centre set for dinner. Two candelabras were placed at the centre of the table. Tall wine glasses were stood alongside place mats.
“Dinner is not far off ready”, Darren said, “While you wait why not have a look at the night view of Leicester?” He pointed to a balcony that looked out over the City lights.
Soon Pauline and Darren were in deep conversation. Darren spoke of his ancestral line and how he was born of aristocrat blood. But that had virtually all ended at the outbreak of the 2nd World War. His family had fled their homeland. They had managed to smuggle part of their fortune out of the country which accounted for his lifestyle.
As Pauline drank the red wine which seemed to be flowing well, she felt empathy for her host. She related to his story and told him how her grandmother used to tell her of the old days and how members of the family were persecuted for making their own medicine from woodland herbs. Herbal cures were frowned upon in days of old.
After a while Pauline told Darren that she was feeling tired. He told her that he had prepared a room for her and showed her where it was. Laying down she fell into a restless sleep. She saw a black coach pulled by four black horses as it raced towards a huge dark house. The scene switched to that of a room. On one side there was a partition with a black curtain. The curtain was drawn back and a figure slowly moved towards her. It moved closer and Pauline saw white teeth bearing down on her. She screamed and woke in a sweat. She felt a sudden pain in her neck. She heard a soothing voice.
“It’s OK Pauline, you have just had a bad dream.”
Before her stood Darren giving a broad white smile that she had come to like. He brought a hand across his mouth.
“It’s nearly morning, I came to tell you that I was preparing breakfast. After you have freshened up and have eaten I have hired someone to take you on a tour of Leicester. I would accompany you but it’s the light…”
“It’s Ok, Darren, I will be fine.”
After a days sightseeing which included several famous landmarks she was driven back to Darren’s place for a second night. Again after a wonderful meal she had to retire because of feeling sleepy. Again she had the same dream and heard Darren’s soothing voice in the morning. She felt uneasy during breakfast. Something about him reminded her of something her grandmother had said many years before about the meaning of dreams.
A driver was at hand again to take her to the station. As she sat down in her seat on the train she felt her neck. “I should have a remedy for that in m collection. You picked on the wrong person Darren”
Pauline thought back to Darren’s parting words as she was getting into his black hearse and just before she turned him into a frog.
“I hope you enjoyed your stay in Leicester.”