Dear reader, this is my entry into the
Literotica Halloween Story Contest 2024
and I hope you will enjoy my story.
If you do, then please read my others or follow me to receive notifications of new stories as I publish them.
Please note that whilst my tale is set in modern-day Europe, it is pure fantasy. Some names are real, others are not. I may have just stolen the name from somewhere else. Neither are all the locations in the same region or country.
My usual readers be warned this is in Erotic Horror for a reason...
If this genre turns you off, then please move on and find something more suitable.
Please note, it is Halloween and the gloves of reality are off.
~~~***~~~
Throughout her life, Alina's family prepared her to cope with being different. At nearly six feet tall, her height made her stand out. She enjoyed underlining it with platform shoes. Today's examples were knee-high chrome buckled, black leather boots, giving her an additional three inches.
Whilst growing up, according to any adult who knew her, she developed a weird personality which she used to protect her hidden differences and her vulnerability. She felt more comfortable with her gothic persona, which, coupled with her jet-black hair, thin stature and height advantage, boosted her confidence beyond quivering self-doubt.
Alina sat alone on the coach as she preferred her own company to others. About forty people had joined her on the The Halloween Castle Coach tour. Her outwardly stoic persona had successfully kept any friendly advances at bay as they wound their way through the UK and Northern France to their first night in Reims.
They'd had a little time to visit the city's beautiful gothic cathedral after breakfast and were once more on the move. She surveyed the other passengers from her preferred seat, running the width of the coach at the rear, giving her four spare seats alongside her to stretch out in.
She'd chosen this holiday for several reasons. Her main one was her love of erotic horror stories and based her fashion on many depicted within the books. From her black lace dress, with matching bodice and jacket, to her virginal white nightdress that was straight out of any Peter Cushing vampire film.
Her ancient relatives were Slavs, coming from a mix of Eastern European South Slavic countries, mainly Serbia, but settled for a century in this area, which she'd visited multiple times before her branch of the family headed northwards to the British Isles.
The castles and surrounding forests added to that attraction. The timing of the tour also worked in her favour, with Halloween being her favourite time of the year, whilst adding to her romanticised idea of erotic horror and her love of the region.
The majority of her travelling companions were couples, married or otherwise. There were a few groups, one of elderly ladies and several goth cliques who, thankfully, had no intention of including her.
The coach cruised along the motorway heading to their first castle of the tour and she picked up her book to immerse herself back into her preferred reality. She glanced up when they lurched as they pulled off and down the tight spiral of the slip road.
She felt at home as they threaded through the tall pine forest, with the long boughs reaching out to greet others, across the narrow tarmac strip. The coach lurched and swung as it wound its way higher, with occasional glimpses of a towered castle which awaited their arrival.
On their last turn into the car park, beneath the grey rectangular towers of the castle's entrance, Alina gasped in relief. She wanted to race up the drawbridge and lose herself within its walls before the rest of the party spoiled it.
She waited for the coach to empty before following the stream of jabbering mass as the tour guide, George, spoke with a bespectacled white-haired attendant leaning on a gnarled walking stick.
The four elderly ladies glanced her way, but sensed her desire to maintain her solitary position. Her grandmother taught her the basics of reading facial expressions, which she'd developed to where she could almost mind read.
She realised they'd play the long game and wait until her guard was down before befriending her. When that time came, she'd happily let them through her defence wall as being over double her age. They were harmless, meant well, and would probably be fun to engage with.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the rest of the sheep in front of her. She knew a few would happily welcome her to join them and their partners in their beds, but they didn't interest her. A few eyed her with suspicion, and her presence didn't bother the remainder.
George gathered the group and introduced the castle's guide, Ingrid, who made her initial welcome speech, welcoming them to Castle Berwartstein or Burg Berwartstein in German. Alina edged around the crowd at the back, eager not to miss a syllable of the guide's well-rehearsed speeches.
Ingrid explained, mainly in English, her traditional dress and caught Alina's eye. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know what that faint blush and glance avoiding hers signified. Had they met in the hotel bar that evening, she would happily carry her to her bedroom.
She'd always been a sucker for a redhead, but the traditional multicoloured dress, with a tightly bound bodice highlighting a pair of voluptuous breasts, held her in a trance. Her tongue licked her lips mid-sentence, which almost had Alina swooning.
Ingrid invited them to follow, and she walked them under the portcullis and into the castle. Whilst most people shivered in the chill of the year-round shade of the courtyard, Alina relaxed and beamed at her, who seemed to reflect her interest.
As she guided them from room to room, climbing in and out of towers and covered walkways, Alina sensed layers of dusty spirits that lingered within the walls, but despite many pained and tortured souls, none threatened any malicious intent.
They walked past impressive and gruesome armour, historic chests, bed chambers, banquet hall and kitchens, Ingrid's dulcet tones entranced Alina as she told of ghastly politics between the local fiefdoms, family power struggles and ghostly goings-on, entertaining the group.
High on the battlements, Alina swooned at the scenery, enjoying the rolling hills covered in dense forest. Ingrid allowed everyone time to photograph and enjoy the vista, whilst meandering to stand alongside Alina.
"You are more relaxed with our castle than the majority of our visitors?"
Alina's heart melted and bathed in the beauty of her dark blue eyes, impressed by her smile, framed by cherry red lipstick.
"I love it... The forests, the history, everything."
She gazed out through the castellations, sighing as she tried to drink in the atmosphere.
"You're not like the others?"
