Mad Mon's Priory

Halloween Story Contest 2023

Chapter 1

Tague glanced over at his wife, marveling at his good fortune, considering where they were headed. Their good fortune, he corrected himself. He brought his attention back to the two-lane blacktop the navigation app had indicated they take off of I5. A heavy canopy partially covered the road, broken up intermittently so he could look up at the gray clouds occupying more than half of the sky. Despite the coverage the ground beneath the trees was thick with bushes, wild grasses, and smaller trees. It looked about as far from civilization as he had ever been. Or at least as far from city comforts as he was comfortable with.

"You sure this is right?" Karen smiled, looking up from her reading to check her phone.

"It is. This is part of the Skagit Wildlife area, so don't hit any deer or there may be a fine." Tague rolled his eyes, then his shoulders. He wondered if the commute would get old, but reminded himself they had been downtown; the office was farther north.

Just when he was about to ask her again, the trees thinned and road curved gently taking them North again. He was surprised to see homes right up against the highway. Well, not close to the road, to be honest, the properties were large, and as they completed the turn, he realized that the mansions-- a better term-- to the left would back onto the Pacific Ocean. Most of them looked new, although just outside of town there was a more impressively maintained Victorian house.

"Wow," Karen said beside him. She sat up, taking her bare feet off of the dash of the Escape.

"Yeah," Tague agreed, impressed with what they were seeing as they drove into the town of Pokrovska proper. Clean storefronts, no graffiti. No beater cars. None of the homeless they had seen around the hotel. He pointed as they passed a little blue sign. "Want to visit work, first?" Karen wrinkled her nose.

"Why spoil the fun? We're here to find someplace to live, remember?" Tague nodded, smiling, wondering about luck or fate or kismet, whatever it was.

They had spent 7 years following Karen's education. Well, three technically, because the first three he had been finishing law school while she was getting her MD. Then they had moved from Chicago to Texas for her residency. Not where either wanted to stay. Which meant he had not been progressing to partner where he had found work. And that had been fine-- they had more time together that way. But he had been firm that when residency was done their next move would be where he could get the best chance of making partner at a good firm. She had been... offended at that until he had pointed out she could literally get a job anywhere she wanted, and his criteria meant they would be heading to a big city somewhere.

"How are we looking for a home most of an hour north of Seattle?" he asked again. Karen laughed. He loved the throaty undertone in that sound. "Seriously, I thought we would be trying to squeeze everything into a studio apartment for a year or two."

"I don't know?" she shrugged, "Maybe I got tired of six traumas a night, you know?" Tague nodded. "And if we're going to have a family having more flexibility for my work will be better, right?" He could not argue with that.

"But will you get bored here?" He had not seen a population sign. It was not really a city.

"They're paying a higher salary than I saw anywhere else," she shrugged, "If I'm bored, I can always go shopping." He had chosen not to open the 'family' discussion. Not that he was opposed to a family after all, just wondered if this was the right time.

"Well, I hope you mean shopping on line," they were through the two block long 'downtown' and the screen on the dash was indicating a left turn. Karen stuck her tongue out at him.

"The brochure said more than twenty restaurants and shops." Tague nodded and managed not to point out she was arguing for his case with that. He glanced at his watch, surprised at how many young people they were seeing loitering along the sidewalks. No skateboards or scooters, and they did not seem aimless, he noted, so wandering, not loitering.

"We're not going to fit in," he said, trying to sound serious.

"What are you talking about?" He glanced at his strawberry blonde wife.

"I haven't seen another blonde the entire time we've been driving through your metropolis," he deadpanned.

"You're bald," she shot back. He shrugged.

"By choice... it's more intimidating." Karen rolled her eyes. She had not liked it when he had shaved his head during his last year of law school. And then after they were in Texas a year later had been more opposed to his growing it back out. He loved her, but knew he would never understand her. "So I guess I'll fit in, but you... You're gonna look like an outsider." Tague was still enjoying his joke when he threw the SUV into park. He glanced at the fuel gauge, then at the cost of gas at the QuikTrip beside the real estate office.

"Have to see about a used Tesla," he mused aloud.

"Wait, we said I get the next new car."

"OK, you can drive me to work in your Tesla and then back to get me every day," he motioned at the gas station, "That's more than twice what we paid in Texas."

"But it means we're not in Texas, right, babe?" Tague chuckled, because he could not argue. He was clearly southern, but that had not mattered-- that was not TEXAN.

Karen was already out of the aging Escape, headed to the door of the 'Sykes the Limit' real estate agency. Tague climbed out, locking the door with the key fob and approaching the door his wife was holding open.

"You don't... uhm, you don't really need to do that."

"I'm sorry?" Tague was puzzled, pulling up at the desk in the front room of the converted home that served as Sykes real estate.

"Oh, uhm, Judith always says it's so safe here you don't have to lock your doors. People just leave their keys in their cars," she shrugged, almost a tic. Tague nodded, not bothering to argue.

The woman was young... their age or younger. Painfully thin, with short dark hair and pale skin. She wore John Lennon wire rim glasses and an often washed once forest green ribbed pullover turtleneck. She also did not stand to shake hands.

Tague reached for the chair closest to him as he shot Karen a glance, getting a withering 'be nice' glare in return. He stifled the urge to react, point out he was always nice.

"I have several places for us to visit," the young woman stood up, surprising Tague. She was tall, like his wife, but any comparison ended there.

"Oh, I thought... you know what we want?" He was puzzled.

"Terri and I have been texting and emailing for a few weeks," Karen interrupted. Terri nodded, eyes not coming up to meet either of theirs. She grabbed a stack of papers in a manilla folder from the desk top.

"Shall we?" Tague stepped back, choosing to let the agent lead the way. She stopped at the door. "I guess we could walk to the closest one, but... I'm afraid I don't have a car."

"It's okay, we have plenty of room," Karen insisted, and the mousy skittish creature followed his wife out of the office. Tague realized she did not bother locking the door, either, and wondered if it was genuine or a subtle proof of 'Judith's law.' He guessed there must be someone still in the office.

Tague made sure both women were in the passenger side before crossing back to climb in, noting that the passing kids seemed to be watching them. He nodded at the closest, a mop headed teenager. No reaction. It was unsettling, but Tague was not so worried he locked the doors when he settled behind the wheel. The tired Ford would automatically lock them once they were moving. He smiled, at the word 'moving.' It was really happening.

Three hours later, Tague was less certain about that. They had seen run down properties, outrageously expensive properties, outright dangerous listings... even the 'updated' homes were... not updated to something he or Karen would want. 'Looks like Transylvania chic,' he had whispered to his wife leaving the fifth place, 'the only thing missing is a coffin shaped bath tub.' Terri seemed truly distressed that they had not found anything.

"Well, I can look again when we get back," she was telling Karen, "But I don't know if there are really many more options." Karen nodded understandingly, but Tague could tell his wife was worried as well. She had gotten more and more quiet as the day's fruitless parade of homes was shown.

Tague turned in at the real estate office, and glanced at the clock, "Since you don't have a car, we could drop you at home if you don't have other showings?" Terri waved him off.

"Oh, I don't want to trouble you. I've already caused problems not having a place for you to live."

"Nonsense," Karen laughed, "You can't take the blame for our being picky." It was true it was not her fault, Tague thought, but they were NOT being picky. It was a moment before he realized there was an older woman standing on the walk outside the office. Her hair was up 'just so' like the women his mother went to lunch with, and she wore a maroon trench coat.

"Success?" she asked as the women, who were closer to her, climbed out of the car. From his position Tague would have sworn Terri flinched.

"Not yet," Karen shrugged, "But Terri had a bunch of choices, we just haven't seen 'the One,' yet, you know?"

"I'm Judith," the woman's non-sequitur made Tague smile. "Now we knew we might not get you into a home your first day here, right Terri?" The young woman's head bobbed. "But we will find you a place."

"We might stay in town so we can get an earlier start tomorrow," Tague said, "Is there a Hyatt, or..." He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping the answer was not 'there's a motel 6.'

"You know what," Judith whipped out a phone, "I think I have just the place. She scrolled, pushed a button, another button, then tucked the phone up to her ear. Tague left her to it, walking away from the women to the street that had brought them into town.

The center of down town was a big park with a central gazebo, bench seats for maybe two or three hundred people arrayed across the front. There was a fountain at the far corner, a suitably somber military statue at the other corner, with swings and slides at the opposite corner and an open area at the fourth corner.

"They're waiting for us," Judith said, putting her phone away, "Follow me," and then she was climbing into the flashy red Cadillac SUV after saying something to Terri, who went into the office. Tague mused the woman's coat and car matched. Judith powered her window down, and Karen followed suit. "Karen, why don't you ride along with me? Your husband can keep up, I'm sure." Tague smiled thinly, letting his wife handle the pushy woman.

Or not, because a minute later he was nervously checking his mirrors as he they were tearing back south through town at more than twice the legal limit. She turned off of the highway at the stately old house that had caught his attention when they had arrived. He saw a couple on the porch waiting for them as he pulled in parking to the right of Judith's idling vehicle. The women were already out of the car and she was almost pushing Karen up the steps. Tague hopped out, using the key to lock the car rather than the fob so there would be no 'beep' to catch Judith's attention.

"... Winter's place is the best B&B in the state. It's on the National Registry," she was telling Karen, "I want you two to meet Jeff and Alexandra." The hostess stepped up, hugging Karen while Jeff offered Tague his hand. It was a firm shake, confident but not pushy or overly aggressive.

"I'll help you unload," Jeff told Tague as the women went inside, "Glad we had a room for you." Tague was a little puzzled, seeing no other cars parked in the gravel spaces. Maybe they were considering going away themselves or something. "So you're going to be moving to our fine little town?" Tague eyed the older man-- tall but not too tall, fit but not too fit. He had jet black hair and a goatee with just a hint of gray. His eyebrows were just short of bushy and his eyes were... Tague assumed it was the fading light because the man's eyes seemed almost entirely black.

"Seems so," Tague agreed, "Karen has a job lined up and I'll commute down south."

"Judith said she's the new doc. You a businessman?"

"Lawyer," Tague answered, "But for a while I'll just be a flunky for one firm or another." Jeff nodded understandingly.

"I was in the family business, but it was going to be forever before I had any real responsibility, so Alexandra and I came here." They had the luggage out of the back of the Escape and Tague waved off the rest, explaining they had brought their 'must have' belongings for the move.

"Judith said we can leave the car unlocked, so I'm not too worried," Tague paused, using the fob to lock the doors, "But a little caution is wise, right?" Jeff laughed. "You aren't from here," he continued, and Jeff shook his head no. "I figured you must be born and raised here."

"Why's that?" Jeff laughed.

"Well everyone we've met or seen today has black hair like yours, so I just assumed it was... sort of a local thing." Jeff laughed and shook his head.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Jeff paused, "Though between you and me I think Judith's hair color is helped along if you know what I mean." Tague chuckled. "Want a beer?"

"I don't want to intrude," Tague waved Jeff's offer off, "I can run back to the grocery store if we get thirsty... There is a grocery store?"

"Two of them, and convenience stores at the gas stations, too." Jeff answered, "Plus there are four bar and grills that do their own brewing."

"Now that's the sort of thing that will keep us here."

"Not finding much otherewise?"

"Oh, there are places available, just not the right place. Karen may wind up looking back in Sandford." Tague motioned at the B&B they were standing in, "No offense, Jeff, because you've done wonders with this place."

"Just wait," the older man pointed and Tague understood what he had meant. The entire back of the house was windows, looking out over the bluff or cliff at the ocean, which stretched out of sight. Skagit Bay, Tague learned by asking their host. Too cold for swimming and sometimes too rough to leave a boat moored, but Jeff explained that there were stairs that led down to a small black sand beach and the surf fishing was great, Jeff assured him.

They had stopped in the foyer, and Jeff motioned to a den to the right. Tague noticed dark maroon painted walls through open white painted 8 pane glass doors.

That's the den," Jeff said, "There's a desk with room for a laptop and a connection to the internet," he shrugged, "And there's wireless of course, Alexandra has the code for that-- I can never remember." They had moved to the open doorway. Two walls of book shelves were completely filled, and Tague could tell many were antiques. "Grab anything you want to read," he smirked, "Though some of them aren't in English." Tague nodded, his attention drawn to the oversize photo on the wall behind the desk.

It was a seated man with a stern visage, nearly glaring at the camera. He was dressed in a black tunic, only face and hands really visible, the left set on his thigh, a heavy ruby red signet glinting slightly in the third finger. His right hand was propped on the arm of the chair in which he sat ramrod straight. A necklace hung asymmetrically, and Tague guessed whatever hung from it was tucked into a pocket of the tunic.

The man's eyes were a light brown, and he had a full but not wild beard and mustache, his hair slicked and parted at the center. He looked familiar somehow to Tague, but his attention was drawn to a scraggly strand of brown that fell over the upper left side of the picture.

"That's an ancestor," Jeff said lightly, hand coming to rest on Tague's elbow, "We can find the women."

"They found you," Alexandra corrected, smiling broadly as the women came into the foyer.

"Is that period specific?" Tague asked absently about the dark decor which contrasted with the rest of the house that he could see.

"Have to keep the historical society happy so we can be on the national register," Alexandra said and shrugged. "Were you admiring that photo? Jeff looked forever for that piece," she went on, gesturing, "The lock of hair in the glass is what sold him on this one." Karen stepped to the doorway to see what she was talking about.

"It looks like he's staring at me," she said after a moment. Tague thought Alexandra was suddenly flustered, but did not know why.

"Did I hear Jeff bragging about the fishing?" she asked, sweeping them to the back of the house, "I know nobody believes fish stories, but I have the evidence."

And she did, serving them salmon Jeff had caught on their 'private beach.' Tague was amused they served red wine but had to admit the pairing was fabulous as were the root vegetable latkes Alexandra made with carrots, yams, and parsnips from their garden. She apologized profusely for not having dessert but Karen and Tague both assured their new friends they seldom ate dessert, and that the meal had been perfect.

The couple offered them the use of the great room, but after running about in the morning trying to take in the usual tourist stops in a whirlwind before driving up, and then spending the afternoon in a fruitless search for a place, Karen assured them turning in early was her only goal.

"After all, we have to find a place tomorrow, right?" And then they were alone in their room upstairs with still more floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the ocean and an attached bathroom with a claw foot tub and a shower with two overhead and handheld sprays.

As was their accepted practice, the moment they were settled under the covers Tague rolled close, running his hand up his wife's side. She giggled, but caught his hand, pinning it in place.

"Tomorrow, baby," she murmured, "I really am tired... must've had too much wine." Tague sighed, but stayed in place, snuggled against his wife, and a few moments later both were sound asleep.

***

The sound of the shower woke Karen the next morning. The bay sparkled with the light of the sun over the house and she stood for a moment, marveling at the view. She realized for the first time there were outbuildings to the sides, far enough out to not spoil the view, and there was an inground pool as well. There was a knock on the door.

"Did I hear the shower go on?" Alexandra called through the door as Karen considered whether she might find a robe to put on over her nightgown.

"Tag is in the shower," she answered as she reluctantly opened the door, "I'll get a shower next, and then we will be down."

"Tag? I thought he said..."

"Oh, it's his nickname... Everyone just calls him 'Tag.'

"That's cute," Alexandra nodded, "Any allergies or specific wishes for breakfast?"

"Oh, that's not necessary, we don't usually do anything but coffee."

"Nonsense, we have to make sure you have energy for your day. Most important meal of the day, you know... Don't worry, I'll surprise you." Karen nodded, not bothering to correct their hostess' misperception. "You know you could jump in the shower with your husband, there are multiple showerheads just so..." Karen felt herself blushing, shocked that this woman was so forward.

"I uh... I hadn't thought of that," she managed, adding, "The room is amazing. And the view is even better than at night." She blinked at how bright it was, asking belatedly, "What time is it?"

"Oh, it's ten-fifteen, dear. Don't you worry, I've already talked to Judith, I think she has a surprise for you." And then she was gone.