When I pulled up to the Airbnb I rented for the weekend,the stress from the work week just melted away. The busy season for the company was now in the rear view mirror until the summer. I opened the car door and the brisk, snowy winter air caressed my face. I gazed at this "cabin" that was more like a mansion. It had 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, chef's kitchen, and it sat on Mount Baker. The ski resort was just a 10 minute drive up the mountain, but I wasn't focused on that. I just wanted a quiet week, by myself to catch up on some reading and much needed Netflix.
My name is Joseph but my friends call me Joey. Just an average accountant in his mid 20s with no luck in dating and is more of a hermit. This place was a steal at $80 a night. I figured a couple days up here in the fresh air would do me good. I'm not sure how this place was so cheap but I'd soon find out. After I grabbed my backpack and suitcase, I walked this 3 foot wooden statue of a wolf and per the instructions, I grabbed the key that was hidden in its mouth.
I unlocked the door and entered. When I turned on the lights, I was amazed at where I was. It was beautifully decorated with upscale, high end furniture and decor. If the Kardashians were to have a "cabin" it would be this. I closed the door and when I turned around, a guy was directly in front of me. Startled I jumped back with a yell.
"Who are you and why are you in my home," The stranger calmly asked. Trying to quickly calm down, I yelled "Shit man! You scared me. I rented this place for the weekend on Airbnb." I clumsily fished out my phone to show him the confirmation email. He glanced at it and then back at me with a raised eyebrow. If he did own this place, he was eerily calm for having an intruder in his house.
Then he spoke, "Sorry, but it seems like you've been scammed. You're not the first. I've tried notifying the company to never allow my address to be listed but, it seems as though it keeps falling on deaf ears."
"Do you live here alone," I asked as the pit of my stomach started to drop. How could I be so stupid to fall for this scam. And why doesn't Airbnb fix this? The owner replied, "I do. I'm retired and I enjoy the solitude. I'm not much of a people person." He looked so young to be retired. I looked closer at him, taking all of him in. He was about 5'10" and in good shape. He reminded me of a young handsome librarian type. Short, styled brown hair, clean shaven, nearly flawless complexion, and his deep brown eyes look as though they could also be a maroon color. I thought they may have flashed a deep crimson when I caught myself checking him out too long.
He may have noticed because his eyebrows raised in amusement and curiosity. He sighed, "Well, since you traveled all this way and paid for it, why not just stay for the night. You can leave tomorrow and deal with getting your refund. There's a spare bedroom you can use." I thought about it. It took me a couple hours to get here. This guy seems nice enough. If he wanted to hurt me, he could have easily done it already.
"Thanks. I'd really appreciate that. I'm Joseph, but my friends call me Joey," I said while offering my hand. My new host shook and replied, "Vladimir, but my friends call me Vlad...or Vladdy." His grin sent a chill up my spine. He gave me a tour of the first floor where the giant kitchen, dining room and a magnificent personal office/library were. The 2nd floor was a couple bathrooms and bedrooms. He pointed to the furthest double doors at the end of the hall and said, "Those are my sleeping quarters. I'm a very private person and I feel it's a very personal thing to see someone's bedroom. I believe it's a very...intimate thing."
I shivered at the thought for some reason and my head swam a little. He opened the door to the bedroom where I was staying for the night and said, "You must be hungry after your trip. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge or pantry. Oh, in the pantry, you'll see a door that leads down stairs to the wine cellar. I would prefer it if you do not go down there either. My best vintage wines are stored there and don't want them disturbed."
I figured that's why I was feeling so odd and I agreed. As I was setting my stuff down and getting out my laptop, Vlad mentioned, "Oh the wifi password is BS1897." I was surprised that he could get the internet out here. I looked at my cell phone but there was no signal. At least the wifi worked. Also I came here to get away from the mundane lifestyle I'd been living. I shut off my phone and tossed it in the backpack. I changed into sweats and a t-shirt to be more comfy.
I went downstairs to raid the fridge. It was nicely stocked with the essentials. I made a sandwich, grabbed a small bag of chips from the pantry and sat at the kitchen bar. While eating, Vlad appeared almost out of thin air and offered me a cold beer. I nearly choked on my food, but I took the beer and took a drink so that I wouldn't choke. I didn't even hear him walk up to me let alone hear the fridge open and close. He stood on the opposite side of the counter and talked to me. Our conversations went from our worklife, plans for the future and then on past relationships for some reason.
Before I knew it, I was not only done with my food, but I'd also drank three beers. Feeling a bit buzzed, I decided maybe I should take a nap. And afterwards I'll get started on this novel I've been itching to read. As I cleaned up my stuff, Vlad said he'd probably be in his library if I needed anything. I nodded and thanked him for his hospitality. Those beers got a real good buzz going. Walking calmly to my room took a little more focus and that's when I realized I could be a tad bit drunk.
After I entered my room, I flopped onto the bed and instantly fell asleep. I dreamed of a misty road that led to this cabin. Then I was in my room but everything was bathed in a red light. I was in bed and Vlad was standing at the foot of it. I blinked and then I was in a hot tub but the water was actually wine. I sat there enjoying the warmth and the smell of it. My head swam in the haze and then Vlad emerged from the depth of the tub. I gazed into his deep crimson eyes and jolted awake.
I looked around and saw that everything was dark. How long had I been sleeping? I got up and wobbled a bit. I felt a little light headed but made my way to the window. It was dark out but the moonlight reflected off of the snow to illuminate everything. Not sure how much time had passed, I decided to maybe grab a book and do some reading in the living room. I went to check to see if Vlad was still in the library but he was not. Assuming he maybe went to bed, I went to read.
A few chapters in, I was feeling a nice glass of wine would be great. I looked around the kitchen but couldn't find any. I peaked in the pantry and noticed that the door Vlad warned me about going into was now slightly ajar. Did he go down to get a bottle? Conflicted, my thoughts wrestled with themselves. He said not to go down there, but then again, I didn't see any issue if he was already down there. So I went.
The stairs led down to a dimly lit wine cellar. I thought it odd that instead of modern lights, there were lit candles down there. It felt like I was in a castle. I looked at all the shelves of bottled wines. This cellar felt pretty spacious. I followed the rows and it led to a wooden door. A chill ran down my spine. Where was Vlad? Is he behind this door? I turned the knob and pulled it open to reveal a huge bedroom chamber. It was as if I had traveled back in time to the days of knights and kings.
Torches on the wall illuminated the room, revealing a huge canopy bed that could fit at least 10 people. A bed of fluffy pillows and was to the right of it and to the left looked to be an in-ground hot tub. Along one wall seem to instruments that a dominatrix would use will with a spot to chain someone up. Did I just walk into his sex dungeon? Oh no, I needed to get out of there. This is why he told me not to go down there.
I spun around and was face to face with my host. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Didn't I say not to go down here." Then I stammered, "I...I'm so-sorry! I...I Thought..." as he started to walk me down while I slowly backed up.
"Joey, Joey, Joey. I did you a favor by letting you stay for the evening and this is how you repay me?" Vlad said in a calm but icey tone. His eyes seemed to be changing colors or something. I was panicking and nearly having an anxiety attack.
