Gothicana

Corvina nodded. “Sounds good. Thank you.”

He indicated for her to get out and she complied, jumping out of the high seat. Moving to the sidewalk as he pulled out, she stood there until his taillights disappeared around the corner of the main street.

Taking a deep breath in, Corvina turned to the small door of the building, one that reminded her of her hometown, and pushed it open.

A bell jingled overhead and an old woman with a weathered, smiling face looked up from an old computer on her desk.

“Hello, my dear,” she greeted Corvina with a huge smile that lined her face with happiness. “What can I help you with today?”

Corvina walked to the counter, her lips mirroring the nice lady’s. She slid the envelope in her hand towards her. “I just need to send this as priority.”

The old lady pushed up her large, round glasses and peered at the envelope. “One moment, my dear,” she said, slowly typing the details on her keyboard with wrinkled hands. Corvina stood patiently as she took her time, not wanting to be rude.

“Usually they send out more mail from the school. And usually, they send that lovely boy,” the woman remarked while entering the information on her computer.

“Troy, you mean,” Corvina smiled.

“Yes,” the lady smiled. “He’s a good one. Always helps me lift some of my heavier boxes and asks me if I need anything from the store. Such a good boy.”

He was. Troy was one of the nicest people she’d ever met.

Corvina stared at the woman, appreciating the fact that she didn’t ask her about the Institute’s address on her envelope. She remembered Troy had said this woman was a wealth of information, and Corvina didn’t know if she should ask her anything. She had time to spare but no social skills needed to initiate a conversation like that.

“Corvina,” the lady looked at her name, then up at her. “Unusual name. My sister tells me you’re a studious one.”

“Your sister?” Corvina asked, confused.

“Ah yes,” the older woman nodded, peering at her screen. “She works in the library. Comes to visit me every other weekend. Tells me what’s happening up there.”

“You’re Mrs. Suki’s sister?”

“Mrs. Remi. I’m the older sister, though I look younger if you ask me,” the woman chuckled, giving Corvina a cheeky wink, and Corvina felt her lips curve. The older woman put in the final details, took the envelope and the cash Corvina handed over, folding her hands.

“How are you getting back, my dear?”

“Um,” Corvina looked out at the gloomy sky, then at the clock on the wall. “My professor will pick me up in fifty minutes.”

“Ah, you have so much time,” Mrs. Remi slowly came around the counter, heading to a small kitchenette with a dining table and two chairs on the side. “Would you like some tea? I’m afraid I only have herbal at my age. Helps with the sore muscles.”

Corvina rushed to pull out a chair for her. “Please sit, Mrs. Remi. I’d be happy to make some tea for you.”

“You’re wonderful, my dear,” she said, taking a seat on the chair, and guiding Corvina around the kitchenette. “You know I knew of a Corvina once.”

“You did?”

“Yes. Back when I was a girl. She lived down the block from me before her family moved away. Nice girl but she had red hair, not raven like yours. Never understood why they called her that with that hair. There wasn’t anything raven about her.”

Mrs. Remi kept chatting as the tea brewed in minutes. Corvina poured them both a cup and sat down on the other chair.

“You have the most unique eyes I’ve seen, Corvina,” Mrs. Remi remarked, blowing on her hot tea. “And I’ve seen many in my lifetime, dearie.”

“They’re my mother’s,” Corvina gave her a small smile.

Mrs. Remi nodded, taking a sip, and groaning with joy. “My mother had my eyes too.”

Corvina realized it was the opening she needed. She took a sip of her own brew. “Have you always lived here?”

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Remi nodded. “Born and raised and married. My folks were the same.”

“Were they here when the university was founded?” Corvina asked, and felt the older woman’s eyes on her sharpen.

“No, that was before their time.”

Corvina nodded and stayed silent, letting the older woman decide if she wanted to share more. After a few seconds, Mrs. Remi sighed. “The school was already functional by then. I don’t know if you know about the-”

“The disappearances,” Corvina finished when she hesitated.

“Yes,” Mrs. Remi shook her head, putting her cup on the table. “Terrible thing, it was. My aunt disappeared on a night back from the grocery store, never to be seen again. Destroyed my papa, bless his soul.”

“But how?” Corvina wondered out loud, and Mrs. Remi looked out the window.

“Don’t know, but she wasn’t the only one. Every full moon night one of the folks in the village went missing. They found out later it’d been kids up at the mountain taking them into the woods, butchering them in some kind of sacrifice, hiding the bodies. We never got answers.”

Mrs. Remi visibly shuddered, picking up the cup in her shaking hand and taking another sip.

“When did the disappearances stop?” Corvina asked after giving her a moment to collect herself.

“Soon after my aunt went missing,” Mrs. Remi paused. “My folks said kids at the school took care of those Slayers. That’s what we called them here.”

Corvina sipped her tea, nodding. “That’s what I heard too.”

“It’s sad what happened to those other kids though,” Mrs. Remi commented. “They just vanished one by one. It was a huge scandal back then from what folks say.”

“Did they say anything about what could’ve happened?” Corvina asked, crossing her legs and leaning back in the chair.

Mrs. Remi chuckled. “They said a lot of things back then, my dear. From murderous spirits haunting the woods to an evil monster to black magic and everything you can think of in between. But what is the truth? Perhaps, we’ll never know.”

Corvina digested that, mulling over the words.

Mrs. Remi finished her tea. “One thing I knew growing up as a little girl was this – do not to go into those woods, and do not to stay out on the full moon night. Everyone in town will tell you the same. Nothing good happens in these parts on a full moon. There’s something unholy around that castle. Best not rouse it.”

Corvina rubbed her hands over the goosebumps that littered her flesh at the old woman’s words, something almost prophetic about it that made something heavy knot in her stomach.

A spear of lightning split the sky in two. A loud clap of thunder followed immediately, making Mrs. Remi look out the window with worry.

“Better get back to the castle with your professor before dark, my dear,” the older woman spoke, her voice tensed.

Corvina straightened, alerted by the heaviness in her tone. “Because of the storm?”

Mrs. Remi gazed out, a serious look on her face. “That,” she turned to look at Corvina with the wisdom of her years in this place shining through. “And because it’s a full moon tonight.”