Chapter 4 ~Casper~

SO, THE GIRLS ARE STANDING THERE, looking around the mansion with wide-eyed expressions, like they can't believe what they're seeing. It's a mix of amazement and, let's be real, a healthy dose of fear.

Meanwhile, I'm huffing and puffing as I run down the stairs, my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. The girls are still gawking at me, probably wondering where the heck I came from and why I'm acting so spooked.

“Thank you,” I manage to say, trying to keep my voice steady. And before they can say anything, I just throw my arms around them both and give them a big ol' bear hug. I mean, I'm so grateful they haven't ditched me outside, and now that they're here, this place doesn't seem quite as lonely.

They kinda awkwardly pat my back, and when I let go, they say, “You're welcome.”

The one who isn't too keen on helping me glances around the mansion and says, “Wow, this is a really nice place.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “It's my parents', but they're away dealing with some important stuff. Hey, make yourselves at home; I'll be right back.”

And with that, I sprint through a doorway and into the kitchen. But the second I step inside, something feels off. My eyes dart around the room, trying to pinpoint what's wrong.

I gotta tell you, the place has gone through some serious changes. It's like I've stepped into the future or something! “Unbelievable,” I gasp, taking it all in.

The old stove and cabinets? Gone. In their place are these sleek, shiny appliances.

I hear this low humming sound coming from a tall metal box in the corner, and curiosity gets the better of me. “What the heck is that?” I mutter, approaching it cautiously.

When I open it up, my eyes nearly pop out of my head. It's filled with all kinds of colorful fruits and veggies — stuff I've never seen before! “No way,” I breathe, peering inside. “I've never seen anything like these!”

I pick up this small, round, orange fruit that looks like a tiny pumpkin, turning it over in my hands. “What an odd little fruit,” I murmur. “I wonder if it tastes as weird as it looks.”

And the surprises just keep on coming, my friends. You see, over on the counter, there are these bottles of crazy colorful liquids that look like some kind of funky, new-age tonic. “Fanta? Coke?” I read the labels out loud, scrunching my face in confusion. “I've seen people guzzling this stuff while peering out my window at the world outside every day, but I've never gotten the chance to taste them myself!”

So, I grab any edible thing I can find from that freezing-cold box and put them on a tray before leaving the kitchen. As I make my way to the sitting room, it's like strolling through a super-fancy, futuristic museum or something. The sights, the smells, the sounds – everything is different, but it all seems to fit together in this bizarre, new world.

As I walk into the sitting room, there's this gigantic, flat, black rectangle hanging on the wall, playing moving pictures like some kind of magical portal!

“This is just too weird,” I mumble, setting the tray down on a swanky glass table that looks like it belongs in some fancy art gallery.

I point at the goodies on the tray. “Alrighty, help yourselves, folks.”

The girls thank me and are all like, “Wow, all this just for us?” And I just give them a little nod and a smile.

I look over at the girl who had been a little hesitant to help me earlier and say, “Oh, and I got you some Fanta – it's your favourite, right?”

She blinks at me, looking like she's seen a ghost or something. “My favourite?” she asks, totally confused.

I try not to laugh because the look on her face is priceless. “Yeah, and there's this other one you love, with a stick that has a bar on top.”

She bursts out laughing, her eyes crinkling with amusement. “Oh, you mean a lollipop?”

“Yeah, that's the one!” I exclaim, not sure, but relieved that we're on the same page.

She chuckles again, shaking her head in disbelief. “How did you know I'm a sucker for lollipops and Fanta?”

So, I run my fingers through my hair—an old habit I can't seem to break, especially when I'm nervous. “Well, you see, I've kinda been watching you from my window every morning,” I confess. “I've noticed you always cycle to school with a lollipop in your mouth.”

She raises an eyebrow, looking at me like she can't decide if I'm cute or just a little bit creepy. “You've been watching me?”

I feel my face getting hot, and I quickly try to explain. “Not in a stalkerish way, I swear! It's just that you've got this whole routine, and it's pretty hard to miss.”

To my relief, she laughs—a sound that's starting to feel like music to my ears. “Well, I guess I'm a creature of habit,” she admits, grabbing a Fanta from the tray.

While she's busy enjoying her drink, I figure I should probably pay some attention to her friend, who's been pretty quiet up until now. She's just sitting there, kinda smiling to herself and playing with her blonde hair.

“Hey, you want some Fanta or maybe one of those weird fruits?” I ask, trying to make her feel welcome. “Or I could grab something else, if you'd rather.”

She shakes her head, still smiling shyly. “No, thanks. Fanta's great.”

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and stick out my hand. “I'm Snow-white Van Hellsing, but you can call me Casper. Snow-white's more of a nickname, you know?”

The girls both nod and smile, and the girl busy enjoying her Fanta speaks up. “Snow-white suits you,” she says. “It matches your pale skin.”

I can't help but grin, feeling my cheeks warm a little at the compliment.

“I'm Winter,” says the girl who saved my miserable life earlier. She's got this whole mysterious vibe going on, with these blue, expressive eyes and a calmness that makes her seem older than she probably is.

Then the other girl, the lollipop lover, the one who wasn't too keen on helping me at first, chimes in. “I'm Scarlett.” She's got this delicate, almost doll-like face that's hard to look away from.

As we all settle in, sipping our drinks and getting to know each other, it feels like the beginning of something special.

Just when we're all getting comfortable and everything seems to be going great, Winter hits me with a question that kind of sucks the air out of the room: “How did you even get locked inside the house, and why didn't you just phone someone for help?”

My heart starts pounding like crazy because there's no way I can tell them the truth — that I've been trapped in this place for a hundred years, give or take. But I have to protect them from that reality, so I do what I've always done — I use my mind powers to steer them away from the subject.

“It's really not important,” I say, trying to sound casual, even though my emotions are all over the place. “Trust me, you don't want to know. The main thing is that you guys helped me, and I'm okay now.”

For a second, they just stare at me, and I'm scared that maybe my little mind trick hasn't worked this time. But then Scarlett laughs, and it's like the tension just melts away. “Yeah, you're right,” she says, turning to Winter. “It doesn't really matter now, does it?”

Winter nods slowly, still looking a bit confused, but I can tell she's letting it go.

Winter kind of blushes and goes, “Yeah, sorry for prying.”

I just grin and shake my head. “Don't worry about it,” I say, feeling pretty relieved that my mind-mojo has done the trick.