Chapter 5 ~That's pure fantasy, I say~

THE LASSES' FACES ARE AGLOW, their laughter and chatter filling the air with a joyful cacophony. I settle into me chair, surrounded by me new friends.

Scarlett sits cross-legged on the couch, her brown hair cascading down her back. Winter leans in, her blue eyes sparkling. "Hey, Casper, you won't believe what happened to us moments ago!" Winter exclaims.

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued despite meself. "Scarlett couldn't see this house from the outside," Winter continues, "but the moment we stepped inside, bam! It appears. It's like the house was playing a game of hide-and-seek—a regular master of disguise!"

"I know, it's absolute madness!" Scarlett declares. "We've biked past this street our entire lives, and never once laid eyes on this place," she continues, her words tumbling out in a rush. "It's as if it just...appeared out of thin air!"

Winter nods in agreement, her eyes wide with wonder. Scarlett's brow furrows in thought, her voice laced with a hint of uncertainty. "Maybe the house was always here," she ventures, "sometimes, we get so caught up in our own thoughts that we miss what's right under our noses."

I settle into me chair, a sly grin spreading across me face like a slow-movin' sunrise. I am enjoying the show, watching the lasses' minds spin with wonder.

"Invisible, you say?" I ask, trying to sound as perplexed as they are, but me tone is as dry as a biscuit. "I'm not sure what to make of it, lasses."

"We're telling you, Casper, this house was nowhere to be seen until we stepped inside!" Scarlett exclaims. "It's like it was hidden from view or something!" she adds, her eyes wide with wonder.

I try to downplay their concerns, waving me hand like a conjurer dismissing a trick. "Ah, you're just spinning tales, lasses," I say. "This old house has been standing here for ages. You're just seeing things."

I smile, hoping to reassure them. "It was like being in a movie, Casper!" Scarlett exclaims, waving a sleek, mysterious device of hers. "My phone couldn't even take a picture of the house at first," she continues, her eyes shining like a pair of stars on a clear night.

Winter nods, her blonde curls bobbing up and down. "Show him, Scarlett," she whispers. "He's gotta see this crazy stuff for himself."

Scarlett's fingers dance across the device's surface, coaxing forth a picture like a magician producing a rabbit from a hat. The gadget vibrates with anticipation. As the image appears, Scarlett's eyes go wide with wonder, then quickly shift to a look of stunned confusion. Her face drains of color.

"What's up?" Winter asks, leaning in like a hawk on the hunt. The room falls silent, anticipation hanging in the air.

Scarlett hands her device to Winter, who gapes at the image with wide-eyed amazement. Her jaw drops, and she blurts out, "No way!" The words tumble from her lips in a rush of pure disbelief.

I settle back in me chair, a sly grin spreading across me face.

“Blimey, what's got 'em so flummoxed?” I think to meself, me curiosity piqued. I lean in, eyes glued to Scarlett's phone, me eyes fixed on the tiny screen.

And what do I see? A picture of a house, but not just any house – a house that looks like it belongs in this strange new world I find meself in. Gone is the grandeur of me centuries-old Renaissance mansion, replaced by a sleek, modern façade that looks like it has been plucked straight from the streets of this bewildering era.

Me mind is racing like a runaway carriage, trying to make sense of it all. And then, it hits me – the magic that has sealed me inside me own mansion has also been disguising it, making it blend in with the modern world.

But I have to keep up the charade, pretending I am as clueless as the lasses. “Prithee, hold a moment,” I say, putting on me best bewildered face. “Did thou not declare that no edifice graced the image?”

Scarlett shakes her head firmly, her brows knitted together. “I swear, Casper, the picture showed no building before, it just suddenly appeared,” she insists. Winter nods in agreement, standing by Scarlett like a loyal sentry.

“Totally,” Winter agrees, her eyes narrowing as she scans the screen with intense focus. Winter's gaze stays locked on the mysterious image, her eyes burning with intensity.

“The house in this photo looks like it's had a major makeover,” she explains. “It's all sleek lines and modern vibes, completely different from the old-school Renaissance mansion I saw before.”

The room falls silent, like a held breath waiting to be released. I can't help but chuckle. But Winter and Scarlett shut me down fast, their voices firm and serious.

“We're not joking, Casper!” they exclaim together, their words hanging in the air.

I throw up me hands in surrender, a gesture of defeat in the face of the lasses' bewildering tale.

“Now, hold a moment, me dear friends!” I exclaim, me voice a gentle breeze on a summer's day. “Let a fellow gather his wits, aye? Me mind's spinning like a top, trying to make sense of this fantastical story.”

I settle back in me chair, me eyes twinkling with amusement. “First, you claim the house was invisible to thy... contraption,” I say, waving me hand dismissively at Scarlett's phone, “yet now, it appears as bold as a sunrise over the rolling hills of Shadowvale."

“And then you speak of its former grandeur, but presently it dons a different guise, like a chameleon changing its colors to blend in with its surroundings.”

I lean forward, me voice taking on a tone of gentle skepticism. “I must confess, it strains credulity, does it not? Hark, friends, I'm not implying that you intentionally weave fanciful tales, but this entire affair is as credible as a story of sorcery and mythical beasts."

“Dwellings transmuting form and images engaging in furtive games of hide-and-seek? That's pure fantasy, I say.”

I lean back in me chair, a sly grin spreading across me face. "Perchance, and I'm merely postulating here, the both of you succumbed to a joint illusion. Could it not be that the house hath stood in this very spot all along, and only now hath it caught your attention?" I ask, inviting the lasses to share in me skepticism.

I flash 'em me most charming smile, the one that could tame a wild beast and make it purr like a contented cat. The room falls silent, until finally, they nod, their eyes still sparkling with a hint of skepticism, but their faces slowly soften.

"Alrighty then," I say, me voice as smooth as honey dripping from a spoon. I mentally pat meself on the back, thinking, "Ah, Casper, you old scoundrel, you've done it again!" Me vampire mind control has worked its magic, and I can feel the bond of trust growing stronger between us.

I grin from ear to ear, feeling like the cat who'd got the cream. But me triumph is short-lived, as Scarlett glances at some gadget on her wrist, her face clouding over.

"Winter, we're gonna miss movie night with the girls if we don't book it!" she exclaims. Winter sighs, her shoulders slumping like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"Yeah, she's right, Casper. We gotta bounce," she agrees. The vibe in the room changes, disappointment creeping in.

To be honest, chilling with these two has been the highlight of me day, and I am loath to see 'em go. The lasses ask me for a "phone number," a request that leaves me flummoxed.

What sorcery is this? I confess, me voice barely above a whisper, "I don't have a... phone number." Their eyes go wide, like two full moons shining bright in the night sky, as if I'd just uttered a blasphemy.

Winter, bless her quick thinking, whips out a writing utensil from her pocket and grabs me hand. She scribbles some mystical number on me skin, her touch sending shivers down me spine.

"Don't forget to call, alright? Let's stay connected," she says with a cheeky wink.

As we make our way to the door, a melancholy settles over us. Saying goodbye to these amazing girls and returning to the lonely halls of this strange mansion has me feeling down in the dumps.

We reach the door, and I step outside to bid 'em farewell, but the sunlight hits me like a thunderbolt, sending me staggering back. Me skin burns like fire, me eyes watering from the intensity of the light.

I gasp, me breath coming in ragged gasps, as I retreat into the safety of the house. Me skin heals itself in seconds, but me dignity is bruised.

"Are you okay, Casper?" Winter asks. The lasses are fussing over me like a pair of mother hens, their faces creased with worry.

"You okay there, Casper?" Scarlett asks, her eyes wide with concern.

I nod, trying to keep me composure, though me insides are still reeling from the solar assault. "Tis but a mild response to the solar rays this day," I explain, me voice shaking like a leaf in an autumn gale.

I force a laugh, a bit too hearty, but the lasses seem to buy it. "Methinks it prudent to seek shelter from the sunlight, wouldst thou not agree?" I ask, me eyes darting back and forth between 'em, hoping they won't press the matter further.

They exchange concerned glances, but luckily, they accept me explanation at face value. I breathe a silent sigh of relief, thinking, "Blimey, that was a close one!" If they'd caught a glimpse of the smoke rising off me skin, we'd be having a very different conversation indeed – or I'd have to resort to me vampire mind-control.

We make our farewells, and the lasses promise to return soon. I grin from ear to ear. It's been centuries since I've had friends to share me days with, and the prospect of their return has me feeling like a new man.

"Hang in there, Casper! We'll be back before you can say 'boo'!" Scarlett exclaims, giving me an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

I chuckle, feeling a warmth in me heart that I haven't felt in ages. "I'll be here, lasses," I say, me voice a mite gruff with emotion. "And I'll be counting the hours till your return."

As the lasses vanish down the road, I can't resist tempting fate once more. I stick me hand back into the sunlight, like a naughty child reaching for a sweet treat despite knowing better.

The pain shoots through me, but I can't help but grin like a fool. Today's adventure has brought me something worth more than all the gold doubloons in the world – a group of friends to call me own.

I feel like the king of the manor, strolling through the fancy halls, sipping me Fanta and admiring the trendy decor and art.

But me joy is short-lived, for just as I'm getting into the swing of things, a searing pain shoots through me joints like a bolt of lightning. Me legs turn to jelly, and I crash to the floor.

I try to rise, but me body has other plans. Me hands, once strong and steady, now look like withered branches, wrinkled and gnarled.

I lie there, sprawled out on the cold, hard floor, me body rigid as a statue. Me mind is racing, trying to make sense of what's happening to me, but me body seems to have other plans – plans that don't include moving anytime soon.