4 - Into The Castle

Asher only shook his head, turning his gaze out the window where the streets were yet to be filled with crowds of tourists and businessmen that could be there to be on their way or to just stand around with their thoughts and smiles.

The girl brought him his breakfast, gently laying it down on the coffee table and moving aside the mess that was spread across the space taking up the entire surface. She dropped them nonchalantly on the other coffee table that was bigger and held more popularity to customers.

“Thanks.” Asher lifted the steaming mug and his nose was buried into the whipped cream as he took a sip. The liquid burnt his tongue, but he didn’t seem to mind as it would happen every time he drank something hot. There just wasn’t any use to sipping little by little or waiting until it was a little cool. He only thought that it would ruin the quality of the coffee.

When he turned his head up, the server let out a giggle, catching the sight of Asher’s face. “You have a little something all around your mouth,” she laughed.

He didn’t know why, but this made Asher smile. Maybe it was because of the positive energy that the girl was emitting, or maybe it was the coffee’s aroma floating throughout the whole café, or it could even just be that he was eighteen and today was his birthday. Whatever the case was, Asher thought it was a nice sort of atmosphere to start the day with and he wanted to keep the feeling he felt now as long as it would last.

Taking a napkin, he hastily cleaned off his face before any customers would come in and see to make fun of him. The joke, he felt should be only for himself and maybe even the girl and her café. No one else should be able to turn into something else that would ruin it, just because someone might have a different sense of humor.

“So,” he heard the girl start. Her voice was like a flute that turned up a higher tone, which only indicated her happiness of mood. “What are you going to be doing for your birthday, if I may ask?”

Asher, who had taken a bite of his muffin, shrugged with a whimsical expression that sparkled on his face. “Not quite sure,” he said after gulping the remains of food from his mouth. “You know about the castle past East Avenue?”

The girl smiled and nodded. Finally, she got him talking and taking a topic himself to converse about. “Yeah. Do you plan on going there? Isn’t it supposed to be dangerous?” She poured herself a cup of coffee for her own morning wake-up and leaned on the counter, listening intently to Asher’s words as anyone would when their attention’s been taken by someone of interest.

“Yes. To both of your questions.” He wasted no words and felt his heart pumping with fear. It is supposed to be dangerous. The excitement rushed through him and this only encouraged him to do what he’d planned. Now his thoughts were consumed with only that one thing and would be that way for the rest of the day.


The pointed towers stood adamantly still as gusts of wind blew in from the west. His dark bangs brushed along his eyes. He needed a haircut.

Asher shivered in the cold air, blowing out frosty icy breath. The sight of the castle gave him goose bumps, which didn’t help things. It seemed to be deserted and void of tourists. If this place was so famous, wouldn’t it usually have some people loitering around outside? It was hard to believe that they were all wandering the hallways and rooms inside.