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Yuri thought there was a lot the speech left unanswered, and was just a clever bunch of fluff, even as the crowd went into applause. As the school body filed out of the auditorium however she had to admit that there was within her an uncomfortable desire to get to know this man, Lucius Sloan. It was a sentiment shared by several, unabashed, whispering groups across the hall, all the way to the esteemed faculty room. Nobody was talking about the victim who had been mauled in the woods, Mr. Lucius Sloan had seduced them all, and they had unashamedly gone with him into fantasy. It was an excitement that lasted all though the day, and unto supper tables all over the small city.
Chapter 3
It was already getting dark when Yuri arrived at the quaint wooden gate that enclosed her grandfather’s house. The sky, once golden, was now streaked across by grey clouds that ran in long lines across, and towards the horizon. The shadows of the trees, and shrubs lay long, inching away to the East along the front lawn, and the leaves whispered in a silent conversation with the wind. The house looked lonely, and grey from afar; just another fixture in the dull fabric of Peri Heights; the roof, reddened over the decades, had the defeated look of age that had come without the dignity. Up close, it remained an old house, without much fanfare; yet her grandfather had called it home from back when his father had bought it, and that was enough to give it a homely gleam for those to whom that bit of history mattered.
Tuesdays were the hardest, and Yuri was tired when she arrived. Stepping out of the car, she thought she heard two voices coming from the house. Her grandfather did not receive many visitors, and when he did, they were invariably octogenarians like him who loved nothing better than to reminisce about ‘the good old days’. She contemplated going in through the back door to avoid them, but decided that if she was heard, a move like that could scare the old timers. She crossed the wooden porch in two tired steps, and pushed gently through the wooden front, to step into the living room.
She immediately felt a tenseness, no a freshness in the atmosphere in the house, the moment she stepped in. She could see her grandfather, sitting in an easy chair, laughing harder than she had ever seen him laugh. His uproar was infectious, and she found herself giggling along with him. There was another person in the living room, seated in such a manner as to have his back facing the door. Yuri could feel an excited chill run up her spine as she recognized the blond hair with a near orange tint.
“Your granddaughter I presume?” Lucius asked without turning in his seat.
“Yes, yes it is. A little later than usual but she is finally home.” Jacob Jansen replied as he climbed down from the heights.
Yuri felt her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment. Her gramps was too old to keep it in his head that she always came a little bit later on Tuesdays. She joined them at the center of the living room. Lucius rose to take her hand in a confident assured handshake. Yuri’s cheeks grew even hotter under his stare, she was light-skinned, and hoped her cheeks were not flushing red at that moment. The manner in which he moved was not like that which she had become accustomed to during her stay at Peri Heights-or anywhere else for that matter. For example when he rose to greet her, she could tell it was not because of any need to neither be nice nor out of a need to please or impress. He did it out of habit. This was how he had been taught a lady should be treated, and he had abided by it.
“Lucius this is my granddaughter, Yuri; Yuri meet Lucius my good ol’ friend.”
Yuri giggled at the remark, a bit uneasily because Lucius did not giggle. He found the remark totally adequate and sensible. His gaze was unwavering and unflinching, and Yuri thought she would melt beneath the full glare. He seemed to be seeing into her soul. This was no ordinary man. He was still holding her hand, but now he let go.
“Uh so how did you end up here in the first place? I mean are you lost or-I’m sorry I don’t know what I am saying. I am just a bit overwhelmed. You made quite a splash at the school today.”
In the semi-darkness of the gloom encroaching into the living room, Yuri thought she saw him smile just the tiniest bit. “Did you not hear your grand pa? I am catching up with old friends today as it appears. Right now I must be off however,” and he turned to leave. The mention of her grandfather had jogged Yuri’s brain back to remembrance for she had quite forgotten him, and she turned to look at him. On turning back a second later, she could already see him a ways through the door. She wondered how he could move so fast without seeming to hurry.
