Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure by Larry Forkner (summer books .TXT) 📗

while still maintaining its old-world charm. The new castle was made from rugged stone and was four stories high. There were large turrets at each corner, which towered twenty feet above the gray-tiled, steeply pitched roof. The beautiful, immense castle and grounds would easily encompass three city blocks in downtown New York.

There was attractive ornate stone and tile trim around the dozens of windows and doors. Sean had seen many beautiful structures in person, or online, but he’d not seen anything that could hold a candle to this beauty.

In addition to the building itself, there were acres of stunningly well-maintained grounds. Among the landscaping were many unusual trees and bushes of various sizes and shapes. They were carefully placed in what appeared to be several acres of immaculately maintained green lawns. It would take dozens of workers, countless riding mowers and hedge and tree trimmers to maintain the grounds so immaculately. That didn’t even take into consideration the thousands of gallons of water and miles of sprinkler lines that kept everything a beautiful, vivid green.

The real estate investor, architect and builder sides of his nature gaped in awe at the massive feat of engineering. Even with today’s technology, it would have taken years to complete.

In the far distance he could see dozens of buildings, which appeared to be a mixture of barracks and apartments. Beyond these buildings were at least twenty or more two and three-story buildings, neatly arranged in large circular patterns. He wasn’t sure why, but he sensed a decidedly military vibe coming from this area.

Sean turned back to the beautiful castle-like building in front of him. The same compulsion that had encouraged him to place his hand on the glowing stone, now pushed him toward the massive front entry doors. The entryway was above him at the top of the stairs. Sean had to walk up at least two-dozen stairs just to reach it.

He took a moment to catch his breath, before raising the ornate, iron-knocker and pounding it against the steel-reinforced, thick oak doors. After waiting for several minutes, he was about to pound harder. Before he renewed knocking however, the door slowly swung open. He waited for a butler or maid to step into the open doorway, but after a moment he realized there was no one there.

Sean looked around outside and then peeked inside the palatial entryway. He finally came to the realization that he was the only person here. At least he was the only one within eyesight or hearing distance.

After a few moments’ hesitation, he felt that same nagging sensation to move forward and explore the interior of the castle. He pushed the door open wide and stepped onto the polished flagstone entryway. He slowly closed the massive front door behind him.

The interior was also beautiful on a grand scale that must have cost millions to create. It was vast and open, with natural light flooding the interior from countless windows, doors, and skylights.

The plush furnishings were also expensive. It must have cost a fortune to furnish such a palatial interior. Sean was impressed, but also a bit put off by the gaudy display of immense wealth. It reminded him of some of the hotel-casinos he’d seen in Las Vegas. It was impressive in its own showy style, but it was too much for his tastes.

It took him nearly an hour to tour through the entire castle. He was feeling a little bored by the showy interior by the time he walked back downstairs.

When he was about to turn toward the large front doors, he heard what sounded like a trapped animal growling somewhere below him. He looked around for a set of stairs leading to what he assumed was a basement, but he couldn’t find the stairway.

The roaring and growling almost sounded like an animal in pain. It also sounded like a powerful, potentially dangerous creature.

He thought it might be wise to head out the front doors and leave before someone arrived home and found him there. Just as he turned to leave, he heard the distinct ding that usually signaled the arrival of an elevator.

That same feeling, which touched his mind earlier, encouraged him to follow the sound. He walked down the hall and turned into a large open landing. At the far side of the landing was a set of large, stainless-steel elevator doors. A red light was blinking above the doors, as the familiar ding reverberated through the landing area again.

When he took a step toward the doors, they suddenly opened, revealing a large, posh elevator. He stepped inside and pushed the letter B, which he assumed meant he was going to the basement. The doors closed quickly and he felt a rush of speed while the elevator descended quickly.

When the doors opened again, he was looking at a long, wide hallway that was at least twenty feet across. On each side of the hallway were heavy, steel doors that looked like they were strong enough to stop a speeding tank from crashing through them.

The elevator dinged again, and Sean took that as his cue to step out into the hallway. There was a slight movement of air in the hallway, circulated by almost noiseless fans. They seemed to be circulating scented air which smelled like spring flowers.

As he walked quietly down the wide hall, he noticed an underlying scent that was very unpleasant. It resembled what he imagined was the odor of decomposing flesh. He knew that if he stayed down here very long, the smell would make him gag.

Suddenly, something large and very strong slammed into one of the doors on his left. It made the door shake from the impact, but the door was designed to resist such abuse.

What could only be described as a demonic wail came from inside the room behind the door. Whatever creature made the noise sounded like it was in pain and very, very angry.

Sean carefully touched the heavy latch on the door and said quietly, “Are you all right?”

The