Endless Wonder

Laura thought of herself as a budding journalist. From a young age she would always want to find out why. Ask the questions no-one else wanted to ask. Take things apart to find out how they worked and what made people tick. Some of these would often land Laura in trouble, especially taking things apart. However, this could not and never would stop Laura Hollis.

This character trait is what paved the way for her to become a journalist. Her resistance to wanting to let things go.  Always the need to find an answer. No matter what the cost.

Laura had always loved to read. There was this little novella in particular that she loved and cherished above all else. She always carried a copy of it everywhere she went. It had become her security blanket of sorts for her. She had read it so much that not only could she recite it pretty much word perfect, it looked scruffy and dog-eared to the point it seemed it should be impossible to  read. Pages had been sticky taped backed together. Corners of pages missing, the cover was so battered that it looked like it couldn’t protect the words that it contained within.  Laura had fallen in love with this book from the moment she read the first sentence.

“In Styria, we, though by no means magnificent people, inhabit a castle, or schloss.”

She had always thought, how can you not be magnificent people if you lived in a castle? It has been the starting pistol for her thinking, reading between the lines. The fact Le Fanu could write something so risqué all the way back in 1871 she loved. And moreover it was about a vampire, and pre-dated Dracula, just enticed her even more. She wanted nothing more than to go visit Styria and the schloss that gave Le Fanu his inspiration.

This novella was Carmilla.

This novella would change her life.

Over the years of reading and re-reading, Laura fell in love with Carmilla. She wanted nothing more than to be part of this world, meet Carmilla and maybe, just maybe, be the one that could change her and convince her that she didn’t need to keep befriending poor wards and lure them to her mother.

Little did she know?

For a journalist Laura would often miss the obvious. In this case that she had been followed, all the way from her home town back in Canada and all the way to Styria. Now this isn’t your creepy, stalkery kind of following. No, this was stalking in a nice way kind of following. For you see she was being followed by none other than Miss Claudia Donovan.

Claudia Donovan was in training. Training to become a caretaker, but not your run-of-the-mill everyday type of caretaker. She was going to be the caretaker of a very special building called Warehouse 14, and the amazing artifacts that it was home to.

Claudia had been watching Laura for some time now, guided and supervised by the watchful eye of Mrs Frederick. Mrs Frederick is the current caretaker of Warehouse 13, but her time was coming to an end and so was the Warehouse. She needed to get Claudia trained up and fast. Claudia had already seen the birth of an artifact because of a courageous act, now it was time for something different.

“Why are we out here in Austria Mrs F?” Claudia asked. Mrs Frederick looked over the top of her glasses disapprovingly at Claudia “sorry, Mrs Frederick.” Claudia re-tried.

“You see that young girl over there?” she gestured to Laura with her head, Claudia nodded. “well what do you feel?”

“Feel? Not this touchy, feely crap again?” Claudia sighed.

“Miss Donovan, what do you feel?” Mrs Frederick insisted.

As Claudia focused in on Laura, she could feel something inside being pulled towards her. She had only had this feeling once before in the pit of her stomach. It was when a woman threw herself in front of a baby to sacrifice her life for its. This was going to something she was never going to get used too.

“Birth of an artifact, but why here? Why now?” Claudia questioned.

“This young girl has an obsession with a book, and this” she gestured to their surroundings, “is where it is set. As you know, Miss Donovan, artefacts are strange, wonderful and sometimes dangerous things but filling our world with endless wonder. And sometimes one young girls obsession can be enough, especially in the right place at the right time.”

“And I’m guessing this will be the right place at the right time kind of moment” Claudia questioned.

“Nearly,” Mrs Frederick looked up to the sky to see that the black clouds were still looming in the distance.

“You said obsession can create an artifact? We really must stop Pete watching so much Honey Boo Boo,” Claudia joked.

“Yes we must” Mrs Frederick laughed as she looked towards Claudia, “back to the matter at hand Miss Donovan.”

They continued to follow Laura and her tour group around Styria for the day, visiting landmarks and trying to fit in doing the tourist-y things. They were approaching their final stop of the day, the schloss. The castle towered above them all, majestically atop of the hill as they made their way towards the beautifully aged oak wooden doors that beckoned them all inside. Claudia rubbed her thighs breathing in heavily; she had never been one for exercise. Just as they entered the black clouds that had been following them all day dropped their first rain drop.

“Well this isn’t cliché at all!” Claudia just couldn’t help herself saying. 

As they walked though ornately engraved archways Laura had gotten herself separated from the rest of the group.  She had become so entranced by the gold leaf covered etchings on the pillars in the ballroom she had failed to them moving on. The grandeur of it all so breathtaking, the candle chandeliers glimmered in the rooms, casting enough light to just see. Laura started to waltz as she imagined herself dancing with Carmilla. A flash of lightening shone through the windows and lit the entire ballroom in all its magnificent glory.

“Now is the time.” Mrs Frederick smiled.

Laura could have sworn she was dreaming as she turned around and in front of her stood a young woman, not much taller than herself. She looked more beautiful than whatever seemed possible, long black hair with gentle waves and a jaw line to die for.

“Where is Mamma? Where is Matska?” the young woman questioned.

There in front of Laura Hollis stood none other than Carmilla Karnstein.