Introverts Lifeguide in Apocalypse

*"FIRST SIN ARROGANCE, Boom Boom Attack,

SECOND SIN WEAKNESS, Woosh Woosh Back off,

THIRD SIN RUNNING AWAY, Bleez Bleez Runoff,

FOURTH SIN FORGETFULNESS, Sheesh Sheesh Forget." 

The familiar murmurs woke me up, as chilling and frightening as ever. In the dim moonlight, Lucas looked like a ball, probably cold.

Stretching, my body screamed with body aches.

'I hope he will be fine..' I thought, dragging Lucas up the stairs and then to his room. He was such a heavy sleeper that it made me worried. What if someone kidnaps him while he's asleep? 

Looking at the state he was in, I got a nostalgic feeling of the bed being too good for him... I took the bedding we had bought and made him a bed on the ground. Covering him, I went to my room.

My body was so sticky that it even disgusted me. Not daring to dirty the hot spring or tube, I just took a shower. 

I don't know if it was the water, the expensive products, or that I hadn't bathed in days, but it was otherworldly refreshing. Blow-drying my hair, it felt so silky and smooth that I wanted to watch it all day.

Looking in the mirror, I recalled the day of Mr. King's death. That day I had begun my day by crying. I tapped the moisturizer onto my skin and smiled at my reflection.

"Let's cry at nights and start the day with a smile!" I made a deal with myself. Unlike the teenager Dawn, I was more of a crybaby now and I couldn't do anything about it. Therefore, I shall just not jinx my unfortunate days and let my already cursed nights get more damned.

Getting dressed up warmly, I went down. The darkened hall had brightened from the moment I set foot on the stairs. It was indeed comfortable, but I wonder if the powerhouse has enough electricity for this kind of consumption...

That ghoul dwarf, ahem, Sir Jerald know the house well, I should ask him about the power house later. 

A pile of extravagant curtains awaited me in the middle of the hall. There were sixteen curtains in the hall, eight in the kitchen and four on the second floor. I had taken all off, since they had lots of dust. 

Washing them on my own seems impossible, so I am going to send them to dry-cleaners. 

"I will com back for you!" I promised as I ran away from them. If I send them now, I will have to go there several times. Even if I hadn't yet mustered the curage to go up, there were at least 10 more floors to explore and clean. 

Even imagining how pretty the hall will look like made feel thankful yet also indebted. Mr. Jerald didn't have to be so nice, but he generously helped.

Thinking about this and the guy who had to fill in for him at his smithery, I wanted to thank them. Therefore, I started baking. 

First, we add eggs and sugar, then whisk them until firm. 

"This seems firm enough!"

Then a few scraps of vanilla and flour. Mix, and pour into the four buttered and floured baking forms. 

Tap! Tap! Tap! Good, the bobbles are out. Now into the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

I opened the fridge looking for whipping-cream. There are only ten large bottles. If I should have bought more. I took one of them and put in the freezer to chill even more.

"What do we have here?" I saw frozen strawberry, perfect for making strawberry filling. I took it out and after finding my blender blended it into a strawberry pure. At this time, the spiders were looking at me...

Lucas was right. The entire house is full of insects, or at least the kitchen is. I should be thankful if they don't jump at my food. With the thought, I took a pan which had a lid and poured the strawberry pure sugar and starch into it. Mixing everything with a spatula, I put the pan on medium high and put the lid on. 

Running back to fridge number one, I took a citron and sliced it into two parts. Squeezing the juice into the boiling pan, I started blending it until it was jam firm. Looking badly at the spiders, I took my pan out the back door all the way to the Gazebo. The chilly morning breeze was just right for cooling down the sauce. Now that I came this far, I could see that the bushes were even taller than me.

Inside the Gazebo were a set of new tea tables. Identical to the ones on the balconies. The gazebo looked strangely clean, as if someone had cleaned it up recently. Even the ceiling was cleaner than kitchen's ceiling. I put the pan on the table with the lead half open. 

Putting it down, the darkness winked at me and I felt alone and scared, so I ran back the way I had plodded.

Ding! Ding! Ding...! Entering the kitchen, the oven timer was creaming. 

Taking the baked cakes out, I put the two unbaked forms in it and set the timer anew. The kitchen smelled of life. The sweet strawberry smell, the smell of cake and soon the smell of whipped cream. I took out the bottle out of the fridge. The cream had a slight frost, but not frozen. Adding half of the 1.5 liter bottle of cream, vanilla, icing sugar and rosewater into a big bowl, I whipped it until firm. 

"Hmmm! Um... Umm!" I hummed as I tasted the cream, sweet, yet also aromatic and light. It was perfectly delightful. Putting the bowl of cream into the fridge, I took another spoonful and enjoyed. Heavenly stuff!

By the time I sliced the first batch into layers, the second batch was done.

Ding! Ding!

"Hmmm... I wonder who made these cuties?" I asked with a wide smile as I took out the golden colored cakes out of oven and then out of the forms to cool down.

Snacking on the cake rests, I looked at the digital clock on the Iceland, 04:20. Running out to get my sauce, the air was still dark but not as dark as when I went earlier.

The sauce hadn't cooled down as much as I wanted, but I was too lazy to come later, so I just took it with me, with the lid off, hoping it would cool down enough on my way back. 

Puking my finger inside, I tried to determine the temperature.

It was low enough. So were the cakes, since I had left the door open. Slicing these too, I took out my various models of cake plates. Why did I buy so many? Since I am lazy and smart! If I make a lot a day, I have cake for a long time...

Putting an end to self praises, I started filling and frosting the cakes. The end results were to my liking. I had filled two cakes with strawberry filling and whipped cream and decorated them with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

For the other two, I used crushed nuts instead of strawberries. A touch of icing sugar on top, and they will look like the ones in magazines.

After all, I have a baking licence. Dusting next to my other licenses.

Organizing the fridges, I made a place for the cakes. They should be ready to eat in three or four hours! 

 "Oh, it's already five thirty!" I said, face palming as I rushed to the door, taking the promised water buckets with me.

No one was there, not even after two hours past five. Tempted to go to the dwarf village, I looked at the flower road but remembering their attack; I took my eyes off of it. Something else piqued my interest. The letter on the ground. I took it, brushing off the dust.

[ Greetings to the owner of the castle remembrance...]

' Remembrance? Remembrance? Ah! It was on the deed! This places name!! Wow, so tacky...' 

I really should start reading documents more attentively...

[ I am visiting you tomorrow morning to discuss a business matter.

With sincere wishes of peace, 

Vulcan George leader of panthers

]

Oho! Direct and short, as expected of a leader. Panters? Yeah, like that girl...

But did we have panther neighbors? I haven't even seen them in the curses illusions, not that it showed everything, always showing cut informations! Searching for answers, I went to the car to look at the map.

Grandfather has a unique way of calling people. What is this? Neighbors of the castle were the iron head to the north, the moon maniacs to the east-north, my tenants to the west-north, my babies to the west, the pointed ears to the south, the introverts to southwest and the demonic birds to the west...

"Gulp... I just hope they are not the demonic birds!" I said, disappointed at finding out something from the map. The namings were just so impossible. I mean pointed ears? He called the dwarfs for the iron head!!