She nearly missed the door entirely, memories were tainted by her childhood self’s diminutive size. What once took her one-hundred paces to reach, now required forty. Ivy had grown over this part of the wall, which worked well for keeping secrets from the past hidden.

Clara reached through the Ivy and snapped off an old sign. While badly corroded, the sign read: Condemned. No trespassing.

A smile crept over those soft lips. She confirmed that there was no one nearby and reached through the Ivy once more. This time Clara grabbed an iron handle and pulled. The door did not budge; the hinges seized from years of corrosion. However, with some persuasion, the handle tore off entirely, leaving a void in its place.

“Well, that’s progress,” Clara grumbled.

“Gather around everyone,” the tour guide said.

Clara had reached the wall by that point, and the guide’s words were whispers carried on by the wind. She followed the stone barrier until; she came across an ivy covered door. Unlike the gate that led in and out of the convent, this one was no taller than she was. She remembered that it had been fashioned with thick oak and reinforced with iron rivets. 

She nearly missed the door entirely, memories were tainted by her childhood self’s diminutive size. What once took her one-hundred paces to reach, now required forty. Ivy had grown over this part of the wall, which worked well for keeping secrets from the past hidden.

She shouldered the bag and walked off. There were a few stragglers in the courtyard, most indulging in a cigarette along with witty banter related to a show that played on television last night. As expected, Clara walked by them without notice. 

That earlier encounter with the moustached man had been a lesson. It surprised her how much she missed turning heads as she walked by. They weaponized my sexuality for the good of the order. Now I need to get over myself and embrace the freedom I get from obscurity.

That much was necessary after videos of her street brawl with a werewolf went viral. While she did not know how widely they had been distributed, she did pick up the nickname ‘the Valkyrie.’ That was also the reason why the constabulary were on the lookout for her. Wasn’t there some mention of me being on the most wanted list…

The property was purchased by a local farmer and later converted into a vineyard…

While that happened eventually, to her knowledge the school operated well into the thirties. This discrepancy confirmed that the effects of the hiccup were far more extensive than feared. Try finding a needle in a mountain of needles without getting a tetanus shot…

“You never know. You might get lucky like you did with us,” Silver taunted.

Clara had learned that it was best to avoid responding to the sisters. They often behaved like bullies, and giving them any indication that their vitriol worked would only encourage them. The sisters sure as fuck try my patience at times.

There came a loud release of air as the bus came to a complete stop. The main tour would soon begin, and passengers were lined up in the isle to leave. Clara remained seated, pretending to be engrossed by whatever was posted on her Twitcher timeline.

We have arrived. Bathrooms are available in the main building…

Girls sent here received an academic and religious education…

“They forgot to mention that the school was cloistered,” Clara whispered. “The only men permitted onto the property were the farmer who delivered supplies, and Father…”

Her eyes widened when that name did not roll off her tongue. This was the man who arranged for her to be educated here, which opened the door to the Tower. This was the hunter who was murdered before her eyes by a powerful vampire. That was the night that inadvertently set her on a path filled with deception, betrayal and death… I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The school was shuttered in 1910 after the gruesome murders of their priest and Mother Superior…

“Wait,” Clara whispered. “That never happened…”