apartment here was enough, but he had always had a soft spot for little Virginia.

"Thank you for your courtesy," said the dark-haired man and bowed slightly to the porter. “We won't take long.” And with that he dragged Virginia with him to the elevator and let her push the button - he hadn't quite figured out the technology of this strange world yet."You drive, I'll take the stairs."

"B-but ..." Virginia's not yet formulated protest did not fall on deaf ears, but on silent walls, as Wolf had already disappeared up the steps. * If he wants to get by here in the `tenth kingdom`, he has to get used to the technology ... *

With a low `clink`, the elevator opened and gave Virginia access. She pressed the seven and immediately the doors closed again and the elevator began to move. Obviously the cabin had been completely restored, because not only were the buttons and fittings new, but the walls were also freshly papered and the floor was covered with a thick carpet. After a short time Virginia was on her floor, and when the doors slid open, Wolf was already there, waiting for her with a mischievous grin. There was nothing to indicate that he had just walked seven floors up, but he had to or he wouldn't have been faster than the elevator.

"I missed you, sweet Virginia," Wolf whispered, leaning closer. "You me too?"

Grinning, Virginia stepped out into the corridor and marched past him. "Come on, Wolf, we don't have much time." - * I could easily get used to all this care ... *

"Huff-puff," Wolf muttered, scratching his brow in his typical way while he stared at the closing elevator doors for a moment longer. Then he turned around in a flash and hurried after his fiancée. "Oh, Virginia, wait for me!"

She had already arrived at Apartment 17a No. 2 and was rummaging in her jacket pocket for her father's old master key - they didn't know whether Mr. Murray might have had a different lock installed, but the curmudgeon certainly hadn't bought a new one Suddenly the door in the next apartment opened and Virginia's neighbor Mrs. Graves and her son Eric, who was leading his dachshund on a leash, came out.The Dachshund cocked its ears and growled, but one look into Wolf's flashing green eyes was enough for the poor animal to hide behind Eric, whimpering.

Mrs. Graves took Eric by the hand and pulled him toward the elevator. "Come on, we have to hurry ...", she muttered, but more to herself. After the strange occurrences, she didn't want to have anything to do with the Lewis' or people who were with them. Who knew what that crazy janitor had done to the Murrays to make them act like mindless zombies?

Eric reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged along, but took another look over his shoulder when he just overheard Virginia unlock her door and she and this dark man disappeared into the apartment.

Inside the apartment it looked about as it was last seen. The living room was in utter confusion, furniture was overturned, books were scattered on the floor, mixed with pretty much every cupboard.

* Looks like a raid was carried out here ... Wait, that's what happened too. * Virginia looked at the broken vacuum cleaner that lay in a corner and sighed softly. But that was suddenly drowned by a much louder noise coming from the kitchen.

"Jemine," muttered Wolf and carefully pushed the door open. The view presented to them was unique. The linoleum was flooded with a sea of ​​beer and broken stained glass, the refrigerator was open and sometimes spat out more and sometimes less new bottles, which were thrown to the other side of the room and then smashed against the wall. "Huff-puff, what a wish!"

Virginia could only shake her head. Only her father could wish for a never-ending supply of beer. * He should make sure to eat properly ... Although, I got the ribs for him ... * But there was no time for any of that.Virginia entered her small room and found it as devastated as the rest of the apartment.

"Huff-puff, what a mess!" Exclaimed Wolf, who entered the room directly behind his fiancée. "Are you sure you can find something here?"

"Yes, yes, I have a secret hiding place," Virginia muttered, half absent, looking for the right drawer in her desk. She felt the wood and finally found what she was looking for when a thin panel of the drawer snapped up, revealing a false bottom. Below that was the passbook she'd spoken of, just as she'd left it.

A few minutes later, Virginia had packed the bare minimums, some clothes, documents, photos - * just where is that in this double picture frame? * - and other memorabilia.

They didn't meet anyone on the way to the elevator. Just as Virginia was about to press the call button, Wolf pulled her down the stairs and put a finger to her lips to keep her quiet.Less than two seconds later, the well-known 'bell' rang out and a sound made by sliding doors. Virginia had been so relieved that her hiding place had not been found that she had not noticed the glowing lightbulb that indicated the elevator would be arriving on that floor in a moment.

From where she was in the shadows, she could see Mr. Murray walking down the hall toward her old apartment, muttering something unintelligible.

"Let's go," Wolf urged and tugged at her, but Virginia shook her head. She really wanted to know what the homeowner was doing there.

After a few seconds, Mr. Murray came back, apparently just checking that Tony was back.

Virginia pressed herself closer to the wall, holding her breath as he approached them again and stepped onto the elevator. When the doors closed softly, she slowly let the air out of her lungs.

"So ..."

"Well, huff-puff," said Wolf just as aimlessly. "What now?"

"I think it would be best if we didn't touch the money just yet," said Virginia. "Besides, it's already too late, the banks have long since closed ... So ..." She didn't like the following thought at all, but obviously it was her only chance at the moment. So she tried to get the most confident expression on her face as she finished her sentence. "So we're going to pay my grandmother a visit."

~ * + ^ + * ~

“What is it, Roland?” Grandmother looked disapprovingly at her growling poodle. "Now stop it! There's no one you have to growl at. Here," she poured some champagne into the dog bowl, "have another drink, maybe that'll bring you back to your senses ..." Shaking her head, she poured the rest into hers Flute and put the now empty champagne bottle back on the dresser.With a satisfied sigh, she finally brought the glass to her lips to calm herself when suddenly someone rang the doorbell. Frightened, she spat out the champagne in a high arc and coughed violently. Roland gave her a 'I told you right away' look. Or maybe it was just because she'd had enough to drink before. The doorbell rang again, and Grandmother struggled to tear her eyes away from the dog.

"I'm coming," she called in her high-pitched voice, while at the same time tightening her dressing gown and hurrying to the door. "I'm coming!" - * If this is any representative again, he can be prepared for something! * Arrived in front of the entrance, she quickly straightened her hairstyle before opening the door, but left the chain as it was still in front of her.

"It's me, Grandmother, Virginia," her granddaughter said, smiling hesitantly. "I ... forgot my key ..."

"Virginia?" Grandmother asked back in surprise."What are you doing here at this time? Has your father kicked you out again?", She continued with narrowed eyes, as always, when Virginia showed up at her place. "This is the second time in just two weeks!"

"He didn't kick me out, Grandmother," she sighed resignedly. "You know that ..."

"Why ... oh wait, I'll let you in first." She closed the door again, removed the chain, and then opened it again to let her granddaughter in. "Come on in, you're freezing to death! And how you look! Doesn't that would-be son-in-law give you enough to eat? You are way too thin, my child!" Behind all the thoughtless insults towards Tony there was real concern. Grandmother took Virginia's shoulders and tried to pull her into the apartment, but she didn't want to move.

"That's what I always say," came a deep, familiar voice that Grandmother knew all too well from her nightmares. "But is anyone listening to me?Nooooo. "A head-shaking, dark-haired figure stepped out of the shadows into the dim hall lighting.

"Wolf," Virginia growled softly. "I told you to let me take care of it, didn't I?"

Grandmother watched with wide eyes as the stranger's behavior turned from mysteriously dangerous to beaten puppy when he whimpered softly. "But she's right, you're way too thin. Now you have to start eating more anyway because ..."

* Am I wrong or is that really the crazy guy who tried to EAT me ?! * - "Who. Is. That?", Grandmother wanted to know calmly. Much too calm.

"That ... is ... well," Virginia stammered. * Great, exactly what I was missing! * - "This is Wolf, he is ..." How should she put it without giving her grandmother a heart attack?

"... her fiancé," Wolf helped with a grin and bowed slightly to his future in-law grandma. "As I said it then ... just a little different ..." He pulled the silver-framed picture of Virginia out of his pocket and kissed it, then again, and a third time.Maybe it brought luck.

* There the picture is gone *, Virginia thought with a sideways glance at Wolf, but then she heard someone gasp.

"Grandmother!" She uttered alarmed as she swayed dangerously and looked for a stop at the chest of drawers near the door. * Well, she took the news better than I first thought. Although Wolf shouldn't have been so clumsy ... *

"V-v-v ... V-v-v