Old Houses Creak

Chapter 13- Did you say something?

I woke up in the guest room, readying myself to go downstairs.

I had been here for a week -so much for 'only one night'- and was settling in well, with the strange rituals of the home.
For example; the three meals -breakfast, lunch and supper-, which i had gotten used to prepare with Alma.
Then there was 'movie time'. Which consisted of Horace projecting his dreams, in the living room.
And of course, there was also reset. Which was still quite scary, but pretty as well. In some strange corrupted way.

I'd gotten out of bed, swarmed with thoughts, but at least I was out of bed.
I had also brought some clothes from my house, to this house, and those were arranged nicely in a -freakish looking- closet by the wall.

Stretching to my tiptoes, i finally started functioning, walking toward the closet, and pulling the doors at their knobs.
The doors creaked, as if squeamish to be touched after an eternity, of just being left alone.
I cringed at the sound, but pulled out a brown sweater, my 'fisher pants' and settled on my new rock M-106-C24 shoes.

Finally, I rolled up the curtains, squinted, my eyes adjusting to the crass sunlight. Then i opened the windows, which, just for the record, also creaked, sounding like screams. One should think I was killing them.

I took a deep breath, and then, leaving the window open, I started my way downstairs. Alma was just coming from outside.

Strange, I thought.
Why would she go out before supper?

"Hey Birdie" I said, the nickname slipping out, leaving me with a confused look, aimed at myself. I schooled my expression into a smile again, and watched her eyes widen, and flicker up to were I was standing, a few steps further up from the end of the staircase. I reached the end, and was just about to give her a good morning kiss, when Claire ran inside.

I immediately straightened away from the woman, pure shock and a horror-like expression plastered on my face.

God fucking damn it, that was a bit to close.

The girl, of course had just run straight past the two of us, and Alma was now bitting her lip, trying not to laugh at me.

"What?!" I whisper shouted.

"Darling, it's 10.32 am, of course the children are awake" she chuckled.

"We've all had breakfast, I've set some aside for you in the kitchen, please eat something" she said, stepping closer, then looking around for any of the children, and when there were none, she placed a kiss on my lips. I smiled into the kiss, and when she was about to leave, I kissed her once more, receiving a chuckle. I smiled at her, and we went our own ways.

____________

Y/n, turn around.

In a startle i turn around, expecting to see someone, a man, judging by the voice, but  there is no one. I hum, eyebrows knitted together, i take a step toward the corner were the staircase lies, which was were the voice had come from.

"Y/n? What are you doing?" I jump and shriek, immediately turning around and almost falling to the ground in the same move.

"Oh god," i say, hand flying to my chest with a relieved sigh.
"It's just you" i say, Alma cocking a brow at that remark.

"Sorry what?"

"No i just, never mind. Hi!" I say, trying to be as normal as possible. Was i really just schizophrenic like my grandpa?
Oh god, was i imagining her?
Had i imagined all of this?
Shit shit shit shit shit.

"Alright" she says, and goes to walk away, but i grab her wrist and pull her into a kiss.

Okay she was real.

Once we straighten out of the kiss, she gives me that confused smile.

"Are you sure you're well?" She asks

".. yes! Of course, yeah yeah yeah, go on, you were going to your office" i say, leading her slightly that way, before giving her a little push, and turning to walk the other direction.

I'm fine.
...
If you say so

"What?!" I flick around, seeing Alma still standing there, looking at me, worried expression on her face, before she schooled it into her usual strict mannered expression. Or tried to anyways.

"Did you say something?" I asked her, trying not to sound -or look- too panicked.

"..no.. I didn't."

"Oh. Alright" I turned away again. Not seeing how she looked after me, as i walked away, not seeing her expression, as worried as ever.

___________

Voices huh?