College students Anna and Ainsley have a final year project, an interview with twenty first century multi-billionaire businessman and entrepreneur Calvert Ghislain. An established Englishman who made his name in the top ten Forbes of America.
But w...
Bits and pieces of tree and branches bit into my face and skin and pulled at my clothes. I had been running around in circles barely knowing right from left. The running feet of the dog told me it was fast approaching. Had it killed Ainsley? Was it coming for me now? I tripped over a rock and rolled down a steep hill, I managed to grab onto a branch to hold myself but even that gave way and I hit my back on the hard ground.
The branch which was indeed a small growing tree fell on top of me landing directly on my stomach. Pain laced through my body as I tried standing. I gripped my stomach as another set of pain waves pulled me down to the ground. The taste of metal filled my mouth and I spat out a mouthful of blood. My head was dizzy, and my eyes threatened to close, I wanted to cry.
I managed to get on my hands and knees and crawl out of the remaining thickets of greenery, once I was out of its clutches I fell to the floor, stomach first. The pain kept on hitting me hard, not the type I got during my periods but the type that threatened to kill me.
The area was silent and with tired eyes I looked up. There it was, the abandoned house. I brought out the picture from my jean pocket and looked at it, it was the same. I could basically see the family standing in front of it and smiling, waiting for the blinding flash to blind their eyes. I looked at my left hand and it was bloodied with cuts that would definitely need stitches.
With a groan I lifted myself up and walked towards the half opened black gate- or was it red or rusted? It was hard to tell as the night was dark and my head span on its axis. I gripped it to steady myself. My legs were shaky, and the ground felt wobbly. Taking in another breath of air I walked towards the front door, afraid of looking back.
Afraid of seeing her, because I knew she was behind me.
Ainsley.
Ainsley watched as Anna ran into the woods, of all places it was in there she ran, she could have chosen the road. It was clear and probably she would have found help, but no she had to choose the woods, typical her. He also watched as the woman in white followed after her, walking at her own pace. She was like death, a wish that killed at its own pace.
He looked up at the dog that was still trying to pull its eye out. His legs were going to have to mange, he closed his eyes as he braced himself.
Pain, it is only in my head, an emotion, it can be felt only if I choose to embrace it. I could push it back and ignore it, an emotion, it can be felt.
Sighing he pressed his weight on his injured leg and turned himself and the dead dog, he held its neck and started choking it, squeezing it, even though it was already dead-- but then he thought to himself, how could he kill what was already killed? He stood up and limped to the burning car with a jerk of his hand he threw the dog into the blazing fire.
Someone should have seen the fire, why wasn't help coming? The puppy cried and made sounds, he could feel its pain, even though it was dead. He wanted to fall back and rest his tired muscles but- "Ainsley?"
Hannah's voice called out to him, he turned his head and watched the woman with blood approach him. "Missed me?" She asked with a smile on her face. The scuffling of feet came from the burning car and he swallowed. "Shit." The dog got out with flames burning it. Ainsley made for a ran towards the direction that Anna and the freaky lady had gone through.
He was starting to regret his decision of calling the woman.
Anna.
I pushed open the heavy door, cold and cobwebs met me at the entrance. "Hello?" I called out to the empty house. The heavy door closed behind me with a click. It was big, the type of houses old English men and woman lived in during historical times, like a manor, big enough to house a ball.
Most of the furniture were covered with white sheets of cloth that had huge layers of dust. The walls were bare of any portraits, but one could easily tell they had been once there. The room looked normal though, dark and empty. It looked like one that could sell for over a million dollars once thoroughly cleaned and dusted.
I followed the hall and walked into a grand hallway. It was circular and moon light entered through the windows. It was bare of any carpets, rugs or even sofas, well except the walls were lined with mirrors, all cleaned and polished. Someone had been here, someone was home.
Low burning candles lined the wall leading up the stairs, like as if an invitation I moved following it. I didn't bother looking at myself in the mirror as I knew I wouldn't see my reflection.
"Hello?" I called out again. The house was silent, too silent and it made me ran mad, I needed a sound, even if it was one that was of the woman, any sound to help me know I was not yet insane.
The candles made another path towards a door, I followed it walking on the dark red carpet, still mirrors lined the upper landing. It was nerving to see so many reflectors in one place. Nerving to know that if I turned back, if I took a peek, I would see her or worse I would see myself getting killed. The candles stopped at the door and with shaky fingers I twisted the knob, which opened easily. It gave a groaning sound as the door hadn't been opened in a while. I walked in, a candle sat on my hand and a bit of wax spilled down, landing on one of my open cuts. I let out a string of curses.
The room had a strange smell, and the candle's light could only show little. A large grandfather clock sat just opposite me, its tick tok filled the room. I moved along the wall and there were pictures of young girls, all smiling and laughing at the camera. A table and a chair sat at the further end of the corner. There was a door on the wall, it looked like a closet. I walked over to it and tired opening it, but it was locked. I searched around the room looking for a key as I felt answers lay behind the closed door. I found it on one of the hooks on the grandfather clock, the time read 11:30.
I placed the candle down and with sweaty fingers I pushed in the key, it twisted with so much ease and the door opened, moving on its hinges. A silent motion, which showed the room was visited regularly, I brought the candle to my line of vision and looked in, at first there were just a bunch of bones but when I focused my gaze and steadied my shaky hands. I screamed, the candle dropped to the floor and the darkened carpet got fire.
They were not just bones, they were skeletons of dead people.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
