HEIRLOOM

Chapter 10

Alex glares at me furiously, his expression turning hostile. "Who told you that was a warehouse?" he hisses, his voice filled with venom as he violently throws my arm away from his shoulder.

Taken aback by Alex's sudden change in demeanor, I freeze in place, unsure of how to proceed. His behavior seems to indicate that he knew all along about the tombstone's presence in the warehouse.

"You knew the tombstone was over there this whole time? Why didn't you tell us earlier?" I can't help but feel frustrated and angry. "We could have wasted so much time searching for it! Were you intentionally leading us on with your "let me show you the way" and "let me help you search" comments? You might even know the location of the grave?" My words spill out in a mix of resentment and disbelief, leaving a tense silence in their wake.

"It would be better if you've never found it!"

Without warning, Alex shoves me aside, causing me to stagger and lose my balance falling to the floor.

I stare up at him, stunned, as he stands there fuming. His reaction is completely unexpected and I can't understand why he's so angry. I start to feel as though I've done something terribly wrong, or may have come across something that I wasn't supposed to find. Alex's behavior only adds to my confusion and anxiety.

With tension running high and emotions on the verge of exploding, Gabriela steps in between us, trying to calm the situation. "Let's all take a deep breath and try to remain calm," she implores, her voice bristling with authority.

As Gabriela tries to quell the mounting tension, I struggle to regain my footing, pressing up against the wall for support. I observe Alex from afar, taking in his imposing figure as he paces around the room with his hands tightly clasped behind his back. His movements are slow and methodical, but the visible tension in his body betrays his simmering anger. His face is tense and his features are drawn, the lines seem to have deepened, giving him an older, more haggard appearance.

With each passing second, his demeanor grows more intense, fueling my fears that we've stumbled upon something much more dangerous than we ever could have guessed.

The tension in the room is so thick, one can cut it with a knife. Finally, Alex sinks into a chair by the kitchen window, his head bowed and his hands trembling. His fingers move restlessly over his forehead and through his thick hair, as if trying to recall something from the depths of his memory. Drops of sweat bead on his forehead, evidence of the intense emotions he's been grappling with. Despite his obvious distress, he remains silent, lost in thought, as he endeavors to come to terms with something that's causing him such great stress and strain.

A soft night breeze blows in through the half-opened window, stirring Alex's hair, which appears almost entirely gray in the dim light of the room. 

As he begins to speak, his voice is tense, his eyes fixed intently on Gabriela's. "You're right," he admits heavily. "There's an explanation for all of this. The truth is, what you referred to as a warehouse is actually your grandfather's grave." 

Gabriela's reaction is not one of mere astonishment, but rather a sharp, sudden gasp that conveys a multitude of emotions.

Alex speaks in a hushed tone as he explains, "This building stands as a foreboding reminder to the villagers. They fear not only to approach, but even to cast a glance towards that cursed place. You may have noticed that there isn't a single grave within a radius of several yards - a testament to the ominous presence that looms over this ground."

With an expression of confusion etched upon her face, Gabriela questions Alex's ominous insinuation. She furrows her eyebrows tightly in an effort to mask her growing concern, attempting to maintain a calm tone as she speaks. "What do you mean, a cursed place? A reminder to the villagers? I don't understand," she says.