𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

•𝟗 | 𝒈𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌•

**NOT EDITED**

(This one is a bit shorter than the others)
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Aryia stared at the ceiling. She stared at it like it was the most interesting thing in the room. She felt calm, which was strange, considering the situation she was in. The smell of Vann's Cologne from his sweatshirt she was wearing only added to the calmness.

Vann, on the other hand, was pacing. He paced in front of the couch Aryia laid on, his heart pounding with anxiety. He felt conflicted. He felt scared. He felt helpless.

Vann couldn't help but feel it was partially his fault Aryia was in the situation she was in. He was the one to argue with Maverick whether the stupid mansion was haunted or not. As much as he didn't like it, Mav was right.

And because of Vann's actions, Aryia was hurt. Aryia had explained what had happened to her, the vision and the mirror. The two had concluded Winnie was more powerful than they had originally thought.

Winnie was hurting her through visions. The first time Aryia had a vision, her cheek was sliced open. The second time, it was emotional. Aryia was rewatching Charlotte's traumatic memories like she was there.

It was the day after the party. Neither of them could sleep. Both were thinking about what to do next. After the whole night, they hadn't come up with one solution.

Aryia tore her eyes from the pasty white ceiling to the boy pacing beside the couch. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he struggled to think.

Now it was Aryia's turn to feel guilty. She felt responsible for Vann's stress. She told him numerous times that he didn't have to help her. But he insisted that he had to. He made a promise and it wasn't like him to break promises.

I will protect you. No matter what.

But now...now Vann didn't think that was possible. A force beyond their own strength was attacking Aryia and Vann couldn't do anything to help her.

Aryia searched her mind, going through everything she's watched, read, or heard. Suddenly, a thought popped in her head.

"Hey, Vann?" Aryia called, sitting up from her laying position.

Vann stopped pacing, his crystal blue eyes trained on her own bright green ones. "Yeah?"

"Do you think Winnie is attached to me?"

"Shit. That would make all of these visions you've been having make sense."

"If- If she is attached to me, do you think all of these visions when I don't...pass out..are all in my head?"

"I don't know. But if she is actually attached to you, then we need to find a way to get rid of her."

"Get rid of her not only for me, but for Charlotte. Whenever I hear her, shes always asking for help. I want to help her. She's only a child."

"Okay. Okay." Vann ran a hand through his hair. "Do we call someone? How do you get rid of an attachment?"

Aryia shrugged. "I don't know. I'm scared. Can't we just tell her to stop and leave me alone?"

"I don't think it's that easy. There has to be...some sort of process."

Vann couldn't even tell her that she didn't have to be scared. Because he can't protect her. The best he could do was research how to get rid of an attachment.

So that's what he did.

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Vann laid on his stomach on his bed, scrolling on his laptop. He had passed at two places either because they were too far or the reviews were terrible. Aryia laid beside him, trying to find more information about Winnie Burden. It seemed as though there was absolutely nothing, except what she already knew.

"There's a place not far from here." Vann stated, turning the laptop slightly so Aryia could see. "It's in the next town over."

"Thornton's Psychic Medium Facility." Aryia read aloud.

"It says that they do readings, tarot cards, and spiritual guidance. Attachments could be under spiritual guidance. It also says they are open for walk-ins from 8am to 7pm."

"Hm. How far?"

"Uh. Three miles past the Northern Valley welcome sign."

Aryia nodded. "That one seems promising. I guess we could just ride our bikes there since our parents would ask us why we want to go there. Then we'd have to tell them we broke into the mansion."

"Yeah. My mom would kill me." Vann agreed, pulling up the location on his phone.

"What if-" Aryia frowned. "What if all of this isn't real? What if I'm insane?"

"If you're insane, how did you cut your cheek? You're not insane, stop worrying."

The pair laid in silence for a few moments. A thought popped into Aryia's mind that was in front of all her other, random ones.

Get Charlotte's painting.

"Vann?" Aryia asked, turning her head to look at him.

Vann hummed, turning his own head. Aryia thought it over for a few seconds before replying.

"I want to go back. We don't have to stay. If I say something about staying just force me out. All I want to do is grab Charlotte's painting. Something in me needs that painting. Ever since I saw it, I needed it. It's like Charlotte is telling me that the painting might be some sort of clue to get her freed from the mansion."

"I- I don't know." Vann clenched his jaw. "I think we should go to the psychic first. We could ask her if it's a good idea or not."

"But if she says its no problem at all, you will go with me, right?"

"I promise. This one I'll be able to keep." Vann held out his pinky, causing Aryia to grin and link her pinky with his. "Let's go get this ghost outta you."