✔ | PAINTED IN CRIMSON | T. SHARPE

EIGHTEEN | POSSESSED

 ❝ I just need to know
that you won't forget about me. ❞

─────── 

EIGHTEEN | POSSESSED

I leaned on the car with my arms crossed, waiting for Nicholas to come back with the keys. I stared at my shoes; we were really going to Allerdale Hall and, well, let's say that I was more scared than the day I learned about the ghosts in that place.

My hand went to my pocket when I heard my phone go off, it was a text from Josh, saying that he was better and that he wasn't okay with the idea of me being alone in the house, not even having Nicholas with me. I quickly typed a reply, saying that he shouldn't be worried about it, that I'd be okay. Then I shoved my phone back into my pocket when I saw Nicholas approaching.

"We've got them," he said, triumphantly waving the keys in his hand. He walked closer and wrapped an arm over my shoulders and then pressed a kiss on my head, "time for us to leave." He uttered and I looked up at him, before he opened the door.

"Why is it that you want to go there?" I asked, I still needed to understand what his reasons were, he couldn't just go into the house and tell the ghosts to stop killing people, his presence wouldn't improve anything. Nicholas looked at me a little confused and I quickly added, "I'm just curious."

"Uhm, well, I . . ." he trailed off and his brow furrowed, "now that you mention it . . . I'm not sure about it," he stared blankly ahead, "I've always wanted to. I don't know, I feel like I should go," I frowned, "I've had that feeling since . . . well ever and you opened my eyes to realise that it is time to do so," he smiled, placing a hand on my back, "we should be leaving now." With that I got in the car and so we left.

Some minutes later, my eyes recognised the old post office, we were getting closer and closer with every second it passed. Nicholas drove on the asphalted road. The very few trees and shrubs we found on our way, became overgrown as we went deeper into the road, and its asphalt was soon replaced by the mere soil and snow that now covered almost everything. White was all we could see scattered all over what was once a field of soft green grass. It wasn't my imagination now, the place seemed so quiet to me, dreadfully quiet and not like my first time, it wasn't oddly peaceful and relaxing to me anymore, it was terribly scary and intimidating.

And just like the first time, forty minutes later, the house rose before our eyes. I heard Nicholas muttering astounded when he saw the mansion. We crossed the rusty gate and the car made its way into the path among the large and never ending white fields, heading us to the main entrance. Nicholas turned off the engine and we made our way out of the car. This was it, no turning back.

"God, please," I muttered under my breath, before we climbed the steps to the large and old doors. I turned the key and pushed the doors open. The mansion was quiet, the creaking had ceased but the cold wind howled through the corridors and wrapped our bodies. Our footsteps echoed in the foyer as we climbed the steps to it, naturally, Nicholas was amazed by the mansion. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling, snow had landed in the centre of the foyer and had covered a chair nerby.

"Wow," Nicholas said under his breath, still looking up, "it makes you feel so small," he uttered. I took a deep breath and looked at my surroundings, not admiring the ancient beauty of the mansion, but wondering where were the ghost siblings. I slightly flinched when I felt an arm around my waist and relaxed when realised it was Nicholas.

"Hey, it's me," he said, pulling me closer and spinning me around so my back faced the main door and his faced the fireplace at the back to then kiss my lips. I put my hands on his hips and so did he, when our lips parted, I looked at his face, he smiled and ran his hand through my hair. I shared a small smile with him before he hugged me and over his shoulder, I saw Sir Thomas and how Lucille was standing next to him.