A Raven's Kiss

      "I didn't sign up for this!" I yelled in mixed emotions—mainly in between annoyance and exhaustion—as I climbed out of the car and slammed the backseat door shut behind me, leaving my parents wide-eyed about my sudden outburst. I jogged up toward the old porch, ignoring my dad's "Don't you use that tone on your mom and I, young lady" and "Don't expect us to bring your things inside. Get them yourself, you hear me?" comment. I rolled my eyes at his tone.

My dad was anything but intimidating. He couldn't stay mad for too long. Scratch that, he didn't know how to get angry at all. Or at least not in the right way as fathers do. He could tell you off, but it's like being told by a friend to stop a bad habit. I could already picture mom shooting him an amused look.

I heard the trunk open. "Are you mad?" My mom asked, slamming her door shut and probably joining dad to help with our bags. Oh, I mean their bags.

"Yes! Of course, I am. Didn't you see what she did back there?" Dad said in his usual calm voice.

"Oh, could've fooled me."

I couldn't help it. I giggled loudly. Mom always liked picking on dad, and he wouldn't do anything about it.

What a weird couple.

"I know you're laughing, young lady! I hear you!" Dad shot at me.

I looked back and gave mom a thumbs-up. "Nice one, mom."

Jackpot. The look on dad's face was priceless! "Unbelievable," I heard him mutter as he continued unloading.

I shook my head and slowly turned the doorknob that looked like it would fall anytime if I weren't careful with it. I pushed the door open, which made an ugly creaking sound I thought it would detach from its hinges. As soon as I stepped inside, a wave of nausea hit me. The smell of old papers, dusty furniture, and something like wilting flowers I couldn't put my finger on was so strong that it made me slightly dizzy. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. This house was a rotting hole.

Why would my sister want to live here? I didn't understand it. Her idea of a house was ridiculous—it's like she wanted to go back in time and live in the 19th century. Well, I never understood her at all, even though we were twins. You'd expect us to be so close to each other, like two peas in a pod. I guess not in our case.

I took the time to examine the surroundings. The whole place looked dimly lit, considering that the shutters were left closed, allowing only a sliver of light to illuminate the room. The carpeted floorboards were turning gray with dust. I stomped my foot on the floor, sending a handful of dust specks flying just around my ankle. A bit of stain covered the worn and faded wallpapers, which I assumed was once a design of tangled vines and flowers. To the left was the living room, where an old velvet sofa was facing the unattended fireplace. Above the fireplace was a portrait of an aristocratic lady—her features resembled an elegant porcelain doll, still beautiful and delicate despite its age. She wore a furry coat and a crown-like band around her soft and slightly curly hair that fell just below her shoulders. She had quite a round face, small lips, a rawboned nose, and thin eyebrows that framed her big eyes that looked as though tears were about to spill from them. Everything about her gave off a sad aura, despite her regal beauty. For a second, it made me wonder what made her...lonely.

I tore my gaze from the portrait and turned my attention to the right, where a wooden coffee table sat near the window and an old grandfather clock propped up on one corner. A Victorian divan was pushed up against the staircase wall, hiding the outline of a small door frame, which probably led to a secret cupboard.

I proceeded to the kitchen, which looked even more ancient compared to anything else in the house since it was full of wooden and marbled things—a wooden table with wooden chairs, a marbled counter and sink, and a bricked firebox for cooking and heating. Seriously, didn't anyone who lived here ever hear of a stove? The only things that were from the modern world in the room were the refrigerator and the microwave oven, which looked incredibly out of place from everything else.