Derelict

Chapter 1 How it began

Rosaleen sat quietly staring at her lap, in the dining room, her sister Layla was steps away.

"What's wrong Ro?" she asked leaning back on a wooden chair and taking a tired sigh. When Rosaleen didn't answer she looked at her younger sister, who had begun crying. "RO! Is mum alright?! What the hell happened?"

"Check for yourself," she said shivering and she began to splutter.

Layla ran to the room across from them, and there her mother sat on the bed reading her book. At the moment a few drops of blood were on the page, but Layla didn't pay attention.

She ran back to Rosaleen angered. "What the hell? You scared me! Why'd you start crying."

"That's not mum! She's just lying-"

"What wrong dears?" There beautiful, young mother walked out of her room.

Layla had started to bite her downer lip in panic, Rosaleen was right, this wasn't their mother. "Well, mum... I am going to take Ro for a walk since you can walk now."

"Of course buttercups-" the supposed to be mother looked at the two daughters with dismay and panic. In a moment she fell to the ground, fakely and screamed in spurious pain.

Layla didn't help her, she took advantage of the moment and ran out, clenching the sides of Rosaleen's hips.

Behind them was a screaming creature, with tattered, bloody clothes. They reached the exit of the house and the figure mocked them from the window of the one-story house.

But they didn't stop running, into the bright, green forest where they used to play. They never went beyond it because Layla never had time to. Layla's job was in the opposite direction. Rosaleen was too scared, she always had her gut press in her body whenever she went near to the end of the forest. But Rosaleen could always see a house, big, nice. But something bad, very bad. Not something old and dusty, it was old, but it was clean, beautiful, but bad.

And they ran straight on to the porch. A woman came outside, "Oh, dear are you two-"

"We need help! There was someone inside our house and my mum is in.. trouble." Layla cried.

Roseleen kept choking on her sobs as saliva caught her voice.

"Oh, god are you two kay-"

"Please!" She pleaded.

Right then a handsome man came out, "what happened?" he asked with a raise of eyebrow. He had a stocky build with blue, blazing eyes that looked so out of place, dark brown hair in a small fade haircut behind his head.

"Someone's got into my house, my mother is........" she started crying. "Can you just help me please?"

"Of course, don't you worry darling, come inside." The woman leads the two in.

"Yeah, I'll call the police." He pulled out his phone as they sat at the chairs set up diagonally to the entrance.

"What are your names?" She asked.

"This is Leen and I am Ellia." Layla said.

"What beautiful names, I am Olivia and that's Hugh outside, my husband." She said in a cheerful manner.

Rosaleen was too caught on crying, she couldn't notice the lie or conversation.

Hugh came in and a young boy looking like a year older then Rosaleen walked down the wide hallway. "I've called the police, they're coming here any second. From there we'll go to your house." He pointed to her.

She nodded and Olivia got up with a smile, "I'll make some tea, to refresh you up. Don't worry sweetheart, your mum's just fine."

"She's not," Rosaleen whispered shaking her head.

"Ro, what happened?" she asked, Olivia had already left the room.

"I don't know!" She croaked falling in her sister's arms.

The new boy was looking worried, "dad what happened?"

"Nothing, Luke go back inside," Hugh said pointing to the beautiful spiral staircase, the house was very beautiful. Glowing, warm lights, wide hallways, that's all Layla could see. It would be her own way of life, before the accident, before her father's betrayal, before Rosaleen. "Don't be dumb," Layla always reminded herself. It wasn't her fault, it was no one's fault. But it was father's fault, he just left.

"Where's your father?" Hugh asked sitting beside her.

She looked at him and then looked at her lap, below her wet chest. Snot and tears and spit were burst across her upper chest.

"Oh, I am sorry about that." He said feeling a little weird.

"He's not dead," she trembled, "just......." for a few moments, she thought of the word to say. "Gone ........... I think."

"Where to?" Hugh was even regretting his decision to ask her such a question like that, it was written on his expression.

"She always says that dad was never there," Roseleen said wiped her eyes.

"Well, what's your name?" He asked.

"She's Leen and I'm Ellia," Layla grumbled.

"So what's your name?" he repeated looking at Rosaleen.

"When sister says she said something in public and it's not true, she's said it's for a purpose....... Don't try to correct."

Hugh gave Layla a small look who turned her head around, blood rushing to her face.

"Little girl, Ellia you came to my house, looking for help, and lying to my face. Not the best action."

"I am sorry, I just.... Sorry...." she hid her oval, teary, red face with her narrow hands.

"Ellia, I am sorry, I shouldn't of brought it up over here. But for safety reasons, I need to know your name."

"Layla, Layla CartWright," she pointed to Rosaleen. "Roseleen CartWright."

Hugh looked at Rosaleen for confirmation. She nodded.

"When are the police gonna get here?"

"They already are, for some reason, the police were already on there way because someone from your household, called the police it says, you live in Qeedra Court 56 right?" Hugh asked.

"Yes, but what could call the police, my mother's paralyzed, I mean she can't walk. I wasn't there. Ro what about you?"

"No, I didn't call the police."

"How can this be," Layla started to massage her forehead in frustration.

"It's alright that's all what the police has to think about," Hugh said in consideration.

Right then a blonde man with a flashy, blue police officer suit walked in. He was supposed to be a police officer from what Layla could see, but looked far from it. "We found a lady's body in the living room." The man whimpered.

Layla got up, mute her voice had died in her throat. Rosaleen sat, hands cupped around her ears.

"When Wheh, happ..... Puhne." English died within her, as tears coursed down her pink cheeks.

"Some of the police officer are still at your house, she was attacked by some kind of animal and it chewed her body to bits." The officer said scratching the back of his head.

Layla started screaming.

"How but we talk outside!" Hugh growled kicking the beckoning outside the house. They went outside and Rosaleen and Layla shared a moment of silence. Just starting at each other.

But it wasn't for the same reasons, Rosaleen had been horrified by her mother's death and Layla on the other side was sad, but was worried where she would go? WHere would her shelter be, and hollowness in her stomach churned and thirst turned her voice parched. 

Olivia sat, "oh you poor girls! I am so sorry, about it!" 

In minutes a jeep hooked up at the entrance of Hill House.