Souls Of Memories

Chapter 2

The accident

That ominous night, as we gathered in the dimly lit bedroom, I shared the haunting tale I had heard from our father and the gardener. My siblings stood frozen, their eyes fixed on Brock. I could sense doubt in their expressions, unsure whether to believe me or dismiss it as a mere fabrication. But it was Amanda's sniffles that revealed her mind was wandering into darker territories. To put her mind at ease, I attempted to downplay my words.

"Guys, don't take it too seriously. I might have just said it to set the mood, you know, for some thrill," I said, trying to calm Amanda.

"Playing with our family's secrets like that is just cruel," Sarah retorted, a hint of anger in her voice.

"But why did you bring it up if you didn't believe it yourself, Thedus? Were you trying to scare Amanda intentionally?" Caleb smirked.

"I-I'm not scared, it's just a bit chilly," Amanda said, trembling.

"Sure, Mandy, sure," Sarah taunted, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Well, I thought it'd be interesting to check out Dad's private room and see if it's all true. Don't you guys feel curious?" I said.

"Enough chatter, let's go," Brock said, taking charge and leading the way.

As the oldest, Brock's bravery spurred us on, and we followed him to the door. I asked him where our dad and the gardener were likely to be, given his late-night encounters with them.

"If I remember correctly, they should be at the dinner table, probably having some drinks," Brock said hesitantly.

"Well, that's reassuring," I mumbled, lacking confidence in his response.

"I'm starting to think we should leave this for another time. It's so dark, and I can't see anything," Amanda shivered, her fear rising.

"Already scared before we even reach the bathroom? Come on, Mandy, grow up," Caleb chuckled.

"I'm not scared, it's just... I have a bad feeling about this. What if it's a mistake to believe such a scary legend?" Amanda clung to my arm tightly.

"Don't worry, Amanda. We're just checking to make sure it's not true, okay?" I tried to console her.

"That's right, let's be cautious but also brave," Sarah chimed in.

"Fine, but we better not get into any trouble," Amanda agreed.

"Deal. Now, let's go," I said, hoping to find some answers.

We stealthily hid when our dad and Mike came our way, trying not to be caught eavesdropping. The lies Brock spun about heading to the bathroom and then getting hungry surprisingly convinced our father, who went upstairs with Mike. I couldn't help but be curious about what they were up to, and so I waited for them to exit. Amanda stayed with me, while the others pretended to sleep in their rooms.

As I eavesdropped, the conversation between Dad and Mike was muffled, but I strained to listen. Dad's decision to dismiss the warning he received intrigued me, and I felt a tingling sense of unease. What secret were they hiding?

When they eventually left, they forgot to close the door behind them. An opportunity arose, and I couldn't resist my curiosity any longer. I entered the room, enveloped by an eerie atmosphere. Struggling to see, I crawled along the wall, searching for the light switch. Finally, the room was illuminated, and my eyes were drawn to a magnificent jar at the center of the room.

Drawn to it, a strange pressure surrounded me, and the jar started to emit an eerie glow. An oddly familiar voice emanated from it, attempting to sway my actions. Unnerved, I cautiously reached for the jar when suddenly, the door slammed shut, startling me into dropping it. The jar shattered, and a peculiar shadow emerged from it – the silhouette of five people. I felt a sense of recognition, as if I had encountered them before, yet knew that wasn't possible.

One of the spirits approached me, whispering, "Run, please! My father... he'll kill us all! Go, now!" The words echoed in my mind as the spirits slowly materialized into tangible beings.

Terrified, I was thrust out of the room, the door locking behind me. My brothers finally arrived, and I stood there, pale and cold, struggling to explain the situation.

"Wasn't the door open when I left?" Amanda inquired.

"It was... Maybe a gust of wind closed it?" I attempted to deflect.

"No windows open in the hallways, and that door is inside the mansion. It couldn't have been the wind. What did you do, Thedus?" Brock's concern was evident.

Knowing they wouldn't believe the truth, I began to make up excuses when suddenly, an eerie green mist seeped from under the door, freezing us in place.

"Thedus, you promised you wouldn't do anything stupid. What happened?" Amanda said, worried.

"I... I accidentally broke the jar of souls," I confessed, dreading the consequences.

"What? That's a family heirloom! Do you know how old it is? Dad will be furious," Caleb scolded.

"I told you it was a mistake. Now run! Unless you want to be captured by those ghosts!" I urged.

"Ghosts? What did you do? Thedus, what did you find?" Amanda inquired.

As Amanda spoke, a ghostly figure appeared in front of her, followed by four others. The spirits formed an ominous circle around us, and in unison, they uttered the chilling words, "Spirit... gate... open"