Flickering…
The lights kept flickering...on and off...on and off…just like the first night they got here.
The only difference being that the light was turning off then.
Obviously, no one went upstairs, at least not that Ruby knew of.
With all these weird events happening, Ruby feared more for the pack inside.
For all she knew, someone or something they were unaware of could have been living in the house, causing all this.
It was the only option, the most believable and least absurd one.
"Rali!"
About to turn to call Rali, who was still quite far walking at a leisurely pace, Ruby subconsciously raised her head up.
The globe positioned weirdly on the roof was spinning furiously...and it wasn't in the direction of the wind!
Ruby was scared now. Whatever was causing this was dangerous until they were all deemed safe.
Ignoring Rali who oddly did not hear her, she bangs on the door continuously, asking if they could hear her, begging them to indicate they were fine as it was way too quiet outside.
Ruby guessed that with Rali's pace, she probably had no idea something was off, and her mind was most likely elsewhere else she would have heard her calling. It quite expected since everything seemed normal from outside.
Outwardly calm, but inwardly storming, would be the best summary for the house.
***********
Time passed slowly.
30...45 minutes maybe?
Rali was still walking towards the house at the same leisurely pace. Her expression was still normal almost like she hadn't seen the house or her.
"I mean...It similar to what happened before right?"
Similar to the situation she and the pack were in when they walked and ran towards the door. The door being so close in reality but far away as they tried to reach it
Ruby paused before looking around and sighing
"Oh...no one's here"
"Everything will be fine. Real fine" Looking at the ever flickering of light reflected in the winder upstairs and spinning globe, she whispered.
"Ruby?"
Widening her eyes, Ruby stood up hurriedly, placing her ears against the door.
"Ruby?"
"Ephraim! You're there! Can you hear me? Are you guys okay?" Ruby asked, knocking, softly now, on the door.
"I'm never staying alone with Tan for more than 15 minutes. Never again"
"Hey! I'm right here you know"
"Okay...weird things keep happening, it very quiet, Rali has been walking for 50 minutes, the doors not budging and somehow you guys are at the moment being...never mind. What happened in there?"
Ephraim "Doors locked from inside obviously"
Tri "it's been creaking constantly. Very annoying too"
Tan "The candle is still on. We didn't go near it."
Anna "I tried to but – "
Tri "We stopped her. Can't have anything thing weird happening. Again"
"Seems I didn't need to worry much." Ruby chuckled at their antics.
"Aww! You were worried?"
Ruby opted to ignore Anna, rolling her eyes.
"What if it's supposed to happen? You know a mechanism made by a Grahana or moon goddess."
Ruby could imagine the sceptical eyes on Anna at her words
"Don't look at me like that! I mean, a moon goddess sign in your house, what other conjectures could you possibly have?"
"It could be you pulling pranks" Tri accuses
"Oh please. We are not like you guys. We are peaceful thank you very much." Anna retorts
"Yeah, peacefully torturing us in various ways!" Tri shouted back.
To say the least, Ruby wasn't expecting his outburst. Tri always seemed calm, at least before meeting the Grahana.
"Don't shout at me! And absolutely do not accuse the moon goddesses after all the help and love they offered."
Tan scoffs.
"My brother is off limits Grahana. Nothing has been right since we met you."
Tan voice was dripping with venom.
Ruby didn't want this argument going any longer. No one knew what the Grahana could do if she gets angry or if she opts not the remove the mask. Even worse if whatever in the house starts acting up again.
"Ephraim" Ruby calls
"Alright you lots. Keep the opinion private." Ephraim acted quickly.
"I'm going to try breaking the door down this time. Stand back you guys" Ruby announces
"Why didn't you do that before?"
"How would I know if someone was behind the door?"
Ruby goes down the two steps, walking away from the door.
"There should be an axe somewhere here" Ruby mutters
**********
While Ruby searched for an axe, Anna walks away from the group. Opting to sit on the couch, near the drawer and partly opened compartment.
The wood creaks had slowly reduced. While it was annoying and surprising at first, the Grahana slowly found comfort in its sound.
Obviously, she noticed the werewolves did not think the same.
Glancing slightly at the drawer, she wondered if all this was related to it. Maybe a way of communication from the Grahana or Moon Goddess that drew the symbol.
Soon enough, she heard the sound of what she presumed to be the axe making heavy contact with the door. The impact was quite large but there was little to no damage no matter how many time the door was hit.
Anna was really curious. Obviously, a wooden house but suddenly strong and very resistant.
"I can't move."
Anna looked up. The boys were stuck, and it didn't seem to be a pretence.
The axing stopped as well not long after.
"Um...guys? I'm stuck. Like my whole being."
That was Ruby.
Everyone was stuck except her. Anna wasn't sure if she should be glad or concerned after all it could mean anything.
"Stay back. Rali stay back!"
"Why should I listen to you? And what are you doing with an axe?"
"Please stay back!"
"At least look at me if you're going to shout"
The voice of the girl whom Anna presumed to be Rali got closer. She clearly didn't stand back
"Can. Can move" Anna spoke up
The boys turn to look at Anna, just in sequence with another lone candle, situated behind her to light up.
Rali "Who was that? You brought an outsider again! Why don't you – What's wrong with you?"
Ruby "We don't know but strange things are happening, and you need to stay back. None of can move."
"What do you mean? It's the Grahana, isn't it? Look what you guys brought upon yourself. Now the Grahana is having fun with you guys."
"It wasn't me! I did nothing!" Anna couldn't help but defend herself against the werewolf outside. Clearly, she knew nothing but still accused her.
Anna was getting frustrated. She was sure the werewolf outside was too as she could still hear her accusations
"I have no clue on why this is happening really. I just took my bag and –took my bag and opened...the drawer" Anna ended in a soft tone
Moving closer to the drawer, Anna ignores Ephraim when asked what she was doing.
He wasn't going to stop her anyway since he was stuck.
She walks towards the drawer; the wood creaking slowly comes to a stop much to her disappointment and the boy's relief. Stepping in front of it, taking its handle and opening widely the last compartment that she had opened earlier. She saw the wooden knife slowly reveal itself.
Bang!
Anna is shocked and looks to the source of the noise to see Ruby and another female werewolf. She believes that is Rali
Another lone candle lit up.
Anna saw surprise and shock of the werewolf and relief on Ruby's
Seeing the door open, they all rushed out of the house, dragging Rali while she was in shock.
Anna followed suit.
"What's that?"
Anna hears Tan ask. She looks up to see a globe at the top of the roof, rotating fast causing it to produce sounds that were audible to her normal ears.
Setting her eyes away from to globe to seek answers from the group, she lets a gasp. She never noticed there were candles buried under ground.
One by one, a candle lights up starting from the outer perimeter of the house.
She could see the fire lighting up as it came closer to them before the sight went black.
The spinning globe slowly moved in accordance with the wind, the flickering of lights on the winders stops with the light remaining on, the candle fires were all blown off at once.