MALEDICTION (19)
APRIL 20TH COMET YEAR 4999, 0300HRS
Knob turned itself slowly opening the door that led to the corridor. Gil took a peek outside. It was dark and it seemed as though the corridor would stretch on forever. He took a glance back at the painting.
"Are you sure I can go now?" He asked, fear clear in his voice.
"Yes, don't be afraid, the house will guide you along the way."
He personally didn't like that response, however, in truth if there was something he could cling onto, just a little bit of hope… then of course he'd go into the scary abyss with only his eyes to guide him.
'They are from a city on the main continent called Old London…' Bed's words echoed in his head as he made a turn at the nearest corner. 'Some time ago they were persecuted there because they were accused of kidnap and murder, some say perpetual torture. A string of killings attached to their name.'
'Regardless of how powerful or weak I think they are I shouldn't make contact with them again for now.'
As he ran he realized what the words Blake had yelled to him before entering the graveyard.
"Make sure to leave the house before sunrise."
With Bed's explanation, things were now clearly put into perspective. And now he wasn't running blind… mostly, with his new eyes he could actually see fragments and while most of them just floated in the air getting pushed as he whizzed passed them, some had actually concentrated in some areas around the house. He could see all of them.
Two were right above him, four seemed to be in their respective rooms. 'That's six already, then what's that below me?' There was a faint glow deep below he feet. It was weird how the basement wasn't the first place he'd think to look in these situations.
'Njeri's mom used to love telling us about them in her stories.'
It always got him perpetually scared. Anyway, it was time to descend a little more.
***************************************************
MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
Catherine snuck into what seemed like an old library, if a witch had decided to reside within it.
Big black metal pots hung over a furnace as the contents within it began to boil. At the centre of the room was a bed, a large one that was delicately made. The room gave off a girly vibe overall, maybe it was because the walls were coloured pink. Not to mention there were posters of what seemed to be boys holding weird instruments that Catherine did not know the name off.
CLICK!
A door flung open and one of the girls came from what seemed to be a late night or rather early morning bath. A towel was wrapped around her waist, she left her upper half exposed.
'Her breasts are as pale as ash.' Catherine peeked from behind one of the many bookshelves surrounding her bed and giant pot.
This was the same girl from earlier, whoever she was she was bad news, however…
'…I've searched all the other rooms and I can't get map of the entire house or even a clue as to were he might be. But maybe I can find that here.' As such she tried making the least amount of noise as she looked around.
The girl removed her towel and undid her lines, letting her hair fall as she wiped herself. With the moist towel, after she was done, tossed it into the boiling pot.
POOF!
A cloud of white smoke came out from it. The girl took a giant wooden plank and began to stir as she chanted something that Catherine couldn't understand.
"!@@@##$$$%%#^%$^#%$^#&#%$%^#%#^@%#^@!^#%%&@#%#^#&^#"
"What?"
But while she was distracted, she immediately returned to her work, finding Gil was her top most priority right now. Her interaction with physical material went as well as you might have guessed. Some books completely refused to be held by her… dead hand and not to mention out of all the spoons and forks in the kitchen cabinet, she wasn't the brightest, as such finding any clues would've been a hustle. But she wasn't going to give up regardless of how hard it was, that's just the kind of person she is. (Or was, I don't know how tenses are going to work with ghosts- Author's note)
POOF!
The girl then put her index finger into the mixture, it glew green as it met the light from her candle. She then licked it.
"Good." She turned and walked over to a large cabinet where she kept all of her clothes. After browsing through a selection of her best 'night time' outfits, she found a beautiful black dress.
"I've got to get ready for the ball, wouldn't you agree Catherine?"
She stared horridly at the broken mirror. "Catherine, are you listening?"
"Hold on, give me a minute." Catherine yelled as she searched.
"Wait…" It then finally hit her that she had been spotted. 'I knew this girl was bad news. Guess I'll have to take my chances with the corridors again.' She shivered at the thought of running in the dark and hoping to find a room which was worth finding.
"No need to hurry dear." The girl spoke as she put on her purple blouse. "The ball doesn't begin until five O'clock, we have time to prepare."
"Nope, I'm not dealing with this one."
She attempted fazing through the wall.
BOOP!
She body wouldn't go through. "Ouch!" She ended up hitting her head. "How is that even possible?"
"Were you trying to leave me Catherine dear?"
Catherine felt heavy breathing down her neck, she gave a sudden turn only to find the face of the girl behind her.
"Ahh!" Catherine moved back into a corner.
"Don't be afraid." Her neck stretched all the way from her body, "Please come with me to the ball."
***************************************************
BACK TO GIL.
'They were convicted of all there crimes, yes, that is true.' The story Bed was telling him continued to play on repeat, 'However, sadly for the judge and all those at court. These weren't just a family of killers, but rather a family of magicians who also happen to be killers.
Back when I was still alive they used to lock me down in their cellar, where they kept the wine. Everyday one of them would come to check on me and the others, however, one day we were all moved from that place. We boarded a boat of sorts and ended up here before our continues life of torture continued."
"We joined in a couple of months later." Knob added, "But Bed was already gone by then. Each and everyone of us, they stuffed us inside this room by morning we'd died."
Bed then added something that Gil had made a mental note to ask Blake in the future.
"However, the family seemed to change with each passing day, their skins growing ashy, their eyes distance, its like they no longer took pleasure from what they did."
"That aside, we don't want you to end up like us, one of the many spirits tied to this house, never ever seeing the outside world ever again. Leave before sunrise." The painting urged.
Gil nodded to himself, but he couldn't leave without finding whoever he was supposed to find.
'I'll find him and get the hell out of this place!'
O325HRS!
2 HOURS AND 35 MINUTES REMAINING.
THE CLOCK'S TICKING GIL!