The Secrets of Darkling Manor

Twenty-two: Alina Starkov

Twenty-two: 

If, as a child you would have told her she was going to listen to her husband tell a ghost story, she would have laughed. But Aleksander sat on her bed and started talking, telling her all about The Witch of Keramzin.

"She lived here centuries ago," he said, "the witch. Or Saint, depending on who you talked to. There were legends that a darkness had swept the land, and that she and a general, named Kirigan, combined forces to save everyone from it. Kirigan and Alina fell in love. They even were married and built this house."

"Darkling Manor was the witches?" Alina asked.

He nodded. "Kirigan built it for his lovely young wife. They were blissfully happy. But, after the darkness was defeated, when Alina and Kirigan were ready to have children...."

Alina took a breath. "What happened?"

"That's when the trouble began," he said, "the village didn't want more of her kind. Despite everything that she had been through and everything that she had done for them. The villagers waited until the General was sent away on a trip. When young Alina was alone in the house, the villager's snuck in and dragged her to the pond where she was drowned."

"When Kirigan returned, he found out what the villagers had done. The fire that swept through here in the 1600s...."

Alina's eyes widened. "Kirigan was responsible for that?"

Aleksander nodded. "He burned the village to the ground. Then, when he was done, he went to the pond and drowned himself."

Alina took a deep breath. "But what does this have to do with the hauntings?"

"So," he said, "when Alina died, she said that she would take away whatever Keramzin loved. After she gave it to them first. The same way that they did to her. She grants peoples wishes, and then she takes them away."

"How...how can you live here knowing that she's in the pond?" Alina asked. "Knowing that there was so much trauma here?"

"Living in the city wouldn't be safe for Genya. It's better if she's out here, in the country."

"Where there is a witch that tries to kill people?"

He shook his head. "She can't take anything from me. And she doesn't hurt children."

"What about me?" Alina asked. "I could still lose the two of you."

"That won't ever happen," he said.

"And your parents?" Alina said. "And Luda?"

"My father made a wish for this place," said Aleksander, "we were very poor, in the beginning. His father had been the groundskeeper here originally. We were cousins of the ones that originally owned Darkling Manor before. He wished that he would inherit the place. The witch claimed both of my parents because of it, and Luda..."

"What did Luda wish for?"

"Me," he said, "Luda wished for me."

"But...how are you still here?"

"I don't know," he confessed, "she took Luda from me. When I made my deal with her, I told her I wanted money. She told me she would take my love."

"What does that mean?" Alina asked, her voice cracking as she did. "Does that mean that you can't love me? Because you've told me that you did. Multiple times, in fact."

"Alina...."

Alina took a shaky breath. "Stay away from me!" She ran away from him, but as she was running down the stairs she heard the sound of shrieking. The witch was crawling up the stairs, dripping wet, her mouth open.

"Hello, Alinaaaaaaaa," she rasped, "I'm going to kill you!"

Alina turned to run back up the stairs. She bumped into Aleksander, grabbing her by the arm. "Come on!" he pulled her away as the corpse of the witch crawled jerkily, speedily towards them.

"Genya!" Alina shouted.

They made it to the other end of the house, breathless. It was the middle of the night and Aleksander pulled a sleepy Genya out of bed, carrying her in his arms.

"Uncle Aleks," she said sleepily, "what's happening?"

"Nothing, sweetie," he lied, "nothing. We're going on a trip. Keep your eyes closed though, alright?"

"Alright," she murmured, her head on his shoulder.

"There's an old servant's entrance," Aleksander said, "we'll take that. Follow me."

The two of them ran. They ran from the only home that Alina had ever known, and they did not stop running until they were as far as they possibly could have been from the house.