The Secrets of Darkling Manor

Thirty: Alina Starkov

Thirty: 

They went a week without incident. The salt had, it seemed, even gotten rid of Baghra. That one was unfortunate because the ghost had apparently been actually doing all of the things that a housekeeper did. Alina, fortunately, found the trick to big houses: only clean the rooms that you use. The rest could all gather dust.

In the morning and afternoon, while Aleksander worked in his office, she and Genya would spend their days in the kitchen. There was a small dining room table in there. Somehow, it was the room that also had the most light. Alina created a lesson plan and they did maths, English, art, science, and history with an hour dedicated to each.

She tried not to notice when the room got unexpectedly chilly. Or her teacup was suddenly not where it was supposed to be.

One afternoon, she had gone to Genya's room to get some more paper and paint for the art lesson she had planned. When she came back downstairs to the kitchen, she found that Genya was not there.

"Genya?" she called out. "Genya?"

Her heart pounded against her chest. Genya was a child. Surely, a ghost wouldn't hurt a child, would they? "Fucking mental," she muttered under her breath. This couldn't be her life. Living with ghosts, wondering what they were going to do to her next. Or to the people that she loved.

When she closed her eyes, she could still see Mal dying in the pond. Hear his screams at night. If the house was haunted, why wasn't Mal there? Why hadn't he come back? Why hadn't Aleksander's father? It had to be something else.

"Genya?" she called out.

The little girl didn't respond.

Alina reached the front of the house. She saw Genya standing in the front doorway, talking to someone. "Alright," she said, "alright, I'll tell her."

"Genya?" Alina called. "Who are you talking to?"

Genya turned and smiled at her. "Alina," she said, "don't you see him?"

"See who?"

"Your friend," Genya said.

Alina's heart started pounding in her chest. "My friend?"

Genya nodded. "Mal. He says that you need to find the witness."

"The witness to what?" Genya asked.

"The witness to your wedding. You'll find all of the answers there."

Alina shook her head. "Genya, there's no one there. Mal...Mal is dead."

The chandelier in the entryway started to sway then, and then lights began to flicker. There was the sound of scratching then as if someone were tearing into the wallpaper. Written in what appeared to be red paint, like the red paint they'd been using in their art project, were the words: FIND THE WITNESS.

"Mal?" Alina called out.

There was the sound of high-pitched shrieking that filled her ears. Then, Mal was standing in front of her. He was covered in water, his skin was blue, and there was something like black sludge coming from his mouth.

"The Witness!" he screeched. "Find The Witness! The Witness! The Witness!"

He paused suddenly, as if realizing that she was there. "You're safe," he said, "the witch doesn't want you. It's never been about you. It's always been about him. He needs to join her in the water."

"Who?"

"The General," Mal said, "as long as The General breathes, the ghosts do too."

"Mal," she said, "who....who do you think the General is?"

He laughed. He laughed bitterly, more black sludge that she realized was pond water coming from his mouth. "Your Aleksander."

"He's my husband!" she objected, although she couldn't fathom why she was arguing with a ghost.

He laughed again. "Husband. Ha. Ha ha. Husband. I started a joke....I started a joke...I started....I started a joke!"

He laughed even more, and there was more sludge coming from his mouth. Alina felt a coldness creep through her shoes. She looked down, and realized that there was water in the hallway. Water that was coming up to her ankles.

"A-a-a-alina?" Genya called.

There was a sound then---like static filling Alina's ears so loudly it made her wince----then Mal's image seemed to distort as if he was blinked out of the room. The static became rushing, and Alina turned, and saw a wave of water coming towards them from the kitchen.

"Run!" she picked up Genya and managed to get herself and the girl out of the house as the water rushed out towards them.

She fell, panting, in a heap of mud and leaves out on the front yard. Genya fell next to her, sobbing.

Alina gripped the girl's hand. They couldn't stay here. As long as they were with Aleksander, they were always going to be haunted.

"Come on," said Alina, getting up, "we're leaving."

Genya stared at her. "But Uncle Aleks----"

"Will be fine on his own," she said, "you can't stay here."

"How are we leaving?"

Alina looked around, and she saw the black Porsche Aleksander was so fond of. He had given her his second key in case she ever needed to use it. Alina had never found a reason for it but she had nearly been drowned in her own home. If it even was her own home....

"We're taking the car," Alina said, "we'll leave in style. Come on."

She helped Genya into the car, and without even texting Aleksander, she sped away from Darkling Manor. There was still one place she could call home that wasn't haunted.