The Secrets of Darkling Manor

Thirty-one: Aleksander Morozova

Thirty-one:

Aleksander Morozova

There had been a week without incident. Every night, he went out and he lined the edge of the house with salt. He felt like a madman doing it. But it gave him some peace of mind to think that the ghosts couldn't enter. Baghra had somehow vanished. And there hadn't been an incident with Luda in a while. Perhaps, she had found peace. Perhaps, she had finally let him go.

He was doing paperwork when he heard something that sounded like the rushing of water. He stood up and went to go see what it was. When he reached the staircase he could see, from the staircase balcony, that the bottom floor was flooding.

"What the fuck?" he shouted. "Alina???? Genya??? Alinaaaaa?"

He made his way quickly down the stairs. They were supposed to be in the kitchen studying. Alina had settled into a routine of teaching Genya in the kitchen in the early morning and mid-afternoon.

He gasped when he saw the water. The house was flooded, halfway up and the door was open with water spilling out of it. He forced himself to crawl through the flood, until he reached the front yard that had become muddied and covered in leaves.

"Alinaaaa?! Genyaaaaaa?!" he called their names over and over, searching the property for them. There was no one around.

He ran to the pond. It was the only place he could think of that they might be. "Witch!" he called out. "What have you done? Luda?"

There was laughter from behind him. "I didn't do anything," Luda said, "the ghost of your cousin did the work this time."

He frowned. "Mal?"

Luda flickered in and out in front of him before becoming whatever passed for solid as a ghost. "Yes. He's newer at this, you see. He hasn't gotten control over himself yet. He made your beloved manor flood, and when they did, Alina took the girl and ran."

"Alina took Genya?"

Luda smiled. "Yes. And that precious Porsche of yours."

"Fuck," he swore.

"Such language, Aleks. You never used to be so when you were with me. She brings you down."

"No, she doesn't," said Aleksander, "she makes me care in ways that I have never cared before. Now, tell me what you've done with her, you witch!"

"I'm not the witch," said Luda, "I'm your ex-wife. If you would let me possess Alina, we could be together."

"I don't want to be with you!" he said. "I want to be with her."

"She doesn't want to be with you," said Luda, "she left. She took Genya and that Porsche and she left. Aren't you listening? She knows that your the real monster of the story. She figured it out and she left and she's not coming back."

"She's coming back," said Aleksander, "I'll drag her back if I have to."

"Monster," Luda whispered, "just like you were with me."