Whispers of the Trees: In the Midst of Silence

iii. Candles and Fur

"Hello, darling!" She turned to look at her dog that was wagging its tail in delight and happiness. Rosaline was preparing her dog's food. But just as she picks up the food bowl, the electricity then dies and her entire surroundings were all engulfed with pitch black darkness. Her dog's fur tickled her leg and she then lets out a giggle.

"Hold on darling, we're going to look for candles. Joseph, can you please look for a flashlight?" She called out to her younger brother. She then hears a distant grumble of compliance, followed by a sound of something being moved. Rosaline then smiled at bit at her brother's response.

Rosaline was a 3rd year working college student that was a scholar in the nearby community college. She loved in a mountainous province and she was trying to sustain their everyday allowance by working in a store in the center of the town.

She was currently living in a small house, together with her dog and her brother, Joseph. Joseph was an autistic child, and Rosaline had to work for the both of them to sustain their daily needs since their parents had already passed away years ago. When Rosaline's in school, she just leaves Joseph inside the house, together with their dog to keep him company. And Rosaline always leaves him with food and reminds him of the things that he should do and not do.

Rosaline then started reaching her arms around, trying to find her way in the midst of the pitch black surrounding. She then felt something walk in between her legs and she only slightly giggled, thinking it was her dog. She then fumbled her way around, holding unto the walls and bumping into the rattan chairs and tables.

"Joseph!" She once again called, "Where is the flashlight? Did you find it?" Rosaline waited for an answer but to no avail. She sighed and called out for her dog instead. Her furry companion brushed its fur on her leg and she reached out in an attempt to pet her friend hut she couldn't feel its soft fur. She once again sighed and continued to fumble in the midst of the darkness.

"Joseph!" She called again, "did you find the flashlight already? I need to find the candles!" Still no answer. She then called for her dog instead and the latter once again brushed itself on her leg. She then tried to fumble for its collar yet she felt nothing but air seep through her fingers. She continued blindly reaching out in the  dark, trying to find her pet but to no avail.

She then cautiously walked and found the area where their kitchen is supposed to be.

Rosaline held the doorway, trying to blindly recall which drawers did she place their spare candles. Just as she was doing so, she heard Joseph grumble and groan.

"Joseph?" She called again, only to hear a groan and a muffled sound of something falling from somewhere in their house. Rosaline's breath then hitched in worry, "Are you okay?" She asked.

This time, she heard absolutely nothing as a reply. There was a very eerie silence that suddenly engulfed their house and she couldn't help but feel the chills creeping up her spine and crawling up her skin. The hairs on her body then abruptly stood. With her heart beginning to race, she then fumbled faster for the candles.

Upon opening the designated drawer where the candles are supposed to be, she reached inside and felt a waxy substance on the tips of her fingers. She then grasped the candle stick and proceeded to look for the matches when she felt her dog come in between her legs. This time, when she reached down to grasp her dog's collar, she finally got a hold of it. She did not let go, as the paranoia playing in her head was already at its finest and the fact that her dog was with her brought a sense of security.

She finally sighed in relief when she caught a hold of the matches. She tried to strike one using only one hand. She sighed when she saw a flicker of light. And just when she lit the candle, all the hairs on her body stood up when someone uttered behind her, mimicking the way she spoke earlier but in a dark, throaty voice.

"Hello darling."

She stopped breathing and her dog suddenly felt limp.

She looked down beneath her to see that it was her brother.

Looking up at her with wide, dead eyes. Blood on his neck. What she was holding on to wasn't a collar but a rope.

But then... if her brother was dead, and her dog was gone, who was behind her?