Enticed by Darkness

Sins of our fathers, Chapter 2- Note of confession

Noble sat on the side of the bed. With a pale face, and what looked like, vacancy in his eyes. Annie and Bennett, gave one another a curious and confused look then finally, sat next to him. After a few minutes of silence, Noble jumped up from his place on the bed, rushed down stairs, and out the backdoor. It was still storming heavily, the heavens had opened, and the wind was raging. Noble ran for the only olive tree in his backyard though, the tree was quite a bit away. He dashed through a grove of trees, when he stumbled on a tree root but, pushed on. As he came upon the great olive tree, he turned to see the other two rushing towards him.

"There's more!" Bennett shouted breathlessly, as he rushed toward his friend.

"What?" Asked Noble.

"The cipher, there's more to it!" he ejaculated, as he came upon Noble. "I took a second look at the cipher and finished it but, I can't make any sense of it. It continued to use English letters and yet, the words they form aren't English." Said he as he handed Noble the book and notepad he had used to write down the mysterious message.

"'In medio ligno...'"said Noble, staring at the words his friend had wrote. It's the Latin for 'in the center of the tree'."

Should I get the axe?"

"No need." As he spoke he gently pushed a button hidden upon the tree, and a part of the bark moved in and up, uncovering the hollowed out inside of the tree. "Discoloration on the bark in that particular area, seemingly unnatural ware and tear, as well as the detachment of the bark to the surrounding bark." Said he, as an answer to Bennett's questioning look. He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket, turned it on, and threw the light upon the hole in the tree. He reached in it and pulled out, what looked like, a small blue green jewelry box, with a tree root design on it.

He stared at it for a moment and attempted to open it. Alas it wouldn't budge. Annie then took it from his hands and placed her necklace in a hole, shaped like an olive tree, on the top of the box. They heard a click like sound come from the box, when it suddenly opened.

"Is that blood?" Asked Bennett, as he stared at the dagger Noble now held in his hand. Just then, lightening struck the top of the great manor they'd just left. As Bennett turned to look at it, he saw out of the corner of his eyes the tall figure, which was his friend. He quickly grabbed Annie's hand and guided her safely to the manor.

Meanwhile, Noble had reached the sitting room when suddenly, another memory hit him. He saw before him a man placing a note under the wood paneling of the floor. His flashback left him as he began carefully walking towards the area which the note, he thought, would be found.

Noble froze as he heard the creaking of the floorboard under his feet. "O God...." He thought, as he fought back the tears. He knelt down and slid his fingers under the squeaky board, then lifted to find a horrid sight. He quickly tossed the board to the side, and picked up the skull lying in the hole he had just uncovered.

"William?" Annie asked, as she walked into the sitting room to find her brother.

Bennett finally joined them in the sitting room and began examining his surroundings. As he approached Noble, who was still kneeling next to the hole, he noticed a note inside of it. Picking it up, he recognized the handwriting but, instead of reading he handed it to his friend. Noble took it in his hands and read it aloud. It ran like so:

Dearest, William

William, my boy, if you've
found this note, you've,
no doubt, dug up Susie
Noble, your mother. I am
not afraid to admit that
I, your father, have killed
her. I am full of sorrow,
for I discovered
that she had been
cheating on me, and in a
fit of rage I ended her,
very short, life. It is my
prayer that one day you
will find it in your heart
to forgive me.

With regards,
Clarence

Noble had steeled himself as he read this and so, showed little to no emotion. Annie on the other hand, was very distraught over this horrible news. Noticing this, Bennett took her hand once again and went into the kitchen. They sat down at the table and Bennett did his best to console her. As He looked about the room, he saw his friend, who seemed to be on the phone, standing in the doorframe of the kitchen.

"Police?" Asked he, as Noble hung up the phone.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Nob-.... Who else could you possibly call at this time?"

"The killer."

With that Annie jumped from her chair and rushed towards her brother. "William how could you!?" She cried "Why would you make a joke of all this? You know good and well, father has been dead for years!"

"Yes."

"Noble it's not funny. What are we to make of this? Just tell us, what do you know that we don't?" Bennett interjected.

" If there's one thing I'm sure of Bennett, my father didn't commit this murder!"

"Look I don't exactly want to admit that he did this, I don't even want to admit this happened, but it did and I don't think denial is going to help. How do you explain the letter?"

"I'd say he'll be here in about forty five, to fifty minutes."

"Did you.... are you out of your mind!?"

"Not yet."

Forty five minutes later, just as Noble predicted, they heard the sound of a cab pulling up in the drive. "Bennett take Annie to the library, tell her to remain there, then return here to the kitchen." Bennett did as he was asked and upon his return he found his friend seated next to an elderly gentleman whom, he presumed, was he who rode up in the cab. "Bennett! So good of you to join us. Please take a seat. Now, if you don't recall this man from your childhood, then allow me to refresh your memory. This is Mr. Henry Noble, my uncle and the killer."

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Author's notes

So, is his uncle the real killer? If so, why'd he do it? How did Noble know? And if his father, Clarence, didn't do it, why'd they find a note of confession?

To my readers

I'm having so much fun writing and I hope you guys enjoyed, and continue to enjoy reading it! Don't forget to vote and/or leave a comment:)