Curse of the Blackwell Manor (TITNID)

Chapter 5

It's become hard to sleep these days and I've avoided going back into the study if it meant I wouldn't hear that voice again. I went back to my neighbor to ask if she knows any more about the mansion and the family that owned it. She apologized stating she doesn't know anymore than what she's already told me. She suggested I visit the town's historian and ask more about the Blackwell mansion since they've collected the history of the town for hundreds of years. After giving me the name and address of the historian called Zacharias, I headed towards town while my parents were busy organizing some things with the real estate agent.

The place the historian was located at was in a far part of town that no one seems to visit anymore, judging by the way it looked so old and nothing's changed. I opened the front door which caused a bell to ring above me and stepping inside, it seemed dark and damp like no one had been here in forever. I walked inside and looked around to find a lot of old books and such even scattered on the floor. I was about to reach for one out of current when an old man's voice scared the shit out me, "Young lady! Are you lost?" I turned to find an elderly man who looks like he's been here the longest out of everyone in this town, with long, white hair and whiskers that grew all over his face and head.

Remembering what I came here for, I shook my head as I answered his question, "No, I'm not lost. I'm looking for the historian, Zacharias. Is that you?" He seemed stunned, amd that helped me confirm that he was Zacharias as I explained, "Me and my family have been staying in the Blackwell mansion on the other side of town. Ever since then, strange occurrences have been happening around me, but my parents don't seem to notice anything wrong. Do you happen to know anything about the history of that mansion and it's original owners?"

He scratched his head after I was done explaining and after a moment, he beckoned for me to follow him as he walked away from the lobby and into what seemed like an archive room. It looked like there were files and journals that dated back for centuries, then the historian took a ladder to reach for a book that was stacked all the way at the top of a shelf. Once he got a hold of it, he climbed back down and led us to a desk where we both sat at. He turned on a light and pit on his glasses as he turned to a page in the book and began reading.

"The Blackwell brothers were powerful rulers of this land in the early 1800s. From oldest to youngest, their names were Alan, Frederick, and Aldous. They inherited their power from their parents who had been rulers of the Blackwell manor for decades. As powerful as they were, they had enemies within the people of the land, one particular group called the Visigoths, established by one man named Alexander Visigoth. After Frederick was announced successor of the Blackwell name, a revolution began as the Visigoths rebelled against the Blackwell's unjust rule onto their people and soon after, Alexander was arrested and anyone associated with or supporting the Visigoths would be immediately incarcerated."

He continued as he showed me a drawn picture of the brothers as well as an old article of the Visigoths' leader being arrested, "There were stories about a private party being held at the Blackwell mansion some time after Alexander's arrest and what was meant to be a private affair, ended up becoming a horrendous crime scene. There were rumors of the party guests being brutally attacked and murdered, but the most riveting event was when Alexander's partner, Lilith Visigoth, arrived at the party along with the remaining high-ranking members after all the guests were dead and managed to capture one of the Blackwell brothers, Aldous. She was said to have taken a wooden stake and drive it through his heart, killing him. As for the other two Blackwell brothers, it was believed they managed to escape the manor when the Visigoths arrived and no one had seen them since, especially Alan."

The story he was telling must have been what I've been seeing in my dreams, but I was not aware that the one I've been dancing with was the youngest of the brothers who was brutally murdered by a rebel leader's partner. "Is there anything else you can tell me about the brothers? Did they have partners? Maybe lovers who spoke on their behalf?" Zacharias shook his head and I felt disappointed, then he mentioned one more thing, "Any lovers the brothers may have had were likely to have been murdered that night on October 31, 1833. They were rumors, however, of one woman that shared a similar disease that the brothers suffered as well. It was never confirmed, but some believed these people were diagnosed with some kind of vampire disease. Now, while the other two were missing after that rumor spread, there was no way to confirm so for the youngest who was dead because Lilith was believed to have taken two of his teeth after killing him. There's not much after this event, or the Blackwells for that matter."

I left shortly after to head back home and wonder about the Visigoths who were enemies of the Blackwells and more importantly, what do I have to do with all this to be able to hear and see these past events? When I returned home, I tried once again to convince my parents that we shouldn't stay here and it could be dangerous if we do. They once again dismissed my pleas and stated they were determined to stay for as long as they are renting the house. I wasn't sure what to do, I went up to the study where I looked at the portrait of the Blackwell brothers and wondered once more what could've caused such a tragic end to the youngest and why he calls out to me. I leaned back against a shelf of books to have one drop to the floor. I picked it up to find it was a personal diary of Aldous. Wanting privacy, I ran up to my room and looked it before I began to read more about the youngest brother and the woman who danced with him before his demise.