Strangely Familiar - The Flaw in Time

Chapter 3

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." - Yoda

***

The wind was sharp against the glass window that would have cracked easily if only it wasn't supported by iron rods enclosing the entire frame in a zig-zag pattern. The cluttering sound of the window sill accompanied by the constant disturbance caused by the wind was enough for Naina to break free from her light sleep.

She forced her eyes open, annoyed at the noise that was triggering her headache. Picking a room on the first floor wasn't her finest idea. She mentally whined.

Getting on her feet, feeling a little anxious, she tiptoed across the hall and knocked at the room situated opposite hers, banging her fist against it.

The door opened several seconds later, revealing her very sleepy and annoyed brother.

"Can't sleep." She spoke.

"So you decided to disrupt mine." He yawned, even in a half-drowsy state, his cheekiness doesn't entirely evade him.

"Well, no. It's windy, and the window in my room is making too much noise."

Samraat inclined his body, laying his head against the doorway, taking support, and hummed sleepily.

"Sammy?"

He mumbled something incoherently, bickering about bits of nothing. Naina shook her head and guided him back to his bed. He lay down haphazardly, sleep claiming him almost instantly. Having heard her own sigh, she realized the room was extremely silent.

Scowling at her luck at the choice of room, she marched back to witness a loud shrill like the wind was trying to push its way in through the window. Peeking outside, she came face to face with the entrance of the West Wing of the Mansion that was staring right back at her in the darkness of night.

The wind must be flowing from west to east. She concluded, musing briefly, her sight fixed on the building in front of her. It looked even more horrifying at this hour. Shaking her head and feeling the refusal of sleep to claim her state of consciousness, she cursed softly and decidedly made her way down the hall.

Flipping through the content on her phone in her hand, she rested her back against the chair around one huge dining table. Unlike what most people expect from old buildings, the place was sufficiently lit up under heavy moonlight, enough to make way without tripping, not to mention the excellent ventilation. The entire wing was comfortably cooler than her room back home.

Resting her legs on the table, she scrolled down several notifications from her friends and colleagues, informing one another about their safety and that they had successfully relocated to different centers.

Naina sighed in relief.

A strange noise caught her attention, altering her, and she promptly got up to find its source. It was unlike her to be curious at midnight, but the last couple of days kept her on edge. Frequently taking in the entire space, she took several steps around, spinning on heels, but couldn't locate anything.

Out of the blue, and without warning, she felt a creeping sensation up her spine again, only this time shivers gushing through her veins like blood, pumping her heart faster than usual. Her head jerked lightly on its own. Unable to shake off the alien feeling of being watched, she strolled around to find the source of her unbidden nervousness.

Nothing passed by her that could remotely confirm her suspicion and put her mind at ease. The portrait was hanging innocently in its place, completely innocuous. Naina narrowed her path with her eyebrows furrowed as she saw the portrait's eyes twinkle on its own accord, with moonlight slanting across half its frame.