A twist in time. A villainous lady hated by the ton. A quest to avoid ruin.
When Ria's Grandmother suddenly disappeared, she didn't expect the search would bring them to 19th century England. After possessing a body of a woman hell-bent to profess...
The flow of students at South Wesson College resembled a stampede of gazelles on a grassy plain. Unfortunately, I had to brave my way against the crowd rushing to take their exams. I squeezed through the throng of people, who cast odd glances at me. If I were them, I would have stared too. It was the start of finals weeks, and every second of every time was critical. On any other day, I would have cowered at those gazes. But with my phone cradled between my ear and shoulder, my mind was only fixated on my mom's words through the phone.
"Ria, do you hear me? I said your Grandma is gone!"
Finally, I was able to exit the narrow hallway and breathe properly. "I heard you, Mom. How did it happen? I just visited her yesterday, and she was fine. The caretaker even said she's doing very well."
Mom sniffed, the sound drilling into my earbuds. "Well, Jocelyn said she left her for a bit to bring her food, and when she came back, your Grandma was gone."
I could feel my head implode. "What does that even mean? Did no one see where she went?"
"I know! They said no one saw her. And the CCTV's all blacked out too. Where would she go? Can you please check out the old house? I am on my way there too."
"Okay, okay, I'm driving there now," I assured her and clambered into my beat-up truck. The sputtering engine earned me disdainful glances from some students lounging around the campus, but I turned a blind eye. My social anxiety needed to take a back seat now.
The old house was an hour's drive from my college and an hour and a half from my mom's company. I stepped on the gas pedal, practically wishing I could fly back there right now. Sadly, my beat-up truck was just that - beat-up, its engine groaning and moaning along the way.
It was a two-story white-washed house in an idyllic countryside landscape. We would have stayed there, but my mom's job required her to be nearer to the city, and I had to start college this year. Adding to that was my grandma's worsening condition.
A distance away from the house, I could spot the smoke from the chimney rising, and my heart seemed to calm a bit. It was good that grandma was home. I jogged up to the house. As soon as I stepped inside, the cozy interiors and a soft '90s tune welcomed me, bringing back a sense of nostalgia. The year had gone by quite slowly. It felt as if years since I had felt this comfortable. A quick glance at the living room showed a well-lit fireplace. A mug of cocoa sits atop an oak table that my Grandpa had gifted my grandmother years ago.
The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from the kitchen. I found myself standing over the dining table filled with all sorts of baked goods. Footsteps sounded upstairs.
"Grandma?" I called, shedding my jacket and leaving it on one of the dining chairs.
There was no response, and the footsteps had started to become fainter. I trudged up the stairs in time to catch sight of my grandma's back disappearing around the corner, which led to the door to the attic.
"Grandma, wait - "
The door to the attic closed with an audible click. Odd, it was a room that was off-limits. Since Grandfather died, there was no one to maintain the space. The floorboards had become damaged. Even so, I followed up once again. The stairs leading to the attic were quite narrow.
I remembered that it wasn't like this when I was younger. Contrary to my expectations, the attic wasn't shrouded in shadows. It was an unusually bright winter day, and natural light streamed through the stained circular window. There was nothing inside except for my grandfather's favorite rocking chair. I looked around, dumbfounded. I could not find my grandmother anywhere. I had clearly seen her come here. Did my sleepless nights of exam review make me delusional? There was only a small piece of paper atop a book with yellowed pages lying on the rocking chair. One of its edges seemed crumpled as if Grandma had gripped it tightly, and it was still warm to the touch. I looked around again, but there was no corner for Grandma to hide in. I checked the window, but it had no latch and was impossible to open.
I unfolded the paper, and inside were just two words in my grandmother's elegant handwriting: "I'm coming home." My heart rate increased, and before I knew it, tears had blurred my eyes. I had promised to take her back home as soon as I was finished with exams and never leave her at that care home again. I should have brought her back with me sooner. I rubbed the tears from my eyes and took the book. It was a book I had seen years ago. In fact, it was the first romance novel I had ever read. Grandma wrote a romance novel taking place in 19th-century England.
The sound of a car engine broke through my reverie. I saw my mom hurrying to enter the house. Taking the note and book with me, I quickly met her downstairs. "Is Grandma here?" she asked. I shook my head, not daring to tell her what I saw or thought I saw. "Oh god. Where could she have gone?" From the window, we could see a police car pulling up by the driveway. Sheriff Hill, a family friend, strode over with a worried frown. "Not here?" Mom shook her head, covering her mouth as she sobbed. "I already have my men searching for her, don't worry." He glanced at me and nodded, and I helped my mom back inside the house. "Mom, what if something happened to Grandma? It's my fault." "Mom, please don't say that. They'll find her." I hesitated whether to show her the book and piece of paper. "What is it?" she asked, frowning. I handed her the piece of paper, and as she read the note, she burst into tears again. "But this is home! If she's not here, where could she have gone?" I placed my arms around her, not knowing the answer myself. "They'll find her, okay? They'll find her for sure." I reassured her again.
The search was still fruitless. I had Mom rest since we had been searching for days with little to no sleep. I was lying in my bed when the book caught my attention. I flipped it open to a random page when a word caught my attention. "Who doesn't know that Arianne seduced him and forced him to marry her!" It feels like I forget something important associated with that name. I thought groggily. But my eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and I couldn't help but succumb to sleep.
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A/N: This is my entry for ONC 2023. Hope you like it <3
