arescere ✿ xavier thorpe

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emma's note: bet you weren't expeting this eh
<3
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42 - torchlit rooms and alters of past

white fingers clutch at the metal flashlight. the fear starting to linger into his bones with every step they took towards the house. enid trembled behind him, he could hear her sucking in breaths. holding her light close to her chest. wednesday rattled at the door to the garage, followed by tylers even worse attempt. when the pastel girl spoke up.

"can i try?" she hands her light to peter, who follows her to the door. holding one at the door and one skimming the trees that seemed to linger closer than before. she opens it with ease, making the other two seem pathetic. peter chuckles softly, earning a glare from wednesday and a smile from enid.

"what? its a werewolf thing." she laughs to tyler, who stands. arms limp his sides. looking dazed and rather confused. he looked almost like a lost little puppy. the light peter held illuminated only a fraction of the garage from their stance. they entered the dark room, their lights piling into the gloomed corners as wednesday found the lightswitch. the light creepy flickering on. something covered by a tarp rested in the doorway.

"this is the car that hit the mayor." wednesday speaks as she shuffles a bit of the tarp away from the car.

"okay this just took a dark turn. we need to call tyler's dad like right freaking now." enid cries.

"Why? so he can take me back to nevermore and get me expelled? it not gonna happen." wednesday taunts, looking at the girl over her shoulder. a unrecognisable look upon her features. her grip tightens on the flashlight as she moves away from the car and towards the door into the house. wednesday looks to peter who was staring at a picture on the wall. a picture of the house once standing proudly in the spring sun. he moves to the door. his fingers trembling as he reaches for the handle. the metal squeaks as he turns the rusty bronze knob, the door scratches as it opens. a dusty hallway illuminated in the darkness shine before the two. distinctively peter raises his hand to his face, he didn't intend on inhaling any of this air.

"this i the way i'm gonna die." tyler cries from behind peter, casing the boy to nearly chuckle. enid makes almost a whine in response. the lights shine on the walls pointing to ripped wallpaper and crumbling paint. the floorboards creep with every step they take. the group sticks together, wednesday walking slightly faster. excitement practically oozing through her veins. they entered a larger room, the damp and mouldy smell growing ever so stronger as they wandered further through the house. a portrait hung on the walls, the only thing that didn't see far too damaged like the rest of the house. peter makes a comment about wolves in sheeps clothing as wednesday continues diving through the house. she was looking for something. and no one, including herself even knew what.

"i think i'm going to suffocate." peter mumbles as they enter an office looking room, believed o by the wall of books and single table and chair in the middle of the room. peter runs his finger along the surface of the table. he wondered why as he lifted his finger, expecting a smudge of dust. but nothing. the dust seemed to touch everything in the room, but the table. the sound of enid whimpering in fear only grew as tyler's steps grew more cautious. the look of pure confusion by the table went unnoticed by wednesday as she stared at the bookcase before her. cobwebs strung between books. piles of dust collecting in the corners.

"seen enough?" tyler questions yet they all know the answer is no. she stare at the bookcase. looking for something. peter joins her, stilling staring at his non smudged finger. it didn't make any sense. wednesday torch shorne in his eye for a moment. his fast movement had ared her, even though he tried to pretend it didn't and the new light made something stand out to him as he blinked looking at the walls. the engravings on the wooden beams. one wa covered in cobwebs and one looked surprising clean. much like the table. wednesday notices his eyes flickering between the posts. and leans to touch the beam. the engraving pushed back by her touch. the faint sound of a click sounds somewhere deep in the house. and the bookcase swung open. enid gagging at the rotting smell, tyler covering his face incase something jumped out. but the other two stood staring before them.i the opening hung a portrait. of a man. decked in black robes and a silly looking top hat. a pilgrim. the man in the painting was a pilgrim. but not just any pilgrim peternoted. it was crackstone.

"who doesn't have a spooky built-in alter in their family library." enid comments, almost trying to calm herself down.

"ours is in the living room. more seating for the year long dia de los muertos."wednesday speaks glum as usual, earning a very concerned side-eye from tyler. peter steps in the room. noticing a slight out scent in the air. he lifts his fingers to the candles. noticing something odd about the wax.

"they're still warm." he speaks and as if an alarm sounded. wednesday sun on her feet.

"tyler, peter you search downstairs. enid and i will search upstairs." and like that, the girl in black grabbed the pastel coloured girls hand and pulled her away. leaving the two one slightly scared and one even more shaken standing before each other.

"are we going to spilt up?" peter ask softly. tyler aggressively shakes his head. reaching to grab peter wrist and pulls him with him. the boys walk together. the house creeks with every step. the silence deafening them as they paced. looking for something. looking for anything else to show signs of life. tyler lets go of peters wrist. how doesn't even notice till he hears the oy scream down the hallway. peter turn, shock horror spread across features as he saw the shadow of the thing. and he felt his blood run cold, as blood coloured eyes meet his terror stricken gaze.