Haunted || Theo Raeken

02. Silence

The silence woke Lavinia up.

Her brown eyes opened immediately, and in the darkness of her room, she sat on her bed. The girl strained her ears, not knowing what she was looking for. She heard the sound of the rain hitting the roof and her windows, the light sway of the trees, and the distant sound of thunders. It was loud enough for a thunderstorm, but so quiet at the same time. A chill ran up her spine. Something felt... off. It seemed lately that was the story of her life, everything felt off, but something was different this time. If the Abbot girl had learned something, it was to listen to what you could not hear and prepare for the unexpected.

Standing up, the girl opened her bedroom door and joined the darkness of the hallway.  Although some light seeped through the threshold of the door, the darkness made it difficult for her to see anything beyond her hands. The girl navigated the narrow hallway expertly after living in the same house for ten years. Her eyes fixed on the space between the door and the floor when suddenly the light from the street lanterns was blocked by someone standing in front of the entrance from outside. Holding her breath, the girl stared wide-eyed at the transom over the two-meter tall door, or more specifically at the creepy metal mask staring back at her through the glass.

Her pulse raced as everything happened in slow motion. The doorknob twisted and even though it was locked, the door opened, revealing a slender figure dressed in black robes and metal. In a fluid motion, Lavinia Abbot raised her hands in front of herself, and with a swift move of her wrists, the door closed back again at her command. The girl kept her hands raised as she felt the power of the thing battling against hers, trying to open it up again. Goosebumps appeared on her arms at the distinguishing sound of electricity. She fought to keep them away, her jaw grinding in response as she struggled against them. Thoughts of her big sister and her father getting hurt flooded her mind, an even bigger motivation not to let them in, consequences be damned, she would die for them in a heartbeat.

A scream pierced through the night, dread filled the Abbot girl as she momentarily turned her head to the end of the corridor, where her sister's room was and where the scream had come from. Forgetting about the masked nut job, Vinnie let her hands fall and ran toward Tracy's room, her heart in her throat as she pushed the door open with the flick of her wrist.

Vinnie's eyes scanned the bedroom, looking for her sister. Her bed was unmade, but the older girl was not in it, panic seized her until she heard a small whimper at her right. She whipped her neck and found the brunette girl lying on the carpeted floor next to a knocked-over chair.

"Trace!" Vinnie shrieked as she threw herself next to her, worry evident in her movements. With shaky hands, Lavinia touched her sister's neck and prayed to find a pulse. As she felt the thump beneath her fingers, relief flooded her, a silent tear falling down her face. With shaky hands, the girl rolled her sister to her back, her mouth moving rhythmically as she mumbled something over and over. Frowning, she leaned over her body and placed her ear to her mouth. They're here. They're here. They're here.

"Trace, wake up," the younger sister implored, shaking her shoulder, her voice raising an octave. "It's just a dream, you need to wake up," she kept on begging and shaking her until Tracy opened her eyes. Upon seeing her younger sister, Tracy threw herself at her as tears left her eyes and tremors shook her body. Hugging her sister's shaking frame protectively, Vinnie knew it wasn't a dream, her stare locked into theirs through the window until they disappeared and the reflection of her glowing eyes was the only thing left in their wake.

──── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ────

"You didn't have to come with me, I know you like taking the bus with Liam and Mason," said Tracy the next morning as she drove Vinnie and herself to their first day of senior year.