Adaline looks around, The basement feels like it goes on forever. The air feels thicker the more she walks. She passes a few cardboard boxes, all taped shut. There are cobwebs and dusk everywhere, it looks like the basement hasn't been cleaned in years.
Adaline sees one of the boxes doesn't have any tape.
"Did dad forget to close this one?" Adaline says to herself. She looks around, making sure no one is watching her, just in case.
She sets the candle down, and opens the box. The box is full of paintings.
Adaline pulls the candle closer so she can see the painting better.
It's a portrait of a blonde woman sitting in a chair, holding a wine glass. The woman's face is crossed out with paint, making it impossible to see her facial features.
"Wow, I didn't realize John doe painted as well..." She grabs another painting, it's a painting of a blonde woman dancing in a garden, with her face crossed as well.
Adaline looks at the paintings closer, and realizes something.
It's the same woman.
She looks through three of the other paintings.
All the same woman.
She grabs two more.
The same woman.
Adaline's eyes widen "Who... Is she..?"
Wax from the candle drips onto one of the paintings.
"Oh crap..!" Adaline puts the candle down, and puts the paintings back in the box.
"Dang it, what if dad finds wax on his painting!? He'll know I was down here!"
She picks up the candle.
"Maybe I should go back now... No, I've made it this far, I can't leave just yet!"
She walks deeper into the basement. The air keeps getting thicker and thicker, and there are more dusk and cobwebs as she keeps walking.
Eventually, when she reaches the end of the basement, she finds an old piano, covered in dust.
She sets the candle down on the piano.
"I didn't know my family owned a piano..." Adaline sits down.
She hits one of the keys "It sounds like it's working.."
she slides her hand across the keys, removing the dusk. Some of the dusk gets in her face, making her cough. "Dang, when was the last time the basement got cleaned!?" Adaline eventually stops coughing.
She hits a few more of the keys. "I kinda wish I was taught how to play piano at the orphanage. Well, I can't really complain, they taught me how to play violin anyway."
She stands up "well, I guess now I don't have any choice but to go back." Adaline says to herself.
YOU ARE READING
The Doe Family
Mystery / ThrillerA girl named Adaline gets adopted by a famous author named "John Doe" and Adaline has to uncover the secrets behind her new weird family.
