The House on the Horrid Hill

Chapter 15

Racing through the door of his study without even knocking – which was strictly forbidden and off limits – Alfred was shocked to find his father seated behind his big mahogany desk, deep in discussion with The Nobles. Confusion spread across his face as he looked from his father to The Nobles for what seemed like forever, awaiting some kind of explanation from them. Finally, his father rose from behind the desk and addressed only the other adults in the room.

"If you please excuse me, it appears my son and I are in need of a long overdue discussion," he said nodding curtly to his guests. They rose from their seats and left the room silently, Allota squeezing Alfred's shoulder tenderly as she passed him.

"What's going on Father, how do you know those guys? I thought they were supposed to be a secret," he asked.

"I think you better sit down my dear son, I think I have a lot of explaining to do," he replied sadly.

The conversation that followed told Alfred everything he ever needed to know and more. It was extremely long and fraught with emotion for both of them. In short, it was his father's life story from birth until this very moment, and it certainly contained a lot of surprises for Alfred.

He discovered that his father, the extraordinarily boring and very ordinary, Ulwin Theordore Wright, was actually indeed an Arx himself. He hailed from the wondrous Crudmoor Creek and infact had spent his childhood running through the village and playing in the very stream Alfred had not so long ago sat beside.

Of course, if his father was an Arx, then so was he, wasn't he? That was the one piece of news that made him bubble over with excitement in his chair, thinking that he too was a part of this new secret world. But soon the excitement passed and an overwhelming sadness came over him as he listened to his father complete the story.

Throughout his life, Alfreds' mother had always been something of a mystery to him. He knew he had one of course, everyone had one! The only thing he knew about her though was that she had died during childbirth. Well, that was the story he'd always been led to believe. This was something that Alfred had spent many a night thinking about and indeed feeling extremely guilty about, after all his birth had caused his own mother's death.

It was something his father would never discuss with him though, only saying that he would tell Alfred all about his wonderful his mother when he was older. Always the same answer, yet, until now, Alfred had never been quite old enough to hear it. In a strange way he wished he never had because now everything was different and it would never be the same again.

"Alfred, do you understand what I just said?" his father asked, the concern in his voice obvious. "Alfred?"

Alfred brushed away the tears that flowed down his cheeks and ran from the room. He didn't know where to run to but he just knew he had to get out of that house. He needed time to process all the information that was running through his head. The words his father had just given him had seemed like a cruel joke at first, but he knew this was no joke.

Not only had he lost his mother, but it would appear he had also lost a twin brother he never knew existed. And not only that, they'd both been murdered by the evil and monstrous Ozax who he didn't even know existed either.