The Greyback Manor

Chapter ten

My words only got a smile out of Hyde, but I made it my next objective to make him laugh. If I was right, there was a chance I could solve this mystery in time. For now, I had to see about the urgent news. In the hallway, I saw Lana and Cedric with a spinning top.  

“Okay, now you spin the top, Lana," Cedric said. She gave him a look of annoyance and spun it.  

"I wanted to play with my dolls. Mommy said I could make more dolls of our family," Lana said. They seemed bored, which made me wonder if the situation involved them. The two kids kept on playing together, while I spotted the couple in the dining room. 

"We don't know what it means that it’s just dried up melon seeds," Connor argued. The two looked to be in a state of panic. There was an open envelope on the table with seeds inside.  

“No, I'm sure it means something. My dad got them in the mail once and freaked out," Alexandria said. Connor growled at the mention of the man.  

"Don't bring that man up. I pushed him off a cliff for a reason," he snarled. A response like that would have made me jump, yet Alexandria just patted his arm with a smile.  

“Yes, I remember. I helped before he could proceed with his poison, then he died days later," she responded. Connor seemed to calm down after that, and I took a deep breath.  

"Just when I thought this day couldn't get weirder, Hyde, aren't you going to come in?" I asked. He look disoriented and sweaty, so I handed him a cup of water. There was no need for me to question why as I had a good idea. 

“Thanks, I’ll, um, be in my…room. Tell everyone what we learned," Hyde stammered. He ran off and held onto the wall to keep himself steady.  

"I can't watch," I mumbled. To my a surprise, a tear ran down my face at the thought of how the transformation could go. Alexandria took notice of me before I entered the dining room.  

“Clara, there you are. What happened to your clothes?" she asked. 

My cheeks went red, and I thought about the revenge I would have on the butler.  

"Blake happened," I answered. Her brown eyes furrowed in understanding, and she gestured for me to sit with them.  

"I'm sure I have something in my closet that will fit you. Anyways, Connor and I wanted to tell you something," she explained. Alexandria looked at her husband with concern while he looked for his brother.  

"Where did Hyde go? He came by this morning," he asked. After the hallucination I last had of a younger Connor going feral on me, I made sure to choose my words carefully, though that didn't prevent the second tear.  

"He was with me. We found a lead that I also must tell you two about, but when we got here, he got all sweaty," I responded. There was a long silence as I saw the heartbroken look on Connor's face, unlike his past self that attacked me for not caring enough. This Connor showed more emotional maturity. I made a mental note to remind myself that the Connor I hallucinated was a lot younger and full of rage. It seemed that finding love and a family was what changed him.  

“Connor, it’s alright. Remember, we are going to find a way to separate him from Jekyll," Alexandria said. She put an arm on her husband's back as he held back tears and resembled a kicked puppy.  

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't fallen for that stupid cure trick, Hyde wouldn't be in this mess," Connor said. His voice trembled, and he refused to make eye contact with anyone.