The Murder House

Fifteen - Mutilated And Drowned?

       The dead have no mind, no will, no memory.

If that was true, why did Rusty of his own free will decide against the voices in his head decide to follow the voices. He had a faint memory of his parents talking one night about his mothers heart, he was hiding on the stairs trying not to alert them that he was listening. He felt like that scared child again, only now he was forever sixteen pushing away the guilt of his death. He swallowed unsure whether to go up to the attic, he knew it was where the spirits spent the majority of their time but he didn't know what it would look like. His decision was made when he heard a heavy thud, he slowly and quietly walked up the stairs wondering whether to go in or not. He wasn't given a choice when Raphaël swung the door open, he raised his eyebrows in silent questioning. 'Come in fresh meat, welcome to the dark side,' he stepped aside allowing Rusty to hesitantly step inside. It was a large open structure with one wall separating the two rooms, he looked around, Arcelia was sat staring out the window with Auralei and Esther. She turned to look Rusty up and down, returning her eyes to the window. 'Ignore her, she is upset her living has not had time for her recently. How are you settling?'

'Fine,' he said curtly.

'Oh he speaks,' Benjamin couldn't help himself. Rusty raked his gaze to the lanky spider like man who was folded into a dark corner. He shrugged Raphaël's arm of his shoulders, he continued to look around unsure of what the sounds he heard was. He walked through the open doorway looking at every detail of the dust filled room, there was a table with cards on and a long bookshelf holding portraits of those the spirits adored. He stepped up to one he recognised, the little girl with the orange pigtails was stood beside her grandfather. 'That's Clementine,' Benjamin unfolded himself to talk to Rusty. 'She's our little girl, hurt her and we'll hurt you,'

'Says you,' a man hollered. Rusty hated how there was a few low chuckles as if that was funny, he realised how low the bar was here. The attic reeked of desperation and regret, it was the one place the spirits didn't have to be strong or use energy to portray themselves as something they aren't. He yawned quite happy to leave now and go explore outside, his eyes caught on a flash of green. He leant against the wall watching as Clementine tugged at Edwards's sleeve. Rusty narrowed his eyes, Edward's refused to even acknowledge her existence let alone answer her plea for attention. He watched as she tried again, this time yanking his arm off the table he was leaning on.

'Do not ignore me Brendon,' she said calmly.

'I told you, go away Miss Owen's, we have no business speaking. Leave me be or I will force it,' Rusty knew how annoying she was. She constantly tried to broach contact with him, even resulting to just following him when he refused to speak to her. He wasn't expecting such a threat to come out of her mouth, he always saw her as what she portrayed, the sweet little girl full of smiles. She stepped up onto Edwards's foot crushing his toe as she yanked him by the shirt down to her level.

'Make me,' her eyes sparkled.

'What's her deal?' Rusty asked Raphaël.

'She is his elder sister, he believes she poisoned their mother and so he wants nothing to do with her. Since he died she has tried every way of broaching a relationship. I do believe she is at her wits end, why? Are you interested in her? You have not shown any of us much attention,'

'I prefer my own company,'

'You will not be judged here, you are surrounded by thieves, assassins, murderers, a couple arsonists, what else?' He scratched his head.

'A cannibal,' Isiah supplied.

'What I am attempting at providing is a sense of security. Child I can smell your guilt wafting through these walls. Pray tell a new friend, who made out your sins to guilt?' Rusty blinked not quite sure what he meant. Raphaël walked over to a cabinet and opened the two glass doors dramatically. He poured himself a cup of a brown liquid, offering the bottle to Rusty who shook his head, Raphaël shrugged closing the cabinet. 'I was murdered by my own uncle, I was looking into the murder of my cousin, Arcelia. He threatened me at every step but I killed for a living, I could seize any heart, man or woman, rich or poor, good or evil, old or young, I could wield it. Yet he ripped my arm out of its socket before making me drown in my own blood. I always wondered what would have happened if I did not decide to avenge her, or did not see the signs that it was a family affair. I always wondered what would have happened if I chose a different path, but the ending always remains the same,'