Chillingham's Curse

Chapter 1: June 2011

Rain hit the windshield like a soft kiss and a sweet lullaby.  “Who would have guessed it would rain when we’re moving in?” Juliana Vaughn said in her melodic voice while keeping her chocolate brown eyes on the road.  Her curly rich brown hair was pulled back into a somewhat bun loose enough for pieces to fall into her face which she would try to tuck back with her long, slender fingers.  She wore glasses that were perfectly round and petite, framing her heart-shaped face nicely and complimenting her olive skin.  She was beautiful but for some reason, it was invisible to most.  She was a diamond in the rough.  She wore a pair of wider-legged jeans for comfort around her curves and a Whitesnake tee shirt she received from David Coverdale front row in 1987.  Her feet felt clunky in her work boots as she managed the pedals of the car.

Their new Volkswagen Golf smoothly navigated the British countryside as they made their journey to their new home.  “Isn’t this scenery beautiful?  I can’t wait for this new adventure we are going to have.  I know things have been hard….” Juliana was having a heart-to-heart moment with no one.  Her 13-year-old daughter Briar may have been in the passenger’s seat, but she couldn’t hear her mother.  Between Briar’s thick, curly, fiery ginger locks and her red Beats brand headphones on high volume, My Chemical Romance flooded her ears and made outside noise impossible to hear.  Briar had ivory skin, light freckles on the entirety of her heart-shaped face, and hazel-colored eyes. She wore black skinny jeans, worn black Converse high tops, and a baggy, oversized, tattered black tee shirt that once belonged to her father.  Briar’s twin black cats Jiji and Salem slept peacefully in her lap, enjoying the warmth coming from being cuddled together and with their companion.  Salem turned onto his back and yawned open his beautiful eyes, one blue and one yellow.  The only difference between the twins is their eyes.  While Salem had one each, Jiji had piercing blue eyes.  As she stared out the window enjoying the dreary weather she thought to herself the lyrics I’m Not Okay (I Promise) completely lost in Gerald Way’s voice and only felt moments of comfort when listening to music.  

“Briar Rose, are you listening” Juliana stated as she pulled the left earphone away from Briar’s small round ear.  Briar was named after her mother’s favorite Disney movie and princess.  Briar removed her headphones, music blaring loud enough to hear in the car, and shyly with a slightly sleepy rasp replied “Sorry Mom, I was lost in a symphonic trance.” Juliana sighed and repeated, “I know things have been hard since your father died, but this new adventure is going to be great for us.  It will give us the chance to start new. Together.” She started to tear up but quickly brushed them away, hoping Briar didn’t notice.

Before Briar’s father and Juliana’s husband Leo died, they were all very close.  It was common to see them all together and strange when they weren’t.  Leo was handsome, and toned, with the same color eyes and hair as Briar.  He had a rich red beard and a voice like a baritone but with the calming aura of the rain that beat outside the Golf.  He stood six feet tall, half a foot taller than Juliana, and was the bravest man either one had known.  When Juliana received the phone call about his critical car accident, she scooped up Briar and raced towards the hospital, only to make it minutes too late.  Briar was 11 at that time.  Two years passed and instead of becoming even closer to one another, a distance started to form and grow into the relationship Briar and Juliana had today.  Briar knew this was her fault, but she somehow felt that her mother couldn’t understand what she was feeling, the emptiness her father created by parting from this existence.

As they pulled up to their new lodging, Briar couldn’t help but be awestruck.  She had seen photos of what fortresses and castles had looked like during medieval times but never imagined being immediately obsessed with the scene Chillingham Castle created.  From the grand, sturdy stronghold to the well-manicured gardens, Briar found herself needing 100 eyes to scan faster than the car traveled.  Three hundred acres to explore, hundreds of rooms to lurk in, and numerous secrets to hopefully uncover.  She moved Jiji and Salem back into their carrier and placed her hand on the closed door as she always did, which they too reciprocated by nudging her palm with their rough light pink noses.  She unplugged and moved her headphones into her backpack and readied herself for this new adventure her mother wanted them to have.

“Welcome! Welcome to Chillingham!  I hope your travels were all well?” A woman in her late 50s was standing outside the castle gate when Juliana and Briar exited the Volkswagen.  She had silvery-white hair in a ballerina bun and stood a few inches taller than Juliana with sunkissed skin and a smile that made her face pull because of the size.  She was dressed in a long floral skirt with every color from the rainbow.  A beige, plain undershirt tried to calm down the attire, but her green and gold plaid blazer did the opposite.  Her short heels of pink complemented her outfit, and somehow all of it worked together.  Juliana walked towards the woman while Briar opened the passenger side back door to grab the twins and her backpack.  She never went anywhere without the twins, they were inseparable.  Briar approached the two as the mysterious woman said, “You must be Briar! I have heard so much about you.  My name is Mrs. Hughes and I am a friend of Katherine and Sir Humphry Wakefield.  It is hard for them to get around these days, but they do send their best and hope things are to your liking!”  “It’s nice to meet you,” Briar said in her mousy, raspy voice.  Juliana looked at Briar with a tender smile and said, “I hope you like our new home, Briar.” Briar looked at her mother, them standing the same height, and turned back towards Mrs. Hughes, without any change in expression.

Mrs. Hughes took Julaiana and Briar through the gate entrance entering the inner courtyard.  It was stone masonry that had a greenish tint from the moss; that and age.  Multiple different archways were leading down different corridors that Briar knew would soon become familiar.  The inner courtyard gave off a scene of beauty and tragedy similarly described as macabre.  Briar felt a sense of belonging as she stood in the courtyard.  The stairway that led to the front door was beautifully haunting, having a wide open at the base of the staircase and becoming more narrow as you approach the mahogany door that stands eight feet tall.  Mrs. Hughes and Juliana made it halfway up the stairs when Briar said “I’m going to stay outside and get some air” with a somber tone.  Juliana turned and walked back towards her daughter, placed her right hand on Briar’s shoulder, and said understandingly, “Honey, you take your time.  We will be in the office when you come inside.”  Juliana and Mrs. Hughes ascended the stairs and walked into the foyer, closing the door behind them and leaving Briar alone with Jiji and Salem.

Briar turned with her back to the castle's main entrance and noticed a wooden door with the look of driftwood.  She felt as if she were in a trance as she walked to the door and through it.  The twins started to rustle more within their carrier as if something was causing them to stir.  Briar didn’t stop walking, as if being pulled by an invisible thread.  She made her way up the winding staircase and found herself at the top of the tower.  Salem and Jiji started to cry louder which finally pulled Briar out of her hypnosis.  “I don’t remember walking up here,” she thought to herself, with confusion on her face.  She started to walk towards the outer wall and heard the nightingales singing their tune.  “It’s beautiful here,” she said aloud with a smirk on her face.  Salem hissed all and once and Briar looked into the carrier.  She saw Jiji and Salem cuddled together, shaking with fear.  “What’s wrong? Salem? Jiji?” Briar felt a cold rush beside her and heard a faint sound like a whisper in her ear, “Sairg”.  She quickly jolted around, only to see no one there, and the cold shiver that went up her spine was gone.