DARK SEDUCTION

Chapter:60

They were blanketed in darkness. The power outage had struck without warning, the last traces of twilight quickly swallowed by thick clouds rolling in overhead. Max swore softly under his breath, the sound of his voice amplified in the otherwise silent house. He’d expected the storm—he’d heard the weather reports all day—but he hadn’t thought it would hit with such intensity.

Luckily, he had a lot of candles. How they ended up in his possession was a long story, but for now, he was just grateful for them. There were logs of wood stacked in the backyard, which he used to build a fire, keeping the house warm and toasty.

This was actually his old family home, a sprawling, antique-laden house that had seen better days. His parents had moved to the city years ago, preferring the convenience and excitement over the quiet, almost haunted atmosphere of this place. But Max couldn’t bring himself to let go of it. Despite the countless memories, both good and bad, tied up in these walls, he was too attached to let it fall into the hands of strangers. So, he refused to allow his parents to sell it. Instead, when they moved out, he moved in.

His mother had been an excellent cook and a romantically inclined person, always filling the house with warmth, laughter, and the smell of homemade meals. Even after she left, traces of her lingered in the house old cookbooks with yellowed pages, half-melted candles she’d used to set the mood for family dinners, and boxes of her favorite china. Max blessed her in his heart as he struck a match and lit the first candle. The small flame flickered to life, casting a warm glow in the pitch darkness. Without these candles, he would be stranded with nothing but the shadows and the storm outside.

He also felt really lucky that Anna was around. Normally, he would have been all alone in this vast, old house. Usually, he didn’t stay around much, and even if he was here, he’d be too buzzed from the day’s events to care. But tonight was different.

Downstairs, in the living room, Anna sat curled up on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself as she listened to the rain pounding against the windows. The wind howled outside, and occasionally, there was a flash of lightning, followed by the deep, rolling thunder that seemed to shake the very foundations of the house. Max could hear the storm’s rage as he descended the stairs, the candle in his hand casting long shadows on the walls. He found Anna huddled beneath a blanket, her face pale and eyes wide, staring into the darkness as if it might come alive at any moment.

“I’ve got candles,” he said, trying to sound reassuring as he placed one on the coffee table in front of her.

Anna nodded but didn’t say anything. She was usually so lively, so full of energy, but the storm seemed to have drained her of all that. Max knew she wasn’t just afraid of the thunder and lightning. There was something else, something deeper, that had her on edge tonight.

Max went around the room, lighting more candles and setting them up on various surfaces until the room was bathed in a soft, golden glow. The flickering light made the old furniture look even older, the shadows playing tricks with his eyes. He returned to the couch and sat down beside Anna, careful to keep a respectful distance, though he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and tell her everything would be all right.

They sat in silence for a long time, listening to the storm rage outside. The house creaked and groaned as the wind battered it, but it stood strong, as it always had. Max had always found a certain comfort in the solidity of this place, but tonight, it felt different. There was a tension in the air, something unspoken but deeply felt.

Anna shifted beside him, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. “I hate storms,” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the wind.

“Yeah, they’re pretty nasty,” Max agreed. “But this old house has been through worse. It’ll hold up.”