Circulus Vitiosus

Prologue

I had never met my great grandmother before her funeral, I didn't even know she existed before two weeks ago when my mother got informed by some distant family member that she had died at the age of ninety eight. My mum told me she was a very strange women, getting involved in some weird things. When I asked her to specify she told me her mother never even knew, apparently she liked to keep things secret. What surprised me most is that she had something in her will for me.

Her house was somewhere over in a town called Alfredstons, which was a day's drive from where I lived. When we finally arrived at the house it shocked me. It was an old tudor style manor, it only had two stories but the layout was huge. Mum got out of the car and dad followed getting out an umbrella. It was sunny at the moment but the weather forecast said there would be rain later today at about five o'clock, Which would be about the time we would be leaving according to dad. I got out my own umbrella and followed them in. There were about five other cars parked, which was surprising since we had more family members that this.

For me this felt very cliche, I was an avid reader and this felt like an opening of a book I once read. When we entered the main foyer had a very homely, yet creepy feel to it. The fire was burning and all the curtains were closed enveloping the house in an orange glow along with the sconces on the wall. Mum was greeted by uncle Paul, who had an old lady following behind him. The lady herself was dressed in a black dress with a locket around her neck, her eyes were a nice faded blue, wide with everlast excitement, which was strange because a family member had died, but her excitement was directed towards me.

"Adelaide, this is your great aunt Maude. Her and her sister Emma have always wanted to meet you." Mum turned towards me.

"Although it's just me that gets to meet you now." Maude extended her hand, shaking mine vigorously.

"Nice to meet you."

"Come sit down, the reading of the will is about to start." Aunt Maude waddled towards the lounge chairs in the foyer, gesturing us to follow.

We all sat down, Aunt Maude looking even more excited than before, it was starting to creep me out about how excited she was about this. There was a temporarily placed projector screen above the fireplace which flickered to life, showing an old lady, much like aunt Maude. I took it that she was my great grandmother and Maude's sister Emma. Before she started aunt Maude quickly leaned towards me

"Your know how to read Latin, right?"

It was a weird, out of the blue question but I quickly nodded, Remembering mum teaching me it at a young age, I had still somehow remembered it today.

She had slowly started reading through the list, uncle Paul had gotten an old fine china set, Mum getting an old jewelry box. I had stopped listening after Aunt Martha had gotten an old dress. When suddenly she had said my name.

"For my great grandchild Adelaide, I may have never met you but I want you to have the most valuable item I have,"

A man in a suit came towards me and handed me a package wrapped in brown paper. "I do not want you to open it now, when this is done Maude will tell you more about it."

The film stopped and everyone got up to talk and receive their stuff. Aunt Maude quickly waddled towards me and pulled me towards an empty room. It was dusty and looked like it was another living room. Aunt Maude turned to me and told me to open the package.

Inside was three giant red books with golden finishings, the kind you'd find in a ancient library.

"Every single copy of this series was confiscated and burned, except these."