The Reign of Darkness

Chapter Two

Anna stepped inside the house once filled with light and laughter, now diminished to a dark and cold silence that made her shiver. Anna looked around trying to find anything might be able to take to the moving van(or possibly keep for herself). Walking into what used to be her grandfather's room, she saw a glint come off of a small object on the floor. She walked over and picked it up. It was a small necklace that must've been meant for her. Inside the necklace was a picture of her and grandpa when she was about five or six. On the back was engraved "to my granddaughter, Anna, you shine brighter than any star in the night sky" she held the necklace close to her and started crying, wishing she could tell him how much she loved him one last time. Outside, she heard a loud commotion coming from her brothers and sister. Wiping her tears, she walked outside to see what they were fighting about. Anna's siblings were outside a door, which happened to be locked. Looking back, she remembered when her and Neill were playing in the hallway and the found this door. When they went to open it, their grandpa ran over to and blocked their way; he had locked it ever since. Anna did in fact know where he kept the key, but forgot about it over time. "Guys, let me go get the key!" she called, excited to finally get to know what was behind that door. Anna ran to a room on the second floor of the house near the back, almost hidden away. She was delighted to see the desk was still there, along with a chair and a rickety bed. She looked in the desk and found the key. Anna ran down stairs so fast she almost tripped. When she got to the door, Eleanor snatched the key away from her and shot her a scowl as she turned towards the door. Eleanor put the key in the lock and to all of their amusement, clicked when she turned the key. Eleanor pushed the door opened and they all winced when the door made a loud creak. They all went inside, including Caroline, and as Anna was closing the door lightly behind them, Alan made a loud gasp when he turned on the lights. Startled, Anna harshly whispered, " What the FUCK is wrong with you?!" When her eyes focused from the dim light she saw what he was so shocked by. Pictures covered the walls of four adults and a large wolf-like creature. On one of the walls was a painting that seemed out of place. It had a whole wall to itself and had a very eerie feeling to it. The painting was of the moon with stars circling around it in almost a hypnotic way. The five walked up to it and eyed it for awhile. "What the hell is happening to the painting?" Alan asked, in an almost trance-like voice. Anna looked back at the painting and saw the stars were spinning faster and faster by the second, until they were just a white ring around the moon. Suddenly, all of them were being pulled towards the painting. Anna watched as Eleanor and Caroline were pulled in first, then Alan, then Neill. Before, being pulled in Anna felt her eyelids grow heavy and then she blacked out.