confetti - haunting of hill house

𝖔𝖓𝖊

  Georgia Crain had always hated thunderstorms.

But today for some reason, she found comfort in it, which was a blessing in disguise.

Georgia found herself tracing the droplets of rain along the window where she sat with her finger, her legs crossed as she angled herself away from the other company in the room. She knew it was rude of her to ignore them, but she couldn't quite seem to focus on anything other than the voicemail she had recieved from her brother concerning their sister, Nell.

Georgia hadn't heard from her elder brother Steve Crain in nearly seven months. He normally only popped up if he needed something or to wish her a happy birthday. But this time it was much different. Georgia remembered her brothers trembling voice as he recalled his last conversation he had with Nell, and it was from then on that Georgia knew something was very wrong.

This and the dark shadow figure that had appeared and stood shyly in the corner of the room.

It was telling her something.

She couldn't quite tell what it was saying to her, or more rather screaming.

Sighing, Georgia's finger reaches the bottom of the window, the raindrop disappearing from view. Picking her phone up again, she sneaks it under her ear, pressing play to the haunting sound of her brothers voice as she listens to the voicemail again.

"Georgia, it's me, Steve—"

And again.

"—Look, I need you to call me, Gia. I know it's been a while since we last spoke, and I know we agreed not to—"

And again.

"—But somethings happened to Nell. Something terrible. I need to know your ok. Just please. Ring me. You know I wouldn't ring if it wasn't urgent."

And again, until she heard it.

The calling that she heard all them years ago, that meant something was coming.

"Everything ok, Georgia?" A voice breaks the sound of her brothers causing Georgia to look up, taking in her over bubbly brunette coworker. "You've been staring at the window for the past twenty minutes. Any harder and the window might crack."

Sighing, Georgia clicked her phone shut before turning away from the window completely. Turning her back on the shadow that had moved closer. "I guess you could say im having some family issues." Georgia hated sharing her personal information with the people she worked with, mostly because they are gossipers but also just the hassle of your privacy being broken. So she tended to stay quiet, much to their disapproval. That's why Georgia suppressed a eye roll when her other coworker, Ian's, eyebrows hit the ceiling at her confession before she even had finished what she was saying.

"Family?" Ian, a short, stocky man scoffs from his desk "I didn't know you even had a life out of work. Never mind a family."

And as horrible as that sounded, Georgia couldn't help but find the statement true. She knew she didn't mention her personal life to anyone in work.

In Georgia's mind, she didn't have a family, so why talk about it.

"Oh shut up, Ian." Sadie huffs, rolling her eyes at his stupid behaviour. Turning back to Georgia, she asks, "is everything ok though? You have been missing a lot of calls recently."

"You could say that me and my siblings don't talk often." Georgia replied, eyes still on Ian, she was trying not to look at the figure that had now moved even closer, Georgia could even feel its uneven breath on her neck and had to withhold a shiver. "We aren't close. Never have been."

"—you need to look after them, Gia. I know your scared, and worried but it's all on you now," looking up into her fathers eyes wide full of fear, she saw him reach out and clutch her small hands in his rough ones. "Aunt Janet will be here soon. And them police officers are going to stay with you until she arrives. They won't hurt you. Just," Continuing, he lowered his voice, "Don't say anything to them about what happened tonight, Gia. Be brave. I need you to be brave and protect your siblings."

"—hard. Me and my sister don't talk a lot and that's hard. I mean she is a complete bitch so it is understandable. I mean when she got married she wanted me to wear a fluorescent yellow dress. I mean girl, that shit will reflect and make me look jaundice! So I told her—"

Rubbing her forehead, Georgia quickly gathered her phone, purse and notebook, shoving them into her bag before shoving her chair under her desk. "—I'm going to head home. Can you cover for me?"

"What? You only have an hour left of—ow!" A bang was heard and Georgia knew it was because of Sadie's foot successfully hitting Ian's shin. He swallowed harshly, glaring at the table top before squeakily replying. "Yes I can cover for you, but make sure your—"

But Georgia didn't bother to listen, she was already out of the door.