A Criminally Haunted Love

Chapter 8 week 1, day 6

Pov change: bold
Thoughts: bold and encircled
Journal entries: bold and italics
Dream sequences: bold and underlined

Zoey pov
When she woke up Mal was already awake and dressed.
"How long have you been awake?" She mumbled the question.
"Not long, but you might want to get up now." Mal answered, she sat up and got out of bed, next she got some clothes and walked behind the folding screen.
"You can come back here." She said, a few minutes later, when she felt hands on her back she turned her head.
"I don't know why you turned your head,you knew it was going to be me." Mal commented, as he started to tie the laces of the corset.
"Mal, I think we should continue reading those journals tonight." She said, ignoring Mal's comment.
"Are you that curious?" Mal asked.
"Yes, but if we want to be able to find anymore secret rooms, the locations are probably in the journals. Also Cora said we should finish reading the journals before we search the attic, right now we only have the fifth floor and stables left." She answered.
"Ok, we'll read the journals tonight." Mal said, and she heard Mal walk back to the other side of the folding screen, then she started to put the rest of her clothes on. (It seems a little unfair that I need help with my clothes) when she walked to the other side of the folding screen, Mal handed her a video camera.
"Let's go to the kitchen." Mal said, she nodded her head.
"Mal, I think we'll only be able to search one room on the fifth floor." She commented, as they walked down the stairs.
"Why do you think that?" Mal asked.
"I think neither of them mentioned where the secret rooms are nor where the entrance to the attic is." She answered, as they walked into the kitchen.
"Well if that's the case, we've got two options..... re-search the secret rooms or search the stables." Mal said, while he started to cook breakfast.
"Let's search the stables." She replied.
"You're going to try to keep from re-searching the secret rooms for as long as you can, aren't you?" Mal asked, as he sat the plates of food on the table.
"Yes I am." She replied.
"You can't avoid it forever, but you can avoid it today." Mal said, then took a bite of his food, she smiled at Mal and took a bite of her food as well.
"We should at least check the nursery since we know where it's at." She said, once they finished eating and cleaned the dishes.
"Trying to be leader again?" Mal asked teasingly.
"No, but it won't take us all day to search the stables." She answered back just as teasingly.
"And since you want to avoid the secret rooms, you want to search the only room we can on the fifth floor." Mal said, she nodded her head and looked at the ground.
"Hey I know you're not scared of the rooms, I know you're just worried about what we'll find in those rooms.....and I'll definitely deny it later but I'm slightly worried as well." Mal added, as they walked out of the kitchen, her eyes widdened in shock at what Mal just said. (Is he really trying to comfort me)
"Are you trying to comfort me?" She asked.
"If I was I wouldn't tell you." Mal answered, they didn't say anything else until they reached the fifth floor and was standing in front of the nursery.
"What exactly are we waiting for?" She asked.
"You tell me." Mal replied, she rolled her eyes and opened the door, as they walked into the room they gasped. The nursery walls were painted to be an enchanted forest, of course there was the forest but there was also unicorns, fairies and elves, there was even knights fighting a dragon. The ceiling was painted to look like it was a stained glass window and the images within the stained glass window was a ballroom with a masked princess and prince dancing. And in the middle of the room was a simplistic, white cradle.
"Wow." She said. (This is a beautiful room)
"You can tell this was meant for either a boy or girl." Mal commented.
"I like it." She replied.
"Really?" Mal asked.
"Yes....though I wouldn't use an enchanted forest." She answered, then blushed when she realized what she said.
"Do you usually think of nurseries and everything that goes with a nursery?" Mal asked.
"Actually I've never thought of nurseries and everything that goes with one....including children." She answered.
"You've never thought of children?" Mal asked.
"No, are you surprised?" She asked. (I hope not)
"I'm not surprised, who really thinks of being a parent at sixteen?" Mal answered, adding the rhetorical question at the end.
"Come on, let'ssearch the room." She said, Mal nodded his head and they began their search, once they finished their searching they met back up at the door.
"Did you find anything?" Mal asked.
"Only a bunch of teddy bears and children's books, did you find anything?" She returned the question.
"I just found blankets, nothing else." Mal answered.
"I guess we should start searching the stables then." She said. (I don't think there is anything else in this room) they walked out of the room and they immediately saw a crying girl at the end of the hallway, when the girl turned around she stopped crying and screamed.
"I think we should go." She said.
"More like run." Mal replied, then Mal grabbed her hand and ran towards the stairs to the fourth floor. When they didn't hear footsteps behind them, they stopped running.
"She chased us all the way to the front door." She said, while not letting go of Mal's hand.
"At least the walk to the stables willbe shorter." Mal commented.
"Let's go." She said, and started to drag Mal outside.
"What's the rush?" Mal asked, jokingly.
"I don't want to possibly get chased by a ghost again." She answered.
"Point." Mal said, and Mal continued to let her drag him to the stables. When they got to the stables, they saw the wood was rotted and part of the roof had fallen. As they walked inside they saw saddles and bridal's laying on the ground, the leather in the saddles and bridal's had mold growing on them and the leather was frayed.
"This is a mess." She said.
"Mess is not a strong enough word for what this is." Mal replied.
"If there's anything in here we won't be finding it." She said. (Finding anything in this will almost be impossible)
"Why do you think we won't find anything?" Mal asked.
"Over half the roof has collapsed, we can't even walk further than the entrance because of everything that's blocking our path and we're not exactly dressed to try to walk through this mess." She answered.
"Then how about we walk back to the mansion, I agree the stables are a lost cause?" Mal asked.
"We're not going to the fifth floor." She replied.
"Is that an order?" Mal asked, teasingly.
"Does it have to be?" She asked.
"No, but it would've been fun if it had been." Mal answered.
"Let's go inside, and I'll cook dinner." She said. (Was he flirting with me) Mal rolled his eyes and they walked back towards the mansion and the kitchen.
"Do you know your hands are shaking?" Mal asked, while she started to cook dinner.
"What?" She asked, confused.
"You're hands are shaking." Mal answered, glancing down at her hands, she looked down at her hands and they were indeed shaking.
"Oh." She said.
"Here I'll cook." Mal replied, walking over to her.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because if you continue cooking with your hands shaking, you'll hurt yourself." Mal answered.
"Are you worried about me?" She asked.
"I rather not have to figure out if any of the stuff in that hospital room is still usable." Mal answered.
"Hmm." She hummed. (He's worried) but she did let him cook while she tried to stop the shaking in her hands, it stopped a few minutes after Mal started to cook dinner.
"I see the shaking is gone." Mal said, as she watched Mal place the plates of food on the table.
"Yeah." She replied, after they finished eating they quickly walked back to their room. Once they were inside the room, she made her way over to the couch, she watched Mal walk over to the couch and sat down next to her, she handed Mal....well Mal's journal.
"You ready?" Mal asked, she nodded her head and started to read aloud.
April 10th 1905,
Told daddy and Matthew, during breakfast told Mike, Mal and I, that at noon a painter was coming over and was going to paint mine and Mike's portrait. I was curious why they thought of a portrait, so I asked daddy why he paid for a painter. Daddy said that since Mike and I are engaged we need to have a portrait, I frowned and left the room, my mom left the room with me. Mom told me that the portrait will be painted in the first floor sitting room, she didn't mention it again. At noon we walked to the sitting room, when we walked into the room we saw that daddy, Matthew, Mal and Mike, as well as the painter was already there. After a few minutes of light conversation the painter told Mike and I to stand in front of the fireplace, then he told me to stand closer to Mike and wrap my left arm around Mike's right arm. After I wrapped my arm through Mike's, the painter told us to smile, then he started to paint the portrait. The painter, daddy and Matthew looked at me confused but they didn't say anything. Two hours later, the painter put his paint brush down and told everyone to look at the portrait he just finished, everyone walked over to look at the portrait. The portrait was beautiful but while Mike was beaming in the portrait, I looked like I didn't have any hope left and the smile didn't reach my eyes. I asked daddy if I could have another portrait, but this time with Mal, daddy looked at the portrait then back at me and nodded his head. He then asked Matthew, Mike and my mom to follow him, before they left the room daddy paid the painter for the portrait and soon to be portrait. After everyone was gone except for the painter, Mal and I, the painter asked where the setting would be. I smiled and walked over to the fireplace, then pressed on the button that was in a tiny crevice on the bottom last brick on the right. Then I pressed on the wall next to the fireplace on the right and the painter gasped, the painter told me the room was beautiful, I thankedhim and the three of us continued to walk to the center of the room. Once the painter had everything set up, he asked Mal and I to stand in front of him, before the painter asked told Mal and I how close he wanted us to stand next to each other. Mal had pulled me into his side and wrapped his left arm around my waist, and laid his hand on my stomach, Mal placed his other hand on my right shoulder. I smiled up at Mal while placing my right hand on top of his hand that was laying on my stomach, then I placed my other hand on top of Mal's hand that was on my shoulder, the painter coughed, Mal and I looked at the painter, then he started to paint the portrait. When he was done Mal and I looked at the portrait and I loved it, the portrait was definitely beautiful and the smile I wore had reached my eyes and while Mal wasn't smiling, you could see it in his eyes. I told the painter it was beautiful and he put a lot of affection into the portrait, the painter said that was actually mine and Mal's doing. Then the painter said he needed to leave so Mal and I showed him to the front door, once thepainter was gone Mal and I took our portrait to the fourth floor sitting room. Afterwards Mal gave me this look that always makes me blush and usually ended with us kissing,like all the other times Mal has given me that look, he kissed me and I returned it. When the kiss ended I told Mal I wanted to show him a few rooms on the fifth floor, the first room I was next to the nursery, to open the door you have to turn the handle to the left ninety degrees then three hundred and sixty degrees to the right. Now there are two more rooms one is in the middle of the hallway and the second is at the end of the hallway and both open the same way. Turn the door handle three hundred and sixty degrees to the right then the left then push on the door. After I showed Mal the rooms we walked to the dining room for dinner, daddy asked if he could see the portrait of Mal and I. It was my mom that said that it would be best to see the portrait at a later date, she actually meant until Mal and I are married he wasn't going to see it. After dinner Mal walked me back to my room then he walked into his room.
  April 13th 1905,
Today my mom and I went to the playground room, inside the playground room is another room, you can find it at the top right corner of the room. There is a rock that you have to turn three hundred and sixty degrees to the right then the left then ninety degrees back to the right then pull on the rock and it reveals a trapdoor and the rock is the doors handle. Anyway we spent the entire day in there and after dinner I spent some time with Mal before going to bed.
She stopped reading and looked at Mal waiting for him to start reading, Mal rolled his eyes and started to read aloud.
  April 10th 1905,
Today Thomas and dad decided it was a good idea to have a portrait of Zoey and Mike made, so I had to spend two hours in the first floor sitting room watching my brother smile like an idiot. Zoey on the other hand looked upset and when I looked over at Thomas and dad, I could tell that they could tell that Zoey was upset. The end product of the portrait.....well the painting itself was good but the portrait showed the fact Zoey was upset extremely well, and when I looked over at Thomas, he looked guilty. So when Zoey asked Thomas if she and I could have a portrait he said yes, now two hours later after Zoey asked if she and I could have a portrait. We got to see the portrait of us and it was so much better than Zoey's and my brother's portrait. After the painter left Zoey and I hid the portrait in the fourth floor sitting room, then I kissed her, when the kiss ended Zoey told me she wanted to show me some more rooms. Afterwards during dinner Thomas asked Zoey if he could see the portrait, it was Cora who answered. The short version of what she told Thomas or the untold version of what she said was that the only time Thomas was going to see that portrait was after Zoey and I are married. After dinner I walked Zoey to her room, then I walked into my room.
  April 13th 1905,
Zoey and Cora spent their day together while I ended up spending my day with Thomas, my father and my brother in Thomas's office. We spent the entire day talking about Zoey's and Mike's wedding which was not going to happen, I ignored them for awhile until I heard Thomas mention engagement rings, that's when I started to pay attention. Mike asked what about engagement rings, Thomas asked if Mike thought about getting Zoey one, Mike then said something stupid in front of Thomas. He said why would Zoey need an engagement ring since they were already engaged, now I've thought of engagement rings but even if I hadn't I wouldn't have said that. Thomas raised an eyebrow at Mike then looked at me, suddenly dad said that Mike had already thought of engagement rings, he just was embarrassed to admit it, I knew it was a lie but Thomas didn't. The rest of the day was spent talking about engagement rings and wedding rings, after dinner I spent some time with Zoey before going to bed.
"You seem mad, was it the part about the already engaged so no need for an engagement ring?" Mal asked, after he finished reading the journal, she blushed and nodded her head.
"Why are you mad, it didn't happen to you?" Mal asked.
"I guess the idea of it happening is what got me mad." She said.
"Then you should stop thinking about it." Mal replied.
"Maybe." She said, looking down at the engagement ring Mal dared her to wear.
"Who do you think got her this one?" Mal asked.
"I don't know, but wow." She said, then slightly glared at Mal when he smirked.
"Let's just go to bed, we now know how to get into the rooms on the fifth floor as well as a couple of others." She said when Mal didn't say anything, she turned off the camera and took the journal back to the desk and put the camera on its charger. She rolled her eyes when she saw Mal stifle a laugh, she walked behind the folding screen.
"You can come back here." She said.
"We still need to discuss those portraits.....we didn't find anything portraits." Mal said, while he started to untie the laces of her corset.
"Probably both of them are well hidden, they might be further down in the dungeon or in the attic." She answered.
"And what about the ghost from earlier today?" Mal asked.
"I don't know." She answered, then stepped back a little, suddenly she felt Mal place his hand on her stomach. (Why did he place his hand on my stomach)
"You alright?" Mal asked.
"I'm alright." She answered.
"Then I'm going to let you finish changing clothes, unless you want me to stay." Mal said.
"Go to the other side of the folding screen." She replied blushing, Mal smirked and walked to the other side of the folding screen, once she finished changing, she walked over to Mal.
"Done?" Mal asked.
"If I wasn't done, I wouldn't be on this side of the folding screen." She answered, Mal smirked and walked behind the folding screen, she rolled her eyes and got into bed. (It really is unfair that I need help with these clothes)
"What are you thinking about?"
She turned and saw Mal laying down next to her.
"Um.......nothing." She lied.
"You're lying." Mal replied.
"No, I'm not lying." She said.
"Yes you are, now tell me what you're trying to hide." Mal replied.
"Goodnight Mal." She said, turning off the lamp, but she forgot Mal had a lamp as well.
"Goodnight Zoey, now what are you hiding?" Mal asked.
"I was just thinking about how it's unfair that I need help with my clothes while you don't." She whispered.
"Hmm......well I could use the help." Mal replied.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, her blush from earlier returning.
"I'm talking about from tomorrow morning on....until the end of the challenge, you help me with my clothes....well help with my shirt, tie, cufflinks and jacket. I'll be able to put everything else on, on my own." Mal answered.
"But you don't need the help." She said, looking down at the blankets.
"Maybe, but are you going to take the offer?" Mal asked, she remained silent for awhile until she nodded her head.
"Alright in the the morning." Mal said, then turned off the lamp next to him, not long after Mal turned off the lamp she fell asleep.
                  Mike pov
"Well Mike what do you think about everything that has happened today?" Manitoba asked.
"I think they need to be more careful for the rest of this challenge." He answered. (This is getting too dangerous, if them getting chased by a ghost says anything about the situation)
"And what about the situation between Zoey and Mal?" Vito asked.
"What about them?" He asked.
"Aren't you worried?" Vito asked.
"Worried about what?" He asked.
"You're not an idiot, as of tomorrow Zoey will be helping Mal with his clothes and he was already helping with her clothes." Chester said.
"I was already worried about the situation, and now I'm more worried.....though while I now know Mal won't hurt Zoey. I'm worried their feelings for each other will change even more than it already has." He replied.
"Speaking of Zoey, what do you think about her reactions to those journals entries?" Svetlana asked.
"Honestly I don't know." He answered, after a few minutes of silence. (Why is Zoey having such a strong reaction to those journals)