The Victorian House

I exit the car, looking up at the huge house I had no choice but to stay at for the summer. It was my uncle's, but I knew next to nothing about him except he was my mom's older brother. Of course, the way his house looked didn't make me feel much better. It seemed straight from a horror film. The main part of the house was two stories, plus it had an attic. There was also a sort of tower looking part of the house that was four stories high. It looked like it was built in the 1800s, it had a very Victorian look to it. But not in a nice fancy way, in a more of a haunted house sort of way really. I think I remember my mom mentioning a hereditary home passed down in the family before. This was probably said hereditary home. It had a lot of moss growing from the base up and a few vines tangled around the posts of the front porch. I grabbed by bags from the back and thanked the cab driver as I shut the door. He drove off and just like that, I could no longer leave. I inhaled deeply and stepped up to the front door, knocking weakly. Suddenly, thundering steps shook the house and I was wrapped in a hug.

"Hi Chloe," I said to the little girl who had attacked me.

"Your here! Uncle J! Cassie is here!" My little sister released me and began jumping excitedly. She arrived a few days earlier than me, on the account that my mom needed help getting the funeral for a family member we didn't know ready.

Uncle J nodded silently at me and proceeded to walk to an unknown location in the house. I looked around at the walls, which had black and white pictures in elegant frames covering most of the walls. To my left was a hallway leading to a set of stairs and to my right was a living room with a large brick fireplace and dusty looking furniture.

"Let me show you your room!" She grabbed my arm and followed after our uncle. We went up a flight of stars, up and up to the highest point of the house. My uncle stopped at the doorway of the only room on the top floor. The door was already open and my sister ran right into it. I went in after her and was slightly surprised by the room. It seemed to have updated furniture and only few pictures adorning the walls, some of which a recognised as my mother when she was younger, as well as a few of myself and Chloe.

"Uh, thanks," I turned to my uncle.

He mumbled something and went down the stairs.

"Why is he so quiet?" I asked Chloe.

"He thinks you might be sad about the funeral," Chloe said as she looked out the window.

I tilted my head to the side, "but we don't even know who died."

"Yeah, I know that. He probably doesn't, though."

"Guess so, well I guess it's fine if he wants to give us space to get comfortable," I shrugged and set my bags down onto the floor.

"Well, I'm going to my room, He will come get you when dinner is ready."

"Okay, Chloe. See you at dinner then, I guess."

Chloe skipped out of the door and down the stairs. I plopped onto the bed, thinking of how fast and confusing this all was. All of the sudden my mom was crying, she was so upset. She had me help her with some funeral related things and then sent me to my creepy uncle who lived in a town in the middle of a forest. It was weird since when she spoke to me, Chloe was already gone and on her way to Uncle J's house. It just felt so sudden.

Why had she never told us who this family member was? If she cared so much about them? Why did she send Chloe ahead of me? Wouldn't it have been better if we stayed together?