Darkest Death

Chapter Three - Penelope

The big estate didn't show many signs of not being maintained for six months. At least not on the outside. The door creaked as I went inside, where the change was more apparent. First of all, dust laid heavy everywhere, making me suppress a slight cough. Normally Mrs. Thelonien would've had someone come clean at least once a month. When she'd been in shock, Mrs. Felloe, Maia's mom, had done it, but ever since she'd died and I – both due to the law and not wanting to – had abandoned the house to live with my grandparents instead, no one had kept the old house clean.

The second change was more apparent. Someone had been in the house. The trail of footprints in the dust showed that the person had taken whatever didn't legally belong to me. At least I figured that, seeing as the person had left a book on Messengers behind. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Edwald Smythe, who'd been there. A quick look around settled me slightly. He seemingly hadn't taken anything important. He hadn't touched my room either, which looked like it had done the day I left. Most of my belongings were at my grandparent's now, but the big chair and window seat were untouched.

The house felt strange. Unfamiliar and unwelcoming, as if it was no longer my home. It hadn't been for six months. I walked up the staircase in my tower, where the empty bed stood. I turned towards the window. There was nothing here.

"Penny?" It was Jordan, who had come up to me. Of all the people in the gang, he was the last one, I'd expected to keep in contact with, nevertheless, he had been the only one who'd actually come up to me at my grandparents and asked me how I was. And one bear-incident at the school later I'd allowed him to keep in contact with me. That had been one awkward afternoon at the principal's office. "You know what you need?" he asked. I turned to him and shrugged.

"Nothing up here, that's for sure. Let's head to the library." I started walking downstairs and he followed me. When we got into the hallway, however, I stopped in front of Mrs. Thelonien's door. It was closed shut. Tears pressed their ways forward, but I held them back, slowly turning the doorknob. I had never actually explored my aunt's room. She'd have been furious if she found me scouring through her stuff. After her death, I'd barely been able to go into the room again. I took a deep breath before placing my foot on the floorboards, which creaked slightly.

The room looked as it had always done. Sad curtains, heavy air, the big chair facing the old windows. I had spent a lot of time here last year, taking care of my aunt. Right now, a mentally absent aunt seemed better than a dead one. I walked towards one of the big bookcases, that stood against the back wall. Most of the books in the house were in the library. I'd always figured the books she kept in here would be either those she'd read along with her work or fiction. I was wrong. If I'd expected Fifty Shades of Grey, I was seriously disappointed. The only fiction she had in here, were a few classics, such as Withering Heights and Jane Eyre. The rest of the books were factional reads about the Dark World. Some were duplicates of those in the library, others I'd never seen before. Not even at Blackwell's. I looked at the titles, tilting my head slightly as I reached a book, which seemed thicker and more worn than all the others. I grabbed it gently pulling it out. Curious, I opened the book, and was surprised to see, that the insides had been cut out, leaving a box about letter-size. The box was cold to touch. Goosebumps appeared down my arms as I pulled the box out of the book. I clicked it open, as the inside revealed all sorts of papers in different shapes and sizes. They all seemed fairly new. My heart skipped a beat, as I pulled out a paper.

Day 24:

My niece is still seemingly oblivious to the world around her, though she has shown signs of the Messenger. I begin to suspect, that my brother was right in protecting her. However, I do not think the protection will last long. I cannot renew it, and something tells me, that she'll need her powers sooner rather than later.