The Gatekeepers

Aunt Gwendolynn

Darkness swallowed up every inch of the room. The power had gone out with a loud boom. Rosalynn's parents volunteered to make the hike to find the generator on the other side of Great Aunt Gwendolynn's Kentucky ranch.

Carolynn of course threw a fit forcing her parents to take her with them, leaving Rosalynn alone with their great aunt.

They just left her. An eight-year-old with an aunt that she didn't even meet until a week ago at her grandmother's funeral. Before her great aunt was introduced to her, she didn't think that she even belonged to this family that she had been born into.

The only thing proving that she was truely part of the "Commendi" family was the fact that Rosalynn and Carolynn were identical. Only Rosalynn could pick up that there was something special about Great Aunt Gwendolynn.

For a while they sat in silence.

Aunt Gwendolynn let out a great huff as she lit candles around the room. "It's sad that my sister had to leave you like she did... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Thank you for letting us stay here for the summer."

"You're awfully pollite for an eight-year-old you know. Nothin' like that brat sister of yours"

Rosalynn couldn't help but smile at the compliment given to her. Usually it's the other way around. Carolynn was perfect; Carolynn was normal. Rosalynn was the weird one; she was too smart, too mature.

"So, do you like anything other than being quiet?"

"I like reading fairy tales.""Fairy tales?" her aunt inquired.

Rosalynn could hear the venom in her great-aunt's voice enticing her to want to argue but instead she remained silent.

"You wouldn't if you know what I know kid. Trust me... you can't trust that crap."

"Well you aren't supposed to take them seriously. They're very unrealistic."

"Oh? How perceptive. You really just might be the next."

"...The next?"

"Don't worry about it I'll tell you on your birthday"

This statement only confused Rosalynn even more. Great Aunt Gwendolyn could sense this."Just don't go around thinking that everything will just be a 'Bibbity Bobbity Boo'"

"...Okay..."This made Rosalynn even more thrown off about the conversation taking place.

"Consider me your mentor from now on. You're going to be handed a great responsi---"With this there was a change. The hairs on Rosalynn's arms and neck stood up on end; she felt as if someone had pumped her full of adrenaline. Her aunt was no longer relaxed, she looked like a lioness who's den was just disturbed by an unknown predator.

"I want you to get into that little room I showed you yesterday please" Gwen whispered.

Rosalynn immediately complied. She got up and walked over to the hidden door her aunt had shown her so that she would have a chance at winning hide and seek against her sister.

Aunt Gwendolynn stayed still, the candle light flickered and moved as if it had a life of its own. She moved one finger to her lips to signal rosalynn to stay silent.

Rosalynn stayed as quiet as she could with her hand on the door knob, frozen in the spot that she stood in outside of the hidden room. Her Great Aunt walked towards the front entrance and pressed her ear to the door. Her eyes went wide and her body went rigid.She staggered back and turned. Rosalynn gasped as she saw the red liquid pouring out of her aunt's neck. Aunt Gwendolynn gurgled out the only word she could:"Hide."

With this one word, Rosalynn was finally able to move. She fumbled with the door knob, scrambling into the little hidden space, stopping the door with her hands to keep the door open just enough for her to be able to watch her Aunt's movements.

From her hidden space, she could see the front door creak open. A slender man walked through; he had shining eyes and an equally shining row of sharp teeth bearing themselves in a menacing smile thoroughly chilling Rosalynn to the bone causing her to gasp even louder than before.He kicked her still retreating aunt to the ground.

"Now hold still my little sparrow; unless you want the little hatching you're hiding to be found. I wouldn't fight."

Aunt Gwendolynn froze."See my friend? Isn't that better?"

The sharp toothed man leaned down closer to her dying aunts face."You can already tell that those two are going to change things. This world of ours is definitely going to get more interesting my little sparrow. Perhaps I'll get the opportunity to trap the quiet one in my talons later on."

He starts laughing; Rosalynn whimpered and finally closed the door all the way resulting in a loud thump.

"You know Gwen; the humanity the girls brought to you is very becoming. You should have just forgotten this like your sister tried to. Maybe you would've lasted the night."

He then speaks louder."I'll pretend that I didn't hear that little hatchling. I can not wait to see how you grow when we meet again."

With that the house became agonizingly silent.