IN OUR BONES || EXPLICIT ||

Chapter 8

You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky.
You look pretty good down here,
but you ain't really good.

- Sign of the times, Harry Styles.

She hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve, as they were still a bit irritated from earlier.

Then she furiously blinked her eyes.

Rustling leaves and empty space stared back at her. The cold wind was nipping at her face, and the blood in her veins ran colder.

She blamed sleep deprivation for this 'hallucination'.

She quickly walked back to her room, and turned every light on.

After checking all the windows and the doorways of the house, she finally returned back to her bed. Ofcourse, with a large chef's knife, that she later placed under her pillow.

"Is there anything weird about the house I should know of?" She texted Luke, but then instantly regretted it when she realised she was letting the 'haunted' talk get to her.

She quickly switched her phone to silent. Too embarrassed to face what her overthinking has made her do.

She decided, that if asked, she will simply point out she was curious about any withstanding vendettas, not some ghost mumbo-jumbo everyone was spitting.

She reluctantly went back to bed and turned the lights off, but kept her bedside lamp on.

"Weird? Yes. Something you should know about? No." Came the reply a few minutes later.

The following morning, she woke up late.

She decided not to reply to Luke for the time being. This was a conversation for a long, and time requiring call. She would call him later when she knew he was absolutely free.

When she went downstairs, preparing herself for a cold and soggy breakfast, she saw Miranda cleaning in the kitchen. Her blonde hair were covered by a plastic cap.

When Miranda spotted her, she immediately dropped the rag and paid all her undivided attention to Maddy.

"Are you unwell? Do you feel feverish?" Miranda asked, an unfamiliar expression, pinching her old, yet beautiful face.

Maddy gaped at her, completely flabbergasted. If she knew being late is what'll get Miranda to be more like a human being, than an ice block, she would've done this a lot sooner.

"No...uh...I am fine?" She said, more like asked, recovering after a while.

Miranda was still looking at her.

After a while, Maddy realized she was actually looking at her hand- more specifically, her arm, that had a blue bruise.

She pulled her sleeve down over her arm and then cleared her throat before speaking again "yeah, I am okay. Just a little tired."

Wait, why did I do that?

"That's good. Go and sit, I'll reheat your food." Miranda said, hesitantly. Her dark eyes exhibited uncertainty.

While devouring the food, a thought suddenly struck Maddison. She called out to Miranda.

"Why don't you stay on the property? I mean, I know that the Hudsons have permitted you." She asked.

Miranda glanced at her, then revealed "I don't like sleeping in this house."

Maddy nodded.

She, of all people, understood the importance of sleeping in one's own bed, as she herself was unable to sleep properly in her still unfamiliar bed.

Then she inquired again "Earlier, Why were you so worried about me ?"

She was just late for breakfast. Albeit a few hours, still only late.

Miranda was quiet for a long time, her eyes were full of contemplation, and eyebrows were furrowed, then she declared, "It's this place. This house gets to people. You know?"

She didn't.

"Just don't let it get to you" Miranda concluded, sighing when she saw the confused look on Maddy's face. She then went back to the kitchen, and proceeded along her business.

That afternoon, Maddy chose to stay in.

She explored the main grounds and searched for possible hiding spaces, in case of the off chance that what she had been seeing was actually an intruder, and not her over active brain.

She found none in the backyard.

Then she made a note of all the entrances.

After a few hours of extensive mental mapping, she finally made her way to the garden, where she found Agatha peacefully working under the warm yellow glow of sunlight.

Her scarlett hair seemed to be shining, and her tan skin was ethereal golden under the tender sun.

"Hey" she smiled as she got close enough.

"Hey yourself, Maddy" came the reply.

Agatha liked the sound of that- calling her Maddy.

Maddison observed Agatha water the plants for a long time before she broke the silence.

"Agatha, answer me honestly. Do you think there is something wrong with this house?" She quietly asked.

"I mean, do you think I will return in a worse condition than the one I came in?" She then added.

Agatha finally put the hose down, and glanced at Maddy. Deep green eyes stared, scouring for something in her own hazel ones, then Agatha whispered "It is a fascinating thing. Isn't it? The human mind."

"I find it curious. Greed, lust, jealousy. It can convince humans to do barbaric things. People turn on their own. Fairytales warped into something dark. Actual happenings contorted into hauntings. Believing in magic, a creator and paranormal activities. There is a whole new world up here. And everyone's world is different. Some are dark. And very twisted indeed." She paused and glanced at Maddy, who was looking at her curiously, waiting for her to continue.

"These people are the ones that already have the seed inside them. They only require the nurturing of it, to turn into the wicked version of themselves." As she marvelled, she turned her attention towards the direction of skärvalid. There was a strange longing in her eyes.

"There are long stories about this house, and I have been here even longer. I know you don't believe in anything supernatural, and frankly, it is the logical thing to do. But, to me this house is just that- a place. This is the kind of place that draws the bad attention from even worse people. And so has been told by history. The kind that nurtures the abominable seed." she continued "But you shouldn't let that get to you. It can't do anything when there is nothing to help grow. Now, can it?"

Wow. What actually did happen here?

Maddy stared dumbly at Agatha for a long time, and then whispered "No, I suppose not."

Then, her eyes hardened. She appeared to be in a trance. Her stance was calm. Eerily calm. The lilac sunset was staring down at her. She glanced at Agatha dead in the eye and whispered with tranquillity, "I have never let anything change what I am before, and that is not adjusting anytime soon."

There was a moment of silence after that, which was eventually broken by Agatha.

"Then, you have nothing to worry about." She smiled calmly at her, then turned back to her task at hand.

As she went to bed that night, there was one picture permanently etched into Maddy's mind. An image she had noticed earlier as she was going back to the house. An image she saw everytime she closed her eyes.

A footprint near the familiar bluish- purple flowers. Crushed grass and prominent mark in the ground.

Exactly where she had seen the silhouette that morning.

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Also, any guesses on who/what was the 'dark silhouette'?