Curse of the Blackwell Manor (TITNID)

Chapter 1

Present Day (2020)

"Ophelia, are you excited to finally settle in our new vacation home?"

I looked up from reading my copy of "The Shining" when my mother asked me the question as she drove us through the woods to our temporary home. I shrugged as I gave her a blunt answer, "Yeah, I guess. Be a nice change for me for once." After that, she turned her eyes back to the road and stayed quiet again.

Before going back to reading my book, I glanced out the window in our car as we passed by trees and small houses on a dirt road that was the only path from where we'd be living to civilization in town. After graduating high school a few weeks ago, my idea of taking a break from school was different from my parents as they proposed to rent a temporary house away from our home in order for us to take a break from society and just focus on ourselves for the summer.

The truth is, all I've done for the entirety of high school is focus on myself and my studies since I was always the outcast of the school for being obsessed with paranormal tales and supernatural things. Those things seemed more interesting than life itself and when it felt like no one understood me, the characters and spirits I'd learn about felt like the only ones who could.

I just wish my parents offered me more independence, especially since I turned 18 this year in the spring when my birthday is. I wanted to feel more like an adult, but my parents barely trust me alone at home by myself. But they did promise to give me more responsibility as an adult while we stayed here for the summer. In exchange for it, I had to decide where I wanted to go for college in the following Fall.

If I'm being perfectly honest, I'd rather not have to go to college because I really don't see a future for me with the weird interests I have in life. My parents said I can try anything as long as it'll promise me a resourceful and successful lifestyle, but I didn't want success as a substitute for happiness in the future. I'm sure that whatever happens, I can always drop out and go my own way.

The ride lasted for another hour or so adding to our 30 hours of continuous driving until we finally reached our destination. Now, as much as I'm into the Gothic and Victorian aesthetic, I thought renting an entire thousand-year-old mansion was a bit much for our family to be staying for a matter of months. The vibes here were intensly like some kind of sophomore version of Twilight, and I didn't mind much about how old it may seem.

We exited the car as my father went up to meet the real estate woman who sold us the place for the summer. Looking at her talk to my father, it reminded me of how suspicious I still am about how cheap it was to rent it for only about 3 months.  Who would rent an old and luxurious place like this at a low price for a middle-class family with only one child? Then she looked at me and started walking toward me, creeping me out with her over-eager smile.

"This must be the young and lovely Ophelia you two mentioned before, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy", her tone as if I was a child slightly irritated me for a moment, but when she ran a bony hand through my long, dark hair collected in a ponytail, she gave me weird, stalker vibes as if I was precious to her in a bad way. "I'm sure she'll be a lovely addition to the beauty and grace of the mansion", her eyes seemed to change color for a second, and I thought I was going crazy, "Very pretty girl living in a pretty house."

I backed away from her grasp as I walked back to the car and started grabbing my luggage in the backseat, "I'm gonna start unpacking my things in my room." My parents waved me off as they continued to speak to the real estate lady as I pulled the lever out of one of my luggage and dragged it from behind me into the manor. As soon as I stepped through the front doors, I felt a sense of familiarity in the main hallway of the master room, but this was the first time I was seeing this house from the inside. I brushed it off as I headed upstairs where I figured my room would be.

Remembering the instructions my parents told me of where my room would be, I found it down a hallway and opened the door before walking into the room and becoming fascinated by how elegant it looked for an old mansion. The bed was so much bigger than my own back home and the room was decorated with wallpapers that reminded me of the painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. It was incredibly beautiful and I was starting to like it.

I felt I needed to use the bathroom and so I found one next to my room. After, I looked in the mirror to fix up on my hair a little and touch up on my lip gloss. Then it slipped out of my hands for a minute and I crouched down to pick it up. I looked back up in the mirror to be startled by an image of a young man dressed in Victorian clothing with long, blonde hair and blood running down his mouth and shirt. I turned around in fear to find that nothing was standing behind me in real life and in the mirror.

After getting my heart rate back to normal, I decided that it was mainly because of me reading nothing but Stephen King books that I saw what I saw, but it was really nothing and no one there. Remembering the rest of the luggage I had to unpack, I groaned in disappointment as I headed out of the bathroom to continue settling into my new home.