The Whispers of the Dead

Chapter Four- Aria

I can't unhear the words I heard 3 nights ago. I just can't. The voice was raspy, and sounded somewhat like static.

I walked down the creaky stairs, justifying whether or not my imagination was playing tricks on me.

I woke up this morning, my head was pounding, contemplating whether to tell Vance or not. But I didn't want too, not with Cory here. I didn't want Cory to give me doubt, considering I don't know how he'd react. Just then, I felt something attempt to push me. I almost got pushed down the stairs.

I stood in place for a second. The thing that tried to push me felt like a male's hand, but it was cold. 

I began walking down the stairs, and I heard Vance say something, or thought he was saying something, but all I heard was a sound. Once I heard that sound, everything began to ring. I looked around eerily, and eventually snapped back into reality.

When I got to the ground floor, Vance was making breakfast, and Cory was sitting at the table. They were talking, and then I interrupted.

"Good morning, guys." I grinned.

"I'm making pancakes and bacon. What do you guys want?" Vance asked me and Cory. 

"I'm good.." Cory answered him.

"Uhm.. Vance you know what I like. Make it." I chuckled.

Vance looked at me with a blank expression. I smiled.

"Right. I got it." He answered.

He put his food on the plate, and started my food almost simultaneously. As he did that, I sat at the table. It was a wooden table, and it was made from birch wood. 

"What's up, Cory?" I said, happily.

He looked up from the table.

"Huh? Oh- Nothing. What's up with you?" He asked.

"Nothing at all." I said, still smiling.

A few minutes passed by, and then I heard Vance call from the kitchen that breakfast is ready. I got up, and got my food.

"Thank you, Vance!" I said, happily. 

"You're welcome." He said, blankly.

"I'm going to the library archives, does anyone else want to come?" I asked.

"Uhm.. I will." Cory answered, he seemed kind of a shy being. I could tell he's been through some things.

"That's great! Let's go then! V, you coming?" I asked, hoping for the answer to be yes.

"Sure." He said with no hesitation.

We began leaving the house, and I heard a noise behind me. It sounded like footsteps, but I chose to ignore it.

After a few minutes, we got to the library. As usual, nobody was at the front desk. Vance hopped over the counter to get the keys to the archives. Once we entered, we were hit with a smell of old books. And death. It didn't smell that bad, at least to me. 

The archives are at the most 29 degrees Fahrenheit, probably colder. Its a big room with little to no lights and old files and books everywhere. And every time I've been in the archives, I felt like someone was watching me. Most of the time there is, and that's Vance looking over to me every once in a while asking if I found anything interesting. 

I looked over my shoulder to see how everyone was doing. I don't know what I expected, they were reading and looking through files. 

When I looked towards Vance's direction, he turned around and looked at me. 

"Wassaaaahhhh duuuudddddeeeeee.." 

I broke into laughter. Cory did as well, or at least I think so.

As we continued our research, I noticed Vance and Cory go deeper into the archives. Not paying any attention, I continued to look for files.

Leah B Atime.. Penelope T Yikah.. 

I felt a sudden burning sensation down my back, and let out a scream.

Cory and Vance rushed towards me, I was sitting on the floor, knees up, hands wrapped around my knees and my face hiding, I was also leaning on the shelf.

Once they got there, Vance ran over to me to ask why I screamed. 

"Is everything okay?" He asked me, he seemed concerned, which surprised me.

"I was attacked by... uh.. I actually don't know.." I stuttered, with tears streaming down my face. 

"What do you mean you were attacked?" Vance seemed alarmed now.

"I just said, I don't know.." I answered.

"Explain to me why you screamed." 

"I felt something burn down my back, or something, but I felt burning." I said.

He then lifted up my shirt and looked at my back. 

"There's a cut here. You're bleeding." He said.

I was confused, because nothing was there. I then heard Vance mutter something.

What is that..?

That's what I heard. He then walked away, going a direction of what looked to be nothing, but I mean, who knows?

"Hey... Aria? Are you okay?" Cory came over and asked me, getting a cloth or something from his backpack.

"I should be fine. If this bleeding stops, that is." I assured.

He put the cloth against my back, and then I felt pain again.

"Do you need anything?" He asked me.

"No.. I should be fine. Like I said, if the pain goes away." I answered.

"Okay..." Cory said, suspicious. 

I then heard Vance call something out. 

Uhh... Guys?? Come look at this.

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I HAVE CREDITS!!

Yes, this is Aria's chapter, and yes, it took me a while to update the story. The reasoning for that is that I was suffering from writer's block and one of my key writers was never available to help write the story until January 6th. This chapter took about 2 hours to write, and I'm uploading this on the 7th at 12:15 A.M. or so. 

I could not have wrote this chapter without the help of my friends, Eni and Vance. Eni didn't do much to help as she/he had to go just when I began writing it. So a huge percentage of the credit goes to Vance. I had him help with like, some ideas in this chapter, and yeah. 

I know they're going to read this, so...

Eni and Vance, thank you for the help! I love and appreciate you guys so much :) <3