Chapter 1
Standing in the yard behind the house, I look down. There is a hole. It is under the oak tree where old swings hang. Someone's father built them. The hole is deep. So deep that if I stand at the bottom, the top is still over my head. But at the bottom is a box. Six feet by one foot. It is twelve inches tall. From within it, I can hear her. Pounding to get out. She is knocking on the wood, but only I can free her. It is odd, seeing how she is so much stronger than I. I wonder what it means, but then-
My alarm goes off. That dream is one I have had ever since I have been eight. I have no idea why, or what any of it means. My name is Laura Hollis. I am 19 years old. My Mother died when I was 7. My Father lives in Toronto, where I am from. I go to college at Silas University, in northern Austria. I major in Journalism.
It is seven in the morning on a saturday. I have some work to do, along with chores. My best friend, Lafontaine, is stopping by. They're a bio major, and really good friends with our floor don, Lola Perry. We just call her Perry. Then there is Danny Lawrence. Six two, bright red hair, and president of the summer society. She's an athlete, archer, badass, and really pretty. I better get started on my chores before I get distracted.
A knock on the door a few hours later signals that Perry and Laf are here. I know Laf isn't alone because A, I can hear them talking to Perry through the door, and B, Laf just walks in. Perry knocks. Danny taps and then walks in. I guess it's odd to associate entrance patterns with people, but Silas is a weird school. I go over and open the door. Perry walks in, Curly red hair and bright mothering eyes looking at me. Laf follows her. "Hey Laura!" "How are ya Hollis?" they ask. "I'm good! What's up with you guys?" Perry looks down at her brown shoes. She does this when she's nervous. "Well Laura. You know how the Dean has been looking for a new place to house the new visiting professors, right?"
Chapter 2
Yeah. She said that. Visiting professors. Long story short, that is why I am now moving all of my stuff into an old sorority house on the far side of campus. Thank Pete I have my own car. The sorority house is non-functional and empty. Looking back, I should have wondered more why the professors couldn't just stay here instead of moving me. The rest of the people in the dorms, Perry, Laf, Danny, were moved to other dorms. Random selection had me in the large, victorian style home alone. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was how clean everything was. No dust, no bugs, no cobwebs. It struck me as odd, seeing how there had been no one in the house for the last twenty two years.
I better start unpacking. I get my stuff from my car and bring it all in. It takes a while, but I don't have that much. I go upstairs and find the master bedroom. It has a large mahogany bed, with thick bed posts and black curtains surrounding it. It too, is spotless. It looks like Perry was in here. In fact, Perry would be jealous at these cleaning skills. It was impeccable. After I had set my computer, webcam, clothes, books, and dishes in the places I wanted them, I was tired. I sat down in front of the TV, and turned on Agent Carter. As I got to my favorite Cartinelli moment, in the diner, I dozed off to sleep.
It's different this time. I am not in the backyard. I am in the library. The dark wooden bookshelves, and the thick, ancient books seem to all hold a secret. One that will change everything I know. I go to a podium containing one book. It is closed, it's words holding the fate of gods in them. As I approach it, I see her. A figure in the back yard. Under an oak tree. She is tall, with dark skin, brown eyes, and long hair. She is wearing a white dress with black trim. She is not the one in the box. Someone she cares for is in the box. She signals to me. "Come here, and free her." She beckons, and then disappears. I turn around, and you see that the book on the podium is open now.I look at it. Clearly, on the first page, are the words "Prophetia Karnstein". Before I have time to wonder what it means, the page flips. An invisible hand writes "My name is Mircalla Karnstein. I am fourteen years old." After I read that, the pages started flipping quickly. The book slams shut with a loud bang, and the library door opens. I go out and down the stairs. I find a shovel by the door and grab it. I run to the back yard, under the oak tree. I start to dig. After what seems like forever, I find it. The box. It's there! And she's in it. Waiting.
Chapter 3
I wake up with a jolt. This felt almost too real. But it couldn't be, right? I mean, this place won't have a library. I got up and ran into the hall. It's dark. The giant grandfather clock downstairs strikes two am. I went to the door that I saw in my dream.
"How can this even be possible?" I think. "Okay. Okay. You saw the door when you came up stairs, but there is not going to be a library." I say softly to myself. "And if there is a library, it won't be that exact. There won't be a podium." I open the huge door.
I close my eyes and go in.
"What the…" I mumble. It's all here. The bookshelves. The window. The chairs. And the podium. But there is nothing on the podium. No book. I breathe a small sigh of relief. I go to the shelves of books and look at them. They are all so old, but well taken care of. Some of them are covered with gold ink. They stand out. I look to the window. It is wide, and the sill is a bench. The cushion is red, dark red like blood. Pillows of black and red. I sit down, and look outside. An oak tree, with swings. "Wait WHAT?!" I think. That can't be. And yet it is. A large oak tree, with swings hanging from it. There is a patch of green grass that stands out, even though I know it hasn't been disturbed in centuries. I need to know. Am I going crazy?
I grab a shovel from the basement. It is dark, and creepy, but I do not care right now. I need answers. Why am I having these dreams? What is it about this house? I run outside. It is dark, but a nearby streetlamp gives me enough illumination to find the spot. I plunge the shovel deep into the earth. I throw out bucket fulls of dirt and soil. The rough wooden handle of the shovel is giving me splinters, and blood is staining the wood. The sun is peeking above the treeline by the time I hit it. The box. Six feet by one foot by twelve inches. I know that without even looking at it. I stand next to it in the hole that I have dug, and look down into it. I need to get it up, out of the hole. I notice that a tree limb is above the hole, and the swing ropes are thick.
A few hours later, it's finally out. It's white pine, and held together with thick rope and chains. Nails of iron hold the lid tight. The coffin from my dreams. Here, in this yard. It's freaking me out. In the dreams, there was someone, something in this box, in this coffin. I need to open this. I grab the shovel, and slam the locks open. I rip at the knots in the ropes until my fingers are bleeding. I pry the lid off the top and…
There is a shriveled corpse inside. It's obviously female, long brown hair and a dirty white dress. She has unusually long teeth, and I notice that she has a knife wound in her chest. I don't know why I do it, but I lean forward to get a better look at her. I notice that some of my blood is dripping into the box. I try to pull my hand away, and some of it lands in her mouth. I try not to think of this as I stand up and grab my cell phone to call someone. The police? Perry? Laf? Danny? Danny! She'll try to help me. I punch in her number from memory, and I put it to my ear.
Ring!
"C'mon Danny…"
Ring!
I hear something behind me. It sounds like a bird soaring through the air.
Ring!
I turn around and look, but nothing is there. "Stop tripping yourself out Hollis." I tell myself.
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
You've reached the voicemail box of Danny Lawrence! I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave a message at the sound of the beep. THANKS!
"Damn." I hang up, seeing no point in leaving a voicemail. I look back to the box. "Holy Hufflepuff…"
It's empty.
How can it be empty? I just saw…
I feel it behind me before I see it. A shadow. I turn and I see her. The white dress. The long brown hair. The eyes, the teeth. The teeth. They are sharp. Very sharp. She looks at me, and I look back. Then she lunges for me, and sinks her teeth into my neck.
The last thing I remember is darkness.
Chapter 4
I wake up in my room. It's eleven in the morning. I have a headache. I must have drank a bit too much, that's all. I stand up and look out my window.
The shovel is still there. With the box. And the hole.
What the hell is going on? It was real? I run to the bathroom. Sure enough, there are wounds on my neck. Small, red, sealed. They look like they will heal in a few days. I get dressed, and because it's a day when I have no classes, I decide to research my house. I mean, maybe there will be something to explain what in the name of Harry Potter is going on. But before I can get my library bag, I get a text. It's from Danny.
Hey shortstuff! I saw that you called, but didn't leave a voicemail. Everything okay?
There is no way in hell I am telling her what happened. So I just come up with something.
Yeah! I'm fine. I just buttdialed you and realised it at the last second. Sorry. How are you?
Danny: Okay, It's fine Hollis. I'm good! Hey, do you want to some to the pub with Laf, Perry, and me tomorrow night? It'll be a great way to celebrate your new house!
Like it was worth celebrating. But Danny Lawrence was asking me.
Sounds awesome! I'll meet you guys around six?
Danny: Sure! See you tomorrow night!
Wonderful. This was the perfect way to forget what happened. But I have over 24 hours until then. UGH. I guess I'll go to the library to research the house. I grab my tan bag, and I go out the door.
Five minutes later, I'm at the library. It's not that big, but it's very cozy. I love it. It's a safe place, even though it can be a be a bit creepy. It feels like it's watching you. Almost like it's alive. But it's always comforting, happy almost. Most of the time. At times it can be tense. It's odd, giving a library a human feeling, but that's what it has.
I go to the bookshelf in the back corner that holds all records of Silas. Everything from student yearbooks to the first list of clubs is here. It's my go-to, and no one really comes back here. The computers are always fast and useful, and like the library, they seem to have a personality of their own. No one uses them though. It's a bit odd, but this is Silas. I guess this place is just strong like that. I go to the first computer. Okay..what to type..Let's try Silas disappearances.
Searching… Holy Hufflepuff.
Hundreds. Of. Them. All girls my age. Over two centuries of girls, every twenty years. Young, and quite smart. But in the weeks before they disappeared, they became party animals. Something hisses behind me. I turn. Nothing there. Huh. Anyway.
Okay, Betty Speldorf. 19. Was at Silas in..1985. She went missing. No explanation. Jemma Simpson. 1985. 18. Missing, never found. Sara Jane Louis. 19. 1985. Five girls, every twenty years. 1985. 1965. 1945. 1925. 1905. 1885. Wow. This goes back to the beginning of Silas. I look at all of the records. No one matching the description of the girl I saw. Maybe she was there before Silas? No, the wood of the coffin would have rotted.
I turn around quickly. There it was again. The noise. A hiss, or a growl. Something.
What was that? I thought I saw a plume of black smoke. Huh. I must have not gotten enough sleep. Or..something. I must be imagining. What is that? A meow pierces the silence in the old building. I jump in surprise as something small and soft brushes across my leg. With a shaky breath, I look down.
A cat. A small, black, cat. Sleek black fur, big brown eyes, sharp white teeth. I pick it up. It's a her. Huh. It's going to be cold tonight. I'll take you home.
Chapter 5
I get home and close the door to the house. I set the cat down. She was remarkably calm for being picked up by a stranger. I got some milk and opened a can of cat food that I got at the shop down the street. The cat is sniffing around, but she stays close to me. For the food, of course. Her sleek black fur and slim body moved around slowly, almost curious. I smile at her softly, forgetting all of the weird things that have happened. She is calm and silent as she pads around my small home, the fear I had now gone. "Maybe with a friend", I think, "It won't be so bad."
That night, I pick up the cat and put it on my chest as I sleep. I smile softly as I pet her and feel her purring. Her soft fur is gleaming in the moonlight. I begin to drift off as I hear a thump in the hall. The soft feline hears it too, as she stands up and hisses. Her dark eyes seem to flicker and I get the feeling that this is no normal cat. I don't have time to think of this, as my Door gets kicked in by a man in a brown jacket and blue shirt. I've seen him around Campus. I think his name is William. He speaks, an odd smooth voice with an ugly edge, like a bent sword. "Well, Well. If it isn't Kitty Cat." Kitty Cat? What? What is he talking about? I'm about to ask when the cat leaps up and shifts into the form into a beautiful woman. Why does she..no..It can't be. Can it? The woman from the grave. But instead of white, she's dressed in a black corset with black leather pants that make her ass look fantastic. Shouldn't be thinking of that. She speaks slowly, her voice smooth and sexy. "Well well, Mama's boy. Looks like you found me." Mama's boy? What? I have a million questions, one of them being who the hell is she. "Kitty cat, Lets go see Maman. Hm? Make this easy?" She growls, and I swear to gods it is the sexiest thing I have ever heard. Before I can blink, she has pushed him through the door and out the window across the hall. She pokes her head in, her dark brown eyes and dark hair contrasting with her beautiful pale skin. "Sorry Cutie, Gotta run. Thanks for the hospitality." She was the girl in the box, I know it. Before I can respond, she runs out the door and I hear the front door of the house slam open and shut.
What the hell is going on? First random dreams, then this house, then the girl..I hold my head in my hands. This can't be happening. I need to sleep. In the morning I'll figure it out. I'll..I'll go to guidance. Wait..Tomorrow I'm going to the bar with Danny! That'll help me get my mind off of things. Hanging out with her and Laf will help. Now, it's time to rest.
That night, I have another dream. Not like the precious ones, a new one. A sex dream. I'm in bed, and someone, a woman, is between my legs. I can almost feel her tongue as it circles my clit and teases my core. I assume it's Danny, but then I look down. It's..her. The raven haired woman. The smirk she's wearing is downright sexy. But I don't want her to stop. She trails her fingers up my torso, playing with my breast and sucking my clit at the same time. Oh god I can feel it. Oh, Oh, I'm so fucking clo- My alarm clock ruins the fantasy. I wake up with a start and realize that I'm absolutely soaked. Shit. This is going to be an interesting day..
Chapter 6
Okay. I had time to get myself off before class, thank god. I step outside into the cold air and adjust my scarf. I make sure I have the right bag for today's classes and start down the path to the main Silas campus. I see the shards of glass where the window broke, but no one is there. Huh. I'll call someone to fix that soon. I approach the Summer Society house, where I see Danny teaching some younger girls how to shoot a bow. I look over across the street and...Zetas. Wonderful. They aren't exactly the most tolerable group of young men, but eh. They're alright. I see one of the frat boys I recognize. Wilson Kirsh. He's kind of a dick. And Annoying. But he tries to be nice. He just needs a lesson in manners. He's one of the better Zetas, who back off when a girl (or guy, depending on the situation) says "No". The others try to push but back off after a while.
While walking around the corner, I see something out of the corner of my eye. Someone watching me. I wonder if it's connected to what happened last night..Anyway. I get to the literature building and walk in. It's hard to focus. I keep thinking about everything. The dreams, the grave, the woman, the other woman, the man, it's swarming around in my head like a cloud of locusts so large it blocks out the sun. I get into the class and sit down. A new teacher..no..Holy shit..It's the dean. The fucking dean. Lilita Morgan. At least 40, in a suit and with her hair tight in a bun. Shes looking around. Did she just..smile at me? No, that would be impossible. She continues with the lesson, speaking about some book that I can't remember. I can't even focus. But..something feels off. I'm not sure what. The hair on the back of my neck stands up. Someone comes into class, I can hear the door. They sit near me. A row back.
I look.
She's wearing all black, sunglasses and a coat over pale skin. I can't tell much about her, because she's covered most of her features. She smiles at me, a smirk dancing on red lips. Something..familiar about her.
It hits me.
She was the one in my room.
Why is she here? What does she want? Is she following me? What is going on?
Class just ended. The girl whispers "Hey there, cutie." I'm about to respond when the Dean says "Ms. Hollis, Can you stay after class?" I look behind me.
The girl is gone.
Chapter 7
The girl just..disappeared! Just like that! How? I don't have time for these questions. I walk down the rows of chairs after the bell rings. I approach the dean. "Yes Ma'am?" I speak, quietly. This woman is scary. She takes off her glasses and sets them on the desk. "Ms. Hollis. I've heard much about you." She has? What? "Uh..is that a good thing?" She laughs, like I've told a joke. "Yes, dear. It is. Your studies are amazing and your grades are phenomenal." Hell yeah! "But..I've heard that you've had trouble with the new campus house." Hell no. She couldn't have heard that! I didn't tell anyone! "How did you hear, Dean Morgan?" She cocks a thin eyebrow like a gun. I feel like she's staring into my soul, like a monster waiting to attack. "A little birdy told me." She said coldly. I take a deep breath. "Nothing has been happening." Why am I lying? What do I fear? My father always said to trust my instincts, but why should I lie to the dean of students? So many questions running through my mind. She smirks, like she knows something I don't. "Alright. But if anything does I want you to tell me directly." I nod.
What is happening?
When I get back home I try to brush away what happened. I need to get ready for my date with Danny. Its not a date, she just wants to hang out. I remind myself. Perry and Lafontaine will be there. I check the backyard, the hole is still there. Alright, not crazy yet. I grab a yellow sweater with a white shirt under it, and red pants. I grab my black long P coat, and put it on. I make sure I have my ID and that my hair is neat. Boom. Ready. I'm out the door. Danny, as I suspected, is already waiting for me. Her copper hair shines in the fading sunlight, and her blue eyes sparkle like a clear pond. "Ready, Hollis?" She asks, smiling. I nod, and take her outstretched arm.
A few hours later
Well, that was shit. The date sucked. Danny got SMASHED halfway through and I'm pretty sure Laf and Per are still helping her to her dorm. I'm walking back. It's dark out, and the moon is full again. Odd, that seems to be every night here. The stars, however, are almost never seen. I think about it for a moment before I hear heavy steps behind me. Alright, don't panic Hollis. I turn around and..Okay, start panicking. Huge guy, carrying something in his pocket. Not good. I start walking faster, and so does he. A sidestreet, dark, is ahead. Do I risk it? No, that would be stupid. Stupid is apparently my middle name. I duck into it, and its an alley. Dead end. Shiiit. He chuckles and looks at me. He starts walking near me. Every horror story I've heard is about to come true. But then a flash of fire, and a puff of smoke, and shes there. Black hair, pale. She tackles him and he falls as if he were paper. Soon he's bloody and shes..drinking his blood? What?! She stands up and I cant help but stare. She smirks. "Hey there, cupcake. I guess you have questions and well. I have nothing better to do." I keep staring. I finally, FINALLY, stutter "Who the frilly hell are you?"