Family Ties
The basement was dreary. It always was. This time, however, the dreariness seemed more alive than ever before. She flinched at every shadow and winced at every sound. The echoes of water, the ones that once were a familiar source of comfort, were now a hollow reminder of how things used to be.
Elvira was evil.
In hindsight, it was easy to see. Her rage, her envy, and the chilling glint in her unnatural eyes. She should have been warier, but what kind of person needs to be wary of their own sister?
Amanda shivered and hugged herself tighter against the barrels, seeking warmth that wasn't there.
-:-:-
She flashed her lantern at the door, illuminating it in a dim glow. She was far from worried, as the senseless banging had stopped hours ago. She stood there for a moment more, and then she turned around and returned to the house, extinguishing the light from her lantern as she went.
Amanda was dying
She paid no heed to the thrice flashed light coming from the stables, opting to deal with him later. Her sister's secret sweetheart was far from her top priority.
Elvira sighed and slipped into bed, seeking nothing but a good night's rest.
-:-:-
Rhodri stood outside the door of the Grey House, shuffling his feet and tugging at his collar. His meetings with Amanda had been secret and his trust in her mysterious sister was far underdeveloped, but his worry outshone that. Amanda had been missing for over a week; he believed his concern was warranted.
He took a breath and knocked the door.
Elvira Grey answered, raising an eyebrow at his presence. "Can I help you?" she inquired.
"Hello, Miss Grey." He greeted quickly. "I'm sorry for intruding, but is Amanda home?"
A solemn frown touched her face at his question, and she placed a gloved hand over her bosom. "Oh… you must be the mysterious lover she was so enamored with." She sighed miserably, dipping her head to stare at the floor. "I'm so sorry. Amanda died several days ago of a terrible illness. Can I bring you to the grave for closure?"
At a loss for words, he could only nod his consent, following automatically as Elvira led him out back. He had knelt by the fresh stone and traced Amanda's name, over and over. His mind was fogged, and he was barely aware of saying goodbye to Elvira as he left the property. Disconsolate.
And Elvira Grey watched him with a dark smirk on her face, satisfaction radiating from every pore.
Amanda Grey was dead.
(AN: It didn't exactly come out the way that I was intending… but I had wanted to write something about the Grey sisters so I opened a document and started typing. This is what happened, so here you go.)