Chapter 13:
1st night: Part twelve
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Hi hi! Thanks much for reviewing! I guess I should update now! ~^.^~ Anyway, here be the next chapter, as promised!
P.S. Thanks for the compliment, Shadow Knight! It means a lot! Who knows? I may just be encouraged to write longer chapters with more reviews like that! But, alas, this chapter shall be only a shorter one. It's a school night and I need to get plenty of rest. *Sigh* I would much rather work on chapters than go to school! Oh well…
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Lina hurried to wards the dark and dreary swamp area. She really didn't want to see any apparitions; her heart was still beating so fast she could swear it was going to burst. As she pushed open the door, Lina calmed slightly. She ran over to the unlit lantern. Carefully, she used the lighter to light it.
There was the sound of something unlocking, and she heard the sound of stone sliding across stone. Carefully, Lina stood on her tiptoes to look at the top of the lantern. Sure enough, the top had slid open, revealing a compartment. Lina reached up and used her hand to feel around inside. Her hand brushed something smooth that had been craved by hand. Lina pulled it out, and unwillingly lost her well-placed balance.
She winced as she hit the hard dirt, her knee scraped across the rough surface of the lantern, creating a rather painful scrape. Lina bit her lower lip and gently blew across the wound, wincing as the cool air stung deeply. She huffed and stood, her leg wobbled slightly, but she ignored the pain, determined, as well as stubborn. Using her flashlight, she looked over her recovered artifact.
It was a smooth stone, with a symbol carved into it and painted black. It was obvious that someone had put a lot of time and care into it. Lina shuddered. The thought of anyone putting and type of care or love into this place seemed… unheard of. Lina thought for a brief moment. Where had she seen a symbol like this before…? It seemed so… familiar… She thought hard. And then, it came to her.
"There was… a symbol… like this… on a door… but where?" She let out a frustrated growl and put the carving away. She would figure it out, sometime. Lina sighed and headed back towards the large porch area.
The porch was quiet, without even the sound of wind against the roof. It sent a rough chill down Lina's spine. Slowly, she walked past the old rotten cherry blossom tree, and nearly jumped out of her skin. Out of nowhere, a woman appeared, hanging by her neck from the tree. Her short black slipped over her shoulder, and her eyes stared at Lina as though she wasn't there.
"The children…" The woman beckoned, a spark filling her empty eyes, a spark of pain and fear. Lina felt her hands unconsciously cover her mouth, to keep from screaming. "Where have… the children gone…?" The apparition vanished, leaving Lina to regain her composure. She would only have a split second, however, because the moment the woman disappeared, another spirit appeared. This one wasn't as subdued as the previous.
It was a woman, or at least, what Lina thought was a woman. She couldn't see her head, however, for the spirit had died terribly. Its neck was so badly broken that it hung back behind its shoulder blades. Lina felt her stomach go tight, as the sickening sight grew nearer. On reflex, Lina lifted up her camera and allowed it to charge.
She unleashed the charged power. The spirit shrieked, and then disappeared. Lina calmed slightly, pondering on how easy that battle was.
Lina put away the photo she had taken and headed towards the path to the large hallway. Lina gently pulled open the door and headed inside, and jumped backwards. There, rolling up the stairs was a severed human head. Lina made a sound as though she was going to be sick; that was just disgusting! Lina closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Calming slightly, Lina caught herself and decided to head up the stairs.
The floorboards creaked, sending a chill down her spine. She carefully walked up, her hand trailing the rail. As she reached the upper level, she looked around. It was more of an indoor balcony than an upper level. To her right, there was a small alcove, and to her left it was something like a looking area. Straight ahead, there was a door tat appeared to be boarded up. Her flashlight shinned upon a scrap on the floor. Lina walked up and lifted it up. She noticed that it was in Rezo's handwriting, which didn't surprise her much…
The Legend of the Holy Mirrors
(The Five Mirrors of the Gods)
The five mirrors, held in the five shrines in this region, are most commonly known as the "Five Mirrors of the Gods". The legend says that the five gods, before leaving this world, left the mirrors as a way of protecting the villages.
Another legend mentions another mirror. This mirror, or the "True Holy Mirror", was supposedly used with the other five mirrors in a ritual to fend off some great disaster. (I'm not sure if the legend is referring to the Calamity or not,)
It's unknown if the ritual mentioned above is related in any way to the Seilloon family or not, but the mirrors seem to play an important part anyway.
It's also unknown if this "True Holy Mirror" actually exists, or if it just used to keep children from feeling afraid at night.
"The… True Holy Mirror…?" Lina repeated, surprised. She knew about the mirrors, everyone did, but she had never heard of a "True Holy Mirror"… how odd. More questions, that's all it led to. Sighing, she put it with the others and glanced around. Another piece of paper rested on the ground, the dust around it untouched. She walked over and lifted it up to view.
It was a newspaper article.
The girl who disappeared for three days has been adopted. Mr. Inverse, a close friend with Mr. Akahoshi and his wife, has taken the small child in his own care. As the police are still searching for any sign of the missing parents, Mr. Inverse has told the media about his own thoughts.
"It's a very unfortunate turn that has happened, I just pray the girl isn't too traumatized," Says Mr. Inverse as he takes the child home. We can only pray and give the family the best of wishes.
Lina's eyes widened in surprise; it couldn't be… could it…? Inverse… her last name… was it possible that… Lina recalled something her father had said. Her grandmother had been adopted… could she have been the little girl…? But that would mean that her own past was intertwined with this mansion!
Lina shuddered about the possibility. But it only made her more determined. If her past truly had something to do with this mansion, then Lina was going to figure out the secrets it held, and mystery of all the terror that had been unleashed in the past. Now, she wasn't only looking for her brother, she was looking for answers.