Chapter Four
The light was coming from the dagger she was seeking- or at least part of it. Lara could only make out the shape of the blade's handle. The dark gem on the pommel was what was glowing so brightly. She couldn't look at it for more than a few seconds. Lara took a few steps into the room and stopped, studying the fragment. Even though it gave off such bright light, it didn't appear to be heating up at all. Lara made a bet with herself that when she touched the handle, it would be cool. Every uncovered inch of her skin was tingling with the strange energy the gem threw out.
Lara didn't believe that a house could remember anything that had happened in it. They were just bricks and mortar, after all. The people in the house made it what it was. In this case though, even she had to admit that there was something undeniably creepy about the old house. She had a feeling that the piece of dagger was what made the house feel so eerie. Maybe once it was gone, the horrors that happened so frequently in the neighbourhood would dissipate. Then the people who lived there would be free. She smiled wryly at her thoughts.
She realised what she had to do to collect the pieces. There were nice Norse worlds, and she'd bet that each one would hold a fragment of the dagger. She knelt down on the floor and emptied her backpack, piling items she was unlikely to need next to her. Everything else was packed back where it had come from, leaving her with plenty of room. She stood back up, swinging the backpack on with easy grace. After taking a deep breath, she was ready. What she would face on the other side was anyone guess, but she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pleasant.
She crossed the room, manoeuvring around items that the family had left. Every step she took sent a cloud of heavy dust into the air. She sneezed and covered her face with her top. It didn't stop all of the dust, but it stopped enough. On her way to the handle, she passed the pair of dead bodies sitting in the chairs. She stopped in front of them for a moment, and studied them. Their skeletal hands were linked, each bone held in place by the tiniest piece of cartilage imaginable.
The woman- Lara could only tell by what they wore- sat on the right, her decaying face looking towards her lover. She wore a gown of dark red velvet that had disintegrated in places, dotting the bones with bits of fabric. At her feet, there was a kitchen knife. Lara bet that she had ended her life with it. The man also held a similar knife. He wore a dark suit that had endured the years better than his companion's dress. She guessed that they were Petra and Justin, though she had no way to confirm her suspicions. Knowing that it wouldn't help, Lara couldn't help but whisper a few words for the tragic pair.
She left them then, and crossed the last few feet to where the handle lay. It was still glowing, albeit not as brightly. Whatever source of power was running it was slowly diminishing. Lara took a last deep breath and grabbed hold of the handle. Before she could blink, the light flared, searing her unprotected eyes. She shut them and held on to the cool handle. She didn't see the portal opening, but she felt herself being sucked through it to land on something hard and unyielding. It knocked the air out of her lungs and sent spots dancing in front of her eyes. She sat up slowly and stared at the unbelievable sight before her.