Hello dear Fan Fiction readers! Hope you'll have a nice Monday and a superb week ahead. We return to our horror story with chapter 2, in which we immerse ourselves in the main plotline. This chapter ended up longer than planned and it kinds of drags on for a little bit. But I felt it necessary as an exposition chapter, to reveal all the important details of the characters and their struggles.
And speaking of characters, you know the drill. The faces for the new characters are: Jorge-Luis Pallo (Brian), Priscilla Garita (Natalie), Dannay Rodriguez (Allison), Jenna Ortega (Annie).
But enough stalling. Time to delve into chapter 2:
2
When Brian Petersen opened the door to see who had knocked, he found himself confused. A blond-haired woman of about five feet tall was standing in front of him. She seemed plucked from a German myth, her long and fair hair, accompanied by a pair of ocean blue eyes and stunning physical shape, marked her as a perfect example of the Arian race. Everything about her suggested she had been crafted, not conceived, with the sole intention to imitate perfection. From her forehead to her chin, from her shoulders to her hips, to even the lower part of her legs, she was a defining model for physical beauty which would have made even the most indifferent envious of her. In addition, the fact that she was neatly dressed in a formal office attire, consisting of a grey suit with a stylish blazer and shirt, finishing downward with a pencil skirt and assorting high heels, contributed to her stunning, radiant visage.
Despite the image in front of him, which would have swayed any man from the get go, Brian did not allow himself distracted. "Can I help you?"
"Hi," the woman added in a cheerful tone. "Yes you can. My name is Elizabeth March. I am an Insurance P&I agent, from the Hoggs&Stewart Club. I'm here regarding your claim following your daughter's accident. Allison, right?"
"Brian Petersen," while shaking her hand. "Is there something wrong?"
"Actually, that's what I'm here to determine," she replied. "May I come in?"
"Brian," a voice called from behind the man.
"It's alright. Just someone from the insurance agency."
Natalie, Brian's wife, joined his side at the threshold of the door, eyeing the visitor with concern. "Is everything ok?"
"Don't worry. Everything is alright. Given the high amount of your claim for your daughter's bills and medical expenses, the Club felt a personal evaluation of your daughter's state was in order. Especially considering her miraculous recovery. Can I just say how glad I was when I read the last doctor's report you sent us, which gave her a clean bill of health? I am really happy she is well and back to normal again."
"Thank you." Natalie said.
Brian, however, appeared even more confused. "I don't understand," he added, adjusting his glasses. "Mr. Wilson did not mention anything about this."
"I know but since we've had so many unfortunate cases of fraud and misrepresentation, the company higher ups decided this was the best course of action. If you want, I can call Mr. Wilson right now and he can confirm all this," the woman added while taking her cell phone and starting to dial.
"No, no," Brian stopped her. "That won't be necessary."
"Please, come in," Natalie waved her inside.
Aella had seen many human abodes. This one was not that different from the rest although it was tighter in space, adorned with furniture of all shapes and sizes in an unaesthetic manner. The architecture did not stray far from the pattern. A stairway to the top floor was placed facing the front door. Beyond it stretched a hallway that led to the living room, dining room, kitchen and the door to the back yard. The color palette was dark, despite a few warm nuances rising here and there.
In contrast to the banal of the house, Aella felt an unexpected coldness as she stepped inside. Her supernatural senses were sounding off. There was something strange about the residence but she could not quite put her finger on it.
The Petersens welcomed her to have a seat on the couch in the living room. Then, they proceeded to sit down as well, in front of her.
"May I get you anything to drink?" Natalie remembered her hospitality manners.
"No, thank you. I will be imposing enough as it is."
"What do you mean," Brian questioned. "What is this 'more personal evaluation' you spoke of before?"
"Well, like I said. There has been a lot of cases that went... well... let's just say they went very bad. Both for us and for our clients. To avoid that, the company higher ups sent me here to personally evaluate Allison's condition and make sure things are what you have claimed them to be."
"You think we might be lying." The man of the house deduced correctly.
"Look, you have to understand that there is a lot of money involved here. And given Allison's miraculous recovery, you can understand our apprehension. Now my company is willing to reimburse your full claim, without a doubt. But in order for that to happen, I must submit a full report based on a four-five days observation period of close contact."
"Close contact? Meaning you have to stay with us for five days?" Natalie checked.
"Yes. Five days which can be prolonged if I deem it necessary. I know it's quite the inconvenience, asking you to welcome me into your home in this manner. The expenses for my accommodation will be deducted by the company, you can be sure of that. And I am willing to earn my keep during my stay here, do chores around the house and stuff. It's the least I can do. "
"It's just that this is highly unusual," Brian shared. "I've never heard of this practice before from anyone. I mean, all the medical reports and invoices we've sent are not good enough? They need to send someone over here to personally note and figure out the obvious? How do I know you won't simply just make up a phony report that will disrepute our claim and reject the reimbursement altogether?"
"You have to trust me. I'm here only to help." Aella reassured them.
"This is not the first time we've been visited by people who claim they want to help us. So you can understand OUR apprehension." Brian retorted.
"I am fully aware of the gravity of what I'm suggesting. And I have a full list of detailed references you can contact, to ensure I am who I say I am. But you have to believe me. This is the only way."
"Well, we are in a tight spot money-wise," Natalie intervened, facing her husband. "Allison's hospital bills and treatment expenses have tore quite the hole in our savings and..."
"We have been managing sufficiently well!" Brian cut his wife off. But when he noticed the sadness in her expression, he sighed, reverting back to a more open-minded, neutral state.
"I'm sorry. Our family has been through a lot lately and we're still a bit on edge. If you say that this is the only way for our claim to be processed further, then we will do it. Full transparency to prove that everything that happened to us was real."
"You're making the right choice, Mr. Petersen." Aella declared.
"Please, call me Brian."
"Call me Natalie."
"And you can call me Elizabeth. Ela, for short. I have to say, it's very nice to meet you in person. I mean after reading so many reports about you, studying your case and all, it's pleasant to meet the people behind the papers."
The married couple were glad to hear her say that. Although Brian was still a bit skeptical and suspected it to be a company line, he still found it to be a positive quality. A company executive thinking of clients as people rather than letters in a report meant to bring them profit. It was a small but sure step into gaining his trust.
"Now there are a few papers to sign before anything," Aella resumed, "but I would very much like to meet your two wonderful girls first."
"They're both upstairs." Natalie said.
"Annie, Allison," Brian shouted. "Come downstairs in the living room. Now, please."
"Annie is 8 and Allison is 16, right?" Aella accurately recalled.
"Yes." The mother of the two affirmed.
"You are so blessed to have such angels in your lives."
"Do you have any children, Ela?"
"Not yet. Work is so hectic, doesn't really leave much for personal life. But I sure would love to have beautiful daughters like yours someday."
It was not difficult for an angel to find the right words to say to a human based on current circumstances. Aella's perception and insight into the mortal world allowed her to easily convey the image of a young woman too caught up in her job to find the time to start up a family. The usual description of most of the human females at this age, on Earth.
"Girls!" Brian's tone grew in authority, pressing his two daughters to hurry up in getting there.
No later than that, boisterous steps were heard from the stairs, as if an angry mob was stomping its way downward. But instead of a group of people, only two girls appeared in sight. The first to reach the bottom of the stairs was Annie, a petite human being with brown pigtails hanging from the side of her head, dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans, holding a robbed doll in her arms. Closely behind her was Allison, a teenager with perfectly combed, soft, long hair, wooden brown eyes, geometrically drawn jaw line, complemented by radiant and plumpish cheeks and a set of thin but naturally charming lips. Covered in a floral dress, she seemed as if she had been pulled out of a fairy tale. Both her and her sister.
After having jumped from the last step to the ground, making a thunderous impact, Annie raised her free arm in the air and triumphantly exclaimed, "I won!"
Allison approached her, panting heavily. "Wow, you sure are fast, I'll give you that! Let me catch my breath for a second." Everyone could tell she was obviously acting in an attempt to make her sister feel better after having allowed her to win the race.
"Oh stop faking it," Annie demanded with zeal. "You tripped on purpose back there."
"Did I?" The older sibling played the fool. "Bet I can catch you for real this time."
Seeing her sister stretch her arms at her, Annie let out a loud squeal and ran away, with Allison in pursuit. The girl's playful game made its way into the living room, as they began running in circles around their mother.
"Girls! That's enough!" Brian yelled. "We have guests. Behave."
Hearing their father's raised voice, the two sisters abruptly stopped and joined their parents to meet Aella. Upon seeing her, Allison froze for a second, adopting a strangely surprised expression. Before anyone could notice, she quickly snapped out of it, regaining her manners. "Hello," she said, extending her hand forward for a shake. "I'm Allison."
"Elizabeth. But you can call me Ela." Aella introduced her made up alter ego, shaking her hand. At that point, the bizarre feeling she kept sensing since she had first entered the house, completely disappeared. Weird, she thought to herself. However, leaving it for another time, she brushed it off to her instincts playing a trick on her.
"I'm really happy that you recovered from your illness," the female angel declared.
"Thank you!" Allison showed her appreciation.
"Although, you're going to have to tell me how you did that. Could use a miracle like that myself for when I get old."
The parents let out a faint laughter. Aella could tell they did it to relieve the tension, brought on by this particular topic. These humans would be a synch to read.
"Ela will be staying with us for a couple of days," Natalie shed some light about the guest to her daughters.
"And you must be Annie," Aella turned to the younger sister, leaning to her level, training her hand toward her, for a handshake with her as well.
Annie gripped her hand as hard as she could and performed a hearty shake.
"Is this your friend?" The angel asked, staring at the doll.
"Yes. Her name is Mrs. Dolly."
"Is she your best friend?"
"No, my best friend is Ali, my sister." Annie replied, glancing at her sibling, who returned her affections with a smile and a wink. "We do everything together like play, have tea parties, race, wrestle in the grass, name cloud shapes in the sky and even have bubble baths."
"Shh," Allison gestured emphatically with an index finger at her lips. "They're not supposed to know about that."
Annie giggled with alacrity.
"Well," Aella added, "I don't know about bubble baths, but I'd sure love to attend one of your tea parties. Do you think that could be arranged?"
"Well we do have a lot of spare chairs we really don't use. So yeah. Let me just go it over with Ali and I'll let you know."
Another set of laughter followed, with Aella joining this time. "Don't worry, Annie," Aella finished, "I promise I won't ruin yours and your sister's tea party."
"That's okay," the little girl assured her while looking down, as if struck by an unwelcomed memory. "Nothing can ruin our tea parties anymore now that Ali's okay. She was once really sick and couldn't talk or move. But now," she let out with a smile, reverting to her cheerful state, "she is fine and we can have tea parties forever!"
"Oh dear lord, no," Allison seemed overburdened by the scenario of having a million plus tea parties.
"Dad," Annie addressed her parent with enthusiasm, "can we go finish our drawings?"
Brian chuckled, realizing he had no choice but to agree. "Yes."
"Yay! Come on Ali," she urged her older sister away, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the stairs.
"Nice to meet you, Ela." Allison stated on her way out.
"They seem really close." Aella said to the parents as they watched the girls go up the stairs.
"Yes. They were close before Allison's accident, but ever since her recovery, their bond became so much stronger. They're almost inseparable."
Studying the way the parents gazed at their children, Aella could tell how much they cared about them. How much everything that has happened affected them. Even Annie, too young to tackle with such things seemed aware and saddened when mentioning Allison's so called illness. Aella imagined it must not have been pleasant for an eight year old girl to see her sister in an unresponsive, catatonic state. This family definitely needed to heal. Aella would have lent as much help as she could have to assist, if not for her assignment... the real reason why she was present at this particular house, why she was posing in front of its family as an insurance agent, with an entire elaborated cover story to gain access inside... She needed answers. Answers she did not have simple access to.
/|\
Although Aella insisted otherwise, Brian helped her with her luggage, from her car to the guest room they had set her up in. It was not difficult for her to manufacture a decent looking vehicle from a junkyard, to claim as her own. And she did not need to drive it as well. Before appearing to the family, she merely teleported it across the street in front of the Petersen's house. As for the personal belongings in her luggage, Aella molded them from a collection of old, dusty clothes she had found in a forgotten warehouse. It was also the same place where she reconditioned scraps of metal into personal decorations humans called jewelry. Ear rings, bracelets, a locket and rings for her fingers fit nicely into her physical appearance. Regarding her cell phone, she used her supernatural abilities to fix and restore a damaged phone she acquired from a pawn shop. Money was no issue as she could easily replicate them from any piece of paper. If her plan was to work, she had to pay attention to every miniscule detail that would help her pass as a normal human mortal. One thing was for sure, she had to play this all the way through if she was going to achieve her mission objective.
As the day turned into evening, the family slowly started to accommodate themselves with the presence of their new guest. All while continuing with their day to day lives. Natalie arranged an extra plate and set of cutlery at the dinner table, placing Aella between herself and Brian, in an attempt to make the girls less uncomfortable to the stranger's company. Afterward, she dashed toward the cooker to make sure her Carbonara was not turning to a crisp. She breathed relieved when the meal passed her inspection. All that was left was to combine the sauce with the pasta and the pork, grate the cheese over the mixture and voila, a nice, hot dinner for everyone. But before she could allow her pride to reach distracting levels, she decided to brush it off and check on Annie's separate food, as her youngest daughter did not enjoy pastas, opting for some vegetables and mashed potatoes.
She saw Allison walking past the kitchen door. Knowing that she had the sauce for the Carbonara in the basement pantry, Natalie realized she could not get it and keep an eye on the almost done boiling potatoes at the same time. Therefore, she decided to enlist Allison's help. "Ali, could you help me out here for a bit?"
The girl complied and paced to reach her mother.
"I need you to watch Annie's potatoes while I go get the sauce. Just leave them for 4 or 5 minutes more and then turn the fire off. Don't leave them too much, they will get burned. Ok?"
"Yes, mommy."
Not needing to hear more, Natalie started walking towards the basement door, located at the other end of the kitchen. When she opened it, the light crept unto the darkened stairs which led down into a blackened void. Fortunately, the woman could see clearly from the illumination source coming from the kitchen, well enough to be able to go down the stairs without injuring herself. And she did. When she reached the bottom, she took to her left, where the pantry was located. At first, she did not pull the light switch, thinking she could find the sauce jar without seeing. However, after several failed attempts, she concluded that she must turn on the light. The small confinement lit up and several shelves full of all sorts of jars and bottles lay in front of her. Natalie studied their contents thoroughly and ultimately found the one she was looking for. It was time to return upstairs.
To her dismay, a strong sense of burning struck her nostrils when she re-entered the kitchen. Throwing her gaze to the electric stove, she saw a thick cloud of smoke coming out of the pot with Annie's potatoes. Allison was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly, Brian appeared and used the oven mitts to remove the pot from the flame. "Damn it," he cursed, opening the window and using his hands to try and wave the smoke outside.
Allison returned, with a distinguishable expression of fear, noticing her parents' upset state.
"What are you doing?" Brian addressed his wife in an austere tone. "Where were you? Damn it, Nat, Annie's food is ruined. What's she going to eat?"
"I went to get the pasta sauce from the pantry. I asked Allison to turn the flame off." Then, she turned to her daughter. "Didn't I tell you to stay here and not let the potatoes burn."
"I'm sorry, mommy," the girl apologized with a shaky voice. "I thought Annie needed me and went to her."
Natalie sighed in frustration. "Allison, I was counting on you. You know that when I tell you to do something, I don't do it for the sake of it. I'm doing it because I need your help."
"Will you stop?" Brian intervened. "Don't blame her for your own mistakes. You should have been here to make sure everything was all right. Now what are we going to do? Those vegetables alone are not enough for Annie."
"I'll make something else," Natalie said and headed over to the cabinet to pull out a frying pan.
"I will do it," Brian violently took the pan from her hand. "Just go."
"I can take care of it," she persisted.
"I said leave!" He ordered with a visible spark of fury in his eyes which Natalie knew it was not meant to be dismissed. It compelled her to give up on the argument and leave the kitchen. On her way out, she casted a glance at Allison who seemed too confused to understand what had occurred. In truth, so was she. Everything was in full control and just like that, in a mere instant, it all went crashing down. In some respects, it resembled what her life had become.
/|\
"Dinner's ready." Brian's voice echoed throughout the house. One by one, the others showed up, drawn by the alluring scented smell of cheese and meat. Aella was the first, followed by Natalie and Annie, who was carrying Mrs. Dolly like an ever-watchful mother that would not let her child go.
"Annie," Brian made his fatherly tone heard, "you know the rule. You can't have Mrs. Dolly at the table while you eat. Her place is in your room now. The fact that we have a guest does not mean you get a pass on this. Please. Take her upstairs. And tell your sister to join us."
Annie sighed and turned toward the exit to comply with her father's demand. Aella let out a faint smile to suggest she was amused by the little girl's mischievous bid to bend her parents' will. That was the usual reaction to such deeds, she figured.
When Annie reached her room, she knew she was going to be quick and not stay too long. That is why she did not bother to open the lights. Besides, there was enough illumination coming from the hallway, which easily allowed her to guide herself through and not bump into every little obstacle in her path. After carefully placing Mrs. Dolly on her bed, she spun on her heels and began sprinting toward the door. But before she could walk out, something suddenly drew her attention.
"Annie" a soft whisper sounded from the empty room behind her. Stopping dead in her tracks, the girl felt a cold shiver running down her spine. She knew there was no one else there beside her. She had been alone the entire time. The only person that was still upstairs beside her was Allison. But she was surely in her room as Annie did not see anyone there that could have been with her. That gave her some courage to turn around and check who had whispered her name.
No one. Her room was as she suspected, empty, enveloped in darkness. Her gaze checked every visible corner and confirmed the situation of her being alone. Although, when checking the lower side of the confinement, her eyes came across something odd. Mrs. Dolly was laying on the floor, next to her bed. Strange, she thought. She was sure she had placed it firmly on the bed. How in the world could it have fallen like that?
Approaching her favorite toy, she picked it up to place it back on the bed. Unbeknownst to her, a figure stood several steps behind her, at the threshold of the door. Since the light from the hallway was shining from its rear, the figure was covered in darkness, only its outline being distinguished. It appeared to have the complexion of a short female, with long hair, a slim body covered in what could only be determined as a dress. It simply stood there, laying silent, watching Annie dealing with the doll.
After planting the toy in the center of her bed, Annie remembered that she had to return to the kitchen. And fast, lest she would face her father's displeasure. So, she turned toward the door. However, the figure that had occupied that particular spot was no more. The child, unaware that she had not been alone, carelessly crossed outside, in the hallway, and began yelling for her sister in order to bring her to the kitchen as well. Mrs. Dolly was left behind in the abysmal darkness of the room, surrounded by an ominous silence specific to the one prior the strike of a predator...
Everyone had managed to gather at the dinner table and enjoyed their meal. Brian was famished after a long day of hard work. Annie was having trouble with the pasta so Allison took it upon herself to teach her to use a spoon as well. Natalie was studying her food more than actually eating it, once in a while taking a shy bite.
As for Aella, she contemplated on the nature and state of this family. Knowing what they had been through, they seemed to have gotten over it pretty well and had moved past it without incident. They appeared as normal as any suburban American family, happy and content. But she knew it was not the case. Appearances are always deceiving and given the human nature, the pain and suffering caused by past trauma was not so far away from the surface, needing only a nudge to rise above. And that was what Aella decided to do.
"So Allison," the angel began, "how are you feeling after everything? I mean I know you're alright, I've seen it. I'm only asking because I know things can never be how they were before, especially after what you went through."
"Well, I don't know," the older sister answered with a confused tone. "I guess I'm good. I'm just happy that everything turned out fine and I have the chance to continue my life as normally as possible."
"Still," Aella insisted, "you must feel some things differently. I presume being in a catatonic state for four months alters your perspective on life."
"I'm not sure what you mean," Allison replied while looking at her parents.
"Like she said," Brian swiftly intervened, "we all are happy that she is healthy and okay now and she can go on with her life. The rest is inconsequential."
"Must have been hard." Aella deduced. "Not knowing what was happening to her, not knowing what to do to fix it. Few families experience such events and come out of it in one piece like you have. Don't get me wrong, I am very glad that you did."
"Thank you," Natalie addressed, in a more gentle tone of voice. "We simply knew we had to stay strong for her, never give up. Praying every night, keeping hope alive... it was not easy. But it was worth it in the end. Our prayers have been answered and Allison returned to us safe and healthy."
"That's all that matters." Brian added.
These humans were naturally trying to hide the dirt, playing hard to get. Aella knew exactly how to maneuver them into the place she wanted.
"I've read that at some point, you added some extra expenses in your claim which you proceeded to withdraw shortly after. For Alprazolam and Diazepam. But those were not meant for Allison, right? They're to relieve stress and anxiety."
"That was for me," Natalie confessed. "I had trouble sleeping and could not focus properly at times."
"But you intentionally submitted them to your reimbursement claim. Were you taking them in very large doses? Cause I can't think of any other reason as to why you would do that."
"We were going through a rough patch." Brian again intervened resolutely. "I don't expect you to understand since you don't have kids of your own. It's very hard for a parent to feel so helpless when it comes to their child. To be unable to do anything about it, to just stay there and only hope things will get better. The torment is almost unbearable."
"What about now?" Allison questioned, surprising both of her parents. Finally, Aella thought to herself.
"What do you mean now?" Brian asked.
"Do you feel like that now, mommy?"
Natalie widened her eyes, as if she had just been caught red handed. Aella caught wind of it and decided to hear what the girl had to say.
"I saw you yesterday picking up that orange pill tube from your purse."
"I don't know what you mean." Natalie attempted to cover it up. "You must have it confused with my key chain or something."
"No, because you took a pill from it and swallowed it." Allison further claimed.
Natalie did not manage to form a retort. She noticed Brian shooting an upset stare at her. Aella knew she had found what she had attempted to exploit. And all she had to do now was let it play by itself, like the falling pieces of a domino. If not now, then surely at a later moment.
"Those pills are for your mom's headaches, Allison." Brian explained. "You know how she has her migraines."
More cover ups, although Aella was sure that this time they were meant for her, as the family was trying to protect their secrets to not jeopardize the validity of their insurance claim. "I know what you mean," she interfered. "After hours and hours of paperwork, my head as well feels like it's going to blow."
"But mom has not been working lately," Allison went on. "She's still on leave, right? The leave your boss gave you when I was ill?"
The parents' expression clearly indicated that they again had been backed into a corner.
"Yes dear," Natalie said. She then turned to Aella. "My boss at the cleaning company allowed me some time off since the troubles with Allison began. Paid in full, of course."
"Sounds like an amazing boss," the angel declared. "I wish my boss was so sympathetic and thoughtful."
"But I still don't understand," Allison stated with a more grave tone. "If you got time off because I was ill, why don't you return now that I'm healthy and well again?"
"Allison, we've had this discussion before. Now eat your dinner!" The father tried to terminate the particular topic.
"But you said that I am healthy and can go on living my normal life. If that's true then I don't need her to stay at home and watch over me like a three year old paraplegic!"
"Allison, we are going to end this discussion right here, right now," Brian affirmed peremptorily. "We know what's best for you and we shall decide what will happen, is that understood?"
"But it's not fair! Even Annie gets more leniency than me. And it's not like things around here are such a heavy chore to do that they require mom to stay at home every day. 'Uh, I need to wash the dishes', 'oh no, I need to vacuum the floor I just vacuumed yesterday.' 'Gotta check on Allison, in her cage room, see if she's still locked up there!' Even a retard can do all these things. And even so, mom still manages to screw them up."
"That is enough!" Brian burst, hitting the table with his palm, startling both his wife and his younger daughter. "You do not disrespect your mother that way. You may be excused. Go to your room! NOW!"
Allison angrily left the table, storming out the kitchen. Natalie shook her head and turned her attention to Annie, attempting to draw her mind away from the scene she had just witnessed.
"Sorry about that," Brian apologized to Aella after sighing. "I guess spirits here are still on edge after everything."
Aella's suspicions had just been confirmed. Indeed appearances were deceiving and this family was hiding a lot of dirt under the apple-pie, picket-fence life they were revealing. Each of them had lingering issues and personal grievances that they were trying to bottle up inside, just like humans naturally do. Good, she thought. It was another step toward unlocking the mysteries of this family and getting the answers she was seeking. Answers that would lead her to her true goal – finding Elise Rainier's lost spirit. She had disappeared without a trace and her last known location was this very specific house…
Another one finished with the next one coming soon. Let me know what you think so far. Not much horror here but trust me, more is on the way. Way much more. So get ready.
