Chapter 1

The Rabbit Hole

TW/CW: Explicit Language, allusions to abuse and violence against women and children, blood, crime scene description, allusions to suicide, and self-harm. Disturbing imagery and subject matter throughout.

The heat of the cluttered stovetop created a bubble of warmth around Luz Noceda as she worked to prepare dinner for her family, a single failing earbud that worked if the chord was twisted just the right way pumped the chorus of Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash into her ears for the 10th time that day as she tapped her foot to the beat, looking away from the stove to watch her mother turn over on the couch in the living room and let out a weary sigh as she stirred from her afternoon nap.

Luz frowned at her before her gaze returned to the food she was preparing, feeling a pang of guilt resonate through her chest as the rain continued to pelt their roof.

Her mom had been picking up extra shifts at the hospital while she had been diving headfirst into case after case as a private investigator, together they were just managing to keep their heads above water and stop the past due notices from piling up in the mailbox.

That was until just a few weeks ago.

Her mother had collapsed while treating a patient, and she had been forced to take a leave of absence so that she could rest, but her time away from the hospital had been anything but restful. Without the extra income from her over time, they were left with few options.

Save for one.

Luz took out her phone and opened the call log, staring at the unknown number that had called just a few nights ago, and starting voicemail for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Hello Ms. Noceda, my name is Lilith Clawthorne. I am reaching out to you with the hope that you can investigate the disappearance of my sister. It's a case that has been largely ignored by local police, even after I have repeatedly made requests for them to conduct a search. I would like to meet you in person to discuss the details as they are sensitive in nature, and do not wish to communicate them over an unsecured phone line. I understand that my home, The Boiling Isle, is not an easy place to reach but I promise that I will compensate you well for your time. In addition to paying triple your asking rate, I will arrange a room at a local hotel and transportation to and from the town of Bonesburrow. Upon receiving this message, please contact me if you wish to accept this offer so I can begin making the necessary arrangements. Thank you."

"Mija…" A voice said softly, lined with anger and worry.

Luz tensed up as she turned to see her mom standing in the doorway, frowning at her.

"Don't go." She told her.

"Mami, I have to. We need the money."

"We can figure something else out cariño."

Luz shook her head.

"You shouldn't have to work yourself into the grave just for us to make ends meet. She's willing to pay triple our asking rate. That would give us the breathing room we need to get back on our feet."

"You don't think it sounds a little too good to be true? You'd be out there in the middle of the ocean all by yourself, with no way to get back home save for a ferry that comes twice a week. Who knows if this Lilith is who she says she is. Maybe she doesn't even have a sister. You know how cruel this world can be to women. You've seen it."

Luz shut her eyes and shivered at that.

She had seen it.

Too often.

"I know mom, but I think she really needs my help."

"How do you know?" Her mother asked, tilting her head.

"My natural detective's intuition." She replied, cracking a sly smile.

Her mother snickered and rolled her eyes.

"Qué tontería."

"Hey!" Luz grumbled, playfully scowling at her mother before she shut off the stove and started serving the soup she had prepared.

"Is dinner finally ready?!" A new voice asked, feet plodding across the kitchen tile.

"Your sister is serving it now cariño." Their mother said sweetly.

"She's been cooking it for like 3 hours." The little girl in the Pokémon pajamas huffed, her messy brown hair sticking out from the edges of her Eevee hat.

"Patience Valentina." Their mother told her, sternness creeping into her voice.

"Did you pick a book for us to read tonight, Vee?" Luz asked as she handed a bowl of soup to her mother.

"Yeah!" She replied, holding up a hot pink leatherbound book with gold lettering that read: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

"That's a good one," Luz said with an approving nod as she took the book from her sister and handed her a bowl of soup before setting the book on the counter and fishing her thermos out of the cabinet.

"You're leaving again huh?" Vee asked as she sat down at the dinner table.

"Tonight," Luz replied, watching as her mother's gaze fell to the floor.

"Tonight?!" Her little sister whimpered.

Luz nodded as she poured some soup into her thermos.

"Yeah, I have to leave soon so I can catch my ferry."

"Will you be able to read to me before you go?"

"Of course!" Luz replied, walking over and planting a kiss on her little sister's head. "I have to go get my bag ready. If you're done by the time I get back, I'll read to you then."

"OK!" Vee said as Luz walked upstairs into her room, picking up her backpack and throwing it on her half-made bed as she started gathering her equipment from around her bedroom. The lockpicking tool she had bought after her first case, a small digital camera that she had gotten for her sixteenth birthday, a pair of binoculars her grandmother used to for birdwatching before she passed, a first aid kit her mom had helped her put together, a pair of pliers, a pocketknife, a flashlight, a notepad, pen, a box of .45 caliber ammunition and a pair of spare magazines for her father's old M1911 that he had given her when she turned eighteen, which she placed into its holster on her hip.

Was it all a bit overkill?

Most definitely.

Was she taking it all anyway?

Absolutely.

She grabbed her long olive green coat and threw it on before grabbing her maroon-colored beanie and pulling it over her short brown hair before she zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder before turning to head back downstairs, picking up the small duffle bag she kept packed with spare clothes and toiletries that was by her door as she walked without breaking stride, seeing her mom waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase. She had her hands clasped together in front of her, and there were tears in her eyes.

Luz jogged down the last few steps of stairs and set her bags down before extending both of her arms, smiling softly at her mother. She sniffled and pulled her daughter into a tight hug.

"I'll be ok mom," Luz told her, rubbing her back.

"This isn't the life I wanted for you Mija…I feel like I failed you." Her mother said quietly, fingers running through her short brown hair.

"Mom…" Luz said, her voice cracking. "You did not fail me. You've worked so hard to provide for us and you did it all on your own for so many years. I'm more than happy to help you now that I can."

"I'm just scared one day you won't come home, especially right now. This case…something doesn't feel right." Her mother said, releasing her from the tight embrace.

"I'm sure it's nothing mami. I'll be back before you know it." Luz said gently, using her thumb to wipe away the tear that was streaking down her cheek.

"Luuuuuz! Come on, I already started without you!" Vee called from the living room.

"What?!" Her sister yelped, feinting anger as she stomped over and jumped on the couch and pulled her sister into her lap.

"I can't believe you started without me!" Luz said as her fingers dug into her little sister's sides, making her giggle uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, you were taking too long!" She protested in between squeaks and squeals

"Whatever," Luz said with an exaggerated huff before she stopped her attack and reached over to pick up the pink book from off the floor while their mother looked on from the kitchen as she started cleaning.

"Where were you last?"

"Here," Vee said, snuggling into her sister's chest as she started to read in a pitched-up sing-song voice as the rain continued to fall outside, the droplets running down the windows so fast it created a curtain of water that kept the rest of the world obscured from the Noceda's.

Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with a waistcoat pocket or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

The old ferry boat groaned as it pitched and rolled across the waves while heavy rain battered the ship's hull, Luz's gloved hands grip the undersides of the cold wooden bench she was sitting on to keep herself from sliding across the bench and into one of her fellow passengers.

"Almost there everyone!" The captain called from the front of the cabin as a wave crashed over the bow. Luz could see a little set of lights in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief before checking her phone, frowning when she saw the no service alert in the top right-hand corner.

She had been hoping to call her mom when she arrived to let her know she had safely made the crossing, but it seemed that wasn't going to be possible. She wasn't even sure if her hotel would have a phone.

"I've never seen you on this ferry before." An old man sitting in front of her said, making her look up to meet his gaze. He wore a weathered brown duster coat, and a wide-brimmed black felt hat. One of his eyes was ensnared by cataracts but the other was a vibrant blue, like the Atlantic on a calm day.

"Well, it's my first time visiting Bonesburrow. I'm going to see a friend." Luz told him.

"Is that so?" The old man asked before Luz nodded in reply.

"Wonder if your friend is one of the newcomers."

"Have there been a lot of newcomers lately?"

The old man nodded.

"Houses are being bought faster than they can be built. We used to be such a small town. Now it seems like more and more people are arriving every few weeks. This is probably the emptiest I've seen the ferry in a long time."

"Maybe the bad weather scared some people off?" Luz purposed.

"Maybe." The old man said with a nod, looking off into the distance.

Luz's gaze mirrored his when she noticed a twisted mass of metal sitting on the surface of the raging sea, undisturbed by the crashing waves or the howling winds. Through the sea spray and the dark of the night, Luz could make out a series of numbers and letters on the hull.

DD-820

"We're passing the Devil's Reef. That is the USS Alert, it was conducting a patrol here when it struck the reef and became immobilized. The sailors abandoned her and so did the Navy, she was an older ship, so it just wasn't worth the trouble to retrieve her. It's the only thing out here older than Bonesburrow." The old man explained, sensing her curiosity.

"Rumor has it the ship is almost exactly how the crew left it. Beds unmade. Letters in the mailroom that were never sent. A true ghost ship."

"That's amazing. It's basically a time capsule!" Luz said with a grin before quickly adding.

"I'm surprised my friend never told me about it."

"Everyone knows the ship, but few are old enough to remember the story behind it." The old man explained. "My father served aboard her and when he and his shipmates had to abandon her, they came to the Boiling Isle. They were the first men ever to walk those shores. To hike through the woods. A few years after they arrived, Bonesburrow was founded."

"Why did they name it The Boiling Isle?" Luz asked, releasing her death grip on the bench as the seas started to calm.

"Well, that was a more recent development, underwater surveys found a vast array of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor around the island, there are so many it makes the ocean swimmable almost year-round. It's still cold mind you, but not deathly cold." The old man told her as the rain started to peter out and their destination grew larger and larger by the minute.

"Ah, well that's too bad. I should have brought my swimsuit." Luz muttered, which made the old man chuckle as the ferry slowly pulled up to the dock.

"Here we are folks, make sure to gather your belongings and watch your step when you're getting off the boat." The captain said Luz and the old man stood up.

"Well, I hope your visit with your friend goes well." He said as they walked out into the chilly evening air, the smell of rain still thick in the air, intermingled with the scent of fresh fish. The dockyard was filled with fishing vessels of various sizes from small wooden boats almost stereotypical to the area to large metal trawlers that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Deadliest Catch. No matter the size they all flew a set of flags, the stars and stripes of US, and a purple flag with a stylized gothic B in the center, sitting in front of a trident a half of a ship wheel, which looked like it had been broken in half. This purple flag was the larger of the two and flew above the US flag.

"Thank you, it was nice talking with you Mr…uh…"

"Bump." The old man said extending a hand.

Luz shook his hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Bump."

He smiled warmly at her and tipped his hat before walking off down the pier to a nearby waiting car, getting in the passenger's side door and before the car rumbled off down the aging road. Luz took in a deep breath of the salty air and started walking down the pier as she fished her phone out of her pocket, scowling at the already familiar words.

No signal.

"Damn." Luz huffed, pocketing the device and looking around to find her hotel, but all the old brick buildings looked the same to her. She turned around and saw a group of men in rubber overalls plodding down the dock, happily chatting amongst themselves as they made their way towards the sprawling parking lot.

Luz turned and walked to meet them, awkwardly waving at them as she got closer.

"Hi excuse me, can I-?"

One of the men laughed heartily at one of his friend's remarks, making Luz huff and put some more force into her voice.

"Sir, excuse me, sir-"

The men continued to ignore her and even increased their walking speed as they talked. Luz scowled and stepped right in front of them, locking eyes with the bald man at the head of the pack, the nostrils of his flat nose flaring in agitation when she spoke.

"Can one of you tell me where the Owl House is?"

"Sorry, helping tourists isn't in my job description." One of the men grumbled.

Luz crossed her arms.

"If you didn't want to help you could have just told me instead of ignoring me."

"Well consider yourself told." The leader of the group replied tartly, as the group moved to walk around her.

"Pendejo." Luz snipped as she started walking off only to hear one of the men suddenly turn around.

"What was that?" The leader of the group asked.

"Nothing," Luz said flatly before the men started following her.

"Hey!" The leader snapped. "I'm talking to you, outsider!"

His pace had audibly quickened.

Luz undid the bottom button of her coat and reached for her gun.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are you little-"

"Victor!" A female voice said, the tail end of his name cracking like a whip.

Luz turned to see where the new voice had come from and felt her heart skip a beat.

A literal golden-eyed girl with bright teal hair was walking toward the man who was almost twice her size with a scowl on her face. Luz guessed she was in her mid-twenties, just like her. She wore black combat boots, purple leggings, a short black skirt with a white belt, and a purple sweater vest with a white peter pan collared shirt underneath, topped off with a skinny black bowknot and fine black wool coat.

The man seemed to visibly pale as she approached.

"Good evening, Ms. Blight." He said sheepishly.

"What the hell is going on here?" The young woman demanded.

"Well she was-"

"Asking for directions I believe," Amity asked. The harshness in her voice made the man flinch. "I can see that look in your eye Victor, so if you must know, yes I heard everything."

"As your employer-"

The man took a step forward to challenge her.

"Your mother is our employer."

Amity called his bluff took a larger step forward, her hands balling into fists.

"My family is your employer. An employer whose very displeased that the crew of the Salem Siren is behind on their monthly quota. Do you think my mother will be happy to hear you're dragging our name through the mud by being rude to a guest of our island? Perhaps giving you command of your father's vessel was a mistake."

The man stepped back, looking down and to the side to avoid the young woman's steely gaze.

"I'm sorry Ms. Blight…this won't happen again, I swear."

"For your sake Victor, I hope it doesn't." She flicked her head to the side in a shooing motion. "We're done here."

The fishermen slinked off to their cars and the woman sighed and turned and put on a polite smile, but the annoyance was still detectable in her voice.

"I'm really sorry about that. Some of the people around here aren't the friendliest you'll ever meet."

"Ah, that's ok. I feel like they're probably not used to dealing with tourists. Thank you for stepping in though. I was getting a little nervous." Luz said, taking a step closer to the girl.

"Don't mention it." She replied with a shrug. "Hey, you said you were trying to get to the Owl House right?"

Luz nodded.

"That's right, I'm meeting a friend there."

"Do you want me to show you how to get there? It's not far."

"Sure!" Luz chirped.

"Cool." The girl said before gesturing for Luz to follow her, fiddling with the strap on her messenger bag as they started to walk, letting Luz catch a glimpse of her chipped black nail polish.

"I hope this isn't weird, it's just, I don't get to talk with someone my age very often. Especially a girl from the mainland."

"You're fine don't worry," Luz said quickly as they crossed the road and started walking down a narrow cobblestone street free of cars, and lined with small shops as the locals went about their evening.

"So after what happened back there, I gotta ask, are you some kinda big shot around here?"

The girl brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Well, I guess you could say that. My family pretty much dominates the fishing trade around here. We're one of the oldest families in Bonesburrow, the only one who's been here longer is the mayor's family."

"So, what I'm hearing is that there's a good chance all these people are probably pretty jealous you decide to hang out with me," Luz asked with a sly grin.

"Well, I don't know if jealous is the right word," Amity replied, her gaze falling to the uneven stones that were passing under their feet.

"Hey what's that up there?" Luz asked, pointing to a large domed structure in the center of town.

"That is the city museum, it's attached to city hall. There's actually a lot of cool stuff there." Amity explained.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, we have some artifacts from a cargo ship that sank out by Devil's Reef during World War One and there's this skeleton hanging from the ceiling in the main atrium. The original settlers found it when they landed here, to this day no one knows what it belonged to." The teal-haired girl said enthusiastically.

Luz smirked.

"That's so cool, I love a good mystery."

"I could show you around if you'd like…Your friend could come along too if they wanted." Amity offered.

"That'd be fun. It'd be nice to have a local show us around town." Luz told her as they rounded a corner.

This was for the case.

It wasn't so she could have a pseudo museum date with this cute girl.

It was so she could look more like a tourist and keep her cover. Get her ear to the ground and connect with local informants.

Detective shit.

For this case.

Nothing else.

"We're here." The girl said, pulling Luz out of her head.

The pair had come to a stop outside a strange-looking building, with a distinctively curved roof, held together by stonework that in some places looked fairly modern but in others looked like they were once a part of some old castle. Above the plain wooden door was a large stain glass window that looked like an eye.

Well, this is officially the weirdest place I've had to stay at when working on a case. Luz thought to herself as she turned to look at her companion.

"If I wanted to see you again, could I call you?"

Amity eyes fell to the ground.

"Well, I don't have a cell phone since there's no service out here, my house has a landline but it's in my mom's office. So, it's strictly for business only."

Luz frowned.

"Oh."

Maybe this girl was just being polite, but her next sentence helped ease her anxieties.

"I have an idea though." She began before walking forward a few more steps and pointing up at the windows of The Owl House.

"Get a room on this side of the hotel. I can see it from our break room. If you want to hang out, just leave the lamp in the room on. If I see it, I'll turn the light in the break room on and off a few times and we can meet here."

"Ok, should be easy enough to remember," Luz said with a nod.

"I'm usually off by five so you can turn the lamp on just before then." The girl told her as a black car with tinted windows slowed to a stop just a few feet away.

"There you are Amity, I've been looking everywhere for you!" The woman from the driver's seat exclaimed.

Amity turned around quickly.

"Sorry, mom! I was helping this girl find her hotel."

When she looked back at Luz, her brow was furrowed in frustration and worry. Possibly embarrassment too.

"I have to go."

Luz nodded in understanding

"Well thank you for accompanying me, Ms. Blight." She said as she performed an exaggerated bow.

"The pleasure was all mine, but you can just call me Amity." She replied with a chuckle, her cheeks flushing as she curtsied. "Uh, I just realized I never asked your name."

"It's Luz."

"Luz." She repeated with a small smile. "It was nice to meet you." She said quickly, her eyes flicking to the side as if she wanted to say more but had decided against it.

As Luz walked into the Owl House, Amity clambered into her mother's car and quickly buckled her seat belt before folding her hands in her lap, eyes fixating on the glove compartment as the car started to move.

"I'm sorry if I worried you."

"It's alright." Her mother replied flatly.

"I'm happy to hear that you are taking some pride in the family name."

Amity looked over to her mother.

"You heard what happened with Victor?"

"That's right." Her mother said with a nod.

Amity pursed her lips.

"Are you going to let him retain the command of the Salem Siren?"

"I haven't decided. Your father and I will be talking about it later tonight."

They drove in silence for a few minutes as they left town and started driving down a long dark dirt road that cut through the dense ancient forests at the heart of the small island.

"Do you think you'll be seeing that girl again?" Her mother asked as she started to pick at what was left of the black nail polish on her ring finger.

"I would like to…if that's ok."

"So long as she doesn't distract you from your studies." Her mother said, looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Amity quickly stopped picking at her nail and instead laced her fingers together.

"That won't be an issue. I promise."

Her mother smiled at her.

"Good." She said as she ran a hand through her hair.

She had to fight the urge to pull away from the gesture of affection.

If you could even call it that.

After Luz had settled into her room, she sat on the windowsill staring out over the sleepy little town which had already begun to button up for the night. She watched shop owners lock up for the night, servers sit on the curb with their coworkers and distribute tips while the last of the fishing boats, each the size of a small yacht, came into port while cars vacated the massive parking lot in front of a pair of large warehouses down the coastline with adorned with the symbol of the Blight Family, the same symbol that could be found on the flags of all the fishing boats.

Even farther out she could see a large gothic manor sitting on a hill surrounded by a sea of trees, its lights a beacon in the night. It was far removed from the rows and rows of little houses that lined the hills, with what seemed like a dozen more being built in every direction.

Now that rain had passed and winds had calmed, Luz could see the appeal of the small seaside town, even as the pale blue ocean churned around them, restless and ill-tempered as ever.

Then there was a knock at her door that pulled her attention back into her small rustic room.

"Ms. Noceda?" a female voice asked from the other side of the heavy oak door.

Luz got up and walked over, undoing the chain on her door before opening it partway to see a woman in a white long-sleeved shirt and a long black skirt with dark blue hair and grey eyes standing in the hallway, holding a red and gold tome close to her chest.

"Lilith Clawthorne?" Luz asked cautiously.

The woman nodded solemnly.

Luz opened the door and before she could even say come in, Lilith had darted inside and closed the door behind her.

"Thank you for taking the case-" She began only for Luz to hold a hand up to stop her.

"I haven't taken it yet." She said quickly. "I came to meet with you and get more details on what happened before your sister disappeared. Unfortunately, in this business, family vanishing without a trace usually means they just don't want to be found."

"I-I understand," Lilith said as she sat down in the love seat by the window while Luz sat down at the desk near the foot of her bed and grabbed her pen and paper from her backpack when a black muzzle started snuffling the contents.

Luz quickly looked over to see a dog standing next to her. It had white splotches on its head but a predominantly black fuzzy with coat and grey underbelly that made it resemble an Australian Shepard and yet it had the curled tail of an Akita and the pointed ears of a Husky or a German Shepard. The dog sat down and tilted its head at Luz as she scooted her chair closer to the dog and took note of its bright red collar with a gold name tag that read: King

"Oh sorry, that's my sister's dog," Lilith said quickly.

"It's fine, I just didn't notice him come in I guess," Luz said quickly as she started scratching the dog behind the ears, a smile appearing on her face. "He's super cute! What breed is he?"

"Uh well, we're not sure. The vet said he's mixed but they're not sure what he's a mix of exactly." Lilith replied as Luz rolled her chair back and picked up her notepad.

"Sorry King you can get pets later, now I gotta focus."

The dog flopped onto the floor with a huff as Luz's expression turned serious.

"Ms. Clawthorne, I'm going to need you to be as honest with me as you can about what's going on. No detail is too small, and you'll hear no judgment from me about anything we talk about. ok?"

The woman nodded before awkwardly raising her hand.

"You can just call me Lilith if you'd like."

Luz nodded in affirmation hoping to put her at ease as she looked down at her notepad and started writing.

"Great. Let's start with the basics. What was going on with your sister the night she disappeared." She asked.

"Well, my sister, Edalyn, had come home to reconnect with an old acquaintance, the pair were going out to dinner together and she had asked me to look after King while she was out. I told her that wasn't going to be a problem and to just drop him off when they were ready, and I would take care of the rest." Lilith began before taking a shaky breath.

"When she showed up at my door that night, she was alone and she seemed nervous and not just, 'I haven't seen this person who I had feelings for in a long time and now I'm going to dinner with them' kind of nervous."

Luz looked up from her notepad.

"So, your sister and this friend, they were close?"

"They used to be. Back in high school, they were practically attached at the hip but even they weren't enough to keep Eda here."

"Can I get this friend's name really quick?" Luz asked.

Lilith nodded.

"Raine. Raine Whispers."

Luz quickly jotted the name down before looking up at her potential client, who was still holding the large book close to her chest.

"You were saying she was nervous the night she was going out to dinner?"

"That's right. She was on edge. Before she came in, she kept looking over her shoulder and once she was inside she kept peeking out of my windows like she was afraid we were being watched."

"Earlier you said Raine wasn't enough to keep Eda here. Did she and Raine part on bad terms?"

"Well no, they were both heartbroken, it was a hard breakup for them both but I don't think Eda could stand being here anymore by the time she was out of school. She never liked it here."

"So you don't think there could be any ill will over the break-up?"

Lilith shook her head quickly.

"Oh no it was a long time ago, and Raine would never hurt her. Never."

Luz felt her heart sink.

It was a sentiment she had heard before.

Too many times it had turned out to be a lie.

She took a breath and shook her hand several times, trying to shoo away the pain that was building in her hand muscles from writing so much.

"After Eda left the island, do you know where she went? What she did?"

"Only a little. I know she lived in Arkham, Massachusetts for a little while before she moved to Salem and that's where she stayed. Aside from that, I don't know what she's been up to…we don't talk much anymore."

"Did she have any enemies that you know of?"

"Not necessarily."

Luz raised an eyebrow and looked at the woman, waiting for her to elaborate.

"When she left for dinner, she gave me this book. She told me to keep it safe. To keep it hidden. So I don't know anyone who would be after her, but I think someone was out to get her. Or at least she thought there was."

Slowly, she offered the tome to Luz who set her notepad down and took the massive book from her, running her hand over the leather exterior. Despite its size, it was surprisingly lightweight and Luz found it almost too easy to hold with one hand quickly flip through the yellowing pages, which were contained huge blocks of text, strange symbols, and non-sensical diagrams intermixed with hastily written post-it notes, most of which were gibberish to her, and blurry photographs of strange shapes just out of frame, all held in place by plastic paperclips of varying colors.

On one page, there was a photo of an old safe, clearly cut from a larger picture. The safe sat on an ornate desk decorated with intricate floral carvings on the edges and table legs, below the desk was a red velvet carpet with golden swirls. In the corner of the picture were the numbers.

04-15-37

Luz looked up at Lilith, trying to collect her thoughts as the woman shifted uncomfortably in place. For no clear reason, a dull pain was starting to take root in her mind, like the beginnings of a migraine.

"My sister always thought there was something wrong with this place." Lilith began.

"The scariest thing is, she might have been right."

Luz closed the book and set it to the side as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm not making this up I swear to you!" Lilith exclaimed, standing up.

Luz looked up at her and shook her head rapidly.

"I'm not saying you are, this is all just…it's a lot to take in."

Lilith exhaled sharply as she lowered herself back into her seat.

"I'm sorry."

Luz leaned forward.

"It's ok, Lilith I just think-"

"There's one more thing I need to show you. It's the only other clue that I have."

Luz looked at the book and then at the woman's pleading eyes.

She could still say no.

The ferry was still at the dock.

She could still leave.

Instead, her eyes met her client's.

"Show me."

The small two-story apartment building sat on the edge of old Bonesburrow, cordoned off by police tape. A single squad car sat outside, the officer sitting in the driver's seat was fast asleep.

Luz knew that they should let him know they were there, but she decided to snap a picture with her phone instead as they started to cross the street. It would make for decent leverage should the need arise.

"Is this Raine's apartment?" Luz asked as she ducked under the police tape and followed Lilith into the propped open door.

"No, it's the apartment of one of their students. Raine teaches music classes at a nearby college. They're one of my colleagues." Lilith explained as she led Luz up a flight of stairs to the second floor.

"Once Raine stopped showing up to teach, she approached me asking if I knew about what was going on. That was a few days ago." She continued, opening the door to Apartment 2A, the closest apartment to the stairwell. "This morning, her roommate called the police and asked for them to do a wellness check"

As Luz entered the apartment, the first thing she noticed was the smell.

A stagnant rot hung in the air, just noticeable enough to make her heart skip a beat, and her soul sink to the bottom of her heart.

The second thing she noticed was the picture, a pair of girls at what looked to be a high school football game. The first girl wore a marigold-colored coat over a white dress covered with little sunflowers, she had green hair and large round glasses. The girl next to her wore a dark blue pullover sweater with white stripes down the sleeves, her sandy blonde hair was accented by pink streaks and was pulled up in a ponytail.

Luz looked down the hall to see the bathroom door was open and walked over to it as Lilith stood next to the doorway, her gaze fixed on the floor. The only light in the apartment that was still on illuminated her pained face.

As the detective peered into the doorway, her heart jumped into her throat.

Dried blood lined the edge of a porcelain bathtub, having dripped down the sides or coalesced near the drain. The rest of the blood could be found on the walls next to the bathtub, where strange symbols not at all dissimilar to the ones found in Eda's book could be seen, inscribed by trembling fingers.

She peered over the edge as her heart began to hammer against her ribs as she read the words inscribed on the inside of the tub.

The same word.

Over and over again.

"Mierda…" Luz hissed.

BLIGHT

BLIGHT

BLIGHT

BLIGHT

B

L

I

G

H

T

Underneath the final scrawling of the name that she had learned only an hour or two ago was a slanted star-shaped symbol, with an eye in its center, which seemed to fixate on Luz as she tried to comprehend everything she was seeing.

The image of that cute girl from the docks flashed through her mind, her picturesque portrait surrounded by the bloody renditions of her surname that had been written onto the side of the otherwise immaculate bathtub.

As Luz stood up to full height the eye in the tub watched and waited. It seemed to be staring at her now. As if studying the wheels in her mind as they turned the way a watchmaker observed one of their creations.

A strange hum filled her ears as the words she had read to her little sister slithered into her mind and coiled around her brain, refusing to leave her as the dull pain in the center of her head returned, slowly growing in strength and intensity and the words of damn children's book repeated themselves incessantly as she screwed her eyes shut.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again…

A.N- The mystery begins! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! I rarely do horror, but when I saw Galaxy_art1800's prompt, I knew I had to write this mini fic for the week leading up to Halloween! I also went ahead and reached out to ShadowsPD who created the amazing art for this fic that's acting as its cover art!

See you all tomorrow for chapter two!