*I hadn't been in Thorn Hill for years, but what awaited me no one could've guessed. It looked the same except there was not one picture of me anywhere.*

Yasmine and I decided to investigate my old home when everyone was at the pep rally that night. Our only problem was getting there. I had never driven before, and Yazzy was only 15 she didn't have her licenses yet. Then there was also the pesky problem of neither of us having a car. It took a little convincing, but I finally got Carter to take us there even though she refused to go in. I directed her to an dirt road behind the manor. I used to use it when I would sneak away to... umm... do stuff in town. When she let us out I led Yasmine down the old, familiar path. I smiled memories flooding back as soon as my shoes hit the dirt.

*There was young Ophelia Blossom running from the house they couldn't make a home. Running at top speed, the wind in her face the stone at her feet. She ran right down the path not bothering to look back. She was as free as a sparrow. Flying, the girl was flying through the air. The wind was strong but her wings were stronger. Her song was mournful but beautiful. Everyone stopped to listen to it.*

"Lia?" Asked Yasmine concerned breaking my train of thoughts.

I shook the images out of my head then nodded. "Come on. It's just up here." I began leading her up a grassy path towards the back of Thorn Hill."

As we walked, Yasmine began filling the silence with a song. *"Hold my hand. Ooh baby it's a long way down to the bottom of the river."* I listened intently to the lyrics wondering why she was singing that particular song. *"Hold my hand. Ooh baby it's a long way down, a long way down."* She truly did have a beautiful voice. A voice that belongs on Broadway or in a recording studio not in the small town of Riverdale. *"If you get sleep or if you get none. The cock's gonna call in the morning baby."* We walked up a steep hill, and she still sang. *"Check the cupboard for your daddy's gun. Red sun rises like an early warning."* We walked through an overgrown bramble bush, and still she sang. *"The Lord's gonna come for your first born son. His hair's on fire, and his heart is burning."* First born son? Jason was my parents first born son and only son at that. *"So go to the river where the water runs. Wash him deep where the tides are turning."* I could see it now Jason and Cheryl going down to the river. Getting in that godforsaken boat. Rowing across the river. *"And if you fall. And if you fall."* Fall? Like Cheryl originally claimed when they 'fell' from the boat? Or is it our family falling from the town's graces? *"Hold my hand. Ooh baby it's a long way down to the bottom of the river."* I could see it now Jason sinking ever so slowly to the bottom of Sweetwater river. *"Hold my hand. Ooh baby it's a long way down, a long way down."* Sinking, forever sinking. *"The wolves will chase you by the pale moonlight. Drunk and driven by the devil's hunger."* The townspeople had begun to chase Jason all the way down into the bottom of the river. The horrid beasts chasing him farther and farther into the depths. *"Drive your son like a railroad spike. Into the water, let it pull him under."* Under the water, the currents push and pull at Jason's body. He struggles to stay alive, but the beasts are on the shore. *"Don't you lift him let him drown alive. The good Lord speaks like a rolling thunder."* Suddenly, someone's hands are on Jason's head pushing him down, keeping him under. *"Let that fever make the water rise."* It's my hands on Jason's head. I'm holding him under.

"We're here." Says Yasmine abruptly stopping her singing.

I shake the previous thoughts out of my head, and search for the spare key underneath a charm bag, Nanna insisted on having, in the garden patch. I find exactly where I had left it years ago. I use it to unlock the small back door and pocket the key.

We slip inside silently closing the door behind us. I turn towards Yasmine. "We need to search the house top to bottom. I'll start in the basement, and you can start in the attic. Then I'll get the ground floor and you can get the second floor. Be sure to take pictures and/or record anything of interest. And call if you run into anything suspicious or you need a reminder that you're not alone in this big house." I smiled then headed over to the dreaded basement stairs. I took a deep breath descending the stairs that always seemed to lead to pain.

I flicked on the light switch to the room. It hadn't really changed since I left. The same dusty cobwebs, the same cracked walls, and the same horrifying sounds. My mind travels back to the hours, nights, and sometimes even days I spent down here. In the cold darkness with only shadows to keep you company. I looked back at the basement door. It still has the scratches on it from my many escape attempts. One time right after Mother and Father put me down here I turned on the light, so I would have the light to see. I grab the scar at my wrist; the punishment I had gotten for that stunt. I had been forced to wear an iron bracelet straight out of the furnace. It had been glowing red. I wasn't allowed to go to the doctor for it because 'bad girls get punished'. Nanna had wrapped it up and applied a herbal salve for me. I remember growing up I always took the twins punishments. I let them blame everything on me. Sometimes if it was minor I just wouldn't get dinner or whatever the next meal was. Sometimes they'd hurt me. And other times, the worse times, I'd get sent to the basement. Mother and Father would always give me a lecture before the punishment, but when it was the basement I would turn into a blubbering mess. This always pleased Father. He always hated me. He loved to see me suffer. Mother let him do what he wanted while she focused on the twins that never got in trouble.

When I was sent to the basement, I was given nothing. No food. No water. No where to go the bathroom. No light. No blanket. No way out. Father especially liked to send me to the basement right before dinner to spend the entire night there. He would drag me down there then bolt me in. All the lights were off and no one was allowed to come talk to me. I remember even though I was young if I had an accident while in the basement, Mother would be furious saying: 'I should have more control. I'm the eldest.' I wasn't really punished until the twins came along. It was like they realized they could start over.

As I moved farther into the basement it seemed to get darker. The walls of the basement started to move in on me. Suddenly, I was that little girl locked in for the night. The darkness consumed me, and I felt tears on my eyes. I forcefully shut my eyes then screamed. I heard something drop somewhere in the house then my phone rang.

"Hey," exclaimed an exasperated Yasmine on the other line. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said still breathing heavily. "Just had a flashback to some of my childhood torments."

"Sorry, Lia." Apologized Yasmine.

"It's okay." I replied smiling slightly. "Now get back to work."

She laughed then hung up.

I shuffled through some of the different boxes. One in particular stood out to me. It was a box full of everything that proved I ever existed. It had my childhood toys, pictures, drawings, and school work. I felt a tear fall out of the corner of my eye. They kept all of this in a box in the basement? Why?

*They say darkness is a hungry force that'll eat everything in it's path. It'll consume every person. It's only purpose is to do just that.*

*Dust. It covers the past lives. The forgotten lives. Dust is a shroud for things we don't want to remember.*

I sighed watching Ophelia disappear into the basement. I hoped she would be okay. This trip back "home" hasn't done her well so far. She was completely silent on our walk up here even when I tried lightening the mood. I wondered my way up the winding staircases of Thorn Hill finally finding the attic door. I took a deep breath before stepping into the dusty room.

I went through boxes and boxes of forgotten heirlooms. Old family "antiques". I reached into the very bottom of a box my hand closing around a small leather book. I pulled it out wiping off the dust on its cover. It was a journal. I flipped through it. The thing was old. I know it's stealing and wrong, but I put the journal in my messenger bag. I picked up an old metal figurine examining it. Suddenly a scream ripped through the house. I dropped the figurine I was holding. I fumbled for my phone quickly dialing Lia's number. My racing heart pounded against my chest as the phone rang.

"Hey!" I yelled when she finally answered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said her voice breaking. "Just had a flashback to childhood torments."

"Sorry, Lia." I apologized feeling tears sting my eyes.

"It's okay," she laughed nervously. "Now get back to work."

I hung up sighing. This was a mistake. We should've never brought Ophelia back here. I picked up the figurine putting it back in its place.

I began checking the bedrooms in the second floor. I started in what I assume to be the master. I searched through it opening a cabinet full of... wigs?? Anyways, I found a safe beside the bedside, but I don't have time to crack its code. Underneath the bed, I found a locking deposit box. It was locked. I took a picture of it and its hiding spot with my phone maybe I'll find the key.

I continued on to the next room. I had to force the door open of this one. A flurry of dust fell on me as I tumbled through the door. I coughed clearing it away with a wave of my hand. I sneezed a couple times before actually being able to look at the room. It looked like a young girl's room. It had dolls and other toys scattered about. The bed was a perfect pink with a princess style drape over it. A tiara hung on one of the bed posts. I walked over to the bedside table picking up a picture frame that contained a picture of three young people. Two red headed girls and a little red headed boy. This must be Ophelia and the twins, Cheryl and Jason. They looked extremely happy in the picture. I put it down picking up another one. This one also had three people, Ophelia, a dark haired girl and a dark haired boy. I squinted at it. The dark haired girl must be Carter, but who is with them?

I guess this must have been Lia's room. It was a normal room nothing about it suggested to the horror she had gone through as a child. I run my hand along the expensive bed covers. She sure did live a life of luxury. I opened a wardrobe in her walk-in closet, yes she had a walk-in closet. Inside was some of the most beautiful and one-of-a-kind dresses I had ever seen. I run my fingers over the expensive fabric reveling in the soft touch of the dresses. All her other clothes in the closet were nice and obviously expensive, but these must've cost a small fortune. She had shelves and shelves of jewelry. All of it was more expensive than anything I would wear.

I went back out into the room. Even in this house the room seemed a little bit bigger and disproportionate to the size it should be. I ran my fingers along the keys of the piano in the corner. The room by even had it's own fireplace. It makes one wonder: Why did they send Lia away if they seemed to dote on her so much?

"Ophelia? Baby is that you?" Asked a voice from the doorway, and I froze.

*Terror that's what griped me in this moment. Terror it was around me like a boa constrictor. And I was it victim. I was a slave to the terror.*