Thank you to all those reading this story and staying with me all this time. The rewrites are coming along and I hope to start posting regular updates in the near future.
Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to FUN. (You should be watching).
Chapter 1- New Bloodlines
After that night, they spared no precautions and made themselves like a fortress against the creatures that lurk in the dark. Trees were cut to proven materials for fences, curfews strictly enforced to all citizens, everyone was to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. Fear consumed many lives, but also anger. They rallied together in hope of keeping the evil gone for good.
Several times groups were organized to go and tear apart the witch's dwelling. They wanted to erased all trace of her in this world. However, the house seemed to be just as cursed as she was, refusing to burn to ashes. Torches were thrown into windows, shattering the glass, and the foundation soaked with the strongest alcohol they could get their hands on. However, nothing seemed to bring the building to the ground. The frame did become charred by the fire and the windows remained busted in, but not even hammers and crowbars could rip the place apart. Dents and nicks were made, splinters in weaker areas, but the building was indestructible.
After so many attempts, the villagers gave in to their frustrations. The people fenced off the property and never allowed anyone beyond that point in the forest. It was to be forgotten. All the adults made a silent vow to keep the secret of its location to prevent any curious children from wondering off to find the "Place of Evil." A gray cloud forever hung over the town as people got on with their lives, still looking over their shoulders at the shadows. Many took the knowledge of what had happened to their graves, children grew-up with hazy memories of what had occurred, some recorded the history in journals that would be mostly lost to time. Eventually, all recollection faded as new generations came and went.
Hundreds of years passed since the night the townsfolk had ridden themselves of the witch... and lost one of their own. Now, only legends prevailed. Ghost stories were told as warnings to children about wondering in the woods, but few still believed in the facts of these warnings. The town began to grow and eventually, the witch's home was discovered again. Overgrown and in disrepair, each attempt to condemn the building ended in unexplained accidents. Workers falling over railings, equipment losing power, a man tragically impaled by a loose fence post. Soon, new stories of the "cursed house" emerged.
A new fence of concrete was constructed to keep people away, but the town continued to grow around the eyesore, its history nearly completely lost to time.
"Hurry up, losers!" The albino called back to his friends as they raced from their high school. He expertly weaved through the crowds, and occasionally bumped into the odd person too slow to get out of the way. Looking back, Gilbert watched two other boys struggle through the throng of classmates. Francis, a flamboyant blond, was lagging the farthest behind in their group. He was wearing a few layers too many for this much physical activity to be comfortable. Fashion first in his book.
Antonio was doing better at keeping up with the hyper Prussian, but kept getting cutoff by various students eager to start their weekend. He had to stop a few times to help pick up some papers that he had caused a poor bystander to drop. He was sure his friend had made him a few more enemies on this day, and he lost track of how many times he had apologized. Francis, meanwhile, had given up trying to keep up and figured they would all end up at the same place no matter how long it took him to get there. He paused to dab the sweat from his brow, How unbecoming for such a beautiful face!
Gilbert was more excited than ever about some new information he had learned about their favorite mystery: The Old Hag Place. A name they had come up with as children for the abandoned house a little ways off from the center of town. Growing up, the place had given them the creeps and their parents warned them against ever thinking of setting foot anywhere near the place. Naturally, they were drawn to the forbidden. All the adults ever said about the place was that it once belonged to a beggar woman that lived deep in the woods, away from the rest of the town. In the old days, children that wandered onto her property would disappear. Eventually, the old woman died and the house has stood empty ever since.
As children, the three of them imagined the woman's ghost haunted the place, which is why no one else ever moved in. On dark nights, they swore they heard the moans of the spirits of her child victims. The trio was so captivated by the possibilities that they set up a tree house in Antonio's backyard, where they can spy on the house using a telescope. Repeatedly, Antonio's little brother Lovino had called them all idiots for wanting to sleep outside in a tree. Who wants to be so exposed to the elements? Gilbert, Antonio, and - to an extent- Francis. The latter having made sure to decorate the walls fashionably and lay down many fine-threaded blankets. They would do anything to solve the mystery. Even turning to the movie Ghostbusters for a period, imagining themselves bursting down the door and sucking up the ghost woman's evil spirit.
Years had been spent researching the town history, asking the folks at the retirement center if they remembered anything from their childhoods, and volunteering their services to raise money for whatever equipment they might need. The telescope took them months of garage cleanings and dog walking. All their work and questioning didn't get them any closer to finding the truth, though. Everyone had a different recollection of the place, no one was even in agreement of when it was built! Some claim to remember when the workers were piecing the house together, and hearing that mysterious accidents kept happening. This lead the boys to believe the land was on some burial ground and cursed.
Other's said the house had been standing before anyone's time. It was just always there. With this information, the group tried to imagine some ancient magic that rose the house from the ground and would punish anyone that tried to enter. A shrine, maybe, of some native people that wanted revenge for the settlers coming in and forcing them off the land. Francis had even found stories about things called 'Wendigos.' For a while, the boys thought this was the most likely cause for all the stuff that was said about the place. Antonio even did a lot of research about how to dis-spell an evil spirit. He learned all kinds of rituals from all over the world.
Now, here they were in high school still trying to crack the mystery. Gilbert had been all excited about something he had found while cleaning out Mr. McCloud's attic. He kept them guessing all day, knowing how the suspense would distract them all day from focusing on their classes. Just a few more blocks and they would reach their destination. Still standing in disrepair, overgrown with weeds and vines, was the Old Hag Place. The other properties on the street had distanced themselves. No one had wanted to be anywhere near the place, but it was impossible to expand the town without including it. To compensate, the neighboring homes were build far off to either side, the old house was practically the only building on its side of the street. Tall fences had been constructed and the trees remained uncut to create a small forest that allowed for much privacy.
"I win!" Gilbert spun to face the others. His face was flushed, but the weather was nice and cool on this October afternoon. Antonio was the next to make it, though he was in better shape, having taken his time. His face was slightly flushed, but he was used to having chase around his little brother. He had plenty of endurance.
"You must have found something juicy about the place." He commented to the gloating albino. "You've had us racking our brains all day over this!"
Just then, Francis came up behind them, wheezing. He collapsed to his knees trying to catch his breath. His scarf was secured around his neck, but he had unbuttoned the top buttons of his uniform. The wind was a cool relief to his beautiful chest, and he didn't mind showing of his best features.
"I... ha...ate... you..." The Frenchman's lungs burned from the overexertion and the cold weather.
"Love you, too, Francy-pants!" Gilbert gave the other a thumbs up.
"Francis, maybe if you actually stayed for gym class you wouldn't be in such sorry shape." Antonio scolded his friend.
"And have to stink the rest of the day?! I think not! Sweat is only good after a nice night with a lovely lady." Francis flushed with lust at his thoughts.
"Stink? The only time you go to class is when it's shower time. I don't think it's only ladies that are on your mind." Antonio quipped back. Francis always was the more... explicit member of their group. He found a stash of his parents 'special' movies in middle school and has considered himself a love expert since. He even used their research time to look into Gods and Goddesses of love.
"Man, woman, are we not all beautiful in our own ways, no?" Spoken like a true love guru...
"Whatever! We can poke fun at him later! I've got a big lead for us to look into!" Gilbert rummaged through his backpack before pulling out a worn out looking book. It was faded from its original leather and the spine was torn and bent. As he flipped through the pages, they were yellowed with age.
"What have you got there. amigo?" The group gathered round, Francis finally able to pull himself off the ground.
"I found this in the old man's attic. Apparently, it belonged to his great-something or other grandmother and the family never had the heart to throw it out. I guess it was, like their family history or something."
"Please tell me you did not steal something so precious?" Francis worried.
"No! What do you take me for?" Gil defended. "I asked him about it and he said if I was that interested in the town's early days I could borrow it." He kept flipping through the paged until he found what he was looking for.
"Here!" He started reading the passage as best he could make out. The writing was old and in cursive, which he never really bothered to perfect while in school.
Oct. 23, 1719
What a tragedy that has fallen upon our once peaceful town! I can hardly bring myself to recall the events of the passed few days, but someone must remember what happened. Too many times we let ourselves become vulnerable to the wicked because we choose to ignore the signs.
Even now, my neighbors are trying to forget what has occurred. They think that they can prevent anymore harm by turning the other way and letting the memories fade. I understand their want to wipe this tragedy from our history, but I know how impossible that task can be. We must not forget, but warn our next generations of the dangers in these parts.
Our prayers for the Mayor and what remains of his family will hopefully bring that poor little girl some peace. God Rest her young soul. I was not present when her life was lost to us, but I was tending to my own children. Is it so selfish that I have an ounce of joy in heart that it was not my own children that fell victim to something so wicked? Maybe so, but I will not risk my family falling into the hands of another demon. Just because one has been burned, does not mean more are not out there, waiting for another child to wander into the darkness.
My husband mentioned to me that the monster placed a curse on the Mayor's family for being the one's that ruined its scheme. What it wanted from us and why such a sweet child had to be the sacrifice, I do not know. The whole town has tried to destroy all trace of what has happened, but the house just won't burn. I fear the curse has something to do with whatever might be inside those walls. What we must do now is prevent anyone from ever going back to that place. The children must be warned about the dangers and everyone prepared for whatever might come next.
I leave this note for the future. Do not allow the evil to rise again.
The rest was far too smudged to make out, like someone had at one time dropped the book in a bucket of water or it was the victim of a leaky roof.
"So what do you make about that?!" Gilbert was eager to hear his friends thoughts on what he had found. This was the closest and most straight forward an answer they had ever come across.
"A monster! So the idea of a Wendigo, or something like that wasn't too far fetched!" Antonio beamed.
"But a creature like that can't build a home. It must be something more sophisticated! A Demigod in disguise, perhaps?" Francis offered. If a demigod of evil was real, then all the stories of his love Gods must also be true!
"And what was that about the Mayor's family being cursed? Do we know if they still have any relatives in town? That might point us deeper down the right road." The Spaniard was already thinking of a good time to hunt through old records.
"Whatever this 'monster' is, we got a lead bigger than anything else we've ever had! Solid proof that something is seriously not right about this place!" They all turned to the subject in question. The black marks along the wood frame must have been from when the townspeople tried to burn the place down. Chips and nicks all made sense knowing how desperate everyone would have been to tear the place down, especially if a little kid got killed there.
"All righty, men! We can finally uncover the town's dirty little secret!"
"Yay!" They all put their hands together. This was it, their big break! They had a name to put to the mystery as soon as they find out who was mayor in 1719. Then see if he still had any living relatives in town that could hold the key to unlocking whatever this curse could be about.
"What are you three idiots going on about this time?" A polished voice spoke from behind them. The trio turned to see Arthur, the self-proclaimed gentleman, and his little brother Alfred. The younger was carrying an ice cream cone in one hand while holding onto his brother with the other. He gave them a messy faced smile and ran over to the older boys, earning a light scolding from Arthur.
"Hey! Are you guys playing detectives again?" Alfred questioned enthusiastically. He looked up to the three like real life detectives because their antics remind him of Scooby-Doo, only then never get their guy in the end.
"Listen, kid, we're more than just detectives!" Gilbert declared. "We are on the verge of solving one of this place's greatest mysteries!" The way the little boy's eyes lit up at that made Gilbert feel like a proud big brother, if only Ludwig could look at him that way more often.
"Really!?" His youthful energy radiated to everyone around him. Francis cooed at the child and wrapped him in a bear hug.
"How can such an adorable little thing be related to one as cold as Arthur?" He cried.
"Hey!" Said boy called out. "I'll have you know I taught Alfred practically everything he knows! Though I suppose I'll have to remind about avoiding creepy, perverted Frenchmen!" He glared at the man holding his brother.
"Aww, Arty's the best big brother ever! He's just not good at making friends." Alfred tried to defend his brother in his innocent way. Arthur didn't know whether to be happy that Alfred called him 'the best,' or embarrassed that his brother thought he had no friends.
"Harsh..." Gilbert grinned.
"I wish Lovino talked about me that way..." Antonio sulked... He was jealous of the close bond Arthur and Alfred had. Both loved being around each other at all hours and depended on each other.
"Anyway..." Arther adjusted his collar in an attempt to hid his blush, "It's time we were getting home now. Alfred, say good-bye."
"Must this little angel go so soon? I bet he would like to help us with our hunt!" Francis was enjoying the warmth of the child in his arms. The wind had picked up and he had yet to redo the buttons on his shirt.
"Absolutely not!" Arthur was shooting that idea down before Alfred had the chance to process what was said. The last thing he wanted was for his precious brother to be under the influence of three urban legend chasing morons, and who know what kind of language they would teach him. If he didn't shut this down before Alfred turned those puppy dog eyes on him, there was no denying the boy. It was Arthur's weakness.
"What are you doing out this way, anyway?" Antonio questioned. The two lived on the other side of the area, where the school wouldn't have them pass by the Old Hag's Place.
"I'll have you know that Alfred and I always go for ice cream on Friday if he was good at school." The proud big brother stated.
"But it's like, 50 degrees out." The German pointed out. Who wants ice cream in this weather? A Hot apple cider would make more sense.
"Please, Alfred would eat ice cream in the snow... which he does when winter comes." Arthur wasn't one for the teeth-rotting, sugary treat, but it made Alfred happy. As a brother, that's all he wanted for the child.
"Ice cream is the best!" The boy waved his cone in the air, luckily it was nearly empty.
"Big brother, Francis can get you all the ice cream you could ever want!" He smiled charmingly, not an ounce of creepiness in front of the small boy.
"That's ok, I like when Arty takes me."
"Kids can be so cruel!" Francis cried and set the ball of sunshine down. Alfred went back to his brother's side and took his offered hand.
"Now, if you will excuse us, it's time we be getting back home." Arthur navigated the two around the group and made his way along the sidewalk.
"Bye! Good luck with the detective stuff!" Alfred waved back at them, skipping beside Arthur.
"How can those two be related?" Gilbert kidded.
"I wonder that about you and your brother." Francis commented.
"Why can't some of Alfred's cuteness rub off on Lovino?" Antonio whined. After a few moments of watching the others disappear down the road, Gilbert swung around and got back to business.
"Ok, losers! Let's get over to the library before it closes and get those records!" They all went on their way, bickering all the while about who's responsible for reading through the documents this time and who was going to get snacks to stock up the treehouse. It was going to be a long night and they had to stay fueled up.
What they didn't notice, however, was the tattered curtains swaying from behind one of the front windows. Something was stirring from inside...
At last, another update complete!
Thank you all for staying with me all this time.
Enjoy!