~Haneul~
This is it. Finally it! You have the chance to conduct your own investigation. You can’t help but fiddle with the rubber gloves in anticipation as you take in the second floor hallway. Alicia’s Dad or his co-workers removed the boards from the second floor, too, giving you a decent source of light. There’s still a layer of dust coating everything and the wallpaper is faded, but it’s cleaner than expected.
‘Downstairs… there’s mold, dead bugs, and rodent crap everywhere. The walls are chewed, too.’
None of that here. It’s like no semblance of a living thing made it up here in the last fifty years.
‘Strange.’
You take a few steps on the wooden floor, noting how they make only small creaks.
“Pretty study.” ‘Maybe mold is slow to spawn or something and the bugs didn’t come up because it’s colder up here?’
At the end of the hall, there was a light breeze coming from the cracks of the broken window. You walk over to it and peer outside. The black-shingled roof made a slope.
“A person could slide down and land on the front lawn, someone like Diana.” The missing daughter of the O’Brian’s was the prime suspect for the murders. The neighbour, Mr. Chester, mentioned to the police about her having an unhealthy infatuation with him. His story was supported by other neighbours’ accounts of seeing the teenager and older man alone. He didn’t get along with the family.
You look to your left to see the door to her room with a frown.
“Her parents kept her in the house after she got violent with him one time. She got crazier and tried to jump out the window. So the parents installed bars over it. She never spoke when anyone visited.”
Older sister gets interested in a guy and then just up and leaves? You’re suddenly reminded of Mioh.
Pushing family matters out of your mind, you walk away from the door and approach the one beside it instead. You turn the knob, the door letting out one long creak as you let it swing.
“Haneul!”
“Alicia,” you hiss. Dang it, she’s going to catch you, lecture you, then tell her dad! You step inside and slowly close the door.
There was a small bed covered by a white sheet in between two windows. The wall on the right occupied an open closet. Beside the window and across the door was a large, dusty mirror in the shape of a circle. ’Tom’s room.’
Studying the wooden border, you notice a small bit of writing in black marker. The cursive is overall neat and easy to read: ‘To Tom, From Mr. Chester.’
Looking into the mirror, you see the reflection of the door. Maybe Tom saw Diana walking by the hallway that night?
You step aside and gaze out the window. Using your glove to wipe the glass, your eyebrows knit in confusion to find yourself now looking into a window of the Chester House. It’s dark, but you can make out… a telescope? Why is it pointed to the window?
More questions. Unfortunately, there’s no answers here. Checking your phone, it reads 1:07 PM.
‘Maybe Alicia didn’t come up?’ Unlikely, but you can’t stay here forever. You slowly open the door and look around. Dead quiet and no best friend in sight. You walk across and open the door, which leads to a bathroom. A toilet, a sink, and a tub. ‘Nothing here.’
Closing the door, you enter the room next to it, which turns out to be the master bedroom. The only objects in here were a desk, a bed, and a large, full length mirror, all covered in a white sheet. You scurry over to the bed and remove the sheet, eyes widening at the numerous brown stains. There are still some stains on the floor. Walking around the bed, you check out the full length mirror. The sheet slips off easily. You see the same marker writing, this time addressed to Mr. and Mrs. O’Brian. It appears to be attached to the wall.
You frown and step back, noticing your reflection smiling.
~Alicia~
No response. You grit your teeth and march up the stairs. Knowing Haneul, she’s hiding from you. Walking onto the second floor, you gaze at the four white doors.
“I’m going to find you,” you whisper. Knowing her, she would take the one furthest away and sneak out when you’re in another room. Not this time. You walk over to the door on the right and open it wide.
There’s a bed covered in a dusty, white sheet, a locked closet across from the door, and the barred window.
‘Diana’s room.’ The wallpaper is torn off and the floor was scrubbed, so no trace of Diana’s crazy writing was left, thank God. Then again, maybe that was some stupid made-up bit from Haneul’s stories. What would she even write about?
The iron bars stand out. You walk towards to window and gaze outside. Not much of a view with the iron bars. ‘Then again, maybe I’d go crazy too if I had nothing else to look at but that.’ You reach out and trace the rusty padlock that kept the windows locked.
‘I… I should be looking for Haneul.’ You take a step back and turn around, walking over to the closed door and gripping the handle. ‘When did the door close?’ Wouldn’t you have heard it creak? You sigh, because you’re obviously on edge. When you find Haneu-
The know refuses to budge.
“Haneul?” You keep trying to get the knob to turn, but it’s stuck. “Haneul!” You pound on the door – she’s still up here! “Haneul! Did you do this? Let me out!”
Nothing. No footsteps or creaks. You let go of the handle and step back from the door, heart pounding.
‘Where is she? Did she already slip past me? How do I get out of here?’
The only window was locked and there’s no small objects lying around.
“Wait, my phone!” You take it out or your pocket and turn it on. The screen lights up, the time reading 1:07. You tap the phone icon and press Dad’s name on your contact list. He won’t be happy, but a scolding is way better than being stuck up here.
“Hello?” You hear his voice through some static.
“Dad, it’s me,” you answer and take a relieved breath. “I’m stuck on the second floor of the house. I-”
The static cut and the screen is black. You pull the phone away and press the button, but it does nothing.
“Dead? I thought I charged it this morning.”
Was it a malfunction? Did the mold get to it?
No, it’s fine. You told him where you are. He’ll come. Just be calm and wait.
The room was empty, save for another object that was covered by a white sheet in the corner. A little curious, you walk over to the tall object and lift the sheet to see your own reflection. Surprised for a second, you pull off the rest of the sheet. A plain but nicely made six foot mirror.
You lift it and turn it around. In black marker reads ‘To Diana, From Mr. Chester.’
“Didn’t Haneul say one time that the neighbours didn’t get along?” If he didn’t like her or the family, why would he give her a mirror? Was it a peace offering or something?
You put down the mirror and look back at your reflection, freezing when you see a girl glaring back instead.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
