Bloodlines of Shadows

I will find out

“Is this your house?" I ask, stammering and staring at the building that prevented the morning sun's ethereal glow from shining on us.

The building is painted entirely in a deep, matte black that seems to absorb the surrounding light and the morning light cast by the sun, making it a dark void against the rising sun. The structure looms menacingly, with jagged, uneven edges that cast long, eerie shadows across the ground.

Straining my eyes to see further, I can see that the windows, which are tall and narrow, are covered with grime, and their cracked glass panes create a jagged, tooth-like appearance, making it extremely scary. I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I take in every little detail of what stands menacingly in front of me.

Despite the sense of dread and unease that I feel, and fear gnawing at my resolve, together with every instinct telling me to run, I am inexplicably drawn forward, compelled by an unseen force.

Taking each step slowly and gently, with the fear of not being able to hear my footsteps anymore eating deep inside me, I approach the front door. The door, a heavy, iron-studded relic, hangs slightly ajar, creaking ominously in the slightest breeze, suggesting the house has been abandoned for years.

“Why did Max bring me here?" I think to myself, trying to convince myself that I haven't gotten myself into something beyond my control.

Looking over my shoulder, expecting him to stand studying the bewildered look on my face, I find him nowhere to be found. My breath catches in my throat, every nerve in my body on edge.

“Max? Max? Max, where are you?" I ask as a sudden wave of fear washes over me. Stepping backward away from the house, the front door opens slightly, causing me to pee in my pants. I stare at the door, my whole body paralyzed in fear as I feel urine trickling down my legs.

The creaking of the door sends shivers down my spine as I stare at it, expecting the worst, but nothing happens. Then it dawns on me that the creaking of the door is the result of the morning breeze that fear couldn't allow me to feel as it crashes on my pale white skin.

Trying to decipher why I feel cold between my legs, realization kicks in – I have just messed myself up as my head recognizes that the cold is the result of the feeling of urine trickling from my panties.

“Nah, this can't be happening," I say, shaking my head in regret at why I left the house without my mom's prior knowledge and why I came to this place even when she managed to trail me to the bar.

The roof, with its sharp, steep gables, seems to pierce the sky, giving it an eerie glow even if it is just sunrise. The chimneys stand like silent sentinels, exuding a sense of foreboding and menace reminding me of the doom that exists in my thoughts–my dream.

The air around the house is unnaturally still, the chilly feeling coming to an abrupt stop as the silence is broken only by the distant hoot of an owl and the rustling of unseen creatures in the underbrush.

As anyone who would stand before this intimidating edifice, feeling an unshakable sense of dread would settle in, it's different for me, as the feeling that I belong there settles over me. It is as if the very ground beneath it harbors untold secrets and malevolent forces, drawing me into the depths of an unknown, terrifying place.

“Are you done? Haven't you taken all the details into your tiny head?" I hear from behind. Turning towards the direction of the voice, I see Max holding up two bottles in his hand, just standing and staring at me.

Without thinking twice, I rush to where he stands, wrapping my hands around his waist and pulling him into a tight embrace. I suspect that he might be shocked by my actions, but there's nothing I can do – I need to calm down badly and let my brain free from the illusions I was getting.

“Is this your house?" I ask again, still hugging him as he holds out the drinks with both hands while looking intently at me.

“I can't breathe," he mutters, with a slight chuckle.

“Ohh, I'm sorry," I say, my eyes searching for escape.

“It's alright. And to calm your nerves, this is my house. It might look weird, but you will change your mind when you get inside," he says, looking at me with a gaze that is both kind and curious, and a hint of darkness lurking beneath the surface.

How can what looks abandoned be your house?" I ask, pointing at the house.

Well, there's only one way to find out," he says, gesturing his hands like ushers welcoming their hotel residents into their rooms.

With trepidation calmed down by the force within me that questions what was inside the house and how I belonged there, I ignore the unsettling feeling of darkness that lingers around him as he takes my hands and leads me in the direction of the gigantic door that once scared the life out of me.

But with his reassuring smile that he suddenly puts up and his handsome face, I find solace and brace myself for whatever is coming close, even if it is from him.

“Are you still in shock? We can go back if you want to," he says, after studying my actions as we approach the door.

“No, it's nothing, I am fine," I say, trying to shrug off the weird feelings I had off my shoulders and tucking my palms deeper into his, to keep me warm.

Taking a closer look, more than I had before, I notice that ivy and thorny vines twist and crawl up the sides of the house. “How can this be his house?" I say to myself, scanning them intently, undeterred by the fear that threatened to engulf me.

Getting to the front door, he stands in front of me as if trying to protect me from something he stretches his hand and pushes the door. The door creaks open with the same sound it made when I peed on myself.

Remembering it, my eyes widened in shock as I searched my head for what I was going to do, and also regretting why it wasn't an illusion. I bend my head in shame, thinking of how Max would react if he found out.

The door opens, revealing a warm and dimly lit interior, opposite from what it gave outside. Soft candlelight flutters, casting eerie shadows over the wooden floors and eclectic furniture.

A cold breeze crashes on my skin as I make my way inside, sending shockwaves down my spine. Despite the cold feeling, I couldn't pretend to notice that there was a strange allure to the darkness that enveloped the space, as if it held secrets that were waiting to be uncovered.

True to my imagination, the inside is also scary, but not as scary as it is on the outside, and it somehow, beyond my imagination, offers me warmth and comfort.

"See? Not so weird or scary once you're inside," he says, with a chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement and warmth.

“I won't agree with you, with all this candlelight flickering, but it's alright because it is better than what I imagined when I was outside," I say, fixating my gaze on him while moving to a corner of the room, still standing.

As we move further inside, I am struck with the scent of blood lingering in the air, and I can't help but wonder to myself what other mysteries lie hidden within the walls and what other secrets Max has hidden away.

“There is something absurd about you," he says, jarring me from my thoughts as I look at him in awe.

And I will find out......