His oppression

Confrontation

Chapter Twenty-Two: CONFRONTATION

It was hopeless at first but then when I was beginning to really give up on exiting the chamber, a stone door suddenly emerged from the walls. It opened by itself and if I wasn’t aware of what this vicinity consists of, then I could see myself fainting from the lack of logical explanation on how that would have been possible. But since I’m now conscious of the ‘fact’ that I’m sort of a witch, there was no hesitation left and I’m feeling a little more courageous than I was before. Even though no such powers exist within me, I’m still going to keep it in mind if Radcliff turns out to be how my great grandmother Genevieve detailed him about.

The walk upstairs kind of felt long but that’s just because I was really anticipating something. I wanted Radcliff to deny all the allegations Genevieve threw his way but at the same time, I shouldn’t blame her for doing such a thing. It’s already excessive enough to let him be trapped in a doll but the fact that he can’t really die is beyond that. And everything he said to me was just lies. I just think it’s unfair on my part, especially if I showed willingness to help later on, I was genuine and he’s saying nothing but c**k and bull stories to have me sympathise with him.

At this point, I don’t know who or what to believe. And this just caused me to distrust other people more than I had before.

I’ve been digging a lot on what Genevieve did to link him with the puppet for the past hours that I was there. At least it felt like hours to me because time is indefinable and somehow that comforted me for a bit. Afterwards, I feel the need to confront Radcliff as I already know of Genevieve’s testimonies. Though she wouldn’t be able to defend herself and not really had a lot of proof to begin with, I have confidence she was telling the truth.

But then again, Radcliff could also be telling the truth. I’m in uncertainty but I really have to decide for myself who was in the wrong. I can’t stand people lying.

When I emerged underneath, my eyes squinted at the light. I thought I was there for like an eternity but it really had been a few hours because the sun is beginning to set. I was so settled in with the dimmed lights downstairs that I nearly forgot what the sun looked like.

“Radcliff, are you here?” I called out, looking at the spiderwebs decor of the kitchen.

The entrance to the secret area was not in the basement but in the kitchen itself behind the cabinet filled with now shattered pieces of plates and cups.

“Radcliff?” I called out once more, a little too calm that it was so unlike me. I should be fuming right now but I was surprisingly not.

I, too, wonder what goes on inside my head at times like this. It was a new encounter for me and yet here I am, not behaving what I was supposed to be like.

“Aria? Aria, are you back?”

Am I back? How come that was his first question and not ask how I’m doing or something. Did he not see that I fell or was that just some trick illusion?

Just as I thought before, I have no idea how any of this is playing.

The worry on his face was evident but before, I always thought he was genuinely worried. But right now I kind of get it. The way he told me before that there was no one else that could help him but me. It’s because it’s my lineage that was keeping his curse active up to this day and he probably was hoping I could break it.

Come to think of it, he might be faking his reactions too. But I can never tell. That’s what I’m wary about because I just can’t point out the genuinity of a person or not.

“Aria? Are you alright?”

There it was. When it was taking me a long time to respond to him because I was forming monologues inside my head, he asked that. I have to be cautious.

“Where did you go? You’ve been gone for the entire day. I was so worried.” he told me with a concerned look.

“Were you, really?”

“Of course I was! You suddenly just vanished out of thin air. I turned on the lights where you came to but you weren’t there. It’s just a wall.”

How was that even possible? I swear I was walking into a narrow and dark corridor.

“I went somewhere else.” I just said, keeping a keen eye on him.

“Where did you go?”

“I found stuff.”

“Were you able to find what your grandmother wanted you to find?”

“Oh,” the side of my lip curled upward to a smirk. “Much more. I found so much more. Why would you think I was out for a couple of hours? Unconscious again?” I tried to make a joke out of the situation.

“Probably, yes. You’re prone to accidents these days.” he chuckled a bit but I can finally see it. I can finally see how mortified his eyes were even though he was still trying to play it cool.

He really can act despite being an old man.

“Oh yeah, yeah. I am, aren’t I?” I asked with a bit of sarcasm in my tone before sighing a bit. “So.. tell me again how you got cursed.”

“It was with a witch--”

“And who is this witch?”

“I-I don’t remember her name.”

“Ah, figures.” I nodded my head, looking everywhere but at him. “It has been centuries. But I don’t think I’ll forget which witch cursed me, yes?”

“Well, I get where you’re coming from but I really don’t remember her name. She was just someone I’ve met and had not formed some sort of connection.” he replied as I could feel his eyes following my movements.

“You might have really pissed her off if she turned you into a doll, yeah?” I just said, an eyebrow raised. “Wouldn’t she have a reason to do so other than she misunderstood your approach to her?”

“Wouldn’t that be enough reason? Women are like that--”

“How do you know women are like that?” I cut him off, pretending to be curious.

“Because I’ve seen it many times before.”

He really has the nerve to tell me that kind of reason when I know he’s been kept in this basement by every family that lives here. His ghost wasn’t even allowed to escape this place because it has a charm surrounding it. All I know is that I want to know where he could go or can even keep up with the lie he’s pulling.

“Ah, I see.” I nodded my head once more; an indication that I really wasn’t believing anything that he was saying.

I was just really upset and I want to know why he would lie to me. Why he had lied to me. If I can forgive someone for doing so. Probably not but if he tries to apologise, I can consider it. But I also really have to give both sides the benefit of the doubt.

“I told you, I’m not angry with her anymore.”

“Sure. Okay.” I looked back at him with a sigh. “I just read that you need to know the name of the one who cast the curse on you. You can use that as an advantage.”

I totally made that one up on the spot. Don’t even put my word in it because what I said is also an invention.

“Is that optional?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“That you have to know their name?”

“Yes.”

“I think so. Whether or not you know their name, the curse will still be as strong as it is.”

“You sure did learn a lot from the hours you were away.”

It does seem that Radcliff was catching up with my act. I’m quite getting where he was at too, proud of myself that I wasn’t being insensitive to myself.

“Oh yeah, lots of realisation.” I just said, dramatically sighing. “I also found ways to break curses. You were right about my grandma being a witch.”

“Is she, really?” his eyes widened.

“I’ll leave it to you how you came up with that theory but she is. There’s a nice small room here where she had put all her witchcraft stuff. I don’t know how I got there but it must be magic that led me to it, isn’t it?”

I was just so f*****g good with my sarcasm. He is too, I’ll give him points with that. No wonder Genevieve loathed him, he’s just as good as any manipulator out there. If not, better. He knows how to manipulate your feelings and you being a fool, falls for it.

“I did not expect that. This place just really gives off a weird feeling and it must be that.”

“Must be, must be. Yeah. You want to know what else I have learnt?” I just asked him, taking a few steps towards him.

“What would that be?” he asked, his eyes followed mine.

And in that moment, I wanted to slap him for ridiculing me. But I still had to keep calm and really wait a time to expose him.

“I found my family journal and in it were entries which dates back to I don’t know… the early 12th century or something?” I acted like I was trying to remember. “From the very first witch to the recent one whom was my grandma.”

“That’s… wow.”

Lost for words?

“Yeah, it’s wow. And there was also my great grandmother Genevieve who cursed a man and turned him into a doll for all eternity because he abused her and her powers.”

That rendered him speechless and it’s the way I wanted to see from him.

“Yes, I thought that was a really interesting thing that happened because it happened to you too, right? Except you said that the witch misunderstood how you were with her.” I pointed out, just looking at him. “So naturally, I went to look at how the curse will reverse itself if any realisation of this man is brought into the light. But there was no such thing as that. Wouldn’t that be too simple to do? To admit to the things they did so they could be forgiven.”

He nodded his head slowly. The glint in his eye was far gone. It had reminded me of the time when I first saw him at the church. His threatening lifeless look. When he insisted he needed my help when no one else could see him.

“That is very interesting.” he finally spoke, his voice lower than his normal one.

I got him. At that rate, I knew I really got him.

“And yeah, get this! Grandma Genevieve was also from the 16th century where you’re from.”

“Is that, really?”

“It’s almost as if she was the witch who cursed you.” I looked at him, my smile fading away and so were the colours in his eyes.

“Game is over, Radcliff Abrams. What do you intend on acquiring with me?” I finally asked, lifting my chin up so I could show dominance in the situation.

“I want to be freed of the curse.”

“I know that’s not it.”

“What else could it be?” he asked, the smile trying to get back to his lips but was just pushed away.

“Oh I don’t know,” I sarcastically replied. “You tell me. You tell me right now because I have no idea. And I’m just really curious, you know. Curious Aria.”

Why was I so heated up about this?

“I’m using you to get revenge on Genevieve.”

And that was it. That was all I wanted to hear from him. He’s using me.