The Devil's Incarnate

Depths Of Darkness

The house was still. We made our way down each holding a candle stick in their hand. The occasional hooting owl made us turn our heads about in waiting. The crickets made their noise but it faded out slowly. No boards creaked thankfully but the doors protested slightly. Our shadows seemed enlarged and it would give me a scare until I noticed it was either mine or Cathy's shadow. My heart was beating so uncouthly nearly ripping it's way out of the rib cage. I stumbled and hit my toe nail and the pain was excruciating. I hissed under my breath and held the tears that threatened to spill. After massaging it a bit I felt less sour and we went on. We made our way to the kitchen looking about making sure no one was there. We made it to the scullery and opened the first door. My lips were quickly drying and I licked it every minute or so to moisten it. I was trembling like an Aspen at the slightest provocation I was all but ready to scamper away. When Cathy opened the door to the secret passage I held on to the candle stick tightly. The darkness enveloped itself before us and I felt the wind sweep past us warningly. I confirmed to Cathy that the path had been straight. She didn't take to my words. 

"you came here without a candle remember. We shall have to inspect it thoroughly. "

We stepped into the darkness and it filled us with a sense of hollowness as we stepped in its depth. It was a long corridor that wound to the left after walking straight on endlessly. We were eager to move about when we heard something snap and heavy footsteps made their way. I bite back a shriek when I saw a candle flicker from the furthest end that led to the left. Impetuously we dashed out of the secret passage not heeding to the the first agreement of making our steps unheard. Everything was taking a bad turn as Cathy in great haste stumbled and went down the two cauldrons making a deafening noise. If we hadn't awakened the entire household then we knew of nothing. As we stood in the kitchen unsure of whether to proceed to the room or await our verdicts to be declared, Cathy pulled me to one of the pillars. Our candles long blown out. 

"we'll hide here, "she whispered. I wanted to start a protest. We would soon be found and questioned. We couldn't even feign ignorance by saying we heard the noise and made our way down. Hiding ourselves was a clear indicator that we were the culprits. I couldn't air my grievances unfortunately. Astonishingly no one made their way down. Whoever it was that was in the secret passage made their way to the kitchen. We heard the steps and I nearly winced. 

All my thoughts could conjure at the time was" : the ghost of Edward Compton has come to life. I shut my eyes awaiting for the worst to happen as the steps become all the more audible. I was already dizzy with fright as my pulsating heart was circulating blood at accelerating rates the shook my being. I began to think of how he would appear to me in flesh or skeleton form? If I so much lay my eyes on a talking skull it was possible I would loose my complete sanity after or be frightened to death. The gods would think what a comic relief. For when others died as a result of deadly maladies I only needed to be frightened enough to join the ancestors and leave not a single trace of my descendants. The wave of fear had almost reached its peak when I heard the words:

"papa? "

I almost cried in relief. It was Max and whoever he was referring to was most likely Terrence Holt. A living and breathing being. I relaxed visibly and so did Cathy. The steps turned direction and I guessed Max was outside the kitchen or a cool distance between the hall and the kitchen. I strained to hear the response and the conversation but couldn't. We stayed put awaiting for Terrence and Max to go up to their rooms. I was relieved not even Mrs Virginia despite the echoing noise hadn't made her way to the kitchen. They must have heard it and decided it wasn't something worth of concern. Or they slept like the dead. I decided to peek a little to see if all was clear and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I noticed Max standing next to me. I gasped. 

"Max? "

"Miss Vernon? "

I awaited for Terrence to make his appearance as well but he wasn't forthcoming. 

"Max? "

"Miss Cathy. "

"Max what are you doing here? "

Cathy stuck to whispering, she wasn't about to raise a decibel higher after the scare a while ago. 

"I followed you miss. "

"what? "

"I heard of your plot to come down here. It seemed I fell into a deep slumber for when I awoke you had already made your way here. "

"oh dear. "

"it wasn't kind of you to leave me behind. " Max visibly scorned at us both. 

"pardon us my dear Max. We thought you wouldn't want to take part in this. "

"but miss Cathy I do. "

Cathy softened as she walked towards him. 

"I promise you my dear Max we shall never do that again. "

Max brightened immediately. 

"do you swear? "

"I do solemnly swear. "

I almost winced. Our adventures tended to take dangerous turns. Taking the child along would be a gamble. I couldn't voice it with Max being at hearing range so I decided to ask of Mr Terrence's whereabouts. 

"his gone to sleep. You must say I saved you in time. "

"my little hero. " Cathy pinched his cheeks and he clearly flushed. 

"so what did you tell him? "

"that I came to fetch the posset I had asked for and it wasn't sent up to my room. "

"the noise? "

"I told him I made it. He said to be careful. "

It was either Terrence wasn't too intent on taking matters seriously or he was pretentiously going along with the explanations given. It struck me. 

"did he ask if you were in the secret passage? "

"yes? "

"and? "

"he only said I shouldn't have bolted like that I could harm myself. "

For a second I was filled with tremendous joy that I couldn't explain it. I was grateful that he cared enough for his son if his warning was anything to go about. I would have to introspect myself to understand why it was of such utmost importance that Terrence showing the slightest affection to Max had such a vast impact on me. It may have been that it was genuine affection that moved me. 

"nothing else? "

"no miss Vernon."

I nodded and yet the excitement that had taken residence within me could not cease from rising. My longing to see the cousins intensified. 

"we should go to our rooms now. "

"no!" they both defied so vehemently. I was all but ready to declare them blockheads. Cathy and I were on the verge of being discovered hadn't Max interjected. Now the very same Cathy wasn't eager to get along and Max who had witnessed was all but ready to tag along. 

"what do you mean no? " I screamed. 

"we can't postpone it any longer Victoria. "

"I agree with Miss Cathy. "

I was going to scold Cathy and demand that Max go to bed. Outrageous. If Mr Terrence wouldn't find us out it would be Mr Loft and who knew what measures he would take. 

"we will have to go this very night Victoria. I can't wait. "

"are you hearing yourself Catherine Carr. "

"I promise you Victoria if you don't go you know I'm of an impulsive nature I shall go whether there's danger or not. "

I wanted to stomp and rant for her to quit her idiocy. What use would it be anyway? She would make good of her word and go anyway. The child would follow Cathy as his frivolity matched hers. They would need a practical force keeping them in check. 

"Begorra! I have no choice do I. "

"I wouldn't say you did. "

I heaved and Max let out a chirpy laughter. 

"I see why you two are like sisters almost twins. I understand now miss Cathy. One has qualities the other lacks. "

"Now you understand my dear Max. But for now we shall make our way there. "

I clucked. What a stubborn head! We borrowed light from Max's candle. I was still contemplating our folly of making our way down there. Then a fear gripped me. What if the actual Edward Compton ghost did make its appearance? 

I shook my head for I was sure I would be stifled at first and run in his arms the next second. Outlandish. The house was still. I figured the kitchen was too far from the west wing to cause any real stir. Cathy opened the door more than eager to make her way. Max was already leading. I looked about me making sure Mr Terrence wasn't in some dark corner somewhere waiting to make himself known and question us. Or Mr Loft. I stood for some seconds by the door waiting for any shadow to make its way towards Max but none appeared. The only shadow cast was of Cathy and Max's. I didn't fully close the door. I followed them. As the candle illuminated the walls they looked drab and gray

There was an eerie feel to them which was uncanny and made me gulp. Max walked to the corner and still nothing had happened. I caught up with them eventually. I furrowed my brows as Max stood statue and I wondered what barred his way when I saw the wall. There was no way out. Impossible. I was definite we had discovered the secret passage. Cathy cried out in frustration. 

"this is so unfair!"

Max surveyed the wall and I racked my brains in thought. What was Mr Terrence doing in a corridor that had well a dead end. He couldn't have possibly come in the dead of the night to admire the walls. There was nothing fascinating about them either way. I looked about me and when I recalled the snapping sound. There was a way there but how? . I began looking at the walls and scratched the ground like a hen trying to scrape it's meal. 

"Victoria are you suddenly loosing your sanity? "

"no. "

"what are you doing? "

"looking for a lever. "

"lever? "

"yes. After all the Holt's do how a fetish for them. "

Catherine swung into action. Tapping walls and the ground in sight of any lever. Max echoed my theory. 

"this is a movable wall. "

Cathy was delighted she searched earnestly. I walked further and further from the wall. Looking for the lever when I saw the black Jaguar at the bottom of the right side wall. I called to them. We tried pulling it but it wouldn't budge. It lay there unmoving. Cathy suggested rotating it but even then it remained numb. Max assessed for several seconds and told us to press any of its parts. The eyes, the canines or it's ears. Nothing moved until Cathy pressed it's right eye and the wall opened itself to us. 

I thought we would be greeted with a ladder leading to the way up but instead a somewhat parlour greeted us. It was interesting for on the right side, there was its settees, fireplace and mantelpiece on top. The black jaguar at the top. The fire had gone out but the smell of burnt wood lingered. Terrence must have spent a good while in the room to enjoy the warmth. On the left side there was a study and two wooden chairs carved intricately. The shelf lined with books of an ancient time I noticed. A book with dog ears and fading pages lay abandoned in the settee. It looked like a poem book. The letters of the first page had been rubbed by time that I couldn't tell which author it was. I felt the inclination to pick it up and read it but the urge to look around outweighed the comfort of sitting down to read a book at such an hour. I walked about the room as did the others in search of something. There was no tapestry but the ceiling had numerous paintings. The walls were so drab like the corridor walls. Cathy went about looking at the books in the shelf and I warned her to make sure everything remained as it was. But I needed not to worry for Cathy was careful with details. She could easily borrow and return an item without anyone's knowledge. Put it in the same angle and order it was in. It wasn't easy to pin her down. I felt the need to sit down and admire the paintings. So I sat myself on the settee. I couldn't configure what it was that I felt. But it felt like I was channeling an energy that felt familiar. I tried to absorb the feeling as I looked up at the ceiling. The paintings were drawn in great detail and I noted that each one was connected to the other. It felt like I was navigating a spiral when I looked at the paintings from one to the other when it dawned on me what it was that I was looking at. I read the path names and the parables. One step ahead, half a step back. Walk the run. Catch me before I die. They were puzzling and intriguing all at the same time. I continued to look at them when I saw familiar words. Dilemmas can never be forgotten only surpassed. The words danced before my eyes. I was filled with an affirmation when I saw the second familiar words. Snap to your death. It couldn't have been any clearer. I knew what it was I was looking at. A map. 

"Catherine! Max! "

They looked at me both alarmed and Catherine was quick to leap to my side. 

"what is it? "

"we found it. "

"what? "

"the path. "

"of course we did. We are here in the secret passage aren't we? "

"no I'm not talking about that. "

"what are you mumbling about? "

"the map of the circuit. "

"yes we've drawn something of the sort but found no way in. "

"Catherine I'm saying we found a map that would lead us in there. "

Cathy frowned at me and it was Max who asked where. I pointed at the ceiling and they looked up. I read it aloud that Cathy would catch what this meant. 

"Dilemmas can never be forgotten only surpassed. "

I watched her suddenly go rigid and then moved about in the room looking at the paintings.

"what a cunning lot!" she cried. 

It was no wonder the wall was put up. Anyone with half a brain could see the map and make their way to the castle. I thought of the ancestress who led the entire household to safety and had to thank the great wit of the Holts. If the passage was common knowledge it was most likely that the entire Holt clan would have been wiped out that day. For their enemies would have made their way to the castle in the circuit. Slewed their children and who knew of the women's fate. I thanked the heavens that they had survived such an ordeal and nearly admonished myself for being relieved that such a cunning family had pulled through. The longer I sat on the settee the more the feeling that my destiny was entwined with the Holt's in some way that overwhelmed me. I looked at the detailed map clearly outlining the way in. I marvelled at the wit. Yet I wondered how it was that we would be able to make our way to the circuit. There was too much information on the walls. One needed to draw out the map listing the details down. One error I noted and one could either snap to their death. Fall to the forgotten river or forever be trapped. Max noted the predicament almost immediately as Cathy went about looking at the paintings filled with awe. 

"I can master the calculations listed."

"how about the directions Max? "

"I can't say so miss Vernon I'm not good with that. I havent the artistic imagination to capture something and express it as it is. "

"Cathy what of you? "

"I can remember fragments but the entirety of it. "

I surveyed the paintings again. Max with his numbers Cathy with her description. I on the other hand was good at crafting a plan. It didn't settle anything. If we were to make our way to the circuit and I was sure we would for Cathy wouldn't be able to contain herself nor would Max, we needed an exact map. An exact copy of all the paintings on a single map of our own. 

"Cathy how well can you describe this paintings to one? "

"you know me I do such a thorough job you can almost see it in your mind. "

"good. I know of someone who can paint the map for us. "

"who? "

"Susanna. "

"Susanna Markham? "

"rightly so. "

Susanna would be most suitable as she had the talent to paint quite elaborately. She rivalled Her sister. It was a matter of when I could tell her. 

"we can't bring her here. We shall have to plan a meeting. Where we can describe it to her. "

"you're right. Coming here will attract too much attention to us. "

I nodded. Max reminded us of the time. It was only a matter of time before Mrs Virginia would begin to make her rounds. We went back to our rooms surreptitiously. Making sure we made not a single noise. Cathy took Max to his room and I was relieved to be in Cathy's room away from danger. Cathy joined me shortly. I watched her take a bottle from the cabinet and pour it on a glass. She took it all at once. 

"you've resorted to sleeping draughts. "

"I had to. I could barely sleep. So I asked Mr Andrew for a herb that could cure my insomnia. "

"what is it?"

"poppy juice. "

I felt a quiver of alarm. 

"be careful if taken in great portions it could prove fatal. "

Cathy smiled at me. 

"I will be extra careful now that you've warned me. But I assure you I'm watchful. "

I gestured. In a matter of seconds she was asleep and I slept minutes later.