Inside The Manor

Chapter Twelve

I knew what had to be done.

Even Trey did.

But, could we bring ourselves to do it?

"You're bluffing" Claudia's voice was a broken whisper, the gravity of the situation finally getting to her.

I wasn't bluffing.

It didn't take a genius that the only person who would do this for me was Anne. And I'm just saying, but she would probably enjoy it.

Small problem, I didn't know how to make that possible.

Big problem, we were on a clock and Claudia was unstable. Or is that two problems?

I put my head between my hands. All this madness was making me unstable as well. I didn't have to glance at Trey to know that he was looking torn, maybe even more than I was.

After all, we were just talking about committing homicide as if it wasn't s**t.

I licked my dry lips and looked at Claudia again.

She had finally put her head back on the pillows, which were now covered in her blood. Her eyes were shut and for a moment this scene really did look like a murder. I shivered and gathered my arms across my chest.

She looked dead. But she wasn't.

But, she will be, whispered a small voice in my head.

I shivered again and risked a glance at Trey, only to find him glaring at me.

Right, he still had no idea what I was planning.

I nodded my head towards the door and got out of the room. Trey followed me immediately. As soon as he closed the door he just lost it.

"What the hell are you thinking, threatening her like that? She could go to the cops with this s**t!"

See, he had completely lost it.

"She won't do s**t. She doesn't even belong to this world. Plus, she was the one here to kill me. I was just acting in self-defense." I took a deep breath as another thought crossed my mind. "Where did you get the gun?"

He just shrugged.

"I got it from Cam's apartment after we broke up. She had tons of those, she wasn't going to make a big deal if she lost one." He justified himself, while I was just frozen in shock.

What the f**k did Cam ever see in him?

"You're telling me, that you knew, she had a f*****g hidden arsenal of guns, inside of her apartment and you did nothing?!" I was whisper-shouting at this point, but oh well. "What is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with me?! Seriously?! You have a f*****g psychopath tied to your bed and you think I'm the problem?"

"You've been dating that very same psychopath for years! Did it never occur to you she was f*****g batshit crazy? Or were you too busy sleeping with her to notice anything?"

"At least I still managed to notice she wasn't acting like Camilla" he said.

"After what, five years? Well done. Honestly, good job." I breathed.

"Well I'm not the one making empty death threats towards her." The accusation was clear in his voice.

Now, I was offended. And I might've started shouting to prove my point.

"They aren't empty threats!"

"Oh, so just death threats, then. Sorry for the misconception. Good f*****g job at ruining your life forever. FYI, I'm not bailing you out of jail." Son of a...

"You're the one who shot her!" I accused.

"You're the one who knocked her unconscious!" he accused back.

"Kids, kids, you're all on the same team. Now shut up so I can think." Came a voice from the locked door.

"Sorry, babe." responded the i***t in front of me.

I just looked at him, my eyes the size of saucers.

What The f**k is wrong with this guy?

He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to talk again.

I just raised my eyebrow and pointed to the door behind his back.

He wasn't understanding it at first, but when he realized his mistake, his whole face paled, and I could bet he also started shaking.

"We have to get rid of her" I said, lowering my voice.

I initially thought he would make a scene again, but he just wordlessly nodded.

"Remember Anne, the previous owner? I'm sure that if we manage to get her here, or get Claudia to her, Anne will do the job for us." I explained.

Trey thought it for a moment, but then just looked at me like I had lost it.

Right, my bad Trey you're a damn i***t.

"Anne is dead. The only way to get Claudia to Anne, is by killing her. If we do that, why the f**k do we need Anne."

"There has to be another way." I said. "There has to be and I'm going to find it."

"How? Huh, how? Are you going to try raising the dead, now? Because a f*****g zombie apocalypse is exactly what we need! Just saying." With that he started walking away.

"I need to go to sleep and see if I might talk with Anne again." I said firmly but then softened my voice. "Can you crash here tonight?"

He stopped in his tracks.

"And, if Anne doesn't show up?" He turned around to face me. The answer must've been clear in my face because he inhaled deeply and just shook his head. "Ok, then. If the dead don't help us out, we'll just turn into cold-blooded murders." Pause. "Yes, I'll take one of guest rooms. Go to sleep already, will you?"

I nodded, but he had already started walking away...

Easier said than done.

It had already been an hour of me turning and tossing around in my bed. The thought of Claudia, one floor under my room, awake and planning to kill me, was enough to keep me from sleeping.

I suddenly felt completely and utterly hopeless.

What if Trey's right? What if Anne doesn't show up? Will I finally get the guts to kill Claudia?

What about Cam? Where is she? Claudia said she was alive, but then again trusting Claudia seemed stupid.

What if we kill Claudia, but the portal doesn't open and she's just lying?

What will happen to me afterwards?

Without even realizing a tear had made the way down my cheek and on the pillow.

"You shouldn't worry so much" a voice said.

Anne's voice.

I slowly got up from my bed and gathered my knees close to my chest.

By now, the tears were falling freely.

"I... I can't" I barely managed to say through the sobs.

Anne who was standing close to the window, walked towards me.

Not wanting to be seen this vulnerable, I hid my face on top of my knees. I couldn't even breathe properly with the way I was crying. I was expecting Anne to laugh at me, and maybe even c***k a joke, not what she did next.

Her arms caged me in. She started softly caressing my hair, petting my back and whispering nonsense in my ear.

"It's alright, child. Shhh, let it out. Let it all out."

Almost instinctively, I hugged her back and rested my head on her shoulder. How long had it been since someone had cared for me like this.

Whenever it came to Camilla, or even Claudia I was always there for them, but what about me?

I couldn't even remember the last time someone had devoted their time to me, just to show me affection. Just to show me they would be there for me, without me having to ask them for it.

Just giving.

Just to give and not take.

I caught myself. Anne had a hidden agenda. She wasn't showing affection, she was making sure I was going to satisfy her revenge.

I cleared my throat and pushed away.

I laughed awkwardly and wiped my tears, trying to erase all traces of this moment of weakness.

"Ok... Huh. Weren't expecting that were you?" I was still wiping my cheeks and pushing my hair out of my face.

"Child..." Anne started.

"NO!" I shouted, but then caught myself. "Let's forget this s**t happened and get back on track."

Anne looked at me with pity.

Screw you, Anne.

"Do you want your revenge or not?" I asked with a firm voice, leaving no place for her to object.

Anne nodded, but her eyes were still soft.

"How do we do it, then? How do I get you to kill Claudia?" I asked.

Anne looked thoughtful.

"It won't be that easy" she warned and I nodded for her to continue. "You're not a witch so you can't follow your friend's idea and bring me back to the living, and you don't have the willpower to kill her..."

The pause was long, making me worried.

"There has to be a way." I stated

Please, let there be a way.

"There is. But, it's complicated." Anne looked pensive again, but then her breath hitched, as if just remembering something. She rose from the bed and dashed out of the room.

"Wait, Anne! Anne, what is it?" I screamed as I followed her.

She kept running and running, heading to the attic.

Great, just f*****g great.

"Anne!" I tried again, but she didn't even turn her head.

Once up the stairs and inside the attic she finally slowed down.

Her eyes took in the scene.

"Oh" escaped her mouth.

It suddenly hit me that she died here. This was the last place she visited while still alive.

She shouldn't be here.

"Anne, let's go down."

"She killed me here." she whispered.

"I know, I know." I got close to her. "Let's just go"

She moved around, her eyes taking in all the details.

"Anne" I whispered.

"NO! She has to die" she shouted.

I just nodded, trying to think carefully of my next move.

"She has to die, I agree"

Looked at me up and down, probably seeing if I meant what I said and finally nodded.

I breathed out in relief.

"It should be here" she said and looked around again.

Her wandering eyes only stopped once she spotted a door. She pointed towards it.

"Ok," I nodded. "I'll just go find something to open the door."

Anne was already moving towards it.

"Anne!" I snapped, but it was too late.

She went through it.

I exhaled, stress overtaking my mind.

Clueless about what to do next, I felt like crying again, when Anne appeared again.

She moved through the door, holding a bottle of what I thought could have been wine and carefully showed it to me.

"Use this. She has to drink it, just a sip should do the trick. It's powerful. Very powerful. I magically enhanced it myself so be careful. Once she drinks it, she'll meet me halfway to her death."

"So, I'll be killing her." I squealed.

"No. You'll just send her halfway there. I'll finish the job, for you."

I wordlessly nodded.

Anne looked at me again and handed me the drink.

"Just one sip." She repeated and slowly started dissipating.

I nodded again while staring at the bottle.

"Elora?" Anne called out.

I raise my eyes to face her.

"You're more special than you think."

And then she was gone.