The Other ElizaBeth

Chapter Four

Someday - One Day

The door will be opened

When someone will pull or push it.

A smile will be fixed

When a dentist says it is.

An embrace will be given

When the thorns have been removed.

A heart will be pumping

When there's blood existing within.

The dream went on and let it pass eventually to wake me up while I'm on the ride back to Tenement.

I can still see the face of the man who strangled me. He has this shoulder-length white gold hair and expressive eyes. His pouted lips were shined red and his skin pale and lifeless. Authority took over his personality—like he had never cracked a smile before.

"...My Booksale English books are totally awesome! Marie had to borrow it but I said I'll hand it to you first—hey! Aren't you even listening, Betty?" Oz nudged me. She must've noticed I jumped a little on my seat as the thoughts disconnected from my last night's dream. I'm awakened to the sight of the jeep seat on the way to Tenement with a tight close spaces to other people on the ride. Oz, beside me, gripped on the handle on the low ceiling of the vehicle.

"I—I did...but what is it again?"

"Talk to the hand, Bethilda!" She rolled her eyes while gesturing her hand to my face and then slammed the book she bought yesterday for me.

"I was calculating my fare back to Tagaytay, that's why I was lost." I've known Oz for fifteen years and she had never believed with all my obvious alibis.

"You're bad at lying, Betty Boop. Try harder. Anyways... I told Gina that I'll come visit you on Saturday after class. The school misses you already!" she dismissed.

"I'm tired resting. She's the only one who keeps on chaining me to the unit, and now I'm stuck with a creepy old mansion," I said as I crossed my arms across my chest.

"Oooooh! I love creepy things. ‘Can't wait for you to tour me around!" I saw few people beside us giving speculative look as Oz jumped a little on her seat.

THE DAY WAS THE USUAL AS ME AND OZ finally decided to travel to the bus terminal with a case in hand. She bid me goodbye as I rode on the bus and headed back to Tagaytay.

Oz promised to visit me this Saturday, so I asked Aunt Darling if I could just use Mila Room instead of cleaning another room for her.

The dinner is a lot more unusual than my normal routine in my unit before. Aunt Darling was not asking me questions and just silently eating her dinner she prepared for us.

As I gazed around, the dining room was the most Filipino-oriented part in this place. The entirety is dark varnished wood. A large painting of a long table full of fruits and vegetables was placed at the center of the room and ornaments and large pots of plants placed in every corner.

"Finish your meal. I'll show you something..." Aunt Darling whispered as she put down her spoon and fork aligned neatly on her plate then drank her pineapple juice.

After I washed the dishes, we headed back to the living room next to the grand hall.

I saw the walls full of picture frames colored in black and white and in faded sepia.

"I'm sorry if we have to be that quiet earlier. Today is Lady Elizabeth V's 520th birthday."

I looked at her intently and waited for her to speak again.

"Lady Elizabeth was the most silent among the Santerri sisters. She doesn't speak that much but only with her mother. According to the tales, she was feared the most by the housekeepers."

I sitted on the sofa and saw an old red photo album there. In front, it says "Santerri Family 1500's reprinted in 1980."

There were all paintings that were developed and preserved. Some paintings are familiar to me since I saw them in the mini hall on the second floor. But what captured my sight most was the girl in the picture.

She looked familiar and somewhat close to me. I just can't remember. She has angelic and calmed eyes. To her iris, shows no hostility in her personality yet I felt the loneliness in it. Her hair is jet black magnificently ponytailed at the back. Her beauty is indeed European.

I called Aunt Darling to look at the photo. "Who's this girl?"

She smiled and caressed my face instead. "You never failed to find the mirror."

I looked at her in confusion. When I was about to ask again, she said something that bothered me throughout the night.

"Don't let her in, Bethilda. Don't let her in."

"WEIRD! SHE REALLY SAID THAT TO YOU?" Oz waved her nail piler to the screen as I watched her from my laptop on Messenger video call.

"Since that day she announced my ancestor's birthday, she keeps on saying those things. It's creepy." I surfed to the internet while letting the conversation with curiosity, and when I found what I was looking for, I turned to face the cam again. "Rozella, how about a week slumber party?"

Oz hurried to pack her things up to Tagaytay on Friday 11 P.M. She arrived at exactly 3 A.M. on Saturday and welcomed her in the mansion.

"I thought I was in a field trip for a museum of centuries old ornaments and furnitures," Oz uttered as she was scanning the whole of the grand hall.

"You can say that again..." I gestured her to follow me. We fixed her things inside the Mila Room. I was showing her around when suddenly the lights went out. We were in the living room when the power shut off.

"Bad timing, MERALCO! Ugh!" I've seen Oz's silhouette crossing arms in dismay. She was very excited in touring inside the house even if it's 3 A.M.

"Head back to the Mila Room. I'll just grab some candles and flash lights, okay?" When I saw her nodding, I abruptly headed to the kitchen and scanned the drawers for candles and some batteries for flash lights.

I was about to close the drawer when I heard a giggle echoing in the entire room. My hands stopped in midair as I felt the wind touched my nape. I hurriedly turned around and saw nothing.

My heart started to throb abnormally and dug a deep breath. I was gripping tightly the candles, lighter and flash light when I heard a loud scream outside the kitchen.

My eyes widened as I recognized the voice. "Rozella... Oz! Oz!"

I ran to the second floor and was about to turn the knob of the Mila Room when the thunder and its sound shuddered me. I covered both of my ears and shouted Oz's name again.

After some seconds, when the thunders subsided, I hurried to the door and opened it once more. Darkness took over the place and the voice had stopped.

"Oz?" I slowly moved further inside the room until I reached the center where I can see the human-sized mirror facing me. It glistened at the light emitted by the moon outside.

I heard the giggle again.

"Oz? Where are you?" I'm getting frustrated. Oz must've played pranks on me again. She's good at this whenever she wishes to.

"B-Betty..." A faint voice, almost a whisper, called me.

I gaped at the sight of the mirror, not seeing anything other than my reflection.

Someone's behind me. I felt my heart pumping more blood.

"O-Oz?" I slowly turned around.

"B-Betty..." she called again.

My muscles lost all the control and dropped everything I was holding as I saw Oz standing and dripping on her own fresh blood from her neck she keeps on holding—to prevent it from dripping any more blood, but she failed. She's unable to move but her strength is starting to drift away.

My colors flushed in an instant. I'm starting to get numb in my hands and began to tremble.

"W-what's happening? Rozella!" I cried.

"M-mirror...d-don't...c-come..." then Oz fell to the floor.

I flinched. Panic is evident in my eyes. Many questions sprung in to my mind: who did this? Is there a killer inside the mansion? Why it has to be Oz?

A tear fell from my eye. My head feels so light; I want to vomit.

As I tried to move backwards, Oz's head turned to me again and the blood from her neck oozed rapidly.

"S-stop..."

I stopped. I stood there watching my best friend die before my eyes.

"R-run..." was her last words before I heard the giggle again near my ear, then I was suddenly dragged violently from the room.