Astravore

Snow white

Maddie and Sebby arrived to the mansion and Justin whistled seeing Sebastian's car. Sebby grinned and gently elbowed Maddie to her side whispering.

- He has a good taste you can keep him! - Maddie wanted to answer but they got within hearing distance from Justin, but she made a mental note to pay back for the comment. Maybe with something slimy. What Sebastian hated the most in the world were slugs and anything of similar touch. Making him a jelly cake would have been a direct insult to his face. Maddie remembered how he even broke up with a girlfriend of his at the beginning of the University because she found his disgust childish and made him a jelly cake for his birthday. When he said it was disturbing she made a scene calling him ungrateful and a crybaby. Well, it wasn't Sebby who bawled his eyes out that night...

- Thank you guys for coming! - Justin said reaching his hand for a handshake to Sebby. He grabbed it with a big smile and shook it well.

- I wouldn't have stayed out of this even if you ask me. - Sebastian opened his backpack and grabbed a flashlight.

- Shall we? - he asked and Maddie laughed at the resemblance of the two humans she liked the most. They headed inside and Maddie showed the way to Sebby who, just like his sister before, stopped a couple of times admiring the architecture of the old mansion.

- If these walls could speak... - Sebastian whispered while he checked an old tapestry from closer. A cold shiver run down on Justin's back and said.

- To be fair they would tell us horrible stories. - The Thompson pair looked at him with their right eyebrows raised in unison. Even if they tried they wouldn't be able to hide their bond.

- What do you mean by that? - Maddie asked and Justin took a deep breath.

- After the party I couldn't rest so made some research on this mansion. It been passed from hand to hand between several very influential and rich noble families throughout the past centuries. Up until the tragedy of the last owner. They said that the young lady of the mansion, almost died before her wedding day. - Justin said while he illuminated the walls looking for something, in the meantime they kept walking towards the strange room.

- She miraculously survived but her attitude changed slowly. She became more and more sensitive, refused to eat or to do anything with other people around. The situation got so out of hand that she wasn't even willing to accept the food her maids prepared nor allow them to help her dress or bath. The only person who hasn't left her side at that point was her fiance. A young lord who wanted to find the cure for his lover's strange illness. To do so, he decided to sail to different countries where witches were more frequent and the art of witchcraft wasn't as badly seen as in Europe back those days. By the time he returned, he only saw the cold body of his love. They said she was as graceful and beautiful as the day they first met. Peaceful laying in her glass coffin. Fun fact, many believe that the Grimm brothers took the idea of Snow White from their tragedy.

- This is very sad, but I don't think it is true. - Maddie said and both Justin and Sebby stopped looking confused at her.

- How can you be so cold Madds? This is such a gorgeous and tragic story... - Sebastian said and Maddie couldn't tell why, but there was sadness and pain in his brother's eyes. Like he was the one who lost his one true love. Maddie shook her head at her forever romantic brother, but Justin also looked puzzled.

- I'm not saying that you lie Justin! - Maddie lifted her hands in defense and started to talk fast which she did every time she was nervous.

- I just find it hard to believe that something out of a fairy tale happened in real life that's all! - Justin smiled a bit and sighed.

- It sounds unbelievable, but when I read about this story, I found the diary of the young Lord and believe me, it was true. Or he was a wasted talent who should've become a writer instead of a pharmacist.

- What happened to him after loosing his fiance? - Sebastian asked and Justin seemed even more sorrowful.

- Well, he never had another one. He became addicted of his researches and work and died from over exhaustion. They say that he was holding a piece of paper murmuring "I found it" before his heart stopped forever.

- What the f**k?! And no one tried to cure his lover? - Sebastian asked with the tone of a granny, who got too immersed in her soap operas and started shouting at the TV, like the characters could hear her. Justin shook his head.

- Nope, he died and I guess no one bothered to try it. As they already gave up on the girl. - As Justin finished the sentence, they arrived to the room where the coffin lied. Sebastian was the first in walking into the room and he froze at the sight of the white washed tomb. Maddie and Justin stood behind him stealing a glance at the coffin. The woman was inside still. The same way they saw her prior. Maddie sighed.

- At least we hadn't got crazy. I guess someone read the story of her ladyship like you did Justin, and thought it would be a good idea to make this here as part of the haunted house. - Justin looked pensive, what Maddie said sounded logical, on the other hand, Sebby acted strangely. He couldn't take his eyes off of the woman. He even went further and found a small, hidden lock on the coffin. Before the youngsters could've stopped him, Sebby opened the coffin. Dust flew all around them, somehow it sparkled like fairy dust in the cold weather, illuminated by the moonlight which was right above them. It seemed like the moon was the spotlight, and the woman in the coffin the star of the show. Sebastian reached out to touch her face when Maddie grabbed his arm.

- What the hell do you think you are doing?! This must worth a fortune! What if you ruin it? - Sebastian shook his head like someone who just came out of some sort of trance.

- I have money.

- Still, do not touch it! - Maddie argued and Justing took a closer look opening the coffin completely. He screamed when he saw the stake in the middle of the chest of the young woman. Maddie felt dizzy and was about to throw up and Sebby froze. Maddie, fighting her sickness back said.

- See... Told you guys it was part of the haunted house. Otherwise, why would anyone make this stunt? They wants to make us believe that this girl is a vampire. - Maddie walked closer getting angry at the whole fraud and at herself for believing this was real for a moment. She walked to the grave and grabbed the stake pulling it out of the girl with a quick movement. When nothing happened she said with a victorious tone.

- See? Just a decoration nothing else. - but her brother and crush's eyes widened. All Maddie saw was her shadow on the ground growing increasingly longer. She turned around and screamed from the top of her lungs stumbling back. Her eyes met a pair of blood red eyes staring back at her in disbelief. That moment Justin's phone beeped.

# - What's up guys?! - Connor 🏈