~Averys POV~
My mouth was wide open and I didn't blink. That's the woman I heard. Natasha's mother. I heard Natasha's mother die, but that must mean that the menacing laugh came from...Oh god.
Natasha walked to one of the pictures that were hanging on the wall. It had a crack along with the picture. She wiped it clean on her dress and stared at whoever was in it.
Natasha handed me the picture, I was hesitant at first to grab it. Not sure what I would see. But I decided to take it and when I saw it, I felt the pain that this house was holding.
It was a beautiful woman. She was blonde, with hazelnut eyes and an almond-shaped face. She was smiling big in the picture, the smile reached her eyes, showing her teeth. I looked back at Natasha.
"Is this her?" I asked her in merely a whisper. Natasha nodded her head once again. She wasn't much for words right now, and I understood why.
"This," Natasha started and walked over to one of the door frames, putting her hands on it and giggling before continuing.
"This is where I grew up." She said with a smile. It was nice to see her smile. I just wish I didn't have to see the pain in her eyes.
"Alright um, Avery why don't you take your bag upstairs and settle in one of the rooms, I'll go and put a spell around the house," Natasha said and was about to walk out. My eyes grew wide at simply the thought of walking up the stairs of death and enter the darkness of hell.
No offense to those who lived here, or those who still do, and no offense to the house itself. But it's really dark up there and I was scared as hell.
I had just heard a woman scream for her life. Not just any woman at that, but Natasha's mother. I looked up the stairs and swallowed hard.
"Umm," I could only make noises. The mere thought of walking in this house alone gave me the creeps. I felt as though I was being watched.
"Problem?" Natasha asked. I turned back to look at her and she looked amused for some reason. She bit her lip and it looked as though she was trying to contain her laughter.
I couldn't tell Natasha that I was scared of walking here alone. It was her childhood home. I didn't want to offend her.
"It's creepy, huh?" She not so much asked, but rather stated as her eyes scanned the hallway. I tilted my head back and forth.
"Not...creepy exactly. It's just," I didn't know how to form a sentence. Natasha snapped her fingers and the lights were turned on. There was lighting along the staircase on the wall. The lamp in the hallway lit up as well and so did the lights and candles in the other rooms.
Suddenly it didn't feel as scary. I guess light in the midst of darkness truly was important. I could see the home in the house. I saw the carpets, the photographs, the decor even if broken, was lovely. I saw the fireplace in the living room. It had a crack in the middle, the thick stone overhead was broken and pieces of stone were lying among the ashes.
But still, it had charm. I looked back to Natasha who tilted her head and looked at me with a smile.
"Thank you," I said and grabbed my bag.
I made my way up the stairs, carefully so as not to step on a broken floorboard.
As I was reaching the second floor, I almost fell backward but quickly grabbed the railing and threw myself up the last steps. I didn't lose balance, it just felt as though something went through me.
As though something tried to push me down the stairs. I stood up and dust off my sweats before looking left and right. There were rooms on both sides, but something told me that I shouldn't go left. I kept walking down the right hall and walked past two rooms, one closet and one bathroom before I reached a bedroom. The door to the room, like the others was of its handles. It was lying on the floor and looked as though it had been burned.
There were big black spots and holes were once a thick oak wood had been. I could see the beauty it once held. This house used to be amazing, I could tell. I walked into the bedroom and placed my bag on the bed which made a cloud of dust rise from the covers.
I coughed as dust reached up my nose and down my airpipe. After I was done with my little allergy attack, I started looking around. There were pieces of a desk, an old wardrobe, and drawings lying on the floor. It looked like a child had lived here. I walked over to the single window and looked out. The view from the room was a big tree on the garden, the tree had a swing attached to it. Pictures of Natasha playing on the swing came popping into my head.
Her, laughing and having fun with her mother. Natasha never told me much about her mom, but something just made me think that they were close.
"Wise choice," Natasha said from behind me. I turned around and saw her standing by the door with a bag in hand. I looked at her confused.
"What's that?" I asked and pointed to the bag she was holding. Natasha raised an eyebrow and placed the bag on the bed, next to mine.
"You didn't think I would leave you here alone for the night, did you?" A sense of relief came rushing through me and I released a breath.
"Oh thank god," I said before I could think. Natasha laughed and came to take my hand.
"You're not alone, Avery. I hope you know that." She said and looked at me for an answer.
"I know I'm not. I just can't wait for all of this to be over." I said.