Chapter Seven

  Part Seven

  The faint sound of a violin fluttered through this old-looking rustic wood cabin. The air was filled with the smell of a fresh fire from the fire place. This fire was the only light source in this room, along with the slightly tinted windows. Sitting next to the fireplace was an older man in his fifties, his face buried behind an old and tattered book. He grumbled to himself, seemingly annoyed by something.

  This man then suddenly shouted out “would you stop with that fuckin’ violin!”

  The distant sound of the violin faltered and came to a stop. The man sighed and continued his reading.

  Moving through this cabin, was the kitchen. It was a sizable room, and oddly cosy. In here was a woman in her forties, quietly humming to herself as she poured tea into two chipped cups. Also in this room, there was an old rickety rocking chair. In which, an extremely old woman nearing the end of her life sat, her eyes were closed.

  The old woman sighed “Mother, if you’re tired, I can put you back to bed”

  The other woman’s head twitched slightly, but she remained silent.

  In another room, a young girl around ten or so, was just placing her violin in its stand. She wiped a slightly wet eye, and hid under her woollen bed covers. She reached out and grabbed hold of an odd-looking teddy bear. One of its bear ears was missing and instead replaced with a bunny’s ear, one of its eyes was a button, and its tail was that of an elephants.

  The girl whispered in a quiet voice “Mister, pa’s been drinking again. What should I do?”

  A door opened and closed, moving into the hall was a young-looking man in his older teen year’s. He scratched his head, the nits were back. He placed a slowly burning candle on the side table next to him and blew it out, causing a faint smoke trail. He walked down hall and came to the kitchen.

  “Ma, I fed the girl” he smiled “she’s real pretty”

  Ma tutted “don’t let your pa hear that”

  “but I specifically chose her”

  “behave yourself”

  “... sure”

  “your pa’s already in bad mood”

  “why?”

  “Your sister was playing her violin”

  “oh”

  Ma handed a tea cup to grandma, who took it with shaking hands. Sensing the end of the conversation the teen left to his sister’s room. He didn’t bother knocking and just went straight in. Her violin was extremely cared for, it looked extra glossy today. He eyed the small lump underneath the bed covers, knowing full well that his sister was hiding again.

  “oi”

  From underneath the covers came a muffled “leave me alone” it sounded she had been crying.

  “Fine” but he didn’t leave. Instead he leaned against the door and came to a sitting position.

  A moment of silence, then “Jack?”

  “yes?”

  “...thank you”

  He smiled.

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  *

  Line slowly followed behind Arasha, who was making a wide birth around the wood cabin. It was now Arasha who was following the horse tracks. They were careful to make sure the cabin was always in their periphery, just in case there was any movement outside.

  “Line”

  She looked over in the direction that Arasha gestured towards. The horses were there.

  “Wait, Line? Where’s Ali?”

  “she went back to get reinforcements”

  Arasha gave a nod.

  “how do you want to do this?”

  “we could just knock on the door”

  Line frowned “did you not just ask us if we were stealthy?”

  “yes. But I realised something”

  “which was?”

  “I don’t like being stealthy”

  Line stared at the back of Arasha’s head.

  “come on”

  Arasha stood and very casually walked towards the cabin. Line continued to stare, but did eventually begin to follow Arasha.

  They followed the dirt path, up the wooden stairs onto the patio. Where Arasha nonchalantly knocked on the door.

  “This is a bad idea” Line said.

  “Where’s your sense of adventure, Line”

  “I don’t know, maybe I lost it when I found my sense of danger”

  The door opened, and appearing on the other side was an older man “yes?”

  Arasha put on her most welcoming smile she could muster “my name’s Arasha, this is Line. We’re with Candour Monastery” she showed of her token “were looking into some recent missing person reports and were in the area and came across this cabin. Do you mind if we ask a few questions?”

  The man eyed them both before moving aside “please, come in”

  Arasha responded quiet politely “thank you” she asked a question as they walked through the door “are you alone?”

  “No”

  “Do you mind calling the other people here”

  “no” the man walked across the room and disappeared down a hallway.

  Line looked at Arasha “he smelt like alcohol”

  Arasha nodded and glanced across the living room. Line noticed that the fire was blazing a little too hot in here. The man was a little longer than they expected, so they each took a look at this room.

  The hearth and along with all the furniture in this room was quite rustic. There were no paintings or self-portraits to be seen, but above the hearth there was a stag skull, framed and mounted on the wall.

  “Hello”

  They both turned to see a little girl, holding an odd-looking teddy bear.

  Line tilted her head “hello”

  “...” the girl pulled at her cute pinafore dress.

  “what’s your name?”

  “...will you be my sister?”

  Line frowned and shared a look with Arasha, who just gave a small shrug to her.

  Line replaced the frown with a smile “I’ll be your sister”

  The girl smiled and reached out a hand towards Line “will you come with me?”

  “come with you where?”

  The girl just continue to smile.

  Line took the girl’s hand.

  “Line!”

  She turned just as she heard a loud thwack, as Arasha was hit in the head by a heavy looking sledge hammer. And before Line had time to react, that same sledge hammer collided with the side of her head.

  **

  Line’s consciousness came in waves.

  First, she was lying face up on the ground, with a growing heat on the side of her head.

  Second, that man who had answered the door was looking down at her “Jack! Come help with this one!”

  She heard a far-off voice “sure thing, pa”

  Third, she was being dragged on her back across the floor. She glimpsed a ways away from her, was Arasha. The man was also dragging her somewhere.

  The face of teen came into view “she’s pretty too”

  “Just-“

  Fourth, she was being dragged down a flight of wooden stairs. The back of her head hitting each hard step, this hall way was dark and only lit by a singular candle a woman was holding.

  She spoke “careful now”

  “I’m being as careful as I can, ma”

  The last time, she heard a clinking sound and felt that her hands were now tied together with a scratchy rope in front of her. Hay lay beneath her on a stone floor. That candle light slowly flickered, and disappeared altogether. She could just barely hear the sound of a door closing somewhere.

  She was now in pitch darkness, and it wasn’t long before she lost her consciousness yet again.