The Mythical Secret

Part 2: Lair of the Beast

I wiped away the tears from my eyes and tried to match his smile. "Together. Always."

We stayed there, arms wrapped around each other until the sun reached the horizon. The bright colors of the sky filled my room. It was a small room, but I chose it because my mother used it as a painting studio before she cleared it out and moved to Missouri. Now, I find myself running my fingers over small splatters of paint on the wall, memories etched into each one. It makes me feel closer to her.

Jake had changed after we moved as well. Back when our parents were still around, he seemed happier, more enthusiastic, and was always hanging out with his friends. Now, he always looked sad, his eyes dropping, corners of his mouth curled down in a constant frown and dark circles underneath his deep blue eyes. It broke my heart to see him like this, but I was also aware that we did not act much differently nowadays.

Jake and I fixed dinner and set the table. It was our family tradition to always eat dinner together. We kept the tradition alive even after our parents were gone. It was a silent supper of baked potatoes topped with chili, peppers, cheese, and a side of fries.

Jake was the first to break the silence.

"I was thinking of going through the attic. We haven't been up there since we moved to Missouri. You never know, there might be some interesting finds."

I thought about it for a minute then decided to join Jake. This made him glad. Normally, I would not go anywhere in the house that was full of their old stuff unless it was my room. Maybe this was a step in the right direction of moving past the pain and focusing more on the good.

My hands shook as we cleared away the dishes and made our way to the attic door. Jake noticed my nervousness and took my hand in his which was also trembling. The stairs were only wide enough for one person at a time so Jake went first. Groaning and squeaking came from the rotting wood with every step we made. We were relieved when we made it to the top without any boards breaking.

Inches of dust covered everything in sight, footprints were outlined with every step as we walked over to boxes and boxes filled with random stuff. A big, round window was set opposite the stairs in the middle of the wall facing the front of the house. It let enough light in to see by without flashlights since it was not yet late in the day. It was a large attic compared to most houses. Large boxes were piled on top of each other and spider webs covered almost everything.

Jake and I split up, him going to the left and I to the right.

Digging in, I pulled out random trinkets. Toy cars, pens, and pencils, other small models of monuments. From boxes full of books to ones filled with hats and winter clothing. Time seemed to fly by.

My gaze went to the window. The sun had hit the horizon, filling the attic with an array of reds and oranges. It had been hours of searching, but nothing had caught my attention or sparked my interest in any way. Maybe this was just a big waste of our time.

A sound came to my ears, so small and faint. Like a small buzzing, but different somehow. I held my breath and listened closer. Maybe it was my imagination.

I called Jake over to me. "Do you hear that noise?"

He squinted his eyes and listened. "What is it?"

We quieted again, attempting to follow it to the source. Jake led the way, winding through the series of boxes to the corner farthest away from the stairs. The sun was disappearing quickly, darkness hovered over the attic. We pulled out flashlights, clicking them on and shining them in the direction of our steps. The noise was undoubtedly getting louder and there was no denying that it sounded like the snores of something. Or someone.

We were a few steps away from the source and my heartbeat quickened in fear. I tugged on Jake's arm to stop him. "What if it's a wild animal? It has been so many years since anybody has been in here, what if something is calling this place it's home now? Promise me nothing bad will happen."

"Nothing is going to happen," he promised. "All will be well, and if there is an animal in here, I can defend us." To prove it he grabbed a baseball bat that had been previously leaning against the wall. I looked around for my own weapon, finding a golf club. Holding the club in my right hand and the flashlight in the other, we proceeded to the corner, stopping just before we turned the final corner to peek over the top of the boxes.

What my eyes saw was so bizarre and disturbing that my brain shut off. Unable to explain what was happening, we took the last step around the boxes into the lair of a beast.