The Book That I Found

15. THE VAULT

Agnes mopping the floor of the hallway and heard

Margaret saying, "Laura, I'm leaving for the church. Make sure Violet eats her breakfast after she wakes up." , and she left. Soon, Violet came running out of her room, down the stairs in a rush. Before Agnes just said, "Sweetie, slow down.

Floor is still wet." Violet slipped and fell on the ground.

AGNES: [worriedly] Oh dear. Are you okay?

Both Agnes and Laura ran towards her and saw her head was injured. They took her to her room, applied some ointment and made her take some rest. Agnes went back to her work and while continuing the mopping, she got a book at the stairs on which it's written Speak to the dead by Violet Williams. She opened the book and saw the same kind of weird things drawn and written in that book.

EVELYN: Mommy! Maisie's been crying for a while and she won't stop.

AGNES: Yeah I'll go and see her.

She kept the book on a table and ran towards the cabin. Evelyn stayed behind looking around, she went forward to take a look at the statue on the table, saw the book placed on it and took it into her hands. Staring at it for a while, she looked around and ran out of the mansion.

Agnes came back and continued with her moping work. When she was almost done, she saw a door at a corner in the hallway. She went inside to clean it as well and found that it was a vault. She walked down the stairs and was surprised to see that the room was so dark and damp inside. It's so grubby like it's not even a part of the mansion. Agnes switched the bulb on and saw there were racks filled with some glass bottles and a huge wardrobe on the other side of the room. She turned back and looked up, thought for a few seconds, walked towards the wardrobe and tried to open the door. But it was locked. She tried to find the key in the room but suddenly she realized it's not the right thing to do, so she turned back and went upstairs. As she came out, she saw Margaret was walking towards the room.

MARGARET: [Looking at Agnes] Laura! [She shouted] LAURA: [came running] Yes M'lady?

MARGARET: Didn't you tell the maid about the rules?

LAURA: [Hesitantly] I..uh... I'm sorry madam. I didn't explain to her yet.

MARGARET: What are you waiting for? Another dead body? LAURA: Apologies. [Walking towards Agnes ] Mrs. Smith, you're not supposed to go inside the vault. You shouldn't read the books from the restricted rack in the study room. And you should not come out of your cabin in the middle of the night, no matter what. These are the rules okay?

AGNES: Okay.

MARGARET: Did you touch anything from the vault?

AGNES: [Hesitantly] No.

MARGARET: [Suspiciously] Okay.

LAURA: Mistress! There's a thing I need to tell you. After you left, Violet fell off the stairs.

MARGARET: What? Is she hurt? [She walked away with

Laura]

Beside the pond, Evelyn and Maisie are playing a tea party game. Violet's been observing them from her room through the window. "Why did you cry this morning?" Evelyn asked Maisie.

MAISIE: Because I left Mr. Thomas at our old house.

EVELYN: Thomas? The toy that dad gave to you?

MAISIE: Yes. I miss him.

EVELYN: [smiled] Then why don't we play another game?

[She took out the book] It says we can talk to the dead people.

Let's meet dad.

"Honey, how are you feeling?" Margaret came into Violet's room asking. But Violet said nothing, just ran out of her room and came to Evelyn and Maisie. Standing there, " It's my book. Give it back.", she said.

EVELYN: Who are you? It's not yours. It's mine. VIOLET: [Ran to her] Give it to me.

And they started fighting. Both of them started hitting and pulling each other's hair. Hearing those screeches, Margaret, Laura and Agnes ran to them.

" It's yours right? Then take it.", Evelyn got mad and she threw the book into the pond. Violet said nothing but looked at her with grief.

AGNES: [shouted] Evelyn! Where is your manners?

Apologize to her.

EVELYN: Mother, but she...

AGNES: I'm not here to listen to your excuses young lady.

Just apologize.

Evelyn said nothing but weepingly ran away from that place.

AGNES: Hey! Come back girl. Come here right now. Evelyn! [She turned back] M'lady! I'm apologizing for my daughter's behavior. Please forgive us.

MARGARET: It's okay.

VIOLET: Mother!

MARGARET: Come Violet. [They went back inside]

At the time of sundown, Agnes reached her home. She prepared the food and the three of them sat together for dinner.

AGNES: What was that earlier?

EVELYN: She hit me first.

AGNES: But why did you steal that book in the first place?

EVELYN: I didn't steal it.

AGNES: You did. Now listen up girl, From now on, you will never set foot in the mansion. It's your punishment. Do you understand me? Do you understand me? EVELYN: Yes.

The night passed, it's another foggy morning. Agnes woke up, came out from her cabin with a bucket of water and through that thick mist, she saw something floating on the water of the pond. She looked at it for a few seconds wondering what it might be. She dropped the bucket and ran towards it. When she realized, she was flabbergasted and fell backward on the ground.

WHO CAN IT BE? TO KNOW KEEP READING.