Life for Isabelle Green is perfect. Except for whatever it is that lurks in the dark when the lights go out.
~~~
Note: This is NOT a paranormal story. No jump-scares, no purple veiny hands and no skeletal figures. Just a lil thrill and romance~
Oops! Questa immagine non segue le nostre linee guida sui contenuti. Per continuare la pubblicazione, provare a rimuoverlo o caricare un altro.
The ride to the event is oddly quiet. Maria does not make much of an effort to make conversation (which is frankly quite alarming), except for the occasional enquiry about the condition of my feet in the new pair of pumps. Meanwhile, Zico brutally shuts down Carlos everytime he opens his mouth to say anything. Puzzled, I watch the family silently glare at one another, which slightly concerns me because Zico is more focussed on staring down his little brother in the backseat than on the road. I wince when a motorcycle wizzes past us, dangerously close to the door on my left.
"Zico," Maria says calmly, a slight sternness to her voice. "It will be okay," she reassures, for what I do not know, but it seems to do the trick. Her son takes a deep breath and focuses his attention back on the road, ignoring Carlos altogether. Maria, on the other hand, is not as kind.
"You know, I think we should have-" his words are cut off by Maria tightening the bow on his neck. Coughing a little, Carlos subtly shifts away from his mother. Maria claimed she chose to get in the backseat with Carlos to fix his appearance, but the ongoing tussle behind me makes me wonder if that was really the case.
I sigh, confused and frustrated at being left in the dark. I look back at the road, wondering where we are going. Judging from our attire and appearances, it certainly does not seem to be a casual outing. An event hosted by an acquaintance, perhaps? Knowing better than to ask a question I know I wouldn't get an answer to, I settle on a different question.
"How long until we reach our destination?"
"Not more than fifteen minutes," Zico answers. "Did you need something? We could stop on the way, there's a market complex a little ahead."
I shake my head. "No, I was just curious is all."
"You wouldn't tell me even if I did ask, would you?" I try my luck.
"Nope," he replies promptly. I roll my eyes and it is then that I realise that the passengers in the backseat have gone quiet. A quick peek shows an exasperated Maria on her phone and a petulant Carlos, who is currently facing the window with a pout on his face. When he catches my eye, I give him a small smile, which he hesitantly returns and goes back to staring at the road.
The awkward ride soon comes an end when Zico slows down in front of what must have once been a hotel at the end of a busy street. The large, dark building has no signs or boards, something which strikes me as odd. But I do not have to wonder for long as Maria and Carlos start to make their way out of the car, prompting me to do the same. Zico drives the car away to the car park as Carlos and I walk hand-in-hand behind Maria to the entrance. Everything is neat and polished, thus dismissing the notion of the building being abandoned. The glass doors lead directly to a large, dark hallway, where we are soon joined by Zico.
"I need to use the loo," Carlos suddenly demands.
"I'll take him," Maria offers.
"We'll go ahead then," Zico says to no one in particular, lacing his fingers with mine. Turning to the left, we find ourselves in front of a lavish wooden double-door, flanked by a large ornate mirror on each side.
