Whispers of the Victorian House

Chapter 30- Unearthing the Secrets

Diya and Tabitha slowly made their way back to Emily's mansion, their hands full with the ice cream they had just enjoyed at the quaint little parlor in the nearby town. The moon cast an eerie glow over the estate, giving it an ethereal and haunting quality. The wind whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves and sending shivers down their spines.

As the night grew darker, Caleb announced his departure and bid farewell to Brian. Brian watched as he walked away, his silhouette becoming smaller and smaller until he disappeared into the shadows.

As the two of them reached the entrance, the creaking sound of the heavy oak door opening echoed through the empty hallway. The girls hesitantly stepped inside, the dimly lit chandelier casting ominous shadows on the walls. The mansion had always been Emily's pride and joy, but tonight, it felt different. It felt haunted.

As Brian met them, he tried to mask his fatigue with a faint smile. Diya secured the sturdy oak door with a key in her pocket. Exhausted, Brian headed straight to his girlfriend's room, hoping to call it a night. However, Tabitha had other plans in mind. She suggested they watch a Netflix series to shake off the eerie feeling that had haunted her all day since the unsettling incident.

Tabitha was sitting on the couch with her tablet in hand, scrolling through movie options. Diya, who was seated beside her, offered to grab some snacks for them. Tabitha happily agreed, and Diya got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen to prepare some delicious treats. As Tabitha continued to search for the perfect movie, the sounds and smells of Diya's cooking wafted through the air, making her mouth water with anticipation.

Diya walked back into the room carrying a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn and two glasses filled with ice-cold lemonade, condensation dripping off the sides. Tabitha's mouth watered at the sight and smell of the delicious snacks, eager to start the movie they had been planning to watch. However, their plans were interrupted by a sudden loud crash that came from outside, shattering the room's peaceful atmosphere.

"What was that?" Tabitha asked as she panicked.

"I don't know. It sounded like it came from the neighbor's house," Diya replied pretending to be brave.

Diya looked out the window, but the light from the full moon didn't illuminate anything in the backyard, "Should we go look?"

"I'm not going out there. That's the last thing I need, to get kidnapped by some crazed fan." Tabitha uttered.

"Well, I'll go," Diya said. "But first, let's watch the movie. We'll turn on the news afterward to see if there are any reports about a crash."

Tabitha nodded, and they watched the movie while they finished the popcorn and the entire pitcher of lemonade. Afterward, Diya turned on the TV and flipped through the channels.

"See," Diya said, "nothing's wrong. There are no reports of any crashes."

"Are you sure?" Tabitha was skeptical.

"Look for yourself," Diya quickly replied.

"That is alright. I'm going to bed. I'm locking all the doors and windows," Tabitha surrendered and wanted to head to bed in fear.

"I'll check around the house before I go to bed. Just to make sure everything is okay," Diya switched the television.

"Don't go out there. It's too dangerous," Tabitha stopped Diya suddenly.

"It's no big deal. I'm just going to check the perimeter. Don't worry. If I see anything suspicious, I won't even step outside," Diya was confident to check the outside.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," Tabitha chuckled.

"Good night, Tabby. Sweet dreams," Diya responded with a smile.

"Sweet dreams, Diya," Tabitha replied as she headed up to the room.

Diya's eyes scanned the empty house, searching for any signs of danger. She stepped outside to investigate a loud noise and what she found left her speechless. A girl was lying on the ground, bleeding from her forehead. Without wasting a moment, Diya brought the girl inside the house. Suddenly, the injured girl woke up and asked for water, but there was something strange in her voice that made Diya wonder if there was more to this situation than met the eye.

As Diya approached the injured girl, she couldn't help but wonder about her origin and the cause of her injuries. The girl, who appeared to be the daughter of a local farmer, recounted her story of gathering firewood near their farmhouse when the accident occurred. Despite the pain she was in, the girl calmly explained the details of her unfortunate incident. 

As Diya approached the injured girl, she couldn't help but wonder about her origin and the cause of her injuries. The girl, who appeared to be the daughter of a local farmer, recounted her story of gathering firewood near their farmhouse when the accident occurred. Despite the pain she was in, the girl calmly explained the details of her unfortunate incident. 

The girl abruptly stood up from the couch and quietly made her way toward the basement of the mansion. Diya found it odd how calm the girl appeared despite her injuries and the blood oozing from her forehead. Curious, Diya decided to follow her to the basement where she was taken aback by what she saw.

As she turned the corner, the whole scenery seemed to have materialized in front of her eyes like a surreal spell. The colors were so vivid, the sounds so crisp, and the smells so fragrant that she couldn't help but feel like she had been transported to a different world altogether.

There were several girls, some even younger than her, lying down in front of the creepy altar. Some were covered in blood, some had wounds, and others were moaning and whimpering in pain. It was as if they were all victims of a terrible accident or a massacre. The scene was very disturbing for Diya. She asked the girl why they were there and what was happening. 

The girl simply replied, "We are all part of the experiments and were brought here by the evil owner of this mansion."

"Experiments? Mansion owner? What do you mean?" Diya inquired.

"Yes. We were all part of the experiment that was carried out by the owner of this mansion. They wanted to create a super soldier to fight the mansion's forces," the girl replied monotonously. 

Diya was shocked and disgusted at the explanation the girl gave, "How can the owners of this mansion do this?"

The girl's face turned pale and she began trembling as she answered, "I don't know, but they keep telling us we will be sacrificed soon and our souls will be sent to hell. We must escape."

When Diya saw the situation in front of her, she stood there feeling stunned and unable to speak. She couldn't believe the sheer cruelty and injustice that was happening before her eyes. Her blood began to boil with rage and she desperately wanted to help the helpless girls that were suffering. 

The question that tormented her was how? How could she possibly free all of them? 

She knew that time was of the essence, and she had to act quickly if she wanted to make a difference. So, she pondered on different ways to achieve this seemingly impossible task, determined to find a way to free the innocent girls from their captors but before that, she had one more question.

"Curiously," Diya inquired, "Who are the people holding you captive?"

"The Baxters," the girls answered. 

________________________________________________________________________________

💕Hey there! Ever wondered if Caleb is aware of what his ancestors did to those poor innocent girls? And you know what's even more intriguing? How on earth does Diya manage to liberate all those girls' souls from the creepy basement?