Through the Dark (Sequel to Taking Chances)

Chapter Forty-Three: "Murderer"

Brielle
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Everything was pitch black. I couldn't see a single thing, even with the light shining in behind me from the outside. My footsteps echoed in the room, whatever room I was standing in, and I took a minute to calm my racing heart before I went any further.

I was blinded a moment later when the lights sprang on, illuminating the room. I blinked rapidly, rubbing my eyes, though I hardly adjusted fast enough. Everything was so bright, so completely blinding. Yet the only thing I could hear was the sound of my movements echoing through the room. I took a step backward, listening to the loud echo. I cleared my throat, waiting as it sang back to me. And finally, my eyes had adjusted.

It was the oddest thing I'd seen in awhile: a plain white room, so pristine I was afraid to take another step for fear of staining the beautiful marble floor.

"Welcome," the same voice from the screen said, scaring me half the death after being used to the silence. "Brielle Marie Payne. Mrs. Pearson has been expecting you."

I find myself laughing breathlessly in wonder. How, my dear old Aunt Charlotte? How did she manage to become so wrapped in her technology to get it to be like this? It made me question how well I actually knew about her life. Perhaps she didn't have someone follow me around while I was in Judie's custody... maybe she had done it herself.

"...there's a secret door," Claire's voice came into range, pausing once she reached the hole in the side of the house.

"Brielle?" Niall called cautiously. "What is this?"

"I-"

Straight across from me, another door appeared right from the wall and split into two, sliding away for us to gain entrance to the rest of house. Lights came on inside, giving way to the path in front of us. Excitement and curiosity rippled through me as I started forward without waiting for anyone else.

Niall called for me to slow down, no doubt afraid that I'd run into some kind of trouble. However, the notion that this was Charlotte's SAFE house made me more at ease than I'd been in a long time. So naturally I wasn't afraid to explore the rest of the house.

I came upon a set of stairs that led farther up into the house; I climbed them swiftly and pushed through yet another set of doors. I didn't realize that it would be the last set I'd walk through until my eyes landed upon the final interior of the house.

To my right was the kitchen, so big it could fit nearly fifty people with still some space left. If I looked straight ahead I saw the living room, a large wide screen standing atop the chimney. Fire burned lightly inside, looking as if it had been burning for no longer than half an hour. To my left was the stairs that lead upward onto the second floor, where I assumed the bedrooms were. The walls were covered with paintings of several wonders from different countries. A couple were frames - picture frames of me and my parents. I noted that not a single one had Liam in them.

Behind me, the door swung open and Niall burst inside with the bags. Harry sauntered in just behind him and Claire prodded Rascal up the stairs. Niall dropped the bags once he stood beside me and took the moment to survey his surroundings, as did Harry and Claire.

I breathed in slowly. Okay... so far the place was pretty decent... we could survive this.

"Please don't run off... like that again," Niall mumbled as he gently squeezed my arm.

I hardly acknowledged him as I glanced down at the bags and reached for them. "Okay, we need to unpack and get settled in. It's gonna be a long night."

Claire walked passed me quickly, avoiding my eyes, and it was then that I knew she was still pretty pissed with me. Had could she not be after I kept the rest from her?