Forgotten Photography ✔

Protect and Inform

"Okay kiddo, sit in that chair there. I'm going to do something for you to bring a little extra sense of security." Edgar was making something that looked like tea, but Evergreen was not too sure. Hades sat next to Edgar, wagging his tail, watching the old man make the strange drink. "It's not going to taste very good...but it will allow me to protect you properly." It made the room smell odd, and Evergreen's nose scrunched.

"What is it...?" Evergreen looked at the tea cup, the smell even worse up close.

"A protection potion I created myself. I told you I am an old Warlock, did I not? I used to dabble in Dark Magick, but now I mix light and dark to protect and defend. I know this is all strange to you, but I have a feeling this is a case mixing science and magick. Knowing Maddison's parents made me believe you can't have one without the other." Edgar sat down at the small table, fiddling with the pin on his tie.

"What? Tell me more. Any information I can get will aid me in all of this." Evergreen took a drink and gagged, but managed to swallow it down. "Ugh, what's in this?" She started to cough, stomach churning.

"Gross right? And personally, you don't want to know. It will help me keep tabs on you and make sure you are safe...You're a sweet lass, I don't want something bad happening to you." Edgar stared at the large painting of his wife on the wall, smiling. "So you want to know more about Maddison? Well let me tell you about her parents. Her parents were scientists at....well....I can't tell you. But what I can tell you is that they were rarely home and when they were, they were in the rooms that Maddison was not allowed to enter. I was the  only family member who had a lot of time to spend with the poor girl...."

"Huh....Poor thing. Why can't you tell me where they worked?" Evergreen finished off the disgusting tea, cringing.

"Not allowed. They only way you could find out is investigating that house. My protection potion should help you, but I would still be careful. You never know what could be behind something like this." Edgar grabbed the cup and gingerly started cleaning it in the sink.

"Tom wants to be there to protect me but somehow I know that if he comes with I am not going to be able to get close enough to the house to the proper research." She fiddled with her camera, looking at the large portrait of the beautiful departed soul.

"Sometimes, you have to do things on your own. All I can ask is for you to go during the day, because if you go at any other time I am afraid that something bad will happen. I'd suggest you go home and rest tonight, because I know something already has it's eye on you." Edgar gave Hades a good pat on the head, looking out the window as if someone was standing there. The atmosphere in the room felt off, everyone feeling on edge. Hades tail wagged but somewhere in his stature Evergreen could tell something was wrong.

"I'm going to head home now, I feel like I won't make it home safely after sunset, and the sun is too low already..." She shifted in her chair, and looked out the same window, seeing a silhouette looming in the distance.

Evergreen needed to leave immediately.

"Good. I won't stall you any longer. Stay with the streetlights, and don't get out of Hades' sight. I have a bad feeling things are about to descend into insanity. Go home, dig a little. There has to be some insane kook who knew something about disappearances. Research is key to whatever strange situation is upon us!" Edgar had Evergreen out the door by the end of his statement, Hades staying close beside her as she waved goodbye and started on her way home. The feeling she felt when she found the rose was back, but instead of a slight muddling of her brain, it was much more severe.

Evergreen passed underneath a bright streetlight and felt a chill down her spine, the feeling of something trying to infiltrate her brain surfacing. She started to become paranoid, looking behind periodically, and saw someone standing in the distance. She quickened her pace, looking forward, gripping tighter onto Hades' leash.

Evergreen...

There was the voice again, but the silhouette did not look like Maddison anymore. It looked like the silhouette of a man, like the one she saw far behind the woman in the woods. Evergreen felt in danger once more, quickly rounding a corner. She was almost home, only a block more to go, but she feared the worst as she looked behind again, the man seemed to be moving closer, the voice getting louder.

Evergreen.

She knew she had to get home, the voice was echoed by a man. It was not a voice she recognized, and she did not want to find out who the owner of the voice was. She raced into her home, locking the door behind her, Hades barking and growling at the door. She was home alone, and knew that if she didn't make sure every window and door to the house was locked, bad things would befall upon her tonight.

"Hades come upstairs with me..." Evergreen led her companion up as she grabbed something quick and easy from the fridge, a few apples for herself and some leftover steak for Hades. As soon as she made it to her bedroom, she shut and locked her window, booting up her computer. "Stay here, I need to inspect the house." She set the steak down for Hades, and went back downstairs, checking every window so she could lock them. She then went back upstairs, checking every single window there as well.

Evergreen proceeded back to her room, shutting and locking her bedroom door. She sat in her computer chair, and opened up her search browser. She began to type in the engine, when she heard a knocking sound at her door. Her entire body tensed up, and the sudden feeling of dread climbed from her stomach to her throat. Her esophagus burned as she quietly got out of her chair, and sat on her bed. Hades' ears were folded back, the dog jumping up on the bed with her. Evergreen knew that it wasn't her mom or Tom, or even Edgar. The knocking was slow and loud, whoever it was, whatever it was, it was not in any hurry, but it desired notice.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

The knocking came in threes, and the patience that followed each knock was everlasting. With each knock, Evergreen felt her brain become more and more unresponsive. She felt her consciousness melt away, and soon she found herself paralyzed on her bed, the door opening slowly. Had Evergreen been able to comprehend her world around her, she would of wondered why or how someone got into her room with her door locked, but all she knew was that someone had picked her up, before her world finally finished fading away and her consciousness gave way to nothing.