Shock ran through me as it spoke with its raspy and abyssal voice. I was covered in goosebumps but I managed to gather up traces of my courage and slowly searched for my pocketknife from my side bag. My hands were shaky but I knew that no one can save me but myself so with the newly found determination and adrenaline, I swung the blade behind me hopefully injuring it but the knife only hit the air. I quickly jumped from my place and looked back but no one was there to be seen except the open doors of the mansion. It felt unsettling. I swallowed the urge the scream by the uneasiness kicking in and started sprinting away to where my legs took me.
"Come back", a woman's voice rang inside of my head; making me halt my wavering steps. "It's not time yet", she 'said' again. The voice seemed like it was coming from the mansion but there was no hostility like the one earlier. This voice had love and warmth as if it was coming from a mother—making me felt safe and protected. I turned around and looked at the lone mansion. Strangely enough, all my doubts and fear disappeared into thin air and were replaced with longing and nostalgia. I felt the need to go to the mansion as if my life depended on it. "Well then..", I sighed as I let my breath out and walked towards to the place I once was so scared of.
Before I knew it, I was already at the entrance of the mansion. I peeked inside through the coloured glass. It looked the same from what I saw when I first set my feet here. I debated myself whether to leave this place or not but I was already here so why not move forward? I pushed the rusted handle and entered. The black and white checkered floor was muddy from the rain and the pieces of fallen chandelier were scattered on the floor—looking like crystals under the sun that shone through the massive windows. "Now what?" I said to myself rather loudly then I went further inside. I was there once again; alone in a ruined mansion from a century ago. I could not hear anything but my own thoughts and footsteps. It was eerie yet peaceful.
The entrance door shut with a nerve-wrecking band from behind me that dust and small debris from the ceiling fell. I ran to the door and tried to open it back with all my strength but it was all in vain. "The wind must've struck real hard", I cursed to myself as I kept on pulling it. Sweat rolled off of my hair and forehead but giving up was not an option so there I was pulling the door with all my strength gathered.
"You really are looking like a lizard stuck on the wall with whatever you are doing", a woman's taunting voice came from my left. I snapped my head to her directions and hopped back. There stood a woman in a golden rimmed mirror in her hands who let out a snicker at me. She was wearing a royal blue grown with golden laces adorning the sides. She had a classically beautiful face with deep green eyes which had the ability to intimidate me. I yanked out my knife again and pointed at her shakily.
"Who-Who are you and when did you get here?" I yelled in a frantic. The woman chuckled. "My, my, you really are a straightforward and scared little wimp", she mocked as she slowly walked towards me. "Who knew that we would get a pathetic foolzer in big sister's place", she continued her steps until she was standing right at the tip of my pocketknife. "What do you mean?" I questioned; gripping the handle tight in my hands. "Oh? It seems like you also have a poor memory.. what a pity", she taunted. "Were you not the one who took a picture of us?" She tilted her head with a smirk. Picture..? I tried to calm down and carefully studied her. The intimidating aura and the mirror she was holding—she looked exactly like one of the woman from the photo I found two days earlier. But it didn't make sense. The photo was from over a hundred years earlier. Was I interacting with some sort of spirit? "Quit the nonsense", I said. "How did you get here?", I tried to ask sternly but sounded nervous. "Before we get to all of that", the woman said. "Why don't we put down that act and flimsy knife of yours", she grinned. "It's not like they'll work on me anyways", she said in a whisper as she was suddenly behind me. Before I could do anything, I felt a hand cover my vision and before I could yank the hand away, it retreated. The room in front of me was now as good as new. The floors shone and the chandelier was now up on the ceiling. The torn carpets were now restored and the paint of the walls were not falling off anymore. Everything looked like they went back in time.
I looked back at the woman. She was now standing beside a set of black chairs that had feather sequences on them. She sat on one and motioned me to do the same. With many doubts in the back of my head, I sat across her.
"Now, where to begin", she said. I began "I was asking wha-" "I will be the one to talk, little wimp", she interrupted. As much as I wanted to say something back the held back the urge because I had known that we would end up going in circles.
After minutes of uneasiness, she began. "Now what had made your scared little soul come wandering here?" She asked. "I thought it'd be interesting to explore an abandoned building", I answered. "Ah what a curious little feline we have here", she grinned. "But I cannot see why big sister has chosen you", she mumbled with a frown. "Chose me?" I said, confused. "Don't feel special little wimp, her choosing you doesn't mean that we'll accept you", she said in a stern voice. The way she told me about her sister and her voice reminded me of the dream last night. Was she the woman in it? "Have you perhaps, thrown a masquerade ball here?" I asked. "A.. masquerade ball?" She raised an eyebrow. I should've known that it was a stupid question from the start. Why was I even asking it? "Oh never mind, it was just a dream", I said. "What else did you see in this dream of yours", she asked. "Well, the people were chanting my name and there was a big crow following me", I said. I didn't even know why I was talking about a random dream I had to a 'person' as if it actually happened. "Seems like 'they' got to you first", she spoke with a careful tone. "Who..?" I questioned nervously. "Well this just makes things more difficult", she said, ignoring my question.
"Let's get this over with quickly, shall we?" She gave me a closed-eyes smile.
"Long story short, you, little wimp are now at the place of the eldest sister of the Nightcroix manor, the one we are in right now", she said.
"You, little mortal, was chosen by our sister in order to carry out the tasks she had ultimately failed to do", she said, highlighting the part where she said 'failed'. "What kind of tasks exactly?" I inquired. She rested her palms on her face. "I had never though I would be sitting here negotiating with you, the chosen ones before are already in the hands of death", she complained. "D-death?!" I squeaked out.
"You must have certain relations with us or that you must be plainly lucky", she said with a finger pointed to her chin. "Though, I am certain that it is the latter", she said completely ignoring my terror. "What do you mean they died?" I half yelled. "Oh shush, it is just that the ones who 'they' got to first tend to go crazy or if they're lucky, they die", she smiled. "No matter what appearances 'they' may take, you must never trust them", she said.
"But now that you're here, there is nothing to worry about", she reassured.
"You also said you saw a crow, yes?", she asked. "Yeah, the one that kept following me", I said.
She seemed to be considering my answer as she nodded to herself. "You appear to be worthier than I expected", she said with a raised eyebrow. "That raven was big sister's familiar and it never stayed near anyone but her", she said.
After a moment of silence, she began, "Now, let us move onto the interesting part, shall we?".
"Tell me, what is your name?" She asked.
"Marceline, Marceline Cross", I answered.
"Marceline would do just fine", she smiled. Then out of nowhere, she pulled out a paper and set it in front of me. "Well then, Marceline, do you agree to lend us your hands in completing the failed tasks of our sister?" She asked in a demanding tone.
This was madness. I could not be possibly helping a bunch of non-human entities that came out of nowhere. "And why should I trust you?", I asked.
"Oh please, I am not the one to be going around fooling people like a mere clown", she grinned. "What are the tasks?" I asked. "You may see those in the contract", she answered. Was this some sort of deal? "Where is the contract?", I asked again. "It's right in front of you, dear", she said in a mocking tone. Indeed there was a paper in front of me but it was completely blank; not a drop of ink could be seen. "It's blank", I said. "It's because you haven't agreed to it, yet", she laughed. "How am I supposed to know the terms and conditions this way?", I complained, feeling troubled. "Aren't you such a dimwitted little human?", she chuckled. "It was never supposed to be a fair contract from the beginning", she grinned darkly.
Think, Marceline, think. What can you do at this point? "I do not accept", I plainly refused. He smile had become even wider. "Oh?", she smiled. "Certainly", she said.
Something was not right. This was too easy.
"Unless you don't want to go crazy or die in their hands, you may refuse", she smiled victoriously.
"We are the ones who were protecting you all this time; were you not going to get killed earlier?" She said. "Now..", she said as she slid the paper near me. "Will you agree this time?"
Truth to be told, I did not want to die. I did not want myself to get tangled in this madness either but I knew that I was no match for this woman in front of me. The sky appeared dark outside. Great aunt Margaret must be worried by now. What about the rest of your family and your friends? Memories came crashing into me as if this moment was my last breath.
"Time is ticking", she said slowly. Suddenly, the pendulum clock on the wall started moving. "One last question", I said quickly. She raised an eyebrow. "Go on", she said. "What exactly are you?" I asked. "I have not the slightest clue, my dear, we are neither spirits nor we are human; we are just stuck in a certain time", she answered. "Am I back in time now?" I asked. "How am I supposed to return?" I asked repeatedly. "That shan't worry you; the time from the outside world do not have its effects on us here", she said. "It is still the time you had come here and it shall remain as that", she continued. "So, what do you say?" She muttered.
Here goes nothing. "I agree", I said. Her face lit up as she smiled ear to ear. Ink started to appear on the top of the paper and near the bottom of it, my signature appeared. But something was definitely off. There was only one sentence written on the contract.
"I will complete the task of the presone failed to do".
It was the only thing written— nothing more.
"You have quite the expression there", she chucked. "I swear on the Nightcroix name that there is no lie in what I have said before". "You see, we have been here for such a time so long that we have forgotten what the tasks were", she shrugged. "It is your duty to figure those out", she said in a hushed voice.
"This isn't fair, you should've told me earlier", I tried to justify. "You did not ask specifically", she said. The fact that she wasn't wrong unsettled me. There was no going back at this point.
"Seems like our deal ends here", she smiled.
"You may come back tomorrow to the exact same spot at this time, we have to welcome our dear sister back, don't we?" She said as she stood up and walked away. The table started to disappear and the room was going back to its ruined state slowly. I followed her.
"At least tell me your name!" I demanded.
"Cordelia", she said.