When the sun was high in the sky and their stomachs began to call out for food; Ania left the tomb. Being the smallest she was more easily and more able to sneak to the garden and orchard to bring back some food. However, it was still early in the year and their options were severely limited.
Emmeline and Gregory both didn't want to send Ania, but it was for the best. Reluctantly they sent her out and made it clear 'DO NOT TAKE ANY RISKS!' Ania agreed and then headed out.
'Worry worts.' Ania thought to herself.
While Ania was out searching for food, Emmeline and Gregory began to seriously contemplate their next move; they would have to leave eventually. The small family couldn't live indefinitely in the tomb, they weren't dead any longer. It would have been easier to be ghosts they lamented, but quickly put those thoughts behind. They had to come up with a plan!
They had absolutely zero clues as to what they should do. Emmeline and Gregory had far more questions than answers and it was frankly annoying. But they did decide however, that they couldn't stay here much longer and would head out as soon as possible. Definitely when it became dark, it would be far easier to travel.
Emmeline didn't know any hard and true answers, she did understand that it was linked to the green light that burst forth from her. She bit her lip, ghosts were real what else was real?
"Gregory?" Emmeline called out. She could see his outline, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the tomb. "Do you suppose the green light may have to do with the occult?" She knew it sounded crazy, but so much of what had happened to them was crazy. Then recalling what had killed Matthew while it was Mr. Williams it wasn't at the same time. Mr. Williams was some kind of beast. He had to be involved, he just had to be. "And, I think it has to do with Mr. Williams, he is some kind of beast, he transformed into one and it was terrifying. I think if we could find information on the occult and different types of beasts, I think that may give us a clue?"
Gregory put his hand to his chin and thought about it. The occult and a beast. It was real as anything else. "I think it is worth a shot. It is a direction at least. I suppose we will have to go do some research." Then he groaned. "We have no money and no vehicle. It is not safe to go back, they may be there looking for us."
Emmeline nodded and looked around her. "There has to be valuables in here."
"Em, you want to become a grave robber?"
"Well, do you have a better suggestion. Besides, they are not here anymore! They have all passed beyond the veil. I think they would want us to make use of their stuff! Besides it is all of my relatives anyway." She bit her nail uncomfortably. They were on the next chapter of their life. They lived, they died and they live again.
"Okay. If you are fine with it. I am fine with it."
Emmeline nodded and when Ania came back they had a small feast of raw root vegetables and berries. Under the cover of darkness, they dug up several graves with the tools in the nearby shed (for the garden). Ania and Emmeline walked the perimeter while Gregory dug a couple graves.
While he was a bit uncomfortable with the idea. He was glad when his hard work reaped the benefits of several family heirlooms, jewels, rings. All historic and worth a lot of money in their time, it had to be worth more now he thought to himself!
Before the morning as dawn approached; Emmeline stood in front of her mother's grave. Her empty grave "I wonder if there is something about this place. Such as my inability to leave? My father told me it was my mother's design." She spoke as she heard steps coming behind her.
"What ever happened to your mother, maybe you inherited your gift from her?" Gregory responded.
"She disappeared shortly after my birth. My father loved her dearly and from his stories she loved him as well."
"She died?" Gregory stepped closer so that he could read the headstone. He had never seen the stone before, but it was clearly her Mother's grave, Elizabet...
"Its an empty casket. We never found a body." Emmeline said without turning and facing him.
After the second evening and when they thought they had enough money to live a short while off of. They decided to leave.
Gregory, Emmeline, and Ania approached the gates of the estate when the moon was high in the sky and the world had been sleeping for several hours. She had often heard of it as the Witching Hour. Gregory and Ania passed through the gates quickly and efficiently. They were on a mission. Emmeline however, approached the gates with trepidation. As she passed through and stood on the other side she didn't have the same pull back as when she was a ghost. She turned around and looked at the gates and in the direction of the Octagon House. Emmeline had been trapped on the Octagon House estate for over a hundred years. As she passed through the gates she realized how much she would miss the place.
***
Henry approached the room and peaked in the window. He turned to the doctor beside him, "How is he? Did you determine what had happened? I need him alive for now. He is my very special bait for a very special treat."
The doctor turned to look at the man, trying to hide the fear he felt. The man was terrifying.
"I suspect it is due to his brain being overwhelmed with memories?"
The man-beast furrowed his brows, "pardon?"
"Well, he had died multiple times." The doctor thought to himself, murdered by you. "I think the knock-out agent may have have released the barrier in his brain. The memories of all of his past lives burst out. He couldn't handle it." No one could for that matter. To have been killed over 10 times and to have all those memories from the those past lives. The doctor seriously doubted the boy would ever be okay again.