Third person's POV
A total ruckus spread when someone screamed out from the inside of the Lockwood mansion. Sophia and Diana ran towards the direction from where voice came. When they reached inside, blood was splattered throughout the walls and trails were coming from the hall but there was no sign for source or body. Sophia decided to look further by tracking the trails but only floor and walls covered with blood could be seen.
**********
Few hours back...
"Are you ready", asked Sophia when she entered the Diana's room. They were staying together for better taking care of Aisha but Sophia knew that this was all about keeping an eye on her. She didn't mind because she knows Diana too well. As predictable as Diana is, it is better to be make her stay close if she decides to do something stupid. And speaking of stupid here she was with the same man she is petting around from few days.
"Don't mind me but you have the worst taste in men if you are nice enough to call him that". Sophia's remark made the man feel insulted making him clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.
"Uhh.. Someone looks mad", Sophia said with a smile.
"Name is Dard", replied the man.
"Sounds like dirt", responded Sophia.
"I am just coming out in a bit", said Diana.
"Better hurry up and not stupid", Sophia said looking at Dard before leaving Diana's room.
"It is a good chance we have today. During the event you can easily sneak in and find the box. Also, make sure not to make trouble like before. If Sophia fails in her task, you shall not", Diana said to the Dard.
Dard didn't reply only shook his head in answer.
"Dard, either you do it today or you will be done with it", Diana threatened Dard before sending him off.
"Goodbye Dirt", Sophia said on watching Dard leave but Dard neither looked back nor replied.
"That's a poor name", said Aisha while eating her breakfast.
"No, it's not". Sophia smiled while replying.
"You done with your food", asked Sophia.
"Great thing. Your bag is packed and so is your lunch". Sophia heard the sound of car pulling over.
"And here comes your company", Sophia said to Aisha.
Sophia went to open the front gate and invited Mrs. Gibson in with her twin children, one daughter and one son, only a year older than Aisha. Mrs. Gibson lives across the street and her children became the playmates for Aisha. The children spent good time together and were good companionship for Aisha so when Mrs. Gibson asked to take Aisha for the camp trip their family was planning Sophia said yes but only after a lot of nagging and insisting from Aisha.
When Mrs. Gibson took Aisha's hand for leaving, Sophia tried for the last time to make her stay.
"Are you sure you want to go?" asked Sophia.
"Yes", Aisha replied without blinking.
Sophia kissed Aisha goodbye and they left. After that, Diana was ready for the event and Sophia and Diana left for the venue.
Sophia and Diana were early for checking the arrangements but Alan made sure that the event disposition goes smoothly. His staff took care of every little detail and even with short amount of time they had, the arrangements were more than enough Sophia wished for.
After an hour, guests started arriving. Diana searched for every object and piece on the display in the search of box but couldn't find it.
"You are new one", a teenage boy said to Sophia.
"I think you are new compared to me", said Sophia amused by the boy.
"New to town", the boy asked again.
"Are you alone?" Sophia asked in order to avoid the further questioning from the boy.
"I am not a kid."
"Clearly", Sophia said with the hope of breaking the conversation.
"Leaving discussion in middle is consider rude by some people", boy said in a mocking manner.
"Are you one of them", Sophia asked clearly irritated by the statement boy made.
"I guess not."
"Good."
"Is there any problem", Alan asked while making his way towards the duo.
Sophia opened her mouth to reply but stopped when boy said first. "No, not at all brother."
["Brother?? Myran"], Sophia thought.
"Hi Sophia", Alan said with a smile.
"Hi..", replied Sophia. Sophia was happy to see Alan but the sight of Myran made her uncomfortable. So, she decided to excuse herself.
Diana began searching for Sophia when she could not sight the box in display.
"Where were you?" Diana said to Sophia who was standing with a group to talk about the antics in front of them. Diana's question made her earn a look from Sophia but Diana didn't care. She pulled Sophia from the group to have their personnel conversation. Alan noticed the scene and so does Myran.
"What is wrong with you?" Sophia asked Diana.
"The box is not there", said Diana with anxiety in her voice.
"Where? What box?" asked Sophia.
"Are you kidding me? The box. Our box. The box which made us to come...
"Firstly, speak in a lower tone. And why did you think that box will be here. It's a display for antics not for occult objects."
Diana was furious after Sophia's reply. She was about to reply when they heard the scream. Scream was followed by another after a second. It was painful and full of agony. The guests became scared and started running around. Sophia and Diana without spending another second ran towards the direction from where the scream seemed to come.
**********
Sophia walked carefully avoiding the blood trails on the floor. She moved towards the hall and Diana only watched Sophia from a distance.
Walking down the hall she noticed the store gate wide open which she was using to store her antiques and heritage pieces and the trails were coming right from there.
"Move aside", Sophia heard someone saying and turned to look around only to find Officer Patrick making her way towards her. She remembered the officer from her first day coming down to Mysticburgh. She gave him space carefully so that Officer can have better look.
She decided to walk away from the crime scene for now. While doing so, she saw Allan with Myran talking to some people in uniforms. Due to the event, Police was already there for security purposes. As per Alan, it was for the best but Sophia thought of it a bit of exaggeration but then many antiques and pricey material were out in the public so taking secured steps in the name of security didn't concerned her. Until this.
Sophia watched Diana in the corner with a blank expression. Something told her that Diana was equally clueless about this mishap. Alan looked anxious and that was not Sophia was concentrating. Myran eyes stayed on Sophia and Sophia knew it. She was not staring back because that boy made her wary. There was uncertainty in his eyes about her ever since they met.
Police denied any guest or event member to leave the venue. After talking to everybody, public started dispersing back to their homes. Sophia became the first eyewitness as she was the first one to reach at the spot. She honestly told the officer that she saw no man living or dead there and only blood was seen everywhere. After that she was made to return to her home as per her wish. She wanted to talk to Alan before going but decided against it as Myran was standing right there with him.
**********
Sophia drives back with Diana in silence and on reaching home as she tried to open the front door she noticed the door was not locked. She looked at Diana with startling look as she knew the door was locked when they left. This was the mistake Diana would never make. As the door opened, there was only darkness.
"Did you switched off the lights on leaving?", questioned Sophia by looking towards Diana but the look on her face made it clear that she was not behind it.
Both Sophia and Diana were heedful while taking further steps inside. The only thing Sophia was thankful for was the fact that Aisha was out for a camp trip on this weekend.
Diana switched on the lights of living room. Sophia looked around but nothing seemed off. She walked towards the kitchen for having some water. She turned on the lights and poured water in a glass for herself. As she turned around, the glass slipped from her hands and breaks by contacting floor surface making water spilled and glass shattered into small pieces and glass splinters.
There was a body lying on the dining table. On listening to the sound of glass breaking, Diana ran towards Sophia and witnessed the presence of dead man herself. The man was lying upside down so his face was not visible. Diana moved forward to take a better view but the face was thoroughly covered with blood. She tried to look closer but startled by the interruption of some voice making four people in the room.
Both Sophia and Diana turned to find the man standing with a knife covered with blood in his hand near the window,
"Need some help?" The man asked to Diana and Diana only stared him blank expression but Sophia was filled with anger and disgust on the sight of that person.
"Tyson", words escaped from Sophia's mouth quickly with a single drop of tear falling from her cheek.
"Hi Gen, Miss me", said Tyson in a mild voice.