For a moment, I didn't want to go inside the house. I thought of Charles' offer, of getting out of there with the 3 a.m. train, of Janae's warnings, of every red flag that had come our direction. I thought we could get away with that with the power of family or something like that, but for a second, my life flashed in front of my eyes, and all I felt were feelings of hopelessness and fear. I don't want to die in fear. I lived in fear, and I don't want to die in fear.
NO! Our goal is important. It's only 11 months, and then we'd move back to our grandparents' house or somewhere else. Maybe there would be nothing at all by the time we are done, and we could all be a happy family. Because that's why we are here, right?
"The sun has set. It's pretty dark here," Dad remarked. We all looked back and wished we hadn't. The eerie atmosphere really scared me with its ominous sounds, like whispers of warnings. I felt my throat constrict again, but with the extra inhaler in my hand, I kept going.
"Are we going in or what?" Kiara tittered. We didn't look up at the mansion, the broken windows, the dusty, worn-down wood, and the roof. It was a worn-down model that we had to rebuild. No wonder the house was sold for cheap; if I had to waste so much money and effort on a house like this, I wouldn't want to buy it either.
But I did, unfortunately. I wished the interior were in better condition.
The Latin phrases are something I want to read in the keys, but Kiara was figuring out which key was for opening the front door. "Try the weird blue one," Mom suggested. It was the wrong key. I knew everything about this house, but again, I knew nothing. Why was I risking everyone's life for this house?
"Yes!" I heard my sister cheer as the door creaked open, so loudly that it caused a disturbance in the forest; birds flew away, and the chirping of crickets grew louder. A layer of dust was released into the air. I covered my face, but I could feel the dust invading my body. I sprayed my inhaler again, calming my respiratory system. My blood was rushing through my veins, and I could hear the ringing in my ears. I must not be scared, I muttered to myself.
Momento mori, we all inevitably face death, so conquer the fear and live your life.
Suddenly, a horde of bats flew out from behind the door. "AUGH!" I clutched Kiara, and we all held each other tightly as the aerial rats fled their temporary nest.
"We haven't even entered the house; why are we here? THIS IS NOT RELAXING!" she cried. I patted her back.
"It—it's going to be okay," I said, ruffling her hair profusely, unsure if I should even be saying that.
"This place needs a whole lot more than just a spray and some scrub. We need some goddamn bleach and furniture polish!" she brushed the dust off her jacket.
"Well, what did you expect? It's a rundown house surrounded by a fricking forest! Don't be too surprised if we find some snakes in there as well," he snorted.
We jumped in one by one. Some cultures say that entering with your right foot is considered auspicious. I set my right foot to get the right start.
Even with my hoodie on, I could feel the sudden temperature drop. It was like stepping into a snow globe; the cold seeped into my sneakers. "Brrr, why the sudden cold?" I sneezed a few times.
"We have worse things to deal with," Dad said, pointing.