Chereads / A Night I Could Always Remember / Chapter 5 - Unearthed Secrets

Chapter 5 - Unearthed Secrets

Emma awoke to the inn room's thin draperies being cut off by the dull, gloomy sunrise light. She was briefly unaware of where she was. The events of the previous night seemed far away and unbelievable, like things from a bad dream.

In any case, as she sat up and looked at the shabby room, reality came crashing back. With a cup of coffee in one hand and a book spread out in front of him, Lucas was finding a spot at the small table by the window. As she blended, he gave her his affirmation glance up. He said, his voice low and almost wary, "Morning." "Morning," Emma said, wiping her eyes off the rest. Her feet touched the virus floor as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

The memories of last night were meanwhile spinning to her—the dreadful house, the puzzling keepsake, Lucas' divulgences about her grandmother. "Did you rest?" Observing the dark circles under his eyes, she inquired. "Not much," Lucas surrendered. "I've been trying to make sense of what we know." There's still such a great deal that we can't really understand."

Emma obliged him at the table, looking down at the side. It was a detailed drawing of Maplewood and the surrounding area, with some areas marked out in red ink. She saw the manor right away, its area highlighted and surrounded. "What are these various locations?" She inquired, pointing to various traces on the guide. 

Lucas made sense of the phrase "places attached to the Blackwood family." "Their past properties, associations they had, and two or three unique spots that I think might be related. "We really want to start digging into the past if we are going to figure out what is going on." Emma felt both fear and confidence as she focused on the book. "Where should we start?" 

Lucas tapped a region on the side, a little, separated spot on the edges of town. "Here's the old burial ground for the Blackwood family." "The graveyard?" Emma's voice wavered with uneasiness. "Why is that?" "Because it's one of the few exceptional locations associated with the Blackwoods that hasn't been affected by their disappearance. It's possible that any remaining pieces of information are still present. 

In an effort to get ready, Emma took a deep breath. Even though she wasn't particularly excited about looking into a grave, she knew they had to follow every lead. "Okay. We ought to go. With a gesture, Lucas shattered the guide and stuffed it into his coat. "We should leave right away. 

The sooner we show up, the better." They gathered their possessions and left the hotel room, the fresh morning air damp from the impending rain. Emma was unable to shake the unease that had settled in her stomach as they entered the vehicle. 

The haze that appeared to surround her at the Blackwood family's grave felt like a step further into the darkness. They were both lost in their perspectives on the quiet drive to the grave. The road wound through the open country; the scene was interlaced with clogged fields and thick woods. 

Emma noticed that everything looked deserted and neglected, as if the actual town had abandoned the Blackwood heritage. Exactly when they finally showed up at the burial chamber, it was gotten comfortable in the disconnected woods, hidden away from view by a thick line of trees. The plan was pretty much nothing and certified, made of persevered through stone with an iron doorway that had since quite some time in the past rusted over.

Emma felt a virus in her stomach as she looked at it. "This is the general idea," Lucas said, cutting the engine. He got out of the car and gestured to Emma to follow him as he pulled a crowbar out of the storage area. As Lucas forced the door open, the entrance moaned violently, echoing throughout the tranquil forest. Emma floundered at the passage, her pulse resuscitating. 

She had never been one to take risks, but something about this location felt off, like the air itself was being accused of being malicious. Lucas seemed to distinguish her from her faltering. He promised her, "We'll be quick." "In and out." After making a bold gesture, Emma followed him inside. Her senses were overwhelmed by the stench of decaying stone and moist earth in the dimly lit chamber. 

They were driven deeper into the ground by the restricted path, and the walls were adorned with old engravings that were difficult to see in the dim light. Lucas lit an electric light, illuminating the way forward. 

The shaft revealed a little chamber close to the completion of the part, where a couple of stone coffins were laid on raised stages. Each was improved with the Blackwood family top—a defense with a raven perched on top, wings outstretched. Lucas understood when he got closer to one of the stone caskets and heard, "This is where they covered their dead." 

"The rest of the Blackwood family and Eleanor Blackwood should be buried here." The stone caskets caught Emma's attention as her heart raced in her chest. Her hair stood on end at the thought of offending the dead, but she knew they had to figure out what was hidden here. She wandered closer to the stone final resting place Lucas was investigating, her look looking out for the pinnacle.

"What exactly are we looking for?" She asked, barely audible above the murmur. Lucas responded by running his hands over the stone top. "Anything awkward?" "Sometimes people hide things in places like this that they don't want to be found." Emma brushed the virus stone with her fingers as she assisted him in looking. 

She looked around the chamber and noticed something strange: a small scratch on the floor that looked like something heavy had been moved across it. She bowed down and focused even more intently on it. She yelled, "Lucas, take a look at this," bringing attention to the mark. Lucas joined her, focusing on the scratch with a wrinkle in his temple.

"That'll come later. Someone has been present." Using his spotlight, he tracked the scratch all the way to the farthest part of the chamber. A small metal board embedded in the stone could be seen there, hidden in the shadows. After exchanging a glance with Emma, Lucas used the crowbar to carefully pry open the board. Inside was a little compartment, adequately gigantic to hold two or three things. 

When Lucas got there, he opened a pack that had material in it. He slowly opened it, finding a tiny, extravagant key and a heap of old letters joined by a blurred strip. Emma's throat was holding her breath. "What do these mean?" Lucas carefully opened one of the letters as he unfastened the lace. His demeanor got angrier with each word as his eyes filtered the page. 

"Elevator Eleanor Blackwood gave me these letters in which she communicated with a trusted individual. They talk about the enemies of the family and the dangers they were facing. Emma was overcome with adrenaline. "This could be the validation we truly care about. If these letters were hidden here, it means that someone didn't think they should be found.

After making a gesture, Lucas re-inserted the letters into the fabric case. Additionally, this key ought to enable significant access. "We truly desire to determine what." Emma experienced a renewed sense of security. 

The secret information that had been kept under wraps for so long was finally being made public. However, despite the fact that they gained ground, the risk felt more real than ever before. When they were discovered, the person who had hidden these letters would not be content. 

Emma couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched as they made plans to leave the tomb. 

The shadows seemed to move energetically, with the air becoming colder over the long haul. Half-hoping that one of the stone caskets would open and reveal insider information, she looked back at the caskets. Be that as it may, nothing happened.

For many years, the tomb remained silent, with its mysteries remaining unsolved. Lucas asked in a low and insistent voice, "How about we leave?" In an effort to end the abusive tone, Emma made a gesture. After the drab confines of the sepulcher, the bright sunlight outside was a welcome respite as they swiftly returned to the surface. 

Emma couldn't resist the opportunity to look behind her as they walked back to the car, half hoping to see someone or something following them. Nevertheless, the only sound in the forest was the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. 

The graveyard faded into the distance like a terrible dream as they got into the car and left. Emma, however, realized as they left that the information they had shared would only deepen their understanding of the secret, which was a haze that was still far from being fully exposed.