Enemy Beloved

49 | Claire darling

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C L A I R E

The Jackson household is eerily quiet when manoeuver my car through the wide open gates. There are no guards at the entryway, no guards at the gates and there is no sign of the gardener or any of the servants. The lights on the porch are off, allowing the Manor to be bathed in a darkness that sends a creeping sensation skittering up my spine. The first thought I have is of trouble. The opulent mansion reeks of something inhuman inside.

I unclasp my seatbelt and climb down the car while taking out my phone from my pocket. I keep my hands hovering over the emergency button at the side of the phone as I climb up the stairs to the front door.

The entire place is dark, except for the lights within the building. The sky overhead has streaks of blue and purple, mixing with every strike of lightning which birthed itself along the sky on my way here. The usually cheerful haven seems like the house of horrors and it makes me swallow gulps of my saliva. I am teetering on the edge of confusion, in fear of why Rose asked me to come here this late. A date doesn't sound like the truth anymore.

Should I go back?

Perhaps I am thinking too much. Maybe there is a problem with the electricity. Maybe Doris decided to call the servants in to keep them busy in some kind of work that would require all their hands. It could be that or maybe, when I open the door, I will see all the people inside working for some kind of celebration.

The Jacksons used to throw impromptu parties often back when I had known them only as the family of my brother's best friend. It could be that Doris has called a secret meeting to revive that.

What the hell is wrong with you, Claire? Even Joey Tribbiani could come up with a better reason which didn't involve raccoons.

While hooked in a trance, I suddenly find myself standing in front of the huge oak doors. I press the bell once, then twice after some wait, but no one opens the door.

Anxiety grapples me, goosebumps fleshing out of my skin when I feel the silence grow more penetrating. There is nothing except for the sound of thunder and lightning above. There is no noise from inside the house or anywhere around.

Something is wrong. I should leave.

I take a step back, wondering if I should go back, planning to get in my car and call the cops. But they won't just come if I say that I am feeling scared because the place is quiet. Dad said they don't bother with such stuff since it is vague and unnecessary which means calling them would require me to give proof of real danger.

I stay staring at the door, licking my drying lips as I think over the matter. My legs are shaking and my feet are unsteady. I check the time on my phone and it reads close to 8 pm. There is no way Rose will go on a date this late. Doris is already scared of making us go anywhere alone; I doubt she will allow her daughter to.

But Rose called me to come and...she sounded scared.

What if she is inside? She could be in trouble. Perhaps she is in trouble. Perhaps they both are. I can't leave her this way. That would be selfish. I should at least check once. If something happens, let it happen. It won't be the first time.

Making my decision, I grip my phone tight, my thumb at the side, ready to press the emergency alert as soon as I see any sign of trouble. I retrace the step I took back and once again find myself close to the door. Instead of knocking this time, I press my palms flat on its surface and give a little push. It creaks, wood dragging against the polished floor.

It is open.

Inside the lights of the hall are on too, although the hall is just as silent as the environment outside. I force the door open another few inches, enough for my body to go through. I step inside the building and just as I do that, the lights inside the well-lighted hall turn off, making darkness greet me. A soft cry leaves my lips when I hear a loud thud behind me and know that the door has been shut. My thumb presses the emergency button hard. If Vaughn was right, this would send my location straight to the officers in charge of our investigation.

It was one of Vaughn's ideas and the cops were much happy to oblige with it. Anything that could make their job easy.

I remain quiet, panting hard as I turn on the flashlight of my phone and use it to see. I lift the device and shine the light over my dark surroundings while taking steps forward.

"Rose..." I call her name, my voice shaking slightly. "Are you here?"

The place looks just like I last saw it when I left. Everything looks undisturbed and clean, and I even see one of Rose's half-burnt scented candles which she keeps on the coffee table near the sofa. I take deep breaths in and exhale through my mouth, slowing the rhythm of my heart down. My thoughts are an incoherent mess, some asking me to retreat and seek my safety while others remind me that I can't leave my family alone if they happen to be in danger.

Even if this is a trap set for me, I won't let anyone hurt them. Vaughn's family is my family and if he makes sacrifices for them, then I can too. I will protect them with whatever I have in me.

"ROSE!" I shout this time. "Rose! Doris! Is anyone here?"

Nothing. Pure silence and then, I hear something.

Something like a moan, a whimper, a soft cry, and feet tapping on the floor. I turn around and shine the light of my phone everywhere and then turn back. I don't see anything strange either way. I hear the whimper again and choose to follow the sound. It gets louder as I enter further into the hall, crossing the staircase to the other part where the corridor leads to the kitchen.

Suddenly, the feet tapping gets louder and I hear the sound clearly coming from my right. I turn quickly, shining the light straight ahead and my feet turn cold at the sight.

Rose and Doris are tied to each other, their backs pressed together and one single rope digging hard into their delicate skin, bound so tight that they must hurt. Their mouths are taped and their feet are tied together at their front. They have turned their heads somehow to look at me and I find their cheeks glistening with tears.

"Oh, my God!" I put a hand over my mouth, a fearsome cry leaving me. "Rose..."

I take a step forward but stop when Rose shakes her head firmly, making Doris move hers too. They move their head from left to right, looking hysterically at me. The rope digs harder into their arms with the movement, sliding just an inch down and showing me the red mark it has created on their flesh. Blood oozes out of where the rope was attached to their skin and it makes my heart tear into pieces in my chest.

I take a step forward and Rose's whimper grows louder as she keeps shaking her head. I don't know what she is trying to tell me but I can't see her like this anymore.

"Rose...wait..."

As I take another step, my foot tangles into something. I come crashing down to the floor, my phone flying from my hand as I land on all fours before turning over to see that my foot is stuck in a white thread tied between two pieces of furniture in the room.

I try to yank my feet away but it is twisted around my ankle and when it doesn't come off, I use my hands to unhook it. I am about to unwrap it when a shadow falls over me. My fingers halt their action, a rush of cold dread washing over me as it freezes me in place.

Even without looking, I know it is him. I have been in the same situation twice before and this weird dance of death with him has made me accustomed to his very breath. Slowly, I drag my eyes from my foot as I spot the silhouette of the man I have already had the misfortune to meet twice. He stands towering over me, tall and carrying the mask of death on his face. His shimmering knife is firmly held in a steel-like grip within gloved fingers.

"We meet again, Claire darling," the man behind the Arlecchino mask says in his hollow voice.