CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was the same place. The car was there; the door to the cellar was closed. The lights were out.
Nicole had heard her name called from downstairs so she walked down from the bedroom to the direction of the voice. It led her to the garage.
The voice sounded like a whisper at first; then it got lauder as she went closer to the door. She had been called three times; and counting.
Who is it? She had questioned herself when she stood before the door in the garage. Then she opened it.
The lights flickered on and off continuously. She could barely see the stairs. She took the first step, then the second, and then she stopped. She heard some movements, like those of shadows lurking on the walls.
The paintings!
She couldn't turn to look at them; it felt like the figures in the three paintings on were alive; looking down at her; coming for her; whispering something in a strange language she couldn't pick. She swallowed hard and turned slowly. And nothing! The paintings were ok and the shadows seemed to have disappeared.
Then she felt the movements again, this time, further down the stairs.
"Hello!" Her voice trembled. Then the movements stopped. She stilled as well. The strange and quiet aura that hovered in the air was harshly terrifying. There seemed to be some invisible solidity in the silence. Suddenly, Nicole heard the grating sound of the iron door at the end of the stairs; the cellar has been opened.
"Hello..." her voice trembled."Who's there?" Her voice echoed, repeating the words a couple of times at receding tempos until it finally died down. She listened for some seconds; the only reply she got was the sound from the door.
Nicole was very afraid. She didn't know what came over her; pushing her to take the stairs down. Whatever force it was, she didn't like its effect on her; the last thing she needs is something to take control of her will, especially at that moment when she already had two bad experiences in that place.
She swallowed again; her heart beats with raw fear as she found herself descending the stairs. Her feet were bare and she had only some pink shorts and a sweater on. Half way down the stairs, her name was called again and for the first time, the voice sounded familiar.
The door was half opened by the time she descended the last step. She stopped. Her whole body trembled with fear and her mouth was dry because she's been using it to breath for a while.
She didn’t know what's behind the door, but the strange aura around it made her think whoever is lurking in there has a bad intention. She braced herself and pushed the door gently.
Her mind screamed at her to turn back and get the hell out of there, but her body didn't react to it. When she got in, she almost dropped dead at who she saw.
"Maggie!"
The old woman was looking at the empty space on the wall to the right. She didn't move even when Nicole called out her name.
"Maggie, is that you?"
The old woman turned slowly and looked at Nicole. Her face was normal but grim and her blue eyes shone in the semi-darkness of the room.
"You have to find what's stolen. Find it NOW!"
"But what exactly is it?" Nicole pleaded
"FIND IT NOW!"
"Maggie!"
Nicole sprang up from the bed. She sighed and slumped back again. What a nightmare!
It's already morning. Nicole got out of bed to the bathroom. Her knee doesn't hurt much but she thought she needs another dressing. The wrap she's wearing felt a little loose due to the hassles of the previous day.
My Favourite Muse Page 48
