《Reflection of Sins》


 Chapter One

    The last thing I expected to get in the mail was a letter from an attorney office. My usual mail was overdue bills or payday loan offers. Just yesterday I got a notice from my landlord that my rent was short for next month and they were demanding the rest of the payment by the end of the week. Even though I was sure I had paid the rent in full, this place was so crooked that I wouldn''t be surprised if the rent was illegally increased.


    Pushing the thoughts of possible homelessness, I opened up the envelope from the attorney office. Inside was a letter. Reading the letter thoughts of wondering if they got the wrong person filled my head.


    "Dear Mrs. Nelson, we would like to inform you of an inheritance you have recently received," the letter stated, "We would like you to arrive at our office to sign some paperwork. We have already scheduled a meeting for you which is enclosed below."


    Inheritance? I''m pretty sure anyone in my family had disowned me by now. Ever since my parents and I had a falling out they made it their goal to turn everyone to their side. Even my closest cousin didn''t even want to against them. I was on my own in this world, so where did the inheritance come from?


    The only person I could think of was my grandfather''s youngest sister. She was a rich old lady that lived in isolation. Knowing what I''ve heard about her, she probably felt bad for how I was casted out of the family and took pity on me. But I thought she had died years ago. Guess I was wrong with that situation if I was getting a letter from an attorney.


    Looking at the date at the bottom of the letter, I saw that I was expected to appear tomorrow at around one in the afternoon. The only problem I had was that I needed to find a way to get there. With a ridiculously low bank account and a demanding job, I don''t think I would be able to make it. Luckily for me, there was a number to contact the attorney if I had any questions. Grabbing my sorry of an excuse for a cell phone, I dialed the number.


    "Raymond and Wilson Law firm. How can I help you?" said a voice on the other line. I assumed she must have been the receptionist.


    "Hi. My name is Vanessa Nelson and I''m calling because I just received a letter from this law firm," I tried to sound professional, but I wasn''t sure how well I was doing. It wasn''t everyday where you had to call a law firm about a letter they sent.


    "Can you tell me who wrote you the letter?" the voice asked.


    I peeked at the letter to find a name, "Kate Wilson."


    "I''ll transfer your call," the voice said before music played in my ear. It was the music you imagine the elevator would play in movies. Nothing special and is heard pretty much everywhere. But I didn''t have to listen to it for a long time.


    "Hi Ms. Nelson. This is Kate Wilson," a professional sounding woman spoke from the other line. She also sounded young.


    "Hi Ms. Wilson. I''m calling about the letter you sent me," I told her.


    "Yes, the letter. Shame what happened to your great aunt," she said with false sympathy in her voice, "I sure hope they find her body soon."


    Shock and confusion instantly filled me, "Her body?"


    "Oh, I thought your family would have told you about it by now," she said surprised. "Your great aunt is missing but it was stated in her will that she should be pronounced as dead if she is to go missing. We can over the details more when you come to my office tomorrow."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.    "That''s why I''m calling," I said guiltily, "I can''t make it tomorrow. It''s such short notice and I can''t take off work."


    Silence filled my ear. Kate Wilson was probably trying to figure out how she was going to get her legal fees now. It was even quiet for so long that I was sure we had lost connection. But the faint sound of rustling papers told me that we were still connect. Even though it didn''t keep my mind from overthinking.


    "I can have you come in sometime after work, if that works for you," she said hopeful but still professional.


    I squeezed my eyes shut. How was I going to tell this woman that I wasn''t going to her office to fill out paperwork. "I don''t think I can do that. I have no way of getting there either and I saw that your office is three cities away. A little far to walk."


    Cringing with my last comment, I felt like I was just trying to come up with excuses to not go. But this was my life. Barely staying above water while working myself to death. To tell the truth, this wasn''t the life I wanted. I went against everything my parents wanted for me to pursue art. Since I''ve been disowned that passion was put on the back burner because the need to survive on my own took priority.


    "Ms. Nelson?" Kate''s voice broke me out of my thoughts.


    "I''m still here," I reassured her as I shook my thoughts out of my head to focus on this phone call.


    I could hear the smile in her voice as she told me her solution, "I have a client I have to meet in your town tomorrow. Why don''t we meet after that? That way you don''t have to travel so far. Are you able to meet for lunch?"


    Why was she so nice to me? It made no sense to me. Sure, she probably was just being nice so she could get a cut of the inheritance for her legal fees. Honestly, I don''t even know what was left to me. My great aunt was someone never really talked about because she locked herself away from everyone. Even if it is just a box of old things, I can probably pawn them off to catch up on rent. What ever it is, I''m sure I''ll find some kind of use for it.


    "I think I can do that," I told her unsure, "Can you tell me what papers I need to sign so I can kind of have an idea on how long it is going to take?"


    "Of course," she said full of cheer that I wasn''t sure if it was genuine or forced. "Your great aunt left you pretty much everything she owned. Her stocks, bank account, and estate."


    "Estate?" I said confused.


    Kate was more than happy to explain, "Your great aunt left you her house when she disappeared. Everything in it will also be yours to do with what every you see fit."


    A house? I had a house now? No more struggling to find rent money? It felt like it was too good to be true. I was tempted to pinch myself to make sure that I wasn''t dreaming because how could someone I hardly knew would leave me everything that was under their name? It didn''t make any sense.


    Through my shock, I somehow manage to finish the phone call. Somehow I was able to confirm the time and location with Kate and even wrote it down so I wouldn''t forget. I''m pretty sure I sat in my small studio apartment in a complete daze for the rest of the night. My mind completely refusing to process what had just happened. Kate has no idea how much she has changed my life with that one phone call.

 Chapter Two

    The next day I headed for the small caf¨¦ just down the street from my work. It was weird to not just eat something from the vending machine like I usually did. It felt like I was doing something wrong. Everything in my life felt wrong ever since I got that letter and made that phone call. Stuff like this doesn''t happen to me. My parents told me themselves as they threw me out of the house with nothing.


    The memory of my past made me shiver. The questionable homeless shelter that pretty much just let anyone in for the night as long as there was room. The constant jumping through hoops trying to find someone to help me find a place to live that wasn''t on the streets. Why offer resources when it is so hard to get them?


    I had to shake those memories out of my head. That was all behind me now. At the moment I had a roof above my head, even if the landlord was questionable. There was food in my stomach, even if it was just snacks from the vending machine. Luckily I had a food card that helped pay for the meals I had at home, even if it wasn''t much. My job was low paying but at least it was putting money in my bank account to pay bills. I was surviving and that was a blessing in itself.


    When I got to the caf¨¦, I saw a young woman standing just outside like she was waiting for someone. She looked very professional in her black pencil skirt and red button up blouse. Her black hair hung just past her shoulders as she took in her sights. The woman looked beautiful, so beautiful that she even took my breath away. Then she spotted me and smiled, "Vanessa Nelson, I assume."


    All I could do was nod my head. The woman had left me completely speechless. She wasn''t at all what I was expecting. I was pretty sure that I was just standing there staring at her with my mouth wide open. Luckily she acted like she didn''t notice, if she did at all.


    Kate motioned to a small table just outside of the caf¨¦ with a kind smile on her face, "Please have a seat. I hope you don''t mind, but I already ordered for the both of us."


    In all honesty, I was sure that I was going to have to pay for my own lunch. While at work I had studied the menu of the place looking for the cheapest option that didn''t show how poor I really was. But now I wasn''t sure I was okay with her ordering a meal for me as well. This woman hardly knew me and yet she was showing so much kindness.


    "I know this is all a complete shock to you," she said as we took our seats. Kate didn''t waste time to pull out a folder full of papers, "I''ll try to make this as easy for you as possible."


    "Is this how it usually goes?" I heard myself ask, "This whole inheritance process?"


    Kate sighed as she placed the folder on the table. She shook her head before answering, "Your great aunt didn''t trust many people. In her will she made our law firm responsible to handle everything. We are even the law firm that helped her authenticate her will when she signed it. This isn''t a usual process, but nothing with your great aunt was."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.    "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.


    "We''ve been working on this with your great aunt for years," Kate explained, "She wanted to make sure everything was in order as if she knew that she would either die, or in this case, disappear."


    "So what do I have to do?" I continued to ask questions.


    Kate opened up the folder and turned it towards me, "Just sign the dotted line for the deed transfer and fill the form to transfer funds to your bank account. Once that is done, I''ll set up a date and time to take you to your new estate."


    This all looked too good to be true. This was all too easy that it was hard to believe. There had to be a catch somewhere. There was always a catch. That was just how the world worked for me. No one showed me kindness after I was thrown on the streets. Everyone thought that it was what was best for me.


    "Why me?" I asked on last question.


    She shrugged her shoulders, "Who knows? All I know is that she wanted you and only you on her will."


    I guess that was going to be the biggest mystery in this whole life changing story. Why did the lonely old woman leave everything to poor me? My whole life I was sure that she didn''t even know I existed. If we ever met, I couldn''t remember. My family did everything to warn me against her. Warning me to never get lost in the clouds or I would end up just like my great aunt. Old and alone. But isn''t that how I was living now?


    Picking up the pen, I remembered the last time I saw my parents. Announcing that I wasn''t going to go by the norm that they created for me. The forceful removal from their home and the door closing in my face. I was living just like my great aunt now. How different would it be if I signed these papers? My parents still wouldn''t want anything to do with me.


    After a few more minutes of hesitation, I started to sign and fill out the form. It wasn''t hard to do since I practically looked at my bank account every hour of every day. Hoping that some miracle would happen and it would no longer be empty. Of course that hope never came true, until now.


    Once I was done, I closed the folder and pushed it back towards Kate.


    "Can we make the meeting as soon as possible? I''d like to move out of my apartment soon," I told her. What I didn''t tell her that with the increase in rent, I was most likely going to get kicked out by the end of the month. There was no telling with the landlord I had. I''m sure he would offer other "options" to keep a roof over my head and I wasn''t that desperate.

 Chapter Three

    Once my meeting with Kate Wilson was over, I grabbed the sandwich she bought me along with a to-go cup of ice water and went back to my job. It felt too weird being out, so I had to get back to my comfortable routine before my brain decided to have a breakdown. Also I needed to request time off as soon as possible for the move into my great grandmother''s house.


    The thought to quit right away tempted me, but I needed to keep working until the inheritance came in. I should have been smart and asked to have the inheritance taxed right away so I didn''t have to worry about it later on, but it was too late now. I''ll just have to put the money aside and not touch it. Honestly, I wasn''t sure how this all worked. It was all so new to me because no one left me anything before. Not even my grandparents when they passed. All that inheritance went to my parents and their siblings that I hardly ever see. This was all new to me but I was just going to trust the process.


    I went straight to scheduling when I got back to my work. It was so hard to take off at this place. Another process I wasn''t really familiar with. I hardly ever took off work because one day off meant less money to survive on.


    When I got to my location, I looked around a little lost. It just looked like a normal office room. Two desks hugged the sides of the room along with filing cabinets and other things needed for an office. The desks were cluttered with paperwork and computers. It was hard to see the phones on them but they were hidden away in a corner on the desks.


    "How can I help you?" asked one of the women in the room.


    "I need to request off. I''m moving and need time to do so," I told her a little nervous.


    She smiled at me, "Of course."


    I watched as the woman spun around in her chair to face a filing cabinet. She opened a drawer, looked for a folder, and pulled out a sheet of paper. It surprised me that this place still did paper requests for time off.


    The woman handed me the piece of paper, "You may fill out this form to request time off. But I must inform you that this doesn''t guarantee that you will have off."


    That was something I was familiar with. My other coworkers would complain when they made plans for a day they requested off only to have it denied. Scheduling was based on how many people request off for that day and who handed in their request form off first. The longer you waited, the harder it was to get the day off. I hoped that my request wouldn''t be denied because I really needed to get out of my shady apartment fast.


    As soon as I got the form in my hands, I grabbed a pen from the desk and filled it out the best I could. I wasn''t sure how much I needed off, but I went for at least a week just to be safe. Just seeing that amount of no pay made me cringe. I really hope that I can survive what little I had left until the money from my great aunt came in.


    Once the form was filled out I handed it to the woman. She gladly took it and placed it on her desk to review.


    "Do you know how long it will be until I hear if it was approved or not?" I asked.


    She glanced at the paper on her desk as she answered, "It depends if anyone else has requested off for these dates, but I can let you know in a few days."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.    "Is there a way you can look it over now and let me know today?" I asked nervously.


    She gave me a sympathetic smile, "How important is it?"


    "It''s pretty important. My great aunt died recently and I need to make sure everything is in order since she threw the responsibility at me," I told the woman. Figuring stretching the truth would work in my favor.


    The woman turned to her computer and opened up the calendar. She then picked up my form and typed in a few things into her computer. I waited nervously the whole time. I''m sure only a few minutes had passed since I walked through the door, but it felt like an eternity of waiting.


    Finally she spoke, "Judging by the dates you put in and the circumstances, it looks like I can give you the week off. I''ll put it into the schedule right away."


    Relief flooded me. "Thank you so much." I told her with a smile that showed how genuine my words were, "I''m not even sure why I was given the responsibility. I hardly knew her."


    The woman smiled back, "Family can do some strange things sometimes."


    I thanked her once more as she gave me an updated schedule with my time off and I left the office. For some reason I felt like I was on cloud nine as I headed to my workspace. I had three days to get all of the work I could get done. Then it was off to my great aunts stuff with all the things I could carry. Thankfully Kate Wilson was nice enough to offer to help me with the move. She probably just wanted to make sure everything went smoothly and she got a good paycheck from me.


    Brushing those thoughts from my mind, I sat down at my desk and opened the program I used to create advertisements for the company I worked for. It wasn''t easy to get a job with no college degree but I was able to land and assistant job in an advertisement department of a big company. It was far from what I wanted to do with my life but it was a job and it paid the bills.


    It wasn''t long after I started on my task that my supervisor walked up to my desk. She usually gave me all of the tasks that no one else wanted because I was the lowest paying person in the department. Also that is what it was to be an assistant and not part of an actual team.


    "I see you took off for a week in three days," she mentioned as she leaned her hip against my desk, shifting some papers I needed to go through still.


    I nodded my head, "I just got news that my great aunt passed away and I''m in charge of everything."


    "Ouch," she said as she scrunched up her face, "That has to suck. I hope everything works out well for you."


    She didn''t stay any longer and walked away. Leaving me to get back to my work. Part of me knows that she was just prying to see if me taking off was anything gossip worthy. To her disappointment a death in the family isn''t gossip worthy. She''ll probably come up with some ridiculous story to make up for it though. The assistant hardly ever takes off and now she is going to be gone for a week.


    Ignoring the potential rumors running through my head. I went back to my work. There was a lot to do in three days and if everything does go well, I won''t be coming back here either.

 Chapter Four

    Three days was spent with me working overtime and drowning myself in work. Then I used my time at home to start packing. My packing looked tacky. Whatever I could fit in garbage bags, I did. What I couldn''t, were put in small boxes that I could find around the apartment and also stuffed into garbage bags. Then whatever else I couldn''t pack at all, like my bed, was going to be left behind. Left for the shady landlord to deal with.


    It was kind of sad to see my life packed into four large trash bags and one trunk I saved from the curb. My clothes alone barely filled one trash back and I was able to fit my bedding with them to fill up the bag. The other bags were filled with toiletry, pillows, and other little stuff I managed to collect over the years on my own. The trunk was the most important cargo. All of my art supplies was inside and the thought of finally being able to have a space for it brought a small smile to my face.


    A sudden knock on the door told me that Kate Wilson had finally arrived. I went to let her into my sorry excuse of a home. Fear of what she might think of the place filled me with dread, but she just smiled at me as she walked in.


    She went straight to the trash bags, "Is this all of it?"


    Ashamed to answer, I just nodded my head. Kate looked like she was more ready to go to the gym then help me move. Shoe wore white sneakers, black yoga pants, and a tank top that didn''t hid her curves. It was so odd to see her dressed so casual when so far I''ve only seen her in a professional setting.


    "Thanks for helping me move," I heard myself suddenly say.


    She smiled at me after picking up two trash bags, "No problem. I''m sure all of this is hard to process and do all on your own. I''m happy to help."


    "But that isn''t your job description. Helping a client move," I told her.


    "You aren''t my client. Your great aunt was. Just see it as your first friend helping you out in a time of need," she reassured.


    My mind couldn''t help but think of reasons on why she was being so friendly to me. I guess it was because I was so used to being alone that I saw kindness as a way for people to get their way. But I didn''t speak any of my thoughts out loud. It was probably best to stay quiet and accept the help when it is offered.


    Once the stuff was loaded into Kate''s car, which really wasn''t a car. It was one of those vehicles that were a mix between a car and a jeep. My knowledge with anything four wheels was pretty much nonexistent. But it did have enough room for my four trash bags of stuff and my trunk of art supplies. Before leaving, I went to the landlord''s office and dropped off my keys to my apartment with a note. Telling him that he can keep all the money and sell my remaining things because I would no longer be needing it.


    After all of that was done, I got back into Kate''s car and we drove the hour and a half to my great aunt''s house. The drive was mostly peaceful. Kate kept the radio on low and was willing to listen to me speak if I had the urge to. But I was too busy being lost in my head trying to figure out why, out of all the people in my family, it had to be me. Me, the one who inherited everything that the woman owned or earned.


    When we got closer to the town, Kate turned off on a road just on the outskirts. My thoughts were no longer distracting as I took in my sights. I was picturing the house to be on a hill, covered in vines, and surrounded by trees all around. I was half right.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.    Kate turned onto a long driveway that lead to an old brick Victorian mansion house at the end of it. Ivy covered half of the house and it was surrounded by a big lush lawn. The place was fenced in by a stone wall with an opening into the driveway. The house was so much bigger than I expected and I looked at it in awe as I got out of Kate''s car.


    "Overwhelming, isn''t it?" Kate said after she got out of the car. She was looking up at the house as well since she parked right in front of the front door. "The place is fully paid for, so you don''t have to worry about paying any mortgage."


    I don''t think I would even be able to afford the mortgage of this place anyways. It would suck my inheritance right up in a matter of weeks.


    Kate then walked around the car and stood next to me. A big smile on her face, "You ready for a tour?"


    All I could do was nod my head as a response. This was my great aunt''s house and now it was mine. What was I going to do with all of the space? It was far too big for me and it was hard to believe that one old woman had lived in this house until she disappeared.


    Kate led the way and I followed. My mouth hanging open as I took things in. There were a few things I noticed right away that would need fixing. The stone steps we were climbing up to the front door had cracks in them. Grass and weeds already starting to grow through them. The planters on each side was just full of weeds, but I could picture that they had beautiful flowers filling them in the past. The front door was massive and creaked as Kate opened it up after unlocking the door.


    Once inside, my awe of the place only grew. Right to the left of the entrance was a personal library the doorway into the room was a set of french doors opened towards the room. The shelves were overflowed with books. Books even littered the floor. Near one of the windows was a small desk with an old typewriting sitting on it. It looked like the room was already collecting dust from lack of use.


    To my right was an archway that led into a sunken room full of chairs and couches. The walls had maroon wallpaper and the curtains looked like they used to be white at one point. But now they were almost yellow with age. The furniture was all covered in sheets to protect them from the dust, but I doubt it was doing any good.


    Judging by the neglect of these two rooms, my great aunt didn''t move much around the house in her old age. I''m sure she only used three out of all of the other rooms in this house. The kitchen, a bathroom, and the room where ever she slept. The rest would be covered in dust and sheets leaving me to clean it all up. At least it will give me something to do while I try to adjust to the new house.


    Kate continued leading me more into the house and we were greeted by a set of stairs. It was obvious that it lead to the second floor. But the stairs wrapped around an elevator shaft that my great aunt must have used when she could no longer use the stairs. It also made me wonder how safe the elevator really was and if it was possible to have it removed.


    "I can give you a list of contractors if you decide you want to make any changes to the house," Kate mentioned as she pointed at the elevator with her head.


    I just smiled at her. It was nice to know that someone was thinking the same thing I was. Who knows how long things had been sitting in this house.


    "On to the kitchen," Kate directed before she started walking to the right of the stairs.

 Chapter Five

    I was right about the kitchen. It looked like it had the most use. Also plates with food caked on them still sat in the sink. I was pretty sure I saw some flies flying around them as well. The mental note I made was to just toss those dishes. There was no point in saving them from their neglect.


    But the kitchen was a decent size. It was probable the same size as my small studio apartment. The cabinets needed new paint on them as they chipped or had dark finger spots on them. The floor crackled under my feet as the linoleum began to crack and peal off. I was pretty sure there was some water damage somewhere that never got fixed.


    An old island sat at the middle of the room. It looked like it had so much use out of it that it was scratched and dirty. Papers laid on top of it along with some hand towels and even more dishes that needed to be discarded.


    "Did the poor woman wash dishes or have someone come in to help her?" I didn''t mean to ask that out loud.


    Kate gave me a knowing smile, "I''m not sure what the situation was, but by the looks of it, it wasn''t good."


    We continued walking around the kitchen. Off to one side was a door leading to a massive pantry. Food was still stored inside, but I wasn''t sure how good any of it was. It seemed the more I took in the place the more work I noticed.


    Off the kitchen was a sunroom that overlooked the backyard. I wasn''t sure what was in the back other than whatever critters would reside in tall grass. It just confused me to see the backyard in complete neglect compared to the front of the yard. Why were they completely different.


    "I know what you are thinking." Kate said, "There is a fence around this part somewhere under all of that and the gardener didn''t have a key to make this place nice like the rest of the lawn."


    "Gardener?" I asked.


    Kate gave me a smile, "I''ll give you his number before I leave. Maybe you can find the key for him. Trust me we hired him to do what he could because it was just as bad as this back area."


    That wasn''t comforting for me to hear. It had me wondering just how long my great aunt had been missing before she disappeared. The house looks like it has been neglected for years. But I didn''t voice my question. I''m sure it will be more obvious the more I look around. If the expired and rotten food will be my biggest clue as to how long it has been since someone used this space.


    Taking that into mind, I looked around the sunroom. It''s in worse shape than the rest of the house. Cobwebs cover the corners and there are tears in the screens. The roof has sections looking ready to fall. There is even dust caked along the walls. How long has she been gone? How long has it been until someone finally noticed that she wasn''t here?


    Not wanting to see anymore, I find another doorway leading into another room. It''s a small bedroom. The bed is made but it looks dusty. Dust and cobwebs cover the lights around the room. I could even see the dust gathering on the furniture. The sight breaks my heart.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.    I didn''t bother looking at anymore rooms as I headed for the place where the stairs are. Leaving Kate behind I quickly climb the stairs and open the doors to every room. Everything is the same. Neglected, dusty, and sad. I have my work cut out for me to clean this place up and maybe find answers to what had happened to my great aunt.


    By this time, Kate had finally caught up to me. I look at her, hopefully I was displaying the sadness I was feeling, "How long has she been missing?" I ask.


    "I don''t know. We weren''t informed of it until a few weeks ago," Kate answered it. Hearing that broke my heart even more. "We can work together to find the answers you want."


    I was grateful to her for saying that. I''m sure she would have better sources than I could ever get my hands on. But I just nodded my head.


    "Do you mind getting some cleaning supplies and trash bags for me? I''ll figure out a plan off attack as I unpack my things." I told her. She just nodded at me and then lead me out of the house.


    Together we empty my things out of her car and placed them in the room of the stairs. I wasn''t sure which room I was going to sleep in yet. There were many choices with having at least five of them in the whole house. Also I still had to find the dining room and the bathrooms but in my haste to see the condition of the house, I didn''t take notes if I had passed any of those rooms.


    Kate left me alone in the house to run into town to get the things I needed to clean this house. I stood near the stairs as I stared at my things. I''m sure there are other places I have yet to discover and I planned to do that once Kate left for the day. Who knows what things this house has hidden under all of overgrown weeds and dust?


    Until Kate returned I decided to head back up the stairs and see which room would be best for me. The first room I checked was right in front of the stairs. It had a full size bed that was made and other furniture covered in dusty sheets. The room also had a small walk in closet and a small half bath. I made a mental note that it had potential.


    The next room I looked at was the one that overlooks the front yard. It was slightly bigger than the first one I looked at and had a queen size bed. Again all of the furnishing was covered in dusty sheets expect for the made bed. Attached was a full bath with a shower. The closet wasn''t as big, but I figured this one would be the best option.


    Exiting the room, I headed back down the stairs to start grabbing my trash bags and carried them to the room I had chosen to be mine. Once I made all the trips needed to carry my things, I decided to take off all of the dusty sheets off of the furniture and put them in a pile. I even stripped the bed until it was down to just the mattress. My next mission was to find the laundry room so I could wash all of the dusty sheets, bedding, and curtains. It looked like I had a lot to do during my whole week here.

 Chapter Six

    Kate didn''t stay too long after coming back with the cleaning supplies. She just stayed long enough to show me where my garbage bins were so I could throw out the trash when I was done cleaning. She then informed me where to put the bins for collection. After that, she was on her way home to take care of a few things. I made sure to thank her and see her off.


    Now alone in an unfamiliar house, I headed back in with the cleaning supplies and headed straight for the room I had claimed. The first thing I did was grabbed the pile of laundry on my floor and hunted down the laundry room. Luckily there was a laundry shut hidden in a corner that I was able to throw down the laundry in. Making a mental note, I headed down the stairs to find where it lead.


    It was actually easy to find the small laundry room right behind the room with the stairs. The pile I had thrown down laid on the dirty floor. Other than the floor, the room looked pretty decent. There were a few cobwebs in the corners and soap spots on the washer, but it seemed to be better kept than the rest of the house. Sure the appliances looked a little out of date, but they would get the job done.


    I threw in the dusty sheets into the washer. I figured I didn''t really need soap for them. They weren''t dirty, just full of dust from sitting in an empty room for so long. Once the machine started I head back upstairs to my room. My first plan of attack was to get rid of all of the cobwebs before spiders decided it was a nice pre-made home. After that I was dusting every bit of surface I found in the room.


    I started on my work while playing some music on my phone. It was nice to be able to play music as loud as I wanted and not have any complaints from equally noisy neighbors. I even decided to wipe down the bathroom while I was dusting. The work was nice and mind numbing. It was nice to see that the room was looking better after I finished my work.


    My next step was to unpack my bedding from the trash bag of my clothes. Making the bed with my own things made it feel more like it was mine. It was the same as I placed my clothes in the dresser. I had placed my second hand alarm clock next to my bed and set the time on it. My toiletries and towels went into the bathroom and it felt nice to actually have space.


    By the time I was done there was only two trash bags left and my trunk. But I figured I should throw the sheets into the dryer and start another load. I grabbed the laundry supplies and headed to the laundry room. It fascinated me how well I was adjusting to this whole new environment. I guess it helps that I was free to make it my own.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.    Once I got into the laundry room I opened up one of the cabinets and instantly screamed. Something with eight hairy legs was looking back at me. I quickly grabbed the hardest thing I had and hit it multiple times just to make sure it was dead. Once I figured it was dead I swept its body onto the floor and kicked it into a corner to deal with later.


    "I knew this room was too good to be true," I said to myself before shaking off my adrenaline that the spider had caused, "I hate spiders."


    With the spider gone, I place the laundry detergent and the dryer sheets into the cabinet. Then I threw the sheets into the dryer with a dryer sheet and turned it on. The bedding was next to go into the washer and once that was all loaded and started, I headed back to my room.


    When I got in there my eyes instantly landed on my trunk. "I need a place for you," I told it as I bent down and grabbed a handle.


    Pulling it into the area outside of my room, I stood up straight and looked at the other two closed doors. One of these rooms would be perfect to make into the art studio I always wanted. After pushing the trunk against the wall, I decided to figure out which room would be the place to do my art.


    The first room was another bedroom. I was beginning to think that all of the extra rooms were. Which meant I will have a lot of unnecessary furniture to get rid of. Even more work. Leaving the room for now I headed for the second unopened room.


    This fourth room had a small twin bed hugging one of the walls and all of the furniture was covered by more dusty sheets. This room overlooked the overgrown backyard. But there wasn''t much in the room and it had a small bathroom attached to it. From what I had observed of the rooms on the second floor, all but one had their own personal bathroom. There was one more door I needed to open in the hallway.


    I had left it last, thinking it was just a small closet to hold sheets. But I was surprised to see a set of stairs leading up to an attic. I turned to where my trunk was and spoke to it. "You think I am going to drag you up these stair too?"


    Obviously my trunk didn''t respond. I would have finally be losing it if it did. I turned back towards the stairs and turned on the lights so I could see my way up. Images of the place of being just beams and full of spider webs filled my mind. But those thoughts had to shaken out of my head and I climbed the stairs anyways.

 Chapter Seven

    The stairs creaked under my feet as I climbed them. My heart pounded in my chest because I had no idea what to expect as I got closer to the top of the stairs. But to my surprise the room was fully finished. There were no web covered beams anywhere. Well there was one spider web in the window and that would be dealt with soon.


    The room was filled with a few boxes and some more sheet covered furniture. As I looked over the room, I saw it''s potential as an art studio. I entered the room more and looked at some of the boxes. They were nothing special. Some held old family photos. Some held holiday decorations. The rest just had junk in them and I made a mental not to go through them and see if there was anything I would want to keep.


    "Looks like I''m going to be having one hell of a yard sale later," I told myself as I straightened myself out.


    I looked at the what furniture was covered by the dusty sheets and not any of it was impressive to me. My great aunt had a lot of stuff for living on her own. But the last thing I found under a sheet took my breath away. I pulled off the sheet completely and took in the sight. It was an old standing Victorian mirror and it was georgious.


    It was dark oak with custom made carving surrounding it. My hands roamed over the supports of the mirror that had carved flames on it. The flames swirled around the poles and led to goblets of fire at the top. The frame of the mirror also had custom carvings. Those carvings were of different angels performing different sins. The top of the frame had three hooded figures at the top as if judging the angels for their sins.


    The mirror looked so beautiful and it was a shame that it was hidden away in the attic. It should be showed case in one of the main rooms. Maybe it was a gift my great aunt got and she placed it here until she found a place for it. Then forgot about it.


    Deciding that it shouldn''t be forgotten, I began to pick up the mirror and move it slowly towards the stairs. The thing was heavier than it looked. I was probably going to need Kate''s help with moving this but I didn''t know when she planned on coming back. This whole mirror situation made me wish I discovered it sooner so she could have helped me. Or, at least stayed a little longer until I explored the house more.


    After a few grunts and moving only three feet, I needed a break. Sweat was already covering my body and my lungs gasped for air. Exhaustion was filling up my body already, but I was determined to at least get this mirror onto the second floor.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.    With determination, I continued to slowly move the mirror towards the stairs. It felt like I was only moving an inch every ten minutes. The process was slow but I was sure I could do it. But my body could only handle so much before my muscles decided that it couldn''t'' take anymore.


    Needing another break, I sat on the floor in front of the mirror. My reflection looked a little distorted and I figured it was because it was so dirty. I quickly got up and ran to my room to grab the glass cleaner and some paper towels. When I got back, I tried to clean the mirror the best I could. But it was starting to look like a lost cause. the thing was just too old and it was neglected for too long.


    With defeat, I placed my cleaning supplies on the floor and pouted at the mirror. "Why were you hidden all the way up here?" I asked it.


    "Beware the mirror. Beware the trials."


    It was as if someone had whispered in my ear and I looked around me to find no one around. I was still alone in this house but confusion filled my thoughts. Maybe I was just hearing things because I was in a new place. But then I heard the voice once again.


    "Beware the mirror. Beware the trials."


    Hearing the voice made me stare at the mirror. "Are you talking to me?" I asked it. Thankfully the mirror didn''t respond. Making me think I was just imagining it due to the fact that I was exhausted. There was no such thing as talking mirrors. That only existed in fairytales.


    I was ready to call it a night when something in the mirror caught my eye. I wasn''t sure what it was so I leaned closer, but I couldn''t really find what I noticed. Thinking it was just a trick of the light, I moved back. But then I saw something flash in the mirror again. Making me look around the room trying to find out what could be causing the flashing I was seeing.


    Confused, I moved closer to the mirror. My hands roamed on it''s surface trying to figure out if there was a crack I wasn''t noticing. But I couldn''t find anything. Instead I heard another voice ring out louder than the whisper.


    "You have awoken us. Let the trials begin!"


    At that moment a hand flew out of the mirror and grabbed onto my arm. I tried to pull away but it was too strong. My instincts told me to continue struggling but eventually I lost the fight, being pulled into the mirror.