Chapter 09
Call for an AdventureCarter's POV:The minute I got off the bus, I ran and chased Lincoln. Upon my arrival, he vanished. He was not there and I was not able to find him or any trace of his existence. He just magically disappeared out of thin air like a bubble.
Did he just teleport himself out to escape?
Not only was it just to think about as a blink of an eye, but I'm certain it was Lincoln!
First, he took Ricky's key that he found in the woods; second, he jumped into the well from the garden; and now this?
Jeez, I no longer know what to think!
I don't know what Lincoln was planning to do, or was it just a coincidence that my classmates were really telling the truth?
The truth of that whole damn crazy thing about the Manor.
Lincoln for sure, is mysterious. Day after day, my suspicions about him grew even greater than on previous days of life with him.
From the day we moved here to Meverly, I had a bad omen of things ahead, and I almost didn't want to trust my instincts.
Lincoln is the only housekeeper who has lived in the manor for more than a decade. Therefore, he certainly knows the whole story.
And he is the only one who can answer all my questions and about his inexplicability. My gut tells me to find him, but I have no single idea how.
From the time I was little, I realized I was different. Something was eating me away. I felt that I was disconnected from reality, although my life seemed quite normal - other than knowing that I was an adopted child, ironically speaking.
I was all wet in the rain and did not manage to fulfill my expectations. Even though the rain hit me, I decided to walk home because it wasn't that far away for a walk.
When I arrived at the house, I saw Mom coming out of the laundry with a basket full of clean clothes.
The water was running all over my body as I was about to enter the house, but Mother saw me. And she drew near unto me from afar, and laid her hand before me.
Mother looked at me from head to toe with total confusion as I bathed in the rain.
I was standing on a thick dark violet carpet. I could feel the soft threads of the fabric, tickling my two bare feet after taking off my class shoes.
"What were you thinking, Carter?" Mother scolded me, of course for the stupidity I had made.
"I told you always to carry an umbrella in case it rains! Do you want to fall ill?"
She threw me a clean towel and took some of the clothes from the basket for me to wear.
"Here. Wipe your body and get dressed at once."
"Sorry." I smiled terribly with a bit of guilt, made an inept attempt to apologize.
I wrapped my wet uniform like a ball, shot them in the laundry basket separated from dirty clothes, and I coiled myself up with the towel that mom gave me.
I went up to my room to change, but Sandra and Ricky wouldn't let me through.
"What?" I asked, lifting up an eyebrow.
"Ah, Hello!? You left me and Ricky back on the bus." Sandra put both her hands on her waist as Ricky crossed her arms and they glared at me.
You should never have left us in the bus. Don't just keep your issues to yourself and keep them hidden," she said.
"What? I already told you that I saw Lincoln behind those trees. How is this supposed to be a secret?"
"I mean, if anything bugs you, you can just tell me or Ricky about it?" Sandra genuinely offered her suggestion.
"I know you well, Carter," Sandra approached me and hit my two cheeks with her warm hands. My eyes widened as she did this, and she put my face over hers, intensely staring into each other's eyes.
She didn't even care about the mixture of sweat and rainwater flowing from my hair on the sides of my face till it was on her hands.
"Even if you are not a relative of ours, you are still our brother. Remember that." Sandra ruined my curly orange hair and then crushed my face like clay paste.
Awww! My heart was moved by her closing remarks. Even though my sister often thinks like a child, some of her words still mean something!
I don't know why, but I felt my cheeks red while Ricky was watching us with malice.
It took us a few minutes, then I averted my gaze and pushed back her hands that were still attached to my cheek.
I pushed the two apart to pass through them and turned the doorknob to enter my room.
"Okay, Alright. I'm sorry I've been sloppy without taking your feelings into consideration. I was just..."
"Just what?" Ricky went on to say.
I took a breath, plopped on my bed and began to explain.
"Lincoln seemed so weird after he had the key and then disappeared all of a sudden." I clarified my inner thoughts.
"Other than that, some of my classmates seem to know that we live in this Manor. Oddly strange, like stalkers!" I explained as soon as I got dressed.
I got up, turned my body and leaned over the window and looked over the sky, trying to recall the conversations I had in class.
"And these rumors about Mom's great-great-grandmother and the kids who disappeared from this house, what if they were all true?"
"You're not the only one who's bothered, you know?" said Sandra.
"I wonder what's in the frightful old pit? It's really giving me the chills." As Ricky implied.
"You mean the wellhouse?" I asked.
"Yeah, and the loud sound of the bell, It was truly unsettling." Sandra nodded and agreed.
"I wonder why mom didn't wake up with the sound?" asked Ricky oddly.
"The same question I have in mind," I said I faced them backwards.
"We saw this blue light, didn't we?" Sandra said.
"Yes, but whatever is in that well is not safe," as I pointed out the garden through the window.
"That's why it is locked in the first place." I asserted my demands.
"How can you be so sure it's dangerous?" Ricky doubted.
"I'm not. We shouldn't be screwing around." I got up.
"Ugh, Forget it! Let's stay out of this and let Lincoln do his thing." I responded with arrogance by going out and separating them.
"Aww, that wouldn't be fun." Ricky pouted.
"I agree. But you know, we're not going to be satisfied if we're only here thinking and presupposing infinite possibilities." Sandra thought for a moment.
I stopped walking, then turned my body again to face them.
"So what are you trying to suggest?" I said.
"The unknown waits for us and calls us, so let us dive into the depths of the mystery, revealing the secrets that lie beyond our eyes, I reckon." she answered in a sinister and poetic tone.
"Now that's what I call fun! We're on a mission! Yipee!" said Ricky with a cheerful voice. He leaped hysterically, and his enthusiasm soared higher than I expected.
Chapter 10The Siblings' SchemeCarter's POV: "The unknown awaits and its calling for us, so let's delve into the depths of the mystery, unfolding the secrets that lie beyond our sight. I reckon," she answered in a sinister and poetic tone. "Now that is what I call fun! We have a mission! Yipee!" said Ricky with a cheerful voice. He jumped hysterically, and his enthusiasm was greater than I imagined."Uh, What did you just say?" I was taken aback by the confusion."There's no denying that you're as curious as I am. You wouldn't let a day go by with no answers. Would you, Carter?" said Sandra.She then smirked, raised her left eyebrow towards me, indicating a sign to seek my concurrence with what she was trying to determine."What's going on up there? Come down for dinner, children!" Mother ca
Chapter 11Entering the World of Encrest Part I: The Magical WorldThird POV: Ricky and SandraThey found themselves on the cold ground. As they became aware, their minds were instantly filled with questions.They got up in the middle of a big sigil with unfamiliar scriptures around them.They observed that the naked room they were in appeared old and primitive. It had a medieval architectural design."Where are we?" amazed Ricky.While they were looking around the place, a short ray of sunlight touched the part of Sandra's pale brown eyes.Only a small quantity of light could pass through the allocated spaces which came from the mysterious black door.As they came near the door, they heard the murmur of the crowd making an indistinct noise.Ricky opened the door, and they were astounded by what they saw. A bustling crowd of foreign entities encompass
Chapter 12Entering the World of Encrest Part I: The Sky Harbor of SalnorThird POV: Ricky and SandraThe lady's plume of crimson hair was coiled and braided in two, with tiny red ribbons attached at the end.She was wearing vintage pilot goggles with sparkles in her silver eyes, her ears were as sharp and pointy as an elf, her skin was like fresh strawberries dipped in milk.Her lips were cherry red and plump, and she wore a long and thick copper gingerbread gown made of wool cloth with a tucker tucked into her flat chest.The woman stopped while she was looking at something in between."Hmm, Natousak gna abi, ta ilagu agm gnabiakak, egnat agm golib..."(Hmm, Round ears, exquisitely odd chimerical personalities, and an unprecedented sense of fashion...)The siblings gave a sudden blank expression and both of their brows rose. They looked at each other for a few sec
Chapter 13Entering the World of Encrest Part II: The Village of MirhanCarter's POV:I began to worry while Ricky and Sandra were engulfed by this blue flame and immediately disappeared.For the sake of my two most cherished siblings, I fought my fear. Trembling with trepidation, I ended up forcing myself into the old abandoned well.I can't stand around here doing nothing as if it never happened!I could see that the entrance over me was progressively diminishing. The light from above gradually diminished as I descended further down into the well.I felt the weight of the air. My lungs deprived of oxygen as the terrible odor of sewers entered my nose. I scarcely breathed, trying not to inhale the foul stench of poisoned air.When I reached the very end of the well, even though I couldn't see much of the floor I was stepping on, I felt the wet, spongy ground underneath the heels
Chapter 14Entering the World of Encrest Part II: The Rainbow ForestCarter's POV: "Noyagn nayid oyak ibat!" (Get out of here, now!) A creature shouted from far away. It sounded masculine and a bit deep. He was wearing a long black robe. A hood covered his head and I couldn't see much of his face hidden behind. At first, I thought it was Lincoln because I noticed the long robe he had on, but it turned out to be a different person. I did not understand what he was declaring, but it drew the attention of the many that caused the people to flee headlong in panic. A sudden unreasoning terror permeated the place. All began to leave from their respective places. The hooded man was running at a brisk pace toward my direction while he was being chased by someone. I was dumbfounded when he disappeared from my sight and reappeared at the nearest distance possible. He immediately caught me, and we fell to the
Chapter 15Setbacks DrawThird POV: Ricky and Sandra "How come you live under here?" asked Sandra. "If I were to answer your question, I am an outcast," Amarra responded. She then opened the door and entered her home and started packing. "You see that place over there? That is the Ministry of Encrest. I always wanted to join the Academy..." She pointed her finger out the window to indicate where she was saying. "But anyway, too bad we ain't staying here for long. I forgot something to bring with me," added Amarra while forcefully pushing some of the items in her bag and satchel to fit in. "We just got here, why are we leaving too soon?" asked Ricky. "I'm setting out on an adventure," Amarra replied. "That sounds fun! I love adventures, too! Can we come?!" Ricky gasped in excitement. His eyes were brimming with enthusiasm after hearing the word 'adventure'. "I am sorry, but I will take you back to where you
Chapter 16The Downhearted FollyThird POV: Ricky and Sandra "Oh no..." Amarra gasped. She then hurriedly ran to a burnt house and went inside. Amarra's pace of running drew Ricky and Sandra's attention, and they changed their focus on her. The inside of the house was in disorder. The thrown pieces of paper, dust layers and disorganized carpets were scattered on the floor. Even the furniture, shelves and ornaments were in disarray.An old man was seen reclining on the floor. He looked thin and pale with his body covered in red ribbons running along the inside of his thighs. There were scratches and wounds everywhere on his bloodsoaked body. He was coughing out blood and breathing hard. Amarra rapidly approached the old man and knelt down at his side. She appeared devastated and saddened by an old man's appearance. Her spirit was depressed. Tears rushed down her face and a drop fell from her chin onto the old ma
Chapter 17The Magical of AmuletCarter's POV: I felt like a child in a long dream, unable to wake up, trapped in the reality you have created by your own imagination. All was so detailed in fashion and everything in it seemed so real! At first, I was terrified of what could happen here, especially if I had to immerse myself in the wicked barbarians with their dangerous magic. Nevertheless, all the fear that I kept in myself immediately disappeared after seeing the glamour of this colorful world. In those few moments, I felt a strange feeling of tranquility, a serene comfort with a strange dab of magic over my heart that I did not quite seem to understand. It was indescribably inexpressible. No existing word or phrase could describe what I was feeling, but it was a very unusual feeling. I mean, aside from the enchanted garden, I felt the same extreme level as Raven and I visited this place. "Where are we?" I asked