The Endless Night

Chapter - 3

It's been three days after the funeral and dad already started preparing to leave.

Dad had to leave for Canada. Being a purchasing manager at Cisco, he had urgent company affairs to meet.

The rest of us were here for 2 months. Since it is legal to make changes in the Villa before retrieving the Will, Mom's idea of redecorating the place seemed quiet genuine.

Dad handed handsome amount of money for it.

Within a couple of weeks after dad left, all the ceilings whose paint had been worn off were painted. Chandeliers were changed and kitchen had some major changes.

The Sofas arrived after being replaced by new covers with a similar design but darker shade of red by the end of the week. The tuscan style dining room and the stone columns it contained were left untouched. The other rooms have been redecorated approximately to the original wallpaper and paint colors. The two enormous chest of drawers were moved from living room to the library placing it on the right and left of the brick fireplace. They looked perfect there. Whereas the living room, large vases were placed in the place of chests.

The only alteration made on the exterior of the house were replacing of those ancient copper oil torches with modern Kurdish open lanterns. Nobody realized that grandpa would never approve this change.

There were ten massive rooms upstairs with a long hallway that leads to a beautiful back balcony. One was granpa's study room connecting to his sitting room which had another beautiful balcony that gave a view of the neighbouring house. Directly opposite to it was a common restroom, beside the restroom was a store room and Annie's room. The rest two bed rooms were on the either sides of balcony and were occupied by Me and Hannah. Jamie stayed in a room downstairs which previously was granpa and grandma's room. He chose to stay there.

Study room was filled with oak chest drawers, shelves full of books, one huge study table and one comfortable sofa. Most of the books were related to different architecture and the library downstairs mostly contained books with biographies and history of places.

After a tiresome day of helping with moving stuff here and there, with Annie and five other servants. I retired to bed earlier than usual that night.

In the middle of the night uneasiness woke me up. I felt soo cold that I thought I was lying on ice. I wrapped myself but wasn't helping so I reached for the lamp switch and turned it on.

I noticed that the hairs of my hands were standing up straight. My hands couldn't feel each other. I wasn't sure what was happening. I got out of bed, grabbed a pair of mittens to wear. I snuggled back into the blanket and drifted off to sleep

Next morning Hannah came in my room with a cup of water and sprinkled it on me and softly said "Wake up sweetie!"

I woke up replied furiously "Stop that! Damn it, what did you do" I reacted and wiped my face "You know how much I hate it".

"How do you wash your face, with sand? I'm making it easier for you" She chuckled on her own wittiness.

"You wish! I'll do the same on you and then wait for you to tell the same thing again. Would you?"

"Hahaha I know you won't dare!" Hannah laughed it off and left.

Hannah knows exactly what my weaknesses are and that I wouldn't dare to take up challenges.

I washed my face and headed down to the brand new dining room which was actually an extended part of kitchen but now it has been separated by the glassdoor. Walking in to the kitchen brightened up my morning.

"Mornin' sleepy head" Jamie said whilst sitting on the table.

"Look who's talking" I rolled my eyes.

Mom carried dishes and came in through the glassdoor opening "Here's your Italian omelet & tuna salad babies!" she said placing it on the table in front of us, around the shiny cutlery that is already set in place.

"Oooh! Looks delicious. Since when did we become babies?" I replied.

"Baby darling, you three will always be my babies" She smiled.

"Someone's in a really good mood" I teased her and asked "Where's Rosemary?"

Jamie interrupted "Rosemary is here as well, but mum couldn't resist after entering the astounding kitchen and went all Italiano" while taking a gulp he said "Mamma mia Perfeccto" We all broke into laughter at Jay's accent.

Mom had a surprise in store for us. She was unwilling to reveal while we were having our breakfast. "Well well, how about surprise for all of you after you finish up your meal".

I tried to guess but couldn't think of anything befitting a surprise. Curiosity was eating me. So, I ate my breakfast as fast as possible.

Hannah headed to the kitchen to place her plate in the dish washer. As soon as she disappeared out of my site we all heard her scream.

Jay and I looked at each other and hurried to the kitchen.

Mom followed us with a smile "There you go surprised"

Hannah was standing at one corner of the kitchen. From right beside the big shelf sunshine flashed over her body.

"WOAH! There's an opening here!!" Exclaimed Jamie on getting a closer look.

"Momm! Is this the same backdoor that existed even before Jay could walk?" I asked cheerfully.

"Yess it is!!" Hannah squealed excitedly stepping out of the door.

Jamie was equally confused and surprised. I walked outside the door pushing Jay aside, he followed us.

Standing on a rocky soil in the dry land, I could see the same old view of tall dense group of trees a mile away. Neighbour's small but fenced backyard was visible from here.

It wasn't that of a beautiful scene but to me it was more than incredible, as it reminded me the part of life I almost forgot.

We could see Rosemary and Annie on the side cleaning the place themselves, making it least rocky, since it was early the manservants hadn't shown up yet.

"It's been a long time me or Annie haven't come to this side. I cleaned it just once after Gran's death." Rosemary said.

"The view used to be clean and beautiful when we were young." Hannah said recalling the past. "Remember we used to go inside that abandoned deer park and play?" She asked looking at me pointing towards it. We stopped going there since the backdoor was sealed. Not that we couldn't go there from behind the parking shade or elsewhere but we never did.

"Yeah, I do! It was so much fun just to sit on our silly tree house"

"We have our own tree house?" Jamie asked shockingly.

"It's not as you imagine Jay. It was made with just a slab of wood which comfortably got fit on branches of one those trees" Hannah confessed.

Mom smiled at us "So you girls used to spend hours just on that piece of wooden slab?"

"Yeah, it was like a big adventure for us, climbing the tree with bag stuffed with toys, babysitter Casey used carry" I grinned at her.

"Let's go and see if it still exists!" Hannah invites.

"Wait let me put on my cardigan" I headed back to my room.

So as I walked, on a velvety carpet, towards my room I heard someone murmuring.

I stopped still but couldn't make out what were the words and where it was coming from. I opened Granpa's store room, peeped inside. Light was falling in through the balcony but the room was dead silent.

I closed the door and could still hear the murmuring sound. I gave a quick glance at Hannah's room to find the windows open.

I stepped slowly towards the window as if the sounds were coming from there. I looked around as I walked inside her room and my gaze stopped at Hannah's dark green cardigan lying on the stool.

All of a sudden I realized I was here for the cardigan. 'I need to hurry' I reminded myself. I picked it up and grabbed one from my room as well.

"It must be definitely Annie & Rosemary's voices coming from the backyard through Hannah's window" My mind spoke to me on my way back to them.

"Here, take yours" I handed her cardigan and tied my untied shoes.

"Coming Jay?" Hannah said in a high pitch right in my ear.

"Yeah, just a sec" Jay went back inside.

"I know how long his 'just a sec' is" Hannah commented, we both laughed and headed towards the little forest. He literally takes more time than any girl in this world to get ready.

On our way I found atleast two squirrels, one dead woodpecker, and too many spiders.

"Why spiders? why couldn't it be butterflies" Jamie quoted imitating Ron Weasley from Harry potter.

"Shut up Ron, keep walking. These spiders will make you a legend one day" I said and we grinned at eachothers idiocy.

"This path used to be soo beautiful, now it looks dead" I expressed.

Hannah pointed out at our wooden slab on a tree asking if that's ours.

"Need to get a closer look" after getting a little bit closer to it I shook my head "Doesn't look like".

When we finally got close enough to it, She said "It is our tree!! Our slab is right there".

"It's in such a bad shape that I couldn't even recognize our tree house or tree board or whatever" I said.

"It looks worst than I expected, do you think somebody has been here?" Hannah examined the tree.

"We won't know until we climb up and see it."

"Ok you go first" Hannah said.

"I thought you were the eager one, anyways it doesn't make a difference if I go first or not."

I casually went on to climb it. I touched the tree's bark, it felt rough on my soft palm, I pulled my hand away and looked at it wondering if I can do this or not. My mind said Cmon you've never been this feminine, you've done this all your childhood.

"Ok now where to start from?" I spoke.

"Let's try the branch on the left?" said Hannah.

"Yeah okay, since we don't have a ladder like we used to have back then, now I need your help though".

Hannah moved closer to the tree, joined her hands together intermingling her fingers and clutched tightly and said "Here, face the tree, then step on my palms and climb this branch".

I nodded and did as she said. I placed my hand on trees bark. As I stepped on her palms she clutched tighter, and with a little pull I took hold of one of the branch.

I sensed something behind us. My heart started pounding.

I was too immobilized to tilt my head and look what was behind the bark of the tree.

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━