No Place Like Home

Alina was one hundred percent certain, so certain in fact that she would bet away her soul, that her house was haunted.

Sitting with an expression void of emotion, Alina rested her brown irises on the resin rose settled neatly on her nightstand amongst the dust gathered there from her constant neglect. To any person that wasn't Alina, there would be absolutely nothing amiss about the beautiful ornament staring innocently back at her. But there was something horribly wrong with the picture, something Alina had been noticing a lot with the objects residing within the smothering walls of her home; the rose wasn't where she had last put it.

There was no mistaking it this time; Alina knew for a fact that she had put the rose on her bathroom counter last night. She had even gone out of her way to mark the spot she had placed it with a damn dry erase marker, as if to prove to herself she really wasn't losing her mind. And lo and behold, there it sat on her nightstand instead, the red petals seeming to perk in excitement when her attention was locked onto its presence. The moon itself was glittering so profoundly.

This was the fifth time it had happened this week. Ever since Chris had come over and discovered the hidden treasures buried within her house, the painting and the odd ornament, the brunette had become more and more alert to the oddities transpiring around her. It had started out simple, a slight chill in the air when she entered certain rooms, a breeze flirting with her side bangs while no windows were left ajar, but then after a few weeks, it slowly progressed into something she couldn't ignore. Doors had begun shutting by themselves after she would enter a room and items would end up going missing right beneath her nose or relocating without her aid. Yet the most unsettling thing was…

Alina trailed her gaze over to the wooden doorway connecting her room to the hall, her eyes peering into the darkness cloaked there within the shadows that blossomed from the window's sunlight to the right. Dark splotches seemed to dance in the shadows. She kept her gaze there, searching for a hint of movement. There was none. Sighing, Alina lowered her back onto her mattress, lying there meaninglessly. It was staring to unnerve her how she could never locate the figure when she wanted to. It was like she was being toyed with, but then again, she probably was. Maybe it was her punishment for always being skeptical. Being someone who had never believed in anything paranormal, it was a hard pill to swallow, acknowledging the fact there was nothing scientific about anything going on. But the final straw was when she had started to see the shadow of a man from the corner of her eye. It would appear without pattern, following her movements with precision and vanishing whenever she tried to capture a better glimpse. From what she could see from her limited view, the dark waves almost seemed alive as they moved as one being, a diminutive presence harbored away in the tainted shadow that left her constantly feeling on edge. There was no way in hell she could explain that. No way in hell she could ever offer a logical reason for how it blended away into the wall without a problem. It couldn't be anything else other than a ghost.

Right?

Feeling a headache coming on, Alina allowed her thoughts to drift into the back of her mind to rest under a blanket of her hidden insecurities. Her fingers raking through her long hair in an effort to soothe her restless mind, it was something that always brought back the faintest memories of her mom.

She had loved her hair.

When her head was clear, the throbbing in the back of her skull grew dormant, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Sitting up in her bed, Alina glanced at the neutral colored walls of her home without interest, a question getting past her defenses as it paraded around inside of her mind. Bouncing off each of her thoughts as it wailed, refusing to leave.

But she honestly couldn't help but wonder…

If that thing truly was a spirit or not? Alina found herself turning to look at the rose, and on cue, her chest tightened in a grief she couldn't comprehend fully. It was frustrating, and the longer she stared, the firmer her resolve became: She needed answers, and she needed them now.

Grabbing her coat and shuffling it on over her baby blue sweater, Alina snatched her house keys out of her pocket, and stalked outside after securely locking her  front door.

With purpose in her limbs, the brunette briskly walked over to the one place that could give her the answers to the questions that plagued her mind. Or at least, it was place she felt she could research safely.

Away from any looming shadows.

Double doors composed of thick clear glass opened inward, and a horde of books lined the towering sides from where the door touched the back wall, all the way to the back of where the impressively grandiose building could be seen. The soldiers lining the shelves in perfect formation, withholding just about anything the mind could imagine. Masterpieces of ideas and information scrawled out across pages to be worshiped by the public eye. Below the written brilliance, was a line of sleek, up to date, computers, and the black machinery was being accompanied by the bodies that were stationed neatly before them. Fingers typing away on the keyboards as a perfect unit. With resources at every corner, it was the ideal place to find reliable information.

The type of place Alina was in dire need of, in her shattered puzzle of a life.

Fingers pulled back the hood of a rough bomber jacket, and brown locks tumbled out from its confines.

"Welcome to the Nightingale Library, is there anything I can help you with, m’am?"

Alina turned her head to glance in the direction the masculine voice had traveled from, a thin man with fair features came into her sight. To the plain eye, he would've seemed like just another friendly attendant for the elegant room, with his homely eyes that crinkled with sincere amiability from behind thin rimmed glasses, ashen brown braids pulled over his broad yet petite shoulders that huddled in on himself, and a small, timid, smile breaking open over his lips. He looked like just a cute boy trying to help the first person his welcoming eyes landed on. But even Alina, who was usually helplessly oblivious, could see it…the boy was after more than just that.

The evidence was in the slight tremble to the boy’s hands peeking out from under his uniform sleeves and in the way his cheeks flushed into an unnatural blend of strawberry. She narrowed her eyes, and the boy with the unique hairstyle flushed brighter, if possible. A mix between nerves and embarrassment.

And he wasn’t looking solely at her face.

Boys.

She decided to just to get it over with. "Do you have a computer I could use, I signed up on my phone to become a member here already?" She asked, her voice not sparing him anything other than professionalism. Her phone came out to flash the barcode of her membership in a quick and timely fashion.

The boy recoiled slightly at her less than friendly tone, his eyes blinking at her in a way that suggested he was not used to such treatment. But after a moment, the boy had recomposed himself, a nervous but charming simper passing over his face, "…of course. Right this way. There's a few more in the back. We can be a busy establishment."

Alina nodded, falling into step behind him as he led her through brilliant bookshelves, which she roamed her gaze over in appreciation. She made a mental note to return here in the future, it had been a long time since she had enjoyed a good book. A good five years in fact.

She continued scanning the titles as they walked, but as they neared the end of one of the rows, the brunette's voice cut her search short.

"Here we are."

Alina looked at the area at the end of the attendant’s outstretched arm, and gestured her head in thanks. Spotting a desolate computer in a corner away from prying eyes, Alina immediately stalked over to it, claiming the spot. Shrugging out of her jacket, she placed it on the back of her chair before beginning her investigation, quickly opening up the internet browser.

"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" He inquired from behind her; curiosity a loud roar behind his words.

Clicking on the search bar with a tap of the mouse, Alina scowled. "Nothing I can't find on my own."

There was a pause, and Alina was tempted to peek at the boy over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't completely hurt his feelings. But she didn't need to.

After a few more passing seconds, he spoke, "okay, well I'll leave you to it, Miss.…?" He ventured, hoping that the girl would give him her name. Despite the fact that the gril was as impenetrable as a stone fortress, there was just something about the mystified gleam in her eyes when she first saw the interior of the library that caught his interest. The girl was beyond attractive, and the wonder in her eyes just made him melt.

Alina didn't follow his mind set though, in fact, his presence was gradually growing more and more irritating.

Glancing up at him in acute annoyance, Alina bit back a sarcastic retort with a curt reply of "Alina." before she was facing the brightly lit screen once more, her fingers pushing the keys in a fast dance across the keyboard.

"Well it was nice meeting you Alina, I'm Troy Matthew if you need anything else." He introduced in a sweet voice, but Alina’s mind was already far away from him, a wall rearing between them as she became immersed with the riddle her brain that she was fixing to figure out, her eyes scanning the endless amount of documents popping up across the screen.

The boy frowned, a small crestfallen look appearing on his flushed face before he stepped away from the female politely, granting her space.

She never even glanced his way.

Resignation was prominent in his features as he set off to do his job, figuring there'd be other chances to get to know the pretty brunette, or so he hoped.

More results than she ever could have anticipated jumped out at her from the screen, her eyes widening a fraction. Everywhere she glanced on the page was her home address that glared out at her with accusation, the headlines buzzing across her astonished mind at an alarming rate. Pictures of her home from ten years ago sitting in the top right corner, one of the images barred away with crime scene tape.

She wrapped her arms around herself, the tears that had trailed down her face hours before, had long gone dry, leaving nothing but a numb sensation where the remnants had faded.

Alina places her forehead down onto her knees, a deep chasm forming between her heart and her body. She felt… nothing.

She had nothing.

You need to accept what happened, as she stared at the image, she could almost hear the haughty counselor’s voice.

Alina peered up through her lashes that were still heavy with moisture to reveal broken orbs that were spiked with disdain. How could anyone be so heartless? What right did they have to take their lives! None! None at all! With anger battling through the numbing sensations in her lungs with a sword that ripped at her heart, Alina lifted her head off her scraped knees, to look over at the blood matted in brown locks identical to her own.

Why couldn't they have killed her instead?

Crawling over to the horribly pale face of her older brother, Alina placed Alec’s head on her lap, her fingers trembling as her brother's blood stained her bright green pajama bottoms. She stared blankly at the peaceful face of Alec, remembering how he had always sworn to protect her from harm. Alec had always made time for her and her needless whims, had spent every day by her side. Alec was the other half to her personality, and now he was gone. Did that mean a part of her had died too?

Alina didn't know how long she had sat there in that hellish place, but the next thing she knew red and blue lights cut through the dark invading her household, flashing through her living room window to highlight the blood soaked forms of her family's corpses.

Then the blaring sound of sirens snapped her from her trance with a gentle tap on the cheek. Looking up, she watched in silence as her front door was kicked in, the large door bouncing off the wall with a loud smack as men in uniforms came rushing in.

It was at that moment, an emotion gorged through her heart to cause her chest to start heaving, spiders crawling inside her every pore to ignite the pitiful feeling she loathed the most: fear.

Backing away from them while trying to hold everything inside, Alina huddled Alec's body closer to her, bringing herself into a protective ball around her brother’s dead body. Almost willing him to wake up again.

"Go away!" She screamed, the tears that had vanished coming back through her voice.

The men approached anyway, and Alina clenched her eyes shut, but bravely kept herself curled around her brother. The same way he did when she saw a spider or something scary.

A soft hand went through her hair and Alina’s eyes snapped open, she thrusted out her arm, a loud smack echoing throughout the death filled room, her hand splayed out to the side as her breathing quickened with panic, "G-GO AWAY!"

There was a ruffle of fabric, and Alina looked up to meet the sad grey eyes of the police officer, and the man slowly knelt down to her height, Alina's eyes cautiously watching her every move. Trust no one.

"It's okay…you're safe now."

Safe.

The word echoed in her head with a bell chime, warning her of the false poison behind its sugary promise. No place was safe…after all he had promised…

‘Alina, you cry too much. Nothing bad will ever happen to us, it’s just nightmares, I promise.'

Alina hadn't meant to let a tear slip.

She also hadn't meant to let the officer embrace her, rocking her back and forth as she cried for all she was worth.

It would be the last time she showed weakness.

Her wailing echoing in every room of the blood coated walls.

Tearing her eyes away from the photo, Alina hurriedly scrolled down the page to remove the reminder of the past from her sight. A deep breath being sucked in past her tongue to smoothly block the distinct rattle of pain in her chest. Pain was an emotion that had become a part of her a long time ago, and she successfully knew how to counter it. Years of practice had paid off. Anger was a much harder emotion to tame, however.

Skimming the content in front of her with an incensed smirk playing on her mouth, Alina delved between each phrase before her, attempting to find anything that looked promising.

After a half an hour of seeing nothing but useless real estate commentary and articles about her own misfortune, Alina was ready to call it quits.

Then, she saw it.

'In 1664, the Croix family was found dead in their home.'

Blinking in shock, Alina reread the title of the article to make sure she had read the date correctly. The numbers 1664 continuing to parade around before her, no matter how many times she re-read it. Not wasting another second, she clicked on the link.

The more she read, the larger the sickening pit of apprehension in her stomach grew.

'In a tragic twist of events, the couple Mrs. Croix and Mr. Croix, were found dead in their home in September, 1664. After not hearing from either occupant for three days, neighbors and family checked the house in concern and had found the couple dead on their living room floor. According to official reports, the house was covered in blood, and the carnage was said to have been the worse they've seen in decades. Both victims had wounds on the body that couldn't be matched with any weapon present at the time. The basement was also rumored to have been left completely inaccessible, despite attempts to search the premise, but police have never confirmed this. It was a strange murder, that authorities, to this day, have not been able to give a detailed report on. Aela and George were well known to the area and had no known enemies at the time. Authorities think…'

Alina stopped reading, her back slumping heavily against her chair. Running her fingers down the slope of her chin, Alina unconsciously gripped at the soft tissue, confusion leaking into her system.

Everything that was written within the article matched the murder case of her own family, down to the case turning cold and the evidence being scarce and fleeting. Yet, this murder had happened long before the events that took place ten years ago. Her parents had never mentioned it.

Alina frowned.

'This isn't making any damn sense.'

Dropping her gaze down to the bottom section of the paragraph, Alina saw another link. A churn of jawline, tight and weary, and she lead her mouse to click on a more recent story involving her home. Hesitation forbidden from her digits, she continued to burrow for details.

'The house was originally built in 1614 and miraculously has stayed in perfect habitual condition for the last 400 years. The rumor has it that the family that was murdered within the home 50 years after it was built, were the original people to request the house to be constructed. Mrs. Aela Croix and Mr. George Croix had specially designed each room. To the present day, the house belongs strictly to the descendants of the Croix lineage and would have to be sold by someone of that bloodline in order to purchase the beautiful home. '

'Well, that was helpful.' Alina thought sarcastically before she drummed her digits over her thighs, her brain trying to process the information she had received. Her house was 400 years old, and hadn't seemed to age a day since its creation. Something about that just didn't add up. Fighting back the headache that was beginning to return with vengeance from earlier, the female shoved her will power into overdrive, forcing herself to read further down the words holding a deeper complexity than she had expected.

Then again, what had she expected?

She only spotted two more lines of interest, but aside from that she was left feeling completely out of her element.

'A second murder in the Croix house of horrors!'

'People have claimed to hear noises coming from the home.'

Neither of the two statements gave her the insurance she needed. Resting her head on the desk with a very audible thump, Alina buried her head in her arms and just laid there.

She didn't budge an inch for a good ten minutes, before she pulled herself from her chair, closing down the browser and erasing the history for good measure.

After, she left the building abruptly, her mind reeling as she was imprinted with an ample bundle of new questions and not a single answer to accompany them.

Her life definitely sucked.

And no one could convince her otherwise.

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A complex assortment of mixed feelings twisted around in Alina's gut as she stared at the phone in her palm whilst she headed down the sidewalk that curved towards her home. Even after she had left the library, the information she had obtained clouded her judgment. It was a sick virus, her need to know what had transpired in the past. And as she neared the house that had started her spiral of questions, she still could only think of one person who would know more about the subject than anyone else, his teacher since she was a mere child, Jake.

The man was practically a genius and he always seemed to know more than he let on, Alina had always idolized the man, and now as she hit a dead end, he was the only person she could go to.

The only issue was that she didn't want to contact the busy male for such a childish reason. But as she remembered the shadows that stalked her every move in her home, she decided that her back was up against the wall. She had no choice.

Turning the corner, Alina saw her house come into view. Anxiety bloomed in the pit of her stomach and then her fingers were dialing old man Jake's number. Approaching her property in a faux relaxed stride, she waited for the raven to pick up. After three rings, she was greeted by a rigid voice, thick with years of inhaling tobacco. Alina felt a smidge of nostalgia creep inside her at the sound before the girl was in front of her door, her free hand twisting in the key while the cool air tickled the nape of her neck, exposed as her hair splayed over her shoulders. With a gentle push she was inside, and her keys were being dropped with a clang onto the table. The moment she was situated somewhat, Alina focused on the object pressed to her ear.

"There was another murder in that house. Why didn't you tell me?" Alina skipped over the greeting, and cut right to the chase. She wasn't trying to be rude, but to be frank, she didn't have time for idle chit-chat, and knowing Jake like she did, she was sure the aged man didn't either. Not to mention, Alina was more than a tad pissed off at the moment, despite her calm demeanor, she was frustrated beyond belief.

There was silence over the phone and Alina gritted her pearly white teeth together in boiling impatience, and just when she was about to repeat her question, the elder male's gruff voice graveled through the phone in rough tumbles, "A’, I didn't think it mattered at the time. Not to mention you were grieving, I hardly think your head was screwed on’a tight enough to know somethin’ like that."

Alina instantaneously growled at the comment, a sharp gleam appearing in her darkening cocoa hues as she clutched the device tightly in her white fingers, the slender digits constricting around it hard enough to hear a subtle crack beneath the screen. But she held her tongue, coaxing herself to calm down as she tried to think of a response. Her teacher had a point, she wouldn't foolishly deny that, but it still ticked her off to be held in the dark. Biting her lower lip, Alina crushed the phone between her shoulder and her ear, kicking her shoes off in the house, "I believe I'm ready to know now." She replied, her jacket being tossed onto the sofa while her legs collapsed just in time for her body to be captured by the loveseat.

"Listen Kid, I don't think it's connected if that's what you're getting at. That murder was over 300 years ago, if not longer. Whoever killed them is long gone." The skepticism in Jake's voice didn't go unnoted.

But moreover, Alina acknowledged the fact that the man was already well informed, just like she had predicted. That made the phone call worthwhile—if Jake would trust her enough to give her the time of day.

Splashing ice water on her temper and fanning it down with a paper fan, Alina cleared her throat and tipped her head back to rest along the back of the loveseat, calm washing over her, "I'm aware of that. I just… want to know more about it. Please, I trust you more than anyone in the world. You knew my parents, and you were basically my uncle and my tutor."

There was a muffled cuss on the other side of the phone before she heard her family like figure release a noise similar to a grunt, the man was about to tell her what she wanted to know. She was happy the truth paid off.

On cue, the reply came through, albeit with reluctance, "Fine, I'll tell you what I know, but I doubt it's anything more than what you already know. You’re not’a dumb kid."

"Enlighten me anyway." Alina tested, her ears eagerly waiting for whatever her old tutor had to tell her. After a failed day of research and provoked memories, she was more than ready to put some of her mind at ease, or at least get better understandings of the events unfolding around her. She wouldn’t mention the figure in her home.

"The case went cold years ago, they never found out who did it. One day someone went to go talk to the family about something, and you can guess what they saw. There wasn't any useful clues left behind, just that the family had to have died by a means more complicated than the cops could handle. The story used to spook your parents, especially your mum. That's all I know about it. Don't see why it's any of your concern, unless you're lookin' for trouble."

As Jake replayed the facts she already knew back to her, one fact struck home and remained implanted in her mind; they never found out who did it.

That couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

A crazy, illogical thought struck her mind, maybe the same person had killed her family was the same person responsible for the other murder.

But that wasn't possible, the person was long since dead. Everyone knew that humans didn't live that long, it was a simple truth. But maybe there was a copycat. That wasn't nearly as farfetched.

Drawing up that conclusion in her mind, Alina granted Jake with a reassuring response, "I was just curious. Thanks for telling me." She expressed her gratitude easily, a feat she only managed when her teacher was involved.

A snort was heard, "Don't mention it." Alina let a bemused smile cross her features, before bidding her teacher a goodbye, but before her finger could hit the end call button, Jake’s voice distracted her once more.

"Oh wait, Kiddo, I've been meaning to ask you somethin'." He sounded concerned, skeptical.

It made her freeze.

Raising her brows in surprise, Alina muttered out a simple, "Yes?"

"Have you seen your imaginary friend lately?"

Alina was hit with a brick in the face labeled confusion. Fluttering her eyelashes in display of how absurd the question was, Alina gave her phone a sidelong glance forgetting that he couldn’t see her. Did the old man hit his head? Worse, was Dylan finally corrupting him after years of friendship?

"What?" The brown haired teen asked, trying to make sense of the question.

"You heard me." Jake grunted in irritation, and that left Alina even more brain dead.

"My imaginary friend? What are you even talking about?"

"You used to have one when you were little, you used to call him, Calea—no, Claec, or some damn priss name like that."

There was a heartbeat, Alina went to deny knowing someone of that name, when she saw it.

The shadow in the corner of the room…the name shouting in her face.

Alina dropped the phone in shock.

A loud clatter was heard as the phone hit the table, the screen lighting up from the impact. No sooner did Jake's voice sound from the phone, "Kid?"

There was no response.

"Alina! Dammit kid, answer me!"

Alina heard the words loud and clear, but she was too busy trying to stop her head from splitting wide open. With a groan, she placed her head between her knees. Images crashing into her with waves of nausea.

Two tiny hands held open a large thick covered chapter book in both hands, the words on the page calling out to the young girl reading a level far beyond her years. She was reading a story about a boy who was trying to save the world, but everyone was against him. It was a sad story, but it gave her a sense of joy with each chapter she completed.

With a content smile on her lips, she flipped over to the next page, immersed in the world of fantasy.

But then, as she went to read another word, she caught the sight of dark slacks from above the top of her book. Surprise, honest and true, lit up Alina's facial features as she lowered her prized book down onto her lap, tilting back her head to peer up at the person who had interrupted her reading. It was a person she had never laid her eyes on before. A random man standing in her room.

"Do you want to be my friend, Alina?"

Her young mind hadn't expected the question.

Staring up at the tall figure before her, the young girl became enchanted by the man's beauty within seconds. The man had skin that glistened like a fine china doll, unscarred and clear of imperfections. It looked smooth to the touch and as Alina reached out her dainty fingers to slide over the stranger's silk-like cheek (just to make sure he was real of course), the other bent forward to allow her access. It was as soft as it appeared, but it didn’t feel like skin. With a smile tempting to stretch across her face, she brushed his fingers over the canvas of perfection, until the almost seemed to faze through him. Her eyes drank in the rest of the male's strange features as if he was some exciting new discovery. Strands of chocolate cascading around a friendly face, flowing down to rest in a messy fashion upon broad shoulders, eyes the shade of the wine her mother would sometimes sip from, and a smile unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was as if the man was an angel. She was so intrigued.

It was an angel she decided. And she wanted him to stick around. He could be her first friend aside from Alec.

"Well?" A melodic voice fished for an answer.

Alina hesitated to bite thouh, a question slipping from her mouth, "Where did you come from mister?"

"That's a secret." The brunette said with a warm smile. Alina was a little miffed at the answer, but her innocent mind thought nothing of it, and Alina finally provided him the catch. Nodding her head in response to the original question with a bright gleam in her eyes, Alina spoke, "I wouldn't mind."

The stranger smiled and covered the pale hand on his cheek with his own, weaving together their fingers in a friendly touch while he tilted his head to the side. His spheres of ruby twinkling when he lowered them to stare at the girl who only came up to his lower chest. "Good. I'm Claec, it's a pleasure to meet you, Alina. I promise I’ll be a good friend and keep you safe."

A bat landed across from her, and as she stared at it, its beady black eyes piercing through her soul, she dug her nails into her skull to stop the blistering pain. She slunk off the furniture and dropped to her knees, ragged breaths shaking her lungs with each exhale as she tried to remember how to breathe. Her head hurt so goddamn bad. She closed his eyes, scraping the blunt edges of her nails in deeper. The phone long forgotten on the table.

Make it stop.

The black creature that watched her movements like a hawk, suddenly glided away from her trembling form, and if she had her eyes open, she would've seen the creature melt away into a jumble of other bats just like it, to form the figure of a man.

A presence behind her, had Alina's eyes squinting open against the nails being drove into her temples, as she looked over her slumped shoulders, to meet the eyes of the finest wine.

A beautiful visage from a story book peering down at her. This couldn't be real. Could it?

The pain in her head melted away with the lingering fog, and Alina stared at the man watching her silently, her mouth whispering the name that had been on the tip of her tongue since the day she had set foot into her childhood home, "Claec…?"