Chapter 6 – Haunting Horrors Unveiled

Adela took off the cloth covering her eyes and gazed at Thea with animosity.

"You must have realized how important eyes are, I assume," Thea smiled. "It's such a pity if you are like this."

Thea moved and behind her was Eurus. Dead and pale lying on the floor. Her eyes were opened with no eyeballs. There lied the corpse of Eurus Edward Montego, Adela's most beloved person left of Earth, staring at her with empty sockets.

Adela fell to her knees. She crawled to Eurus slowly and extended a shaky hand to her face. As she touched her thin jawline, Eurus's mouth slit into a smile. Adela fell back in horror and screamed.

"What have you done to her," Adela uttered tremulously.

Adela was shaking uncontrollably and her heart beat hard against her chest. She panted and anger flooded and ran through her veins.

"This," Thea said, "Is the price for slapping me," stroking Eurus's face. "Don't worry, the smile was just an experiment," she added.

"You're a psychopath," Adela muttered in a shaky voice.

"Yes. I always was. I told you. I will prove to be better."

Adela managed to stand up and clenched her hands into fists.

"Now, the lives of the rest of your brothers are also in my hands," Thea revealed. "Therefore, do as I instruct."

The room she had been taken to was indeed a tower. A tower. It was her room. She was so lost in the plot she had forgotten to notice her surroundings. Why in her room.

Thea threw a folder on her coffee table.

"This, you see, is the second task," she declared.

Adela tore the folder open and inside was nothing but a single sheet of paper. She took it out and scanned it. It was a poem.

"What is this," she asked.

"A poem," Thea responded.

The poem read:

The year 1999

Under the Acacia tree

Is where you will find me

Into the fathomless pit

Upon which is writ

A dream so dear

From which many fear

There is a ray of light

Until the night

Either I will bring thy power

Or I dwell beneath the tower

Remember the date 1999

It is an Anniversary of mine

"The year 1999," Adela read out loud.

"Yes, you are getting there. What happened in 1999?"

"My eldest brother, Marvolo, died."

"Exactly. The year was 1999. Marvolo was eight when he died. He wrote this poem. Figure out what it means for me," Thea said, although she clearly knew what it meant.

Adela read the poem over and over. There was only one Acacia Tree Adela knew about. It did not make sense. The tree was planted when Magnus was born. Magnus was born a year after Marvolo passed away. That meant the difference between Marvolo and Magnus was eight years.

"The Acacia Tree," Adela said. "There is only one, at the bottom of this tower."

"Wonderful, continue."

"It says it's the place where you'll find me. Marvolo is long dead," Adela said, in laser focus.

"Think Ada. I know you love riddles. There is an aroma of interest emitting from you whenever you encounter them. I know you're bonded to them. That's why you always won in your father's riddles. I know you better than anyone else, Ada."

Adela could not deny that. She loved riddles more than people.

"So, the fathomless pit...is the well just beneath the acacia tree under this tower. There is something written upon it."

"Very good," Thea beamed. "You wouldn't want to see what's written. I'll tell you. Trust."

A sudden thought struck her. Trust was the dream everyone held so dear. It was connected. Many people feared of losing it. Of being betrayed. This meant someone betrayed him. Someone broke his trust. Someone dear to him. Who could it be.

"Someone betrayed him. Someone dear. Who was it?" Adela inquired.

"That'll just ruin the fun, would it not?" Thea replied lazily. "However, I can tell you something. He was threatened to death for not spilling the family secret to someone," she said.

"Threatened for death," Adela repeated.

The poem had said a ray of light till night. That could have referred to a ray of hope. The next part said he could either bring thy power. Or lie beneath the tower, as of in the well. He was promised something. Power. But he did not say it. He did not spill the family secret. Adela knew that no one in the family except her and Eurus was told the secrets of money by their dad. The last two lines had told the date 1999 and which was his anniversary. Of death, Adela thought. So Marvolo had also been told the family treasury secrets. Someone wanted the secret so bad. Someone close to him. Desperate for the money. No other sibling was born when Marvolo was there. Therefore, it all narrowed down to-

"Margaret. She killed Marvolo. She threw Marvolo down that well. He died. His body was not brought back. They said he was shot and it was too pitiful to see his body. But all along... it was Margaret."

"That's right," Thea said, standing up from the leather couch.

"Why are you telling me this?" Adela asked.

"I hate Margaret, remember? I am a slave to her."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"You will know in a moment," Thea insured.

Thea gave her a ballpoint pen. It was her father's.

"Where did you get this from?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Never mind where I got it from. The point is, examine it closely."

Adela looked at the pen. It was a light shade of sea blue. The end of the pen was embellished with diamonds and a small phrase was written upon it. 'Betrayers are seen' it said.

"What does it mean?"

"Why would I give it to you? Find out what it means," Thea hissed.

"Margaret shall be seen?"

"Yes. Now relate it with your father's death."

Adela dropped the pen.

"W- What do you mean by that?"

"Yes, Margaret killed your father. She tortured him to death. She made me do it. I tortured him for the family secret of wealth. I wanted the passcode to the treasury. I wanted it."

"You are insane," Adela whispered in disbelief.

"Don't you get it? I had to do it. Margaret would kill me otherwise."

Adela could not hold it in anymore. She raised the gun and aimed it at Thea.

"Whoa, whoa," Thea exclaimed, "Calm down. Any moment now, Margaret will enter the room. Rather, she has been overhearing us all along. I want this to be for her. Not me. Come in Margaret. Stop playing hide and seek."

The door flung open. It was Margaret. Margaret pulled out a hand gun and pointed it at Thea.

"You little bastard," she jeered.

Adela switched her gun point at Margaret.

"How could I let you live this long," Adela whispered.

"Your dad named you, Adela. Your name signifies nobility. Where is it? You wouldn't surely want to die like your poor sister," Margaret wheezed.

"Crimes over crimes. Murders over murders. All just for money?" Adela said.

"Of course. I wanted freedom from this family. I loathe this family. What have you all done to me? Well, I'm not sure myself. It felt good relieving my anger through killing people. I killed people for fun, Ada."

"You killed Eurus and Marvolo. Your own children. Have you not the slightest remorse?"

Margaret grinned like a psychopath. She was one. The next second, gun shots came from the two guns in the room. 

VOTE!

(Chapter 7 --->)