The floorboard creaked as I walked through the halls of the abandoned house, my eyes following the two sets of footprints on the dust covered floor. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach knowing that my partner and I were not the only ones in this place.

Ashwin, my partner, gently nudged me, trying to reassure me, but it was too late for that. My mind had already decided the pitiful outcome of the people who came before.

Ignoring the negative thoughts, I focused on the task at hand, going over the paintings that hung on the wall, ones representing every girl that lived within this house. They were all around the same age and even though their images were faded, I could tell how happy they were to have found a place to call home.

However, that home was a lie, and the black substance that had been smeared across the right side of every girl's face signified that. All except one.

The last painting was of a brunette, her eyes sunken in and lips turned into a frown. Unlike the other girls, she didn't smile, knowing about the monster that resided within the house. That was probably why she was the one who brought the nightmare to an end, becoming the only survivor of Rosewood House.

"Hey Aria, is this her?" Ashwin asked, leaning towards the last frame and I nodded.

He continued to stare at the painting, his brown eyes getting wider the longer he stared. Suddenly he took a step back, shaking his head and running his hand through his black hair. "This place definitely gives me the creeps," he muttered.

Witches always scared easy in such situations. Goddamn amateurs.

"I'm going to check upstairs," I whispered and started walking when my footsteps came to a halt.

I held up my hand to hush my partner and listened. A slight gust of wind flew past me, carrying whispers that were too low to be heard by a normal person. But I wasn't normal.

"The room under the staircase," I whispered to Ashwin and he nodded.

Slowly and steadily, we followed the voices but I knew what we were looking for wasn't there. She wasn't there.

"What do you think they're doing here?" Ashwin asked, brows furrowed and finger stroking his chin.

That look meant he was planning something so I just shrugged and shook my head. "No idea," I lied with ease, ready to get some fun out of this dreadful night.

After hearing my answer, Ashwin's eyes began to shine, a smile spreading across his face as he turned his attention to me. "It's definitely a bunch of teenagers trying to scare someone."

"How much are you willing to bet?" I asked and he started to think again, wondering if his choice was the right one or not.

"A week's worth of homework for Chem class," he answered.

"You're on." I grinned.

As we neared the door, the voices that were once whispers could be heard loud and clear. Hearing the words of the people inside, I watched as Ashwin's excitement disappeared and his smile fell.

"Spirits, if you're here then give us a sign," came the voice of a boy from behind the door.

The very idea that someone was trying to summon ghosts in a haunted house made me want to roll my eyes. It was like no one watched horror movies nowadays.

"Give us a sign!" the boy from before demanded.

A grin appeared on Ashwin's face and I shook my head knowing what he was about to do. "I am your sign!" he screamed bursting through the door.

Screams erupted from within the room, the terrified teenagers – a boy and a girl - huddling together and away from the Ouija board that they had been questioning.

"The first rule of the game, you don't break the circle until you say goodbye to your ghost friends," Ashwin scolded with his hands on his hips, lips twitching.

Someday, someone was going to punch this boy in the face.

The blonde haired boy, the one who had been looking for spirits, glared at Ashwin, face turning red with anger and fingers curling into fists. Realizing that Blondie might turn out to be the one to punch my partner, I stepped in front of Ashwin.

"Okay, kids. Party time is over and it's time for you to head home," I said as Blondie directed his glare at me.

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded but I wasn't looking at him anymore.

My eyes were on the brown-haired girl who was hiding behind him, confused by everything that was going on. "Are you really sure about dating knucklehead here?" I asked her and her cheeks went pink.

"This is our first date," she admitted.

"What's your name?"

"Jennifer," she answered but her eyes never met mine.

"Okay look, Jen. When a boy brings you to an abandoned house for a first date it usually means that he's a psychotic killer or just a really bad date and you should dump him immediately. It never translates into a good future boyfriend," I advised while Ashwin snickered in the background.

Jennifer stared at me for a while, her mouth wide open and then looked away. "I want to go home," she muttered crossing her arms.

"You should listen to her." I turned to Blondie who looked like he was going to blow any minute.

He opened his mouth to say something, however, his words never reached me as a blood-curdling scream filled the air.

It was starting. She was here.

"W-what was that?" Jen asked, her fingers gripping onto her kind-of boyfriend.

"Something annoying," I muttered and Ashwin shot me a glare.

He then moved to the couple, trying to explain the situation to them. Accusations and words of disbelief flew about the room as I concentrated on the sounds coming from above. I could hear footsteps, someone was running away from something. Finally came a loud thud, the victim having lost the fight.

"Help me! Someone please!"

Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fingers, hearing a little girl beg for mercy but not having the ability to help her. After all, she was long dead and her cries were nothing but a memory of what once used to be.

"We're leaving," Blondie growled, making my eyes snap open.

As Blondie moved towards the door Ashwin followed, doing what he could to stop him while Jen just stayed in her place, watching me carefully. Maybe she expected me to help Ashwin, to put forth a convincing argument to make them stay but I didn't. Whether Blondie wanted to leave or not, it didn't matter. The monster that dwelled within the house had awakened and she wouldn't let anyone leave, not alive at least.

"I don't want to die. Please. Miss Charlotte, I love you."

"Who said that?" Jen asked, her eyes looking around in fear and I sighed.

"Her name was Emma Higgins," I answered, everything that I had read in the reports coming back to me.  The very first resident of Rosewood House, Emma lived the better part of her life in an orphanage until Charlotte Rosewood took her in. She must have been so happy to finally find a home, a place where she could belong. How was she to know that a year later, the same woman who gave Emma a new beginning would write her end by slitting her throat?

"Emma Higgins?" Jen asked, confusion ringing in her voice as fear filled her eyes. "Wasn't that the name of one of the girls who used to live here?"

Well, someone had done their research before trying to summon ghosts in an infamous abandoned house.

"It was." I shrugged, my eyes fixed on the roof, carefully listening to all the sounds that were now coming to life.

"St-stop it," Jen stammered, stepping away from me. "This isn't funny."

Turning to the brown-haired girl, I looked her straight in the eyes, disgusted by the fear that made her body tremble. If I had lived my life as a normal human, without spirits, without the vision that let me see into the veil, would I have behaved in the same way as her? 

I'm not joking.

It would be so easy for me to shatter her delusions, push her into a world that she was unaware of. But instead, I chose to ignore her because this wasn't the time for my antagonistic tendencies to rear its ugly head. 

Looking like she was ready to blow, anger radiating from her along with fear, Jen grabbed my arm, the shy little girl I had met earlier disappearing. Someone really didn't like being avoided.  However, before she could say a word, Jen's face went pale as she stared at the door. 

Following her gaze I turned around and saw what she saw, a groan escaping my lips. 

"Oh, fuck me."

In the doorway stood a woman, dressed in an elegant Victorian gown. Her light brown hair was pulled into a bun and her beige gloves were stained with blood as her fingers held onto a knife. There was a sultry smile on her round face as her beady eyes looked past the boys, straight at me and Jen.

Once she had set her eyes on her target, Charlotte Rosewood opened her mouth, a scream slipping from her lips. However, her voice was soon muffled as a flustered Ashwin shut the door on her face because that was definitely going to keep a spirit out.

I pinched the bridge of my nose as realization finally dawned on my partner and he remembered his job. Hurriedly, he placed his hand on the door and began to whisper a chant to cast a barrier around the room so that no spirit could hurt the ones within.

This is exactly why I hated going on missions with a witch. They had no experience.

"What was that?! Who was that?!" Blondie demanded as Jen hid behind him, scared out of her mind.

Meanwhile, I closed my eyes and prayed to God for the patience to not punch the boy in the face for being too loud. Ignoring the questions that Blondie was asking, I headed to the door and was about to open it when Ashwin stopped me.

"If you go out, the barrier will break," he explained hurriedly and I honestly felt like screaming.

"You are the worst witch ever," I pointed out, trying to contain my anger.

"Hey! I'm not worst. I'm just learning!" he argued.

"Sure. Anyway, this is the plan. I'm going to head out and the moment I do, you're going to cast the barrier again. Then you will sit tight and wait for me to get back," I explained while he watched me worried.

"What if you don't come back?" Ashwin asked, his brown eyes meeting mine.

"Honey, you're talking to the best exorcist alive. I'm definitely coming back." I smirked and headed for the door.

Then I glanced back at my partner who nodded at me, letting me know that he was ready. I could see it on his face that he wasn't happy with the plan that I had come up with but he knew as well as I did that from here on, he couldn't help me much.

He didn't walk on both sides of the veil the way I did. Only I could stop the spirit of Charlotte Rosewood once and for all while all he could do was keep the humans safe.

Taking a deep breath, I gripped the door and closed my eyes, calming my thoughts. Then as I exhaled, I turned the knob and left the room. Unfortunately, when idiots were involved, plans were always ruined.

As I stepped out of the room, someone bumped into me. Stumbling forward, I regained my posture and turned around to find Blondie out of the room, staring at me wide-eyed.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I demanded, ready to throw him back into the room if I had to.

"I can't just let a girl go and face danger alone!" he exclaimed and a voice in the back of my head wanted me to sacrifice him to the spirit.

And I almost did it. Almost.

I was about to throw Blondie into the room myself when the temperature around me dropped and Charlotte appeared, having sensed our presence. Before I could even react, she let out a blood-curdling scream and something dragged me across the floor and into a wall.

Slim fingers wrapped around my limbs, their touch so cold I could feel the warmth in my body being sucked out. The girls that had died in the confines of the house held me back, sobbing and whispering apologies, unable to defy the commands of the house owner. Metal collars were wrapped around their throats, covering grotesque wounds and the chain attached led straight to Charlotte's hand. They were captives even in death, their spirits unable to find peace.

Beside me, Blondie thrashed and screamed, seeking freedom and I almost felt bad for him. But then I remembered that he did this to himself.

Charlotte, on the other hand, watched me with a seductive smile on her face, humming what sounded like a nursery rhyme as she closed the distance between us. Her gown glided across the floor, clearing the dust as she twirled and danced in joy, her fingers reaching out for me.

"Young, sweet blood," she sang, cupping my chin in her hand.

"Wrong move, Charlie." I grinned and Charlotte's face twisted in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Blondie asked but I didn't answer.

I smirked at the question, feeling warmth spread through my body, starting from my heart. In my mind, I saw blue flames, pure and immortal, stripping everything they touched of its mortality and leaving behind a soul, every sin on display. A growl made my body shiver, the tattoos hiding beneath my skin surfacing.

The once seductive smile on Charlotte's face disappeared as fear filled her eyes, watching as the black ink on my right arm burned bright, resembling flames.

"It's time to pay," I said and set my dragon free.

Erupting from my chest, Agni roared, filling the house as flames lapped across my body. It started as a flicker that turned into a full-fledged fire and Charlotte burned, her skin turning to charcoal as cries of pain escaped from her lips. The chains with which she imprisoned her victims turned to dust.

One by one, the girls surrounded her, hollow eyes staring into her burning soul. Their bodies began to glow just as hers began to turn to ashes. While they finally got the freedom they deserved, she was being dragged to the depths of hell to pay for her sins.

After years of nothing, justice had finally been served.

"I guess you didn't need my help after all," Blondie whispered, making me smile.

*****

"So you-you do this for a living?" Blondie asked brows furrowed.

"Kind of," I answered with a shrug and his eyes went wide.

Right now, all of us were standing outside, next to Blondie's car and taking in the beauty of the night. The sky was clear and star glimmered across the dark expanse. A gentle breeze blew through the trees and I could almost forget everything that I had witnessed within the house.

"Next time, pick a better place for a date," I advised and Blondie grunted. A blush appeared on his face, probably ashamed by the idea that led to the events that had transpired tonight.

"Thanks for saving us," he whispered, refusing to meet my eyes.

I grinned and for some reason, his face turned pink.

Okay then.

"Well, it's time for you to forget," Ashwin sang as he stepped forward.

"Wait, what?" Blondie asked inching away as his eyes darted from me to Ashwin.

However, Ashwin didn't give them an explanation. Instead, he began to chant a spell and I watched as Blondie and Jennifer's eyes dulled.

Now, they wouldn't remember coming to an abandoned house for a date. Instead, they would remember going to a nearby diner. The horrors they saw within the house would be replaced with memories of a good time getting to know one another.

This way, they could return to a normal life.

Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to forget everything. But even if I were to forget the power that flowed through my veins, the memories that made me who I am, my sight would never leave me. I would always see the spirits of the dead and they would always see me.

"Ready to go home?" Ashwin asked as Blondie and Jen got in their car, ready to drive away to the safety of their homes.

I nodded silently, watching Blondie's car pull away and pushing away any thoughts of running away from everything that I had ever known. I had to get back home. My brother was waiting for me.

"So am I the only one who thinks Blondie had a crush on you?" Ashwin asked, breaking into my thoughts.

"Yes," I answered curtly, making him grin.

"I think the spirits agree with me," he teased and I made a face.

"I'll exorcize them if they do," I muttered crossing my arms.

I was about to snap at Ashwin when something caught my eye. There in the distance, stood a figure in a cloak, a hood covering their face, holding a silver cup that was overflowing with a substance that I couldn't help but stare at. Unable to stop myself, I watched as drop after drop of black splattered onto the ground and painted fallen leaves in its inky color.

"Uh, everything okay, Pierce?" Ashwin asked but his voice was distant, so far away that I could barely hear him.

Bind

A doll with loose strings, I lost myself, body slumping and knees hitting the ground. My eyes met the stars and they whispered words in my ears but I couldn't understand a thing. Any alarm ringing in my head was snuffed as the distant lights sang to me, the wind picking up speed. Soon, I was flying, no longer feeling the ground beneath my feet.

Suspended in the air, spine bent and head falling back, I closed my eyes but instead of sweet dreams, I saw the cloaked figure as she held up the silver up. The black within boiled and so did my blood, bubbles forming and popping until fire spread through my veins, turning my insides to ash.

I was so far gone, lost in a daze that I couldn't even cry.

But just as the fire started, it ended, replacing its heat with a chilling cold, numbing every part of me. For a moment, I couldn't feel anything except the wind that caressed my skin as I floated in the moon's embrace. It was peaceful here. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

The stars stopped singing as the cloaked figure stopped chanting, her chalice empty. I saw a glimpse of a familiar smile under her hood but before I could place it in my memories, she let go of the cup.

And as the silver cup hit the ground, so did I.