A Romantic Halloween Celebration Contest Winner - preciouspearl20

❝ Secrets, lies, deceitful smirks, breathing in dust— my love bloom in red until you see again! ❞

. . .

Nothing sounded, nothing stirred, only the world's imprisoned in a glair-white silence.

But what's the fault of this rustic wood? It's cracking up as if it'll fall at any moment. Annabelle is trudging carefully. A week ago, a great storm screeched through here. It didn't stop her from coming. After all, tomorrow is a big day. Her dream will come true.

She adjusted her coat, coming face to face with the dusty door; filled with cobwebs.

Her answers, quest of years all in one place.

Without thinking too much, she opens the door, it crackles in the signal of opening.

As the night turns cold, the urge of going back is getting stronger for her. Yet she can't until she gets the answer.

Dust coils in every corner of the wall, vapour veils in every smoulder. She almost stumbled near the dirty staircase. It's her ancestor's house. It wouldn't be a lie if one says, her family abandoned this house after obtaining what they wanted from here. Obviously the money.

Her great grandfather built this house nearly 150 years ago. He always believed that legacy should be something that carried on years after years. His son —her grandfather continued the legacy by living and breathing here, unfortunately her father and uncles failed to do so.

For them, it was a wastage so they got rid of it as soon as her grandfather died.

But— legacy is like the sun's daystar, shining bright in daylight and luminous in mysterious beauty.

And fate couldn't unleash the last line.

It brought her here.

She should get all her answers, right? After all, it's what she's living till now.

This land delivers an eerie glamour to their death sleep. The wind dies with the hollowness of this occasion, creating a terrible silence. There is no insect-hum, no leaf-rustle, no wind-music.

She tiptoes around every corner. It should be here. It should be here. She desperately rummages through every door but they're locked, giving her hard luck.

She couldn't confess without knowing the history.

She remembered that day clearly — her eighteenth birthday!

The tragedy and the glory of the cycle of life. And irony of fate, her birthday falls exactly on the night of treats and tricks. Birthday should be filled with treats right? But after her eighteenth birthday, she found out it's all about tricks.

Phut—phut—phut— she was engrossed in her wild moves that night until her mother pulled her in a corner.

Hallowe'en creeps up with sinister intent. Visions of doom-witches steal into dreams.

And they finally got their way.

"Dear, since you're finally an adult now I think it's time to reveal this thing to you," said her mother while caressing her cheek.

"We have a house in the end of this town. It's our ancestor's house. We moved out from there before we'd you. Hence, you don't have any clue about it. It's true, we don't visit there anymore but your great grandfather had prepared something for all of you. You must go and look for it, only when you've found your true love."

That day, Annabelle gave a bewildered gaze and laughed aloud at her mother's nervous antics.

She didn't feel the tug of need but after ten years, her heart finally gave in. She decided to give it a go and see what's the ultimate guide.

What could her great grandfather store for her? Object? Jewellery? Letters or diary of notes?

She just shakes her head. Whatever it is— she doesn't give a damn! But it's her mother's last wish now along with her great grandfather.

All living things would shrink into themselves, shrivelling and withering if they were there. This house should be renovated again. Perhaps, she'll take the initial steps to do so after she is done with her big day.

It's really big— no wonder! A classic house with chandelier, gothic lighting. She hums while loitering there.

Suddenly she notices a fading dust-light gasps its last, moulded-gold breath and turns pale in the shallow pathway. She quickened her steps.

It's the only room left unlocked. The lifeless smell of monotone silence invades the air. Perhaps, she'll find her answers here.

She abruptly stops around in a dusted drawer while rummaging through. A silver lining over a dark diary. Flipping over the pages, she finally found a note—

To daughter of third line—

If you are finding this note, perhaps I reckon this house already got left to rot in the corner. I don't have much time left, according to the deal.

For this house, I've given my heart and soul. And I know, while I may not live forever to continue the legacy or protect this house— I must leave something behind.

I'm leaving this note. Now, it's your journey to conquer what's destined for you. You may get tricked there or find treats to continue with your life but you must not forget the year's legacy.

Unfortunately, if you are finding this note then I shall move forward that my children forgot about it. Now, every action bears its consequences. I'm sorry my child, you're getting dragged into this.

I can only hope you'll do so to protect our history before our opposite side makes the move there.

You must find your true love, only true love's red droplets can stop this house from getting doomed. And if that happens, my family will be cursed forever and they will never see the face of any heir for two hundred centuries, and will be trapped here forever.

Either way, they follow the legacy by staying in this house or find their respective trial houses. If they aren't staying in this house—

Then I will be assured, they have sacrificed for what they're destined for. Now, it's your turn to protect.

It's our home, my child! I hope you'll find the right one.

One must do everything to protect their home.

Your beloved,

Great grandfather.

Annabelle felt dizzy after reading this note, nausea overpowered her emotions. There's only way, means her parents must have fulfilled their condition because they never got trapped here.

Now it's her turn to pay the consequences— their only child!

She wishes she could go back through time travel and asks her mother all vital questions about this ancestry.

But it's too late— they're no more in this world.

Is this fate's twisting way to punish her? She didn't choose to be here, yet she's dwindling in two ways.

Bring Samar here or get trapped! Her love or her family?

How can she do this to Samar?

It's been two years since she met him in a random coffee shop. Even though it was a casual meet up, they instantly hit off— turned out he was her colleague too in the new company.

Soon, they become colleagues and good friends, now as lovers.

Annabelle wanted to confess her feelings tomorrow, on their birthday. After all, they were birthday twins by fate.

The skies are damnation-black and churning with anger. There is a cataclysm coming but she can't think about it. She needs to leave this house.

She wipes her face, hurries to get out from there.

A weak pitter-patter is heard, but it is not the sound of her feet. It is the centuries-old secret, hissing drip of raindrops in caves and ready to tear her soul— how? She can't fathom.

She staggered in her way but didn't dare to look back again.

Clueless about her destiny— she'd zero idea of getting spooked by swivelling heads and lamp round eyes.

They say, love is a strange emotion. An adrenaline rush— like the ravishing taste of freshly baked bread engraved in our memories.

Fluffy fleeces of clouds pass over the forest. Owls haunted and hunted through moon-splashed trees. Nature's giving hints, but for what?

Annabelle got halted in the stream of running, when something hard, bites on her toenail. "Ouch," she gasps with pain while covering her feet to rub.

Dragon breath falters in her presence now but she's focused on her inner and outer pain to realise, until a hand's offered toward her.

She finally looks up.

"You— Samar! How did you come here?"

The Gore of aromas that graced the air is gone now. The delectable, marchpane taste of the unknown changes has faded from the earth. She murmured, "I'm sorry to be deceitful," While barely controlling her tears.

"I'm always here in the right place, exactly at the place— I meant to be!"

Annabelle's pain is forgotten now. Is it the trick of this sinister night? She couldn't pinpoint but there's something strange in Samar's voice. Is it venom? She didn't see this side before.

"Samar! Secrets are harder to conceal but you know that I always wanted to be yours!"

Screw to the damn ancestry, their warning. She can't hide her feelings anymore.

Samar licks his lips and gives a hearty laugh, "I know that!"

The world is ablaze in its fiery cloak of colours, from incandescent-red to lightning-gold. After all, isn't every shade of love like this? To burn or to be burnt?

It is getting tougher by each second, for Annabelle— to control her emotions.

"Samar, please let's get out of here. I'll explain everything to you."

"How can we, Anna? This is the start of everything, of every magic, every potion."

Annabelle gives him a bewildered gaze.

"What are you trying to say?"

"We can't leave from here until we're done for what we are here in the first place."

"Samar, I love you! And I can't sacrifice you for my family's bullshitting secret."

"Who said I would be? We're here for you, it's your love that will free my family from curse."

"What— what do you mean?"

"It's the fault of your eyes, Anna. A treat within a trick since the first day. Potion of magic to pull you towards my attraction each day."

Annabelle can't believe in her eyes. "You— lured me?"

"Yes, it was a trap to make you come there. I needed this location of your ancestry house and I knew— you would come here to find the last clue."

Annabelle slaps him hard on his face. "How dare you, Samar? How can you mock my feelings?"

Thunk-thunk-thunk, the wheezing wind feels like a scattered gunshot. It covers up every read, every dust, every dust.

Samar, throttling her face said— "It's your fault. Your family built a house with my family's blood. My grandmother lost her child in her womb because of your stupid legacy."

Annabelle gasps for breath while fidgeting and struggling to spare her there. Samar's gaze softens, he leaves her.

"What's the fault of my grandma? She just did everything for love. Now it's your turn, it's time for vengeance. Your family will realise when they've lost their child. You gotta pay for this, Anna!"

The sound of animals masticating on nuts and slurping on berries fills the forest one last time.

Samar lungs forward but She's quicker in her movements.

Now, it's a fight for home. One couldn't step backward so they delve, dig and disappear in order to escape the coming onslaught.

Does true love exist?

Or is it a wage between sacrifice and crackle in the fire?

"Samar, I'm sorry for what you have gone through. But this time, you're wrong if you think you can lure me into this ominous, ridiculous trap."

"Let's see!"

The straining light of the moon creates a dome of soft glow above the trees. They poke through the trees rather than drown the forest's floor. Something like their situation, they grasp and hunt for each other's power.

But who'll win?

"I've always loved you, don't make me do this," Annabelle whimpers.

But the sky is igniting the fire, leaving the leaf to turn red. Love makes no sense, love gives everything, love snatch everything.

It's their fight, but always a third one makes the best use of it.

Solicit desires never make sense. It is easy to become unmanned by it all.

Phantom-eyed owls hoot and haunt the night, ghosting through moon-stained trees. And they're unknown by the ultimate fate.

A last shot— a firecracker—

The wind dies with the tree-fire on this occasion, creating a terrible silence.

"I've always loved you!"

Then both leaf-flame and field-light burn bright one last time, fading into the dying embers of their memories.

Do you believe everything until you see?"

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