Raga of the Dry Branch - Chapter 16

A tranquil Garden – the Mansion of the Labyrinth.

“Ah, I hate such things…. Can’t we just leave, sister?”

“But I think this is fun. When again would we get to feel this creepy feeling? I don’t feel this every day, so playing in here for a while should be fine, right?”

A young woman, who was about to get married soon, smiled as she grabbed her younger sister who was walking behind her. Even in the dark space where the strong smell of antiseptic and a weird smell of something she didn’t know stung her nose, she couldn’t help but be cheerful.

It was as if she was drawn to this place. Even though she tried to relax her face, an awkward smile remained.

In the coming days, her older sister was going to be married to a family which was known to be very strict. Perhaps, this will be the last time for her to see her older sister be so cheerful and free-spirited. So despite it being scary, the girl tried to be patient.

The girl looked around, being careful that the black drops of water dripping from the ceiling wouldn’t touch her clothes.

She was afraid of the gloomy mansion, but the basement there, which came down as they walked down the black stairs, was even more bizarre. A musty smell and heavy darkness which the light couldn’t shine. Without the old-fashioned lamp in their hands, they wouldn’t have been able to see what was ahead of them.

Their fingers tremble at the chill which runs down their spine. The young girl bit her lip holding back the scream.

Noticing the younger one’s behaviour, the older sister hugged her and comforted her.

“Don’t worry, Lil. Look, everything here is just fake things. The monsters which popped up earlier were also fake, remember?”

“Yes, sister. But… were those screams fake too?”

It definitely sounded real, which was why Lil asked, looking at the direction the sound came from in a trembling manner. A high pitch scream, accompanied by a humming vibration, echoed through the space.

“Well. It did seem a little too real.”

The face of the older sister who was also trembling, looked at her. Even if she was trying to convince her younger one… her heart was racing and anxiety flowed into her. She was scared and as she tried to cover the younger girl’s ear and ignore the scream.

Rattle

“Kuaaak!”

The girl, staring at the sudden noise nearby, clung to her sister and begged.

“Sister, can’t we just go out?”

“Wait, what was that?”

Rattle!

That sound again. Their bodies went stiff as if their instincts were taking over.

Rattle!

“Sister…!”

A narrow and long hallway. The grey stone which had been dug deep with the passage of time here and there, the torn fabric was all ragged over and grey. The red letters which seemed to be in blood and in the middle of the walls, were creepy like ‘Save me’, ‘is someone in here?’.

The older sister knew that it was all fake, all made to provide fun, but still she couldn’t stop the fear which overtook her rational mind at that moment.