Lauren ran into the basement to find Leslie playing in an old battered nursery. She knew this place. It was the room from her dream. She called to Leslie who tottered across the room to meet her.
A thick fog began to seep up from the floor. Lauren tripped and looked down to see skeletal remains by her feet.
As a ghostly laughter filled the air Lauren grabbed Leslie and ran.
The basement was like a maze. Every turn Lauren took seemed to lead to nowhere. If she could just find the stairs she could get help from Delsin.
She went through a door to find herself in a small room. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realised it was another dead end. On the floor in the centre of the room were more remains. Lauren somehow knew that this was what was left of the woman in her dreams and began to lose hope.
As Lauren turned to leave the room she noticed a small hole in the wall.
She ran to it in the hope of finding a lever or switch that would reveal a way out. But there was nothing. It was just a hole.
Lauren started as she heard the door swing open, it was Lionel.
“Mum, go help the others, I know what to do. Leave Leslie with me it won’t let you take her”
Lauren looked at her son, scared for what might happen. After a moment’s hesitation she ran from the room, immediately finding the stairs and going to look for the rest of her family.
Lionel took a deep breath and plunged his hand into the hole. He knew that the house feared him, he could hurt it. At first nothing seemed to happen then a piercing scream filled the air.
All around the house flames began to spring up.
Lauren, Delsin and Sebastian fought to free themselves from the flames but were surrounded. There was no way out.
Lionel grabbed his sister and carried her out through the garage doors which were now unlocked.
Lionel set Leslie down in front of the house and ran back to see if he could save the rest of his family. But the flames were too high, they were lost.
The children sat and watched as the fire raged through their home. The lake glowed an eerie red in the dim light.
Lionel took one last look at the burning building, picked up Leslie and began to walk.
Leslie awoke from a troubled sleep. She was covered in sweat and could still feel the heat from the flames in her dream on her face. She thought it odd to be having nightmares; she had never had them before. But graduation was only a week away and her stress levels were high, it was bound to happen.
At breakfast she discussed her dream with her brother.
“Leslie, there is something I need to tell you. It’s about our parents”
“What about them? You said they died in a car accident? “
“Listen, Leslie. You are old enough now to know the truth. I’ve been trying to protect you.”
“Protect me! You’ve been lying to me my whole life!”
Lionel persuaded his sister to listen and told her everything. She was shocked, upset, horrified. She had no words to describe how she felt.
“So is it still there? The house?”
“It burnt to the ground that night and they fenced off the whole area. But people say they have seen walls through that fence, new walls. Like the house is rebuilding itself.”
Leslie was quite for most of the day. Lionel cooked lunch and they ate in silence, it was a lot for Leslie to take in so he gave her space and time to reflect on what he had told her.
“So, you saved my life Lionel. Thank You.”
“I just wish I could have saved you all. Promise me Leslie. Promise you won’t go back there?”
Leslie promised. But something in the back of her mind was nagging, calling to her. She wondered how long she could keep it at bay.
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