Cherrywood Manor: Part Seven (special preview)

The attic at Cherrywood Manor had been one of those long ignored places. Lydia had maybe seen it once during her entire time there, but she couldn’t fully recall. The stairway up to it had been blocked off for so long, it was easier to forget it existed than ever worry about it. The only reason Lydia remembered it was because of a leak that had started in the corner of her bedroom.

“We just need to get up there and look around,” Knox explained. “Could be nothing, could be something.”

Eden furrowed their brow. “What would something mean?”

Knox gave off a look that wasn’t too comforting.

“Roof repairs?” You asked. “I mean, this place is old. I wouldn’t be surprised we would need to make some patches.”

“If it’s bad though it could mean a lot of patches, maybe even a whole new roof,” Asher tossed out.

Eden gave him a warning look then stepped aside as they moved a cabinet out of the way. The attic was behind a hidden door in the top floor corridor. It had been hidden by a painting as well as an old curio cabinet.

“What do you know about it up there?” Asher asked.

Lydia shook her head. “I’m not too sure. As long as I’ve been here I don’t recall it ever being used or opened.”

“That’s not creepy,” Asher shivered.

“It’s an attic,” Knox argued. “What could be he worst thing up there besides a leak?”

“Evil deformed person,” Asher spit out. “Or! The devil.”

Edn turned her head slowly to look at him disapprovingly. “This is reality, not the Twilight Zone.”

“It’s probably mostly old filing and paperwork,” Lydia answered. “I doubt there’s anything worth it up there. Anything that was Dominic would have stored or sold.”

Knox opened the door and right away the dust was apparent. Clumpy spiderwebs clung to the door as it opened and Knox knocked them away. He found a light switch, but it didn’t work.

“Hand me the lantern,” he said, extending his hand out to Asher.

Asher clicked it on and Knox held it before them as they ascended the stairs. Eden and Lydia stood at the bottom to wait for any signal the fellows gave.

“What if he hid cash up there?” Eden teased.

“Oh please, too much work for him,” Lydia laughed.

Eden looked Lydia over, feeling the curiosity come off her in waves. “You want to follow them up? I don’t think they’ve died yet so it could be safe.”

“They aren’t canaries in a mine,” Lydia laughed. “Besides, I’ll wait and hear what they have to say.”

Eden glanced back up the stairs. “Okay guys, what’s going on up there?”

“I killed them,” Asher yelled back down.

“Not funny! Seriously, what’s going on?” Eden snapped back.

“We’re still figuring that out,” Knox called back down. “But it’s huge up here.”

Lydia furrowed her brow. “Really?”

Knox coughed. “I think there’s fixtures up here. Could you go and get us some light bulbs while we try to find the leak?”

“There’s some in the basement,” Lydia replied. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll come with” Eden tagged along, following Lydia down the stairs. “You know, if this does require a lot of work and repairs we could take a vacation.”

I don’t think it’ll be that drastic,” Lydia chuckled. She opened the door to the basement. “Unless you’ve been holding onto some idea for a while.”

“Most of the houses are done, I say we go on a little trip to celebrate. Just the two of us. It’s been a while.”

In the basement Lydia opened a cabinet that had trash bags and some boxes of light bulbs. “That is true. Since you moved in, the boys have always been around.”

Eden’s eyes brightened and they inched in closer to Lydia. “They’re nice to have around, I know. But you and I haven’t taken a trip together in years. Even if it’s just some cabin rental an hour away, I think it would be fun.”