Haunted House (complete)

    You stare at the set of house keys in your hand incredulously. Some of them look like everyday modern keys, but most were the thick, iron ones you’d see in old movies. You glance up at your relative, or at least they claimed to be your relative. 

“Are you sure about this?” You ask.

They nod. “Of course!” They smile at you brightly. “It’s been all worked out. I have no use for the place. I figured, since you’re doing all this work for me, I might as well pay you back.”

You crook your eyebrow at them. “With a house?” You feel like it’s too good to be true, so you’re not quite ready to look this gift horse in the mouth. 

This relative came out of nowhere.  You had escaped an abusive relationship with barely the shirt on your back. You had basically been held hostage by your ex and had been living in hiding with family ever since. You had only come out of hiding once everything was said and done. Your ex was in jail, and you were finally able to start life again. That’s when this relative showed up, asking for your help with their business and offering you a paycheck that made you salivate. Now, they were giving you an old house for… ‘just because’?

“I understand how it is,” they say. “My father was a real polished turd if there ever was. I saw what he put my moms through. I don’t know exactly what happened to you, but I want to provide something during your healing process.”

You frown, you figured you were healed well enough already. You didn’t need some handout from a relative stranger. Then again, you couldn’t turn down such a promising offer, so you cave in.

The relative has hired you to organize and label their extensive inventory in their antique store. You would also be researching and documenting, which was the work you used to do when you worked at museums. You were an old hat at it and were looking forward to the busy work to keep your mind occupied.

You were visiting the house for the first time, unsure what you would find. You expected something small and innocuous. Perhaps an old rented out cabin or something like that. What you found was a rather large estate. The property was surrounded by an iron fence with stone pillars. The gate had a new lock on it, but you could also still use the iron padlock.

The drive up to the house includes a roundabout with a fountain in the center. The house itself was, well, something else. It was a massive stone Tudor house, the very opposite of what you had been picturing in your head.

“Oh wow,” you whisper as you look up at it. You fidget, feeling a little strange as you look at it. Your guts churn, and you feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. 

You take one of the big iron keys and unlock the front door. It groans as it opens and you step inside. Your breath echoes through the empty halls as you stand in the foyer. You look around with wide eyes, feeling as if the house was bigger on the inside than it appeared outside.

The door closes behind you, and you nearly lurch from your skin. You clasp your hand over your chest, taking a few deep breaths. You then wander down the hallway, finding yourself in a living room full of furniture covered by sheets.

You take a sheet off, finding a gorgeous antique sofa that looks remarkably untouched. You cautiously take a seat on it, finding that it’s soft and comfy. You feel like a kid on Christmas, unwrapping all sorts of gifts. Each sheet holds a new toy for you. Beautiful furniture and decor, all of it old but looking as new as the day it was made. 

You find something propped in the corner that is wrapped in brown paper. The paper crinkles and whispers as you unwrap it. Inside it a large mirror, the frame is wrought iron and as intricate as a gold chain. The mirror is a bit foggy, but as you stare into it, you feel as if the fog starts to move and shift.

You step away from it and rub your eyes, walking out of the living room and continuing your search of the house. You go upstairs, each step squeaking and groaning under your feet. You go left at the top of the stairs, finding a bedroom. Inside, there is a great big bed covered by a royal blue canopy. You walk up, seeing the mattress is brand new and still wrapped in plastic. Your relative must have left it for you. You go over to the window, seeing it looks out over the property. You can see cars passing by, but for the most part, the house is hidden behind a row of trees.

You turn and go to bed, stripping away the plastic. You lay on the mattress and close your eyes for a moment, just to test it out, but you end up falling asleep.

You wake up in total darkness, pushing away the blanket that’s on top of you. You stretch on the crisp sheets and lay back against the pillows. You sigh, not having slept that well in ages. You sit up, seeing moonlight slice through the windows and casting silver shadows before you.

The more you wake up, the more you realize that when you fell asleep there wasn’t so much as a sheet on the bed, let alone pillows and a comforter. You sit up in shock, staring down at the blanket. You jump up off the bed, stepping away from it.

“What the fuck?” You whisper. You feel something brush through your hair, and you slap it away, turning around you see nothing.

“Oh fuck,” you whimper. You run from the room, heading down the stairs in a mad dash.

Your foot slips and you’re about to go tumbling when the curtains from the window swing out, catching you and easing you down onto the bottom step. You step away, staring in shock at the curtains as they float back down.

“Seriously?” You snap out loud. “What the fuck?”

You hear laughter, and it sets your teeth on edge. You clench internally and clamp your hands over your ears. “No. No. No.” You whisper, breathing slowly to calm yourself.

“Don’t be afraid,” a voice whispers.

You look up, feeling angry. You see nothing, but you feel as if there is something around you. You lower your hands from your ears and grit your teeth.

“I got rid of one pain in the ass before I can do it again!” You snarl into the shadows of the house.

“We believe you,” you hear.

You whip around, trying to find where the voice is coming from. You dart away from the stairs and go into the living room. There’s a fire lit in the fireplace, and the chandelier is lit up with candles. Soft music plays from the record player, and there’s a tray of tea and cookies sitting by the sofa.

“Hello?” Your eyes dart around as you try to match the serene setting with what’s going on. You walk towards the tray of treats, seeing a cup is steaming and waiting. 

You frown, glaring all around you. “What’s going on?” 

You feel something touch your cheek and run through your hair again. The touch is cold, and you shiver. Turning, you glance back at the mirror, seeing it is beautiful and clear. You step towards it, seeing yourself in the reflection. Only, it’s not you. At least, not a you that you recognize.

The face is the same, but you’re wearing a long dress, and your hair is up in a bun. The you in the mirror smiles and points behind you. You turn quickly, seeing a large figure standing there. It looks like it is made of fog and shadows. The white and black marble together, forming some sort of strange ever-changing figure.

You turn back to the mirror, the not you isn’t there anymore. You whip back around, staring up at the figure, feeling oddly calm. You feel more shocked by yourself than of the strange thing before you.

It comes close, so tall that it’s head shifts through the chandelier. Flames from the candles follow it, forming two glowing eyes. The shape becomes more definite, becoming humanoid but hulking and animal as well. 

It kneels down before you, meeting you eye to eye. You hold your breath, slowly reaching out to touch it. It feels solid in your palm and ice cold. You lean in, standing on tip-toes to look at it better.

It dips down, pressing their forehead to yours.

You smile softly, holding their face between your palms. “Do I know you?”

They chuckle, leaning back as their eyes go brighter. “Once upon a time.” They sound like they’re speaking with many voices at once, all deep and echoing.

You tilt your head at them and nod. “I’ve lived here, before, haven’t I?”

“Ages,” they say. “But we’ve been waiting. Robin kept us safe.”

You glance back at them. “Robin?” You ask. “My uhm...relative,” you do finger quotations. 

They chuckle. “Robin is relative to everyone and no one, even me.”

You furrow your brow but decide not to argue you. You’ve got enough in your plate to deal with as it is. This entity before you is familiar to you, but a stranger at the same time. You feel a part of this world and yet separated from it.

“Who are you?” You ask.

“We are many yet one,” they reply. “All because of you.” They place their fingers under your chin. “Who you once were.”

You take hold of their hand. “You’ll have to explain all of that to me,” you whisper, your insides lurching and jumping in excitement. 

They chuckle. “As expected.” They squeeze your hand and lead you to the sofa. You sit down, and they place the steaming cup of tea in your palms.

“We are the restless,” they tell you with a hushed tone. “Uncomfortable and lost, you saved us from our suffering. You pulled us close and held us, giving us a purpose and a life.” They extend their long arm out. “You gave us a home.”

You furrow your brow and turn back to them, realizing their colors and the way they looked matched the exterior of the house. The stone-like pattern of their form, the way their shoulders hunched. They were the soul of the house.

“You loved us,” they say. “So we waited until you returned.”

You swallow, feeling a tightness in your throat. “Did I promise that?”

They nod slowly. “But we wanted you to rest,” they replied. 

Tears start falling from your eyes. You rub at them, starting to cry and sniffle. They bend down, wiping away your tears, nearly freezing them to your cheeks with their cold touch.

“It is ok to cry,” they murmur.

You look up at them, their glowing eyes and their featureless face. 

“We know you’re scared,” they whisper to you. “Don’t worry, we will protect you.”

You hiccup and nod. “Thank you,” you whisper.

“Hearth,” they say.

You blink through your tears, gazing into the flicker flames again. “Excuse me?”

They lay their hand on their chest. “That is what you can call me.”

You smile at them. “I’m glad to be home with you, Hearth.”

“So are we.”

As you get used to your new home, you realize Hearth isn’t always in his form. Much like before, they can be in the curtains or the fireplace. Sometimes they’re a knife that chops your vegetables for dinner. Other times, Hearth is simply there, not anywhere at all but all around you at once.

For you, it is a comfort knowing there is always someone in the house. Before, being alone in your home felt like a death sentence. It was suffocating and violent for you. But being with Hearth, you felt an ease and freedom to be yourself. It wasn’t a crime for you to make a mistake or wearing sloppy clothes. It wasn’t the end of the world for you to be late or accidentally forget something. 

When you felt those feelings of helplessness and guilt, Hearth didn’t chastise you. Instead, he forgave or even apologized themselves. It felt strange, having support and comfort ever by your side. More than once, you cried on Hearth, and to your surprise, they never judged you for it.

Your relative was right, as much as you wanted to believe you were ok, you were still healing. There were wounds inside you that were still raw and bleeding. But being with Hearth, the world felt less stinging.

As you curl up in bed one night, you feel a weight dip the edge of the bed. You open the blanket, seeing it take shape around Hearth. They start to appear before you, and you feel their cool lips against yours. You return their kiss, and they start to warm.

“I love you,” they whisper to you. “Do you believe me?”

You touch their face, kissing them again. “I believe you,” you murmur back.

Hearth wraps you up in their arms, and you cling to them, falling asleep in their strong embrace. You had never been told ‘I love you’ before so freely. It was genuine and unpossessive. It was new and a little frightening.

One day, coming home from work, you notice there is a car behind you following quite closely. The windows are tinted so you can’t see into it. You feel a bit on edge, but you toss it aside. As you go through the gate of your driveway, the car barrels through before Hearth can close them. They ram into your bumper, and you lurch forward in your seat. You stop your car and jump out, running for the front door. 

“Where you going?” The familiar voice makes you feel like your blood is full of shards of glass. You scream, running to the front door as it opens. Hearth pulls you inside as the doors slam shut on your ex’s face.

“Hide,” Hearth whispers, and you’re pushed.

You first run to the kitchen, finding a proper knife. You hear the doors banging as your ex slams himself into them. He’s yelling, but you’re not paying attention to what he’s saying. You’re panicked and terrified. How did he get out of prison? Why was he even out? No one told you anything!

You hide yourself in the closet, clutching the knife close and preparing for the end. That’s when you hear screaming, horrified and childlike. You step out of the closet, hearing the horrible, pain-filled sound. You walk down the hall and stand just in the entrance of foyer. You see nothing but blackness. There is an endless void, ripping and tearing at the seams of reality. Across from you is the front door and your ex is barely holding on to the frame. He’s kicking, and yellow as hands reach from the void, clawing him and ripping away his clothes and skin. 

“Hearth?” Your voice cracks.

There is a low, dark growl gurgling from the void and your ex is scream-crying, begging for their life. They’re calling out to you, but you’re not listening. You kneel down on the ground, looking into the void and seeing Hearth’s angry, intense glare. They look at you, and a hand reaches out, touching your face.

“I said I would protect you,” Hearth whispers.

“No!” Your ex screams.

You look up just as he loses grip. The hands pull him down screaming and wailing. Hearth’s hand covers your eyes for a moment. When you open them again, everything is as it was.

You take a deep breath and cover your face. You try to collect yourself as you feel Hearth come back.

“What was that?” Your voice quakes.

“The under,” Hearth whispers. “He’ll be dealt with there.”

You look up at Hearth as tears stream down your face. “You scared me,” you whimper. “I didn’t think-” your voice chokes off.

“I’m sorry,” Hearth whispers. “I know you’re tired of being afraid.”

You sob, feeling both weightless and endlessly heavy. 

“He was bound for darkness,” Hearth whispers. “But I am sorry.”

You jump up, wrapping your arms around Hearth. They hold you tight, squeezing you. They pick you up, carrying you upstairs and laying you in bed. You cling to them, keeping Hearth by your side.

After a while your phone rings. It’s your mother, and she’s in a wild panic. Your ex had gotten bail, and he was out. You tell her not to worry that you don’t think he’ll ever show up again. It takes a while, but after she’s calmed down, so are you. It feels strange to be at peace like this.

“Are you ok?” Hearth asks.

You feel them all around you, and you take a deep breath. “I am,” you whisper. You smile softly. “Thank you.”

You feel a soft kiss, and you meet it, kissing Hearth back. “I love you,” they say.

“I love you too,” you whisper to them. “I love you so much.”

The curtains of the canopy close around you, and you’re left in total darkness. Hearth’s eyes flicker, and you gaze up at them. Your heart is pounding as you strip away your clothes and sit naked on the bed. 

“Touch me,” you whisper to Hearth.

You feel them on your skin, starting cold and getting warmer the more you open to them. You lay back, feeling their touch on your breasts, squeezing gently, kissing, and then something cold and wet.

You gasp and shudder, pinching your thighs together as the heat starts to pool there. You bite your lip, lifting your arms above your head. Hearth clutches your wrists, holding them back. Their touch trails down your belly, that cold, wet feeling following. They kiss your mound and thighs, gently rubbing your hips as their breathing becomes deep and fills your head.

You part your legs, and Hearth grasps your ankles. You whimper softly, meeting a kiss and tasting Hearth as they suck your tongue. Below, you feel kisses on your inner thighs. Hearth touches your folds, smearing your wetness as they open you more.

You cry out, feeling hands and mouths all over your body at once. Kissing, squeezing, licking, and sucking, you feel almost worshipped. The heat pooling between your legs is spreading throughout your entire body. You moan and gasp, writhing on the bed as Hearth holds your limbs. You’re restrained and yet you like it.

Hearth’s voice are moaning and sighing in pleasure. You feel them kissing your folds, licking, sucking your clit. They’re inside you and slurping you up. Your back arches off the bed as you cry out, the heat becomes unbearable and makes every inch of you quiver with release.

You flop to the bed, panting hard as sweat beads on your skin. The sweat makes you more sensitive, feeling more of Hearth’s fluttering kisses and touches. 

Hearth kisses you, slowly lifting you off the bed, so you’re levitating in the air. “Do you want more?” Hearth whispers.

Your head hangs back, and you shiver. “Yes. Please,” you almost beg.

Hearth moans softly in your ear. “Then more you shall have.”

You gasp softly, feeling something between your legs. It rubs against your slit, coating itself in your nectar. Hearth’s voices become shallow and deep, all moaning in heated pleasure as one. You feel something rub against your lips and you open your mouth. Something hard and warm presses against your tongue, you suck on it, it moves in your mouth, pumping slowly. You moan, tasting something sweet on your tongue.

Hearth shudders and their voices shake. You then feel the shape between your legs press inside. You moan loudly against the thing in your mouth. Inside you, Hearth is thick and hot. They stretch your inner walls, hitting everything at once. Their voice cries out, impassioned and hungry. They push deep, filling you so full it feels as if they’re in your belly.

You wriggle, urging them to go deeper. The shape in your mouth pulls out, and you gasp, you lick your lips and moan out loud.

“Oh please,” you gasp. “Don’t stop! Hearth!”

Hearth shakes you with each powerful thrust. You bite your lip, whimpering as the sensation of them inside you changes. They ripple and squirm. Sometimes it feels like there’s nubs all over their shaft. You squeeze tight around them, squealing with delight.

“Do you like it?” Hearth pants.

You groan and whimper, barely able to form words. Your entire mind is nothing but white static, allowing you to only focus on the ecstasy Hearth is giving you. The shape pushes back into your mouth and goes down your throat a little. You moan against it, enjoying the feeling.

Hearth begins to tremble, they moan and shiver, pushing deeper and deeper inside you. Your thighs twitch, and your legs start to kick. The arches of your feet ache, and your eyes start to roll to the back of your head.

The shape in your mouth pulls out as you start to wail. Your entire body spasms and shakes. Inside, Hearth feels bigger, thicker. They stretch you tight and cry out. Voices from everywhere and nowhere fill your mind. You feel like your spinning and the next thing you know, you’re laying in bed. Music is playing, and a breeze is coming through the open window. The canopy curtains are open and tied back as they were.

Hearth is laying beside you, they’re breathing heavy and sighing. You lean over, kissing them. “Did you enjoy yourself?” You purr.

“Very much so,” they reply. 

You chuckle, laying beside them and closing your eyes. They feel warm, almost alive. You snuggle close and enjoy the beautiful afterglow.

“How do you feel?” Hearth whispers. “I was worried I was too rough.”

“You weren’t,” you whisper. “You were gentle and hard all at the same time. I was never worried or afraid.” You reach down, touching yourself and feeling something warm oozing from you. You feel tender in the best way, and you’re already imagining Hearth inside you again.

“I’m glad,” they whisper. “It’s been so long,” they stroke down the center of your chest. “But I still remembered,” they say. “How you felt. What made you tremble. Everything was as clear as day to me.”

“Are you saying I’m like a bike?” You tease.

“No! I uh-” they then chuckle. “Oh, I see.” You feel their lips on your neck, and you wrap your arms around them.

You smile as they kiss you, the feeling as familiar as can be. You don’t quite recall the life you had before, but every second with Hearth feels like a comforting memory. You feel safe and secure, warm and loved. It’s been so long since you’ve felt like this with anyone and yet, at the same time, it was no one.

Hearth kisses you, and you meet it back. You then hear tea being poured and you look beside the bed, seeing the tray is ready.

“I thought you might be hungry,” Hearth murmurs, kissing your cheek.

“I suppose I should recharge,” you sigh. “I forgot everything,” you say. “When I got home, I was just so scared.”

“I know,” Hearth whispers. “I was too.”

You look into the flickering glow of their eyes. “You said you wanted me to rest,” you whisper to them. “But to be honest, Hearth, as long as you’re in this world, I never want to rest. I want to stay with you.”

Hearth kisses your forehead. “You must rest something, my love,” they say. “But I will always be watching over you. I promise.”