Nightmares Vs Magic

The detective tilts his head after her statement, studying her.

"Evidence?"

The young woman gulped back her nerves, hoping not to mess up.

"I remember reading articles online, but I mostly skimmed so my guess isn't fully supported but based on the shower built in the room and a cage for a bed frame, the people that resided in these bedrooms were mentally ill and kept like prisoners here, prisoner as evidenced by the cage and the lock on the doors that I finally noticed, locks on the outside." She pointed to the door that just snapped shut like a Venus flytrap, the padlock and metal hook and eye screwed on the outside of the door, just above the doorknob.

Laurence held his chin and nodded, urging her to continue as he took a picture himself of the locks on each of the doors.

"The shower I guess is because doctors in the 1900s advised some kind of hydrotherapy for their mental patients. The stuffed animals, I saw the stitch marks, these people either suffered or it was something else."

He snapped his fingers as he smiled and followed with a theory right after her.

"So then, I can only guess the music we're hearing now, it's serving as some kind of, either comfort that the entities had in life and is continuing in death or was something they heard during their suffering that they remember, and it's playing now because they think they can still hear it."

It was Dove's turn to tilt her head.

"How would that work? I can understand illusions like this, and some poltergeist powers, but a ghost can't just, make music, unless there is an actual music box playing in each of the rooms that the ghost is haunting."

"No, if there was a music box in every room, no matter how perfectly the ghosts were to time when they would all play, we'd still simultaneously hear multiple of them, making it sound like the same notes repeating in the same order. But we don't, we're clearly hearing one song, being played from one music box."

She nodded; they continued walking down the hall.

"So, there's either a real music box hidden somewhere, or the ghosts are actually creating music. That, I find hard to believe."

"Really? After everything you've seen, a choir of ghosts making melodies is hard to believe?"

"Yes, at least to me. Ridiculous, it probably is, I don't have any good evidence to back my thought."

Laurence stopped in place, causing her to stop as well and look back at him. He still had that gentle look on his face, looking in front and behind them before signaling that they just stay in that one place, since just walking was doing nothing anyway.

"Mind telling me your thoughts anyway?"

It felt like a trap, hearing that line. I wanted to stay silent for safe reasons... But I also wanted to get out of that house. All that black and white, you'd think it'd be cool like a noir vibe, but the filter was far from it. Instead of like the shiny monochrome usually shown on tv, it felt like someone colored over my eyes with black and white chalk, making me dizzy, so I kept letting out whatever thoughts might get us out, regardless of the judgement.

"Hallucinations and illusions make sense, since we're in a physical space of the entity's territory, but sound is another type of matter - I'm not all that smart so I can't really explain it scientifically, please don't ask me to try and explain it scientifically just yet - Sound waves are just a different type of space, it's not exactly visible or physical unless it was louder, enough to make painful sound waves or enough to cause some discomfort, but this lullaby isn't." She rambled, before coughing, unused to talking for so long and suddenly remembering Laurence's presence beside her, turning to look. She was surprised to see he had been giving her his full attention the entire time.

Just as she was saying, the constant music playing throughout, difficult to pinpoint its location but it was coming from somewhere.

"I know there are some ghosts that make wailing noises, but that's solely the ghost's sound or them manipulating the wind, because they used to be a creature that could make noise, so they're just replicating their sounds in death just like they are making hallucinations of multiple identical rooms from their memory, but a music box definitely couldn't have been part of the entity's vocal cords during their living days, especially not one we are hearing in such a perfect ongoing tune. I mean I know the ghost just spoke, but that's most likely the voice they had when alive and so they can replicate it easily. If ghosts could replicate any song or melody, there could be a ton of modern or recently dead ghosts replaying songs from the radio without a radio."

The detective nodded.

"So, you're basically also confirming that there must be a physical music box somewhere that one entity is haunting?"

The girl blinked, jaw hanging open for just a minute as she thought back on her spoken words so far. It was only then that they really began turning their heads slowly and carefully, listening.

"Yes. And based on how we first heard it after opening the attic, maybe there is one in the attic, but then why would the ghost just hide it from us?"

"Perhaps from one of your first hypotheses, the rooms are clearly tied to the entities in a traumatic way. Perhaps whilst trying to trap us into one of those rooms, it's also keeping us away from the music box. The music must be like a comfort of some kind, and it sees us as intruders."

Dove doesn't say anything to object, but there's also something from holding her back from agreeing to it.

They both decide to look in opposite ends of the hallway, of course, it seems to go on forever in both directions.

Laurence nods his head at her again, inviting her once more to give some ideas, as if letting her lead the entire thing.

Maybe he could tell how giddy it was making me feel, being on a supernatural investigation like this, even though I was almost feeling dizzy. I can never tell what my face is saying about me, but I always assume I may look too excited, I try to dim it down.

"Well, it looks like we have some limited choices, but I'm scared to try either."

"Tell me, maybe I can change them to not be that way."

"The first bold choice would be to split up and run down opposite ends of the hallway simultaneously, hoping the ghost wouldn't be able to keep up the illusion simultaneously and it would break, but I'm scared we'd end up just separating entirely. The second bold choice would be to willingly go inside one of the rooms, since they all used to serve the same purpose and would all at least have the same elements but different pieces to investigate further. We could investigate more inside a room, but we could also end up trapped."

He hummed to himself, before freezing as there was a sudden noise heard amongst the ongoing music. Dove stood still and silent as she began to hear it too, tip toeing to the wall nearby, feeling the vibrations there. A strong vibration.

It felt like something was moving the house. The real estate agent did say that the house was alive in a way.

"We should try the splitting up down the opposite ends, but I have an idea to make that less scary."

He reaches into one of the inner pockets of his coat, it was like a small roll of string, but different in that both the opposite ends of the whole bundle could be pulled out, and he showed how both could be pulled at the same time.

"Just a little trick item, it's an easy project that all the beginner Alchemists have to make, so we get lots of these. They come in handy for all sorts of things." He smiled.

Dove already got the idea as she took one end, Laurence helped to tie it around her wrist, and she took the other, tying it around his wrist, he let the roll fall onto the floor as he told her, 'Make mine tighter'. She hesitated of course, not wanting to hurt him but he insisted.

"I need to make sure I can feel it." He told her, ensuring that he could feel the pressure as he assured her.

They both gave each other a nod, Laurence held two fingers up, simultaneously pointed between his eyes and hers and they both began walking backwards.

She kept her eyes on his surroundings as he did the same for hers, as they continued walking backwards in opposite directions, the melody got a little louder.

Not the disturbing kind of loud, it was just the type of volume increase where you're clearly walking closer to the source of a noise. The only scary part was determining which one of us was getting closer as the illusion was deteriorating. It also got me pretty scared when I noticed how far we were from each other, but it still felt like the hallway was endless from both sides.

The detective stops in place, and Dove copies him, raising her right eyebrow up, hoping for an explanation. But he just stares at her side, eyes widening like saucers as he wears this sort of scared grin, he subtly shakes his head at her, mouth motioning the words 'don't move'.

She of course stays in place, not taking any more steps. She wants to look and turns her head just to the side while still maintaining eye contact with him. He makes no objections, no hand signals or shaking of his head as she continues her attempt to look over her shoulder, and it's then that she realized how close the repeating melody was to herself.

One room, just next to her, seemed to have the music coming out of it, they could both hear it. They could both hear the path of the music coming from the one room near her.

She whips her head back, almost smiling a crooked smile before blinking rapidly, frowning, and then rubbing her eyes as she no longer sees Laurence there.

The string and the bundle of it were on the floor, I could see that, I could still feel the string on my wrist, my vision was getting blurrier, and my head was starting to hurt. Clearly the entities were making me feel more delirious, or it was just my vision being in a chalky black and white filter for too long.

The place where Laurence was supposed to be standing, there was a wall there now, and his part of the string couldn't be seen.

In a panic, Dove ran over to it, ignoring the room that now finally appeared as she picked up the roll of string, making sure hers was still connected.

It was all an illusion; I knew it was all an illusion. I couldn't tell whether Laurence was under the same illusion as me, maybe he blinked and that changed his visions, I didn't accidentally bump into his body. The only thing that kept me grounded was when I felt around the roll, I found where my part of the string was coming from, I couldn't see his, but I could feel another string sticking out, it was faint, but I could feel it there as I moved my hand up and down the roll.

She pulled on her string, and she could see the roll spin a little, following the pull of her string. She waited, kneeling on the ground staring at it, before seeing it turn again without her pulling her string. He was still there; she just couldn't see him.

Dove sighed in relief, breathing deeply as she stood back up and turned to see the room, she just next to, the melody playing out of it.

All the other doors suddenly snapped shut as soon as she got closer to the room with the music. Dove forced herself to focus and continue to go inside the room, even as the door shut behind her, but she knelt down and tested the string, still able to move it from underneath the door.

Her ideas, whatever she had in the moment that were forgotten later, suspicions confirmed as she saw in the middle of the child-like, hospital-like room, a ladder, leading up to the attic that was clearly out of place in the ceiling of that bedroom.

I could've closed my eyes as I went up to investigate it, but I feared whatever vision my brain might have tricked me into thinking, more than whatever I would find up there. I didn't have any other options. Going into one of the rooms and I would end up trapped, and continuing down the hallways would just eat up my time.

It just felt like I was supposed to go up there, it was where the music was coming from, and my wrist still had the string tied, so if the ladder somehow got reeled up and the door snapped shut under me, at least they would know where I was. I could only assume Laurence went to take a more thorough look at each of the rooms, and that's why the doors shut. I could only hope that after finding the music box, the filter over my eyes would disappear and I could search for his string, and then find the others.

Her phone still worked, so of course she turned on the flashlight as soon as she stuck her head in first, whipping it around, a full 360 degrees.

There were old suitcases stacked on top of each other from biggest to smallest on top, the spiders made a condo out of them with their webs. There were some pieces of furniture that seemed too big or too heavy to have been dragged up there, but it wasn't the time to question that. I just had the urge to find the source of the music now, since I had no other choices.

There was a dresser just a couple strides away from the entrance, and if she squinted her eyes, it seemed like there was also a bed.

If this used to be a bedroom, then surely there was a lamp or a light source too. This house couldn't be that old that there would be a member just walking around with a candlelight, I couldn't really figure out any other reason why Laurence wanted us to call Bence and the others over before we could search this place, but the only clue I got from that was that this place was important.

It was never noticed before, but there was a window built all the way at the top of the house, but it was covered by the vines and dust and cobwebs. She found this out just as she found the string to pull to turn on the lights. The frames of the window seen; the glass covered from the outside.

Obviously, the chalky black and white filter over her eyes didn't go away, but she was eventually getting used to it, at least the room was brighter.

There! On the dresser! The source of the music.

She sighed softly as she made her way over in quick steps, leaning down to grab the little music box.

It was one of those old ones, the shape of a can in a way with a little dome that had the little crank that needed to be spun in order for the song to play. It was slowly spinning endlessly without anyone moving it. Of course, aside from a ghost.

Now, blinded by the excitement of finally grabbing the music box and putting her hand over the crank to stop it from playing, it was only then that she noticed the dresser had a mirror, and of course as some human actions or instincts go, when you notice something, you turn your attention to it.

Look up, see the mirror.

Blink, see your reflection.

Blink again, and I saw a lady in a white apron and brown clothes, staring back at me with this ghostly pale complexion, sunken cheeks and swollen eyes, cradling the music box in her hands, her mouth hung open.

She stepped back, clutching the music box to her chest, and willed herself as much as she could, to scream at the top of her lungs.

As quick as lightning, she blinked again, and the reflection was hers.

My throat hurt from the scream, I don't normally make loud noise, but I was happy that I was able to. At that moment, I was more scared of my body not doing anything. I made a theory as to why Laurence chose for us to stay put and wait, his phone must've caught a glimpse of the mirror. Mirrors, of course, a perfect item to make for a creepy element.

The mirror was normal again, well, as normal as she could guess. Stopping the music from playing didn't unveil the black and white filter from her eyes just yet. Her chest rose and fell upon reinspecting it but not daring to move any closer. She turned her attention to the window, blocked and covered on the outside. She moved over to plant her ear to it, there was action going on outside, moving of roots and creaking of dead plants.

Vernon was still happily dealing with the over grove on the outside.

Dove didn't have Vernon's phone number, but she had Annabelle's and also reminded herself in that moment that she had a phone.

She dropped it on the floor upon seeing the mirror, but thankfully there were no cracks, none on the screen or any for her phone to slip through.

She dialed for Annabelle again, anxiously listening to the waiting tune as she looked around the attic.

Surprisingly, not as terrifying, probably because of the lack of items or because she knew of the past owner who used this room, merely for sleeping, and probably for their own safety as she saw a pole or a wood plank that lay next to the entrance, something that could keep the door shut from the inside should any unwanted visitors try to pull the door open from the outside.

But for now, Dove needed it to stay open.

"Dove! Are you alright?" A voice said from the other end.

"We heard a scream, was it you?" Another voice said.

"I'm okay, has Bence heard from Laurence?"

"Yes, Laurence called a couple minutes earlier, said he lost you but guessed you were up in the attic?" Annabelle's voice was heard saying. 

"He's alright by the way, Bence has been pestering to keep him on the line so they can stay connected. We gave up looking for the stairs after Bence noticed we couldn't find them. Also, this might not be important but are you seeing in black and white too? Because Bence is, but I'm fine."

"Can you try to call Vernon?!" She frantically said the second she got the chance.

"We did, but he couldn't get the doors open, ended up breaking the handles from the outside when he tried!" Annabelle's voice said in a calm 'oh well' tone.

Even though she couldn't see, she could hear Annabelle shrugging her shoulders.

"No, not for the doors, I'm in the attic, there's a window, I'm sure it's to the front side, but it's all blocked, call Vernon and tell him to move all the vines, branches, and whatever mold there is off the house, especially the windows."

"Okay! Okay!" She answered with urgency.

Some more sounds on the other side, Annabelle stayed on the line with Dove and tapping could be heard. She was texting Vernon.

"Where are you and the detective? Why did you scream?" She asked calmly, clearly not bothered by anything that's been happening in the house.

"I climbed into the attic to find a music box; I don't know where he is, I lost him in the second-floor hallway. We couldn't find the stairs either. We made some theories about this place, what about you guys?" Dove tried to ask in the midst of breathing carefully, her chest rising and falling in slow rhythms.

She chose to stay in place, waiting for the window to be cleared as her instincts told her to, feeling that the attic was safer than the hallways.

"We've been trying to help Bence search for an item that is closely tied to the spirits here, so he can do his necromancer thing and exorcise them with it, so of course I suggested going to the basement! All we found were a bunch of mannequins and old clothes, and get the funny part, they weren't dusty, like, at all, compared to the other stuff here, so Joon said they were likely moved and used a lot!"

The gears in Dove's head were turning more, and she listened more intently to the girl's words through her overtly lighthearted humorous tone, clearly just trying to ease the silver haired girl's breathing that was still audibly shaking.

"What kind of clothes?"

"All kinds, some looked like they were for the elderly, others like they were for some big kids, either way, clearly a big family lived here."

"... Are there any clothes that look like they'd belong to a nurse or nanny? At least one from the 1900s?"

"Nope! Haven't found any like that."

Dove shook to her core as she began to carefully walk more about the room, looking at the luggage around her, daring to open one up.

"We explored the rest of the house as best we could, Bence and Joon kept talking about how a veil of black and white filter was over their eyes, but I don't see it, so they let me lead, that's how I convinced them to follow me to the basement later. There was only one bedroom on the first floor that we found, must've been for the elderly person, or couple? The rest of the rooms were just the usual amenities; the living room, all doll-like, made for the kids to play in while Grandma knit by the fireplace, a playroom, some sort of, I think exercise room or at least it seemed like it used to be. Bence said there used to be some equipment here, to practice walking and stuff."

The girl listened and nodded her head even though Annabelle couldn't see it, at the same time laying the music box on her lap as she got the courage to open one of the suitcases, clicking and opening the metal restraints.

Based on what I could see thanks to the limited width of the light above, it looked like everything was packed up, whoever lived here had just finished packing everything up and was about to leave.

As expected, brown clothes and white, ruffled aprons were found inside, clean and smooth from years of protection and isolation inside the suitcase.

"The only other room that wasn't dusty like the dining room was the kitchen, but clearly whoever was in charge of cooking definitely wasn't old."

"I think that helps me confirm another theory." Dove mumbled to herself, just as she caught a glimpse of some light shedding, causing her to look over her shoulder.

Yellow. Not black or white or any shade of grey. Something colorful at last.

It could be seen from both sides, inside and out, the layers of ivy and branches, being moved out of the way of the window. Slowly however, creaking and seeming to shift with the same difficulty one would have at trying to separate one wood plank, nailed to another by the corners.

Vernon stood outside, beginning to sweat as strain was evident on his face, he was pressing his palm to the tree whose branches were the ones reaching up and covered the window, and touching the ivy. It was difficult to extend his "touch" to greenery that far away, or high up. Joon was standing beside him.

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to use up your energy digging up bones."

It was enough! There was light coming in through the openings made from some of the ivy removed! There was genuine, real light! It was yellow! Golden, and warmth emanating from it, this light felt alive! Not like the black and white at all!

The girl ran towards it, ignoring her conversation on her phone as she whipped her head to look through the uncovered spots on the window, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as the warm rays of the setting sun, from yellow to a burning orange seeped in through the glass, and warmed her face.

She squinted her eyes to adjust to the light.

Blink once. Blurry, another near headache pain.

Blink again. Vision clears and the filter is gone.

I knew I was breathing just fine before, but after the filter left my eyes, it was like I was no longer suffocating. There was color, I was seeing color again!

The yellow and orange light, the brown wood floors, the cream color of the old bed sheets still on the old bed, the brown and pinkish leather of the suitcases stacked on top of each other.

I could also notice more now that I didn't feel so visually hindered before!

The picture frames of the nurse with the family she took care of, found lying on the floor on the farther side of the attic I didn't even think to look at, and the skeleton that lay next to the family picture.

Brown, neutral-colored clothes, and a white ruffled apron on top of the clothes and bones, the only volume left of the body.