That Red Devil

Chapter One: Moving In

Leaving is never an easy job for anyone.

Leaving is a move where we might not be able to come back or do things again. We can leave places, people, objects or memories and we can leave all of it in one move. Especially if we are leaving a certain place where we spent almost half of our lives, gained friends, and made so much memories. But leaving is also another way to have a fresh start for our lives. It is a portal to have more experiences and explore new stuffs.

Honestly, I seriously did not have the guts to go away from my hometown. I love it here, this is my spot. But my parents promised me that once we leave, we will have a new start and a better future.

So I left.

I left the place where I have no friends – they are never friends since they never treated me like a friend. I left the place where I have no time to explore and know myself – being an introvert sucks. I left the place as I left my broken heart – to start a new beginning and might gain a happy heart as well.

The journey to our new place is somewhat funny as the sun is gone hiding behind those thick dark clouds while my Dad is driving his rented SUV since we don’t have our own in this new country yet. My parents decided to migrate since Dad got a new job that can provide more for our growing family. I also believe that my younger brother, Kevin, will have a better future here, so I did not contradict my parents’ plans for us.

And then, Mom found a place here in Chicago last year, and it was said to be near from Dad’s new office in the city. I doubt that. This place is filled with trees and soil, the air could be fresher than what the main city have. And for freak’s sake, we are in the middle of nowhere!

Here I am, pulling my luggage bags and wearing my backpacks away from this green-blue – whatever – vehicle and my older brother, Andrew is also busy taking his things to that enormously big and old mansion. And if you will ask me, that house is freaking horrible that it could pass as a location for the next Hollywood horror film.

My brother and I are close to each other, so close that we throw invisible daggers to each other but of course, I was just kidding. I have no choice but to be stuck with my own twin of a scumbag. Yes, we are twins – fraternal twins to be exact, so we practically need each other... and he acts like the older since he is freaking taller and I kicked him out of the womb before he could punch me out. It is funny that we are really fraternal twins from every aspects, especially the fucking height differences and yeah, him being a boy and me being a girl.

Oh, I can never imagine what it would be like if we change sexes. My brother is such a vain creature that he is more into beauty products than I am. Sometimes, I want to know if he is actually gay, but, he is a fan of sexy ladies in bikinis and whatnot. It grosses me out actually, but Andrew is Andrew, and Andrew is my brother. Sad life.

Then there is our baby Kevin, the little troublemaker made by our parents. He is a three year old, a genius at some point and a very annoying in so many, many times. But believe it or not, I love that little shit of a noisy monster since he saved our parents from getting a stupid annulment back then. He is sleeping by the way, and I am proud to say that I scared him earlier because he puked on my shoes after our plane landed to Chicago land!

Anyway…

Here we are in this creepy old three floored castle-like mansion with dark gray bricked walls, a huge front garden where roses or some lilacs might be hiding somewhere there, a pond and many different wood trees everywhere around the perimeter... to have what they called a new beginning for our family.

“If this is a much prettier one, I will definitely live like a prince!” Andrew snickers upon entering the huge cage, I mean house, the huge house. Mom just patted his back and went out to get the sleeping Kevin from his car seat, how can my Mom take boxes first and leave that monster alone in the vehicle?

“For your information, guys…” Dad grunts while carrying his own bags, I just hope that he will not break any of it since he is fond of breaking things by accident, “Here on the first floor, we only have this entrance hall, the living room where we will accept guests, the two kitchens where your Mom will make delicious foods and bake yummy pastries. And of course, the big dining hall where my wines and stuff will be placed. We also have here three powder rooms and the library where you fellas can study and do your assignments and projects from school.”

I just nodded and he continued talking to us while Mom gives the little Kevin a tour, as if the sleepy head can understand what she is murmuring right now? And why are we just standing here in the middle of the entrance hall if Dad can just show us around just like what Mom is doing with Kevin? My family is certainly weird at some point.

Then there was sudden noises from the outdoors, rain started to greet the land and I am thankful that we are done getting our stuff inside the house. But I can guarantee you that Andrew will scream his soul out if he will hear a really loud thunder clap later on, he is such a big baby if someone will ask me.

“Second floor is where the Masters’ bedroom and the Guest room but of course, Kevin will have his own bedroom there too. The family room, where we can watch movies and play billiards, plus my home office will be there, and a room which is exclusively for our beloved Grand Piano! Of course, extra powder rooms are present too!” Dad continued without moving a bit, he is like a robot talking continuously or worse since most robots can at least move!

Andrew and I just looked at each other, both bored and hoping that Dad will just give us a freaking tour than just talking here in the hall. A big entrance hall where the old age of this building is screaming ‘Hello’ at us – really, really loud and creepy but not horrifying.

There is also a giant old schooled chandelier placed above our heads at the very center of this room’s brownish ceiling and even the floors are like some kind of oak woods or something like that. Sorry, I am not good with trees or whatever. I am a lazy ass who prefers sleeping or listening to music than to read about facts or whatever.

This place is huge enough to fit in three hall arches in each walls of the room, and I guess that it will lead us to every sides of this huge place, I will check it out later on. Then one grand stairway is at the right side of the room from my perspective, it has the features of both wood and metals and it is really spacious to run up and down. Andrew and I will surely slide down for fun on the railings and laugh at each other if one or both of us fell to our deaths at first try.

“Your rooms will be on the third floor, you can also use the other extra two rooms there for your hobbies. I will let the two of you talk who will own which rooms. And leave the attic and basements to us, and do not mess around.” finally, Dad walked away to the second floor, I thought that he will not stop talking!

“Let’s check the third floor first and leave the luggage bags here?” my brother groans, who would like to climb a really high set of two staircases to reach your possible bedroom? But at least the whole third floor will be for me and Andrew, and we will have two rooms for the two of us!

Kevin will be jealous and will definitely bug us when he grows older enough, maybe there is another room for him too but Dad forgot?

Ah, my bad!

I am Amara Rivera by the way, fifteen years old and the only daughter of my weird but lovely parents. I love listening to music, no particular genre – except the really noisy ones – and I love to paint and draw as well. And since Dad gave us the rooms on the third floor, I will use my extra room to be my small library, I got tons of books about some stuffs but not about nature, okay? Lastly, I am not going to be a fan of having a boyfriend at this age, since I’d rather be alone and shit or be with a couple of friends first than to have an annoying stranger in my life.

“ALEXANDER RIVERA, WE JUST MOVED IN!” Mom yelled after a large crash came from the second floor, my twin and I just laughed at our parents’ everyday lifestyle.

I lazily followed my twin to our destination with our backpacks and other smaller boxes in our hands. The stairs are just like a huge circle from the very first floor and when we got on the top floor, we realized that we have two halls, left and right. And there is also a smaller stairway beside the main one, we bet that it will lead to the attic that I have no plans of exploring.

Too lazy and sleepy to do such shit.

“Let’s check the rooms, Kitty.” Andrew puts down his bag and boxes to the floor so I did too, “I think, the room sizes are equally divided?”

We walked in to different rooms, five rooms to be exact and all are really huge for the two of us, and there is one extra powder room near the stairs.

“Maybe we can make the fifth one as Kevin’s playroom? We can change that to his own hobby room when he is older.” I nodded at my brother’s idea, Dad really did forgot about the fifth room.

“I will take the rooms on the left side,” I blurted out, I hate the heavy feeling from the bedroom at the right wing, “What?”

Andrew is glaring at me like I made the wrong decision, so we end up with Andrew’s bedroom and hobby room will be at the left wing and I have no choice but mine will be on the right wing. Then Kevin’s playroom will be the center room, we will bring our little monster there once we finished setting things up.

On the other hand, I feel bad around my own spot here. The energy from the right wing is so eerie as if there is some kind of a Babadook or Slender Man hiding behind the walls. My tiny little hairs are actually perking up from the moment I stepped my feet on this floor, I feel like being watched. But what intrigues me is the fact that the left wing or my brother’s area is perfectly normal, too bad that he insisted to have that spot.

Now, I am facing my own bedroom door and I hesitantly wrapped my fingers on the doorknob. The energy here is really giving me a very unsettling feeling and I guess that my twin also felt it so he refused to get this side of our floor. With a set of heavy breathings, I opened the door and pushed myself to the bedroom where a king-sized bed sits at the center of the left side. That’s when I noticed that the bedroom door is at the center part like it divides the bedroom to two sides.

Just like in Andrew’s bedroom, I also have my own small walk-in closet and own private toilet and bath, but I still feel bad inside this room. The room is annoyingly cold even it is just a stormy summer afternoon. I need to turn on the heater. We do not have winter in Manila, but I have seen signs of a really cold place through the movies I have watched before. And the coldness here is definitely morbid!

Worse, it was like there is someone else in here, watching me walk around and observe every fucking move or breathing I make. And I feel dizzy. So dizzy that I almost stumble across the room and sprain my ankle if I did not found a way to stabilize myself here. I am starting to unlike this feeling in this room.

Something is totally not right in here.