Veils Of Secrets

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d into my bones. Even the storm outside seems to have subsided, its once-brig

out the destroyed portrait, the hidden room, and those eerie gray eyes. Whoever the boy in the paintin

someone's eyes were constantly on me, has been there ever since I got here. Peter's blatant ani

eded

out like a dark, endless maze, the hedges swaying gently in the breeze. My gaze swept acros

en I s

nmoving, standing ju

but the figure remained motionless and unflinching. I firmly grasped the rail

hat someone was there the

vanished into the darkn

door, letting the shawl fall from my shoulders, pooling at my feet. Th

ehind me and locking them. My fingers trembled

dinner w

ssion that was impossible to read. Peter Steele was sitting across fro

ier than usual." Are you having a hard time set

I looked at him. His eyes were piercing, almost r

his plate, drawing Peter's atte

is glass in mock surrend

was caught in the middle of a conflict between the fath

rick's voice. "If you're

"This is your house, son, but don'

't answer. As he left, the sound of the older man's footfall reve

I chose not to glance up. Instead,

ning of his demean

away, the evening's weight bearing

chilly and inhospitable environment. I let the vivid hues and delicate frag

ldn't escape the fee

rustle coming from the greenhouse's corner. With my heart rac

e breeze rustled

t up again. But the feeling lingered, a shadow at th

one on the bedside table. The mansion was disturbingly quiet, the s

age. Writing always helped me sort through my thoughts,

before I had a

break the stillness. With the caller ID blank

t I couldn't ignore it. Slowly, I pick

ss on the other end was more opp

sping voice finally said, s

ice continued, each word dripping with malice

ne wen

ck, frantic breaths. The words echoed in my head like

don't sta

feel colder. Curling up on the bed, I tried to st

e things I'd tried so hard to forget. And now here

pecting someone to appear, but

whispering, their voices too fain

e. But I w