THE MANOR
CHAPTER ONE
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⟨ NOVEMBER 6TH 2013. LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA ⟩
How it all began?
I don't know.
It was all a blur...
To me...
Our protagonist is on their way to school one day, as usual. Though today was a special day. Today was Picture day. where the picture taken of them will be shown on their school ID for the entirety of the year. All dressed up for her picture to be taken. She decided to wear an all black dress shirt, and a medium-sized black skirt that goes past her knees, Celine Margaret Loafers, and short hair that goes goes just beyond her chin. Suddenly distracted by a notification on her phone, the girl recieves a text from her mother. She's pissed.
I told you not to get that haircut. I said I thought you should keep your hair long. We need to talk when you get home.
"Damn it..."
She thought to herself. "Of course. I told her I wanted to cut my hair! That I hate it being so long. Though, that was the first time I started wanting shorter hair. That might be on me. How the hell am I getting out of this, though?"
"Well, it doesn't concern me now. That's later's problem. Right now's problem? All the weird looks i'm going to get..."
Walking into school would be the same as usual. She didn't really have any friends that she'd hang out with after school. Usually, she'd talk to the same two people in the cafeteria during her lunch period. But other then that, she had really never known them more personally. Where they live, what street they live on. That didn't matter too much. She was happy enough with that. Only being a second year Sophomore in her high school, she has plenty of time in her future to make friends she thought. At home, her brother had gone off to college back in the middle of summer. It's been rather lonely at home for her since then.
"Well, let's tough out the sadness 'till lunch time. Yeah. Surely my friends can distract me from this painful realization that my mom isn't supportive of my shorter hair and thinks it's a fashion statement, and not to mention i've been the only child for about half a year now! Maybe i'm thinking about it too much. Well... It's almost lunch time."
"Hey, guys...You all dressed nicely for Picture Day. Did you all pick out your own outfits for it?"
Sitting down with her lunch next to her friends, Lola and Olivia. Trying to strike up something, any conversation with them to turn today into a positive day.
"Oh, hi! Uh, no...My mom picked it out for me."
"Same here, though yours looks....Like you're going to a funeral. Did you pick that out yourself?"
"Yes, I uh, have....My mom certainly isn't a big fan of it though. Especially the haircut...I took a twenty dollar bill from her to get it."
"Ahaha! Damn, that was a stupid thing to do! Really, but I honestly kind of like it. It looks cute."
"I'm much more used to you with longer hair. It was down to your knees. What happened to that?"
"I hate long hair. Always gets in my eyes and in my mouth. It's a complete bitch to sleep and shower with too. I only kept it for my mom. I only built up the courage to get it cut on my own yesterday. My mom thinks it's some kind of fashion statement. I don't know where she got that from even."
"Well. Shit...I'm sorry to hear that. I think it looks great! You've convinced me, maybe you can convince your mom too. I mean...here's to hoping."
"I hope so too. Though I kind of doubt it. She's rather hard to convince sometimes. My dad, uh well... takes her side often. Rarely ever has his own thought unless she's not there."
"Hey, yo. Did you hear about that scientist lady?"
"Scientist lady...? Can you elaborate?"
"The one who apparently made people with animal ears? In some town called Greenhedges in New Jersey. She just went public about their existance, and everyone loves them! Myself included, Riko and Kathy are adorable!"
"I actually just heard about them this morning. I didn't believe it... Is that really real? I didn't think so"
"They're so real! and really cool! Opal is uhh...weird, and so is Tala. She seems really annoying"
"First i'm ever hearing of this. People with animal ears? I really don't buy that..."
"Aw come on! Look, look at this! It's so real! Come on, girl. You got to research on them. They're like, the coolest new thing to ever happen lately. Just check the internet a little more and you'll be updated on basically everything you need to know."
She would shrug and laugh. Olivia is a lot more forward of a person, and a bit energetic. While Lola is much more down to earth and takes things seriously. Our protagonist looked a bit nervous though. She admitted to a personal issue she was struggling with and neither of them seemed to notice. From that point on the conversation between them seemed to blur, and their voices were starting to drown out. She ate her food and sat through the rest of her lunch period mostly in silence. She had a few more classes and was due to take her picture before leaving school today. The school bell rang.
"Oh!"
she would stand up. Sud denly eager to leave.
"Sorry, guys. I'm actually in a rush to leave. I... s-shown up late my next class one too many times. I'll be in trouble if I do it again. Ahaha, see ya!"
"Eh? Really? Why are you running off like that so suddenly? I'm pretty sure you've never been late to your History Class."
"J-Just....am actually. Before. On days you weren't there."
Olivia stares at her. Not believing a word she's saying.
"You wanna tell me what you're really thinking, girl? I can see sweat on your face. Not a great look."
"I mean it! I'm just being late! And- And I'm really not enjoying this interrigation right now Lola! It's stressing me more than I need! So can you shut up!?"
She would angrily raise her voice at her, almost yelling but not quite. Angrily storming off out of the cafeteria.
"Oh. Okay then... Umm, have a good day then?"
"Huh, well BYE then! Don't let us hold you back. Jeez. Never been so quick to leave like that before. Hey, do you think she's lying Lola?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, for one she sucks at lying, and like I just said. she's never been so quick to leave like that. Also, she stutters when she lies. You've never noticed that?"
"Does she really? Of course i've never noticed something like that... I don't pay attention to these sort of things you know."
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
She walked through to her next class. An American History class. She couldn't help but continuously look behind her. It's been kind of a paranoid habit she has after doing something stressful. Having completely ran from her friends the way she has, she felt a bit like shit.
"Sigh....Son of a bitch! I looked like an asshole there. God I suck..."
She gotten to her class, and sat on her desk. Thinking to herself for a while. Seemingly zoning out while her teacher prepared to begin her class.
"I'll have to apologize to them for freaking out like that tomorrow, and ontop of that also face the consequences for getting that haircut without permission. I screwed up bad. Real freaking bad."
Admist her incredibly loud thinking and complete lack of awareness of her surroundings. Just staring into space ahead of her, with quite a look of dread. Her teacher called out to her. Noticing that she wasn't paying attention at all.
"Excuse me, are you at all there? You seem to rather stare at nothing then listen to a word I say. What exactly are you thinking about that's so important anyway?"
"Oh it's- No, it's not- It's nothing... I didn't realize class had started. M-My bad."
"Uh-huh. I don't mind the dozing off into space. As long as it's not during class hours. Okay? You have all the time to do that between classes."
"Of course, yeah. It won't happen again. Promise..."
The class went on, and after the day ended, our protagonist when to go take her picture finally. She made sure her hair looked neat. Her clothes were still clean. She had also put on some makeup herself for this picture. She walked up into the media center of the school where a whole bunch of lights, a camera, and a green backdrop was moved in by a small crew of three people. One of which was manning the camera and taking the pictures.
"Alright, then. You ready little lady? Look pretty!"
She nodded, bringing her hands to her side. Standing up-straight in a rather proper pose in front of the blue backdrop. Wiping her face from any expression, with only a slight frown on her face, and a stern almost curious looking stare. It made the camerman chuckle a little. Much to her annoyance...
"Haha, if that's the look you're going for. A smile wouldn't kill you though, would it?"
"I'm comfortable with this..."
"Alrighty then. Don't blink now! Three... two... one!"
SNAP!
image [https://i.imgur.com/t1OanoE.jpeg]
The light from the flash was blinding. Causing her to get a little disoriented. Wiping the tears out of her eyes, she went back into her stance, and the picture was taken twice more before she was done. The man gave her the okay and so she went on her way out. Another awkward day at school, as it always seems to be. She looked back at her phone. At the text she avoided replying to. When, suddenly, another text from her mom appeared out of the blue. Right when she was on her phone looking right at her messages with her.
Seriously. Come home quickly. Me and your father want to talk to you.
"Shhhit. Alright alright, I'll come home quickly, and take the shorcut through the trail back home, and then...? Well, i'm going to get chewed the hell out, of course. I can't wait. So excited!" She thought, sarcastically.
Her school wasn't very far from her house. It was only about a fifteen minute walk, and an even shorter drive. Though down the block the schools on, there's a walk trail that goes straight down through the block which makes it much quicker to get down to her house. It was a bit dense with trees and very dark at night. But other then the annoying amount of bugs living in there. It was quite a pleasant walk during the day. It was still relatively warm outside despite the fall season having made it's way.
"Why not?" She thought. "My mom's pissed at me. I'm probably in deep trouble for stealing from her and cutting my hair so short. I acted like a complete asshole to my friends! Not to mention getting in trouble for not paying attention in class! My day was complete shit! I completely fucked it! All of it! I should drop dead now while i'm here, in this forest. Maybe I won't be found in days, or longer! That'll be a better fate. So fuck it!"
SHE WOULD REGRET THIS.
Turning right into the trail. Our protagonist would end up spotting a strange building admist the trees, where normally there would be a small clearing with just grass, and small unused foundation in the middle of it with just a pipe sticking up out of it. Something used to be there clearly. Now it just looks like an undersized basketball court. Just a flat, platform of concrete. Nothing special at all. Though today, something was very clearly very wrong. There was a shed. Just built over the whole foundation. A small shack, where it doesn't belong.
"What...?"
Puzzled. She approached the shed. Countless thoughts racing through her head.
"What is this? This was not here before? When was the last time I came through here? Did some people build it that quick? There's no way. No one could build this in a week."
"Hello?"
Knocking on the door. It seemed empty. But the door was wide open. Not even locked, even the slightest touch of her knuckles against the door nudged it open. On the inside it was empty. Only a single lightbulb lit up the place, with two windows, completely clouded, on either side. You could barely even see through them. On the far end? A single posted piece of paper. It looked like some kind of poster, an advertisement for something. So she walked right in, to get a look, pushing the door out even more. As she let go of the door, it swung all the way closed, and shut entirely behind her. Which startled her, considering how loud the sound was from inside the shed.
"Fuck me!? Really...? Okay, rude ass door."
Approaching the flier on the wall. It read as follows:
⌈ CENAVIX SANITARIUM ⌉
///3, AS/////N RD. GORE MT. //
image [https://media.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/photo/2017/07/12/hotel-henry-in-buffalo-4766edc409f947c3.jpg]
WE PROVIDE THE UPMOST CARE FOR THE UNWELL! LET US TAKE CARE OF YOU!
WE ARE A PRIVATE, FAMILY-RUN SANITARIUM WITH THE GOAL OF
HOUSING, AND REHABILITATING THE UNWELL, DISABLED, SICK, OR POOR!
PLEASE CALL 887-XX3-6XX5 FOR ADMITTANCE OR MORE INFORMATION.
"Cenavix? Gore Mountain? What the hell is that...? That makes no sense. I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as Gore Mountain... Hehe."
To fact check this, she pulls out her phone, and does a quick online search to fact check this.
"Huh, there really is a Gore Mountain... But there's no Asylum up there? Just a ski lodge. What the hell is this even on about?"
She was very puzzled about this. She figured it'd be a question for another day. But as she pushed the door to open it. It would not budge. She pulled on it. It would not budge. She tried pushing a little harder, and pulling even harder. After that, she realized that she could not get the door to open.
"Shit...? What the hell? Why's it not opening...? Come onnn? Please?"
Panic didn't start to set in until almost a minute later. Where she realized she wasn't strong enough to kick open the door. Or call for help, as no one was there. The windows wouldn't open. Things were starting to look a little worse for wear for her.
"Okay, okay... this is alright. I gotta call my mom. She'll come. Help me out, and yell at me even more then she already would have. Haha... This is a disaster. God, why did you give me another disaster? I already have enough of those!"
She would bring out her phone and call her mom. It went to immediate voicemail.
"-? No, no nooo!! Come on mom! You want me to call you but your phone's on mute? Damn it! Just pick up! Please..."
More attempts were made. Though it all seemed hopeless. It was about to get so much worse... As something seemed suddenly so wrong. She could almost sense it. This humming sound- this low frequency vibrating? It was something just so irritating that started to fill the shed and like a plague, it wouldn't go away. She tried to cover her ears. But it was to no avail. Soon she would see the cause of the disturbance. As the floor beneath her shook and shifted, started molding and turning into this less solid and more fleshly substance. A hole was forming in the middle of the foundation. It was in the shape of a gaping, fiery mouth with teeth.
Our protagonist felt fear they never had in their entire life.
"Dear god...! Oh my god, what- what is that? What the FUCK IS THAT?!"
Now in dire panic. They screamed, they shouted. Banging on the door, making as much noise as possible. Anything they could possibly do to draw attention and hopefully reach help. It was to no avail. She banged on the windows, screaming for help. Shouting, kicking, punching. The mouth was growing. She banged on one of the windows with her phone as hard as she could, hoping to break through it and climb out.
"GOD PLEASE! GOD, SOMEBODY HELP ME! SOMEBO- PLEEASE!!! I NEED HELP!"
No one was there. She chucked her phone at the window as hard as she could. The phone smashed through. Leaving shards of glass falling into the grass as well as her phone out of her reach now. She ran over to climb through if she could. She thought maybe she could escape this nightmare and forget it ever happened. But it was already too late. The mouth soon expanded over the entire foundation. And she slid right down the mouth. Screaming all the way down. With no bottom in sight, darkness consuming . . .
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CHAPTER END