Chapter 2: Duskmire Manor pt. 1

Irina loves driving at night. The way the road is empty with only cascading shadows illuminating street lights, their car headlights, and the moon make driving so much more peaceful compared to the hectic reality of driving in the daylight.

Or maybe she just always loved the night.

She remembers when she was 13, she and Kiara would sneak out of their parent’s house at night to hang out with Dulio and Rebekah. The four of them were the best of friends since elementary school, when Kiara and Irina had gotten adopted.

Dulio would constantly talk about the crush he had on Kiara and his desire to ask her out on a date to Irina and Rebekah. However his dream would get crushed in middle school when Kiara was caught by the friends making out with a girl in the hallway. A redhead with freckles and soft green eyes. She was much taller and lean compared to a skinny Kiara who was only just starting to grow into her figure. Kiara’s very first girlfriend. Their relationship tragically cut short when the girl moved away with her parents to Los Angeles.

Lucky for the friend group Dulio didn’t grow bitter or distance himself, rather he simply accepted Kiara was a lesbian and let things be. Irina remembers the pain in her heart, having expected that now since he knew he wouldn’t have a chance with Kiara maybe he would turn his attention to her but that never happened. Rather Dulio took a page out of Kiara’s book and started dating out of the friend group.

“For the best.” Kiara always told Irina. “Besides, if Dulio is too stupid to see what a pretty girl you are, that’s his fault.”

Pretty.

A Girl.

As a Freshman and Sophomore, Irina never believed her sister when she called her that stuff. By age 13 she was already starting to grow facial hair and puberty had caused her height to shoot up past her sister already. She remembers her father being proud, expecting her to try out for basketball. However…Irina never found joy in that sport.

She was always fond of soccer. There was something exhilarating about it. Her father however considered soccer to be a more feminine sport, he would force Irina to participate in martial arts with him, taking her to the old cabin he owned for combat training.

He wanted Irina to become a priest. Why did a priest need to know martial arts? Irina was too scared of the man to ever ask him. Irina and Kiara always simply believe him to have a few screws loose, most likely loosened by the decades of Luminous church teachings.

Their mother, Julia Kolson was unable to have children. According to their father, Mikael Kolson, this wasn’t a bad thing, merely a sign from God to adopt. And so when he saw the young boy and girl at the St. Anne’s Orphanage all those years ago, he decided to adopt them together. Irina remembered being so scared, back when she was Isaiah, that her sister would get adopted and they would leave her there, alone.

However Julia Kolson refused to split the twins up and so they adopted both. Church every Wednesday. Family prayers every morning before school and every night before bed. Daily reading of the holy text and reciting passages of the God of Light Luminous to father’s satisfaction. That had been the two girls' lives for so long.

Neither girl however could bring themselves to believe in such a religion. For Kiara it was her lesbianism. For Irina it was more complex. A religion that never allowed her transition, who wanted to keep her scared, confused, and miserable as a dysphoric young man.

She sometimes wonders how she would be if Rebekah had never snuck her hormones. The estradiol. She remembers how happy she was when she allowed Rebekah to stick the needle in her leg. The chance to finally become a girl, to grow up as the woman she wanted to be.

Would she have gone to the Church of Luminous Religious College her father wanted her to attend? Would she be a miserable, bitter young man who would’ve hated himself, woke up every day and looked at himself in the mirror filled with pain, suffering, and regret. Or…would she have ended herself.

Irina snaps out of the memories of her former life that feels like it was eons ago. The monotony of the road being cut through by her snoring older twin sister. Irina smiles as she looks over at Kiara, a blanket over herself, hugging the arm rest tenderly.

So cute.

Irina lovs Kiara. She is the only family she has. Also has been. The only person she can ever truly trust. Irina presses a few touches on her phone with her right hand and an audio book comes to life. A horror story about some woman, who took a job as a caretaker for a demonic possessed young girl.

Irina loves reading and stories. She once tried to write but gave it up as she took an interest in singing. She would help her sister write the lyrics from time to time but Kiara was the true genius of their music, dark pop and rock. All told stories of horror, tragedy. Some of their songs were about demonic possession, falling in love with monsters, or even journeying to the Underworld.

Taking inspiration from their childhood, the religious sentiments they grew up with. At least they got some use out of it.

As she listens to the story Irina takes another sip of her red bull as she feels a yawn rising in her throat. As Irina passes the main road she finds herself driving deeper into a forest area, the air grew colder, and the fog thickened. Tall oak and redwood trees lining both sides of the road. Irina keeps her eyes on the road, but her mind is elsewhere, replaying the old woman’s warning.

“Two sisters, one womb, one grave. If you travel tonight you and your sister will die.”

Irina shivers, trying to shake off the ominous words. She hadn’t told Kiara about the encounter, not wanting to worry her sister. But also not wanting to make herself look crazy.

‘Just drive. Just drive and everything will be ok.’

Irina consoles herself. She looks at the clock to see it is now around 2 a.m. In just a few more hours, morning will be here. Dreams can’t tell the future. Nor did disappearing old ladies in diner bathrooms.

Irina laughs to herself as she listens to her audiobook. The protagonist is currently looking around the house for the demonic possessed daughter she is the caretaker of. She has searched every room and that only left the basement.

She is slowly walking towards the basement door and has her hand on the knob, questioning if she should go down there. She hardens her resolve and opens the door. And then-

Suddenly, a piercing scream cut through the night. Irina slams on the brakes, the car skidding to a halt. Kiara jumps up as she begins to scan the road. Irina cuts off the audiobook as she turns to her sister.

Another scream, with equal ferocity pierces through the air. “What the fuck.” Kiara says as she throws the blanket off herself.

This time, Irina is sure.

That isn’t the call of a wild animal.

It is a woman’s voice.

Kiara is about to open the car door when Irina grabs her hand. Irina realizes her hands are shaking and she can feel the cold sweat covering her forehead. Her dream. She had to tell Kiara about her dream. Irina tries to open her mouth and form words that won’t make her look like a madwoman when suddenly a barefoot woman in a white dress runs past them covered in blood, running deep into the woods.

“Do you think there was an accident?” Kiara asks, her face turning pale.

Irina losing her former resolve, suddenly looks for any other car on the road and doesn’t see any. Kiara turns towards Irina with a hard resolve, meanwhile Irina feels scared and shaky.

Kiara is always the strong one. The one who runs into danger. Who always is the first to lend a helping hand. Without even considering it any longer, Kiara begins to follow the woman. Irina then follows suit, the warning from her dream, freshly seared into her mind.

The years of sports and conditioning has paid off at least. Despite running at top speed, she is able to ignore the tightening in her chest and the burning of her lungs as she chases behind Kiara. They run, dodging trees, stones, and whatever else the wilderness has to offer. Irina realizes they must be deep into the countryside for there to be this much forest on the highway.

“Ma’am. Are you ok? Do you need help?” Kiara asks as she approaches the woman in the white dress. Suddenly another scream echoes from the woods, on instinct both sisters turn around and when they turn back the woman is gone.

Chills run down Irina’s spine. “W-what the fuck.” Kiara chokes out. Both sisters scan the woods for any signs of the woman but she is gone. Having disappeared without a trace. And then…laughter. Laughter that sounds like multiple voices, all mocking them.

Irina is paralyzed but Kiara grabs her sister’s hand and the two girls take off running back to the car. Once they were both in the safety and security of the car, the two girls sat in silence. In the locked 2003 Ford Mustang they sit in silence, staring at each other for what felt like hours until finally Irina gets the courage to speak.

“W-we’re tired. We’re both just tired. We should find somewhere to sleep.” Irina rationalizes.

The rational mind. Always trying to make sense of the irrational after the danger has passed. Irina’s chest is beating so hard, she feels like she is going to have a heart attack but she uses her breathing exercises, the ones her and Kiara had learned from therapy and tries to calm herself down.

Kiara nods before reaching over and embracing Irina in a hug. “That was stupid. I…I shouldn’t follow random people in the woods. I’m sorry…I’m so so sorry.” Kiara says.

Irina is worried that Kiara would be crying but when she pulls back to see Kiara’s soft infectious smile it causes her to smile as well. More bubbly than expected.

Of course she isn’t. Kiara never shows Irina her tears. Irina reaches out and holds Kiara’s hands, their fingers tingling for a brief moment. “You were trying to help someone. It’s ok. I completely understand.”

The two girls look for signs on the road. “Lodging: Duskmire Manor - 8 miles”

Without exchanging another word Irina starts the car and begins to ride, leaving this creepy and horrifying hallucination behind.

Hallucination.

Sleep deprivation.

Ghosts and Monsters aren’t real.

Right?

Kiara doesn’t fall back asleep, she stays up the entire time and listens to music as her younger sister drives.

𖤓

When the two girls arrive at Duskmire Manor, the adrenaline high of their encounter has faded. Both girls look at the Hotel in shock. They were expecting a cheap motel, something that has a fancy name in an attempt to set it apart from the rest, to hide their cockroach infestation or bed sheets that haven’t been washed in…the Gods know how long. But the sight of the Duskmire Manor is truly breathtaking.

As large as a mansion, it looks like it has once been an old church repurposed into a luxurious hotel. There was a point at top that looks like it once housed a large religious symbol that has been removed. The parking lot has a very sparse array of cars. Irina parks and both girls step out of the car as they inspect the place.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The manor was a bit out of the way and they had passed an open black gate to get inside. “Can we afford to stay here?” Irina questions, bewildered at the pearly white building made of stone and glass.

Kiara points to a sign and Irina turns to read.

“$35 per night, breakfast included”

With that question answered both girls enter the Duskmire Manor.

The inside is even more extravagant than the outside. Red Carpet. Everything is crafted in brown wood with chandeliers suspended from the top, illuminating everything. Soft jazz music was playing and there was the scent of coffee.

This place…was exquisite.

Kiara walks towards the front desk where a short man with graying, balding hair sits wearing a suit. A suit. Irina wonders if this place is as pretentious as it looks or if this is all just for show.

The man’s eyes widen into a smile as he looks at the two girls. “Welcome to the Duskmire Manor. My name is William Evangale! I am the owner of this fine establishment. We are sort of short staffed at the moment but I will do everything in my power to make your stay as safe as possible. What can I do for you both?”

Irina tries to find a lie or malicious intent in the man’s voice but finds herself lacking. He is, however, unusually cheery despite the fact that it is nearing 3 am in the morning. Has he just woken up or has he been here all night? Standing in this lonely old wood crafted lobby with exquisite furniture that looks too rich for a highway motel.

“We’d like a room for two. We plan to check out around noon tomorrow. How much is that going to run us?”

The man smiles as he does some calculations on his computer. “Two beds or one?”

“One bed.” Kiara answers and turns towards Irina who nods in confirmation.

“Excellent! Your total for tonight will be $35. Also we will need a card on record in case of any damages or cleaning.” Kiara pulls her license and card out of the wallet she keeps strapped to her pants with a silver chain. She gives the man what he needs and he does his magic once more, typing, making copies of her cards.

“Sign here.”

Once the filing is done the man looks up at the girls. “Excellent! Breakfast ends at 11:30. Please wait in the lobby while I get a room prepared.” The man advises.

The two girls take a seat on a worn-out couch, their tired bodies sinking into the faded upholstery as they listen to the soft jazz music playing through hidden speakers. Irina lets the soothing notes wash over her, feeling the tension in her muscles ease. Jazz isn’t exactly her favorite genre, but there is something about its rhythm that helps ground her when everything feels so overwhelming. Exhaustion weighs on her, and she knows that the moment her head touches the pillow, sleep will claim her in an instant.

The bell above the front door jingles, and Irina glances up to see a woman and a young girl step inside. The child can’t be more than five or six years old, still at the age where the world is full of wonders and nightmares in equal measure. It strikes Irina as odd—what are a woman and a child doing, traveling alone at this hour? The mother clutches a small suitcase in one hand, the girl’s hand in the other, as they approach the front desk. The girl is holding a small wheeled suitcase with a doll strapped to it.

She has a conversation in whispers that Irina assumes is similar to the one Kiara has with the manager. A room, for just a single night. The man still maintains his jovial routine and recites the same things about breakfast and one bed or two, he had asked Kiara.

The conversation between the woman and the desk clerk is low, punctuated by the soft rustle of papers and the beep of the card reader. It is a scene much like the one Kiara had just gone through. Routine. Mundane. Yet, something about it feels off, as if the very normality of it was a façade. This feeling is given to Irina by the stress on the woman’s face.

When the woman finally turns away from the desk, she leads her daughter to a couch opposite Irina and Kiara. The woman drops her bag onto the couch with a weary sigh, dark circles shadowing her eyes. She looks as though she hasn't slept in days.

“Mom! This place has a pool! Can we go play there?” the little girl asks, her voice bright and beaming with child-like excitement.

Irina raises an eyebrow. A pool? At a place like this? She exchanges a quick glance with Kiara, both of them sharing the same thought: what kind of highway motel has a pool?

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” the woman replies, her voice heavy with fatigue. “We have to get up early tomorrow. We won’t be staying here long.”

The woman slumps back against the couch, and for a moment, Irina feels an odd sense of unease. Something isn’t adding up. A mother and child alone at this hour, in a motel that was already raising too many questions…

‘Calm down Irina. You’re just being paranoid again.’

The little girl tugs on her mother’s sleeve. “Mama! Can I get some cookies?” She smiles brightly, filled with enthusiasm as she points towards the vending machine that seems extremely out of place compared to the fancy decor of this place, in the corner of the lobby. Her voice is a mixture of pleading and excitement.

The woman hesitates to speak, Irina can hear the pain in her voice when she finally answers her daughter. “Sorry mija, but we can’t afford that right now.”

The disappointment is clear on the girl’s face as her shoulders slump. She crawls into her mother’s lap. Irina can see tears forming in the mother’s eyes but she holds them in, refusing to be weak and vulnerable around the little girl that is depending on her.

“I can get it for her.” Irina answered, surprising Kiara, her meek little sister rarely stepping out of her shell. Irina opens her purse and fishes for a couple of spare dollars that she keeps lying around for ease of access.

“No! I couldn’t.” the woman says, speaking with a hispanic accent.

“It’s no problem.” Irina says with a small smile.

“Please mom.” The girl says, looking between Irina and her mother with a toothy grin. The mother nods and the little girl beams with excitement, she races towards the vending machine, Irina following in tow.

“What do we say mija?”

“Thank you kind lady!” the little girl shouts, causing Irina to laugh lightly. She can see moving in the back and up the stairs. Only shadows.

Irina ignores it, chalking it up to her paranoia as she inserts the dollars and presses the button for the cookies the girl has her heart set on. The second the machine relinquishes the snack the girl presses her tiny hand into the machine and eagerly grabs the package.

“Gracias!” the little girl shouts, her voice full of gratitude and joy. She runs back to her mother, who smiles warmly at Irina, though the weariness in her eyes remains.

“You’re very kind,” the woman said softly. “Thank you.”

Irina nods, offering a small smile in return before walking back to Kiara, who has been watching the exchange from their couch. As Irina sits down, she notices Kiara giving her a look of approval mixed with surprise.

“That was really sweet of you,” Kiara whispers, nudging Irina with her elbow.

Irina shrugs, feeling a bit self-conscious under her sister’s gaze. “She looked like she needed a win.”

Kiara’s smile lingers, but there is something in her eyes—something akin to concern. Irina can sense it but chooses not to press the matter. Instead, she leans back into the couch, letting out a sigh. The events of the night, the eerie forest, the strange woman, and now this odd hotel are all starting to weigh on her. The fatigue is catching up.

“I just want to get some sleep,” Irina mumbles, rubbing her eyes. “This place gives me the creeps.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kiara admits, glancing around the lobby. “But it’s just for one night. We’ll be out of here by noon tomorrow.”

The two sisters sit in silence after that, each lost in their own thoughts. Irina finds herself absentmindedly watching the little girl across the room, now happily munching on her cookies. There’s something soothing about the child’s innocence—a stark contrast to the undercurrent of unease that seems to permeate the air.

Kiara is focusing on the mother, the mother glances over at the twins, her eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and something else—something deeper. Kiara, noticing the look, decides to break the silence.

“Rough night?” Kiara asks, her voice gentle, inviting conversation.

The woman nods, a weak smile tugging at her lips. “You could say that,” she replies, her voice tinged with a sadness that is hard to ignore. “We’ve been on the road for a while now. Had to leave... a bad situation.”

A little girl and her mother on the road alone at this time of night. They already have the conclusion in their head.

“Was it your partner?” Kiara asks. “I-I could call the police for you.”

“Please don’t.” the woman says as she holds onto her daughter protectively. “If you do…he’ll gain custody of Mia and I’ll be sent back alone.”

The two sisters decide not to say anything as the woman gives her story. Allowing her to vent all her pent up feelings and to finally have someone to listen to her story. She is not a citizen yet. She had met a man by the name of Isacc because of her father. Her father turned her into a mail order bride, hoping she’d have a better life in America. The man was kind at first, but then over time, after the woman had Mia he got abusive.

He still hadn’t married her, which would’ve given her citizenship. He threatened to have her deported numerous times so that he’d gain full custody of Mia and could wash his hands of her. She couldn’t take it anymore so she left, she worried what he would do to Mia if she was gone. No longer the mail ordered punching bag the man had turned her into.

“I don’t have citizenship,” the woman continues in a whisper, as if confessing a secret she kept hidden for too long. “I’m scared he’ll find us and take her away from me. I don’t know where to go or who to turn to...”

Kiara reaches out and gently touches the woman’s arm. “You did the right thing by leaving,” she says softly. “You’re protecting your daughter, and that’s what matters. There are people who can help you. Have you looked into any shelters or organizations for women in your situation?”

The woman shakes her head, her eyes filling with tears. “No, I... I’m scared they’ll turn us in, or that he’ll find us if we stay in one place for too long.”

Irina watches the exchange in silence, her heart aching for the woman and her daughter. She wants to say something, to offer some kind of comfort, but the words seem to stick in her throat. Instead, she just sits there, listening to the soft jazz and the quiet, desperate conversation between Kiara and the woman.

For a moment, Irina feels a pang of guilt—here she was, worrying about her own insecurities, while this woman was fighting for her and her daughter’s survival. It put things into perspective, making her own struggles seem small in comparison.

The mother wipes away a tear and gives Kiara a small, grateful smile. “Thank you for listening,” she says softly. “It’s been a long time since someone cared.”

The woman’s story reminds Irina a little of her and Kiara’s situation. Kicked out of their family’s home at 17, living on the road for two years. However, they have each other to lean on and support. This woman…has nobody.

Suddenly a woman descends from the stairs, wearing a cleaning uniform and a smile on her face. “Kiara Kolson? Your room is ready”. The two girls look at the woman, wondering if she’d be ok but she smiles and nods.

The two girls wave to Mia, who waves back before following the maid up the stairs.

Upstairs looks like it hasn’t been renovated like the lobby has, the walls are filled with chipping paint and the rug is ragged and dirty. “Sorry about the mess. The manager is still renovating this place. We were going to shut down a few weeks ago so more work could be done but the manager insisted we stay open.”

“Is he trying to turn this place into a high end hotel or something?” Kiara asks, “We heard there’s a pool here.”

The maid sighs, clearly annoyed by the entire situation.

“That man, William Evangale, is out of his mind. He bought this place six months ago and he has big plans for it. This place…it used to be a church. A house of God. When the priest that ran the church passed away however, there was nobody willing to take over this place so it fell into disuse. A company bought it and renovated it into a motel. Mr. Evangale bought this place and he, for some reason, thinks it’s going to be big. A church turned into an extravagant inn, on the side of the highway. Absolute insanity. Sometimes I hear him talking to himself. Most of the staff think he lost it, or maybe he never had it to begin with. I’ve been working for this place, ever since it was owned by the company. He hired the old staff on but got rid of the old manager. Blamed him for allowing this place to fall into the condition it had been in. That “pool” you mentioned, was used for baptisms.”

Irina shuddered, “that sounds creepy.”

“Please don’t go to the third or fourth floor. Mr. Evangale is having work done up there and it’s very dangerous at the moment.”

The woman leads the two girls to room #17 and hands them the key. “The cook he hired, her cooking is very good. Some fancy big city girl who went to culinary school. She had a hard time finding work in the city. Mr. Evangale hired her at a decent salary, I heard. I wouldn’t miss her breakfast if you can make it.”

“Thanks for the info.” Kiara says. The woman nods and walks away. Once inside the room both girls drop their bags on the floor. Neither girl has the energy to change. Rather they both crawl into bed. Kiara wraps her arms around Irina who simply accepts it.

It reminds Irina and Kiara, back when they were at the orphanage and shared a bed every night. When they were adopted to the Kolson’s, nights like this became sparse and extremely rare. Both girls had been given separate rooms and Mikael Kolson thought it was unsightly for the two siblings, “a brother and sister” to share a bed like this.

Mainly when Irina’s nightmares became too intense, to the point where she woke up in cold sweats, screaming, Mikael allowed the two sisters to share one bed. Julia Kolson explained to their father that it was most likely a trauma response of the two girls having grown up without parents and asked Mikael to leave them be.

“You’re really brave you know?” Kiara whispers into Irina’s ear which causes her to raise an eyebrow in confusion, Kiara’s voice snapping her out of her train of thoughts, her memories of psychological trauma.

“I don’t know.” Irina says, unsure.

“Not many people would go out of their way to help a random woman in need. You care about people, Irina. Very dearly. You’re strong and brave when you want to be. You…you are a very strong and beautiful woman Irina and I don’t want you to forget that.”

Irina doesn’t realize she has been crying before she feels the dampness touch her pillow. Her soft whimpers make Kiara wrap her arms around Irina tighter.

“I-I love you.” Irina whispers.

“I love you too little sis.” Kiara softly states. The two girls then fell asleep, tightly embraced in each other's arms, ready to face any challenge or hardship the world threw at them.

As Irina closes her eyes, she tries to push away the strange events of the night, focusing instead on the comforting presence of her sister beside her.

But as she drifts off to sleep, Irina can’t shake the feeling that something is watching them, lurking just beyond the curtains in the inky blackness of the Duskmire Manor.