The scarcity of the desert consumed me.The dry air brushed against my arm. I rose from my tomb slowly. All of these memories began to flood my brain like a tsunami. Memories that were buried deep in my soul. The haunting thoughts sent shutters down my spine as I walked to the castle. My father was Lord Uther of Lilop. My father has a very grand fortune. He owned everything from cars to cattle. I was to inherit the fortune when he died, since I was the first-born son. My brother Arthur was always jealous of me. He envied my every move. My father treated me well and didn’t pay much attention to Arthur. I had certain privileges my brother didn’t, but he took it to heart. My father fell very ill. His health was depleting day by day. When my father died Arthur became distant. While I was at my dead father’s bedside he stabbed me in the back. “ Why brother?,” I asked as my breath shortened. “ I want simply, your fortune”, he said menacingly. I fell to the ground while blood was gushing from my side. I felt like I was being emptied. My eyes began to open and close slowly. I knew these were my final moments. I open my eyes one last time to see my brother standing over top of me with a smile on his face. Then I fell into a dark eternal sleep. I reach the doorstep, as I open the door I am met with an endless hallway. Doors creak open as I tiptoe daintily. Then I see Arthur from a distance. I walk vicariously through the halls. The thought of being discrete leaves my mind, as my thoughts now focus on revenge. The revenge I seek is overwhelming. My mind wanders to dark places as I lunge towards him. The sight of him disgusts me, but also motivates me. I am getting closer and closer then I see him clearly. I gaze at his golden locks of hair droop over his forehead. I purse my lips hoping a sound would emit. “Hello brother”, I whisper slowly in his ear. He jumped up to be met with the sight of his reincarnated brother. He looks into my eyes intently remembering the painful death he bestowed upon me. As he stares in my eyes a piece of rotten skin falls on his face. I look away caught off guard from this faint piney smell meticulously making its way in my lungs. I can hear his heartbeat. The rapid beating of a drum with red running through its sticks. He’s growing as white as snow with sweat dripping from his brow. “ Brother, I’m sorry,” `his breath shortens. I grabbed a torch from the wall and dropped it on the ground. The fir quickly spreads first to the curtains, then the bed, and made its way to the door. I watched “I hope it was worth it, brother”. I whispered as I faded away having my soul satisfied. #betray #gothic #revenge

“Repeat after me, I, state you name, devote my whole life to Delta Sigma Si.”, Christy’s eyes were wide as if scared of something.

“I, Lacie Anderson, devote my whole life to Delta Sigma Si.”

“I promise to be loyal to my sisters, and I place this sorority and my sisters, before anything.”

“I promise to be loyal to my sisters, and I place this sorority and my sisters before anything.”, I smiled as I blew out the flames on the candles and the room became dark. Once the applauding ceased someone said, “Alright, turn the lights on.”

“I’m trying!”, Christy’s voice was as if trembling with worry.

“Come on Chris...”, I was becoming afraid of the dark.

A cold breeze flew in through the window that was supposed to be closed, “Lacie, I told you to close the window! Why didn’t you?!”, Christy shouted.

“I did!”, I yelled, not sure why this was such a big deal and why the girls were freaking out. Suddenly all became quiet, “Girls? Someone turn on the lights! Girls! Is this apart of getting into Delta Sigma Si? Come on sisters this isn’t really funny anymore I’m a bit creeped out.”

“Walk to the tree, pull the blue ornament.”, a raspy whisper flew by my ear. Chills ran down my spine as I spun around stuttering,“Wh-who’s there? Who ar-are you?”

“Walk to the tree, pull the blue ornament.”, the hoars voice got louder. I ran towards the door trying to escape, but the door was locked, and the doorknob was cold.

“Follow my orders!” the voice shouted and the Christmas tree shook. The room dropped to a low temperature as I fell on my knees, surprised from the force.

I walked slowly to the tree, my teeth chattering and my feet going numb, I searched for the blue ornamant. The toy was shaped like a perfect ball, a royal blue covering it and I saw my pale face through it’s reflection. I gently pulled it and a strong metallic scent tingled at my nose hairs. As the tree slowly turned it gave off a loud scraping sound and revealed a deep, curvy stairwell.

“Follow me”, a gust of air flew passed me down the stairs nearly knocking me off my feet. As I stepped down, the lights got dimmer and dimmer and finally I stepped into a small dark room, with only two long chains attached to it’s rough wall. I gasped and turned back to run, but I was met with another stone wall.

“Let me go! Please! I didn’t do anything!”, my voice cracked as tears raced down my dry cheeks.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” the painful voice was behind me, “You shouldn’t have ever promised that oath.”

I screamed as a force pulled me into the wall and my wrists were chained. “Don’t hurt me! Please! Who are you?!”.

“Who I was, is the better question. I was a college girl just like you, who tried to get into Delta, but they would never accept me,” I cried as the chains tightened around my body and the voice continued, “When I drove off a bridge the Delta girls cried like they cared, but the next day they carried on with their life. So now, each Christmas Eve when a new girl decides to join, I let her, and then take her down here and she’s trapped to see how horrid and cruel this sorority is.”

I yanked at the chains, my eyes soar from crying, looking at my bleeding and bruised wrists. I had no idea what was expecting me as I squinted my eyes to look for the spirit. “Please, let me go” I could barely make out the words.

“Too late.” I felt a sharp peircing in my throat and blook tickled my neck as I tried to scream in pain, but nothing came out. I heard the voice whisper once more, “Lure in more girls, let them suffer too.” the spirit flew into my throat and a sudden darkness swallowed me.

As I bolted my eyes opened, I saw a beautiful, bright, Christmas tree in front of me. The calendar read “December 24, 1896”. In front of me stood a young girl ready to join Delta Sigma Si.

My eyes widened with fear as I opened my mouth to scream, to warn the girl, but all that came out of my mouth was,“Repeat after me...”

#flashfiction #gothic #christmaseve