Unholy Conception

Clara

Soft music played in the background as I stuffed my shoes into the corner of my bag, the soles touching the bottom away from my clothes.

I worked down my list to ensure everything was packed.

After today, there would be no more student status, only a lifetime of suitable employment.

The weight of responsibility was on the horizon, which is why this trip with my friends was crucial.

A rapid knock on my dorm door had me smiling.

The walls were thin, but even through the wooden door, I could hear Sabita’s excitement.

I rushed to open the door before my neighbours got cranky.

Sabby was in her summer gear as if we were in Spain instead of England.

She pushed the large sunglasses off and used them like a headband, sliding the legs into her black silky hair.

“I knew you would triple-check everything with a list, which is why I am here, to hurry you along. Rachel will be here soon,” she said as she walked past me.

“I’m shocked that you are out of bed before ten,” I said with a grin before I closed the door. “Do you know where Rachel is taking us?”

“Nah, she wouldn't tell me, no matter how much I harassed her. Ella doesn't have a clue either,” she said, placing her bag beside mine.

Rachel’s parents were wealthy and kind enough to pay for the accommodation. We didn't end up in the same Universities or courses, but we did keep in touch. We all needed this trip to blow off some steam and say goodbye to the torturous years of studying, lectures, and exams.

I zipped my bag and disconnected my phone from the speakers before I turned to Sabby. Adventure was in the air, and for once in my predictable life, I wanted to throw caution to the wind and embrace the unknown.

“Let’s do this,” I said with my grin matching hers.

◆◆◆

The road trip was fun. It reminded me of family holidays, since it was the only time we were allowed junk food as snacks. As adults, we had snacks and vodka on the way to Rachel’s mystery location.

“I think she is going to murder us all out here in the sticks,” Ella giggled beside me.

“I don't care as long as I’m wasted when she does it,” Sabby said from the front passenger seat.

“I’m too lazy to murder all three of you. The cleanup of multiple bodies isn't worth it,” Rachel snickered.

We must be close, we had been on the smaller roads for at least twenty minutes.

I looked through the window at the looming trees that cut off the warm sun’s rays.

A sudden chill made me reach for my jacket, but I paused to stare at the house in the distance.

The quaint village had been a pleasant stop to get our supplies in, but the landscape looked dull without the sun.

The size and rural location made it stand out, but that wasn’t it. When I glanced above the manor, black birds seemed to circle it. The birds didn’t flap—they drifted in widening circles, like ashes caught in an updraft. Their beaks gaped silently, as if the house had stolen their cries.

A cramp twisted low in my belly, timed with the birds’ spiral. I told myself it was the vodka. The cold slid up my thighs first, a lover’s touch through my jeans. By the time I grabbed my jacket, my nipples had pebbled—not from the temperature.

I slipped my jacket on, careful not to spill my drink and ignoring the goosebumps on my arm. When I glanced up, the house was out of sight, and the sun broke through the tree’s canopy. I ignored the restless sensation in the pit of my stomach. It had to be the damn vodka.

“You’re so jumpy!” Ella said, laughing as she swatted my knee. Her fingers left damp prints on my jeans. When I looked down, they were gone.

“If anyone needs to relax this weekend, it’s our Clairebear,” Sabby said, reaching back for the bottle.

The girls didn't seem to notice anything. I shook my head at my overactive imagination, scolding myself before smiling and taking a large gulp of my vodka. This was the last trip I would go on since I had the crippling student debt to pay off and they were right I was uptight.

◆◆◆

My relaxed state lasted two minutes when I saw the old mansion.

I peered out the window, but the circling birds were nowhere to be seen.

The iron gates were rusted open, but I could just make out the words ‘Greywood Manor’ carved into the stone’s arch, half-obscured by ivy that twitched in the windless air.

Rachel parked next to the house beside a tall gated entrance that led to an eerie-looking garden. The mature trees gobbled up all the sunlight, darkening the area. She pulled her phone off the dashboard and the bottle of vodka off Sabby.

“Oh, my God, this must have cost a fortune,” Sabby said as she stared at the Manor.”

“Greywood Manor,” Rachel announced. “Built in 1823, abandoned since—” She squinted at her phone. “Huh. No one seems to know.”

I stared at her, the hint of a smile curling her lips. She was up to something. Memories of our teenage sleepovers flooded back. All the truth and dare games—Rachel’s love of crime dramas and horror movies.

“You brought us to a fucking murder house?” I shrieked at her, but my voice echoed back at me, slurred.

Ella looked surprised but also drunk. They all started to laugh hysterically, no doubt at my expense. I looked past them to the dark Manor.

“I confess. Rumour has it that a man murdered his cheating wife before killing himself. The reviews on the property listing made me curious to know if people were making shit up or not,” Rachel said before drinking the vodka straight out of the bottle.

“Strange things have happened to people in this house.”

The sound of another car speeding up the driveway made her shove the bottle in Sabby’s hand. I glanced back to see a black sports car sending gravel flying in all directions as it drew closer.

“Shit, hide the bottle. That's the guy with the keys,” Rachel said to Sabby as she unclipped her seatbelt.

Sabby took care of the bottle while we all stepped out of the stuffy car.

The purr of his engine cut out while I inhaled the fresh air.

When I glanced up, a sharp-suited man approached us.

His clothes seemed overly formal and excessively old-fashioned.

He reminded me of an aristocratic countryside landlord. Who wore a waistcoat and pocket watch?

“Ladies, welcome to Greywood Manor,” he said, his smile consisting of white, pearly teeth, but his sharp eyes were penetrating.

Goosebumps rose on my arms, but I rubbed them through my jacket. Ella and Rachel were charmed by him, but he gave me the creeps. His head snapped over to me as he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.

“You will find several doors locked, but that is due to the size of the property and people leaving a mess in every room. The east wing is off-limits entirely,” he said, glancing down until he reached my pink canvas lace-ups.

“That’s not a problem. We don't intend to leave a mess,” Rachel assured him.

His smile brightened, and he held out the keys. “Would you like a tour?”

“No, thank you,” I blurted out before I frowned, wondering why he made me nervous. “I mean, that is part of our fun. Exploring the house.”

“Of course,” he said, dropping the keys in Rachel’s hand. “Have a pleasant stay, ladies. You have my number on the booking if there are any problems”

With that, the dark-haired man climbed back into his car and fired the engine up. I don't know what was wrong with me. He was just an odd man who liked to dress up. Sabby came out of the car holding the bottle up while the girls rushed to get their bags.

I stared at the manor and its multitude of windows, my eyes lingered on the round turret, east of the house. My gut screamed to leave, but I knew Sabby and Rachel would kill me. Ella was the sweetest and our peacekeeper. She would stop the violence.

“Was there an actual murder here?” I snapped at Rachel, moving to the open boot to help with the grocery bags.

“Well, technically, the bodies were never found. It is all speculation,” she said, handing me my backpack. “The baby vanished too.”

My jaw fell open while Rachel chortled. “This is going to be so much fun.”

I grabbed the last grocery bag while Rachel slammed the boot shut. The sound made me jump. I didn't have the courage to look up at the turret again, so I rushed after them, pushing the dread down. An entire wealthy family vanished in the Victorian era. That was a rarity.

The girls chattered about getting to a toilet and picking out rooms while I listened to the groaning floorboards as they tumbled into the house, hesitating for a second before I stepped inside the dark wooden hallway. I pushed the door shut with my elbow.

The girls scattered as they went to find a bathroom. Something flickered from the corner of my eye. I gasped at the dark patch on the landing. It wasn't a shadow, but a—I blinked, and it was gone.

Sabby and Ella were running up the stairs, distracting me from my hallucination, while Rachel vanished into one of the rooms. The creaking and groaning was coming from all directions as if the house was awakening from a deep slumber.

“I’m going to fucking haunt you if I die in this house,” I shouted at Rachel only to hear her tittering before her head poked out.

“Your reaction is even better than I thought,” she said with a cheeky grin.

The bitch.

My palm was slick against the grocery bag’s handles. In every horror movie, the anxious girl always dies first—the one who feels the danger and is overly cautious while everyone else laughs.

The floorboards sighed beneath me.

Not wood settling, but breathing.

Fuck.

I wasn't getting drunk in the middle of the day again.