Aisha's Point Of View

I heard everything.

Jack truly doesn't believe me, but he believes in one thing. He doesn't believe that I am lying, but he believes that I am mentally ill.

He probably thinks that I am a burden to him. I walked over to my vanity and there sat my mother's music box.

I picked it up and wounded it, then placed it back down and opened it.

It played a beautiful melody that I didn't know the name of.

I looked at myself in the mirror, placing my hand on it.

"Why doesn't Jack truly believe me?

Am I actually crazy?

Am I actually fooling myself?"

I whispered.

I stood there in one place in my room in complete and utter shock.

My eyes burned as they threatened to spill even just one tear drop from one of my eyes as my mouth stayed slightly agaped, almost as if my jaw was locked.

I quickly shut my jaw and clenched it, unknowingly at the same time I was biting my lip all up until the iron taste of blood slightly grazed my tongue.

I didn't realize that I was tightly bawling my first until I felt the burning sensation of my nails digging into my skin on my palms.

My door opened, Jack and Helios made their way in with powerfully alluring deep strides across the wooden flooring below their feet.

Jack sleeked his hair back to one side with one hand as the other stayed halfway in his pocket as he walked into my room, inching one step at a time closer to me.

I was on the brink of tears after hearing what he said while I was unintentionally ease dropping. I dropped my gaze to the ground, my chin followed.

I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

A hand then lightly gripped under my jaw, it slightly nudged my chin as my head was tilted up to be met with another face. The face that I didn't want to see, but the face that I couldn't bring myself to completely hate.

"What's wrong, Aisha?" Jack asked as he brushed away another tear as it slid down my face. I felt like I was hyperventilating as my lips started to tremble.

He leaned in ever so close to my ear.

"Stop biting your lip, Aisha. You're going to bruise it and then your lips will be chapped." Jack whispered.

I finally slapped his hand away from my face, and words finally left my sore throat,

"DO NOT TOUCH ME." I tried to scream as loud as I could, but it was only a faint pitch that left my mouth. I pursed my lips, trying to not lose my temper completely and start screaming.

"Aisha, you're acting like a child.

Stop screaming at me and calm down, Aisha." He took a step closer to me again, but this time with open arms.

"Give me a hug Aisha, and everything will be okay." He stated as he then wrapped his arms around me and held my head close to his chest.

"We made such good progress together yesterday, remember?

You were calm, we got to go outside of the property, and you were freeing your mind. You were so good yesterday. So please, let's not ruin that progress today, love. So please, calm down." Jack said so calmly.

I brought my palms to his chest and pushed him back and he stumbled back. Jack flinched as he took a step to my left, and out of my way with a faint gasp that left his mouth. I quickly made my way over to Helios and threw myself into his arms.

"Angel?" Helios asked as I looked into his shocked green eyes that soon turned soft as his eyes grazed to my lips. At that moment I felt the blood seep out of the wound on my lip, it slightly burned and I felt another tear threatening to slip out of my eyes once again.

In a movement that slightly shocked me, I felt Helios's thumb lightly graze my lip, wiping away the blood that lingered upon it.

After that one nurturing caress, the tears finally spilled from my eyes like a rushing river.

I threw my head into the crook of his neck and clutched his shirt into my fists and he fell backwards, landing in a seated position onto my bed.

A minute passed and I felt one of Helios's hands on the back of my head, the other hand of his was wrapped around my back. His hand slowly but ever so carefully made small circles upon my back.

My breathing slowed to soft and shallow breaths, with that, two final tears wept from my eyes.

There was a difference between the way that I felt whenever Helios held me than when Jack held me.

When Helios held me, it felt safe, warm and genuine.

But when Jack held me, I felt a bit of pity in him as he huffed once each time that I was in his arms.

Within that moment, I was finally relaxed.

I felt more relaxed than I ever had in years, more than so ever than when Jack held me in his arms. At that moment, it was finally peaceful and I felt my eyes slightly flutter shut.

I wished that I could stay in this moment forever.

But I knew that I must not be greedy and that I needed to be content for what I had, even if it was only just for a little while.

I looked over and my eye grazed Jack's face. His eyes had a murderous blaze to them.

I let go of Helios's shirt and placed my hands flat upon his chest. His chest was rock hard but I knew that his skin had to have been smooth to the touch underneath his shirt.

I could feel through my hand and through his shirt that his breath hitched for a slight moment, then started to speed up just a little.

Within that same time I could feel that his heartbeat quickened in its pace.

I looked him deeply into his eyes and lipped a message to him of "Thank you."

I could tell that he got the message as he slightly nodded his head back to me.

"I am okay now, let's just get started." I rubbed my eyes and I took a couple steps back trying to collect myself.

I looked over at Jackson and all I could do was glare at him, but of course, he was unfazed.

Helios opened his bag and pulled out a paper and a pen.

"Alright, do we have matches?" Helios asked.

"Yes, we have matches." Jack replied.

"Do we have Ashley's diary?" Helios asked.

"Yes, I have my mother's diary." I said as I squeezed my mother's diary close to my chest.

"Also, when I saw Alina in the room, she said that there is a key behind a painting." Helios smiled.

"I have a feeling that I know which painting it is. It's either the big painting of my mom in the hallway, or the painting in the attic."

I hope that I can get good answers this time. And if I cannot get good answers this time, then I guess the matter of the apparent fact will be true.

The apparent fact that I, Aisha Rosaura Althea Savelli, am in fact, mentally ill.

..........

I started walking towards my door from the opposite side of the room of where I was. My eyes locked with Jack's eyes as I tried to make my way around him up until my wrist was lightly grabbed.

"Wait just a minute, Aisha. You didn't get changed. If you don't get changed you will end up getting sick" Jack sighed.

"Heh... I wonder why. And it doesn't matter. If I get sick, I get sick.....

Oh wait, I'm already sick, aren't I, Jackson?" I stated as I shook off his hand and I continued out of my room.

"Heli, you said something about a painting, right?" I asked.

"Yes I did, miss Aisha." Helios replied.

"Let's go to my mother's portrait. In the hallway. I think it's there." I stated.

"Before that, let me light a candle." Said Helios.

He opened his bag, took out a candle and a stand, placed the candle on the stand and then on my vanity. He opened his bag again, took out a box of matches and lit the candle. That gave me the idea that I needed my oil lamp, so I grabbed it.

I walked out of my bedroom and into the hallway. Helios and Jack followed me and

we quickly made our way over to the portrait.

The portrait itself was breathtaking as it was.

To me, it was the only thing that shone light in this hellbent house.

I touched the center of the portrait where my mother's hands rested.

Don't worry mother, I'm going to solve this and fix everything.

Please, believe in me.

But please, give me a sign, please give me a sign for all of us to see, a sign to prove that I'm not crazy to everyone, even myself.

I carefully pushed the portrait to the side, and sure enough, there was an envelope and another key.

I grasped the envelope in my hand and opened it. I pulled out a folded paper and opened it.

I quickly grabbed the note along with the key.

I looked down at the note, the paper was faded along with the handwriting, but I could still make out every word.

My dear Aisha, you have found a key. Hopefully you found the chest underneath the tree, as for this key, it is no ordinary key, for this key unlocks the box of my memories.

If you have found the box, you need to believe, that within the special box are my memories.

Why might this box be special?

You see, within this box contains bits and pieces of events that no one would believe. If you continue this search there may be things that could never be foreseen, along with things that you might never be able to unsee.

I Love You, Forever & Always.

- Ashley

I felt a burning sensation build up in my eyes and something swell up in throat, I quickly rubbed my eyes.

"We need to go back outside, under the tree, we need to get the lockbox, we now have the key." I whispered.

I placed the note back into the envelope and placed it near my heart, then finally turned around and took a lantern from Helios, then brushed past his shoulder.

"Let's go. It's time to go to the West Wing." I said. At that time I then felt a hand resting upon my shoulder,

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Jack asked.

I simply nodded and walked past both of them and they followed behind me and down the hallway and we turned, finally coming to a halt at the east staircase.

Jack passed me and made his way down the stairs as I froze in place contemplating on if I really wanted to do this and I felt at that moment in my own world, like I was in a trance and I was unable to move or think of anything.

That all ended when I felt a hand lock with my right hand. I looked over to my right and I was greeted by Helios.e

He smiled me a reassuring smile that said "It's okay" and "we can do this together".

His smile was contagious and led me to drawing my own smile upon my face.

I lightly squeezed his hand back and we made our way down the East staircase together until I came to another stop and looked up to the side of the mansion that I was restricted from going into.

"Wait, the box. We have to go get the box." I sighed.

"Here, it's cold outside so I will go get the box." Helios smiled, "I envision that it's under the tree, correct?" Helios asked.

"Yeah, it should be covered over by leaves. It's directly in front of the tree, front facing towards the house." I smiled.

"Alright, you both stay here. I will go get it." Said Helios.

"Hang on, it's cold outside and the box is going to be wet. Take my gloves and take this too." Jack said as he pulled a hand towel from his jacket.

"Where did you get that?" I asked.

"I got it from your room earlier." Jack replied as he handed it to Helios.

"Alright. I will be right back." Helios assured and made his way down the stairs and everything stayed silent until the front door closed.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier Aisha, I-... I talked on impulse." Jack whispered.

"You know, Jack, I'm going to tell you something. You really make me want to hate myself..." I whispered.

"Huh?" He asked.

"Nuh uh uh... I'm not finished." I replied and Jack let out a low huff.

"Just like that too." I couldn't look him in the face so I just stared down. I tightly bawled my hands into a fist and I felt my nails slightly dig into the skin of my palms.

"It feels like you only listen to me so I will be quiet later and you just nod your head so you don't have to argue with me and hear me go on and on about things. Do you not realize how that hurts me? And then you turn around and ridicule me."

I whimpered.

"Aisha.... I'm sorry...." Jack sighed.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Jackson. You act like this is a routine for you and that you have dealt with it way in the past and treat it like it's nothing." I exclaimed.

He took a couple steps closer to me and lightly pulled me into him.

"Aisha... I'm truly sorry. I just don't want it happening again and I don't want you getting hurt again." Jack whispered.

Again?

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Helio's Point Of View:

I opened the front door and went outside. I walked to the tree in front of me, bending down I started to remove the snow. Underneath the snow was leaves, and underneath the leaves, sure enough was a chest. I picked up the chest and I felt a chill crawl throughout my body.

I turned around and looked up at the house.

A presence was in the house.

Through a window I could see a tall woman standing with her back facing towards me and it seemed like her arms might have been crossed.

The woman's body slowly started rotating around, until only half of her body was visible.

She was somewhat tall, pale skin, and straight silver hair that covered the side of her face. She slowly tilted her head to my view. The only eye that was visible was a lake blue color.

She was beautiful and unreal, it was almost like I was seeing a mirage.

She flashed a small grin on her face without showing her teeth.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest once again and my slow breathing turned into heaves.

The pain caused me to look down and grab my shirt to hold my chest, the pain was only momentarily but the pain was worse than what I felt when I held Alina's hand. Once the pain was gone and I could breath normally once again.

I slowly looked up again, and the woman was gone.

She was like a woman of a mirage.

Would I be able to see her again?

The Woman Of Mirage.

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I quickly wrapped the chest and made my way towards the porch of the house again and kicked the snow off of my shoes. I opened up the door and saw Jack and Aisha still standing at the bottom of one staircase. I made my way over to Jack and I placed the wrapped chest in his hands along with his gloves.

"Alrighty, are we ready?" I asked as I made my way towards Aisha.

"We are ready." Aisha gave a faint but uneasy smile on her face.

Aisha's Point Of View:

I put one foot forward and we made our way up to the West Wing.

As soon as we reached the top of the staircase there was a different aura to the house.

It did not contain the feeling of hatred, no, it was something worse.

The West Wing contained the feeling of sorrow and confusion.

The two feelings that I have felt on and off. But these two feelings were not the only feelings in aura, no, it contained a feeling that was close to something that I haven't experienced in a long time as I had given up on it many years ago, the feeling of limerence.

The mental state of profound romantic infatuation, deep obsession, and longing. The experience that ranges from euphoria to despair. All except, I felt nothing for wanting any sort of romantic love, the only love that I had once yearned for was parental love or any sort of assurance unconditionally.

It was a heart breaking feeling that I was experiencing, really.

But it made me wonder who could have been feeling these types of feelings.

It couldn't have been Alina, she shows herself as a child, she must have lost her life when she was a baby, so it must be my mother.

That is the only logical answer that there is because Alina can't be alive if I see her and then she disappears.

It makes me wonder what other secrets that my parents must be hiding within this hell bent house.

Just thinking about it hurts my consciousness to even try to envision, it hurts my heart to even think about it, it hurts me to try to imagine what my mother must have gone through in her marriage.

She must have been alone in her mind because of this longing feeling that I am feeling. It makes me wonder if this could be a restless emotion that was left in this house by my mother.

But it leaves me with a question, why is there only this feeling in the West Wing but nowhere else in this house?

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Chapter 13 - The Woman of Mirage

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