That's Where Aurabelle Lives

Chapter 8: Will You Save Me?

After much research, Lisa and Ethan's journey leads them from one home to another, collecting fragments of stories, snippets of fear-filled nights, and tales of strange occurrences around the Walters house.

Their pursuit of the truth leads them to a woman, a distant relative of the Walters, who lives on the outskirts of town, shunned due to her connection to the infamous family.

Ethan and Lisa stand before her house. It is a sight to behold, a monument of decay and desolation. The house looks vacant, the windows staring blankly at the world, the paint peeling off the walls, and the wood, riddled with rot and ruin, creaking with a forgotten history.

"Her name is Anya Walters," Ethan says while looking up at the house.

Lisa sighs. "I really don't want to be here right now. The place looks...creepy."

They exchange a glance, their hearts pounding in their chests. There's a pause as they soak in the daunting sight of the house, its sketchiness amplified in the dim light of the setting sun.

A soft breeze rustles the leaves around them, bringing with it a chill that has nothing to do with the weather. Ethan turns to Lisa, his eyes meeting hers. "Who's going to ring the doorbell?" he asks, his gaze flicking to the cracked piece of wood that serves as the front door.

Lisa shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "You're the one who brought us here. You ring it," she counters, nudging him gently towards the door.

Drawing a deep breath, Ethan steps forward and presses the doorbell. The sound echoes in the stillness, a solitary chime that seems to reverberate through the house.

The door creaks open, revealing a middle-aged woman. She's skinny, her frame skeletal and her skin, pale as moonlight, stretched taut over her bones. Her brown hair is a messy tangle, and her gray eyes, wide with fright, dart between Ethan and Lisa. The woman looks tired, worn down by years of living with a secret too heavy to bear. Her malnourished figure stands as a testament to a life led in fear and solitude.

Her eyes meet theirs, a silent question in her gaze. Ethan and Lisa exchange a glance, their determination solidifying. They're here for answers, and they won't leave without them.

"I know why you're here," the woman says. "Come in. Shut the door behind yourselves."

When the woman speaks, her voice is low, echoing in the eerie silence of the house. It carries a haunting quality, the sound of it seeping into the very air, creating an atmosphere of chilling melancholy. It's as if her words are not merely spoken, but are ghosts of a tortured past, lingering long after they've been uttered.

Ethan and Lisa sit across from the woman, a Walters descendant, in her dimly lit living room. The air is thick with tension, the old house echoing with the silence between their words.

Lisa smiles nervously. She squeezes her jeans and looks at the woman. "Are you Anya Walters?"

The woman remains quiet, staring at them intensely.

"Tell us about the Walters curse," Ethan urges gently, his fingers nervously tapping the armrest of his chair. "Our friend is in trouble. We think...we think something might have gotten to her or inside of her."

Anya takes a breath before speaking. She tells the horrific tale of how the Walters, in a twisted attempt to gain power, had sacrificed their own children to an evil entity. But the evil, instead of granting them power, overcame them, turning their lives into a living nightmare. They were consumed by their own curse, their end as horrifying as the acts they had committed. Anya mentioned she's lost all of her children as well.

The woman sighs, her eyes filled with an ancient fear. "It's a terrible tale," she whispers, her voice shaking. "The Walters were... were not good people. They sacrificed their own children, and kidnapped others... for power, for control."

Lisa gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. "That's horrific! And the town... they don't know about the missing children?"

The woman shakes her head. "The Walters were cunning. They covered their tracks well. Only a few of us know the truth... and we've been too scared to speak. You speak. You die. Now, the curse lingers, bound to the house, spreading its malevolence to anyone who dares to step inside, possessing them with the same darkness that devoured the Walters."

As Anya unfolds this tale, a chilling wind seems to sweep through the room, making Ethan and Lisa shudder. The girl, however, remains calm, her eyes filled with a sorrowful acceptance.

Ethan sees the remorse coursing through her. "You got away, though. How?"

A soft smile crosses the woman's face. "I saved someone... a kidnapped child. I helped him escape. For that I feel as God had some sort of mercy on me. That's...what I wanted to believe at the time. But it seems my act of defiance didn't go unpunished."

Lisa inches forward. "What do you mean?"

Her voice drops to a whisper. "A demon follows me now. I can't make friends, can't have a normal life. Even you being in this room...with me. It's dangerous. You both are brave. Very very brave children."

A shiver flew up Lisa's spine. She reaches out, her hand resting on the woman's. "We won't let this continue. We'll help you. But you have to help us."

"Your friend," Anya continues. "I don't know if you can save her. I couldn't save the ones I love. Maybe it's best you save yourselves." She let's out a weak laugh. "No, no."

She pauses. "I'm sorry. Sometimes they speak for me. Please save your friends. And-"

The woman looks at them, her eyes glistening with hope and fear. "Will you... will you save me?"

Before they can answer, her eyes roll back, and she slumps in her chair, unconscious. Ethan and Lisa look at each other, their determination set. The fight against the Walters curse has just begun.