Lullaby | Brahms Heelshire |

Chapter 1

Lullaby and goodnight.

My flesh turned cold from the metal kissing my palms as I turned the brass knob. With a push, the deep wooden door swung smoothly open, allowing shadows to scurry away from the light flooding in. The air was so thick I could practically taste the dust as it danced around in the rays of light. Inside was a sweep of wood floor, thick rugs, and a staircase climbing. Old looking furniture lay spread out and a few animal heads hung on the wall.

"I apologize again for the long drive up here." The realtor woman, Charlotte I think her name was, said shadowing my footsteps up to the door. Her fluffy red hair bounced with every step she took. "But I promise you Miss Danielle, It is worth it." I bit my lip "Danny." I corrected her as politely as I could. I turned my attention back to the house and stepped into the parlor without invitation.

I had been looking at houses with this Charlotte woman all day, and this home that had once belonged to the Heelshires was by far the biggest. And the cheapest.

"So." I began turning to Charlotte, my voice bouncing off the walls. "What is the catch? This house is amazing. Why can I afford it?" Charlotte's positive expression never faltered and she began to say what I imagine she had practiced to say over and over. "Actually this home has a dark history. There was a very tragic accident about twen..." An upbeat piano tune suddenly broke her sentence. Her positive expression shattered into a nervous one. I don't think that she had ever rehearsed this happening. She pulled a large phone from her pocket and looked at the number on the buzzing screen. Her red brows shot upward and she quickly looked at me. "Pardon me um... Danny, but I must take this call. Um..." Her brown eyes searched the walls trying to think of a way to distract me from her conversation. "I'll only be a few moments, please just wait in the parlor until I am finished." She said sliding the screen and lifting the silver rectangle to her ear. She quickly disappeared around the corner, her voice muffled by the large walls.

I thought about listening to her for about 3.5 seconds and then totally discarded the idea. I took a few steps deeper into the house toward the grand stair case. I began to climb, making sure that my steps were soft so she wouldn't catch me breaking her rules. The deep brown walls were still fully lavished as if the Heelshire family wanted to leave this place entirely.

At the top of the stairs there lay a large rectangular object that was covered by a white sheet. I stepped closer, curious as to what was underneath. A mirror? A picture? A door to a magical land? I figured that in this house, anything was possible. I pinched the cloth between my fingers ready to peak underneath, But Charlottes voice echoed from below and I jumped. Not wanting her to catch me being a creep, I let go of the sheet and proceeded up another set of stairs. I found a small hall of rooms on the top floor.

All of the doors were closed except one at the far end of the hall. It hung open like a reaching hand beckoning me to enter. I kept my steps swift and soft as if not to alarm anything lurking about.

I turned the corner and peaked into the room. I was shocked to find the room fully decorated. Toys filled the shelves, Blankets lie made on the bed. It was strange, but I decided not to dwell on it. I shrugged off the thought and was about to step into the room, when suddenly the sound of muffled footsteps played out behind me. I cringed knowing that I had been caught breaking the rules. "I'm really sorry Charlotte." I began to explain turning around. I expected to see her standing in the hall crossing her arms and tapping her toe.

But all I found was an empty hallway.

Confused, I looked around the silent hall and to my surprise, there was a door on the opposite side of me that was open. I could have sworn that it was shut earlier. I lightly stepped over to the door and peered inside.