Chapter 10

Planchette

The house was so warm and not just because of the snow outside. The living room had cozy yellow walls and low orange light shown from a myriad of stained glass lamps across the living room as I'Ksha led Lee through the front door. There were embers left over from a fire in the chimney and Lee was immediately spotted by a small child who was playing with figurines on the floor of the living room. The child ran over to I’Ksha who scooped him up greeting her little sibling. 

“This is Cyrus, my baby brother.” I’Ksha looked down at the small child bundled up in a thick red sweater. “Cyrus this is my friend Lee,” she tried to shift the boy out from her torso but the child dug deeper into her. She sighed and walked over to the couch, setting her little brother down on his back, pulling his hands away from her as he tried to grab onto her jacket again. She threw a blanket over him. “He is very shy around new people.” Lee looked over the couch and saw Cyrus peak over the blanket and duck back under. This child is adorable.

“i’Ksha, is that you?” a voice boomed in from the other room. A young woman, a bit older than I’Ksha poked her head out  from the corner of what looked to be a kitchen. She had the same eyes as I’Ksha but she was much shorter and had close cropped hair. She was wearing an apron around her slim waist holding containers of tupperware with foil wrapped around the top. Her eyebrows raised when she saw Lee, “Oh, hello.”

I’Ksha walked over and gave her a side hug and looked back at the entry way where Lee stood frozen in place. She motioned for Lee to walk over. “Aqila, this is a friend of mine, Lee.” I’Ksha explained to her. 

The young woman’s face became warm and a bright white smile stretched across her face as she went to shake Lee’s hand. “A friend? That's about time!” She sang in a playful tone. “I’m I’Ksha’s older sister, Aquila.” she shook Lee’s hand firmly and quickly. With her other hand she shoved the tupperware she had been holding into her younger sister’s hands. “Share that with Lee would you? I’m gonna get Cyrus to bed. Can you close down for the night?”

I’Ksha nodded, “Is it ok for Lee to stay the night? Roads are gonna be closed down soon.”

Aquila smiled back at her “Baby you know you don't even gotta ask, of course.” She scooped up Cyrus, sleepy in his bundle of blankets, and began to walk up the stairs and called down, “Oh! Dad’s staying at the hospital tonight, he is pulling a double.”

I’Ksha nodded and began to douse the fire in the living room. Lee looked around. There were many photos decorating the walls of the siblings and who looked to be I’Ksha’s father dressed in scrubs. The house was filled with knick knacks and small trophies stating the accomplishments of each member of the family.  It made Lee’s home feel barren in comparison. Most photos were taken down after their mother had died and no one had bothered to put up new ones. I’Ksha locked the heavy wooden front door and turned around to face Lee again. “Can you get those lamps?” She pointed to the ones by Lee and quickly Lee doused the lights filling the downstairs with darkness. I’Ksha turned her phone light on and began walking to the kitchen.  Lee, unsure of where exactly she was walking, cautiously followed. She opened a door next to the refridgerator and began to walk down a staircase. 

“Um,” Lee said quietly, their voice shaking, “Where are you going?”

I'Ksha didn't stop, she just continued walking down the stairs. After a moment she called out to Lee, “Come on! Close the door behind you.”

Lee was beginning to feel uncomfortable in the dark. They had been afraid of the dark as a child because they had begun to see things in their room at night. Things that they knew now were the spirits of people who had passed. They had gotten over their fear quickly after their mother began teaching them about the dead and how to help them move on. But something about the black void from a few nights ago was crawling into Lee’s head. It felt like whatever had been there, the creature, was watching them. Lee turned on their light, shut the door, and followed I’Kasha down the stairs.