- Isaac? Could you go and find your sister? We've been looking for her for hours, but she didn't eat yet. Declared Philip, looking away from his newspapers, for half a second

- Oh, that's right, I wondered where she was! Shannon commented as she placed a letter on the current Scrabble game versus herself

Isaac stood up, directing his gaze away from his telephone. His sister...Marilou..Where was she hidden? The last time he saw her, she was sitting on the leather couch next to Alfred William Smith, discussing about whether cow milk was better or goat milk. Weird topic, by the way.

At the thought of Smithy, so called "Alphy" by Lilith, Isaac felt her throat tighten. This man. He didn't trust this man. The eldest noticed that Lilith seemed to believe the same thing that he did.

Every time that Lilith saw Alfred, she'd squint her eyes and look away. Yet, she was the one who brought him back to life. Isaac was skeptical; why did she want him alive if his presence was bothering her this much?

It was unknown. Undesired. No. Simply, he couldn't ask something private if he didn't have the permission to, neither the respect. Briefly, the boy didn't know if he deserved Lilith's respect.

Did he have it? Probably. More than his sister did. Lilith hated Smithy from the bottom of her heart, for a reason that concerned her only. Although he didn't have a clue why, Isaac preferred to wait. It was like that.

- Isaac? Did you hear me? Come get your sister for me, please...Philip spoke as he grabbed his son's phone, agitating it in front of his eyes to catch his attention

- Uh, yes, I'm gonna go there. But where? He questioned hesitantly

Shannon and Philip both sighed, consulting each other severely. Plus with that look that means everything "You can't be serious! Did you even listen?". As Philip mumbled incoherent words, Shannon shifted towards her son.

- It will be yours to discover, Isaac. That's exactly why we're asking you to go search for her.

Caught off guard, the teenager's eyes widened, scrutinizing his mother cautiously, trying to figure out whether she was lying or not.

- Yes, of course, but where was the place when you last saw her? He insisted, lost

- That kid is lost...Grumbled Philip, shaking his head

Noticing that his parent didn't look too happy, Isaac ran away. He left the room, not too determined, his mind working at a billion thoughts a minute as his azur gaze wandered around the halls. Where could she be? The manor was so huge, and the hallways endless!

Contrary to his sister, he didn't take the time to explore all around the mansion and to keep a mental map. But now, he regretted it. Isaac would've appreciate knowing Marilou's spots and the places to avoid.

And yet, he couldn't change anything to it right now. Where Alfred William Smith would be, Marilou would be there too. He was convinced. The had all the place they wanted to go discuss, and it was way too huge for him to know where they would be hiding.

Isaac once saw them in the attic, eating Miss Vickies! Which was troubling, considering the amount of rats and their indifference with the idea that a spider could crawl up their backs.

His white Converse didn't survive. He kept on wandering around, panting heavily, as he didn't have the same style anymore. Casually, he worse old sweaters that we could consider ancient, jeans from two thousand and ten as well as a Trasher hoodie.

- Heya there, did you see Marilou? Smithy questioned as he appeared in front of him, speaking with a cheerful voice as the smile reached his ears

Desperate, Isaac let out a heart breaking sigh, rolling his eyes. Shifting his gaze to Smithy, he noticed his azur gaze scrutinized him severely, his wry nose making him look like a witch. He shuddered.

- No, I was searching for her. He replied coldly as he watched the man

- Oh yeah? Your sister is important for you? Alphy insisted sarcastically as he followed Isaac 

- Of course! I haven't seen her since this morning! Isaac complained as he pushed the man away with his hand, strolling faster

- It doesn't look like it. Your parents asked you to. If you really appreciated her, like me, for example, you would've thought of her earlier.

Isaac froze, shocked. Did the man really dare to believe that? Declaring his opinion this rudely, too! Trying to control his emotions, the teen took a few deep breaths.

- Consider yourself lucky I'm searching for her right now. You should rummage through other's businesses, though. Isaac said, avoiding Smithy's gaze

Fortunately, Alphy didn't say anything. He nodded his head vigorously and walked off, falling on the couch on the other side of the hallway. Isaac had a taboo thought in his mind; What if his parents saw Sir Alfred William Smith? They knew about Marilou's excuse, yet they wouldn't believe it for so long if they saw him a lot.

If he would've been his mother, he would've been skeptical. A neighbour, here to visit? Who discussed with her daughter and went along well? Probably not. Isaac would've required more informations, judging her severely. Well, it wasn't important anymore. It wasn't for him to take the decisions in the family.

Innocently, the boy walked through the halls, foot after foot. Around him, the corridor became thin as he passed through them. Yet he didn't seem to notice.

An object to his right caught his attention. The picture of a man. A devilish grin, an odd legend. His curiosity taking over, Isaac stopped and observed the picture.

- Queen Anabeth O'Brien. Deceased in one thousand nine hundred eighty-five by a satanic cult. The story tells that she was a  conspiracy theorist against Grace Kelly. Anabeth violently assassinated the woman with a rope around her neck, strangling her. When Grace was breathless, Anabeth stabbed her multiple times, making her die atrociously. She died three years later after being condemned to the prison.

HIs breath caught in his throat, Isaac couldn't pronounce a single word. It was such a cruel act! He wanted to rebel against this truth that broke his heart, but he couldn't.

The teenager, suddenly careless, kept on going forward, not noticing the oxygen decreasing. He choked. He didn't notice it after a few seconds. His gaze was lost in the air as his eyes were aching, his vision becoming blurry.

Impulsively, Isaac pushed the door of a random room, and entered, breathing shakily. His breath was coming in short huffs, and he felt like his heart stopped pounding.

- Hello? He hesitated in a weak voice, so low that we could hear a fly

Nobody replied, evidently. He didn't expect that to happen either. Robotically, the young boy watched around, speaking with himself.

- You know, I'm searching for my sister, Marilou. Have you seen her? Because I didn't. I'm looking for her. She's lost.

Isaac began growing into a maniac, the room remaining quiet as the weight of the world fell on his shoulders. His thoughts were wandering around like an hamster in a cage, but he didn't notice it at all. Visibly, he wasn't normal.

- Do you know where she is? Could you answer my question? It would be very, very kind of you if you could! I like when people answer to my questions. He exclaimed happily, clapping his hands together

The electricity in the chandelier starting to buzz, pulling Isaac out of his trance. Blinking a few times, he couldn't find a way to reflect properly. And that he knew was that he had to find Marilou. Now. The eldest didn't know why, but he felt like she was in danger.

Letting his thoughts wandering and his feet move for him, Isaac stood silent. His breath was shaky and dubious, bringing him to a locked door. The boy raised his brows.

His gaze stopped on a black room, decorated like the rest of the room except a colourful banner. Curious, Isaac scrutinized the place, and what he saw made him shudder.

Marilou. She was sitting on a chair wrapped with plastic. Her eyes were closed, her ankles tied by a frail cord. That would break very easily, naturally.

Trying to get her out of here, the teen searched for a key. His hands moved along the window, to the lock. And yet, nothing. Distractly, he directed his gaze to his sister with concern.

Her head was hanging, but it didn't move. As if she knew that she was being observed, she brutally opened her eyes, sending shivers along his spine. Her eyes. They weren't gentle and protective anymore.

But red. Bloody red.