A Place Where Nothing Happens

Status : Writer

Ester:

I pull the blankets from Niklaus' withered OLD body, frantically trying to check for a heartbeat or feel her breathing.

There was nothing.. absolutely nothing.

I wail louder hardly noticing the man servant and that damn gravy bowl which meant absolutely nothing right now!

Absolutely NOTHING!!!

I stroke my daughters long grey hair in remorse willing her to come back to us with every tear I shed.

Subject: Re: A Place Where Nothing Happens Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:34 pm

Midas:

*too SHOCKED at Niklaus's death to realize I am just carrying around the gravy bowl still*

*GRiPPING IT FOR DEAR LIFE*

...

I see her, she looked...old. As if she died of old age..
I couldn't see her as the same person, I am struck by the last time I saw her walking the grounds with Lady Ester, she did not look too good but not like this. I felt sick at the relief I felt seeing her then, that she was alive.

Lady Ester's wails were awful and snap me out of the reality of where I was, and just how I should not be here.

I walk out of the room and the house having no desire to be there anymore, I only wanted too to see her and I was to late.

*finely notices the bowl and tosses it angrily relishing in the smashing sound of porcelain*

Subject: Re: A Place Where Nothing Happens Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:48 pm

Background Noise to Set the Mood:

Olaf:

Once in the carriage, we make our way over to the Mikaelson house.

The atmosphere was dark and eerie.

“Would you mind explaining what is going on Commissioner?”

I supress my swell of emotions to address the situation at hand.

(Commissioner) “You have been made aware of the incident?”

“Yes, of course.”

It was quite the shock - as much of an outcast as Ms. Mikaelson was, I had never expected her capable of something so horrid.

(Commissioner) “Well then, you must also know that several officers were sent shortly thereafter to bring her in for questioning.”

…….

“Yes, but I fail to see how this involves me officer? I am the Mayor, my duties do not extend to law enforcement.”

(Commissioner) “Typically they would not, but a mob has formed of concerned citizens, and we require your services to keep them under control.”

“How so?”

(Commissioner) “Talk them down, negotiate if you must. We have tried everything ourselves but they just won’t listen to us. You are an elected official, perhaps you will have more pull where we do not.”

I let out a humourless laugh before looking out the window and rubbing my legs with great unease.

“You wish me to defend her?”

(Commissioner) “Of course not, just keep the locals from crucifying her until she has been properly sentenced. Once you have them under control, we will bring her back to the station.”

I think back sickened to the discovery which led to this madness; A child was found dead on Ms. Mikaelson’s property, or more accurately, nailed to her front door with their eyes gouged out.

Weeks prior sightings of animal carcasses had been reported in a similar fashion, but none were taken seriously. Presumedly it was some snot nosed brat playing a sick joke.

Which now seemed to have ended quite badly.

As we approach the property, a rank smell fills the air so pungent that myself and the two accompanying officers go into a coughing fit in response. My eyes water and I am forced to blink away the tears so that I can focus on several strange objects dangling from the trees like ornaments.

I vomit in recognition at their mutilated forms and look over at my companions in horror.

They were bodies..

(Police Officer) “We need to get out of here!”

He yells as whatever was left of the supposed mob was now strung up in the trees and put on display for all to see.

A grotesque visual put on display as if in mockery; maggots feasted away at the rotting flesh, first the eyes, then the mouth and finally, everything else.

“I don’t understand, how long has it been since you were last here?!”

(Commissioner) “An hour.. “

(Police Officer) “If that!”

An hour? Those bodies look like they have been rotting there for weeks!

The officer tries to turn us around but suddenly, something takes hold of the carriage and we are soon dragged forwards despite our best efforts.

The horses squeal in terror as a long tree root goes shooting up from the ground and right through one of the poor creature’s necks, decapitating it in the process.

(Police Officer) “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”

Another tree root takes hold of the second horse and drags it deep underground, causing its body to break and contort in on itself in a bloody cluster as it is pulled into a small hole.

My heart races and I look outside the window to see the Mikaelson house fast approaching.

(Commissioner) “LEAVE THE CARRIAGE!”

We all jump out at once and sprint off in different directions.

Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!

A nearby tree twists over unnaturally and grabs the Commissioner by the waste with on of its branches, squeezing him to death in its grasp. He chokes up blood and his eyes bulge out of his head in response.

I gasp while looking behind at the gruesome scene mid run before turning around and continuing my sprint onwards for dear life.

Another scream is heard in the far-off distance, presumably the other officer, but I refuse to look behind me this time as it would only slow my pace.

I run deep into the forest until I eventually trip over myself from sheer exhaustion.

I crawl back up again like a scared animal until I am caught by the ankle and dragged back.

I twist around in the dirt and try to untangle myself when I come face to face with-

“Elgatha!”

The black ribbon surrounding her ghastly form untangles itself from around me as I stand up numbly in defeat.

The fascination I had once felt for this creature had long since passed and now there was nothing left but bitter resentment.

Whoever she was, whatever she was, has caused nothing but terror and suffering for this community, myself included.

Several moments of uncomfortable silence pass between us as I wait for her to make her next move.

Why she chose not to dispose of me like she had the others I did not know, what I did was that all the rumours I had heard about her were true.

She was the monster everyone claimed her to be.

(Elgatha) “I have been waiting for you Olaf.”

Her feet touch the ground as she descends from her floating position in the air.

“Whatever do you mean?”

I look back at her disturbed.

(Elgatha) “Your soul, it calls to me. Don’t you feel it?”

She slowly approaches and I grow cold as though death itself was finally here to take me.

“Why are you doing this?”

I lean back but remain frozen to the spot.

(Elgatha) “Shhhhhh.”

She places her index finger to my lips before leaning in real close as though she were going to kiss me.

(Elgatha) “Now come quietly and I will be quick. I don’t intend to savour you as I did your wife.”

My breath suddenly catches and I let out a soft sob.

“You w-what?”

Her cruel words not only confirmed Niklaus’ accusations but my very worst fears.

She was right, Niklaus was right, I should have listened to her when I had the chance, now she is dead and I could have saved her!

Bitterness, resentment, and the like flood my innermost being and I am poisoned to the very core, for all that I did, all that I failed to do.

In a flawless motion of both speed and accuracy, I make a move so out of character that even the demon witch herself was taken off guard.

I stab her through the heart.

The witch’s eyes widen before she looks down at her bloody wound unable to speak.

I give her a cold-hearted look before retracting my blade without mercy.

“Go to hell you bitch.”

I seethe, allowing her body to fall as I turn away from her.

A moment passes as I stare off into the darkness.

**All the while Elgatha soon heals using the last remnants of life which she stole from Niklaus.**

(Elgatha) “Yooooouuuuuuuu.”

A gravelly voice breaks the silence as the demon witch rises to a standing position.

(Elgatha) “You are going to regret thhhaaaaaattttttttt.”

I turn around in startled contempt.

“Why won’t you die?!”

I snap as she cackles.

(Elgatha) “Yoouuu fooooollll.”

She rasps.

“You do not scare me Elgatha for you have already taken it all!”

She gives me a dark look of indifference before proceeding.

(Elgatha) “What was lost can just as easily be brought back again, and as you are aware I am a witch. A WITCH Olaf! A witch of TIME. Do you understand what that means? Do not underestimate my curses as they won’t just end with you, they end when I choose them to end, whether that be during your children’s lifetime, your children’s children or GENERATIONS after that!”

I tilt my head at how upset she got, but her words still had no impact as I did not truly understand their meaning.

(Elgatha) “3 curses I leave you with: past, present, and future. Torment, rejection and death to you and your family! I will steal your future as you have tried to steal mine! Your family will be made an example of to all who dare to defy me!”

She screeches and bursts into FLAMES before leaving my scene entirely.

I remain standing alone in the dark for several moments afterwards expecting something more to happen.

But it did not.

Was that it? A promise that the worst was yet to come?

I laugh completely dead inside, what more could she possibly take from me?

Status : Writer

Bain:

The Master returned early the next morning looking as though he went through hell and back.

Word of Lady Niklaus' death had soon spread among the servants resulting in a chilling disquiet.

No one knew what her death meant and how it would impact them.

I continue digging a hole for the burial site with the length and width to fit the coffin. I was 4 feet deep with another 3 to go.

Burying her here on the grounds only seemed natural. A few plants were brought in to make the grave site more lovely but I wresled with how they would survive in soil such as this.

Everything was so very rushed but if we did not act soon the body would rot.

Subject: Re: A Place Where Nothing Happens Sat Apr 27, 2024 10:40 am

Midas:

I watch Bain dig in silence, just horrified at what I saw, UNABLE to process the MYSTERY.

Maybe I would have learned something MORE if I followed Olaf that night but I was unable to do much in my state.

I would probably have gotten myself killed trying to burn down that HELLLHOUSE if I wast so stifled.

Always stifled by something in my life. Such a shame. That was the professors last words to me.
I almost saw him again.

Almost felt his mind again.

Such a great man, the professor... still rotting away in this useless meaningless little place WHERE NOTHING HAPPENS.

I tried at least to leave here.

Its all Olaf's fault. If Niklaus just didn't marry him...

Maybe it would be better to be gone like Niklaus then to KNOW something, just a bit of something and be powerless of it.

The house, the witch,

the girl in the window,

the boy in the basement...

I snap a twig in the dirt sitting in deep thought near the hole grasping another root out of the ground and peeling it, really feeling it with my nails in anger pretending it was Elga's skin I was ripping apart.

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