Chapter 2 – The Forbidden Door

(Eve's POV)

“Are you sure this is the address?” Bethany gawked at the mansion. She wasn’t blinking, so I doubted if she was breathing.

It was old and… gothic, reminding me of all the scary movies my family watched together. My breathing and the beating of my heart were on pause as I slowly glanced at my children. Like me, their eyes fixed on where we would live temporarily, their mouths open, and I bet their heart pounding faster as we got closer to the place.

Bethany slowed down the car, stopping at the gate.

Isabella screamed when the tall, beautifully decorated metal gate creaked, automatically opening for us. I opened the window, hoping to find the sensor, but I gasped when the cold wind kissed my skin. Goosebumps broke out over my skin.

“Brrr…” I shivered, clearing my throat as I pressed the button to close the car window. I couldn’t find the sensor if this old place had one, or maybe it was hidden from the neglected sprawling vines around the area. 

“Shh!” Jessy hushed her, unfastening Isabella’s seatbelt.

“Hey!” Rosie said, grabbing her twin sister’s hand and stopping her.

“We might need to run, Rosie. Bethany, something’s wrong with your GPS,” Jessy laughed hard, trying to joke. “You’re supposed to take us to our Aunt Moira, not Morticia and her Addams family mansion.”

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing her sitting Isabella in her lap. I had to fight the urge to shiver, silently freaking out at the old stone mansion that looked like it came out of a horror movie. There were modern mansions on the way; that was why I never expected to end up looking at what Jessy mentioned ‘Addams family mansion.’

The gothic mansion was like an apparition, standing proudly at the opening of a lonely wood where trees waved their thick leaves. The bright blue and perfect sky reflected the luscious green colors of the woods, emphasizing the beauty and classicism of the mansion, and even with the car windows closed, I could taste earthy air. Suddenly, I was afraid to live here, thinking of hundreds of possible scenarios of losing my children in the ghostly-looking woods.

“If Moira gave your mom the right address, then we’re in the right place,” Bethany chuckled nervously, driving on a gravel and mulch driveway. “For the first time, I’m with you, Jessy,” she sighed, stopping the car in front of the medieval flamboyant main door.

“You think the Beast lives there?” Theo spoke for the first time; his eyes sparkled on the solid, heavy entry door.

“The Beast lives in the palace, Theo,” Cooper laughed briefly as he unfastened his seatbelt. “This is… this is a haunted house. Do you think there are ghosts here?”

My boys seemed excited rather than terrified like the girls.

“There’s one way to know whether it’s the Beast or Uncle Fester lives there,” Bethany joked, unlocking the car.

I took a deep breath, freed myself from the seatbelt, and exited the car. Without my cue, Rosie opened the seven-seater vehicle and followed me. I halted abruptly, hearing Isabella scream again at the creaking sound of the door.

I looked over my shoulder to see what it was about, then turned my head immediately to the main door again when I heard a squeal.

“You came!”

I paused, trying to process in my brain who she was.

“Moira?” I murmured, creasing my brows and remembering to breathe.

Moira must be in her early twenties, young, hot, and sexy in her white tassel tie straps midi dress. Her long golden brown curly hair made her look like a goddess… not the white witch my daughter feared.

The clanking of her stiletto made a noise as she walked toward me, like she could distinguish Marcus’ wife between Bethany and me. The asymmetric tiered skirt of her dress swayed, making Moira more attractive and shapely. Suddenly, I itched to ask if she was really my late husband’s cousin or another relationship I never knew about.

“You’re Eve, right?” she chuckled, leaning forward and pressing her lips to my cheek. “And you must be Bethany,” she smiled, moving to the side to reach Bethany’s cheek. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

Moira gasped, her eyes beaming with excitement when she saw the children.

“Oh, my gee! I never thought I’d see you in this lifetime,” she chuckled, walking to my children and kissing their cheeks. “You look like your dad,” she said, tapping the tip of Cooper’s nose.

“I looked like my dad,” Cooper corrected, emphasizing the word looked. “He’s dead,” he muttered sadly.

“I know,” Moira nodded and sighed.

“Your house looks scary,” Isabella whimpered, hiding behind me.

Moira pressed her lips, but an amused smile escaped as she looked over her shoulders, glancing at the mansion.

“Yeah, I know.” Her nose wrinkled, agreeing with my daughter. “But it’s what keeps my business alive.” She turned to Bethany and me. “I own a log cabin and campsite, by the way,” she said, pointing her index finger toward the woods.

“I don’t see the relation.” Bethany arched her eyebrows, confused as she followed the direction of Moira’s finger.

She rolled her eyes. “Exactly!” She giggled. “It’s the exact words I told my parents when they passed this property to me.” She turned around. “It’s chilly here. Let’s get inside so you can get settled. I’m just waiting for you and my ride.”

“Where are you going?” Theo asked, following her first.

Bethany and I looked at each other in surprise. My best friend shrugged, advancing next to the main door.

 “Cory and I will go on a trip,” Moira answered, extending her hand to my eight-year-old son.

“Who’s Cory?” He asked again.

“My boyfriend,” she muttered, grinning at him.

Moira led us into the grand front hall of the mansion adorned with tapestries and statues. My lips parted, recognizing some of the sculptures and paintings. Working in a local library somehow gave me some insights about them. Whether they were the original, I could still say her place was covered with gems… not literally, but by looking at the mansion's interior, it was priceless. Moira is not rich but very, very, very rich. Yet she must not be aware that this place would fall apart if not renovated.

She turned around, startling me.

I pressed my lips tightly and blinked, hoping it was enough to tell she got my attention.

“Eve, as much as I want to give you a tour here and at the campsite, I don’t have much time. I promised Cory to be at the airport in an hour,” she muttered apologetically and turned to the grand stairs. “There are five rooms upstairs -”

“Does that mean I can have my own room?” Jessy interrupted, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Of course, darling,” she grinned and puckered her lips, pointing to the stairs. “Go.”

Jessy grabbed her twin sister’s hand, tugging her toward the stairs. Excited at the news, forgetting the mansion scared them a while ago. My three other children followed them.

“There are two bedrooms there,” Moira pointed at the gleaming hallway.

My forehead creased as I imagined myself standing at a crossroads. I opened my mouth to protest, wanting to tell her it was difficult to remember everything because she seemed in a hurry, telling me the map of her home as we stood in the middle of the large living room.  

“Each bedroom has its own bathroom. I hate having a common bathroom.” She rolled her. “That’s the way to the kitchen, dining room… the library. Oh!” she gasped at the sound of her smartphone in her hand.

She paused to brief me and checked her text message. When she was done, she turned to Bethany and me again.

“That’s Cory, reminding me of our flight,” she giggled and sighed, wandering her eyes to the living room. “You don’t have to worry about the bills. My secretary had them covered.”

I opened my mouth again, hoping to tell her my concern about the school, grocery stores, or pharmacy, just in case I needed to buy medicine for my children, but she beat me.

“Here’s the map,” she handed the colorful paper to me. “It’s updated. The trees in the campsite make it difficult to update the online map and GPS, so I made it for you. The campsite is under renovation, so you don’t have to worry about having unexpected guests.”

I pressed my lips tightly, looking worriedly at the map.

“Oh! One more thing!” She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and tugging me at the end of the hallway. “No matter how curious you are, don’t open that door,” Moira instructed firmly. “As I told you, you can live here for free, use everything here, but never… never open that door or else -”

“Or else what?” Bethany asked, peering at the door she just opened.

“What’s in there?” My eyes were roundly terrified as I walked toward Bethany, pushing the door wide open.

Moira laughed amusedly. “I just told you not to open it,” she rolled her eyes as she stood beside me.

“Gee, Moira! Did you know that Eve needs this?” Bethany sighed, stepping inside the stunning meditation room.

“Don’t!” Moira gasped, blocking Bethany from walking inside.

The traditional Japanese Zen room opposed the medieval Gothic style of the mansion. The natural light from the open glass door and feng shui design was like walking into a different zone.

“What’s in there?” Bethany’s eyes were wide as she peered inside the meditation room. “Why isn’t she allowed to get in there?” My best friend crossed her arms over her chest, lifting an eyebrow at the woman before her.

“Because it’s forbidden,” she answered firmly, closing the door.

“Forbidden?” Bethany creased her brows, her eyes wide as she stared at the closed door.

“I just don’t want anyone entering my office, that’s all.” Moira shrugged, raising her hands.

Bethany sneered and snorted. “You should have said it right away. Phew! I thought there was something scary inside.”

“Like a cadaver?” Moira whispered, her eyes wide as she asked.

She shook her head. “Nope. I thought it was a gateway to hell.”

As if Moira found it amusing, she guffawed softly and shook her head. “I guarantee you, it’s not. Why do you want to find the gateway to hell?” Her eyes were wide with interest. She looked naive and… cute.

My best friend shrugged. “I just want to make sure Marcus is having fun in hell so he won’t bother coming back and make my best friend’s life worse. She was way too miserable already.”

“You’re funny,” Moira laughed giddily. “If that’s the case, I’ll tell Lucy to keep him there forever.”

Lucy? Who is Lucy? I groaned, realizing I almost believed Moira.

My lips parted, wanting to participate in their jokes, but how could I when they were talking about my dead husband? I had so many things to ask her, but before I could utter my question, she turned around and walked toward the foyer.

Bethany tried to open the forbidden door again, but Moira must have locked it already. She hissed and gestured her hand, telling me to follow Moira. My husband’s cousin stood and waited patiently at us.

“Keys,” she chimed, smiling excitedly as she grabbed my hand and placed the bunch of keys in my palm.

Moira let out a heavy sigh, her eyes scanning every inch of her surroundings. Maybe the thought of leaving her home must have been weighing heavily on her mind. Her forlorn expression reminded me of my children earlier, looking betrayed by the fact that she would miss her familiar surroundings dearly.

“Don’t worry, Moira. I’ll take care of this place,” I assured her. “I… I can’t thank you enough for letting us live here for a while. I know you’ll miss this…” I swallowed hard, thinking who would miss this scary place.

“Miss this?” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Believe me, Eve, I was so relieved you agreed to live here. If not for Marcus’ request -”

“Oh, my God!” Bethany’s face went pale; her eyes were wide and horrified. “This isn’t one of those creepy stories I see in TV dramas like the guy was supposed to be dead, and then after several years, he came back very much alive.”

“Oh!” Moira blinked in a daze at my best friend’s stupid fascination with TV dramas. “Don’t worry, Bethany, because Marcus is very much dead.” She turned to me. “Right, Eve?”

“Huh?” I was stupefied.

I cleared my throat, shocked that she had to ask me. Of course, he was. I was there in the hospital room, crying my heart out when the doctor declared the time of his death.

“Of course,” Bethany shivered as she answered.

Moira wrinkled her nose, looking amusedly at my best friend. “I know. I was there at his funeral.”

“No, you’re not,” I answered immediately. If she were there, I would remember her.

“I was there, Eve. If you want, you can ask Theo. I’m sure he’ll remember me,” she muttered confidently, then shrugged.

How could I ask my son when he was only two years old and barely talked to anyone?

“My ride is here,” she informed us, smiling happily as she grabbed her purse. “By the way, I went grocery shopping yesterday, so the fridge is full. Eat whatever you want.”

She kissed my cheek and Bethany’s, then walked toward the door but halted abruptly and turned around.

“Eve, this place is really old, so if you need help with the plumbing whatsoever, you can call my secretary, and she’ll refer you to the best plumber in town,” she instructed while reaching for the doorknob. “Oh… and,” she took another key from her pocket and gave it to me. “Car key. The car’s in the garage.” 

“Okay,” I slowly puffed the air in my mouth, pretending I got her message right.

She opened the door wide but turned to me again. “One more thing, don’t let the kids go to the campsite. It’s -”

“Forbidden, too?” Bethany cut in.

“Silly,” she chuckled. “I was about to say it’s under renovation. I mentioned it already, right?”

I nodded.

“If you can’t contact my secretary, you can ask Wyatt,” she said.

“Wyatt?” My forehead furrowed. Moira overwhelmed me.

“That handsome guy,” she extended her hand, pointing at the man taking out his trash. “Hey, Wyatt!” she yelled, waving her arm. She turned to us and giggled. “He’s a Superman.”

“Yummy,” Bethany licked her bottom lip and nudged my arm with her elbow. She leaned and whispered in my ear. “I think I want to live here, too. So hot.”

“I know, right?” Moira grinned.

I blinked, not realizing that Superman, I mean Wyatt, had walked toward us.    

“Leaving already?” He asked Moira, pushing the brim of his eyeglasses as he looked at Bethany and me. “You must be Eve and -”

“Bethany.” My best friend extended her arm, shaking hands with him.

“Hi,” he smiled, his eyes pinned on me, or it must be just my imagination. “If you need something, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“You hear that, Eve,” Bethany giggled, pinching my waist.

I forced a smile, looking at the modern two-floor contemporary house across from Moira’s horror house. We were so focused on her gothic mansion that we all failed to notice Wyatt’s house.

“He works from home, so he’s there mostly 24/7, except when he goes out on a date or grocery shopping,” Moira muttered.

“Date?” Wyatt chuckled and shook his head. “Speaking of work, I had to get back.” He waved at us.

They must be close to each other because before he left, he kissed her cheek and waved at us again before crossing the street.

“There’s my ride,” she exclaimed enthusiastically, almost rushing toward the taxi. When settled in her seat, she opened the window and shouted, “Good luck with your interview later. Wear my gift. It’s in the bed.”

Like a child, she waved excitedly and closed the window only when the taxi driver started the car.

“God, I thought she’d never leave,” Bethany laughed, taking the bunch of keys in my hand and turning around. “Let’s check the kids and open that door.”

“Open which door?” My forehead creased, trying to catch up with my best friend’s thoughts.

I was still overwhelmed, realizing I had added another problem to my lengthy list.

“The forbidden door,” Bethany answered, grinning. “I don’t trust her. She’s so…” She shrugged, creasing her brows as she thought of how to describe Marcus’ cousin.

“Whether she can be trusted or not, I don’t care much, Bethany,” I muttered truthfully. “She solved one of my problems.”

“But she seemed to add more,” she pouted, her eyes wandering around. “Look at the brighter side. You don’t have to decorate for Halloween. Another problem solved.”

I scowled at her, but she was right. It looked like my stay here added more problems. I gestured my hand, waving it backward.

“Let’s check on the kids,” I said.

“Then, the forbidden door,” she added, flashing a sly smile. “And her gift.”

Her gift. For me, this was already a gift.