5

I followed Adam down the short corridor, but not before a string of protests were thrown around by Leah and Maggie that they should see him first. At first, I declined, trying to let family who knew him first see him before his pain medicine kicked in, but Adam declined, insisting that I had to go first. I felt terrible, I did, but this is what he wanted. The hallway was longer than I imagined it to be, with a small set of stairs that led down. The new corridor we were in only had two doors, Adam stood outside the door of the room that was furthest down the hallway, turning to look at me, "Go ahead." I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, so instead, I stalled for just a bit longer. "Is he in the confused state yet? Or is he still coherent?"

"Still coherent, he's only on a morphine drip. It honestly doesn't do too much, but they're going to increase it in the later stages." He spoke quietly, crossing his arms against his chest. "What is it?" I murmured, wanting to know what kind of time I would be working with. I doubted I had much time, but I at least wanted a time frame.

"Infection. Spread to his vital organs... Went septic. Severely. With his cancer, it didn't do much help." He spoke, leaning against the doorframe. I simply nodded my head, "Ok. Thank you." I took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

Upon entering, I heard the sound of beeping and the sound of soft breathing. My eyes scanned the room and noticed that the room was the same warm wooden color as the outside of the house. There was a large bed that was neatly made with an IV pole connected to the wall outlet and a man. "Isabella?" A male's voice spoke, the sound drew my eyes to the man sitting facing the window. I couldn't see his face, his back facing me as he looked out the window at his property. He had wispy but dark hair for someone who was older. The color looked like Leah and Mary's. "Uh, yeah?" I cleared my throat, not realizing that it sounded froggy until I spoke up.

"Come, sit next to me." He patted the chair next to him, "Let's talk for a while." I was unsure for a moment, but listening to him nonetheless. I made my way to the chair next to him, sitting down gently. I glanced over at the aged man beside me, listening to him sigh. "I wish you could have stayed here, but it was safer for you to leave." His words made me uneasy, but I listened on. "Things that a little girl couldn't understand and should never go through... But you're a woman now, and I know that in your heart, you know what really happened to your family."

"Maggie didn't tell me a lot, but she told me enough... Something bad happened and I had to leave with her..." I swallowed the small lump in my throat. "I am really sorry, I know after all this time, an apology will never replace all that you have lost... But I hope you can accept this." He opened his closed palm, revealing a golden necklace. I gazed at it, before reaching toward it. "It belonged to your father. I've worn it for many years before him. It's an heirloom of the family line. Typically, it goes to the oldest boy, but... Your father never had one." He chuckled, "No-fault to your mother, of course. God rest her soul." I took the necklace from him, looking at the strange pendant. It was circular, a wolf on the flat surface with its mouth around the moon. I turned 180 degrees, seeing a darker wolf with its mouth around the sun.

"What is it?" I asked, looking up at the man whose gaze never left the glass in front of us. "They say it's the Viking version of a yin yang. Wolf of the day always chasing the moon, and the wolf of the night, chasing the sun."

"Like the Myth? Sköll and Hati?" He smiled softly, "I'm surprised you know your Norse mythology."

"Everyone in the modern world has at least heard of them..." I spoke, looking at the pendant. "Why do you want to give it to me? Shouldn't it go to Adam?"

"It doesn't belong to Adam, Isabella. It belongs to you. Along with everything, when I die." I gulped, "Everything?" He nodded, "This house, my small fortune... Everything that I can't take with me." He chuckled. My grandfather turned to me, taking the pendant from my open hand, "Grab your hair, child." I did as I was told, letting him put the necklace on me. "One day, when someone important comes along, they will ask you for this necklace. When they do, it will be you, who has it." His ominous words shook me to the core, "What do you mean, grandpa?" I looked up into his gray eyes, the same ones that I had. I gasped slightly, taken back by their dull color. His face was gray as well, his lips not pink. He gave me a light smile, "I know, you know Isabella. I do not have much time left... These words don't make sense now, but I cannot tell you their importance. Your thoughts are not your own here..." His creepy words only made me feel on edge, "What do you mean-"

"The boys are back, father." Adam's voice said from the hall. I dropped my hair and my grandpa leaned forward, "Hide this. But never take it off. Do not tell anyone about this necklace, do you understand." He cautioned. I glanced up to see if Adam was watching, luckily, he wasn't. "I want them to meet Bella." My grandpa said in a stern voice. Adam's receding footfalls echoed down the hallway. "Go on child."

"Are these people my friends? Were they?" I asked, fearful. He smiled at me, "Yes. You once played in the same dirt and got the same scars." He patted my thigh, "Go on." he nodded his head toward the door. I smiled and got up to leave him be. I turned slightly as I left, seeing that he returned to looking out the window again. I stood there for a moment, then made my way down the hall.

The sound of laughter filled the corridor and a few new voices as well. I saw Adam leaning against the doorway, where the man named James stood talking to Adam quietly. I cleared my throat awkwardly, James turned his gaze on me and gave me a once over, "Well, if it isn't little Izzy." He smiled at me smugly. "Hello again," I gritted my teeth, ignoring his nickname for me. "How is he?" Maggie's voice asked, making me turn to her. My irritation dissipated quickly, the worry that filled her face made my heartache. "Um.. He's coherent... I'm sure you can talk to him if you want... his morphine hasn't kicked it... I looked at his drip. He'll be getting sleepy soon." I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, "There's my nurse." She joked, patting my shoulder. Maggie glanced to Adam, who shrugged, "Go ahead. He's talked with Isabella." She gave me a quick smile and moved past me, leaving me alone with strangers again.

I peeked up to see my grandmother speaking with my Aunt Adelaide. Mary was talking to a younger boy, who appeared to be possibly a younger brother? I couldn't see Leah anywhere. The blonde girl, her name I couldn't quite place, was talking with the blonde man who I met at my home. "They're siblings," Adam tapped my shoulder, causing me to look over my shoulder at him. "Charlotte and Apollo." I nodded my head, "Ah." That was her name, Charlotte. I shook my head and puffed out my cheeks. "There's someone you should meet, Bella." Adam spoke, taking me by the elbow. I felt like I didn't have an opinion on the matter, judging by how instead of guiding me to this person, as he did with Grandpa, he was leading me like a lost puppy.

I pursued him as he led me through the house to the room behind the fireplace, revealing a dining room and a staircase leading up somewhere. I didn't know this house had so many levels and hidden corridors. It didn't look like it from the outside. So there were three floors. I thought to myself as Adam walked to the opposite side of the house to a glass door, "This way." I couldn't do anything except follow him, it's not like I had much of a choice. If I tried to decline I would probably get lost trying to find my way back.

".... then fix it." A man's voice barked. I felt startled at the aggressive tone in the stranger's words. It was a stark comparison to the kind and warm feeling of the house inside. "It's not that difficult. It's not like I can come to do it for you. You're grown. If you can't do it yourself, I'll find someone who can."

"Alexander's a bit stressed." Adam spoke with a light chuckle, leading me to a space that had a large circular table and a grill, there was a smaller sitting area with a little firepit in the middle. It looked like a small hangout area really.

"Wait here." He said, leaving me to my own devices. I puffed my cheeks out and shifted to the railing to look at the backyard of the house I was set to inherit. I felt the soft breeze of the cool rain-filled sky graze my cheeks making me shiver slightly. I fidgeted with the ends of my hair, then checked my short fingernails, listening to the faint noise of bickering a few feet away. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I could tell Adam and this mystery man named Alexander weren't happy about something. Maybe Alexander was a business partner with Adam, and the phone call had something to do with their business.

I heard someone sigh, making me turn to see Leah sitting at the table. I didn't notice her before, but then again, I wasn't really looking either. "Men." She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "yeah." I replied flatly, turning away from her again. I didn't know what it was, but I didn't know if I could trust Leah. She seemed to be the backstabbing type. I already didn't really care for her either.

"Alright- hi, goodbye-" I turned to see a tall man walking around the table, his green-gray eyes glancing at me for a moment, then back to me again, doing a double-take. I leaned away from the railing, "Hi," I voiced, intimidated by the man in front of me. He was not what I expected him to be.

He was tall, lean but muscular at the same time. Much like the buff men running around the place, he too was far more built than any man I had seen before. He sported a dark brown beard, but his hair was covered by a gray beanie. He appeared startled for a moment, then quickly composed himself. "You must be Isabella." He smiled, coming around the table to stand in front of me. I glimpsed up at him, startled for a moment, not sure what to say at first. "Uh, yeah. I am."

"Whoa, I'm sorry. You just, wow. You just really look like Cathrine- your mother." His words made my heart feel heavy, "She does, and what a lovely young lady she's become." Adam came to stand next to me. "She's a nurse, too." Adam added, patting my shoulder. I looked up to Adam, who beamed like a proud father. I smiled at him sheepishly, "Thanks." I shifted slightly, awkward that somehow the topic of my academics had come back up again today. "Well, I'm sure you can find your way around, can't you?" I shrugged, "If not, I can at least ask someone who does." I chuckled nervously. Alexander left, Leah not too far behind.

What the heck was that? He was strange like he knows something... Something that I don't. I didn't like that everyone seemed to know things that I didn't. And I was growing tired of people hiding things from me.