Dying in Wine
X.
The drive home was silent. Henrik was a quiet person. There were moments where I thought of something to say, to strike up a conversation, but thought better of it. I didn’t mind the silence. It was better than having Carly or my mother talk my ear off. But I wouldn’t have minded an extra presence next to me. A presence named Adrian.
The dream I had haunted me since I woke up. Adrian’s emotionless expression and his chilling words about my grandmother kept appearing in my mind. For some reason, something in my mind flashed, telling me that he was involved with my grandmother’s death. But I quickly shake it off. There’s no possible way he could have been involved. They said she died of a heart attack. So unless he was the cause of blood clots in the human body, he couldn’t have caused her death.
My house came into view. The lights were all out except for one in the study. Henrik pulled up on the circular driveway and parked by the gate. I thanked him for the ride and got out into the cold.
“Pleasant dreams, Miss Stone,” Henrik said before speeding off into the night. I gave a small wave and turned towards my house. The gate that led to the front door was locked. I jiggled the handle a few times, wishing my strength would budge it open. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I sighed outwardly and hiked up my dress to my thighs and climbed over. I could definitely feel the chill pass my legs which made me shiver. At the top of the gate, I lost my footing, and therefore, my balance. Hearing a tear sound, I landed face first into the snow. The good news: I made it over. The bad news: I looked to see what made the tearing sound. A piece of red clothing was still on the gate. Looking down, I noticed a large slit in my dress.
“Great,” I muttered, grabbing the ripped piece off the gate. I headed inside and upstairs to my room. I passed by the study and I saw my grandfather sleeping in his armchair. I tiptoed in and gently shook him.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” I asked him. He grunted and hiccupped.
“I was waiting for – hic – you. Where were you?”
“I fell asleep. Now go to bed.” Grabbing under his arm, I helped hoist him up. He was a little shaky, probably from the party drinks. I turned off the light in the study and walked him to his room.
“Now, you’ll get the patch for helping an old timer cross the street,” he mumbled, already asleep before hitting the pillow. I chuckled to myself and left for my room.
With the little energy I had left, I changed into my pajamas and took out all the accessories from my hair. I looked at myself in my mirror and saw how pale my skin was, also noting the deep purple bags underneath my eyes. I looked like a zombie. I stifled a yawn and took out my earrings.
Ready for bed, I turn towards the lamp next to my bed to turn it off when I noticed a dark figure in the corner of my room. The first thought that came to mind was how long he was there and if he saw anything when she changed. The second was the one that a normal person should think first. Accidentally knocking over the lamp, I plunged for my phone to dial 999, but the figure swatted it from my hand and covered my mouth before I even thought to scream. The room was dark but I could tell who it was in the moonlight.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
The dream I had haunted me since I woke up. Adrian’s emotionless expression and his chilling words about my grandmother kept appearing in my mind. For some reason, something in my mind flashed, telling me that he was involved with my grandmother’s death. But I quickly shake it off. There’s no possible way he could have been involved. They said she died of a heart attack. So unless he was the cause of blood clots in the human body, he couldn’t have caused her death.
My house came into view. The lights were all out except for one in the study. Henrik pulled up on the circular driveway and parked by the gate. I thanked him for the ride and got out into the cold.
“Pleasant dreams, Miss Stone,” Henrik said before speeding off into the night. I gave a small wave and turned towards my house. The gate that led to the front door was locked. I jiggled the handle a few times, wishing my strength would budge it open. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I sighed outwardly and hiked up my dress to my thighs and climbed over. I could definitely feel the chill pass my legs which made me shiver. At the top of the gate, I lost my footing, and therefore, my balance. Hearing a tear sound, I landed face first into the snow. The good news: I made it over. The bad news: I looked to see what made the tearing sound. A piece of red clothing was still on the gate. Looking down, I noticed a large slit in my dress.
“Great,” I muttered, grabbing the ripped piece off the gate. I headed inside and upstairs to my room. I passed by the study and I saw my grandfather sleeping in his armchair. I tiptoed in and gently shook him.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” I asked him. He grunted and hiccupped.
“I was waiting for – hic – you. Where were you?”
“I fell asleep. Now go to bed.” Grabbing under his arm, I helped hoist him up. He was a little shaky, probably from the party drinks. I turned off the light in the study and walked him to his room.
“Now, you’ll get the patch for helping an old timer cross the street,” he mumbled, already asleep before hitting the pillow. I chuckled to myself and left for my room.
With the little energy I had left, I changed into my pajamas and took out all the accessories from my hair. I looked at myself in my mirror and saw how pale my skin was, also noting the deep purple bags underneath my eyes. I looked like a zombie. I stifled a yawn and took out my earrings.
Ready for bed, I turn towards the lamp next to my bed to turn it off when I noticed a dark figure in the corner of my room. The first thought that came to mind was how long he was there and if he saw anything when she changed. The second was the one that a normal person should think first. Accidentally knocking over the lamp, I plunged for my phone to dial 999, but the figure swatted it from my hand and covered my mouth before I even thought to scream. The room was dark but I could tell who it was in the moonlight.
“What the hell are you doing here?”