Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

The Red House

The house was beautiful inside, but there was something undeniably eerie about it. Every corner seemed to hum with an uneasy chill.

Warren, who was used to being waited on hand and foot, had only left two maids to look after Fiona.

Sylvia was sent upstairs to a room.

When she opened the door, the room was pitch black. Before her eyes could even adjust, someone shoved her hard, and she tumbled to the floor.

She scrambled up, desperate to escape, but the door slammed shut and locked behind her.

The darkness was suffocating, bottomless, like she'd been dropped into a well. Fumbling along the wall, Sylvia finally found the switch and flicked on the light.

When she saw the room, she froze, her face draining of color.

Before her brain could even process it, her body reacted first. "Urgh-"

She bolted into the bathroom, retching violently until there was nothing left. Leaning over the sink, she finally caught her breath.

When she looked up into the mirror, her own pale, numb face was slowly merging with another-one she didn't recognize. It was as if a shadow was leaning over her shoulder.

Sylvia spun around, heart pounding.

was nothing just

bathroom and looked around at the bizarre, almost indecent furnishings. She felt a wave

room, a mirror mounted above it. The cabinets lining the wall were all

seat was covered in some kind of waterbed pad, and she could picture exactly

suggestive-the tub was oddly shaped, and there were inexplicable

the comforter off the bed, and wrapped

passed before the door opened and Warren walked in, holding a

out there. I asked the maid to make you

to make sense of this man. He was a

glanced at the mug, steam curling up from the surface. Her voice was

set the mug

hair spilled over her

alive, but her eyes were rimmed

was the kind of woman any man could lose himself in-just

brushing her hair gently. "Sylvia, you're beautiful," he

some reason, that single sentence sent a chill down Sylvia's spine.

of anger crossed Warren's face. Suddenly, he grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her

twisted into something sinister. "Sylvia, do you have any idea how much

that you didn't get what you wanted? Please. Even if I'd thrown myself at Uncle Rupert, he wouldn't care about me. He'd never

them made it out. You're the only one who ended up