Infinite Possibilities

Third Birth

Start Again?

Yes. 
        Carey awoke to the crashing noise of her candle falling off of the wooden desk below a small window. The wax broke in two, and her beloved cat, Maria, sat beside the scene, gazing into Carey's eyes innocently. Carey slid her feet out of her warm sheets and pressed them on the cold, wooden ground. She frowned at the mess her companion had made and stood up. Maria gracefully leaped off the desk and trotted over to the door, pawing the base of it. 
        Carey hesitantly opened the door, gently stepping into the cold, dark hallway. She knew where her family kept extra candles: in the attic, which was accessed from the kitchen. She could see the kitchen door from where she was standing, so it was only a few seconds before she wrapped her hand around the metal handle of the heavy door. She pulled. The door was locked. Carey turned away, not urging the door, for something else deterred her from the kitchen. The strong scent of fresh blood was emitted from the kitchen, so she turned and faced the staircase a few paces away from the door. Carey could see the warm, orange light of a lit candle, and she made her way down the spiraling staircase, her feline companion following her loyally. She didn't even bother to ask herself why the candle was lit. 
        Her feet pressed silently on the smooth, stone floor, and she jogged up to the light. As soon as she came within reach of he candle, a wonderfully sweet smell filled her nostrils as she inhaled. She unintentionally smiled at the sensation but didn't think twice before she grabbed the candle. The quick movement hazed her vision, but she passed it off as sleep deprivation. Carey gripped the metal handle of the candle's holder tightly, and she glanced down the long, dark hallway. The candle's light cast shadows across the darkness, making the setting unnervingly eerie. The room she had placed herself was completely silent, so much so that she could hear her own pounding heartbeat. 
        A shadow flicked across the ground, startling Carey. She turned towards where the shadow disappeared, finding nothing. Instead of investigating the unfamiliar hallway, she decided just to go back to her room. Carey quickly turned and mounted the staircase. Her eyelids began to feel heavy as she started to ascend. The sweet smell had dispersed, and she was left with the normal, stale smell that familiarized itself with almost every room in the house. 
        Every time her foot fell on a higher step, the fuzziness at the back of her head grew in intensity. Once she had completely climbed the stairs, the fuzziness was now a loud ringing in her ears. Her vision was blurry, and the ground felt like quicksand as she stepped. Her feet grew heavier as she tried to walk, and she eventually stopped. Her knees buckled underneath her weight, and she limply fell. Blood seeped out of her mouth, and she lay there, lifeless. 
        Maria watched from the top of the stairwell rail, and she gently meowed, jumping down. She darted down the dark hallway and flicked her tail, disappearing like a shadow in the darkness.