The Room

I have to write this down.

I am not mad.

When I was young, father use to bring me and my brother, Edd, to grandpa’s for summer holiday. We didn’t like that house much. We hate it, a lot.

Imagine an old, big, empty house sitting in a middle of nowhere. Without electricity nor Internet. Neither shops nor people. The only way to get there was driving. Sadly, we were far too young to learn how to drive. Barely tall enough to hit the brake. Father always leave us there for summer holiday. And picked us up when the school opened.

“I’m busy,” he always said.

Inside the house, as the outlook of it, aged too. When you walk, you could hear the uncomfortable noises of the wooden-made floor squishing with each other.

There was no lamps beside the sunlight and light from candlesticks. No television. All we could do was reading, or sitting on the field counting how much birds had passed by.

Grandpa barely spoke to us. Except when it was necessary. He made our meals and that it. He liked sitting on the aged wooden chair, staring at the windows in absolute silence. We never know what he was looking at.

However, grandpa did tell us do not open the door of the room on the end of the third floor. We asked him why.

“Some doors are not supposed to open, again.” He said.

We were young and bold. Even foolish. After few times got caught by trying to get in the room, we were forbidden going up to the third floor.

Things get more exciting when they are banned. We decided to do it at midnight. Since we were banned “going up” to the third floor by stairs. We were going to climb.

I remember that night. Although it was in middle of summer, the winds were freezing. It was a cold, moonless night. We could only depend on the light from stars to see the extended parts from the house.

Still, we made it. We reached the windows of the room. Grandpa never lock the windows. Same as that room.

When I reached the handgrip of the window, I heard the sound of crows, crying. Some bad feelings started growing inside me, but I did not care.

Edd told me he was scared.

“Can we not do this, sister? Please?”  He begged. The voice was trembling. I did not listen. Instead, I dared him to go in.

And he did.

The room was so dark. We could barely see a thing. Oddly it was very clean, scent of lilac in the air.

“Grandpa must have spent times cleaning this room, but do we have any lilac planted anywhere here?” I thought. Got ripped of the thought, we walked in the dark slowly, exploring the room of mystery.

The room was full of paintings of a lady. I do not know who she is, nor care. We guessed she might be our grandma who passed before we were born.

“Grandpa loves her.” Edd whispered softly. Some other thing caught my interest, there’s something laying on the couch.

We walked to there, slowly, almost step by step, hand by hand. Ours hands were even sweating because of the nervousness. But we kept our pace. Legs became stones. They were so heavy. Curiosity was the only fuels that driving us.

A lady slept on the couch, her eyes closed. I could not recall that grandpa had any visitors, or maybe he forgot to tell us? She looked graceful and elegant, her skin was so smooth, even shining. Something is wrong. She was too pale and gorgeous to be a human-being.

“Is she alive?” Edd asked quietly. I did not answer. The cold wind was blowing the window, sounds like someone crying, heart-broken.

Suddenly, my hand was out of my control. It reached to the lady. She was freezing cold.

“Boom!” The wind shut the window. Despite the limited vision, I saw it. The lady opened her eyes. Then I blacked out.

I woke after 3 days. My parents and grandpa surrounded me. Checking if I am alright.

“I am fine. Where’s Edd? ” I had bad feelings about this.

They seems confused. Asked me who he is.

“Brother mine, your son and grandchild?” I was confused, too.

They said I was tired. Better went back to sleep.

Years after, still no sign of my brother. I can’t even find a photo of him. His bedroom disappeared. I was told I am the only child. They thought I must have hurt my head badly. Starts having “fake” memories. I know I am not.

I cannot find the room either. Grandpa’s house never have third floor. I am not even sure what happened anymore. But there’s one thing I’m sure----

I lost my brother.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry bro i can't think of other boys' name :p