Disclaimer : They don't belong to me

Disclaimer : They don't belong to me...Emma Annabelle, and any other character I add do so ask if you want to use them.

Chapter 3 : The Basement

It was the chirping of birds that woke Rick and Evelyn. They snuggled for a bit, then got up to start the day. As they dressed they talked about what they would do this day. It had been two weeks since their arrival, and both had noticed how jumpy the kids had become.

"Maybe we should just leave," Evie said putting on her top and slacks.

"Evie they just have active imaginations. Neither of us have seen or heard anything strange since we arrived, and we need this time to have with our kids," Rick pointed out. She knew that to be true, but Emma was upset by the house, and she was beginning to believe herself that something was amiss. A few times, when she had been alone in a room, she had the strangest feeling, as though she was being watched. Once they had dressed, they went to Alex's room, where both he, and Emma slept. They were both still asleep, and Emma with her doll held against her. Rick went over to Alex, and rubbed his back, and Evie went to Emma kissing her cheek. Both children groaned, then woke up.

"Mum may we go out today?" Emma asked. Evie settled on the bedside.

"Its raining honey, but I think we can find plenty to do inside, maybe play the charades game that you and Alex love so much," Evie suggested. At the thought of staying inside both kids shuttered. They were stuck. Once they had dressed, and eaten breakfast, they all went into the parlor, where Rick got a fire going. Then for a while they did family things, like playing charades. When they got tired of that, both Evelyn and Rick settled down to a game of chess, and Alex grabbed Emma and led her into the kitchen.

"There is one part of the house that I have never been in before," he admitted, feeling the need for adventure.

"What part?" she asked not liking the sound of this.

"Well there is one door that is always locked, and that is the door to the basement. There is a skeleton key on top of the Ice chest, and I think we should go down there and see whats there." She shook her head.

"No. I'm not going there." Something inside her felt funny, like if they went down there they wouldn't come back.

"Chicken," he said, knowing that if he pushed her enough she would follow his lead.

"Oh all right but I'm not going to like this." Alex got a lamp, and matches, then while Emma watched out for their parents, he got the key and opened the door. It opened in, not out, and a coolness met him. The way down was pitch black, and after taking a breath, he took Emma's hand and they went down a few stairs, closing the door so that they wouldn't get in trouble. Alex lit the match and got the lamp lit which let off an eerie glow. They walked down several steps until they reached the bottom finding a long hallway which led somewhere.

"Alex we really need to go," she said wanting to cry.

"Just be brave, I'm here for you," he said. After a moment, they began their journey down a passage which went on and on. It finally led them to another door, and Alex grumbled as they found it locked.

"Maybe we should just forget it," Emma said.

"Nope I can pick the lock." He got out his Army knife, and it only took a few minutes for him to get the lock picked. It clicked, and he opened the door. This one pulled out. Alex held the lantern in, and what they found was right out of the very bizarre. It was a room covered in paintings, mostly red paintings of stars, and on the floor was a very large star. There was an alter, and several cages.

"What does all of this mean," Alex asked looking at the wall. There were words, and Emma pulled on him.

"Alex those are spells, witchcraft, voodoo, whatever you want to call it. The stars are a Pentagram.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Because in the states there was something about Witch trials, in the 1800s, and my friend Mary told me about symbols, and the Pentagram brings power," she said shuttering.

"We could hold a siance," Alex suggest totally fascinated by this.

"No we need to get out of here." Suddenly the lantern went out. There was no breeze, and Emma grabbed Alex's hand.

"Light the match." He felt in his pockets, but couldn't find them.

"I can't find any." They heard movement and both of them did the only thing they could think of which was to scream.

In the sitting room, Evelyn had beaten her husband yet again at chess.

"Your brutal," he said.

"But you still love me," she replied smiling. He got up and pulled her to her, feet kissing her. When they parted both were out of breath.

"We should check on the kids, then go up and find some time for a little exploration," Rick suggested. She nodded and they went up to Alex's room. It was empty, as were most of the rooms upstairs.

"Did they go outside?" Evie asked a little concerned.

"Its pouring out there," Rick said a little worried. They checked all downstairs but the kids were gone. As panic was beginning to set in, they heard a door open, and their children came out of the basement in tears, both running into Rick's arms. He knelt down and held them close.

"Shh, I've got you." Alex was the first to pull away, and went to his mum who was very worried.

"We wanted to see what was down there, and there is a room and its a place where there were witches and there are spells and pentagrams," he said all in one breath.

"We were down there and our lantern went out, and then we heard a noise, and laughing," Emma said still holding tight to her father.

"It came back on by itself and there was a dead cat on the table that wasn't there before," Alex said.

"Please can we go home?' Emma asked.

"Emma, I think you guys just had a scare. I want to go have a look," Rick said standing and lifting her into his arms. She shuttered

"Can me and Alex sit in the car?" Both parents agreed to letting them do that, and when they were safe outside, the two adventures went into the basement that the children so recently vacated. They found the same passage, and the room, but it was just an ordinary room. There were no symbols of any sort, and there was a table, but that was all.

"I think someone has a very over active imagination," Rick said lightly as he and Evelyn headed back out. Neither of them saw the little girl standing behind them, a pail child dressed in a white dress.. They left that place, and Rick locked the door, then they brought the kids back inside, and told them what they had found.

"But I saw it we both did," Emma said sobbing. Rick lifted her into his arms.

"Honey I know you thought you saw something but your mum and I went down there and there was just a normal room," Rick said.

"No I'll prove it to you," Emma got of his lap and grabbed Alex, and Rick and Evie got the key and they all went downstairs. When they got to the room what the found was a normal room.

"No way this room had symbols," Alex said. But it didn't.

"I want to go home," Emma sobbed and ran out of the basement, up to her own room. She lay on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

Sleep usually was peaceful, but this time she dreamed. She found herself in the basement, and there were several people in robes. She was among them holding the doll with the broken face, though in this dream or reality the doll was new.

"Hurry along Marguerite," a woman said to her. She wanted to say she wasn't Marguerite, but for some reason she couldn't speak. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She tried to scream but she couldn't and was pushed into the room. Candles were lit and set around each point of the Pentagram, and there was chanting, going on. She was led to the center of it, and watched in terror as a cat was brought in and laid on the table. It was cut open and hung to bleed.

Emma came awake then sweating, and out of breath. It was dark, and she slipped out of bed getting the candle, going to Alex's room. She found him awake reading a book, and when she entered he looked up.

"Are you okay?" Mum, and dad have been worried because you wouldn't wake up.

"I'm okay, Alex we need to have a siance like you said. I had a dream that I was a little girl named Marguerite, and I held the doll who was broken, only in that dream she was new. But I couldn't talk."

"Dad said if either of us goes down there again he will spank us both." Alex informed. She sighed.

"Thats never stopped you before." He got up, put on his slippers, and they crept downstairs. As they walked past the basement, to get the key, the door it opened on its own, and both children gulped.

"I guess we are needed." Emma nodded, and they got a lamp and went back down to the room. It was the same way they had seen it before. There were writings on the wall, and candles were lit at the points of the Pentigram. Emma led Alex to the middle and sat down with him.

"Close you eyes, and hold my hand, and what ever you do don't let go," she told him. He did what she said and she began.

"We call upon the spirits of this house, and of one girl named Marguerite to come forward". Nothing happened.

"Alex keep your eyes closed," she said opening hers to find that he had them open. His eyes were as round as saucers.

"Emma she is right behind you." Emma gulped and turned. The girl was young, and her eyes had been cut out.

"Are you Marguerite?" she nodded.

"Why have you been causing such a ruckus?" she asked. Marguerite touched Emma, and Alex watched in horror as his sister slumped forward. He grabbed her and shook her, but she wouldn't move.

"Emma wake up," he said. When she wouldn't, he ran upstairs to his parents room, finding the door locked. He knocked on it frantically until his dad came out.

"Dad dad, I know you said you would spank us, but we went down there, and Emma passed out or something." Evelyn came, and they all went back to the basement. It was how Alex left it with the Symbols, and Candles lit, and Emma was where Alex had left her. Evie knelt down and felt that she was burning hot with Fever.

"We need to get her to bed," Evelyn said to Rick who was astonished by what they were seeing. The kids had not been lying, and he wanted to get them out of here, but with Emma sick they would have to wait it out. He gathered her in his arms and took her up to their room.

Marguerite led Emma through some sort of passage that was at the back of the room to another room. There was a bed, and toys, even Annabelle.

"Why did you take her again?" she asked. The little girl shrugged.

"Your dolly is up in my bed," she told her feeling suddenly chilled to the bone. She began to shiver, and Marguerite settled in her arms.

"Are you here alone?" The little girl shook her head, and Emma suddenly felt very tired. She leaned back against the pillows and was soon asleep.

Evie had run a luke warm bath, and Rick came with Emma. They got her cloths off of her, and put her in the water and she moaned, and screamed, but didn't come awake. Alex watched tears running down his face.

"I'll sit with her Rick, go be with our son." He nodded and led Alex out to their bed.

"Dad Do you believe us now about the ghosts?" he asked, as Rick laid him on the bed, and moved in beside him.

"Yes son, I believe you. What happened with your sister?" he asked needing to know so that he and Evelyn could figure this out.

"She decided we needed to have a Siance, and she called on this spirit this Marguerite. She told me she had a dream that she was her, and then said we needed to talk to her. I though it was just going to be a bunch of nonsince but I opened my eyes after she called out for the spirit and this girl was behind her. She had no eyes dad, and when she touched Emma, thats when it all went wrong." Rick held him close wanting to get his family out of this place as soon as possible.

Emma woke up in her parents bed between them, and next to Alex. She sat up or tried but her body hurt too much. When she did finally manage to sit up, she tried to scream at what she saw. They were all dead, their throats slit. She felt a hand on her and closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was back with Marguerite.

"Is that what happened to your family?" she asked realizing that who she was next to wasn't her family at all. The girl nodded.

"Hurt us..Brought us here and hurt us." Emma shuttered

"Is that why you found me because they want to hurt my family?" Marguerite nodded.

"Have to go." She put her hand over Emma's eyes and the pain came

It was the restless movement beside her, which woke Evelyn, and she looked to see Emma thrashing about. Gently she drew her daughter into her arms, and in a moment Emma came awake,sitting up.

"Mum we have to get out of here now. I was in this place with the girl with Marguerite, and she told me that these people brought her family here and killed them, and now they want to do the same to us," she said crying now. Her words woke Alex and Rick, as well as the light of the morning sun.

"Please daddy lets go home," she said. After all that had just happened, he agreed as did Evelyn that they needed to head out of there, and everyone packed. Emma made sure she kept Annabelle right at her side, and once they had packed they loaded everything in the car. Evelyn came out with snacks for the trip, and once everyone was in the car, Rick turned the key and pressed the button, but the car didn't do anything. He tried it again, and knew that the battery died.

"I should have changed it, but I thought it would last another trip," he explained to his wife and kids.

"I don't want to go back in there," Alex said, terrified after all that Emma had said. In the front, Rick rested his head on the stirring wheel.

"Look it will take me all day, but I will walk into the village and get a new battery. The house isn't bad during the day is it?" He asked his kids. Both of them agreed to that, as long as they stayed out of the basement they could stand one more day in the house. Once he had a rucksack ready, he hugged them all goodbye, and they watched him until he was gone.

"All right, what should we do?" Evie asked of her children.

"Lets make Cookies," Emma said. They had planned to do that today, so they went back inside and found the basement door open. Evelyn shut it, and locked it, then they went to the kitchen and their cookie making began.