The forbidden attic

Hi, my name is Laina. Not (A)laina, or (E)laina. Just Laina.

I just turned fifteen and my mom is finally letting me go into our attic, I thought I’d share my experience with you.

When she told me that no one had been to the attic in years, I thought that she was messing with me. The loud creak of the wood as I heaved the panel open proved that she had not been joking. I coughed harshly as dust rained down on me, covering me like I was a secret that no one wanted seen.

I slowly crept up the pull down steps and shone a flashlight into the dark and dusty room. There was absolutely nothing in here. I huffed in frustration, I had gotten myself hyped up for this, and this is what I get? I was about to turn around and leave when I spotted it, a journal. Crossing the questionable flooring, I bent and picked it up, blowing off fifteen years worth of dust.

I decided to leave and read the journal in the room.

Sitting on my bed and examining it further, I realized it was leather, jet black, a rose engraved in the cover. I opened it up, this was my mom's journal, her name was on the front page. Curling up in a blanket, I started reading.

Dear Journal,

I just got this from dad, this is the first time you have met me, I’m Erika Shanden, I just turned fifteen. My dad gave me this journal because I’m leaving for America soon, the only thing I’m looking forward to is that the weather will be warmer than it is in England. Apparently, I’m too smart for my school so my parents decided to let me be a exchange student for a year. I leave for the airport at 11.

12:00 pm

I’m on the plane now, saying goodbye to my family was harder than I thought it would be. I can’t think about that now though, I have to read a pamphlet about the family that I’ll be staying with. Hmm, a family of four. The parents, Janna and Paul, the kids, Owen and Gracie. They are twins, both 15. I really don’t know how exactly this is going to turn out, but I'm more worried about my education.

8:45 pm

I landed in Georgia, right now I’m sitting on a bench waiting for my luggage. I don’t know when my host family is going to show up, I assumed they would be here when I arrived. Guess I was wrong. It is absolutely blazing hot here even though its evening, I’m starting to wish that I hadn’t worn my sweater.

9:00 pm

They didn't show up themselves, instead, a taxi driver picked me up. I’ll write in this later and tell you about it.

11:00 pm

Boy has it been a long day, the family is all super nice. There's five other exchange students here with me. I’m worn out though, I think I need some sleep. Though I don’t know if I’ll be able to with the time change.

8:00 am

I hardly slept a wink last night, something strange happened. I was lying awake, just staring at the ceiling, it was about 4 am I think. I heard this weird noise, like a loud cracking sound. Then, I heard a muffled scream. It was probably just the TV or something, but it freaked me out. I decided not to mention it at breakfast, I didn’t want to seem like I was paranoid or anything.

I flipped through the next couple pages, it was basically the same thing every night. Mom not sleeping, hearing things, something wasn’t right with this. I hadn’t even known that she had ever left London. I got to the middle of the book and continued on,

I’ve been here for over three months, I’m starting to get scared, something is going on here. Something above human life. Last night, I heard this growling noise, then a scraping on the wall. Almost like something was clawing at it. I called mom when I woke up, and asked for a plane ticket home. Whatever is happening here, I don’t want any part in it. This family, they're trying to hide something from me. They act all nice and cheery in the day, then at night is when the house comes alive. They don’t want me to know about it, but I’ll figure it out, I have to.

3:00 am

They tried to kill me. I know too much. I heard the noise again and decided to go investigate, what I saw will haunt me for as long as I live. If I live. When I went downstairs, I saw the mom, Janna. Only she wasn’t herself. She was hunched over, long spindly limbs replaced her arms and legs. Menacing looking claws sprouted out of the webby fists where her hands should’ve been. Her entire body was stark white, red eyes, bony and almost demonic looking. Out of her mouth, grew 2-inch long fangs. They were covered with and dripping blood. Next to her on the ground, was a child, Haylie. Another exchange student. Her body was so mutilated I could barely recognize her.

Then she saw me. A low growl erupting from her mouth. I turned and ran. She snarled and started chasing me, through the living room, out of the kitchen. I ran till I got to the door. I pried it open and Janna threw out her paw, slashing my arm open and digging gaping wounds in it. As soon as I crossed the threshold of the door, she stopped. She just stood there, snarling at me, drool and blood dripping from her mouth. Like she couldn’t leave the house in that form.

Now I’m here, in an alleyway, I didn’t stop running until I got here. My arm is burning, I ripped off part of my t-shirt and tied it around the gashes. It’s still bleeding. When I was running, I saw a small journal on the kitchen counter, somehow my mind rationalized that I should grab it. So I did. It’s Gracie’s. She said that her parents are what are called “Fanenca’s,” a mystical creature from another realm.

Apparently, they got here on accident. Their species lives off of human flesh. So, in order to survive, they started taking transfer students. I was planned to be dinner in two days.

Sometime the next morning.

I slept on the ground behind a dumpster, my arm finally stopped bleeding. I’m flying home today, I’m leaving all my stuff here. I will never go back into that house. Mom probably won’t believe me, until I show her the physical proof that I have.

I slammed the book shut and pushed it away from me, was that why mom always wore long sleeves? Is that why I was never allowed to go to anyone’s house without her? I took a deep breath and picked the journal back up, flipping to the very last page.

I haven’t written in this in a long time, but I have a daughter now, Laina. She’s so precious to me. I thought that I would have forgotten about that family by now, but I can’t. I think it’s time I tell Tyler.

Tyler, my dad. He left when I was only two, I hardly remembered him at all. The rest was all mushy stuff about him, I flipped to the other side of it, my heart stopping when I read the first line.

They got him, they got Tyler. They teleported here last night. Now he’s gone. My child is fatherless and it’s all my fault. We need to get out, we need to run. They can’t take her away from me too.

That was it. The last words of my mothers twenty two year old self. She had escaped them, and they got their revenge.

I closed the book and went downstairs, finding her on the couch, crying. I sat next to her,

“Mom?”

She nodded, knowing what I was asking, and pulled up her sleeve. I gasped and covered my mouth in horror. Three five inch long scars ran down her left arm. Pale white, and raised.

“Oh my gosh.”

She looked at me,

“I was the only one who ever made it out of that house. Your dad paid the price for my safety, and for yours.”

I shook my head,

“You always told me that dad left, you never said that these, Fanenca people killed him.”

She slapped her hand over my mouth and I cried out, what the heck was that for? She looked at me with nothing but terror in her eyes,

“They can hear it whenever someone says their name. That’s how they found us and that’s how your father died.”

We heard someone coming up our driveway, she cupped my face in her hands, her expression serious.

“Go upstairs, in the attic, they can’t go there it’s a sacred place, we sealed the entryway with the powder of crushed diamonds, it creates a force field that they can't get through. Just like at their house. Go up there, I love you.”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet,

“No, none of this bull crap, you’re coming with me. Let’s go.”

She knew she wouldn’t win this argument, so she followed me. We bolted up the stairs, grabbing whatever we could on our way, blankets, food, water. Running to the attic and climbing in as quickly as we could. We had just shut the trap door when we heard the front door bang open. I cried silently and my mother held me. We hugged each other tightly, and huddled fearfully in the corner of the dusty attic, when we heard the low growling noise.

Directly underneath us.