Secrets From The Grave

I used to believe that love conquers all and family means everything. I was always the loyal one. The strong one. The one that mended things. I used to want to help, and I did. Always. I believed my family was so important. In fact, I believed they were the most important thing, but I was wrong.

Dead wrong.

As a child I used to see the world with wonder. I used to daydream about my future and all the wonderful things I would accomplish and experience. I was so eager. So full of life. I loved learning new things and meeting new people. I love history and culture. Mine and others. I love art and philosophy and stories. I loved telling stories. I believed that I had a good life despite the struggles. That is until one night everything changed, and I ran for my life.

Never to look back.

Or so I thought.

My name is Jade. This is my story.

She promised herself she would never return. Not after THAT night. She had done something horrible. Unspeakable really, so she ran. She was practically still a child at the time, barely 15. Jade, a pretty girl with wide bright eyes and long brown hair. When you looked at her, there was this sparkle in her dark eyes with a golden ring around them. It was subtle but her eyes seemed to twinkle, especially when she talked about the things she loved. She was kind but determined. She was both smart and creative. She had this inner happiness and joy. It was like a light, in a somewhat dark world. Her childhood had not been remarkable. To outsiders it seemed normal. It appeared basic. Oh, but how the darkness loves secrets.

The wind howled something awful tonight. There was lightning in the distance and a low grumbling of thunder. It was nearly dark out, but she was almost at her destination. Her dreadful destination. She stood at the top of the hill looking down over the valley as the sun set. She used to love the sunset for its beauty. Her favorite time of day was an evening walk to the windmill overlooking her small town. After dinner every summer and fall night, Jade would take her journal and the dogs up the hill. She would write till the sun began to set and the sky would put on its magical show of beautiful colors. Her favorite was the cotton candy skies. The deep pink with hints of a rose gold hue softly kissing the edges of the clouds. The blue turn to purple and fade into the dark night. Now the sunset is simply a reminder that she lived another day. Standing in the old familiar spot she took a moment to appreciate the beauty in tonight’s sky. It was moody. Deep passionate reds with dark purple fade to dark blue to just darkness… the lonely, sad, miserable darkness.

It was starting to rain now, and the lightning was getting closer. She would need to hurry, or she would get caught in the storm. She pulled the strings tighter on her hoodie and ran towards the barn.

The barn that now housed the truth of that night.

The only part of her childhood home still standing.

Jade ran through the large wooden gate of the property just as it started to pour. The wind had already picked up and it was nearly impossible to see anything in front of her on this dark moonless night. A moment of fear and anxiety washed over her as she approached the barn door.

The lighting lit up the entire sky towards the east and the thunder boomed right above her.

Jade quickly removed the barn door latch and carefully pushed open the doors.

Once inside she closed the doors back immediately. She reached for a flashlight and lit up the space directly in front of her. Everything looked the same. Nothing seemed to have been moved or changed. It was perfectly frozen in time from the night she said her goodbye.

It felt so weird to be back here. Almost like nothing ever changed. Like no time had passed.

She looked around some more and then decided to get down to business. She did not come back home to sit and reminisce. She has a mission to fulfill, or they will kill her.

She took the broom and swept off as much dirt as possible from the center of the barn floor. Under this specific spot is a door that leads to a type of cellar. Inside it there are secrets. Secrets that no one wants to be found out. Secrets that will kill people to keep them hidden. Secrets that both want to and cannot remain in the dark.

Jade knelt over the still closed cellar door and fiddled with the opening for a second. With a click she got it unlatched. She reached down and flung open the door. She took two tactical flashlights and pointed them down inside. With the light illuminating her path downwards she bounded down the stairs.

She was not afraid anymore.