Haunting-Adeline

He stares at the pain ng with pride as if he painted it himself.
“Yes,” I murmur, before turning away. I’m not going to stand there and
interpret art as if I'm not standing in a museum of depraved pain ngs. One
glance around shows the other pain ngs are carved in subtle morbidity.
I shake hands with a few people I recognize from Savior's and Pearl.
Minutes later, Daniel has us all join him in the dining room, the twentyfoot-long
table set for at least twenty people.
It’s not a normal set up. There are crystal glasses, white plates and a fork
and knife set on a thick plas c covering. The en re middle of the table is
completely empty. Normally, flowers and decora ons will take up space in
the middle to add a taste of class to dinners.
I keep my face blank, despite my heart thudding heavily beneath my
ribcage.
“Take a seat next to me, Zack, please,” Daniel insists, poin ng towards
the chair to the right of him. Of course, he sits at the head of the table,
smiling at his guests like a king.
He leans over and mu ers to me, “I’m very excited for you to see
tonight’s entrée.”
I smile, and even I can feel how ice cold it is. “What would that be?” I
ask.
“Well, we wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise, now would we?” Dan
deflects before turning his a en on to the guest on his le side.
I stay silent, instead observing the guests seated around me. Everyone
looks to be at complete ease, talking amongst each other, laughing, and
smiling.
As if it’s just another day, si ng at a dinner table and wai ng for a young
child to be served.
There are three exit points in the dining room. One leads into the
kitchen, where there’s a back sliding door. The second leads down a
hallway towards the game room and deeper into the house. The third leads
back towards the front door.
I imagine the girl is in the kitchen. I don’t know if she’s already dead or if
this will be like their rituals in the dungeon.
My ques on is answered five minutes later when the kitchen door
opens, and an older man walks in, hand in hand with a li le girl no older
than six.