The Faiworth Collection - Burnt Offerings

So now I sat at the preverbal conjunction point in my research, the Muzhurod Ritual and Francis Locklear were just pieces to a very large puzzle. A puzzle that may no longer be around anymore, from what Sam spoke this could lead to something completely different and far more sinister. I knew I had to keep digging but now whoever was watching on the other side may also wish I didn’t. The name Faiworth did not ring any bells and all references to that name in the files shared were replaced with Farnsworth. I needed to take a break now and needed to change my perspective, I had some leave days which I decided to take and go home.

I applied for the leave which was accepted and was given set dates. My boss was also curious as he noticed that I had been very busy with research even though my usual pieces were based on old events. I decided to let him know on what I was working on and spent an hour talking about the stories I had dug up, I left our Sam as a source and the Faiworth connection to be safe. After I was done he sat back and looked at me like I had just walked in, “well, I would normally tell the others to stick to what they are good at but here it seems you found something that has you completely dug in. Look kid, if it feels there is something here then go for it but remember you have a job to do and do not compromise that. I can cover for you like I do for the others but there are limits.” I nodded and thanked him for that.

I got up picked up the leave letter and was about to walk out when he added this, “that research you are doing it isn’t exactly the first time I came across someone looking into it. I will tell you this though, some stories are like an addiction and will not let go until you reach the bottom of the pit and there is where you find yourself chin deep in a pit of vipers. Be careful and as for where I heard about it first I cannot remember as that was when I was a reporter like you.” I stood there for a moment and then nodded my thanks and left his office. Back at my desk I saw there was a small box from the company containing Christmas themed chocolates and a card, it was mid-December and I guess HR let someone know I was leaving early. I smiled at this and reminded myself that I was still living and breathing in a normal world.

The drive to my hometown normally took like 5 hours but with it being in the middle of winter it took closer to 9 hours. The wind and snow did not make navigating the country roads easier. Still, I managed and when I drove up to my old street I could see people putting up lights for the season. My house as always had minimal decorations as my dad hated wasting the power to light up useless baubles for no one. I smiled as I parked in the driveway, the front door held the usual decorations done by my stepmother and there were a few others just to annoy my dad. They both played at each other trying their best to out-annoy the other while having the time of their lives, it was that spirit of happiness that rubbed off on me as I stopped taking life seriously when things stopped making sense. The path was already cleared for my arrival and could see my her at the window in the living room waving at me, the smile would have melted all the snow for miles around if it could. I waved back and open the booth to remove my bag.

The front door opened and out stepped my 6 foot old man, he was dressed warm and I could almost see the steam rising from his face. He smiled to see me and was making his way to help me carry the stuff back in, “hey little chimp, how is it hanging?” I laughed, it was his way of letting me know I am still the kid who used to hang from the tree in the backyard while giving my mum a panic attack. My sister was the quiet one but she was just as crazy when it called for it, she was married now living in LA with her husband. I handed him the grocery bag with stuff my mum had ordered when I called and seeing what was inside laughed out loud, “she got to you didn’t she, well at least we will not die of hunger this Christmas.”

Inside I met my mother, well step-mother if you to be specific, she stood in the living room with a big smile, the house was warm and it felt good to be home. She gave me a hug and I could smell the cinnamon on her, it brought back the memories of being home enjoying her baking. I took my bag to my old room and just as I passed Debbie’s room I paused. She was younger than me but seemed that she take after our late mother and became an accountant and moved out as soon as she could. I called her when I settled in my room, she picked after the second ring and seemed happy to hear from me. We talked for 20 mins before she had to drop off, she seemed occupied as there were times she would be doing something and would go silent for a minute but it seemed she was busy so told I will call later.

I took a shower and changed to some clean clothes and joined my parents in the living room, it was 6 by the time I was down. They were both sitting in front of the fireplace, it was closed a long time ago due to it being a fire hazard, birds it seemed like to nest there in the summer and their nests would clog the space. I sat down next to mum and my dad had a mock heart attack while she laughed at him, we sat there talked for more than 2 hours and drinking hot chocolate. Dinner was simple and it helped because that was the only real meal I had in months, roasted chicken and vegetables. It all brought back old memories sitting around the table laughing at each other while talking about what happened in the day. My dad was the town mechanic so repairing cars and later electronics became my thing, my biological mum was an accountant before cancer took her. My stepmother was a friend to an uncle who then introduced to her my dad, and from there the rest was history.

Debbie was the first to take to her and I took longer because I was more attached to our mum but eventually she won me over. We laughed at each other over dinner as we relived old memories, and I asked about the town which led to a deep discussion on why being a holiday town had is downs more than ups. My stepmother asked about my work after and I told her about the pageants and other stuff, I left out the story I was working on as I saw that would be better for another time. My dad however looked like he was nodding off so we decided to clean up and let him go and get some rest. By the time we cleaned and cleared the kitchen it was closer to nine, time passes faster when you live in the past.

My dad had already gone to bed when I finally settled in the living room to sit and just ruminate on what I needed to do. My bosses word hung in the air and also what Sam spoke, there were too many stray threads that made this investigation feel like I was trying to straighten every noodle in a pot of noodles. My mum broke the spell by calling out to me, she had a glass of wine in her hand and handed it to me, I took it and smiled.

“Looks like the old man still complains about this habit.”

“Oh, you know. He will frown at times but I like a glass every now and then, it keeps me company when I feel the quiet gets too much. I see you keep getting thinner with every visit so as a mother I would like to ask why haven’t you tried to find someone yet?”

I shrugged and took a sip, “honestly I don’t know. Every date I went to ended well but the follow up was where things go bad. When I talk about what I do and what I am planning for the future their eyes sort of glaze over and I lose them. I guess being a journalist isn’t attractive anymore, Joseph’s time was way better, he was a rockstar.”

Uncle Joseph, or Joseph, was my stepmother’s cousin. He was the one who got me interested in journalism, he travelled the country reporting on crime and other current stories. I remember when I would sit with him for hours as recounted his adventures reporting on crimes or political stories he came across. Talking about him and what really sparked the interest with mum felt like I was 12 years old again but as 11 pm came close it was time to get some rest and we called it and I went back to my room and got some much needed sleep.

The following days were split either with helping my dad out with his old project car or doing the repair stuff in the house. It was liberating to say the least to have to worry about the smaller things and I got me feeling like all the doors in my head finally opening to think in a cleaner space. I would sit in the evenings going through the note in my laptop and seeing what made sense what I needed to discard as all the information contained incidental notes that I knew will not lead to anything worth looking into.

It was in one of the days I was sitting with my parents that I finally mentioned the side investigation on Locklear and the clubs of New York. My father sat back and began muttering the name while stopped to ask him what he was talking about.

“Locklear, hmm. Ah yes, you know this just a holiday town, so you don’t have to be reminded on the holiday street. I remember there is a house that belongs to the Locklear family, my father had spoken about that place. It was to do with their weird ways of owning the house but not living in it, it was more of a gathering place for everyone in the street, sort of like a club. They abandoned it some time in the 70’s so if you want somewhere to start maybe go there. Its winter right now so most of the houses were packed up so no one will mind seeing your donkey cart pass by.”

I looked at him with a pained expression but then thought about the house, I asked him exactly where it was and he gave me the directions to follow. It was at the end of the street, though I did have to drive over an unkempt part which I did not worry about then. We then continued with other topics before turning in.

The next day I decided to have go to the house and see what I could find there so I let them both know and my dad told me to be careful. I nodded and set off, the snow was not as bad so my car would be able to brave the trail should it need to. As I drove past the town I could see life here was simple, everyone was busy with their own chores and the festive spirit was more about celebrating being with your loved ones rather than drinking yourself under. The so-called holiday street is actually 10 minutes out of town, the houses are build on the side of the lake my town was named after and during the summer its full of rich nobodies.

The street was long as it followed the curve of the lake and could see most of the houses were dark, there were a couple of houses that looked occupied but I knew that those that lived in them were running from someone. As I reached the end I saw the trail my father spoke about, it wasn’t marked, the trees that surrounded the area had kept the snow from being too deep. I stopped at the entrance and walked around to check and see how the ground was, it was rough but now enough to cause my car to get stuck. I drove slowly and kept checking the road and the surroundings, finally after 15 minutes I came up to the entrance, the gates looked like they must have rusted and fallen of but I still got out and double checked. Looking at the house that was little further I could see that it looked like a ruin rather than an actual house. I drove past the dead gates and reached the house, the front of the house still stood but everything after had basically fallen in. I got out and began exploring the place, seeing the place I could see that there was a fire in the past that could have resulted to the house collapsing in. Trying to check inside was impossible as there was nothing to see apart from old burnt remains, the scent of burnt wood still hung in the air even after all the years. I walked to the back to see if there was an out house or something and found my self in a show garden with the remains of a garden maze. The maze was in complete ruin and there were a few pieces of furniture that did not age well in the open, apart from that I did spot a small house of some sort and decided to try that place.

I was a tool shed from the size and when I tried to open the door the lock fell out and the door followed almost nailing me under. I jumped out of the way just in time and with a thump fell on the snow. Inside was plain and there was a work bench and nothing more, no gardening tools or signs that it was ever used. I walked in and on the 4^th step the floor threatened to break, the wood had also rotted but it revealed that under it there was something like an opening. I stepped back and tried to see if there was a latch to open the trap door and found it, opening the door it revealed a tunnel underneath, there were hand holds built into the sides to climb down. I then stepped back out and checked out of caution to see if anyone was around and then switched on the flashlight I carried with me from home and decided to climb down, I had reached this far so going down was the only way forward.

Testing the rungs and slowly climbed down, the torch in hand I made way down. It led down to a tunnel that looked like a drain but it was bone dry and it was large enough to allow me to walk with a slight bow. One side I surmised led to the lake and other to the house, walked toward the house and after 5 minutes came to a door, it was a metal door and it looked rusted and took some effort to open. Inside was a basement which looked completely empty, looking up I could see that any noise or tremor would result in the roof caving in. So I shone my light around to see it was completely empty, felt the twinge of disappointment at not finding anything but swallowed it and tried to walk to the lake instead.

The distance was greater than I had expected and it ended with a similar iron door, I tried it and this one opened a little easier and inside was a larger room. This did not make sense to me unless this is where people were coming to from the house. I shone the light around the place and I could then see the old sofas and tables peppered for people sit. Looking at the walls I could see paintings of people I did not recognise, maybe they were descendants of the Faiworth families. Walking around the tables, most were plain and at the other end was a longer table that could have been for the senior members or something like that. There was nothing interesting to see here as the tables were plain and apart from that, and the paintings, no clue or sign of what occurred here. I still tried to find something which led to the discovery of a small box that was sitting at the end of the long table, I picked it up and it looked like the old document holder style boxes. I opened it to find it empty but the box itself was interesting as inside the lid there was an engraving, The Faiworth Collection is all that was carved in.

I stood back and looked around a little more and saw there was nothing more to be seen and left. There was no other exit apart from the tunnel that I came in, so I left with the wooden box in hand. I climbed up the tunnel and had another look around the property to see if there was anything else I could learn and found nothing. Finally I decided to leave and got in my car, as I turned the car and looked around my eye picked on something in the treeline. Almost like a shadow out of place there was a figure or animal, as I turned to get a better look it was gone. I took a moment to see if I could pick it out again but it had completely vanished, I drove out of the place and into the main street.

I drove home without incident and when I got home I left the box in the car, I decided to place under the seat as a precaution and went in. With my leave almost over I left for the city and base my parents goodbye and left.