Chapter 2 - Delia All Alone

Delia and her mom became inseparable so it hit Delia very hard when her mom died.  She kept thinking of all the talk of the supernatural and wondered if it was just the talk of a senile woman or maybe there was something to it. What about the code she gave her.  Usually there is some truth mixed in with the ramblings.  

Delia was alone now and had a lot of free time on her hands.  She was ready to go through her mom's things and clean out her room.  That is when she figured out her mom’s room was actually smaller than it should be according to the outside walls.

Could there really be a hidden room? It couldn't be too big.  Maybe just a safe.  So she started looking through the bookshelf and flipping through the books.  Suddenly one of the books clicked and swung open displaying a keypad. Could this be what the code is for?  Delia retrieved the paper and entered the code.  The bookcase began to move.  

Now Delia was really frightened.  It WAS true. She had never really expected to find anything. But it wasn't just a safe, it led to a staircase. There is indeed a basement hidden under the house.  How could she have lived here for 17 years and not known this.  

Delia took a deep breath and descended the stairs that were revealed when the bookcase door swung open.   She was amazed at what she found.   There were indeed cauldrons and alchemy stations.  More bookshelves and books were everywhere.  Even captured insects and other plants were strewn around and collected in a huge cabinet along with what looked like potions.   There was a desk and a computer with a single rose and picture.  Could it be – her – father?  She never knew her mom had a picture of him – which now that she thought about it was a bit strange.   But all of this was more than strange.

Delia moved closer and looked at the framed picture. She saw herself staring back at her from the blue eyes in the photo and in the frame adjacent to it was a picture of her mom when she was much younger – she knew it was her.  Her very unusual green eyes were a dead giveaway. She rifled though some of the books and discovered that they were indeed alchemy books with recipes for potions and elixirs.  

Dumbfounded, Delia sat down at the desk and turned on the computer.  It was password protected.  She tried the code that her mom had given her to no avail.  Then she put in her birthday and it worked. That made her smile. 

There were folders with scanned copies of clippings and one folder with a document that had been updated over the last 16 or so years.  She was going to have to read this.  But not now.   She was simply exhausted…mentally as well as physically.   And she had school and work at the day spa tomorrow.

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