3

3. An Hidden Compartment

Even though the lights had faded, they still burned in Rose's eyes. She stayed there for what seemed like forever, staring at the hill until Rose felt a pat on her shoulder.

'Hey, your room is ready.' Josef voice came from behind her. 'Hey, what you looking at?'

Rose turned away from the hill to her step brother. 'Nothing. Come on.'

Josef gave her a quizzical look but instead of answering, Rose walked into the house and soon with Josef following her. He soon overtook her and led the way to her room. As soon as she entered she, as if the norm, her jaw dropped.

Her room was just as lit as downstairs but more cozy. Her bags had been stacked neatly in the corner. A big cupboard covered the wall furthest from the bed. But the bed... It was a simple, one person bed yet it looked like pure heaven. Rose couldn't wait to lay there. In her room there's was just everything she needed and more.

'I see you like it.' Josef said, staring intently at her face.

'I've never had a room quite so nice.' Rose said, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

'Settle in. Mom will call when dinners ready. Take your time.' Josef turned and walked downstairs.

Rose stood a couple of more minutes just staring at her room before a desire erupted in her, a desire to move around. She first wanted to move towards the bed but her body moved towards the cupboard instead. Rose wondered if all her clothes were placed there but she soon found it.

Her arms grabbed the handles of the cupboard and pulled them open. All her clothes had been stacked by colour, all neatly but for some reason her hands started taking out a particular stack of t-shirts. Her mind asked her why she would even be doing this but her hands continued.

At this point Rose began to worry, her mind frantically screaming at her hands to stop and listen, to follow orders again but it was like there was no airtime in her body. It was constantly hanging. Her brain told her mouth to scream for help but same result.

Eventually all the t-shirts were out. Rose didn't understand what she, or her hands, were searching for until her hands scraped the back of the cupboard. A lid popped up just a little bit. Rose knew she wouldn't have noticed it otherwise. Suddenly her hands dropped, no longer having a life of its own. She flexed her fingers, relieved to have them move.

Her mind focused on the lid once more. Her hand found the top and gripped on it. Rose gingerly moved it away slowly, afraid to find the content it hid. She placed the lid on her bed and moved back. Her hand grasped what was in the hidden compartment. She looked at it for the first time...a book.

The cover seemed familiar. A symbol on the crest and the word Olvido on it in italics. Cobwebs lined the space between the covers, a fine layer of dust on it. Rose pondered the book: who had written it? What did the symbol mean? What was it contents? When was it written?

'Rose, dinner is ready!' Her mother's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She gingerly put it the book down on her bed and replied,' Be right down.'

Dinner was lavish just like this entire house. Rose quickly got full and tired, so she decided to call it a night. She also decided not to tell her mother and step brother about the book at least not till she investigated it's contents.

She settled in her bed, her snug pyjamas on. She switched the light off and put her lamp on. She grabbed the book and opened it.

The first chapter read about what Rose assumed was the author. How he came to the island and made his way around town. Rose became agitated at the fact that the book had not given her anything to think about. She reached the second page, ready to turn to the third when her hands lingered on yet another symbol. A finger followed the grooves of the symbol.

Then she collapsed.