The Cursed Inheritance

Anna hesitated for a moment, taking in the eerie surroundings. She wondered why her aunt had chosen to live in such a creepy place, but she knew that it wasn't her place to judge. As she approached the front door, it creaked open slowly, as if beckoning her inside. She cautiously stepped inside, feeling the chill of the air conditioning hit her face.

The interior of the house was even more unsettling than the exterior. The furniture was old and dusty, with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. Anna felt like she was walking through a museum exhibit, rather than a real home. As she made her way through the house, she noticed strange artifacts scattered throughout, like an old wooden box with a strange symbol etched into the lid.

Anna shuddered as she made her way up to the second floor, feeling like she was being watched by unseen eyes. When she reached her aunt's bedroom, she saw that the bed had not been made in days, with the sheets rumpled and pillows askew. The room smelled musty and damp, with a strange scent that Anna couldn't quite place.

As she turned to leave the room, Anna caught sight of a small, leather-bound journal sitting on the bedside table. Curiosity got the better of her, and she picked it up, flipping through the yellowed pages. To her shock, she realized that her aunt had been a practicing witch, and that the strange artifacts scattered throughout the house were tools used for magic.

Anna's skepticism quickly faded as she read more about her aunt's life and work. She realized that her mother's side of the family wasn't so crazy after all, and that there was much more to Oakwood than met the eye. As she left the house, she knew that she would return one day, to explore the secrets that her aunt had left behind.

Anna's mind was preoccupied with the hidden symbols as the priest's words drifted over her. She wondered why no one else seemed to notice them, or if they did, why they weren't saying anything. Her aunt had never mentioned anything about the church having strange markings, but Anna knew her aunt to be a private person who kept to herself.

As the service came to an end, Anna followed the crowd outside to the graveyard. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the tombstones. Anna stood at the back, watching as her aunt's coffin was lowered into the ground. The priest spoke a final prayer, and the mourners began to disperse.

Anna lingered, staring at her aunt's grave. She felt a sudden urge to stay, to keep watch over her aunt's final resting place. The symbols in the church kept running through her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were somehow connected to her aunt's death.

As the last of the