Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Short story no. 8 [Sylvia]
Stay
It was the first time I was asked to housesit my uncle’s imposing Victorian house in the countryside. I really don’t know why on earth I accepted to do it in the first place, I am afraid to stay alone in the dark…
I’ve been at the house when I was a young child, I can barely remember it, all I know is that it looked like a big castle from a fairytale, with dark green ivy covering the brown brick walls, all the way up to the pointy rooftops.
It was a three hour journey by car to the house. It was a beautiful sunny autumn day. I parked in the front of the house. I always love how the small pebbles sound under the tires. The sight was breathtaking, the ivy turned into a never before seen ruby-like color, the setting sun reflected on the leaves and I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. It was even more magnificent as I remembered it. My uncle invited me in, they were set to go, so we said goodbye and I closed the big wooden door which was incredibly heavy from the beautifully worked black iron frame.
I went upstairs to the guestroom, opened the window and I think I must have sat there for hours admiring the forest and breathing that fresh, crisp air, as it was already pitch dark when I realized that I was really cold.
I closed the window and went to the bathroom to turn on the hot water and have a long, relaxing bath. The bathroom floor was made of pure marble, there were lavenders in expensive Chinese vases in every corner, the mesmerizing scent made me a bit dizzy. I stopped the water and sat in the tub. It was so quiet, the only sound was that of the water still dripping slowly from the tap into my bathwater, making tiny waves. I fell asleep, the water turned ice cold and I was shivering when I got out.
I thought it was a bit strange that I was becoming so sleepy and tired, but then I realized that the strong air and the lavenders made me feel drowsy.
The massive wooden bed was covered in big white sheets and a puffy feather duvet with two large pillows. I felt like a princess. I turned off the lights, I couldn’t see a thing until my eyes got used to the dim lights of the night.
I could hear the evening bugs outside. I quickly fell asleep…
I woke up early in the morning, when the first rays of the sun appeared in the room. I went downstairs, made a cup of tea and sat in the garden in the big rocking chair. I was wishing for time to stop as I never felt so relaxed and calm before. I got tired of the busy, noisy city. I wanted to stay there forever and cease that very moment.
All of a sudden a black silhouette appeared over the road. I had no idea who it was, my uncle didn’t have any neighbors close by, only miles away. Postman, milkman, gardener…?
I got up and went closer to the road, but I couldn’t spot anyone. I thought that maybe it was an animal or something, or simply my mind was just playing tricks on me…
At the end I just decided to enjoy the beautiful autumn sunshine and forget about the whole thing.
I enjoyed the lazy day outside, I read all day and prepared a fresh vegetable supper. I wasn’t afraid for one second, which felt really good. I calmly went upstairs and prepared the usual evening rituals.
I fell asleep in just a few minutes again, but the second night wasn’t the same… A squeaky noise woke me up in the middle of the night, I heard someone coming up the stairs, I was terrified, I didn’t know what to do, I pulled out the drawer next to my bed as if I knew that I was going to find a small gun there. It wasn’t a robber, it was an old man, with white hair a black suit. He stood in front of my bed and looked at me. I didn’t believe in ghosts until that moment. In a few seconds he stared to speak, I dropped the gun and froze: We are all ghosts, you shouldn’t have come here, now the curse will fall on you and you shall haunt this house for all eternity with all of the people who deceased on these ancient holy grounds…
I woke up sweaty and mortified. I didn’t know if it was a nightmare or if the ghost of the old man was actually there… I couldn’t go back to sleep, but all I knew is that I didn’t want to spend another night there.
In the morning I packed up my things and decided to call my uncle and tell him what has happened and that I couldn’t do this for another night. The phone was dead, my mobile had no signal so I had to go to the village to use a public a phone. I locked up the house and put my bags in the car. I started driving and before I reached the main road all I saw in front of me was a huge abyss and I drove straight into it…
I can hear the evening bugs while my rocking chair slowly crumbles the pebbles…
It was the first time I was asked to housesit my uncle’s imposing Victorian house in the countryside. I really don’t know why on earth I accepted to do it in the first place, I am afraid to stay alone in the dark…
I’ve been at the house when I was a young child, I can barely remember it, all I know is that it looked like a big castle from a fairytale, with dark green ivy covering the brown brick walls, all the way up to the pointy rooftops.
It was a three hour journey by car to the house. It was a beautiful sunny autumn day. I parked in the front of the house. I always love how the small pebbles sound under the tires. The sight was breathtaking, the ivy turned into a never before seen ruby-like color, the setting sun reflected on the leaves and I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. It was even more magnificent as I remembered it. My uncle invited me in, they were set to go, so we said goodbye and I closed the big wooden door which was incredibly heavy from the beautifully worked black iron frame.
I went upstairs to the guestroom, opened the window and I think I must have sat there for hours admiring the forest and breathing that fresh, crisp air, as it was already pitch dark when I realized that I was really cold.
I closed the window and went to the bathroom to turn on the hot water and have a long, relaxing bath. The bathroom floor was made of pure marble, there were lavenders in expensive Chinese vases in every corner, the mesmerizing scent made me a bit dizzy. I stopped the water and sat in the tub. It was so quiet, the only sound was that of the water still dripping slowly from the tap into my bathwater, making tiny waves. I fell asleep, the water turned ice cold and I was shivering when I got out.
I thought it was a bit strange that I was becoming so sleepy and tired, but then I realized that the strong air and the lavenders made me feel drowsy.
The massive wooden bed was covered in big white sheets and a puffy feather duvet with two large pillows. I felt like a princess. I turned off the lights, I couldn’t see a thing until my eyes got used to the dim lights of the night.
I could hear the evening bugs outside. I quickly fell asleep…
I woke up early in the morning, when the first rays of the sun appeared in the room. I went downstairs, made a cup of tea and sat in the garden in the big rocking chair. I was wishing for time to stop as I never felt so relaxed and calm before. I got tired of the busy, noisy city. I wanted to stay there forever and cease that very moment.
All of a sudden a black silhouette appeared over the road. I had no idea who it was, my uncle didn’t have any neighbors close by, only miles away. Postman, milkman, gardener…?
I got up and went closer to the road, but I couldn’t spot anyone. I thought that maybe it was an animal or something, or simply my mind was just playing tricks on me…
At the end I just decided to enjoy the beautiful autumn sunshine and forget about the whole thing.
I enjoyed the lazy day outside, I read all day and prepared a fresh vegetable supper. I wasn’t afraid for one second, which felt really good. I calmly went upstairs and prepared the usual evening rituals.
I fell asleep in just a few minutes again, but the second night wasn’t the same… A squeaky noise woke me up in the middle of the night, I heard someone coming up the stairs, I was terrified, I didn’t know what to do, I pulled out the drawer next to my bed as if I knew that I was going to find a small gun there. It wasn’t a robber, it was an old man, with white hair a black suit. He stood in front of my bed and looked at me. I didn’t believe in ghosts until that moment. In a few seconds he stared to speak, I dropped the gun and froze: We are all ghosts, you shouldn’t have come here, now the curse will fall on you and you shall haunt this house for all eternity with all of the people who deceased on these ancient holy grounds…
I woke up sweaty and mortified. I didn’t know if it was a nightmare or if the ghost of the old man was actually there… I couldn’t go back to sleep, but all I knew is that I didn’t want to spend another night there.
In the morning I packed up my things and decided to call my uncle and tell him what has happened and that I couldn’t do this for another night. The phone was dead, my mobile had no signal so I had to go to the village to use a public a phone. I locked up the house and put my bags in the car. I started driving and before I reached the main road all I saw in front of me was a huge abyss and I drove straight into it…
I can hear the evening bugs while my rocking chair slowly crumbles the pebbles…
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
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