The Haunting

It was the Friday before Halloween, the wind was blowing in heavy gusts outside the windows of my car. The house stood on the outer limits of the town, surrounded by a ragged broken down white and green striped picket fence. The grass was browning in some spots or dead in others, making a mockery of the one lone green patch beneath one of the lower windows that was framed by an awning that had obviously seen better days. The whole house to the naked eye appeared to be forgotten and unloved, abandoned by everyone and everything . A sign affixed to the side of the house stated its name as The Hallows, a designation as being one of a few that have withstood the test of time and history.

I got out of my car and just stood there taking it all in before answering the ringing of my phone. Pushing my mid length burgundy curls back with one hand, I reluctantly answered the phone seeing the name of my best friend, publisher and Mistress on the other end with an exasperated hello and a roll of my dark brown eyes wanting the forthcoming conversation to already be over with. "Terese, quit rolling your eyes just because I called instead of just sending a return text." All of this was rushed out with an annoyed tone. In spite of myself, I knew that she wasn't that upset with me and let a little giggle bubble up into hearing distance. "Sorry," I said as I pulled out a small band and gathered the flowing mass of curls into a ponytail, "but I knew how you would react, if I told you I wanted to see and investigate the house".

Z glared at me from the screen, a hint of sterness showing in her grey eyes before she spoke saying, "little girl, told? Have you forgotten who you are talking to?" in a voice which seemed to drop 15 degrees at my flippant response. The sternness of her gaze even through the screen as well as the ice cold tone quickly made me apologize saying "I'm sorry Miss Z, for my impudence but our talk about the house wetted my curiosity so much that I had to come and investigate its supposed haunted history." I looked up again letting my eyes roam the exterior again, this time feeling a shiver ripple down my spine at seeing something I shouldn't have.

Z or Mistress, as I refer to her during play time, noticed the change in my demeanor as well as hearing the gasp I couldn't quite stifle asking,"terese, baby girl, is everything ok?" I asked in a quiet voice, "Mistress, are you sure there isn't anybody living in the house still?" While keeping my eyes on the glint of light coming from the upper window on the second floor,I waited for her answer. Z quickly replied saying, "it has been empty for the past twenty years and why are you asking?" Hurriedly, I told her that "I think I am seeing a light, but it could just be a reflection of the street lights." Turning my back to the car to gather my notebooks, I reassured Z that I would be home before it went dark and yes I would make sure to call her as I was leaving the house.

Hanging up the phone while, making my way up the steps and into the house I only had a little trouble with the key before locking the heavy door back behind me. I stopped in the entryway and took in the vastness of the house, with the smell of abandonment and decay prevalent in the stale air. The first floor was wide with its emptiness as I walked from room to room, fingers becoming dirty from the filthy rooms before heading to the center staircase. Upon reaching the top, a shiver went down my spine like fingernails down a chalkboard. The air still and feeling as though a presence was waiting watching its prey.

Heart pounding in my chest, I quickly snapped a few pictures then wandered through the various rooms finding some to be bedrooms while others were for whatever. I followed the trail of doors to the end of the long hallway to the last door which was locked making me curious. Quickly searching through the keys given to me trying and discarding them until the lock disengaged leading me to walk into a room that quite literally made me lose my breath.

The air was warm and smelled of jasmine. A wide four poster bed lay in the center of the clean scented room and a pale lady sat on a crystal shaped vanity chair brushing her long silvery blonde hair, her eyes the color of green glass centered on me while outside light filtered in from the window across from the vanity top. I stepped over to look through the window and gasped with terror as ice formed in my veins. Tightening my hold on my camera and bag, my eyes focused on my car sitting on the street while also seeing myself walk towards the front of the house talking to Z.

My brain whirled and fought to figure out the repercussions of what I was seeing as I backed out of the room and kept running down the stairs. Still seeing the pale woman in my mind's eye, hearing her chilling laughter ringing in my ears as I departed the hallows. I jumped in my car wanting to be safely away from the presence of the house, the laughter ringing still in my ear till I realized the ringing was from my phone. I answered with a sharp "hello " struggling to catch my breath and calm my nerves.

"Honey? Baby girl? What's wrong? Are you ok? Are you driving .........pull over and take deep breaths now little girl. " The normally calm tones of Mistress sounded frazzled as she sought to calm me down. After a minute or two, I had finally calmed down enough to try and explain what it was that I thought I had seen in the Hallows. I sat in my car taking in gulps of air while my heartbeat settled listening to Z then groaning as I noticed how much time had passed.

She read my mind when she said "baby girl, you most certainly will not make it home before its fully dark and i don't want you speeding so take your time. No punishment today unless you speed." I gave a little laugh then took a sip of water before pulling out one of my lollies, sucking on it for the entire drive back home. Stopping only once for a quick potty break but in the back of my mind desperately trying to forget what it was that I had seen and felt.