Humans logo

The Surprise In The Shadows

The Hidden Gift

By Shelly BartleyPublished 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 7 min read
6
The Surprise In The Shadows
Photo by Almos Bechtold on Unsplash

Alajandria followed a routine every day. The alarm clock woke her with a scary screeching scream. This was the only way that she would wake up. After Alajandria finished her daily chores she headed outside for a long walk with her lunch basket in hand. She stopped at the edge of the lake to have a look at the shiny water. Once she watched the water splashing into the rocks for a bit she closed her eyes to take in the fresh air around her. A half-hour had passed by when Alajandria continued her walk past the lake. The walk went on for another half hour until reaching the old grass-covered path that led to an old shack. This was a favorite place of hers to come to visit. It was here that she would allow her imagination to run freely in every direction. There were stories imagined of a great many lives living inside the tiny shack in front of her.

Alajandria continued down the pathway to the large house that was not far from the shack. There was a little wear and tear to the old place just like the shack. It was still in good shape considering all the years that it had sat in silence waiting for a new friend to move in. Alajandria stood admiring this old home that had such freedom. The freedom to just be in peace in such a breathtaking place surrounded by a lot of different flowers. A loud crack and a falling tree caught her attention. She had not noticed the sky being dark before. The rain began to pour down fast. She ran for the porch where she turned around to look at everything that was happening behind her. There was a large deer with its family running for shelter. The loud cracking continued as many more trees fell to the ground. The trees fell in a very straight line almost as though someone was lining them up. In the middle of the area behind the fallen trees stood a very large statue. It was a statue of a woman dressed in gold holding a child in her arms.

The rain was falling in a rhythm with a sound like frying eggs popping. It was a very steady fall of drops splashing all over the ground in front of her. The quiet soothing rain turned quickly like a sudden change in a nightmare. The sky had turned black when it was still daylight hours. The wind increased with a loud howling against the house. Alajandria got knocked into the front door of the house by the wind. She opened the door and stepped inside to find it in such perfect order. There was not a spot of dust in sight. All the furniture looked brand new. There was a pile of wood by the fireplace ready for use. Alajandria noticed a note on the table that she walked over to. It was a note without words on it. The ink was just smeared all over the paper.

Alajandria found her sheet of paper and left a note to the owner. She left her name and address while also explaining what had happened. Alajandria walked over to the fireplace to start a fire for warmth. The logs got stacked nicely inside the fireplace with some paper to get it going. Just as she was about to light the fire Alajandria noticed something below all the wood. She reached underneath the wood to grab it and pull it out. It was a small black book with an attached envelope on the outside. It looked like a journal that someone had tried to hide. She quickly checked to see if there was anything else hidden where she had found the book. There was a small bag about the size of a large purse. Inside the bag, there were hidden several items. The brush was silver with bristles that were all bright white. The candle was white with a candle holder. She could tell that neither one had ever been used. The matches were strange and not like any matches that she had ever seen. They were bright blue with wishes written on the outside of the package. The last item that was in the bag was a hand mirror.

Alajandria set all the items on the table and then lit the fire. The strange blue matches that she had found in the bag were not used. There was a search in a few areas of the house to find some lanterns to use. There were blankets and pillows in the closet in the hallway just inside the front door. In the top of the closet set some candles and lanterns. Alajandria set up a spot at the dining table for her to have her meal. There was some extra food for when she needed it. The leftover food got stored in the fridge that was working. The door shook a little with the knocking of the wind from outside trying to get inside. Alajandria locked it so that it could not be blown open. At the risk of being blown away, there was a decision made that it would be wise to go out and get all the shutters closed. A rope tied to the porch that was long enough to reach around the house was used to help keep steady and find the way back. All of the downstairs shutters she closed and was able to lock them all from inside. Luckily the wind had not blown them back open.

Alajandria was able to safely close all the ones upstairs without any trouble. The chimney outside the house had a cover to let the smoke out while also keeping the rain from coming in. All the doors of the house were secure. She found some clothes she could temporarily wear until her clothes dried from the warmth of the fireplace. Curling up on the couch with a nice warm blanket and the book in hand that she had found Alajandria began to read it. Inside the book, there was an explanation of why the matches were blue. It said that all the items she found were magic. The matches could give wishes once used to light the candle that was also found inside the bag.

Alajandria thought long and hard about what would be wanted if there was a wish made. The items had been left in that place for some time. The bag had dust all over the outside of it. She knew it was not stealing if any of it got used. There was the thought the bag might be there as a joke. Deep down inside she also was hoping that it was true. The match shared blue smoke when it was lit that surrounded her. The wish was for some money to help. The smoke made her sleepy so she blew out the candle and decided to go to bed. When Alajandria awoke the next day the world outside seemed calm. The storm was gone and the sky was back to normal. Alajandria changed back into her own clothes and ate the food that was left from the day before. Everything that got used was back where it belonged.

A new bag was set next to the front door that had not been there before. There was a quick check of the house to see if she had missed someone before that was hiding inside. There was nobody anywhere inside the house except for her. She opened the bag to find a bunch of money. The total amount of cash after counting it came to $20,000. Tears slowly fell from her eyes as she smiled with happiness. With the money that she had wished for she was able to pay off her debts and buy the house that she was in. It turned out that there was a caretaker who kept the house clean. With the money she had wished for she used it to also help her with her schooling. She became a very successful writer. On the day that she passed her daughter, Embeth was contacted. Embeth was given a note from her mother. In the note, it explained everything that had happened. Since Embeth already had everything that she needed she used her wish to help a friend. This mysterious bag is still being passed around. The candle never runs out and the matches are always full.

humanity
6

About the Creator

Shelly Bartley

From a very young age, I have always written anything from poetry to books. Enjoy painting and other arts. Have written a few songs and short stories to.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.