Before I am Famous

literature is something we infer after the story is told

Shadows

Posted on | June 14, 2008 | No Comments

Detached. She dreamed that her body lay crumpled on the earth and her spirit flew high above the lush foliage. Freedom to breathe fresh air, the sun glistened and pushed away any clouds. She continued to soar higher and higher into the atmosphere but a dark spot ahead suffocated the sun. The closer she came the more weighted she became, soon to be falling from the sky.

 Adivoni woke in the same leaded darkness as in her dream. Hammers pounded in her head and her wrists winced when she moved. The solitary yellow flame atop a black candle illuminated a corner. She struggled to get to her feet and her clothes felt different. Last she knew she had on shorts and a tank top and sneakers. Smoothing her hands down her body the threads were soft like velvet. Adivoni walked to the candle and picked it up.

Careful not to catch herself on fire, she glanced down and saw someone had put medieval clothes on and took her shoes and placed her feet in wrapped leather. The room was stone and there were no apparent windows. For several minutes with a tiny glow she felt the clammy walls looking for a door, a window, a light switch, anything to give her answers.

Adivoni’s last memory was foggy, who knows how long ago but she was out walking in the park. Was it night or day? She wasn’t sure. She considered screaming but figured that would do no good. A sharp pain in her hand stopped her memory train. She lowered the candle down to see a little splinter in her hand. Moving the candle the wax dripped onto her other hand, she discovered a round handle.

The door made no sound as she pushed it open to another place but just as dark. She found her voice dry but spoke into the darkness anyway “Hello, anyone in here? Hello?” Her voice stayed near her and she figured the room was small. She walked as best as she could forward, taking small steps and using her hand to feel around her.

***

Adivoni joined Eliza in the courtyard behind their building. Eliza’s grandmother was in charge of them. Both Adivoni and Eliza loved when she was in charge nothing but home baked cookies, soda, and ghost stories so scary the girls had to sleep in the same bed to keep the boogey man away. Three days before Eliza’s grandmother would pass on she told the girls an unusual but just as frightening story.

After a round of cookies and milk the girls gathered around the grandmother on the woven rug. Her hands shook as she sipped coffee from the only fancy cup in the apartment.

“Okay girls, I want to tell you a true life story that happened to me when I was a little older than you. In a place surrounded by the tallest and most lively trees is a little cottage made of stone. It may look small but when you go inside it is so big and dark you can get lost. I was with a boy and we were walking in the woods and we came upon this house. Now remember I was older than you girl, I was almost a woman and this boyfriend and I just wanted some privacy. We saw the cottage and decided to go inside.”

“I remember grabbing his hand so tight because I was really scared. And he pushed open the wooden door. It was so black inside, the sun barely cut through it. I know we left the door open, I think he was scared to because he squeezed my hand until my fingers turned purple. I don’t know why we didn’t turn around and go back through the woods but we moved forward inside. With in minutes the air turned chilly and the door slammed behind us. I screamed so loud. He let go of my hand and I ran for the door. I could have swore he was right behind me. I found the door and a hand shoved me out the door and slammed it shut. I looked around for Pete but he was anywhere. I yelled for his name and nothing. I tried the door and now I couldn’t get it open. I was so scared I should have stayed but I ran through the wood, screaming when I made it back to his car I jumped in. I didn’t know what to do I waited. What if he needed help so I drove the car to the police and told them what happened. We went back to the woods and there were many men to help but we couldn’t find the cottage.”

“After hours of searching the sun begin to set. A man wearing a blue overalls approached me and told me he believed me, he saw the cottage before, he’s tried looking for it and it was gone. He told me for years he’d seek it out and sometimes he would see it and sometimes he wouldn’t. I asked him if he knew anything about the place and he said there have been stories of a mad man who lived there to escape the police. He dressed his women as princesses from long ago and sacrifices them or so the story goes. The evil has grown so strong. Now girls promise me if you ever see that stone cottage in any woods that you run away and fast. I wanted to tell you this because I know my time is soon done and I never horrible fate to happen to you girls.”

The girls nodded and hugged the old woman and went to bed. They both agreed that was the best story she ever told but didn’t believe a word of it.

***

“I would have run away. I didn’t want to come here anyway!” she yelled into the darkness. Nothing. She continued in the silence the candle burnt closer to her fingers. She had to find a way out and now before the only thing that could tell she was okay would be gone.

This had to be the same place as Eliza’s grandmother told her about. Why was she here? She recalled reading in the paper about women in their late 20’s and 30’s single and no children have been reported missing. No bodies, no leads, nothing. Now here she was another victim. In a flash the candle went out like an unknown breeze blew it out. She stood in place and wanted to run and couldn’t find the strength.

A faded light gathered in the corner, the darkness tried snuffing it out. The translucent light moved; Adivoni followed. One shard of dying daylight pushed its way through. Adivoni dashed and pushed open the door. The powerful sun blinded her temporarily. She lowered her eyes and ran through the woods.

***

She made to the police; they believed her tale and sent men into the forest. A nice lady cop told her that he had missing for weeks. Hours passed by and the men returned with grim faces that they couldn’t find the stone cottage in the woods. They’d look again the next day.

Days went by and no one could find the cottage. Adivoni warm in bath robe and in her bed turned on the television to catch the latest new story. A picture of a beautiful brunette with green eyes was plastered on the screen, “the latest girl to go missing, Stephanie Brewster, 28 green eyes, brunette 5 feet 5 inches, 120 pounds. She is believed to be the next victim of the rash of kidnappings. She was reported missing July 17, the same day Adivoni Bertucci escaped from the stone cottage,” a stern reporter’s voice explained.

 

A special thanks to Anime Fan at Anime Search Site for help with this story!

Category: weekly shorts

Comments

No Responses to “Shadows”

  1. susie Q
    June 16th, 2008 @ 7:37 pm

    wow, cool! A very dramatic and interesting read, keep up the good work!

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