Haunted Hearts
Toni's shaky hands struck a wooden match against its house and a small
flickering flame came to life. Hastily her hands moved flame to a
crumpled paper, praying for it to catch. Reds and yellows hungrily
consumed their meal of newspapers and broken down furniture. Their
mesmerizing dance sent glimmering streams of light that bounced off hard
sad eyes of the nearby teenaged girl. A smile crossed her rain-drenched
face, as the flame grew larger with every passing minute, devouring all
she had placed within the fireplace hearth and filling the room with the
fire's warming glow.
The pattering of heavy rainfall could be heard overhead and blue streaks
of lightning lit up the skies through the cracked windows, but Toni felt
safe next to the fireplace of this long forgotten abode. Until this day
she feared venturing close to the deserted old house, with its peelings
paint and squeaky hinged doors, afraid of what might linger within its
walls. Somehow she kept finding herself at the gates of this long
deserted house, as if some lingering memory was scratching at the
surface of her mind. She never dared enter until this day and now
laughed silently at her childish fears. If the first autumn storm had
not forced her to make a decision -- drown in the icy cold rains like
the rats in the sewers below, or search for warmer grounds -- she would
have remained fearful of the house without experiencing its wonders. The
sturdiness of the floorboards and the sight of the old fireplace made
her decision most worthwhile. She expected to find the place in a state
of great decay, with pools of rainwater building up in the middle of the
floor and hordes of rats and bats roosting in the walls, but was
surprised to discover the building in rather good condition. A few
windows were boarded up and there was a layer of dust upon the floor,
but with some work one would never know that this place had not seen a
living soul within it in nearly a hundred years.
Happy to see the fire was strengthening she stood to her feet and
approached a sofa that stood in front of the fireplace, where she had
dropped her duffle bag. The small love seat's cushions were stripped of
their velvet finish and its wood legs were cracked and weather worn, but
looked as if it could still hold the weight of a person. In fact in the
girl's eyes it appeared as if awaiting two lovers to enjoy the fires
warmth. Under the flickering light of the fire she got a better glimpse
at her surroundings and she admired the other pieces of furniture that
were scattered about the living room as she pondered over what kind of
family could have lived within these walls and why it was abandoned all
these years.
Her eyes drifted over the room as her thoughts mulled about in her mind.
It was obvious that no one had entered the house in quite some time and
she recalled old school stories of how its past owner was murdered
within the very room she stood and a shuddered filled her. Supposedly a
woman occupied the home alone hundreds of years ago then one day she was
found dead in her living room with bruises around her neck. The children
would whisper about how the woman still lived within the walls of the
house and she would kill anyone who intruded upon her home. Quickly she
forced such thoughts from her mind, occupying it by digging through the
contents of her bag. Abruptly a flash of lightning filled the room
followed quickly by a rumble of thunder that shook the house, causing
the windows to rattle in their frames. From the corner of her eyes Toni
saw something move and at the speed of the very lightening about her
spun around to face the intruder, hands producing a switchblade from the
pocket of her torn denim jacket with the grace of someone who was always
alert. The sound of the blade clicking in place echoed against the
walls, startling her all the more. Over the past few years of street
life she found that having a fast and steady hand would save you from
many of the horrors in the night.
Toni's eyes darted around the room in search of who was in the room with
her. She was almost certain that she saw someone and now she was faced
with an empty room. The lightening flickered lightly as if its temper
was slowly calming, revealing the doubt that she was beginning to feel
in her mind. Then, with the last fading flashes of light she saw
something move again and turned to face it. There in the corner of the
room stood a tall object with a large white sheet cloaking it from view.
A soft wind from a nearby broken window caused the hem of the sheet to
glide lightly across the floor, sweeping the dust below in small swirls.
Cautiously Toni crept closer to the sheet, holding the knife ready in
hand just in case someone jumped out at her. With a slightly trembling
hand she reached out towards the sheet and took hold of it. Licking her
lips with nervous anticipation she prepared to pull the sheet from
whatever it was hiding. With one final deep breath and establishing her
grip on the sheet she ripped the sheet down with one yank, letting it
tumble to the floor at her feet. Her heart jumped in her chest as she
found herself faced with a multitude of eyes, all staring at her. She
clamped back a scream of fright that wanted desperately to escape, when
her mind suddenly realized that what was staring at her were dozens of
reflection of her own eyes.
Before her was an oval full-length mirror with a deep red wood frame
with many intricate designs carved upon its surface. Unlike the other
pieces of furniture in the house, this one appeared in perfect
condition; as if someone hand polished it every day. The wood did not
show a single crack or sign of weather stains and the mirror was free of
even a speck of dust. The only part of the mirror that made its
appearance less then perfect was the odd spider web crack that spread
out from the centre of the mirror, causing Toni's reflection to
multiply. She peered into one of the shards of glass to see that her
face was streaked with dirt and her long dark hair hung in matted curls
around her narrow face. She began to wipe at her face with the damp
sleeve of her jacket when she spotted someone move behind her. Her fears
redoubled as she watched a white hand lightly brush a lock of hair from
her shoulder, sending a cold shiver through her spine.
Swiftly she spun around to face the intruder to her new home, plunging
the blade forward, not really caring whom it was she was striking at,
just wanting the intruder to know that they did not belong there.
However her hand passed through air as she pitched forwards to land upon
her hand and knees in the middle of the floor. Confused the girl wiped
around, blade still at the ready, prepared to strike.
What she saw before her made her guard fall as she dropped to the floor
in deep shock. Standing in front of the mirror was the form of a young
woman paler then any Toni had seen before (she had seen some rather pale
girls in the past, some painted and others not). This girl, Toni could
tell, had not painted her face that deadly shade and this unsettled her
nerves all the more. At first she thought her vision to be blurred from
the dust that lingered about after her scuffle, but she quickly realized
that this girl was not of the here and now. Tori could see right through
the apparition as if it were a projected image from some hidden
projection camera. To make sure this was not in fact what she was seeing
Toni took a quick glance around, and seeing no light emitting from the
walls she turned back to face the ghostly form and watched it
cautiously.
The ghost held something out to Toni, as if offering the object.
Cautiously Tori approached the spirit, eyeing the object carefully.
Within the hands of the phantom was what appeared to be a neatly folded
wool blanket that had faded over years of disuse. Unsure if she should
take gifts from a phantom she nervously gazed into the girl's eyes,
searching for any form of malicious intent. She could not find any;
instead she felt an odd assurance from those sad eyes. They held only
the sign of a caring soul and Toni felt her grip upon the blade in her
hand ease up ever so slightly. As if understanding Toni's worries, the
ghost carefully placed the blanket upon the sofa near the fire and
backed away, giving a small nod and a smile to the girl.
Cautiously Toni knelt next to the blanket and picked it up. The moment
her fingers touched its surface she felt herself surrounded by the light
scent of perfume, not a strong odour that repelled her senses, but one
that this was mild and somewhat inviting. She held the blanket close to
her chest and held it tight. She was not sure why she did this, but she
felt comforted by its warmth. She sneezed and recalled that she was
still wearing her drenched clothes. She glanced at the ghost and again,
as if it read her mind, the spirit turned its back to her. Keeping one
eye upon the apparition Toni quickly shed her clothes and lined them up
near the fire. Hastily she returned to the sofa where she proceeded to
produce a long nightshirt from her pack and pulled it over her head.
Fully dressed she stared down at the blanket the ghost had recently
provided her and hesitated. Was it really a good idea to take a gift
from the dead? Gingerly she let her fingers cross over the wool material
and somehow it felt familiar to her. She could not remember ever having
a wool blanket such as this one before in her life and yet she felt as
if she knew this one from somewhere.
A cold breeze wrapped around her bare legs and feet, causing her to
shiver. Finally she gave in to the cold and wrapped the blanket around
her body, curling her feet up under her as she sat upon the corner of
the sofa. For a moment Toni watched the fires dance, her eyes drifting
to the ghost ever so often, unsure what to say to the spirit. The scent
of the blanket relaxed her usually tense nerves and before long she
found herself feeling oddly secure in its folds. She turned to find the
ghost was now watching her again with a sweet, yet somehow sad, smile
upon her face. Tori hid her face partly beneath the blanket as she felt
a flush cross her cheek, and she quickly turned to watch the fire yet
again. She glanced down at the blanket around her, wrapping it closely
about her shoulders as she snuggled into the sofa.
The thought of the ghost watching her made Toni's heart race and a heat
build up around her neck. It was a ghost so she was not sure why she
would feel embarrassed and shy. Being frightened was one thing, but this
was something else entirely. Slowly she took another glance at the
spirit to find her now sitting upon a chair against the wall next to the
fireplace. There was a pained look upon the ghost's face as she heavily
placed her face in her hands. Tori felt suddenly worried for the spirit
and glanced around as she tired to figure out a way to comfort her
roommate. Toni got up from the sofa, keeping the blanket tightly pulled
around her body and stepped up to the ghost. The phantom startled
slightly at the sight of the girl before her. It looked up at Toni and
for the first time she could see a depth of pain in the girl's eyes.
Unsure what to say she gestured to the sofa and then held a hand out to
the ghost.
The spirit seemed surprised by this action, and in fact so was Toni, but
somehow Toni felt that maybe they were kindred spirits -- two lost souls
that somehow wandered into each other's lives -- and the thought of
having someone at her side felt better than her usual loneliness. Slowly
she nodded at the ghost and cautiously the spirit reached out a hand to
place it upon Toni's. Toni found the girl's hand surprisingly tangible.
She had expected the ghost's hand to simply drift through her own, or
something to that effect, and the touch of her hand was something that
Toni found caused her heart to race even more. With a swallow she guided
the spirit back to the sofa where the ghost sat lightly down, not even
stirring the dirt beneath her. Toni nervously sat upon the opposite side
of the couch, her legs again curled up at her side.
The two of them watched the firelight's mesmerizing dance. Before long
Toni found herself relaxing in the presence of the unknown girl and soon
she drifted into sleep as the sandman did his magic. Usually her body
would tense as the sensation of sleep began to make itself known,
holding tight to her knife as she prepared from any unexpected visitors,
tonight she felt her limbs grow limp as she sunk into the surface of the
sofa and the warm embrace of the blanket. Suddenly she felt an arm
slowly slip around her shoulders, but surprisingly it did not cause her
to start. With groggy eyes she glanced up to find the ghost smiling down
upon her. Somehow the thought of the spirit watching over Toni calmed
her all the more and for the first time in years she allowed herself to
be drawn peacefully into her dreamlands.
Toni was not sure if it was because of that house or the ghost hovering
close beside her, but for whatever reason her dreams were clearer then
every before. She had the dream many times before as a child, but it was
always fuzzy and she could never remember all the details clearly the
next day. This time she could see her surroundings as if they were her
daylight memories and she felt amused by this. She was standing in a
grand bedroom with a canopy bed, covered in fine silk bedding. There was
a matching vanity and dresser against the far wall, along with a
wardrobe larger then any she could ever envision. Glancing down at
herself she discovered that she was dressed in a rather elaborate black
dress with many ruffles and folds that made her feel like some kind of
princess. It was not the dress of a noble person, but it wasn't one of a
peasant either. Excitedly she moved across the room to peer into the
vanity's mirror, wanting to get a better glimpse at herself. Her long
black hair had been pulled up atop her head and a black-feathered mask
adorned her face. Through slanted eyeholes she could see her eyes
peering back at her, the same light blue that she had while awake. She
moved to pull off the mask but she was startled by the echoing sound of
a grandfather clock as it struck the hour. Toni clenched at her chest as
she tried to slow her pounding heart and counted the gongs, four...
five... six... seven... silence. It was seven o'clock and if she did not
hurry she would be late.
Quickly she exited her room and rushed down the long hallway to a
stairway that leads into a large hall. At the bottom of the stairs a man
she knew to be her father smiling up at her. She gave him a peak on the
cheek and her father watched his daughter rush from his home. She did
not have time to talk with him; she knew he would not allow her to leave
if he really knew where she was going. For now she was satisfied with
him thinking that she was simply attending the harvest festivities that
were taking place in the town square. If he knew of her true destination
his roars would raise the roof and he would more then likely lock her
with her room until she "came to her senses". She felt she was very much
in the right frame of mind and she did not need to have her father
telling her otherwise. She was not a child any longer and she wished
that her father would see that. Being the daughter of the mayor was
always an experience for her. It was as if everyone in town were
watching her, and no one thought she was old enough to make decisions of
her own. On a day such as this however people would be too busy dancing
around the bonfire to be aware she was missing, which suited her needs
perfectly.
Without haste she journeyed down the winding road of the tiny town,
moving far away from the crowds that had gathered at the town square.
The very thought of disobeying her father's rules made a smile cross her
face and she quickened her pace. In no time she arrived at a large house
at the edge of town; a house belonging to someone whom's image filled
every one of her dreams since the day they met in the market over a year
ago. Knowing that no one would agree to them meeting they kept their
encounters a secret, and today they arranged for her to visit during the
festival. Now, standing before the very house of the person who sent her
heart a flutter, she began to have second thoughts. Taking a step back
she nervously bit at her lower lip as worry began to fill her mind. What
if her father found out? What if the person rejected her? She would be
made such a fool, and that thought frightened her even more then her
father.
She began to turn away from the house when the front door opened and a
tall woman dressed in a long white summer dress stepped out onto the
patio, smiling lovingly as she silently gestured for Toni to enter. Toni
felt as if her feet were rooted to the ground and needed to force them
to move through the front gate and up the patio stairs. As if sensing
Toni's uneasiness she led the girl into the living room where she
gestured to the love seat. Upon a coffee table was a silver platter with
a matching tea set awaiting Toni's visit. The sight of this made a
nervous smile crawl across Toni's face as she slowly lowered herself to
the sofa. The woman spoke very few words as she poured tea for the two
of them. The scent of the chamomile was soothing to Toni. As she leaned
forwards to take the cup her fingers lightly touched the woman's and she
felt a slight shiver run over her flesh and jumped back.
The woman did not seem to be effected by Toni's jumpiness as she added
some sugar to her own tea and began to sip lightly at it. Toni found
herself unable to take her eyes off the woman's lips. She quivered and
bit at her own lip as a longing for a kiss rose up inside of her heart
and mind. She tore her eyes away from the woman to glance down at the
teacup before her. Shakily she took the cup in hand and tried hard to
sip at it, only to cause the cup to tilt too far and spill upon the
front of her dress. Startled she leapt to her feet, brushing at the
stain with her free hand, apologizing profusely for her clumsiness.
Swiftly the woman picked up a cloth from the coffee table and began to
dab lightly at the front of Toni's dress. For the first time Toni
noticed a sweet scent of perfume in the air. The scent seemed to be
drifting up from the woman's hair and before she realized what she was
doing she leaned forward and inhaled softly. The woman abruptly glanced
up and Toni felt herself caught in her gaze. Beautiful brown eyes filled
Toni's mind and she felt her heart pick up pace. As the woman
straightened her stance their eyes never left each other, as if locked
in a strange embrace. Gently the woman's hand touched Toni's cheek,
causing Toni to quiver in delight, and removed the mask from her face.
As the mask dropped to the ground the two of them slowly inched closer,
eyes never parting from one another. Before Toni knew what was happening
she felt lips lightly brushing against her own. At first Toni hesitated,
but realizing that she was safe in the woman's home and that no one
would find her there she finally let herself go, wrapping her arms
around the woman's waist and kissing her fully upon the lips.
Until that day the two of them only allowed themselves to touch hands in
passing and now, deep in a kiss, Toni wished she had not held back for
so long. Warmth of pleasure rushed through her entire body and she felt
a longing for the woman to touch her everywhere. As if responding to her
silent request she felt the woman's hands move up her back to the hooks
that held her dress in place. Slowly she could feel her back being
exposed to the air and fingers moving down her spine. Carefully Toni
lead her lover back to the sofa, not wanting to break free of their
embrace, but feeling her knees growing weak with the woman's every
touch. The woman parted from the kiss and smiled at Toni, a loving and
hungry smile. Cautiously she slipped Toni's dress from her shoulder,
exposing the flesh of her neck. Licking at her lips she moved in closer
and bit lightly at Toni's neck. A mixed feeling of pain and pleasure
filled her as she held the woman close, wanting more, so much more.
Suddenly the front door of the house burst open and several men rushed
into the house. Many angry eyes glared at the two women as they held
each other protectively. Her father broke free from the crowd, rounded
the sofa and grabbed his daughter's arm, pulling her away from the
woman. Angrily the woman screamed at the men, telling them to leave her
place. She rushed at Toni's father only to be pushed off easily,
crashing into the oval mirror in the corner of the room. Several men
rushed the woman and pulled her to her feet. Someone read from a scroll
and Toni could not believe what she was hearing. The town had declared
her lover a witch and the evidence was the fact that she had seduced
Toni. Toni frantically protested, proclaiming her love for the woman,
that it was her decision to visit and that she herself arranged the
encounters. The men refused to believe Toni's words and the woman was
hauled out of the house. Her screams filled Toni's ears as she watched
her lover as she was taken from her.
Toni's father pulled the crying girl's dress back up to cover her
exposed flesh and threw a blanket from off the sofa around her
shoulders. The blanket smelt of the woman and she hugged it tight as she
was lead from the home. The moment her foot stepped out onto the porch
her blood ran cold. The crowd had gathered around a large tree outside
of the house and were now staring up at it, cheering. Hanging from the
tree was her lover, swinging from a recently made noose that had been
looped over one of the trees branches. Toni's screams filled the night
air as she fought against her father's grasp, wanting nothing more then
to be in the woman's arms once again.
Toni awoke with that same scream upon her lips, the silence of the house
was shattered as she buckled over and fell from the sofa. Tears poured
forth from her eyes to tumble to the dirt-covered floor. All those years
she felt as if this house were calling out to her. Time and time again
she would find herself outside of those gates, but one look at that
dying tree outside would fill her with a kind of dread that she could
not understand, until now. Now she remembered ever detail clearly, the
woman's name was Emily and she loved her more then anything in the
world. The week after Emily's death she refused to leave her room and
cried profusely into her pillow until she was so exhausted that she
could only sleep. After a time she had return to Emily's house, blanket
in hand, to find her still hanging from the tree. Toni proceeded to
untie the noose and buried her lover beneath that very tree whilst
passers-by starred at her, mumbling their disapproval. That day she
promised Emily that they would be together sometime in the future. Since
she did not believe suicide would allow her to be with her lover she
lived her years alone, waiting for the day they would meet again. This
day.
Toni suddenly felt light hands upon her shoulder and glanced up to see
Emily's sad eyes gazing down at her. All these years her spirit had
remained within these walls, restlessly awaiting Toni's return and now
they were finally together. Toni flung her arms around the spirit's neck
and sobbed into her shoulder.
Softly the woman stroked Toni's hair, "Welcome back my love." She
whispered softly into Toni's ear.
"I'm home." Toni announced through her sobbed, "I'm finally home."
The End
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