The Red Wing Mansion

Chapter Two

Pleasantly enough, I've spent the entire day in the mansion, the weather was also phenomenal and I was falling in love with the beauty of this place. Whoever owned the mansion a long time ago paid particular attention to detail, probably a perfectionist and a pain in the ass – but they were long dead, and I was still appreciative of the effort they went to, to create this fantastical place.

Weirdly the mansion felt like mine. Just a fun daydream. At least for this moment, for this job, I could pretend.

By the end of the day, feeling like a Duchess, I sit in my favourite room, the master bedroom.

All the furniture remains... even a four poster bed, which is kind of weird, but it had a nice smell and looked almost liveable.

The elderly man who hired me said he liked to keep it preserved in a living state. Like a historical museum, I guess.

I take my spot in the large bay window, leaning against an ajar window while going through my footage.

I listen to myself describing the drawing rooms, the kitchen, the dining, the study and the greenhouse in the middle of the mansion. It was overgrown but so cool.

Each scene I set the camera down and choose a place to sit as I rant. I was used to talking to myself for this kind of thing.

I got a few good shots of the rooms, which I'm proud of.

Finally, I go back to the start, the first video where I turn around and decide to introduce the location.

"Welcome to... Fontaine's Red Wing Mansion."

Ha. It's dramatic and encases all the items that decorate the entry hall, but the door to the living area is slightly blurred and moving, almost ruining the shot. It looks like a trick from the lens. I rewind and watch the corner.

There is nothing there.

Until I start to say Fontaine.

I see a shadow, life-sized and right behind me in the footage, looking toward his hand and then at me, smiling and leaning on the doorframe, watching with his arms crossed over his chest and his head leaning on the frame. At first I'm not scared. It's clearly a distortion, trick or projection from the windows near the door, reflecting whatever he was doing outside when I shut the door on him. Right?

Maybe he lingered for a moment and eavesdropped on what I was saying.

My slightly elevated heartrate drops back down, while I look through the footage again.

I'm... intrigued... a little... okay, maybe a lot.

This time, I obsessively look for any other shadows just in case I'm going crazy.

I see slight shadows but nothing discernible.

Despite this fact, I watch the footage again, hoping to see more of a shape similar to the first scene.

By the time I've investigated a fourth time through every clip – I glance up from my phone and notice a discernible difference.

Well shit.

The beautiful orange hues of the setting sun have faded significantly and it's already nearly dark.

I stand up swiftly and turn to exit, noticing the mansion itself it a lot darker because no electricity runs to this place. There wasn't a single lightbulb.

Anyway. No big deal. I just had to head down one level and straight out the door.

I don't know why I left it this late, but seriously, no biggie.