The Haunted Mansion

Chapter 2: The Girl Who Cried Wolf

~Zyvea POV~

      'Well this is different.' I think as I sit in the same meadow behind Dad's house. Normally I am met with a dark sky, sinister whispering, and shadow figures that tangle my free will until I choke and scream for the Lord above. Instead a mosaic of colors fill the sky, I look down to a white dress with a floral lace pattern that tapers at my waist before falling to the start of my shins. I love it, but can't let myself revel in it. I stand up quickly like a triggered guard dog awaiting a terrible turn into the maddening bleakness I'm so used to. 

Nothing.

    A cool late summer's breeze comes and I turn to face the house. My heartbeat began to trot thinking a turn for the worse was looming. From behind me, I hear....chimes, but not like wind chimes. It came in a perfect repetitive loop of the same 9 musical notes. 

Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum-da-da-da 

    My skin feels light like every molecule is dosed with a oxytocin and ecstasy. Everything around me looks like it's covered with rose-colored lenses. I twirl myself in the gracious wind to the tune of the chime. Closing my eyes, I turn my face upward to bask in the weightlessness of spinning. My legs begin to tingle causing me to look down at my feet, wiggling my toes in the warm grass then laughing because it tickles. When my balance finds me again, I notice that the grass, roots, and tree branches no longer feel menacing or perilous to me. A giggle runs past my lips, 'I can't believe I've spent so long being afraid of something so otherworldly and pretty. 

A delightful buzz falls over my mind and body, but better than any high provided by a drug. This feels pure like being fully elated from every worry, problem, or stress that could ever come. I run my fingers through my hair; the thrush of air carried the chimes' song louder to my ears. My feet pad the gently beaten path leading further into the forest toward the enchanting call. I sway my hips to the music and dance toward the wondrous joy awaiting me. The trail is layered with long purple and short white flowers, and as I stare at them the colors stretch toward where my feet are taking me. 

Touching the tree-line, I reach out to touch the big oak tree that sits on the very edge of the property. Letting myself catch my breath, I spin on my heels hearing a boom of laughter behind me. "Who's out there?" I question even though my voice is much less frightening than I had hope for. Honestly, it came off closer to a nympho being caught in the act. Breathing becomes a job, as I slice through the trees with my eyes, the blissful high beginning to nullify at the idea of an impending threat. I know for certain I had heard a laugh. 'Why do I feel eyes on me, but see no one?' The thought twists in my mind making feel like the deer that doesn't know the wolf is watching and waiting.  

   I take a step into the wood crossing the threshold completely, just then the delightful music ceases. All I can hear is the sound of my own racing heartbeat, the steady pump of anticipation rising in my blood. Every inch of me is heightened, taught like a bowstring. I ready myself sensing attack, when to my right a twig snaps ----  " Your towel, miss?" The flight attendant standing in the aisle looks at me with concern. I can only regard him with a wry smile before taking the warm towel, and laying it across my face.

  The first decent night's sleep I've in over a decade, and it's on an airplane on the way to my father's funeral. I am so not winning the daughter of the year award. Fighting off external shame from my neighbors, I try to follow my normal routine of processing whatever the hell just happened. 'Why did I like it?' The gentleman in the aisle seat to my left loudly eats his pretzel mix and coughing for 4 minutes straight. I press the towel closer to my face and turn to face my window. Hopefully, the old geezer doesn't give me to super rare form of COVID. 'At least I can completely de-stress.' Having a 'death in the immediate family' constitutes you getting an automatic 3-week leave of absence. I have to the power to extend or shorten how long I'm gone, but I think this will just be the perfect timing to transfer schools.