The Maestro

Chapter 4 -- The Mansion

While I was walking along the train tracks, I let my eyes wander around the grounds. There were oxidized brass statues dotted around the landscape. Some had fallen over, but for the most part they remained in-tact. Many of them were likenesses of small children, positioned as if they were playing elementary games on the lifeless grass.

Soon enough, the tracks led me to another building. And this one was sure to be a mansion. It was massive, which led me to imagine that 5 houses from my neighborhood could fit inside this one. But, like the train station, the mansion was in deplorable condition. I really wanted to believe that nobody was staying here in this abandoned place, but the incident of the TV turning on and watching me was still fresh in my mind; making me extremely weary of moving forward.

In spite, I kept on walking. It was like my legs wouldn't obey my brain. I didn't get to take a good look at the house, because I was becoming distraught. I was now on the wide front porch, and I felt fear taking me over for the third time that night.

Shit! I don't wanna go in there! I swear to God I'm not gonna step foot inside this mansion. It's like it's haunted or something...fuck this!

The double front doors began to slowly creak open, as if I was being invited in; but I wasn't about to go in there. I tried to back away, but it felt like I was being pushed closer. Eyes wide with terror, I let out a yelp before I fell into the doorframe. It felt like someone had just shoved me from behind!

Now fallen face-first onto the floor, I desperately tried to get back up; but I couldn't because my entire body was being dragged through the open doors and into the house. I could smell the disgusting rotten floorboards under me, and heard loud creaking noises beside my head. I screamed as loud as possible. There was literally nothing visible nearby! Nobody was here, and yet I was still being dragged by my arms further into the house until I was quite a bit away from the front doors.

As soon as I was released from the grip of whatever invisible force was pulling me, I made a break for the door. But the french doors quickly slammed shut, just like what happened in the train station.

"Hey let me out of here!! You bastard! Let me out!!" I yelled. Everything had gone quiet and become eerily still. I wanted to break down and cry right there.

So this is the end? I'm gonna die here aren't I?

"Aren't I?!?!" I screamed, hearing the echo of my voice ring through the dilapidated house. After the echo faded, it was perfectly quiet, and I could hear my heartbeat thumping inside my chest. I had wanted to die anyway...I guess I got what I wanted.

Silence enveloped me as I stood there, observing the dark room. A brick fireplace stood in the corner, in surprisingly good condition. There was a large amount of furniture in here; but all of it either had holes in it and was decomposing, or had been covered up with sheets. I assumed they used to be white sheets, but now they appeared a sickening shade of yellow. I guessed I was in a living room from seeing the faded couches and the grey wood of the numerous accent tables. It looked like mice and moths had eaten holes in everything.

It was honestly hard to see the furniture though, because there were piles upon piles of dusty junk lying on top of every surface. Spider's webs were tangled in most of it, creating a picture of horror that chilled me to the bone. In quite a few places, grass was trying to grow between the floorboards.

And then...I heard footsteps. Soft, yet firm against the floor--and they were coming closer. I was still in shock from being dragged in here, so I randomly looked for where they were coming from. A low voice came from the hall to the right of me, promting me to turn around. I was shaking, nauseous with fear.

"Why are you in my house?"

At this moment, I wanted to believe that I was a schizophrenic experiencing a hallucination. I wanted to wake up and realize this was all a nightmare. I wanted this to be just a bad acid trip. But it wasn't any of those things. It was real. My eyes darted around so I didn't have to look at the form that stood in front of me.

The voice became impatient, and repeated the words, much firmer this time. "I said why are you in my house?"

I snapped my head up, on the verge of hyperventilating. I didn't want to piss someone off when my life was at stake.

There, about two feet away, stood a man who I supposed was the owner of the mansion. He was dressed in black slacks and a tattered 19th century white shirt; with a pale face that sharply contrasted against his raven black hair. His deep brown eyes were stern as they stared straight into my soul, burning a hole inside of me. His patent leather dress shoes began tapping on the floor as he waited for my response with his arms crossed.

"I-I...I didn't mean to do anything I'm sorry!! Don't...don't kill me!! Please don't! I don't want to die anymore I just want to go back home!" I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. I had never been so terrified in my life.

The man looked at me with a disapproving frown. "Kill you?" He snorted.

I fell to my knees, for they were too weak to hold my weight up anymore.

He didn't seem to care. "You shouldn't have come here." His voice seethed with warning.

"I...I'm sorry! I can go back home! I won't ever come back I swear! P-please let me go!"

He wasn't convinced about that idea. "You've already seen too much, haven't you? How did you even find your way here?"

I tried to explain in broken sentences. "There...was a gate! It was cracked open! The...the door to the t-rain track building...it was open. But...But then it shut me in! And then I-I followed the tracks to here. Something..." I leaned over as if I was in pain, clutching my hair as tears streamed down my face. "I'm not crazy!!! Something pushed me in and dragged me inside!"

The man looked to the side for a minute and muttered something I couldn't hear. "You say something dragged you in?" He questioned.

I was sure he thought I was crazy now. Maybe I was crazy... Or maybe I was trapped in a nightmare. I nodded my head at him.

He now observed me in a curious manner. His face contorted into a sickening smirk.

"You can't leave now. You're my guest!"