Ethereal

Chapter 2: Flickering Lights (Present Day)

            My slippers skidded down the linoleum hallway, the light fixtures above my head flickering softly. The power had been going in and out for the past few weeks, forcing the Matrons to rely on candle lighting to help reserve power. They repeatedly assured all the girls that everything was fine, and they weren't too concerned over the matter, though I wasn't so sure.

          I have always suffered from a particularly nasty case of boredom. And if left untreated, I turn into a ghost, haunting the hallways at night and moaning about life. Typically, I sleep most of the night through before rising a few hours earlier than the others to explore the silent woods surrounding the orphanage. Tonight was no different, only I left the warmth of my bed in search of a slab of bread and maybe even find Matron Bathe's secret stash of chocolate fudge.

           Planting season was near. The snow had stopped falling long ago and the soil was melting with each passing day. The Matrons had a set routine of preparing everyone for the new season, but after the government failed to send our shipment of bulbs and seeds the Matrons were at a loss at what to do. The government had never forgotten to send the orphanages the seeds they needed to plant for the new year since we were the institutions that provided a large percentage of the nation's crops. The Matrons didn't tell the other girls that the shipment didn't come, but I learned over the years that the walls of this orphanage can talk – and if I listened just right – they would sing to me such secrets that would make the Head Matron's head spin.

          I scowled down at my slippers as they squeaked particularly loud on a set of tiles, causing the noise to echo through the empty hallways. I had waited until the other girls slipped off to sleep before sneaking out of my bed and venturing downstairs for a late-night snack. It was past curfew, and if a Matron found me wandering the hallways at this time of night, I'd suffer from more than a rumbling stomach.

          The lights above me flickered out just as I passed the Head Matron's office door and made a beeline for the kitchen that sat just around the corner. She oversaw the orphanage and the dealing out of punishments to disobedient girls. She had always given special care to her latter role, giving her a wicked reputation that was known throughout the entire Colorado River Citadel. During my first year at the orphanage, I hadn't yet grasped the concept that I had to think before I spoke, leading to a very cozy relationship between the Head Matron and myself. And, of course, the wooden cane she welded like a baseball bat. If she wasn't working as a Head Matron for the orphanage I wouldn't be surprised if she tried out for minor league baseball.

          I paused next to the Head Matron's office, looking down to see the sliver of light beneath her door flicker before cutting out as well. If the Head Matron's power went out, then the same must be true for the rest of the orphanage. Surely it would come on again soon, right?

          For a moment there was silence, until I heard the clunk of her shoes hitting the floor getting louder as she got closer to the door. I leaped around the corner just in time – I heard the hinges squeal under the weight of the mahogany door and saw the Head Matron's shadow as she poked her head out into the hallway.

          I pressed myself up against the wall and waited for her spindly arms to shoot out from the dark and grab me and drag me away to some unknown punishment that would surely give the girls and the Matrons something to talk about in the morning. Instead, I heard her walk in the opposite direction towards the main hall. I peered from around the corner and watched as her shadow disappeared and wondered what she of all people would be up to at this time of night. I felt the urge to follow her and investigate into what I was sure to be some kind of nefarious deed.

          My stomach chose that exact moment to voice its disagreement, rumbling loudly with a heavy ache so I wouldn't forget what I had originally gotten out of bed to do. I danced from foot to foot as I considered my options, impatience and the chill radiating off the cold tiles creeping up my legs the longer I stood behind my corner.

            It felt like hours before my curiosity eventually won me over, and I decided to overlook my hunger pains as I set out after the Head Matron, taking care to take off my slippers before I jogged after her. I weaved around corners and stuck close to the walls, making sure the Head Matron was never too far ahead and that I was never too close behind. Her stout figure seemed less menacing in the darkness since I was unable to see her face.

          The Head Matron abruptly stopped in front of one of the other Matron's door, knocking softly on the vinyl wood. I backed up against a window with thick curtains that felt like scratchy carpet and tried to hide myself within the thick material. The fabric tickled my nose, bringing on a sneeze when I heard the Head Matron's low voice roll across main hall.

          "Gather Matron Cedar and Matron Bathe, the power's gone out again and I don't believe it's going to come back on."

          "What do you mean?" said the other Matron. It sounded like Matron Tran, one of the few Matrons at the orphanage that was somewhat decent.

          "Lower your voice," said the Head Matron, "rouse the others. Meet me in my office and be quick about it. I don't want any of the girls waking up." I don't think I've actually heard someone use the word 'rouse' outside of a Jane Austen novel. The Head Matron truly was something else.

          Matron Tran murmured something unintelligible to the Head Matron before she closed her door. The Head Matron clunked toward me, striding quickly back to her office for her upcoming meeting with the other Matrons. I pressed myself deeper into the wall and willed myself to disappear as she passed me, holding my breath as her perfume wafted over me. I wrinkled my nose. Her perfume smells exactly like almond extract. I hate almond extract.

          The Head Matron disappeared around the corner and I let out the breath I had been holding. I thought about what the Head Matron had said, and how she was summoning the other Matrons so late at night for a secret meeting. Matrons Bathe, Cedar, and Tran were the Head Matron's closest confidants, and if anything important were to happen to the orphanage, those three would be the first to know about it.

          I slid out from behind my hiding place and turned towards the Head Matron's office. If something major was about to happen, I needed to know about it.

          But what about the other girls? Don't they deserve to know what's going on too?

          My spine stiffened at the thought of the others. Though I had been living in the orphanage for the thirteen years, I hadn't managed to form any particularly intimate or close relationships with the other girls. That didn't mean I wanted to see them in trouble either.

          I imagined myself shaking each girl awake, alarming them to what I had heard from the Head Matron and about her meeting with her three advisors. It would undoubtedly cause a panic and wake the other Matrons, and I would be locked inside the dormitory with a dozen hysterical girls and no means of escape. If something bad was about to happen, I didn't need to involve the others. Not yet. Not until I was sure.

          My nails dug into the thick skin of my palms as I took one last deep breath. I closed my eyes, praying that nothing was wrong, and that everything was going to be alright.

           And then I padded down the hallway after the Head Matron.