I felt like I was caught in a really bad horror movie. Here it was Halloween night and my car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. I had been on my way to a party with friends when my car sputtered, slowed to a crawl, and finally gave up. After banging my hands on the steering wheel a few times (I realize it couldn’t actually help the situation, but it did make me feel better), I looked around. I had taken a short cut (note to self - don’t do that again) and was on a bare road, no houses, no nothing. I grabbed my cell phone, and well, again with the movie scenario, the battery was dead. I keep forgetting you have to plug these things in periodically. Ok, next on the list of things to do - walk.
Grabbing my purse, I got out of the car and looked around. Wrapping my arms around myself, I shivered. It was a little cool and I wasn’t exactly dressed for the occassion. I hadn’t dressed in a costume, but the short skirt and linen shirt weren’t doing much for warmth. I looked up and noticed the sky was dark and cloudy. Great mood for Halloween, at least. I looked up and down the road and decided to head up inside of down. One foot in front of the other and all that.
I walked about a block before I saw an old house up ahead. I thought I saw a light in one of the upper windows, but I must have imagined it. When I got closer to the house, nothing was there. I pushed open the gate and walked up the front steps. The house was old, Victorian, I think. It looked like no one had lived there for a while. Kind of spooky. I knocked on the door but no one answered. Looking around, I didn’t see any signs of life. It was getting colder so I tested the door knob. It turned slowly with a little force. Opening the door gently, I peeked around and looked inside. Dark and silent.
Stepping over the threshold, I closed the door behind me. I yelled out, “Hello! Anyone here?” No answer. I thought about leaving and taking my chances down the road, but it was warm in here, at least warmer than it was outside. I walked in a little further and found myself in what must have been parlor way back when. Everything was dusty and dark. Sheets covered the furniture. When I pulled one of the sheets away, a beautiful Victorian couch was revealed. I ran my hand over the velvet and suddenly felt a cold breeze rush over my skin. Within seconds, I was warm again. Must have been my imagination.
I found a candle and wiped the cobwebs and dust off. Digging in my purse, I found a lighter and lite the wick. A little light didn’t help much. Still dirty and dusty. A soft thud upstairs caught my attention. Turning towards the stairs, I grabbed the old magoghany banister and slowly climbed the stairs, still clutching the candle in my hand.
“Hello? Is anyone here? I’m sorry if I’m barging in. No one answered the door. Hello?”
Still no answer. As I climbed the stairs, I again felt a rush of cool air spread across my body and then disappear. When I reached the top of the stairs, I stopped and looked down the hallway. I didn’t see anything. As I thought about going back downstairs, I heard another soft thud and then a low moan. Ghosts? No, definitely not ghosts. Maybe just a mouse or something. I heard another low moan and then another. I thought about turning around but something kept me going forward. I stopped in front of a door.
Soft, low moans were eminating from behind this door. I felt the cold on my skin again. My hand reached out and turned the knob slowly. The door pushed open and I looked into a dark room. My eyes adjusted to the darkness. The smell was damp and musty, but there was something else. The odor was spicey and familiar, almost sexual. I looked around the room and then my eyes stopped. On the far wall stood a four-poster bed made of what looked like oak. As my eyes settled on the bed, I felt the cold breeze again and heard a low moan. Before my eyes, two figures began to appear on the bed. A man and a woman.