~~~~
The young girl sat alone in her large bedroom, but perhaps it was not a fitting place for a girl of her age. One would expect the girl’s room to be filled with soft blankets, stuffed animals, books, and toys, and while it did contain them, it also housed some strange additions. The chalk magic circle, the raven feathers, and the candles mounted on skulls were an odd choice for a young girl’s room. All the more so because they were brought in by the girl herself.
The young girl drew back her blinds, revealing the full moon hanging in the sky. The clock on her wall was about to strike midnight as she began to read from a heavy leatherbound tome. Her chants sounded like Latin, mixed with a healthy amount of gibberish. The rays of the moonlight slowly moved across her room, illuminating her and the chalk circle. The girl was garbed in a gaudiest black and white dress, complete with an eye patch and a witch’s hat.
As she reached the climax of her spell, she could feel the magic coming to fruition. At least until the door opened, interrupting her chant. Standing in the doorway was a tall, older man with slicked-back black hair. His butler uniform betrayed his profession, as did his formal posture.
“Young mistress, dinner is ready,” the butler informed her.
“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?” The young girl complained, followed by the grumble of her stomach. “But, I guess I haven’t eaten much today,” she admitted, “fine, I’m coming.” She tossed aside her witch hat and eyepatch.
“Hmm?” The butler glanced at the clock. “Any particular reason you have the clock set forward so many hours?”
“The spell has to happen at midnight,” the girl explained, “but the moon isn’t in the right place for my window then, so I thought I could trick it.”
“Of course,” the butler said dryly and held open the door for her.
~--~
The girl and her butler walked through massive halls of the mansion, not another soul in sight. A row of large windows gave an excellent view of the surrounding property, rolling green hills shrouded in the darkness of the night. The girl paid no mind to the windows, the lack of people, or how quiet her home was. She just mindlessly marched towards the dining room.
The diner itself was equally quiet. The girl sat alone at one end of a massive table, the butler waiting on her needs. She ate her meal of steak and vegetables neatly and politely. The girl did not linger, nor did she rush, but simply ate her dinner, wiped her mouth, and politely thanked the butler for the food. Another long march through the grand halls later, the girl returned to her room, the butler opening the door for her.
“Shall you need anything else, young mistress?” The butler inquired.
“No, I’m fine,” the girl replied as he closed the door behind her, leaving the girl to her “magic.”
~--~
This pattern of events repeated day in and day out for the rest of the week. At least until a spot of news reached the girl’s ears.
“Your mother informed me she is returning home around dinner time this day,” the butler told her that morning.
“At last, she shall know my progress,” the young girl giddily dived into her magic that day. She counted the hours carefully, constantly aware of the time to the exact minute. Time ticked from noon to one, from one to four, from four to six. Amid another one of her strange rituals, the butler opened the door with usual news at this hour.
“Young mistress, dinner is ready,” the butler said, his words a touch drier than usual.
“Finally,” the young girl jumped from her bed, leather tome in hand. Without even waiting for the butler, she raced past him and down the halls towards the dining room. The hall remained empty as usual, but she gave even less regard to that fact than usual. She stormed through the doors of the dining room, eager to lay eyes upon her parent.
“Young mistress, I intended to tell you sooner,” the butler arrived behind her. But, he quickly noticed she likely already knew what he was going to say. “You raced off before I had a chance to inform you.” The dining room was quiet and empty, with not a soul inside besides the two of them. “Your mother arrived home about half an hour early, but something came up. She has already eaten and left.”
“Oh,” the young girl did not even look back at the butler. “I see. Forgive me, I’m not hungry anymore,” she bowed and walked back to her room. She shut the door behind herself and locked it tight before the butler could even catch up. He remained nearby, listening closely in case she needed him. However, he heard little from her room, not even the sound of tears. As the hours passed, the butler sighed, assumed she had fallen asleep, and left her to her own devices.
The hours ticked on by until the clock struck midnight. Murmurs and chants in the girl’s voice emanated from the room. The emotion was laid on thick and bitter. Until finally, as she reached the climax of her spell, a black fog crept out from the room.
~~~~
A lonely soul with time on their hands and bitterness in their heart is a dangerous combination.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
~~~~
Support me on Patreon: [link]
No comments:
Post a Comment