The evening was dark, a sea of black gazing down the earth. It made the night darker than it is. Everything seemed empty, save for the clouds. They hover like lonely islands, slowly floating in the vast darkness. Tonight’s a moonless one, empty of stars and everything bright. I think of it unusual. I swear they were there a while ago. From before, there was glowing above, a hint of light coming from the bodies up and away. Now the sky was covered in black fabric, engulfing everything in a gaping dark void. A mirage? A hallucination? An illusion? I may never know.
There was silence in the mansion. A part I think to be stranger. The old house stood alone in the grassland. There’s a creek flowing beside it. It’s not as big as the usual ones. But it makes one heck of a trickle. The creek was a haven for frogs and crickets in the evening. Their soft croaking and chirping always put me to sleep.
And out in the field were the soothing howls of the breeze. They keep the evening cool and calm. The lemongrass sways to and fro as they pass through. And when they blow through the window, they bring in the scent of lemongrass to my house. The sweet fragrance gave me a feeling of ease.
But there’s none of that tonight.
The evening was dark, a sea of black gazing down the earth. It made the night darker than it is. Everything seemed empty, save for the clouds. They hover like lonely islands, slowly floating in the vast darkness. Tonight’s a moonless one, empty of stars and everything bright. I think of it unusual. I swear they were there a while ago. From before, there was glowing above, a hint of light coming from the bodies up and away. Now the sky was covered in black fabric, engulfing everything in a gaping dark void. A mirage? A hallucination? An illusion? I may never know.
There was silence in the mansion. A thing I think to be stranger. The old house stood alone in the grassland. There’s a creek flowing besides it. It’s not as big as the usual ones. But it makes one heck of a trickle. The creek was a haven for frogs and crickets in the evening. Their soft croaking and chirping always put me to sleep.
And out in the field were the soothing howls of the breeze. They keep the evening cool and calm. The lemongrass sways to and fro as they pass through. And when they blow in the window, they bring in the scent of lemongrass to my house. The sweet fragrance gave me a feeling of ease.
But there’s none of that tonight.
I can still feel the breeze. But it’s colder than what I was used to. I know it was there. I just can’t feel it, nor hear it. The soft noises were gone too. The lack of sound coming from outside unnerves me. The silence is overwhelming, nearing to the point of deafening. I think of it ironic: deafened by the silence. But it is what I feel now. I’m devoid of the things I usually enjoy and it’s driving me mad.
I know there’s something wrong. I’m just in denial for the first couple of times. But when it comes again this time in full swing, I can’t shrug it off now. It began when I resided in this old mansion, a mansion in which I newly bought. I knew the cheap price was too good to be true. But still, I can’t keep myself away from that offer. Back then, it seemed like an offer of a lifetime, get your manor for such an affordable fee. I know it has a catch, there’s always one. But I still ignored it, clearly blinded by its cost. Now I’m dealing with the cons.
And here I am, sitting at the corner of my room. I did my best to keep myself from shivering. It’s the least I could do in this situation. I don’t want to cower in fear. I don’t. But the odds are forcing me to. And I hate it. It’s the instinct that put me where I am now. I don’t even know what I’m up against, and yet the first thing that came to mind was to run away and hide.
I don’t even know what it is I’m facing. But it instilled a great deal of fear into me, forcing me to pick the coward’s choice. The first times were mild in comparison. Simple anomalies, or call it oddities that can be explained through carelessness or slip of the mind. But now that it has revealed its presence, I know it’s something that I can’t take on alone.
This...thing, it gives off quite a presence. It felt heavy and thick. It’s like it’s forcing you to fit inside something small. And it’s causing me to stifle, to panic, to call for help where there is none. It’s like literal hopelessness, pressuring you down into an absurd abyss. This sensation was spread throughout the entire house that it’s maddening. Everywhere you go, the feeling stays. And it makes you horrible in every step you take.
Also, I have a strange feeling like there are eyes all over the place. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, all of them seemed alive. I’m leaning into one right now and it’s making me uneasy. I had to keep still. I don’t know if it does anything, but at least it makes me feel safe, even a little. The only thing that I can do now is to think, and thinking’s what I’ve been doing for quite a while since I can’t force myself to move.
If I was to connect all the dots here, I’d say that I’m being haunted. Several days ago I would’ve thought of it as ridiculous. But considering the condition I’m in, I might let go of my skepticism, just for a bit. If what I said was true, is this what it feels like? Being haunted?
My mind paused when I heard something.
It’s the sound of my bedroom door opening.
It was there. I can’t see it, but I knew it was there. Peering at my shivering form at the corner of the room. The pressure just became thicker. And then I heard hoofsteps. The sounds are getting louder. It’s approaching me. The steps sounded soft and light like it belonged to a mare’s.
Goddesses know why but I can’t run away. My body’s frozen, probably in fear. It felt like I’m bound to the floor. As if these wooden planks were possessed by it, aiding it to hasten my inevitable doom. The sounds of hoofsteps were getting closer. And my heart was beating faster. And yet I just stood there, weak and helpless. There is nothing I can do, nopony’s there to help me.
The hoofsteps stopped. But my shivering didn’t. I closed my eyes and looked away. I thought of the warm light of day, and how I will never see it again once this is all over.
And then, there’s silence. It lingered for a minute or two. I opened an eye and saw that the spirit has revealed itself to me. I opened the other one. It’s like watching an accident take place. I just can’t take my eyes off it.
I imagined the spirit to be of the beastly kind, scary and terrifying. But in my case, it’s not. It took the form of a young mare draped in white robes. Its length reached up to the ground, covering its hind legs. Her long black hair flowed all to her waist, like a waterfall. Her eyes matched the color of her hair, only it’s shimmering. And dare I say it, mesmerizing.
I think I’ll remember that stare at my deathbed, which is fast approaching.
She stood on her hind legs. Her forelegs were raised upwards. They’re forming a crooked gesture, acting like claws. She opened her mouth.
“Rawr.” She roared softly, forelegs scratching the air.
My fear has now disappeared.