had
never intended her to be. The only thing that made her feel at home was the
lost little girl who was curled up in the bed next to her.
Malinda
waited a few moments before she felt comfortable enough to leave Sophia alone
for the night. She had to have been sitting next to her for almost an hour
before she was sure the little girl was not going to wake up. After closing the
door quietly behind her Malinda started to walk down the long hallway that
turned away from her room. When she reached the end of the hall, she saw the
stairs that would lead her down to the main floor of the manor. Perhaps she
would sneak down to the kitchen for a late snack. Her mind was certainly too
active to head back to bed right now.
When
she made her way down to the bottom of the stairs, she saw a faint glow
underneath a door to the right of her, which she was pretty sure was the dining
room. She felt the air around her turn slowly, the energy around her prickling the
hair on the back of her neck as she put her hand on the doorknob. Something was
not right. She held her hand up to her heart as a rapid pulse started to beat
in her chest. She closed her eyes and focused on calming the ideas racing
through her head as one thought led swiftly to another, yet for some reason she
could not hold on to a single one of them. Fear was wild like that, chasing
away sanity like dried dandelions on the wind. The drop of a pin on the floor
could echo eerily in a large room until it sounded much like the rush of the
crashing waves of an ocean against the rocks.
She
opened her eyes and clenched her hands together at her side, doing her best
imitation of a brave woman ready to take on the world. Malinda took a deep
breath and created a shield of energy around her, ready for whatever assailant
might be in the other room. She opened the door ever so slowly and forced her
eyes to stay open. “Come on, Malinda. Get a grip. You’re too old to be afraid
of the dark.” She steeled herself for whatever sight would meet her, and she
swung the door forcefully open.
Standing
in front of the tiny fireplace was a glowing light that seemed to absorb the
darkness in the room. Malinda watched as the light changed to a specter of a
ghostly lady. The ghost turned to her, pointed a long bony finger, and a howl
of wind left her lips. Malinda felt a draft of air speed past her as the
howling ghost ran at her, but she held her ground. The ghost ran right through
her shield and knocked her back onto her bottom. Malinda turned to where the
ghost now stood and captured a good look at her face before she faded quickly
out of sight. Maria Timberlin.
Malinda
heaved herself up off the floor and walked over to the fireplace. Above the
mantle, the picture of the former Lady Timberlin hung once again. Somehow, the specter
had replaced the painting that had been removed earlier that day. She wondered
how long the ghost had been running through the halls of Wickford Manor. For
the most part Malinda had assumed that ghosts were harmless, but the energy
flowing through the ghostly veins of Maria Timberlin was definitely something
harmful and wicked. She would have to find a way to help this ghost move on. If
anything, Malinda would be more prepared for the next ghostly attack from Maria
Timberlin. She would not be taken advantage of so easily next time.
Malinda
extracted a chair from the table and stood up to remove the painting from the
wall. If she stood up on her tiptoes she barely managed to achieve the right
angle to remove the painting carefully. She could just imagine toppling head
first from the chair with the painting tumbling after her, so she steadied her
hand on the mantle as she stepped down from the chair. Malinda placed the
painting on the ground further away from the fireplace, with the painted woman
facing the wall. She would have the maids move it to storage in the attic if
she had to. Perhaps this would make it harder for the ghost to return it to its
previous place over
never intended her to be. The only thing that made her feel at home was the
lost little girl who was curled up in the bed next to her.
Malinda
waited a few moments before she felt comfortable enough to leave Sophia alone
for the night. She had to have been sitting next to her for almost an hour
before she was sure the little girl was not going to wake up. After closing the
door quietly behind her Malinda started to walk down the long hallway that
turned away from her room. When she reached the end of the hall, she saw the
stairs that would lead her down to the main floor of the manor. Perhaps she
would sneak down to the kitchen for a late snack. Her mind was certainly too
active to head back to bed right now.
When
she made her way down to the bottom of the stairs, she saw a faint glow
underneath a door to the right of her, which she was pretty sure was the dining
room. She felt the air around her turn slowly, the energy around her prickling the
hair on the back of her neck as she put her hand on the doorknob. Something was
not right. She held her hand up to her heart as a rapid pulse started to beat
in her chest. She closed her eyes and focused on calming the ideas racing
through her head as one thought led swiftly to another, yet for some reason she
could not hold on to a single one of them. Fear was wild like that, chasing
away sanity like dried dandelions on the wind. The drop of a pin on the floor
could echo eerily in a large room until it sounded much like the rush of the
crashing waves of an ocean against the rocks.
She
opened her eyes and clenched her hands together at her side, doing her best
imitation of a brave woman ready to take on the world. Malinda took a deep
breath and created a shield of energy around her, ready for whatever assailant
might be in the other room. She opened the door ever so slowly and forced her
eyes to stay open. “Come on, Malinda. Get a grip. You’re too old to be afraid
of the dark.” She steeled herself for whatever sight would meet her, and she
swung the door forcefully open.
Standing
in front of the tiny fireplace was a glowing light that seemed to absorb the
darkness in the room. Malinda watched as the light changed to a specter of a
ghostly lady. The ghost turned to her, pointed a long bony finger, and a howl
of wind left her lips. Malinda felt a draft of air speed past her as the
howling ghost ran at her, but she held her ground. The ghost ran right through
her shield and knocked her back onto her bottom. Malinda turned to where the
ghost now stood and captured a good look at her face before she faded quickly
out of sight. Maria Timberlin.
Malinda
heaved herself up off the floor and walked over to the fireplace. Above the
mantle, the picture of the former Lady Timberlin hung once again. Somehow, the specter
had replaced the painting that had been removed earlier that day. She wondered
how long the ghost had been running through the halls of Wickford Manor. For
the most part Malinda had assumed that ghosts were harmless, but the energy
flowing through the ghostly veins of Maria Timberlin was definitely something
harmful and wicked. She would have to find a way to help this ghost move on. If
anything, Malinda would be more prepared for the next ghostly attack from Maria
Timberlin. She would not be taken advantage of so easily next time.
Malinda
extracted a chair from the table and stood up to remove the painting from the
wall. If she stood up on her tiptoes she barely managed to achieve the right
angle to remove the painting carefully. She could just imagine toppling head
first from the chair with the painting tumbling after her, so she steadied her
hand on the mantle as she stepped down from the chair. Malinda placed the
painting on the ground further away from the fireplace, with the painted woman
facing the wall. She would have the maids move it to storage in the attic if
she had to. Perhaps this would make it harder for the ghost to return it to its
previous place over
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