In The Moonlight

The French ghost The mansion was said to be haunted but none of us believed that. We went in the forest that afternoon th

to study the varied flora for the 11 grade Biology class. We were strolling attentively on the snaking leaf-covered trail. The darken forest was chastely embracing us with a dump too-green web of ancient branches protectively covered with a mossy canopy. We were surrounded by soggy shrubs and fern wisps. Nick and Nina, my classmates were prattling about different maple sorts, pragmatic as always. Instead, I was hungrily sniffing the bleak wooden mistiness, in the deeper of my lungs. “Hey, Keri, look at that!” said Nick suddenly. His husky voice woke me up from my day-dreaming. As I followed their gaze I saw something that seemed to compound a house, though, I couldn’t see it clearer because of the green webs. Whatever on earth it would be, we unthinkingly decided to go and check it… In a minute we were in front of a sumptuous and enormous High Victorian Gothic Style mansion. I dimly remember that long time ago, my grandmother had told me the scary story of the house. It merely said that there lived the ghost of a great lord’s killed son. But she curiously never mentioned the house really existed. I had never heard anybody saying anything about the existence of a rare monumental mansion in that forest. In fact I hadn’t believed any part of the odd scary story ever, but now a ridiculous part of my stubborn consciousness was telling me something what I didn’t want to believe. Nina was absolutely astonished by the imposing house and Nick was spinning around dazzled. Nearly all walls were wonderfully covered with a brilliant dark-green ivy blanket, which created a pleasantly contrasting image with the warm reddish-ochre bricks color. The structure was heavy and massive with irregularly shapes and artistic tracery. “Let’s get in!” said Nick eagerly. “Wait, Nick! We shouldn’t go in there” I gasped. “Why not, Keri?” asked Nick staring at me inquiringly. “I don’t know. I have a strange feeling about this place.” I scowled impatiently. “Keri, that story is just to scare little kids. It isn’t true at all.” He chuckled. I was biting my lips awkwardly. “Oh, common Keri, it’s just an old scary story, trust me!” Nina said soberly. “OK, then, let’s go! You’re right, it can’t be true.” I muttered. But the truth was that I had more than a suspicious feeling. It was a nagging stupid fear altogether with an awkward sensation that we were being watched… After a hesitating moment we were inside. All of us were utterly shocked by the exquisite and cozy interior of the mansion. To my surprise everything was clean without any trace of dust, neither rust nor even spider webs. And that was not only surprising but a little distrustful in the contextually point that the house was haunted by a centenary ghost… In the living room were three royal blue velvet upholstered sofas bordered with massive carved wood. The table was also made of the same oak scented wood. The fireplace was empty but artistically made of burned bricks. On the walls were some weird paintings representing unknown figures, probably family members. The pointed arch windows were half covered with heavy long dark blue curtains. Everything looked like the house was inhabited

which observation frozen me in place. I swiftly moved my eyes toward windows and almost yelled with dry voice: “Oh, no, it’s late! Outside it’s already darkened!” Nina was too mesmerized with trying out some old époque dresses she found in a carved wooden wardrobe. Nick came next to me sweeping and stamping his foot angrily. After a piercingly silent moment he sounded out thoughtfully. “We’ll stay here this night” “I’m sorry, what? Are you so bloody crazy?” “What?” “Do you really thing that I’m going to stay over here in the night?” I yelled and my voice sounded rough and maybe too sharpens. From the left room Nina appeared finally, stupidly beaming at us. “Hey guys, I’ve heard voices, it’s anything all right here?” “No!” both me and Nick groaned at her. “What happened?” she asked warily. “It’s late, that happened. And Keri doesn’t want to stay here ‘till morning.” Nick wailed. “I either don’t want to go back home now. It’s too dangerous, Keri. Think about it.” she said thoughtfully. “What happened to you guys? You’re not afraid of staying at night in a supposedly haunted house?” “We’re not afraid of staying a night in a mansion like this as we are of going back home through this forest .And I thought we convinced you about that story. It’s nothing suspicious in here. You can see it with your own eyes.” Nina said impatiently. “OK then.” I nodded wistfully. I didn’t want to tell them my dreadfully observations. They would think that I had probably seen too many horror movies. Either I didn’t want to believe what that creepy voice in my mind said. The story couldn’t be true. I was so ridiculous thinking about scary ghosts…but then, “What about this mysterious mansion in the middle of the forest? What about your own observations? Why is something attracting you so badly at this story?” my unbearable mind voice said ceaselessly… Nick and Nina brought some royal dark-blue quilts and decided to sleep on the sofas. “Hey Keri don’t you want to come and sleep? Here is a free sofa and Nina brought a quilt for you too. “Nick said earnestly. I was absolutely horrified by the idea of sleeping a night in there but, somehow unwillingly I didn’t want them to know my deep fear… “Indeed. I should sleep a little bit. Thanks for the quilt, Nina.” It seemed that not I was who said it but someone else from farthest outside me. We were lying on the new-like sofas and the room was only illuminated by a five candle support lightening. On the windows, among the maples victorious angles, the full moon was sending us a supporting gauzy silver light… I was trying not to dwell so much on my baleful thoughts. Nina and Nick were already dreaming, I thing, and I firmly agreed that it would be the best thing for me to do now, too. I closed my eyes and felt the silver moonlight over my face. The silence was stabbing my ears when a feebly glass clattering rose me

up in a second. At the first sight I thought I was dreaming but after a brief minute the dreadful noise repeated. And now my impish consciousness was screaming at me in despair. I tried to concentrate but there was an awful glitch in my memory. All my fearful thoughts were crowding in my brain searching an explanation which excluded the fact that I was insane. And then again…the noise was paralyzing me. I unwillingly decided to go and see the thing that was scaring me to death. I got down of the sheltered sofa and appallingly tiptoed following the grimly noises. Were coming from the left door, the one that we hadn’t inspected yet…As the blood was frozen in my veins, an invisible superpower was calling my name tempting me to make another deathly stride toward it. I didn’t realize that I was already foolishly standing in front of the massive oak door. I took a quick glimpse at Nina and Nick to see that they were airily sleeping. My quivering hand was on the door’s silver handle. With a softly careful shove I opened the door. It was surprisingly so delicate that I didn’t even hear any squeals. To my embarrassing astonishment there wasn’t a room as I expected but a horrifying long gothic styled moonlit hall… I stopped there briefly and then I heard again something crushing from the hall-endings room. I took a deep breath and letting the chips falling wherever they wanted, I headed shivering toward the murky door. As soon as I was lining up the noises ceased, and when I reached the doorstep the silent was piercing my ears again. I decided no more hesitating and put my fear frozen hand on the handle. All my scattered thoughts were gathered then in one millisecond when I opened the silent door and peered inside…stunned. In the silver moonlit room I saw a boy standing at the window and looking intensely at the full moon. “I was waiting for you” he said and I froze in place frightened. His voice was calm and musically like melting honey. He was still looking at the moon and I made a step toward him. He didn’t seem to notice that I was terribly scared. Before I could open my mouth he continued: “You’re the only one” he said hesitantly “The only one who have the brave to face the haunted mansion.” He chuckled impishly with a low voice. And then he turned to me…He was about my age, 18-19 years old, with perfect male model –like features. His body was slight but muscular, and his face, brought something like the faces you see in the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. I didn’t want to recognize it, but he was surprisingly beautiful. “Wh…who…are you? I stammered bewildered. He smirked embarrassingly. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself yet, my name is Karl. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His voice sounded like velvet, very soft. I was scratching my head puzzled. He was as natural as he knew me for a lifetime. “I’m Keri, nice to meet you too. Um…and what are you doing here? You’ve been here for a long time? Why I didn’t see you until now? …A…are you real? …and…”I gasped with a dry voice when he stopped me softly laughing. “I’m glad I amuse you so much” I said scowling. “I’m sorry but you are so predictable. I knew you’ll do that” he chuckled. I frowned. “So, do you want me to answer to your questions, isn’t it?” he replied earnestly. “I suppose you have to do that” “OK. What do you want to know?”

“Um…let’s make an analogy…you-here.” He smiled a crooked smile. “I suppose you know the old scary story” “Yes” I nodded. “So I am the great-grandson of that great lord whose son was killed. He had another two boys and one of them was my grandfather. After his son was killed my great-grandfather took his other two boys and moved in France, so people said that they moved because the mansion was haunted which is not true at all.” He said thoughtfully. “So you stay alone here?” I asked trying to hide my emotions. “No. I live in France now with my family. Recently we found the mansion and we were surprised that nobody was aware of it thanks to the ghost story. My father gave it to me as a present this autumn when I was eighteen. I only come here in weekends or holydays. Now are you happy?” “Almost “I said twitching my fingers. “I have one more question .Why don’t you come in town when you’re here?” my voice was then normally and my fear was dropping down. “Oh, because I don’t know anybody here” he said ashamed. “I only enjoy the nature” “But now you know me” I felt my cheeks blushing. I was relieved that he couldn’t see that in the moonlight, but he seemed to know it, though. He chuckled. “Um…you shouldn’t tell anybody about me. You know…the story…they’ll consider you mad.” “Indeed. No one will believe me. Let’s just keep the little secret for us” I said blushing again. It was ridiculous. “And now, what’s next?” I asked inquiringly. “Well, I’m sorry that I have to tell you, but I have to go to the airport in a few minutes.” He said warily. “But it is still night, why don’t you stay until the morning light?” “I told you, I cannot be seen here, at least for now. I’m very glad that I met you sincerely, but I really have to catch that plane. I will let you know when I’ll be here next time, don’t worry” He made that crooked smile again, dazzling me. “You should go to sleep now that you solved the case” he chuckled. He followed me to the first room where Nina and Nick were heavenly sleeping. “I’ll go out through the back entry. Now go to sleep.” He whispered softly. “Ok. “ I said dazzled. “See you “ “See you .Have a good journey!” “Thanks.” In the morning Nina and Nick woke me babbling about the past night. They slept so restfully on these clouds-like sofas. Nina found on the table a note with a date on it. I took it and it was the next weekend’s date written with a neatly elegant font…