Haunted Escape | ONC 2022

.2.

Chapter 2

It's only when I've fully composed myself, the blurry tears gone from my eyes, when I let myself drive home. The letter is still in my lap and I resist the urge to read it over and over again. I need to focus on the road ahead, but I'm not sure how well I can do that with this new and exciting knowledge sprinting through my head.

Matthew is giving me his home. At least, one of them. I've never heard of Windchime Manor but it has to be beautiful. Matthew was an interior designer who worked with very rich customers for most of his life, so he would have ensured that his countryside mansion was perfect. I make a mental note to search the place online as soon as I get home.

When I do, I'm agitated at the reminder that roadworks are happening outside of my apartment block. It means I have to park five minutes away, somewhere I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to park, and the rain outside has just started to spit. I doubt much time will pass before it begins to pour.

Securing the letter back in my bag, I get out of the car, lock the doors, then do an awkward little jog all the way back to the apartments. Some of the road workers say a polite 'hi' to me, but all I can do is give them a shy smile before I rush to get into the safety of my home. I hurry inside and catch the elevator, getting into my apartment in no time.

It's a tiny place. The living room, kitchen, and dining room are squished into one room, with two separate doors leading to my bedroom and bathroom. But it's colourful and quaint, the one place where I feel safe.

Am I going to be able to leave this place?

Shaking the thought from my head, I chuck my bag onto the sofa and let my slightly damp hair tumble out of the ponytail. I go into my bedroom and get out of my itchy dress, replacing it with my more comfortable clothes. Pink pyjama shorts and oversized, grey sweater. I feel so much better already.

When I leave my bedroom, I smile genuinely for the first time today when I notice Jinx sprawled out across the couch, having kicked my bag to the floor. He's a giant fluffball of a cat, with grey and white hairs and bright blue eyes, and as soon as he sees me he rolls onto his back with his legs up in the air. I sit with him on the couch and rub his belly.

"Hey, Bud," I say, picking him up and placing him in my lap. Although I'm sure he's been sleeping all day, he dozes off pretty quickly, purring softly as I thread my fingers through his fur. He's such a sweet creature, always has been since he was a kitten. I was alone a lot in school and decided I needed a friend, so I used what little money I had back then to get him. Can't say my aunt, who took care of me until I was old enough to fend for myself, was too happy about that.

My old laptop sitting on the coffee table catches my eye. Windchime Manor. Only two words I have to type into a search bar to see what kind of life I would be living if I take this offer. It's that easy.

I bite down on my lip before leaning forward, trying not to jostle Jinx too much. I pick up my laptop and open it, impatiently waiting for the loading wheel to stop spinning. When it finally does, I look up Windchime Manor.

Just as I thought; the place is beautiful.

Old-fashioned and grand, with leaves climbing the walls and surrounding the large windows. There are pictures of the interior, too. Bright, natural light seeps in from the windows with potted plants and furniture decorated with intricate designs. Paintings and mirrors line the walls and there's a glass chandelier hanging above the magnificent staircase that leads to the second floor.

It's stunning.

I click through all of the images, imagining myself living somewhere like this. I'd have the place all to myself, surrounded by the serenity of the woodland and countryside. Instead of the drilling of roadworks and the passing of cars and buses, I'd hear the birds tweeting as soon as daylight breaks. I would go shopping in the nearby village, greeting people as I walk the cobbled streets and meet new friends in the pubs and restaurants.