Dancing With the Dead

What a Fool...

Finally free from living under her parents' roof, Astra had just moved into her new house. It was a small cottage in the woods, nothing too odd. She always hated the loud city, so she left her parents in search of peace. However, what she would get would change her life.

Exhausted from carrying the boxes, Astra threw her stuff on the ground. She walked over to the sofa, an older one that resembled something you'd see in your grandmother's house. In fact, the entire house echoed with odes to the Victorian era, almost seeming goth-like. Astra looked around; there were a few portraits of people, but one caught her eye. It was a portrait of a young man around her age. His face was firm, and his skin was pale, looking almost sickly.

"Odd."

Amused by the artworks, Astra's demeanor shifted when she saw two porcelain dolls. They looked as if they were fighting over a small rose in a vase between them. The rose, a dark red, was almost mesmerizing as the light glistened onto it. She felt drawn to it, as if she had to desperately touch it. The feeling was eerie, and she walked past it to a mirror. Another mirror, parallel to it on the opposite wall, caught her attention. Familiar with the paranormal and knowing that parallel mirrors meant a passageway for spirits, she cautiously pressed forward, realizing the house was haunted.

In a large room with only a piano, a ballroom, she admired its beauty before noticing a painting in the corner. It was the same young man as before, holding a rose. Was it the one in the vase? Were the dolls meant to resemble two women fighting over him? Walking closer to the lifelike painting, she compared herself to him — tall with black hair and blue eyes, in contrast to her short stature, blonde hair, and brown eyes. She felt as if she knew him, admiring him for a few more moments before hearing a clatter. Turning her attention to the source of the sound, she found the rose again. Drawn to it once more, she gave in to her feelings and touched the rose. Then, everything went black.

What a fool....