The house was old.
It had a large, sunken in roof and when she entered ( smoothly slotting the bronze key into the lock to hear the buckle and the rummage before the door swung open) she noticed the dust that cleanly covered every surface.
It smelt like somebody else's home.
Quiet spiders filled every high crevice, and if not spiders, the remnants. (Fat swollen flies that decorated the window sill, thin discarded threads that swayed in the cool air.)
Imbir slowly walked upstairs, listening to the creaks in the staircase. There were two small rooms, presumably bedrooms, but when she entered the first door the floors were tiled and a small basin was shrouded in the corner. She flicked the light switch, and to her surprise, a bleach blinding light filled the space.
The shower was crawling with red glowing bugs (Probably some spirits that had managed to get in through the cracks in the ceiling). Imbir shooed them away, watching as they dissolved into golden glitter in the dusty air.
"Pretty "
She whispered.
The other room was squat and empty. A circular window was wide open, letting in shafts of sunlight. The air was pleasantly warm, tickling Imbir's skin. Tiny sprinkles of dust motes fluttered in the air.
Looking out the window she saw thin, unkempt weeds that spurted out the side of the house.
As her eyes shifted upwards, she saw a colossal forest that stretched out across the land.
The trees swayed gently in the air, the clouds just covering their tips. It seemed to be breathing and moving with the wind.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Imbir's mother said, gazing out into the distance. She was a full-figured woman, with shaved hair and dark skin. Her eyes were shining.
"Yeah."
"It's a shame though. The forests so dense you can't really get in."
"Oh."
The wind whistled.
"Do you think there are spirits in there?"
"Spirits again? Geez Imbir, I don't know."
She said, exasperated.
"There were some in the bathroom."
"What? Are they still there?"
"No. I got rid of them. They don't hurt."
Jane sighed.
"Just call me if you find any others okay? Jesus Christ..."
"Yeah. Okay "
. . .
YOU ARE READING
the spirits song
Ficção Geralimbir moves away from the war ridden city to live in a small village by the forest. but she sees someone there. a transparent being. a hollow spirit. and she was beautiful, wasn't she? -
