Before the Phantom

A Noise

   Nadette did not have very many friends.  In fact, it seemed that she didn't have any, save perhaps for the boy who brings her Mama's letters.  He would always smile and say, "Hello little Tabby!" as he was making his rounds.  She would smile and wave back, and convince herself not to tell him how much she hated the nickname.  She was many things, but rude was not one of them.

It wasn't so much that she didn't have the opportunity to make friends, but that the other children didn't interest her.   Where they would sit about and talk about each-other behind their backs, she would much prefer to read a book, or go on adventures in her own backyard. 

So she did.

Today, like most days, she circled the tiny pocket of trees and began running along the banks of a little stream.  She picked up pretty rocks as she went to add to her ever-growing collection.  She stopped rather suddenly as she realized she had gone far enough.  The sad house was showing through the trees, after all.

The sad house, so she called it,  was a quite large house that stood by itself in a clearing some yards away from her own home.  She had asked her mother about it, but did not receive much of an answer.  Only that a widow lived there on her own, and did not like visitors. 

The sad house did, in fact, look very sullen.  It had not been taken care of, and there were stains of unknown origin decorating what would otherwise be beautiful, white trim.  Aside from that, the chimney looked as if it were going to fall to pieces, and the yard was overgrown with weeds and brambles. 

The saddest part, though, was a single room at the very top of the house.  It had a broken window, and a single, tattered curtain that would sometimes catch a gust of wind and flutter out of it. 

Nadette did not know why, but it always made her sad to look at the room.  She turned to leave.

However, something stopped her - a sound.  What was it? Oh! There it is again!  It sounded like...

Was that crying?

Little Nadette knew she had to make a decision.  Anybody could be roaming around in the forest, and her Mama told her time and again not to talk to strangers.  But, what if it was the widow? What if she had fallen and began to cry because she had no one to help her?  Nadette found herself chewing on her bottom lip - a habit she had been told to stop - and almost began walking away again.

Yet, her Mama had also told her to be kind, and so she turned around and began walking slowly toward the noise, so as not to startle the person who was creating it.
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Hello! My name is Kate and I figured I would wait till the second chapter to introduce myself.  I am honored that anyone would read my stories, and promise not to make too many notes.  However, there will be a few explanations about the story coming up in the next chapters, so bear with me!

Yours,
Kate.