Prompt 2
Banshees
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The hall loomed in front of me, haunting, ominous. Dressed in royal robes, my foot steps echoed in the silence as I walked towards the centre, the servants watching silently from the corners, receding into the shadows. How I wished they could join me and provide some company to my lonesome existence, but that was forbidden.
Once I took a seat, I waited till the rest of the family members showed up. I'd arrived early to dinner and as famished as I was, couldn't start without the rest being present. My fingers traced the lines carved into the mahogany table of their own accord.
I noticed with some surprise that the picture I was tracing resembled a hooded crow of sorts. It was peculiar that anyone would find a crow of all things worthy enough to be carved into a table as grand as this. I was sure that my family hadn't noticed it yet, or else they wouldn't have bought it in the first place, considering the fact that there are legends revolving around crows that should go unmentioned.
I wondered how much time had gone by since I'd entered. All of this was slowly getting rather boring, and the rumblings in my stomach even louder.
To keep myself from sneaking into the kitchen and grabbing a bite to eat, I looked around the hall trying to find something to occupy my time with.
Just before I was about to give up and start a conversation with the maid closest to me irrespective of the consequences, my attention drifted to the large painting hanging across the wall from where I was sitting. It was certainly new because I hadn't seen it before today.
Colours blended together as a lone road shaded with autumn leaves wound its way through a forest, the intricate brush strokes giving it a mysterious air.
The fireplace crackled to life and the dancing flames cast an eerie glow upon the painting.
The trees seemed to move, crouching over to create a canopy over the path and a few tendrils escaped the branches and hung down. It was all very surreal as the painting seemed to come to life before my very eyes.
Suddenly the tendrils broke free of the branches but they didn't fall to the ground, no. They stayed suspended in mid air, moulding around one another to form a figure of sorts.
A hooded figure, feminine judging by the dimensions of it. For a minute, everything lay still, till all of a sudden the figure let out a deafening wail, collapsing to the ground and fading into the distance as the echoes reverberated in my ears.
I couldn't breathe, my heart seemed to have stopped and I was paralysed by fear. My hands shaking, I heard a distant voice call my name but I couldn't decipher the words.
"Susannah dear, are you okay? Look at you, you're trembling! Have you gotten a fever? After all winter isn't a very forgiving season," I heard the panicked voice of my mother as she rushed to my side.
She shook me trying to catch my attention and after a furtive glance in her direction and a mumbled "I'm okay" I glanced back at the painting.
I rubbed my eyes repeatedly and my mouth hung agape at the sight before me.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe I was losing my sanity because the painting of the autumn road had vanished to be replaced by a portrait of my late grandmother Countess Vivian.
It didn't make any sense at all, how such a thing could happen or how a painting itself could come to life.
While I stared and tried to make sense of the situation my entire family arrived and dinner was underway.
Tearing my eyes away from the painting of the Countess, I dismissed the incident as a hallucination and famished as I was, devoured what was served and if I may say so- it was delicious.
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I couldn't sleep. It had been the same for the past few days. My eyes would drift close at dawn granting me a meagre two hours of rest before I had to wake up.
Infuriated I got out of bed and went to the window opening it to let some fresh air in. Leaning on the sill I gazed at the scenery before me.
Castle Valery, named after the Queen, was situated on a hill to overlook the town below. In the dark of night I could see the lights of the town bakery still on, smoke wafting from the chimneys.
A sigh escaped my lips as the sight reminded me of Jared.
Jared who'd managed to ensnare my attention the first time I'd sneaked out and visited the market place alone. We didn't meet as often anymore and the last I saw of him was a week back at the lake during noon. After that, all doors to the castle had been barricaded and I was trapped within its confines.
All the recent precautions indicated that something big was happening and I was being kept in the dark about it.
A sad melody filled the air, piano notes striking heart strings. I wondered where the sound was coming from for I hadn't heard such a melody since I was a child.
Deciding to investigate the source, I slowly opened my door, cursing under my breath when it creaked loudly. With bated breath I waited to see if anyone had heard the sound. Silence.
Slipping out, I tip-toed to the music room, the only one in the castle which had a piano.
The door was left slightly ajar, the melancholic notes making my heart race. This place brought back memories, some sweet others terrifying.
I inched closer to the door, being drawn forward by the music. Abruptly it stopped and was replaced by a harsh feminine voice instead.
"Come in dearest," it croaked.
I furrowed my brows. How did she come to know I was here?
Straightening my posture, I pushed open the door and walked in only to be greeted by a dark haired woman cloaked in a black robe which danced around her petite figure to the tunes of the wind.
"Persephone will have her revenge," she smiled maniacally before any introductions could be made.
"Pardon?"
But she continued speaking as though she hadn't heard me.
"Another haunting melody to be played, a warning sign with no delay," she whispered in a raspy voice, walking backwards towards the open window.
I couldn't understand what was going on, it was all too confusing.
Before I could inquire more, she stepped onto the window sill and opened her mouth, a high pitched wail escaping it.
I cupped my ears and let out a silent scream of my own as she fell backwards out the window and disappeared out of sight.
I rushed to the window peering down, my lips trembling. The music room was situated in the southern corner and the ground was at least 20 feet below. There was no way she could have survived the fall yet I could see no trace of a body.
While I looked on, a cold wind blew in making me shudder.
"She will be avenged," I heard a whisper in the wind.
The voice made my toes curl and my stomach twist in fear as I hastily shut the window and bolted it, rushing back to my own room.
I'd had enough for one day and naively hoped that a little bit of sleep would drive away what I thought were hallucinations.
Only later was I to find out that those weren't hallucinations but banshees warning of impending doom.
