Wicor Manor

One

2019, Halloween
The wind grew stronger outside. Screams filled the air followed by sounds of laughter. Crying and begging children were being dragged home. There was a parade of people all dressed in fun costumes out side her window. They were crossing the street and knocking on the neighbors doors. Then they would walk by her house trying not to even look at the house. The house on the corner. The house with the over grown front yard. The house that people believed was haunted. The house that was home to a lonely teen. No one dared to even take one step into the lawn. It made her feel hated. Maybe they didn't know she was there. Maybe they thought it was just an old, abandoned home. She would tell herself anything to cheer herself up, although so knew the truth. They knew she was there. They called her the ghost of Wicor Manor. They were scared of her.
1865
"Phoebe, it's time for your noon lesson." A strict voice called from the bottom of the stairs. Phoebe slowly got up and lifted her long gown to walk down the stairs. She dreaded her noon lesson. Mother insisted she learn how to play the harpsichord. She said it was something a lady must play. Phoebe couldn't agree with her mother. Her heels clicked on the wooden floor of the hallway. Her dress dragged behind her. She slowly made her way into the main room and sat on the bench. Miss Grandalin was already sitting on her own bench waiting for Phoebe to be ready. Her stern face never smiled. Her gray hair was pulled up into a bun and her lips were glossed in a light pink. Her green eyes glared at Phoebes' messy face. "Phoebe! What have you done to your face child?" She leaned over and rubbed the dirt of her face using a handkerchief.
"I was just playing in the garden." Phoebe replies crossing her arms over her chest. Her long blue gown was covered in dirt and her golden curls were in a rats nest.
"A lady does not play in a garden. She walks in a garden and smells the roses!" Miss Grandalin reprimanded her. "Now let us get on with this lesson. Start with ladies song."
Phoebe huffed and began to play the awful song. She purposely played it badly. She loved to watch Miss Grandalin squirm in her seat. If a lady must play the harpsichord then she could at least have some fun with it.
After many tries of getting Phoebe to play the song correctly, Miss Grandalin gave up and dismissed herself. Phoebe got up and stretched her back. Sitting straight was not comfortable. With her lesson being over she went back to her room. Her princess bed was made and her underclothes were laid neatly across the bed frame. She hated how the maids were so quick at cleaning. She walked to her window and looked out to the world that laid before her. A world she longed to be a part of. A world that saw her as a normal girl not as a lady.
2019
As the night died down and the streets began to clear, she began to cry. How she wished just one person would be her friend. She hoped that someone would've brave enough to just look at her window and see she was there. See that she was not scary. She knew that would never happen. She knew that she could never be a part of the outside world. She would always be confined to this house with her window as the only connection to the outside world. The moon grew brighter as the night dragged on. She continued to stare, her mind filled with her childish thoughts.
As midnight grew closer she started to get tired. She stood and turned her back on the window. As she walked to her princess bed the sound of a rusty gate slamming shut brought her out of her sleepiness. She quickly ran back to her widow in time to see a boy ran to the front door. She couldn't believe her eyes. For years no one walked on the property and now a boy is at the door. She glided down the stairs and peaked over the banister to look at the door. The knob slowly turned and the boy walked in. He was a strange boy. His brown hair covered part of his face. His pale skin and his blue eyes glowed in the darkness. He was wearing a strange jacket with a skull on it. In his hand he held a bottle of spray paint. Her face grew pale. He was going to vandalize her home. She had to stop him. She knew if she showed herself then he would run but she could just watch him ruin her home. She finished walking down the stairs and stood a few feet behind him. He was about to push the top down when she spoke. "What are you doing?"
He jumped and turned. She waited for him to run but he didn't. He just stood there with him mouth open. She smiled a bit at his awkward state. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I would get caught. Don't call the police please! I can't get another night in a cell."
"The police? Why would I call them?" She asked confused. The only police officers she's seen were little kids with fake guns. She didn't understand why she would call those kids.
"Um, because I'm trespassing and I was going to vandalize property." He said as confused as her. He didn't understand why she was confused about the police. The town was packed full of police officers. It's not like they are rare in these parts.
"Well if it's bad to do that, why are you doing it?"
He smiled. This girl was so naive. He was sure he could tell her that unicorns were real and she would believe him. Where has this girl been living? Under a rock? "I'm doing it because I thought it would be fun, I guess."
"Oh. Well if you wouldn't mind could you not paint on my home?" She asked him. Her arms crossed over her chest. She looked at him sternly.
"You live here?" Her asked in shook. "I can't believe someone would live in this dump!"
"Pardon me, this house is no dump!" She spat. "It is not what it used to be but it is still my home." She wiped her mouth, embarrassed at how she spat out those words. She never spat.
"Sorry. It's not my place to judge your house. I'm Danny BTW." He held out his hand.
"BTW?" She cocked her head to the side. What does that mean.
"By the way. What? You don't know slang?" He laughed.
"Oh! Well it's a pleasure to meet you Mister Danny. I am Phoebe." She grabbed her dress and curtsied.
"Ha! You are really getting into your costume." He smiled at her and put his hand back down. It was clear she wouldn't shake it.
"My costume? I am not wearing a costume."
"Oh, ok sure you aren't." He put his spray paint in his pocket and turned for the door.
"Wait, you do not believe me?"
"Of course I don't believe you!"
"Why?"
"Why are you talking like you are from 1800?"
"Because I am!"
"That's impossible."
"I know it is, but it happened."
"Are you dead? Oh my Gosh! Are you a ghost?" He asked sarcastically.
"I do not know. I do not remember dying."
"You are serious." His eyes widened. He reached out to her and jabbed his hand into her shoulder. She cried out in pain and slapped him. Miss Grandalin would be so disappointed in her recent behavior. "Hey, Sorry I wanted to see if I could go through you. I can't so you must not be a ghost."
"Oh. I am terribly sorry." She bowed her head in disappointment.
"I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow. I am so stoked! We are going to find out what happened to you!" He jumped up and ran out the door. Phoebe stood watching him run down the street. The door was still open. She walked to the door frame and tried to take a step out. An invisible force pushed her back into the house. She flew across the hall and hit the wall hard. She tried and she hoped but she knew it wouldn't happen. She would be stuck in this house forever.