Oakwood Manor

It was the evening of my final day at Oakwood manor. In the morning I would depart to continue my travels, but it had been nice to relax and get a reprieve from the road. I had been here for almost a week, and though I did not know them upon my arrival I had come to regard the Oakwood family as friends during my time here.

Ragged and weary, they had offered me a room without question and had been the most gracious of hosts. Mrs. Oakwood had provided me with clean clothes and a warm bed, and it had been a delight getting to know her over our daily ritual of midmorning tea. Mr. Oakwood, too, had gone out of his way to make sure my stay was enjoyable, and I had greatly enjoyed our chats about his experiences in the war and our jaunt into the woods to hunt boar; one of his many hobbies. 

Their children, grown in their own right, had been welcome company as well. James, their son, was around my age and took care of the estate’s stables. We had much in common and had become close as I helped him with his work; the least I could do, given how kind they had been to welcome me into their home. Their youngest daughter, Emily, had been a pleasure to spend time with, too, and I would accompany her while she attended the gardens each day in the afternoon.

The only one I hadn’t gotten to know was the middle child, Madison, who they assured me was quite ill. Looking out the window at night, I would sometimes see her wandering the gardens alone, her copper hair shimmering as the light from the waxing moon cascaded over her. Whenever I would catch sight of her, she would turn to look toward my window as if she knew I was there, and while we had locked eyes a few times that was the only interaction we had had.

As dusk fell on the estate, I finished cleaning myself up from working around the stables and put on the formal wear Mrs. Oakwood had provided for dinner. Before I joined my hosts, I looked out my window at the setting sun over the gardens. The light bathed the flowers in a beautiful contrast of color and shadow, the vibrant shades slowly changing as the sun dipped below the horizon. When the light had fully faded I left my room and went to join the others.

Upon arriving to the dining room, I saw a feast laid before me, much grander than we had had at any other point throughout the week.

“We just wanted to make sure your last night here was a memorable one,” Mr. Oakwood said as I took my seat, likely noticing me marvel at the gorgeous display of food I had been presented with, “my wife insisted on the feast.”

Scanning the table, I saw a whole ham, a turkey, more side items than I could take in, wine, and various dishes I had never seen before. The amount of food was staggering, and I was told there was more yet to be brought out.

The table itself was decorated with fine china and beautiful silverware, all laid upon an exquisite table cloth I assume was brought out specially for this occasion, as I had not seen it prior. A couple dozen candles lit the room, creating a subtle light that glimmered off the silverware and illuminated the myriad color palette created by all the food; shadows danced in the corners of the room as the gentle flames flickered on their stands.

All the Oakwoods were present, save for Madison, who the rest of the family apologized profusely for not being there. Though we had not met, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, as if we had a mysterious connection I couldnt explain. I found these feelings silly and pushed them from my mind, focusing on those present and engaging my hosts in conversation.

We spoke mostly of small things; where my travels would take me, good places to stop and rest or visit, how I would have to stay in touch and visit again. They brought up various plans for their own family, musing over the different options their children had going forward. It was a wonderful dinner, and by the end I was fat and happy, relaxed and content.

I bid my hosts goodnight and retired to my room. As I changed into something more suitable for sleep I once again peered out my window into the garden, almost a habit by this point. The flowers were bright in the light of the now full moon, and a light haze of fog blanketed the ground.

Upon finishing downing my sleepwear, I saw a figure in the garden. From its graceful walk I recognized the figure as Madison, though her attire seemed unusually formal for a nighttime stroll alone. It was a dark colored Victorian dress which, with the fog clinging to all it touched, gave her an appearance as though she was floating across the ground. The dark colors of the dress contrasted beautifully with her pale skin, and in the moonlight her copper hair flickered as if set ablaze.

Though tired and slightly tipsy from the wine, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She turned as I starred, peering directly toward my window and locking eyes with me. Her gaze seemed to pierce deep within my soul, and though I found it slightly unnerving I could not look away. She smiled, the first i had seen from her, and mouthed the words, “I’ll see you soon,” before walking out of sight.

My eyes stayed fixated on her as if in some kind of trance until she was completely beyond my sight. I attributed it all to the wine and, shaking my head subconsciously as if to bring myself back to reality, tucked myself in for the night. Though thoroughly exhausted by this point, I found it difficult to drift to sleep; my thoughts were stuck on Madison and the strangeness of the encounter. It seemed odd, but I couldn’t help but feel there was a significance to what I had seen. I wrestled with the thoughts until, finally, I drifted away into a deep slumber.

It did not last long, however, and I awoke to a loud crash outside my room and shouting in the distance. A thick haze of smoke hung in the air, clogging my lungs and burning my eyes. Falling from my bed in a fit of coughing I hit the floor hard, desperately gasping for a breath of air. I crawled to the door and frantically grasped for the knob.

The blinding light of an inferno assaulted my eyes as I flung the door open and I moved through the chaos, suppressing a panic as I tried to find a way out. My memory of the house led me to the stairs and I tumbled roughly down them as the smoke constricted around me. I likely would have been injured in my descent, but I landed upon something soft spread across the wooden floor. My hands reached out to get some semblance of what I was laying on and upon finding a face I knew it to be the body of one of my hosts, cold and lifeless amongst the heat of the fire bearing down around us.

Its icyness made it an unlikely victim of the flame, but as the panic I had fought to ward off began to quickly set in I didn’t have time to think on it any longer before continuing with my escape.

Each second seemingly lasted a lifetime as I crawled with desperation toward an exit. When I finally managed to escape the hell the manor had become I collapsed onto the ground, my chest heaving in agony as fresh air struggled to fill my lungs. My strength slowly returned to me, and I looked upon the manor to see it entirely engulfed in a massive pyre. In one of the upper story windows I saw a woman trying to escape, pounding and flailing at the glass trying to get it open- trying to survive. I watched in terror as she became one with the flame, and disappeared from my sight.

It was all too much for me. I had to leave- had to go find help. I sprinted toward the stables; though likely futile, a horse would be the quickest way to find any assistance.

Arriving at the stables, I saw James standing over Madison, screaming incoherantly at her. She looked terrified, and as I got closer I noticed he had a hatchet  in  one  hand; the sight froze me in my tracks.

James’ back was turned to me- he hadn’t noticed I was there. I was trembling, not knowing what was happening, afraid- terrified- of what was likely about to happen. As I surveyed the scene, my eyes met with Madison’s. Despite the danger she seemed to be in, she smiled.

The smile was soothing, and the rest of the world fell away. My trembling stopped, and there was only her and I, locked in this moment. 

Time stood still, and I started to move toward her, slowly at first, but gaining speed with each step. Before long I was running, sprinting with an eagerness unknown to me, toward her. As I got close, James started to turn. He seemed to say something, but the words he tried to convey with such eagerness never  met  my  ears.

Again, I found myself in a trance, unable to control myself. I pulled a knife from my pocket that I didnt know existed. I plunged  it  into  James’  chest, as a horror at my own actions engulfed me. Again the knife plunged  into  him. And again. And again.

Before I knew what had happened, James lay dead at my feet. I dropped the knife and looked at my blood soaked hands, frozen in shock at the reality of what I had done. My gaze turned back to Madison as she stood gently to her feet, still smiling.

“I told you I’d see you soon,” she said as she started to walk toward me.

She wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder. Her skin was cold to the touch, yet her embrace was somehow warming, loving. 

“You saved me,” she whispered, “not only from James, but from this place, this prison.”

I was confused by her words. My head was spinning, pounding, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Before I could wrap my head around any of it, she spoke again,

“You’ve freed me, and now I’ll free you.”

I felt her grip tighten and her nails pierce  my  back as she spoke. A warm liquid began to soak my shirt, and though I struggled to get away I couldnt break free.

“Dont be afraid,” she whispered, “I’ll see you soon.”

The world went dark as her fangs pierced  my  neck. There was no more fear, only an odd feeling of peace. Her words echoed in my ears as I collapsed into her arms.

“Dont be afraid, I’ll see you soon.”