THE INFAMOUS BELLA (KathNiel)

Chapter 14

14

It was New Year’s Eve, Madison’s parents we’re throwing a grand Year End party.

Madison felt the weight lifted off her shoulders as she remembers the all the effort she had made yesterday. She spent her entire day, calling and sending mail invites to a lengthy list of guest. Most of them were her mother’s and father’s schoolmates when they both in high school and college. Some were close friends, relatives, and neighbors.

Precently that evening, she and her cousins are in the game room, seating at the bar and munching nachos dip in salsa, and chicken wings, when her cousin Stefanie came back with a box of mouthwatering pizza in her hands.

Stefanie sat spreading out the pizza on the countertop and in an instant the conversation turned to ghost stories. She wanted to talk about the friskiest ghost stories they have personally experienced.

Faking indifference Madison grabs the largest slice of pizza and made a comment on how childish and inappropriate ghost stories for the occasion, because deep inside she is starting to feel the goose bumps running through her arms and neck.

It was Terry’s turn to tell the story. “I was in college when I decide to go and explore an old historical village in the province. It was for my thesis in archaeology.” Terry begins.

“I decided to stay in local inn, it was old, and I had been told that it was built for more than a century. I was glad at first because it was the kind of place where I was hoping to stay. As I talked to caretaker, he told me that the place was used to be a detention facility back in the Spaniards colonization era in the Philippines.” Terry pauses, and looked at each one of them.  

Madison gazed outside the window and avoided the eye contact, she breathed in the refreshing smell of December air, it calmed her, even for a brief seconds. The nights was usually peaceful, yet this night seemly different from the other nights. She turned her attention back to the small circle of group that she and her cousins had form. Everyone was so absorbed on what Terry was talking about.  

Their group was silent, listening to Terry’s narration. “My body is sore from all the driving, so I decided settled into my room. The interior of the room was fascinating, it could take you back in time, huge windows, hand carved detailed furnished, huge king size bed, and in the corner beside the writing table sat a full-length mirror.”

“Later that night I know somehow, something unsettling and unfamiliar continues bother me. I was writing, busy with my thesis when I heard a sound coming from the bath room. I stood up and quickly marched towards it, but when I was about to open the door to investigate, I was hit by a small rock from outside the window.”

“Curious, I picked it up and went to the window instead. I find it really weird since I am positive that no person can aim a rock that high. My room was located in the highest floor of the inn, right at the curved of the bricked wall. As I get nearer, I glanced beyond the forest. I watched the trees softly swayed by the passing wind. It was dark outside, and very quiet. When I turned, I saw the bathroom door swaying as the same time the phonograph plays on its own.” Terry supplied.  

Madison started see spooky stuffs, suddenly the electrical supply jammed, that the light bulbs glowed like a dying embers. Then, she started to hear low whispering voices, as cold air blows right through the length of back of her neck.

She ignored the echoes gasped in their group. As she looked at Terry, she saw a dark form behind him. Her heart skipped, she blinked her eyes to get a better look at the dark form, but when she peered to look at it again, it vanished.

She sighs, ‘You are just imagining things, Madison.’ She chided herself for being ridiculous.

“Madison,” Stefanie said, placing her hand on Madison’s shoulder. She turned up and looked at her. “It’s time. Your mom told me we’ll start the countdown. Are you okay?” she asked.

Madison looked up at her, and said nothing.

“Well?” Stefanie prompted.

For  Madison, tension replaced what was supposed to be an enjoyable mood.

The night of terror continues to linger even after the countdown, loud cheers, applause, and all the fireworks died, but the creepy feeling stayed behind.