Hidden Depths

Skaneateles, NY- The very Beginning Stages

In the early wake of spring time, present day 2022, one would usually wake up, feeling tired still, nauseated even if an early morning shift was awaited, perhaps a tad thankful to be on this earth just one more day. But for Arianna Love, those feelings were almost never there.

Waking up, feeling the need to take on the day at the first opening of the eyes, she had a mission to accomplish. A goal to meet, a deadline to correspond to. And it wasn't waiting for anyone.

Feeling the itch of the day creeping up on her. She could no longer stay in bed. Putting on her shoes and fastening the buttons on her white knitted blouse that went over a navy blue suede tank top, she finished by buttoning the top button of her high waisted dark wash skinny jeans.

Doing a once over in the mirror, she gave herself the look of approval, and set out into the world around her. Closing her eyes. She felt the early morning breeze, heard the lap of water from the pier, smelled the pastries coming from shops nearby. Opening her eyes, and getting the sense of appreciation that she needed, she instantly felt okay.

Smiling to herself, she started her usual walk, first starting at her doorstep, going up the street, around two or three blocks, taking in her surroundings, really paying attention to specific details, the cars around the area, the parks, if there were any people there, and if so, how many, the benches, if they were sat in or not.

Because for Arianna, it wasn't just everyday life. It was an itch to get her novel going. For years her parents had told her she wasn't worth much, that she couldn't ever make it to where she wanted to make it, because of her background, not getting the best grades, or really having a lot of friends. But it wasn't just a goal of hers, her life depended on it.

Being fired from her last job, she had to make this one stick. And the only way to do that was to really dig deep and get what she needed. A sense of clarity. A sense of knowing. Something to go off of, to really make her novel a best seller.

She always carried a journal with her, wherever she went, just in case that one instance ever came. But day after day, countless nights, tireless hours, still nothing.

Sitting up in her bed pondering her next move, she had a thought. She took the same routes every day. Saw the same people out and about. Talked to the same store managers. Every day it was the same routine.

Something had to change. Racking her brain with ideas, brainstorming different ways to soak in everything, there was one thing she could think of. The end of the pier, for whatever reason, the tantalizing pull of the water maybe, or the brilliant red stones that outlined the sight of promise, or maybe something as simple as beauty in and of itself, called out to her, as if reaching into the depths of her soul, and clenching onto something just out of reach, to make her want to go to the end of that dreadfully long walk, out to the tip, where all of that blue threatened to swallow her whole with one wrong move.

She had to take action.

Pulling on her white adidas sneakers, her baby pink sports leggings, her black sports bra and white knitted half sweatshirt, coming up just below the bottom of her bra, she pulled up her hair, and prepared for what was yet to come.

Walking outside, feeling the surroundings, getting everything more closer to the walk, there she stood, right before it.

It wasn't the feeling of complete uneasiness, although it was absolutely there, and it wasn't the feeling necessarily of being scared, although, that was also there, no. It was the feeling of the unknown.

Taking a deep breath, she put one foot in front of the other, and walked confidently, a quarter of the way there.

Taking more strides, halfway there.

Inching ever so slightly, three quarters of the way there, before she got so nauseous she couldn't bear to go any further.

Almost giving up and turning back around, there, in the clearing, was the answer to her prayers.

Gaining the confidence to walk the rest of the way, she finally made it to the end, the circular railing looming before her, asking for her to latch on and take in the beauty that was before her.

It was at this moment, she realized she didn't have to be afraid anymore. Whatever feelings of doom she had felt, melted away in that exact moment. For the only thing she longed for, was to find out more about that house.

The one that is almost hidden, behind the depths of the trees surrounding it. The lights on in the windows almost resembled torches, the front entrance resembling a white gate, that much alike a prison cell, the light color of the outside, and the dark offset of the roof. It was beautiful. It was extraordinary. And it was also something Arianna couldn't touch even with a 100 foot pole.

But that's what intrigued her. That house, out of all of them, that one house, is what started it all.

And Arianna wasn't going to stop until she got every ounce of information she needed.

And that she did.