Death, Life and Somewhere Inbetween

Childhood Stupidity - Chapter 1

My name is Verandis McNamara.

All my life i have been surrounded by strange coincidences. These coincidences usually revolve around something dying or something long dead past, something i have never met or could never have met in my lifetime. 

I first encountered them when i was around thirteen, I was out one weekend with some friends and i was dared to enter an abandoned house. Me being the dumb bold one did it without question, however, little did i know about the history of this house, i wasn't one for reading much as a teen. I was dared to bring something out of the house to prove i had been in there.

I was inside the house for maybe 15 minutes i had explored the decrepit hallways of this house and the many old dusty rooms. Walking through this house was like a portal into the past, I've always had a vivid imagination so i could see how the house would look without all the dust and with sunshine glaring in through the windows, The fireplace crackling away while music was played, the old wooden beams of the house creaking with movement. It was eerie to say the least it almost seemed as if who ever lived here simply disappeared and no one had been in since, everything was in place, Lamps, plates, pans, chairs, sofa's, All gold embroiled burgundy. They were still in impressive condition considering what i thought the age of the house was. 

I went upstairs almost putting my foot through a couple of floorboards, I reached the top and my entire body stopped dead, i could...feel something, not something touching me but somethings presence, I didn't know whether to get out or just ignore it. Hearing my friends dare in my head i realised how much of a coward i would look running out of an empty house, so i forced myself to move on. I took a left at the top of the stairs, due to the lack of windows in the hallways upstairs it was getting difficult to see, I whipped out my Zippo, opened it and as i lit it there was a strange flicker of flame that spread towards a doorway, maybe two or three doors down on my right hand side. My curiosity got the better of me regardless of how freaked out i was. I put my hand on the door handle and hesitated, as i left my hand on the door handle i could feel the room beyond, The Victorian style bed, the balcony doors, The huge portrait painting hung on the wall opposite the bed, the fireplace full of half burned wood, the cream carpet dusted over, the wardrobes, bed sides tables, make up boxes, jewellery hanging on a stand. The feeling weirded me out, it was like i could see without seeing, feel without actually being touched, like my mind could go inside the room without my physical body or feeling someone else experience of the room even though no one else was here.

After a couple of minutes i gathered myself and turned the door handle I carefully pushed the door open, Instantly I'm taken back by the sight of the room, everything i felt was accurate apart from the person standing in front of the balcony doors. My mind started racing I knew I needed to run if this person lives here I'm in serious trouble! My body on the other hand wouldn't move I was being drawn into this room by whoever this was. I look around there's no one else here, everything was as i imagined it to be, I look back at the person to find them staring directly at me, I gasp part of me is terrified part of me is curious. This woman, she's about five and a half feet tall, she's wearing blue jeans, a brown bomber jacket, a black shirt, she has dark red hair i'm guessing about lower back length as it's tied up in a pony tail, All her clothes are badly torn but i don't see any physical damage, She has piercing green eyes she appears to be relatively muscular although she has a healthy amount of weight to her. 

I open my mouth to speak, almost instantly she is in front of me and she carefully puts her finger to my lips as if to "shush" me. I close my mouth and just stare down at her, I'm taller than she is being about five foot eleven, I'm also a bigger built person naturally so i shadow her relatively easily. 

With her finger still on my lips she points with her other hand at the fireplace, I tilt my head curiously at her and she gestures me to go over. I walk over to the fireplace she walks silently behind me, she lightly pushes on my shoulder to sit me down, by this point I'm completely running on instinct i have no idea whats going on but i have no real control over what i'm doing. I sit down in front of the fire cross-legged, the woman comes and sits next to me, she takes my zippo and throws it into the fire, the fire instantly blows up into a blaze of blue and red flames, it's entrancing. I look back at the woman, she smiles and nods back towards the fire. I look back at the fire, I've got that feeling again, Like i can physically feel the fire without actually touching it. I can feel the woman now too, She feels kind but yet ominous, I get lost in her feeling almost exploring who she is. I can feel her personality, kind, caring, driven, humble but there's something else there, Loneliness, or seclusion, like feeling lost or alone amongst your closest friends. A feeling i know all too well.....

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This concludes chapter one, I hope it isn't boring, Please leave feedback as to how i could improve future chapters in anyway possible. and Thank you for reading
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