From The Archives : Lenore Part 1

Sometimes it can be fun to pull something out of the archives, just to see what people think of it. Sometimes this can have positive results, or it can have negative results. But either way, this is something I was working on for one of my livejournal accounts eons ago. I hope some of you enjoy it, and who knows, maybe in the future there will be more of it to read.
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There's always a minute in which I wonder whether or not what I do is wrong. But tonight it doesn't really matter that much. But i could feel the nagging little voice starting in on me as I dipped my hands under the faucet to meet the warm rushing rivulet that was being pumped through the pipes. I rubbed my hands together enjoying the sight, as the soap bubbled and helped rid my skin of the damning red stain of her blood.

It's never easy when i set to, taking a life. But everytime... I hear that small voice escaping them as they plead for mercy that they have rarely shown themselves it thrills me to the very center of my black soul.

But even that at times... rarely, but at times has been enough to stop me.

But tonight I couldn't help myself.

She had been standing in the rain as I drove along in the rain. It wasn't even a light rain... it was heavy icy rain that hit my windshield with a thud, mocking me with the idea that it could turn into sleet or hail at any moment. I barely even noticed her on the corner as the light changed to red and I was forced to stop. That was when my death instincts hit me.

Looking through the water splattered glass I saw her standing in the rain, positively soaked through. her hair was plastered to her head, and her clothing hung from her like loose sails on a sunken ship in the ocean, flapping in the icy rain as the wind drove it against her body and my car.

I didn't recognize her right away... but as my "training" kicked in i realized that she was listed to be...dealt with. So i rolled the window down a bit and peered out, turning on the overhead light so she could see inside.

"Hey... you want a ride?" I inquired softly through the barely cracked window as I reached over to unlock the passenger side door.

"Well... i'm waiting for the bus...." She sounded uncertain as she shifted in the rain and wrapped her arms around herself in a futile attempt to get warm. she most likely didn't see me as a threat.

"Yeah...well the next one isn't for another hour." I stated it flatly, because i knew the bus route around here well. Call it one of the curses of my job. I have to know how to find people.

"You don't mind? I'm awfully wet..." She looked inside my car and looked a bit uncertain.

"Aww they're just pleather seats." I laughed realizing she was worried about the seats inside my car.

"Oh.. ok." She smiled brightly at my laughter and reached over and opened the passenger side door and slid in, dropping her purse with a plopping sound, almost like adding a water balloon to a pail of its fellows, at her feet.

"Buckle your seat belt... Where ya headed..." I gave a command and a question as I pulled away from the curb as the light changed for the second time. In a way I suppose i was lucky that there wasn't anyone else out in that awful weather.

"the bus station..." her words, few as they were were heavy and acted as a weighted question. She was hoping for some direction, someone to tell her what to do now.

"you don't sound certain." I knew why... she was running. She was running and didn't want to be caught.

"I don't have anywhere else to go..." She said it with a little waver, and I wondered if she even suspected that I already knew everything she had ever done... both good and bad.

"You can come home with me then." I shrugged and smiled at her as I flipped the overhead light back off.

"Thank you." she sounded small and a little defeated as she said it, like she was relieved to have someplace to go besides the bus hub. I couldn't blame her. I reached down and turned the radio on to some old music and we rode in silence until we reached my home.

The Little Girl Who Was Forgotten

Katy Towell has some amazing art, as well as a few other wonderful story videos. This was one of the first ones that I saw... eons ago now it seems. But it is still one that I love watching and sharing with other people. I'm surprised I didn't share it with you earlier.

Hole In The Wall (1)

A good story isn't decided by the author. But I do hope that you will enjoy reading Hole In The Wall as it is written. Eventually am hoping that you will think it is a good story. There may be some changes to it made over time, but for the time being, I hope that you enjoy it for what it is. If I do make any changes to it in the future, I will make sure to note the dates that there were updates to it made at the bottom of the page.

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Chapter 1. Hole In The Wall

There was a small hole in the wall, down in the corner, where the wooden molding didn’t meet properly. Something had chewed through the wall years ago, and it had never really been covered up or sealed. In fact no one had ever even noticed it. A small dresser had been standing there for years hiding it from view, but now as the house was emptied, the hole in the wall was the only thing in the room. It was a nice hole, with an arching top, the bottom flat along the floor boards. Dark shadows beyond it hiding the secrets of what was inside.

But the movers didn’t care; their job was to move out all the furniture. And once the room was bare save for the worn crimson carpet, they pulled the shade down over the small window of the room to keep prying eyes out. After the rest of the rooms on the second floor of the little house were empty, a saleswoman moved through each room. She made sure every shade was down, and pulled each door shut.

The only open thing in the house after they left was the hole in the wall. A silence fell inside the house, and darkness fell outside the little house. As the hours passed the small building shifted its aching timbers slightly, almost as though sighing and missing what had been within its walls. But the little hole was still there. While some may think a hole is nothing, to some such things can be the world.

This is where our story begins. In that empty room, with the door closed tight and the old worn shade pulled down keeping out even the small curious eyes of the stars. As the house sighed, something within its walls stirred. And had anyone been in that room where the little hole was, they would not have believed their eyes.  For as midnight drew near, sounds started to pour from the little hole.

Sad forlorn music came from within the walls of the little house; almost as though the house itself was weeping. While the music played small things crept from within the walls and started to gather on the now empty carpet. These things were quiet as they gathered on the carpet, until the music stopped. Then there was a small uproar that would have woken most. But since there were no people in the house, the things were not afraid of waking them.

You see, the hole in the wall had once been the home of a mouse. But the mouse had turned his residence over to a small goblin before he passed away. And as goblins go, it is unusual that one would want to live within a house. But this little goblin was not your garden variety goblin. He only stood 3 inches tall. This meant he was not big enough for most things goblins are expected to do. So he took over residency in the little hole that at the time had been behind a dresser.

Goblins, similar to the other fairy tale creatures, tend to live a very long time. They don’t worry about dying or change, and they find amusement in the actions of humans. This goblin was worried though. And he stopped playing his sad music and went out of the hole to great his entourage. His large dark eyes which could see very well in the dark, had tears in the corners as he viewed his worried companions.

There was a small doll. She had once been quite beautiful, and very loved by a little girl who had lived in the house many years ago. But her small porcelain face had been cracked, and she was forced to hide. The goblin rescued her, and she had joined him in the little hole. She had been the first companion. Time had not been kind to her, her curls that once had been shining gold, were now dusty and braided with cobwebs. But the goblin didn’t care, for he could still the beauty there.

There was a small felted pony, which was missing one hoof. A plush rabbit that was missing an eye, and a handful of plastic soldiers and Indians that had seen better days. There were many others, and all together, including the goblin their number was thirty. They had all joined the goblin over the years that passed since he had taken over residency from Mr. Mouse. The goblin smoothed his tattered coat as the toys shifted in the new uncertainty of the empty house.

“The house has never been truly empty before.” The Goblin finally said. His voice was low and sadness was etched into the edges of his words. “We are here still, so it is not as empty as it could be, but it is empty. I do not know if we will be safe without the people here in the house.”

“I don’t think we need to worry.” The doll responded, her painted blue eyes coated with dirt, marring her vision. Some people say they cannot see clearly a situation, the doll, certainly was having trouble seeing things for what they were. “People are not always kind, you know.” She added, one small porcelain hand moving to cover the crack that ran from her eye down along her neck. “They can be careless and hurt us.”

The other toys murmured in agreement with the doll. She was their leader whenever the goblin was away. But he was not happy with their quickness to judge their circumstances.

“This is not Toyland.” He said bitterly. “We are not safe without people here. Humans tend to tear down old houses when there is no one living in them any longer.” He crosses his skinny arms, long fingers tapping his elbows agitatedly as he waited for the meaning of his words to become realized by the toys.

The toys all shifted anxiously. They had not thought about the possibility that the little house which was their sanctuary might be destroyed. People are after all, as they all knew from experience, fickle things. They will love you until you are broken or hurt, and then they will throw you aside.  The toys had never thought about people doing such things with houses. A cry of distress came from the felted pony, and soon moved through the other toys, many of whom fell over.

“What are we to do? I don’t know if any of us could make it to Toyland in the state that we are in!” The pony shifted, limping some. “Even if we tried, we might be taken up as refuse, and thrown away into oblivion.” He shifted shaking his half bare mane worriedly, the thin tail behind him swishing.

“I said nothing about going to Toyland yet.” The goblin interrupted, a hand moving to rake through his thick yarn like hair. He usually kept it tied up in some fashion, but today it was loose. He had been watching through cracks in the walls as the movers had worked during the day. “I have heard tell of a toy doctor.” He offered the words quietly, large round eyes watching the crowd to see how they reacted.

“Toy Doctors are nothing but children! And children are more likely to break us than fix us!” The Doll retorted.

“I think you could be wrong Mabel. This person is a grownup. She mends toys, and repairs them. I have heard from some that she helps find homes for homeless toys once they’ve been repaired.” His words were measured and he took a step back as a murmur started going through the toys.

“I could help each of you get to her. That is if it is what you wish.” The goblin shifted almost anxiously, his bare feet shifting through the carpet.

The toys discussed the information amongst themselves. Many of them were very worried about the idea. Change was not something some of them were certain about. Many of them were under the impression they could never be repaired. But finally Mabel came forward.

“If you really believe that there is such thing as a toy doctor, I will volunteer to go to her first. As I have been with you the longest, it is in good will that I volunteer.” Mabel sighed, a small cloud of dust moving from within her as she did so. “But you will promise to take care of all the others, and pass them information as we go.”

The goblin nodded. “I agree to the terms. But you all will need to be prepared for the journey. Leaving our home is not going to be an easy task.” He paused, tucking his hands into his pockets as he leaned down to look at the worn carpet intently. “Those that would rather be moved to Toyland, I will gladly aid you in that endeavor as well.”