Fall's Veil Is Thin

FALL’S VEIL IS THIN

         By: Santina D’Angelo-Loppie

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The crisp autumn air made an explosive fall palette on my backyard trees. I had been woken by a brisk fall chill and windy howl coming from my slightly cracked window. We were having an abnormally chilly October and in the morning glistening frost was visible atop the multi-coloured leaves carpeting the yard.

Halloween was coming, pumpkins were lined up along my deck railing and this added to the unusual haunting mood of my empty new home.

I made a snack, with a mug of pumpkin-spiced herbal tea, I wrapped myself in a plaid parka. I sat on the back deck with my dogs. I watched a few crows swoop and circle my yard, likely after the fallen apples from the trees; I admired my fall pumpkin display while enjoying the fresh scent of brisk burning chimneys in the air.

Since moving to my new home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone or something was watching me. It left an eerie feeling lingering throughout the days.

Afterwards, I began picking up the fallen apples beneath the trees and started raking leaves. I couldn’t help but continuously keeping an eye on the wood’s edge, not sure what I was anticipating to see, but sure that my gut feelings must mean something.

After a long afternoon of yard work I retired to my living room. I sat on the couch with a freshly popped bowl of warm microwave popcorn. I lit a cinnamon scented candle on the windowsill and flicked on the Investigation channel, as I usually do before bed. Five hundred android channels and real-life murder mystery was the only channel I seemed to frequent.

I could hear the wind’s howl outside of my living room window, there was a rain storm brewing in the dark overcast sky. I observed it being murky enough that you couldn’t see a single star in the sky’s ceiling and the full moon only shone her appearance intermittently between fast moving darkened clouds. My dogs were both curled up by my feet on the couch, both hogging the most of my throw blanket.

While completely immersed in the TV’s real life drama the power began to flicker. I thought how annoying it is that a little wind and rain knocks out Nova Scotia’s power almost instantly.

I got up and made my way to my bedroom plugging my cell phone into my charger on my bedside table, I figured if we lost power, at least I could have a full battery and then I returned back to my couch.

After a few episodes and a few blinding flashes of lightening, closely followed by loud claps of thunder, the TV completely shut off; as well as the rest of the electricity in the house.

I said aloud “Well I guess its bedtime” to my dogs, who seemed unconcerned with now using their night vision. I grabbed the lit candle from my windowsill to use as my light and cautiously began making my way across the living room, towards my bedroom, sliding my feet carefully not to run into anything.

My dogs suddenly began abruptly barking, which startled me. As I jolted, the pool of melted wax extinguished the candle flame and left me with zero vision of the hallway towards my bedroom.

I was faced with the decision if I should try to make my way back to the living room table where my matches were, or continue to my bedroom to my cell phone.

I was in such a panic, and feeling rushed from all the barking, I instinctively reached my arms out to grab the hallway wall; dropping the square glass candle holder and spilling hot melted wax everywhere, including on my foot.

I hurried down the hallway; my foot in excruciating pain from being coated with hot wax, holding my hands out in front of me in anticipation of soon hitting my bedroom door. When I reached the door I could hear the quick scraping of metal paired with the crinkle of plastic, it sounded like someone pulled the shower curtain in the bedroom bath!

A silent stiffness quickly stoned my body, I no longer could feel the pain of my burnt foot, I could no longer hear my dogs, and I could only hear the sound of my rapid heartbeat in my chest that seemed to echo in the centre of my head. I was completely frozen in panicked fear as I held my breath, now trying to be as silent as possible, listening for more movement.

I stood in the archway of my bedroom door for what seemed like eternity; I could see the illuminated glow of my cell phone on the bedside table. I wondered if I should dart past the bathroom door for my phone, or slowly backup into the night of the hallway.

My dogs stormed the hallway dashing directly to my bedroom bath, continuously barking, which brought me out of my paranoid numbness. I figured going for my cell phone was a better idea than going back into the unlit house for my matches.

With one quick leap I dashed to my bedside table yanking my phone from the powerless cord. I quickly swiped up on my home screen and pressed the flashlight button. I stood at the doorway of my bedroom bath, shining the light from my phone at the shower curtain; my dogs still at my feet growling towards the shower. I nervously said with a crackle in my voice “Who is there, the police are on their way...” nervously dreading a reply. And just then, I realized I hadn’t even dialed 911 yet.  

I stopped my hands from shaking long enough to swipe up and hit the phone button, dialing 911 and pressing the speaker. The operator answered “911, what is your emergency?” I quickly stuttered “There’s someone in my house, I think. My address is 9 Sandy Lake Rd. in Beaver bank, please hurry!”

The operator replied that police were on their way and to stay on the phone with her.

I noticed on my bathroom shelf I had a pair of cosmetic scissors, I slowly reached for them, not taking the light, or my eyes, off the shower curtain for a second. I inched my nervously shaking hand towards the shower curtain and with one big breath of nerve I yanked it open as fiercely as I could, ready for a violent altercation, armed with scissors...

The shower was completely empty. I released the tight grip I had on my phone, dropping it, and let out a blood curdling scream. I could now hear my dogs barking a growling viciously from behind me. Thump! Was the last thing I remember...

I woke not long after to a bang at the door, the electricity was humming and the power had been restored. Suddenly I remembered what had happen and anxiously jumped up, my dogs still beside me. I answered the door to a Police Officer and allowed him to come in. He checked the entire house and confirmed there was nobody here. He said I probably had just gotten spooked and tripped over my own feet, while he eyeballed the broken glass and wax on the floor.

Despite knowing that wasn’t the case, I told him that he’s probably right, and thanked him for coming.

I swept the broken glass and scraped the melted wax from my floor before going to bed, double checking that all my windows and doors were locked. While making sure the bedroom bath was empty and window locked, I drew the shower curtain wide open and I couldn’t believe my eyes! There lay nine plucked crow feathers lined up and placed carefully in a row on the white ceramic of my bathtub. 

I knew I hadn’t just “gotten spooked and tripped over my own feet,” but it was impossible for an intruder to have been in my home, everything was locked, wasn’t it?

What was this unknown entity haunting me?