Dancing Shadows

Whenever the wind blows to the curtains, she gets scared. She is not accustomed to these images. This is a new experience for her in these pandemics times. She should have known better before accepting her friend's invitation to come to this old house in the countryside for some days.

As a matter of fact, she needed to escape her apartment imprisoning sensation for such a long time. She felt like a bird in a cage and she was having psychological issues like nightmares and anxiety crisis. That is why she accepted this kind invitation.

She was glad to have such a nice friend that cared for her mental health, and yet, she did not figure out that she would be alone in the wilderness, or else in a house by a lake with all the forest noises.

The owls had always made her shiver. Was their voice a bad omen? Poor birds. Perhaps not, but every time she heard one of them, she got chills and was afraid to her bones. Well, this night she was alone, listening to all the unknown noises and seeing unknown images.

Afraid to sleep, she turned on the light and put on the tv, but there were only horror films or suspense ones. Perhaps she could call up her friend that lived nearby. Nearness meant some miles away, but it was better than in another city or in some far neighborhood. So she gathered all her courage and called him up. It was late at night. No, not too late, about eleven pm. Not a convenient time, but not a scary hour to call someone you are not close to. She was a bit uncomfortable with this. But she remembered him saying she could call anytime. So she did.

"Hello, Mike, it's me. I am at Claude's house. I am alone and afraid. Can you come by?"

"Right away. Keep calm."

She turned the cell phone out and sat in the living room.

He was a handsome man, now in grief after his divorce. She was in the same situation. She heard he even sold his beach house for a very low price not to share the money with his ex-wife. This was a kind of revenge on his part. Good for the buyer, the lucky guy.

Well, let's hope he is not drunk yet. People said he was drinking a lot. Perhaps she could help him with this and he could help her going through the night. Yes, they could help each other.

She heard a car motor noise and was excited anticipating his visit. The car made a tour in the front yard that had a car entrance like in the movies, the mansions car entrance. It kept making circles and circles and she was terrified.

Had her friend gone mad? Was it him? What was the purpose of such behavior? Suddenly the car stopped. She was petrified with terror. She held her cell phone in one hand and a heavy jar in the other. The person who went out of the car was the old housekeeper. He was just having some fun. He had forgotten about a visitor. He excused himself.

"Excuse me, madam", he said. "I hope I did not disturb you."

"Of course, sir. Don't worry."

What a crazy man. She was afraid of him. Why did he do this?

There was a concierge place in the garden, near the house, and he entered there. Many strange noises came from this place also.

The wind was blowing harder and harder. It was a cold night. It was a full moon night. All she wanted was the morning light to go away from there.

At midnight she heard another car noise. This time it was her friend Mike for sure. Oh, Mike, my saint Michael, the great archangel, the justice angel, please come by quickly. Please defend me from evil and madness. Please, hurry.

A glass had been broken. It was not Mike. What is happening?

"Are you the one from the town? We heard there was a beauty alone in this old house. What are you doing here, all alone, miss?"

"I am at a friend's house. Please go away."

Turning to his companion, he said,

"She speaks so nice, don't you think?"

The other man stood by the window.

The chief assailant grabbed her wrists together, he tried to kiss her and pulled her toward him. His companion surveilled the entrance.

She wanted Mike to come but she was afraid for him. Why was he delaying so much?

Perhaps he was still drinking at the bar?

Those men must have heard something at the bar where Mike was. Were they armed? She remembered the jar. Getting rid of her attacker with a judo maneuver, she ran into the entrance hall and threw the jar on the surveillant's head.

After that, she opened the front door and ran away from the house. Just in time to meet Mike that was coming by walking. His car had stopped. He was so upset that he forgot to put fuel on it. Typical of him, he thought. That's why he delayed soo much.

She took him by the hand and ran away with him.

He was not sober, but not drunk as well.

He understood what was happening vaguely and gave her all the support he could.

She kissed him passionately and he understood nothing but liked it.

The crazy housekeeper phoned the police, that came fast. The two attackers were lying on the floor unconscious. She was amazed at her own power.

After the police took the assailants, she came back to the living room with Mike. Now, it was him the one who kissed passionately. She remembered the forms on the curtains and smiled at this souvenir. They were only reflections of the wind on the lake and the forest trees, nothing else. Now, she wants to stay for a while in this countryside house. She is not in a hurry to come back to her cage.