6 comments

Fantasy Sad

“Long before the world we know came into existence, long before the kingdom was established there was a tribe. Now this tribe could be considered the first tribe to ever exist, from them the civilization started but it’s hard to trace where these people came from and how they…” Will stopped as the sound of the door bell chaimed throughout the house. He closed the book and took one look at Cindy, who was fast asleep, her hands so small that Will’s hands looked as if they belonged to a giant. Will gently placed a wild lock of hair behind Cindy’s ear, kissed her on her forehead and tiptoed out of her room. The door bell chaimed again and Will hurried to open it.

It was 12 at night and usually people who are too desperate for his help came at this time. When their memories became too much for them to handle, when the truth about whom they were and what they did haunted them every second they were awake. Tonight was no different, Will had opened the door and she stepped into view. Without a word being exchanged between them Will knew what she had come for and knew he had to do it, he had to help her.

The women, Clarabelle, how she found Will like many other was still a mystery to Will one he had no intention of knowing. “Please come it” Will have said sincerely inviting her in. Clarabelle walked through the door and took few steps further as too see if she was alone or not. Will had closed the door behind them and was look at the women.

“May I know your name unless you prefer to not say” Will ask her expecting her to not answer him like all the others.

“Ohh…I’m…I’m Clarabelle” She answered with a weak smile. She was the first ever to give Will her name, was it her real name or not but it made Will happy that she trusted him enough to give her name. Will then guided her to a room further away from the main house. He opened the doors and behind it laid a room identical to any other study. It had a big oak wood desk, a brown leather chair, and a few book selves. The only thing different here was it didn’t feel cold, the room was warm and welcoming.

They took their respective seats as the door closed behind them. “Miss Clarabelle I assume you’re aware of the procedure” Will asked politely.

“Umm…Not really. No.” Clarabelle admitted her checks turning red.

“Well that’s ok it is not uncommon. So what happens here is that you take me to the memory of the life that haunts you. I take a hold of what haunts you and then I make it disappear. It’s not painful and it only takes a few minutes” Will try to simplify the process for Clarabelle.

“After this will I remember anything of that life at all?”

“No. You will forget everything”

“OK. Let’s do it”

Will guided her through another door but this one was inside the study, it lead to a smaller room which only contained a sofa and two arm chairs. Will motioned Clarabelle to take an arm chair and he proceeded towards the sofa. Will places Newton’s cradle on the table in front of him and picks the ball and it starts moving. Clarabelle looks at him puzzled.

“This helps me and you focus” Will explain.

Will lies down on the sofa and instructs Clarabelle to think about the memories of her old life. Clarabelle doesn’t have to make much effort in searching for the memories they come flooding as soon as she thinks about them.

“Take me to your most painful memory and don’t stop, no matter how painful” Will tells her.

“I’ll try”

Will’s conscious is forced into a strange environment, he crosses a dark tunnel and walks towards a bright light. Will reaches the light and walks through it.

It’s raining and the street he is on is completely deserted. Will walks down the street towards a house he walks as if something is pulling him towards that house. At the house he stands outside hesitating to enter, the beginning has always scared Will it’s the point where he considers turning back but obligations pull him forward.

Will enters the house, it dark and gloomy inside and a thick moist air hangs still. Will is pulled further into the house until he reaches a door somewhere in the middle of the house. He opens it, this room is also dark but colder than the rest of the house. Will’s eyes adjust to the darkness and what would have been a warm cozy bedroom was now a bloodbath. Two bodies what Will thought were a couple lay lifeless on their bed, white sheets turned red from their blood. His eyes moved to the figure standing by the window only her eyes visible. Will stares into those eyes until he is pulled into another memory.

This time different street, different weather and different people. This house belonged to someone rich, Will was again drawn to a room. But something was different there was no pool of blood no bodies just a family to five. Will longed at them with longing, he once had a family like that, the memories came flooding and he had to fight them back. He could not entangle his life with someone Clarabelle’s or else he might lose a hold on reality altogether. He moved to witness the family more closely that’s when it was gone, hooded men entered the house and one by one impaled them with daggers. The woman runs to her only child left “Clara you must run, you must hide never let them find you. Go!!”

“Mama no Please, MAMA!” the little girl whines until her mother shoves her out a hidden door. Clara hides there crying silently as she hears her family die.

“Where is the girl? We have our orders they must all perish” a harsh male voice rings through Clara’s ears.

“She must be in the house. I suggest let’s burn the place if the girl is hiding she will burn to death” another voice answers.

Clara runs through the passage before the fire could reach her, the passage leads her into a river. She witnesses her home and family burn. Will is pulled again into another memory.

No Will is in a pub, an empty pub except a few half unconscious men still drinking their ordered wine. He doesn’t recognize those men but their voice is similar. It’s raining outside and the lanterns in the pub are almost about to go out. The door opens and a cold breeze enters killing the flickering lanterns. The men don’t look up from their wines, a figure walks towards then sword in hand. The figure takes the sword out and proceeds to slice of the head of the man with its back towards the figure. The heads falls of the body, the other men fall back and try to run but the alcohol unable them to.

One by one the figure slices of their heads, tears falling from its eyes. “This is for my family” she says. Will notices the eyes, it’s the little girl. He realizes the eyes belong to Clara and now Clarabelle. Will witnesses other murders all of the men who were at her house all dying in gruesome ways, when she is done Clara has nothing else to live for.

The final memory to which Will is pulled to is when the guards and the King surround Clara at a cliff. “Put the weapon down and surrender in the name of King Markus” one of them shouts.

“Where was the King when those men killed my family?” Clara looks at her sword “If I must die them I die taking the King with me the murderer of my family” Clara throws her sword as a spear at the King, it hits him but does not fatally wound him. Clara on the other hand falls of the cliff with a spear heart.

Clara’s mind shows a flashback to Will of the King walking out of her burning house.

Will is back into the real world where Clarabelle sits unconscious on the arm chair. Will brings an empty book and places it on the table. He places his right hand on Clarabelle’s head and the life on the book. After a few seconds he places his hands back and stones Newton’s cradle. Clarabelle opens her eyes and looks at Will all confuses.

“Yes so your treatment has worked and you will no longer hallucinate” Will says with a smile.

“Ahhh. Yes. Thank you so much for your help” Clarabelle says unable to remember what her hallucinates were.

Will walks Clarabelle to the door and sees her off. He goes back to the room and picks up the book, the book now contains all of Clarabelle’s memories of her past life. He places the book now engraved with Clara’s name onto his bookshelves.

Will leaves the study and notices that Cindy is in the living room.

“Daddy I had a nightmare” Cindy says rubbing her eyes.

“What was it about peanut?”

“Ohh. I was in a dark house and there was a woman with a sword. She told me not to go into a room but I did when she left and it was red. I was scared daddy” Cindy starts to cry.

“It’s ok peanut I know how we can fix that but we need to go into my study for it. Are you up for it?”

“Study?? Yes. Then will you read me a story, about the fairies and the giants”

“Yes peanut, but first let’s get rid of those nightmare”

Cindy nods, Will picks her up and carries her to his study. As he closes the door his eyes are filled with grieve and relief. 

January 04, 2021 08:14

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

6 comments

Laiba M
16:38 Jan 21, 2021

Hi, Aman :) I enjoyed the story a lot! My favorite part was definitely "It was 12 at night and usually people who are too desperate for his help came at this time. When their memories became too much for them to handle, when the truth about whom they were and what they did haunted them every second they were awake." It's a very interesting and unique story! I don't think I've ever read anything like it before on Reedsy :D

Reply

Aman Fatima
16:42 Jan 21, 2021

When I wrote this part it just felt right. I'm happy you enjoyed it.

Reply

Laiba M
16:47 Jan 21, 2021

Yes, that often happens when I write as well :D There are just those parts of the story that you'll never feel the need to look over or edit because it's just right~ I definitely did!

Reply

Aman Fatima
03:53 Jan 22, 2021

Yeah!!!!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Yuk Yuk
00:32 Jan 11, 2021

This is creepy. I like it.

Reply

Aman Fatima
05:10 Jan 12, 2021

I'm happy you liked it.

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.