Keep Your Nerve..

Ah yes, this was the place, the number on the door was correct, this was where the 'happening' was going to be held...It looked a gigantic dark building... Knock on the door, go on....knock...So said the voice inside her head, whilst her hand, almost of it's own accord, raised itself, lifted the large brass Lions Head, and let it drop..."Bang" it went, almost startling her in it's loudness... She took a step backwards, almost ready to run should the knock not be answered...Her nerves were bad enough as it was, thinking of what lay ahead tonight... But no, the doorknob started turning, then the massive door creaked open, to reveal a shape, a very large shape blocking out the light from within... "You knocked?"  the voice queried..."Yes" she squeaked nervously, and managed to ask..."Is this the Martins Residence?"...

The figure moved slightly so she now had a better view from the light shining from the lamppost on the street, ...My goodness, he was tall...6' 6" if she was a good judge..... "You're slightly early?"...the man almost accused..."Weren't you informed of the change to the starting time?" She stared, open mouthed, "but surely?...it can't be much later than this?"...They needed to start now, as soon as possible...or else it'll be much too late... He kept his darkly brooding eyes staring directly into her startled gaze, almost considering her statement, then, as if making his mind up, suddenly stepped aside and beckoned her to enter the abode.... She could hear the excited voices within, eager voices, voices suddenly high pitched, almost squealing...Voices which chilled her to the bone... Her heart beats quickened, it was nearly time, she had been readying herself for this moment, this stage in her life, almost before she could remember. She need to do this, and yes, she had tried to once before, but her nerve had given out. He ushered her into the first room off the massive hallway, it was a sumptuously decorated room, empty though, except for the one table, topped by lighted mirrors and a couple of chairs set near the wall, just to the left of the large un-curtained double windows...

'Do you have everything you require?'  his deep voice questioned behind her...She jumped, as her thoughts had turned inwards, thinking about what she had to do, 'Yes, thank you, ' she replied,  always polite, always ready to respond to friendly overtures. Although, looking at him, friendly wouldn't have been the first word she'd have come up with to describe him. She placed her bag on the chair, turned to look at him and firmly repeated ' Yes, thank you, I'll be fine, I have all I could need'.... He gazed at her for a couple of seconds, even that was almost too long a time.  He seemed to soften his attitude slightly, looking down at her from his lofty heights, was that pity in his glance?  'You'll be fine'...Then abruptly left the room, almost as if regretting his kind words...

She sat in front of the lighted mirror, attending to her makeup, then finally put on her costume, all the while thinking as if almost trying to comfort herself...'It won't be like the last time, I mean it's not as if they could kill me or anything...now could they?' The sudden appearance of the figure at the door startled her again and the voice stated blandly..."You ready ?...They're all waiting for you,"

She straightened, stretched her arms out wide and took a steadying deep breath, trying hard to calm herself. She followed him to the door of the next room, where they halted a second or two, listening, as the voices seemed even louder, frantic almost, surely they wouldn't harm her?...

'In you go' he said, as with a push to the small of her back, he almost threw her past the opened door,  threw her to the mercy of................

a room full of screaming children, various ages by the look of things, as her startled gaze tried to figure out where to stand..., “ Heaven help me, “  she thought, “being a Children's Entertainer really took it out on your nerves...Ah well....The show must go on.....”

LadyP © 2010

A Small Tale…...

For the second time that night she checked under the bed...No nothing there...What was that noise? There, there it was again...a slight ticking sound. Her brother had said something about there being a 'Death Watch Beetle' and she being a serious 12 year old took things literally,  so this black beetle...(they always were black, weren't they?) surely it had to have a watch and obviously this beetle needed to tell the time for some reason, a bit like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. She wasn't scared, of course she wasn’t...the light was on… nothing could happen while the light was on, that was a known fact, everyone knew it...Even 12 year olds, actually she was twelve and three quarters, an important fact that three quarters, she was older than her friend, Lily, so that meant she knew more about life. That’s right and she knew about Beetles and she wanted to see this one and as she was feeling sleepy she might miss it, Yawn!! So it better hurry up and come out from under wherever it was, because, yawn!!!!, she was so, so tired.....

 

Morning arrived...to find the little girl asleep on the floor by the side of the bed...Her mischievous brother tip-toed in and crawled under the bed from the opposite side.  Lifting a small broken piece of floorboard, he removed his grandfathers fob watch, then carefully replacing the board ever, ever so silently, he tip-toed out of the room again...

 

Some time later, the little girl woke with a start, still lying on the floor. She remembered the night before and smiling a little to herself, she looked down at her right hand...There held gently in the palm of her hand was a little Black Beetle, wearing a little gold chain and hanging from this gold chain was a little gold watch,   ... Tick Tock...

LadyP © 2010

 

Last Thoughts...

She'd lived in the house for years, no bother to anyone..So why?, why were they trying to get her out. Just because the house was worth more now than it had ever been...They felt it was wasted on one old woman...Well, she'd show them...She wasn't dead yet., "Life in the Old Girl yet, eh Tiny?" she whispered out loud to the small ginger cat. He wasn't her cat, just a visitor, the only one she had... .She liked to talk to Tiny, It was almost a warming feeling to hear her own voice. To hear the sound of someone talking. as she hadn't spoken to anyone for days...Or maybe it was weeks?...The milkman stopped calling when she'd fallen behind with paying her bill, same with the paper-boy, same with everything really. Michael, her grandson never called round, well, not since she'd refused to give him the money for a car. How on earth could she afford that when she'd given him her last few savings for the new TV ,  where did he think she'd get the money from, thin air?  Now though, he was trying to get her into a home, then he'd get his hands on her property at last.  It was a shame really, as he'd been such a lovely child, always wanting to do things for his grandma...now he felt she was a burden standing in the way of his inheritance. Him and that ...woman of his...she was mainly to blame, always wanting the newest gadgets, the latest toy to be bought and then cast aside for something else, never satisfied, these young-uns...Well, she had a surprise for them. She'd drawn up a will and when she felt strong enough she'd take it to her solicitors. Yes, she sighed, when she was strong enough.
Now, when had she last eaten? She felt so weak. Had it been yesterday or the day before?. ..Ah, she thought,  if only Jim were alive, he'd look after me...but Jim had died, leaving her completely alone. Why? She missed him so much, why had he been taken from her?, why couldn't it have been she who'd gone first? He had been the strongest of the two of them, he could have coped with her problems easily. They'd struggled so hard though-out their lives to raise their son, only to be left with that.... weak minded individual, under the thumb of that ... woman!!.... Well, she'd show them...Oh yes..she would...She'd show ....
She was so tired, tired of being without the love and strength of her Jim, it had been how long? sixteen?...no seventeen years now. Too long, much too long. The ready tears were there, casting a blur on the room.  She suddenly noticed a movement in the gloomy corner, was there something shining? Then all of a sudden a figure was bending over her, holding his hand out towards her.... Jim?... was it?...no, it couldn't be....he looked so young, just like the day he'd asked her to be his love for the rest of his life. She smiled, her face alight with hope, her eyes shining like a young girls, It was so good to see him, so much so that her heart was bursting with love, in fact her heart burst...and she breathed her last. Holding on to Jim...Ah...She was home, home at last....What did it matter about the house, what did anything matter? Her true love, her mate, her Jim was here.. Looking after her, as he'd promised. Love will see to all things.........