The Legend
Steph Au

 



CLAP! CLAP! BOOM! The rain hit heavily upon the windshield of Daniel’s car. The storm had grown stronger overnight and as time passed, the thunder grew louder and rain hit harder on his windshield. He drove ever so slowly for the road ahead was unclear. He continued to drive along the nearly empty road. All I could see from the passenger seat next to him was miles and miles of empty road.

“I told you we should have left last night! I told you there would be a storm tonight! You didn’t believe me!” I yelled to him.

“Why don’t you just shut up and help me find shelter for the night? Stop complaining. I just wanted to spend an extra night with you.” Daniel yelled back.

“What’s the point when we could have gotten home earlier if we left last night? Seriously, we could have been able to enjoy ourselves back home right now.” I questioned.

“Either you look around for shelter or you shut the fuck up! You’re really annoying tonight, Jess.”

“Deal with it!”

He pulled up in the driveway of what looked like a mansion. The mansion, or house, or whatever it is, looked rather antique. Something did not feel right about this mansion, but I could not lay my finger on it. We sat in the car staring at the mansion. Then Daniel got out of the car, and walked towards the door; I followed closely behind, clinging to his arm. He rang the doorbell. When no one answered after few minutes have passed, I slightly turned the doorknob. To my surprise and his, the door creaked open. We stared at each other for what seemed like a minute and after a brief nod, we entered the mansion. The inside of this mansion left us both standing there in awe. A long spiral staircase that led to god knows where was off to the side of this room. Paintings of naked women, landscapes, etc were laid out on the walls around us. A red sofa stood at the centre of the room. It did not seem to belong there. Not far from the sofa was a black grand piano.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Daniel screamed into the empty mansion. Helloooo? Is anyone thereeee? The mansion echoed back. Silence. Suddenly I felt a chill run down my spine causing me to shiver. I huddled closer to Daniel. It was as if he read my mind because he took my hand in his and ran out the door. We stepped back into the car and drove off, back into the stormy cold December night.

Not far from the mansion was a hotel. We stopped there for the night. At the counter was a couple, the woman looked to be in her mid-thirties and the man his forties. It was an odd sight for the woman had sunglasses on and she was indoors and it was night time out. Daniel walked to the counter and asked for a room only to find out he did not have his wallet.

“Shoot, I must have dropped it back in that mansion.”

“Do you mean the mansion that was a few miles back?” the man asked.

“Yes, why?” asked Daniel.

“You should not go back right now. If you want to retrieve your wallet, go back in the morning, but do not go now. You can stay the night here for free.” The woman said.

“Why? Why can’t we go back?” I asked.

“It’s not safe.” The man warned.

“It’s only a storm outside. I have my credit cards and a few hundred dollars in that wallet. I have to go back. What if someone else finds that wallet? I would never be able to retrieve it then.” Daniel said as he turned around and started to walk out. I followed.

“That mansion… it’s haunted.” The woman called out behind us. We stopped in our tracks, turned around and stared at the couple. We were curious for neither of us believed in ghosts or haunted places. I guess they knew we did not believe them because they asked us to sit down.

“Come, sit. We can tell you what really goes on in there.” The man said. We sat down on one of the couches in the waiting room. The couple sat across from us.

“It all started as a legend. A legend that turned real.” The man started. I shifted in my seat so I can sit more comfortably as I listen closely to this story.

The man continued.

“The mansion was built for a doctor. He was a surgeon to be exact. He and his wife were so loving; they were inseparable. One day, the doctor found out his loving wife had been cheating on him with his best friend. Furious, he picked up a knife and took her eyes out. ‘Now, you can never lay eyes on another man.’ He laughed maniacally and left her there to die. Now, it is said that the doctor haunts that mansion and he would cut out the eyes of any woman that ever steps foot in that mansion. No one that ever went inside ever came out alive.” I cracked up.

“Haha, bullshit. That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s true…” the woman said.

“Really? Prove it.” Daniel said.

The man continued with the story. I tried to stifle another laugh.

“Fifteen years ago, a young couple much like the two of you was driving in weather much like today’s. It was a stormy night and they were driving past this mansion, but it looked ominous to them so they continued driving and came to this same hotel. That was where they met the previous owners. Let’s call them Leia and Hans. They were an adventurous couple. They loved taking risks and they didn’t believe in the haunted house when the previous owner of this hotel first told it to them. They thought it was all just a sick joke, so they went in that mansion and decided to stay the night there.

At first, everything was going fine.

“This is nothing. I don’t understand why people are so scared… Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we go explore this ‘haunted’ house while we’re here? We can take some pictures.” Hans said.

“Sure... let’s go.” Leia replied.

The couple started to explore the mansion. Then at the stroke of midnight things started to get a little weird. All of a sudden, the lights that they turned on when going into the mansion started to flicker and soon the lights were out. They couldn’t see anything beyond their out-stretched arms. They heard footsteps behind them and the footsteps seemed to be gradually getting louder and louder. Hans turned around and before he could see who it was, someone or something hit his head with something hard and he was knocked out almost immediately. Leia screamed and started running down the stairs. She tried to get out of that mansion, only to find out that the door from which she and Hans came in from was locked from the outside.”

I stared at the couple in front of me in awe. They are good at making up stories. I am impressed.

“That’s it?” Daniel questioned.

“No, there’s more… Just pausing to let you two comprehend what I just said.” The man replied.

“We’re ready, please continue.” I said.

This time the woman spoke.

“So after Leia found out she was locked in, she started to panic. She searched frantically for an exit. Before she knew it, a blinding pain hit the back of her head and she fell unconscious. When she woke up again she found herself tied to a table. It was no ordinary table for it was a table where the surgeon performed his surgeries on his patients. She wiggled hoping to wiggle the ropes loose and get out. A shadow of a man hovered over her. Thinking it was Hans, she said “Honey, untie me. Some maniac tied me to this table.”

When the shadow did not reply, she started to feel uneasy. If he is not Hans, then who is he?

“Honey? Is that you? Please untie me… Please don’t scare me. You’re scaring me. Please stop. Honey?”

The shadow let out a maniacal laugh as he pulled out a sharp and shiny knife. Leia, upon seeing the knife, let out an earsplitting scream.”

The woman paused to take a drink of water. The man continued from where the woman paused.

“Downstairs Hans woke up to the maniacal laugh followed by Leia’s scream.

“Leia? Where are you baby?” He looked everywhere for her. He could still hear Leia’s scream and with each scream, she sounded like she’s in more and more pain. He followed her screams all the while screaming for her.

“LEIA! LEIA!” After what seemed like hours, he found the still screaming Leia tied to the table.

“Baby, it’s me. It’s me Hans.” He said. Leia began sobbing after hearing Hans’ voice. They could still hear the maniacal laugh coming from the house, but it sounded somehow distant to them now.” The man finished.

“So that is the end of the story. I’m sure you can imagine what happened with this couple.” The woman said after a few minutes of silence.

“Very interesting story you have there. I’m surprised you were able to describe all that at the top of your head.” Daniel laughed.

“I have a question for you two. Why do you always have sunglasses on even when you’re indoors and especially when it’s night out?” I asked the woman. She stared at me, and then turned to the man as if she was asking him silently whether she should tell me why.

Then it hit me. No it cannot be! No, it just cannot be! There is no way it is she! I thought.

“Wait… Don’t tell me, you’re…” I was not able to finish my sentence for she has turned back to Daniel and me. Daniel gasped and I screamed for she has taken off her sunglasses and she stared back at us with an eye that does not seem like an eye. Staring back at Daniel and me, were two holes where the eyes should have been if she had any.

 

 

Copyright © 2011 Steph Au
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"