Morning

Looking around the yellow kitchen she found nothing out of place. So, she headed from The light breakfast she had, had worn off and her stomach growled. She walked back into the yellow kitchen with its red cat clock and opened the refrigerator.

Danielle was shocked to see that the food inside was spoiled and quickly closed its door. She hadn’t remembered hearing it hum when she arrived. If she was going to be here for a few days she needed to get it fixed or replaced. Walking out of the kitchen she headed back upstairs to get her purse. She would make the drive down to the store to get items. Then she would place a call to Adrianna telling her that she had arrived in Brookfield.

Danielle spent most of the day getting reacquainted with Brookfield, she had just placed the trash outside for the night when she heard a sharp wrapping on the front door. She figured it had to be Adrianna and wondered why she hadn’t used the key. Earlier that day Danielle had made a copy and placed it on her key ring. Walking to the door she opened it to an impatient Adrianna.

“What the hell was taking you so long?”

“Hello to you to Adrianna, I was out back”

Danielle stepped aside as Adrianna brushed passed her and stormed down the hall.

“I was taking out the trash. The food in the refrigerator was rotten. Why didn’t you mention it didn’t work when you called yesterday?”

Adrianna came back to stare and look Danielle up and down from head to toe. She smirked before she answered.

“I turned it off”

“What in the world for?”

“Honestly Danielle, no one is here to eat any of the food.”

Danielle silently counted to three before she spoke again.

“Can I ask you, if arraignments have been made for momma?”

“No I told them you would come to see them today. Did you go?”

“Go where and to whom, how was I to know who you have been in contact with as there was no notice. I called you at two o’clock this afternoon.”

“Well I was at work and couldn’t take any calls. I left the information right here on the table, what did you do with it?”

“I’m telling you nothing was there.”

“Danielle, I know what I wrote I left it on the note pad that’s always there.”

Danielle looked at Adrianna and then at the empty table. She pointed at the table.

“It’s empty except for the flowers that I brought in from Jacob’s store.’

Adrianna turned and stared at the empty table. She snatched her purse from her shoulder and dug inside for her glasses. There she found the note she had written with momma’s information on it.

“Oh well, my mistake here it is.”

Danielle took the pad and read the information. She grabbed her cell phone and called the number on the pad. After a few rings, she spoke with a gravelly voiced man over the phone. She got the time of closure and assure him that she would be there in about ten minutes if he could wait for her. She looked at Adrianna who in turn gave her the I’m going with you look. True to her word Danielle had them at the Parlor in ten minutes. She had worked the terms and needed to see the policy that Mr. Percy said her grandmother had.

“Nadine had come in a few weeks ago, to inquire about a burial plot. I thought she was talking about someone else and not herself. I guess we get a feeling when it’s our time. I need the policy if she has one.”

Danielle looked at Adrianna who shrugged her shoulders. “I just arrived today and can I return with it tomorrow if there is one.”

“Sure, thing young lady, lets meet up at 3:00pm.”

“Thank you for your time Mr. Percy. My cousin and I are very grateful.”

Danielle drove Adrianna to her house as Adrianna refused to stay at momma’s.” no you can have the house I want no parts of it. I just want you to settle things and go.”

“Settle things” Danielle thought. Why did Adrianna acts as if she owed a debt? Pulling up at momma’s place Danielle saw Mrs. Carol run down the steps and across the lawn. She sat in the car looking at the front of the house. Although the house was dark she thought the porch light had a timer and that it should be on. Before getting out of the car she thought she saw the curtain in her room window move. Shaking her head as she realized that she had opened it and may have draped it hazardously on the latch and that’s why the curtain fell into place.

Locking her car Danielle approached the steps only to find a bouquet of black roses placed at the door. She looked around as she slowly took one step at a time as she reached the top and bent down to retrieve the flowers. Black roses who gives black roses. Tomorrow she would go next door to speak with Mrs. Carrol and inquire about the black roses. Using the key on her car key chain. Danielle opened the door just as the light for the porch clicked on. She needed to get that looked at. She had just placed her keys in the bowl when she heard the faint laughter of children. Turning her head to the side she tried to listen hard f or the repeat sound.

Must have been the wind blowing against the window sill, she thought as dropped her purse beside the bowl and walked towards the kitchen. Danielle stopped in the kitchen doorway and stared at the disarray of the kitchen. Every cabinet and draw was open and everything was tossed out of it.

Turning she backtracked through the house to the front door. How dare Mrs. Carrol destroy her grandmother’s kitchen in this fashion? Stomping down the stairs Danielle headed in the direction Mrs. Carol went. If she had to, she would knock on every door until she found her. Danielle stopped at the first house, opened the gate and entered the yard. She had taken three steps when a flashlight beam hit her in the face.

“Stop right there girlie!”

“I’m sorry I was looking for Mrs. Carol”

“What you want with her?”

“I want to know why she left those flowers on my grandmothers’ steps.”

“Flowers, you say,”

“Yes, and why she trashed the kitchen.”

“What color are the flowers?”

“They are black roses”

The light that was being pointed at her face slowly lowered to the ground. Danielle stood there trying to get the spots out of her eyes when she felt a firm grip on her arm.

“Let’s get inside out of earshot.”

“What?”

“Move your butte girl.”

Danielle stumble in the direction of the house and walked silently into the house. She was taken back as this house was identical to her grandmother’s. She looked around in silent question at the furnishings.

“Don’t remember it, do you?”

“No should I”

“Guess not have a seat.”

Danielle sat down on the rose-colored sofa and stared at the face before her. She almost jumped out of her seat as the woman sitting across from her eye pupils were white. Danielle blinked several times as she didn’t know what to do. She wanted to look anywhere but in those eyes and found that she couldn’t.

“Does my eyes frighten you?”

“Yes”

The laughter that escaped the old woman’s lips made a chill run down Danielle spine. Somewhere in the back of her mind she had heard that sound before. Again, Danielle heard children laughing.

“Yes, as always you answer truthfully, you were always scared of them. They see things you know.”

“See things?”

“Yes, they do now you said Carol left you black roses?”

“Yes, and I want to know why she messed up momma’s kitchen”

“Can’t be Carol she dead.”

Danielle stared at the scary eyed woman with her wrinkled brown skin before she rose and slowly backed out of the living room.

“Aint nowhere to run child, should have listened to Nadine and not return.” Her laughter rang in Danielle’s head. Danielle placed her hands over her ears as she headed for the door threw it open and r ran out into the night. She stumbled through the yard as she made her way to her grandmother’s house. Once inside the laughter increased in sound before blessed silence. Danielle stumbled down the brown wood paneled hall way and into the kitchen. Slowly she lowered her hands from her ears as everything in the kitchen was put back into place.

“What the hell?” she mouthed as she surveyed the kitchen. Closing her eyes tight she counted to eight and slowly opened one eye and then the other. Was someone trying to play a prank on her? When she first arrived, the kitchen was in disarray and now it was fixed. Becoming angry she stormed out of the kitchen calling out as she went from room to room

“Who is in here? You better come out now!” Danielle heard children laughter as she stopped by her grandmother bedroom door. The sound seemed a little louder as if they were just inside the door. Danielle gripped the door knob and turn. She found that the door knob would not turn it was locked.

“Open this door right now! Do you hear me? Open this door.”

Danielle heard the laughter again as she tried the knob and this time it turned. Slowly she pushed open the door reached in and clicked on the light. Stepping into the room she found that it was empty. She went over to the closet and yanked it open. Only momma clothes stood there she sifted through them to the back wall and found that the closet was empty. She heard laughter coming from under the bed and bent down to look under it. Pulling back the covers back she found no-one. Letting the cover fall back into place. Danielle stood and looked around the room taking in the patch work quilt covering momma’s bed. Before she went to walk out of the room. When suddenly the door slammed shut. The light beneath the weathered floral lamp shade flickered and then went out.

Danielle jumped and closed her eyes. She opened them after a fraction of a minute. Trying to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Squinting to see, she took a tentative baby step forward before halting at the edge of the bed. Or what she figured was the foot of the bed. She fought against the terror clawing at her throat commanding a reaction for her to scream. Swallowing several times, she took another step forward. It was at that moment the light flickered and then snapped back on. Instantly she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the instant flare of light. Slowly lowering her hand, she felt compelled to turn around. Again, the feeling of not being alone came over Danielle as she raced the short distance to the door. Grabbing the knob, she yanked on the door open and raced from the room, down the stairs. Grabbing her keys, she threw open the front door and raced out into the night to her car.

Danielle fumbled with the keys as she tried to get her car door open. She glanced once back at the house and saw a shadow pass by momma’s window before the light in the room went out. Inserting the key into its slot. Danielle opened the car door got in and locked herself inside. Squeezing her eyes shut she dared not to look at the house. Shaken from the experience, Danielle turned on the car and clicked the heat button. She tried to steady her shaking hands as she placed them before the car vents. She needed the heat circulating to help with her shaking body. Danielle hadn’t bothered to grab her cell phone or her purse. She wasn’t even sure if the door had a slam lock on it. She vowed not to step foot back in that house tonight.

Sometime during the night Danielle had fallen asleep and had not seen momma’s image float down the steps towards her car. Momma’s spiritual image stood next to the driver’s door before coming around to the passenger side of the door. The lock clicked open the door opened and she got in. her old brown aged hand rose slowly towards Danielle’s hand. Taking a locket, she had kept for Danielle. Momma wrapped it around Danielle wrist, before evading her dreams.

“Did you do as you were told?”

“Yes, momma I packed my suitcase.”

“Come over here I want you give you something.”

Danielle teenage frame walked over to momma and sat down. She felt herself tear up and heard momma give a sharp intake of breath.

“None of that I want you to wear this. It belonged to your mother and it only right that you have it.”

“Danielle looked down at the necklace that momma placed in her hand and smiled. Somewhere deep in the back of her mind a tiny spark or remembrance sparked. She took the necklace from momma and place it on her neck. She didn’t care that momma didn’t like any type of displayed of emotions. She hugged momma. At first, she felt momma pull back and then momma sighed and hugged her back. Momma set her from her and stared her intently in the eye.

“You are to leave tomorrow night Danielle. Don’t look over ever come back. When the time is right I will come to you. Don’t come back!”

Danielle was obedient to what momma had told her but now the urgency in momma’s voice scared her as well. She nodded through teary eyes before going to bed. Danielle dreamed of the graduation ceremony and how she felt as she boarded a bus right after. Not having the chance to say goodbye to any of her high school friends. Danielle dreams took another turn as she remembered that she could not find the necklace before she left. She found herself standing in the doorway of another room, she heard voices coming from the room and peered inside.

“She’s mine and I want her.”

“No Adelle, you can’t have her.”

“You said …”

“I know what I said.”

Many shiny things hung in the air and the reflections were sharp as light bounced off the candles that stood on the table. Danielle raised her hand against the glare. Hesitantly she wanted to turn from the doorway but found herself being pulled into the room. All Danielle could focus on was the eyes as they held her in their red eerie gaze. Danielle was jarred from her sleep by the impatient tapping on her window. Her eyes opened and closed quickly as she blocked out the sun streaming through the window. Rubbing at her face she unlocked the car door and got out.

“Why are you out here? I called last night to let you know that I needed you to pick me up and drop me to work.”

“Adrianna, I left my phone in momma’s house.”

“I can see that; didn’t you spend the night there?”

“No actually I didn’t.”

“Well I’m late I need you to drive me.”

“How did you get here?”

“What does it matter? I need you to drop me to work.”

Danielle stare at Adrianna before she sighed in concession. Unlocking the door on the passenger’s side she motioned with her head for Adrianna to get in.

“Where do you work Adrianna?”

“It’s down on Miller Lane.”

Danielle turned on ignition on and slowly pulled away from the house. She knew better than to speak to Adrianna about what she experienced last night. Her seeing momma had scared her. She knew something was not right with that house and she was going to find out no matter how scared she was. Danielle dropped Adrianna off and decided that she needed answers. She would go back to momma’s house and clean up first before getting down to business.

Danielle had pulled up in front of the house and sat in her car for ten minutes before she got up enough courage to get out and eventually go inside. Walking slowly up the small stairs she turned the knob on the front door and found that the door was locked. Closing her eyes, she remembered that the house had been fitted with a slam lock. Okay she thought as she walked around the edge of the porch to the back of the house. Walking across the yard she paid little attention to the upkeep of the yard. She approached the back door and reached slowly for the knob. Turning it opened with ease and Danielle went inside.

room to room on the ground floor of the house. Everything was in its place. Rubbing at her temple she figures that something had happened and that maybe she was wrong and that nothing happened in the house last night. Turning to the window she stared out into the morning. She was almost jumped out of her skin as a face appeared to float in the window frame. Danielle gasped as she backed slowly away. Her back met with the small refrigerator as she watched the floating face scowl at her and disappear. Danielle jumped as the phone on the wall shrill ringing brought motion to her limbs. She bolted from the kitchen and ran upstairs and into her old room. Danielle chest was heaving with fear and anxiety when the door to the room slammed shut. She jumps and back away as she heard her name being whispered.

“Danielle…Danielle.”

Danielle closed her eyes and shook her head, she would not give into fear. Momma raised her stronger than that. Taking a few calming breathes Danielle slowly opened her eyes in time to see a shadow move across the room. The chilly air that followed made her hunched her shoulders. She wasn’t sure what the reason why momma wanted her out of the house so badly. But Danielle knew she would find out. To many strange things were starting to happen. Throwing open her travel suitcase she pulled out an outfit and headed for the bathroom. A quick shower and then she would be out of the house until night fall. There had to be answers somewhere.

The hot spray of the water soothed her nerves as she washed away her fear. She would go into town and make the necessary arraignments for momma. Adrianna hadn’t mentioned anything about a will or insurance papers. Danielle knew momma had some but where would they be. Stepping from the shower, Danielle dressed quickly and took and extra deep breath for courage as she walked out of her room and headed towards Momma’s room. Again, she heard momma’s voice saying leave and never to return to this place. Danielle called out as she pushed open momma’s room door.

“momma? “

Danielle knew that she wasn’t going to get a response as she stepped across the threshold of the room. Momma’s room hadn’t changed that much either. It still held momma’s spicy smell. Danielle hesitantly stepped all the way into the room and looked around. The sunlight softened the hardness of the brown furniture that made up the bedpost, dresser and mirror. Going to the dresser she opened a drawer and found only clothes. Trying all the drawers she found no papers. Danielle turned to the closet at stared at the open door. Taking small steps, she reached the closet and stood staring at the clothing. The blue sweater momma wore they day she left hung on a hanger. Its menacing presence calling out to her like a beacon to sailors in the night. Danielle reached in and pulled it from the hanger. She held it in her arms and sniffed. Momma’s scent was buried into it and her eyes welled up with tears. Danielle stayed more than an hour in Momma’s room until she found what she was looking for. The papers had been under momma’s mattress. Danielle glanced through the papers and folded them neatly as she rose sighed one las t time and waked out of momma’s room.