Vic opened her eyes to see a wall of dirt all around her, and a rectangular opening up above. Through the opening, she could see the moon shining brightly. She jumped up out of a coffin and crawled out of the grave. Looking around she was in a cemetery. It was familiar. Tombstones dotted the landscape, broken up by mausoleums and statues of tortured angels, gnarled trees reaching for the sky. Nearby was a mausoleum she recognized and she walked to it. Dodging small headstones hidden by the long grass.
She could see the door was open when she got there. The lid was pulled aside, but instead of the staircase, she expected to see there was only a casket. She looked for the name on it. A plaque on the wall behind the tomb said “Virginia Charles.” She opened the casket, but it was empty. She heard rustling outside and turned to look. A dark figure in a top hat entered the doorway. It was the man she’d been following. Edward Charles.
He looked at her and then turned away, disappearing outside. Vic went after him. Outside she saw that he was already across the cemetery and heading up the path to the house. She ran after him, dodging the hidden tombstones. Wolves howled in the distance. She ran down the short gravel path to the house. It loomed menacingly above her. She hurried to the stone stairs and up to the large double doors. She opened them and went inside. The light was dim, despite all the chandeliers and wall sconces being lit. The inside of the house looked grotesque and twisted. The walls weren’t straight and things curved oddly. The ceiling to the great hall was gone and the night sky could be seen above. But it wasn’t any ordinary night sky. The moon was gigantic and cast a sickly, white light through swirling clouds. She looked up and saw Edward walking up the grand stairs. She crossed the room towards the stairs and she saw candelabras floating in the air, and behind them, she saw dark shapes flitting about. Up the stairs, she went after Edward. She stepped into the hall. It stretched in two directions, so far that she couldn’t see the ends. A door closed to her right. She hurried after. The wallpaper was peeling off in strips by itself and floating away in the air. Blood seeped from the plaster and streaked down the walls. The carpet was squishing under her feet and she looked down. The carpet was swollen with water, no, not water, blood! She lifted her feet and blood oozed out of the saturated carpet.
She opened the door Edward had entered and found a small bedroom with a woman lying on the bed crying. She wore a pink Victorian dress and sobbed. Vic went to her and touched her. She asked the woman if she was okay. The woman turned to look at her and found her eyes all red, red veins streaked away from her eyes. The woman scowled and came at her. Vic ran through a nearby door and found herself in the basement. She shut the door behind her, and the woman crashed into the door, causing it to thump. The basement hall was dimly lit, shadows coiled in the darkness. Footsteps echoed in the distance. Her breath came out in a cloud and she wrapped her arms around herself. She could hear noises behind every door. Noises she couldn’t quite make out. She thought she heard chains coming from one room, and a low moaning from another. She slowly walked down the hallway when she heard the door she came through break open. She quickly turned and the woman was right upon her. The woman''s red eyes and streaking veins, had a look of complete rage on her face, her hands bent and gnarled with her fingernails looking like claws. The woman pulled back to strike. Vic held her breath and covered her face with her arms.
When Vic came to, she found herself held by Michael. She was lying on the floor inside her room. He was calling her name. Megan stood in the doorway in her nightgown and robe, and she had her arms wrapped around herself.
“What happened?” Michael’s body was warm against hers.
“You were scratching and banging on the door.” He said. “I had to get the master key to unlock your door. I tried to wake you up, but when I reached for you, you threw your arms up and fell backward. I caught you on the way down.”
“Oh, Christ! I was trying to sleepwalk out of here.” Vic hurriedly removed herself from Michael’s embrace. She was so embarrassed, not just from waking them up and scaring them, but also from waking up in Michael’s arms with his wife watching. She stood. “I’m so embarrassed, I’m fine, I didn''t mean to worry you.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad you’re okay,” He looked at Megan. “We’re glad you’re okay.”
She walked over to Megan and put her hands on her shoulders. “I’m okay, It was just sleepwalking.” Megan nodded her head but didn’t say anything. Vic hugged her and Megan leaned into her hug. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
She stood back and Micheal walked over and put his arms around Megan. “Well, we’ll let you get some sleep now.” He turned and drew Megan away with him.
Vic closed her door and found long scratches on the back of it. She had been trying to claw her way through the door. She looked at her nails to find them chipped and broken. What was she going to have to do? Chain herself to the bed? She had to call her mom, see a doctor, or both. This was getting out of hand. She couldn’t sleep. She was wide awake now.
When she was young she didn’t sleepwalk this much. Rarely had she sleepwalked more than once or twice a week. Her sleepwalking came back hard. She’d sleepwalked three times in four days. Maybe if she could figure out those nightmares she would stop sleepwalking.
The first nightmare was the same as the one she had as a kid. She was always following this man in black through a labyrinth of hallways and rooms and the terrifying chase through the cemetery. She always woke before the beast got her. What did her school project have to do with anything? Why was she trying to catch that man, or was he leading her somewhere? Why was she following him through a maze of a house that now that she thought about it looked eerily similar to the one she was in right now? And why, when she finally got to see him he looked like Edward Charles? She was so confused. She should call a therapist in the morning and make an appointment. Maybe they can help her unravel it.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Now that the shock of what just happened had worn off she was feeling tired, but she was afraid to go to sleep. She didn’t want to go right back into that dream. She wanted to stop having these nightmares and stop sleepwalking. She grabbed a lap blanket with a cartoon printed on it, wrapped it around herself, and quietly padded into the hall in socks. She went down the creepy servants’ stairs to the main floor and into the library. Maybe reading something would help.
She turned on the desk lamp and sat in the chair behind the desk. The newspaper articles about the house and the Charles’ sat in a neat pile. Granted they weren’t the originals. Michael had them photocopied and the originals sent off to be preserved properly. The first article she grabbed was about the completion of the home.
The Grand House of Edward Charles, Alderman Finishes Completion
Edward Charles, lumber baron and sitting alderman for the city of Detroit. Philanthropist of the people, he undertook this endeavor four years ago to provide a stately home for his young wife. He began construction shortly after the tragic death of his fifteen-year-old son, who sadly died in a freak accident. Having been crushed to death by logs that had broken free of their ropes and rolled off the pile.
The Charles House as it’s being called has finished completion at a cost of $400,000 dollars. That makes it the most expensive house in Detroit, and also the largest, most grand house in Detroit. It boasts 12 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 20 fireplaces, 16 cut-glass chandeliers, A two-story skylit ballroom, and an abundance of intricately carved oak and mahogany wood craftsmanship. It also possesses a state-of-the-art mechanical system intricately integrated throughout the mansion, providing centralized heating, gas and electric lighting, plumbing, ventilation, security, and communication.
Vic pulled out another article about the social activities of Virginia Charles.
Socialite Virginia Charles to hold ball in the newly built Charles House.
Virginia Charles, wife of the great Edward Charles, lumber baron and sitting Alderman is to host a grand ball in their skylit ballroom on May the 20th, 1890. We’ve gotten a peak at the guest list and it includes all the who''s who in the City and surrounding areas. This will be a very swanky party, with no expense spared. It’s fair to say that many a partnership will be started at this party, and possibly many a miss will become a Mrs. We give our readers who will not be in attendance a peak behind the curtain because yours truly has received an invitation. I will not let you readers down.
Vic spotted a book on the desk. She hadn’t seen it before. She reached for it and picked it up. It was a faded pink. Opening it up and reading the first page it read, “The private diary of Virginia Charles.” Was this what Michael had wanted to show her earlier? This was huge! This contained the personal thoughts and writings of the woman who had lost everything that mattered most. She turned the page and began to read.
March 3rd, 1890
Today is the most wonderful day dear diary. Our house. The house that Edward built for us is complete. Oh, how it’s been so long that I’ve waited for this. I cannot wait to host parties. They will be grand affairs. We will have music and dancing, and serve the finest foods. The women will come wearing their best dresses. The young ones searching for a handsome husband of means. The men will come wearing their best suits. I absolutely cannot wait for moving day. Edward said that it was still a ways away. They have to move all the furniture in and hire the help. And the gardens still have yet to be planted. You can’t plant gardens in March, but soon.
April 3rd, 1890
Soon we will be moving into the house. I can’t believe it. I thought that it would never be finished. It took 4 years, $400,000 dollars, and 28 tons of lumber to complete it. Edward said it’s a modern marvel. It has all the bells and whistles of a modern house. I know my sister must be Jealous, but I know Georgia is happy for me.
May 10th, 1890
Today is moving day. All my trunks are packed and all I’m waiting for now is the carriage that will take me to the house. I had to write down my thoughts for fear I’d burst if I didn''t. It’s been quite some time since I’ve been given a tour. Edward said that it is much too dangerous for a lady to be wandering through a construction site. I have not seen the inside of the house in months. I’m bursting with joy and excitement. The carriage will be here at one o’clock sharp. The servants tried to get me to eat, but I couldn’t eat a thing. Maybe by supper time. But I think not even then. I told my maid this morning not to tighten my corset too tightly. I’m afraid I will pass out if my corset is too tight. I should put this diary away and make sure that I’m not missing anything. I would hate to leave anything behind.
May 10th, 1890
I cannot believe my good fortune. Edward has proven to be the most wonderful husband. He was in such a good mood today. I don’t think I''ve ever seen him this happy. At least not since his first son died in an accident. His first wife Clara died in childbirth, the poor woman. I saw a picture of her once and she was beautiful. It was very sad that she had died, but I gained from her misfortune. It does make me feel bad, but only a little. I never knew the woman. Edward’s son Matthew was raised by nannies until he decided to marry again. I met him at the New Year''s Eve ball in 1884, We were married within months and I took over caring for Matthew. He didn’t need much looking after. He was nearly grown. A lad of fifteen he was. His father had started him working at the mill. Two years later he died when a load of lumber came loose and crushed him to death. Edward was inconsolable no matter what I tried. He decided to build the grandest house in all of Detroit and started work on it right away. I rarely saw him the first year after Matthew’s death. I mourned for the boy and the loss of my husband, but slowly he came around again. He threw himself into constructing this house. He wanted a home for his family. He lost his only son, but he had a young wife at home, me, and we wanted children together. We’ve tried to have children unsuccessfully until now. I’m going to have our first child together in our new home. In our home.
She made it a few pages before she leaned over the desk and fell asleep