Story Meeting my ghost

[ewigeruhe]

Part One

I walked down the narrow path between the forest and the river that night. I was alone and the only noise cutting through the silence were my boots touching the snow covered ground. As i passed the next turn i heard a faint "eewww" "eewww". Wrestled so suddenly out of my thoughts, i stared into the forest in the direction, i thought it was coming from. The big old fir trees were waning in the breeze and occasionally a glimmer of moonlight breaking through the clouds reflected by their snow covered leafs danced between them. There it was, a big owl stared direct into my eyes it had deep brown feathers with black outlines. Somehow i felt an eerie connection with this recluse creature as i was standing there. Then out of nowhere it moved up and flew away and i think i saw it catching a small field mouse for a moment but maybe it was just my imagination. After i had shaken the serene spell i was under that moment, i continued to move on. It was not far away now and the thought of the abandoned manor got me excited.
There it was the former home of the Douglas family. Build in the old fashion with heavy bricks and the masterfull skills of the artisans of that time. The old rusted gate creaked loudly as it was opened, as it must have been the first time in decades it was moved. The outer walls of the estate were covered in moss and ivy and the once lovely garden looked rather like a jungle covered in snow. As i made my way to the front door i imagined how beautiful it must have been here in the good old days when the estate had still been maintained.
The inside of the building was as derelict as the exterior. There were small pools of brakish water on the floor that were fed from a myriad of small openings in the wind and rain battered roof. The wall paper was slowly detaching itself from the walls as if driven by it's own intend to leave this world. What remained of the furniture left behind by it's owners was decayed to unrecognizable masses of wood and iron. I walked down the massive hallway leading to the dining room, occasionally there were still some battered protraits scattered about depicting the long dead family members that once lived here.

This will do nicely i thought to myself as i observed the granit hewn hearth at the end of the room. I put my rucksack on the floor, took a few of the branches i had gathered outside, a bit of old newspaper and began to start a fire. After two to three unsuccessfull attmepts it stayed lit and slowly started to radiate a welcoming warmth into the otherwise cold and wet surroundings. I saw a comfortable looking leather chair in the left corner, moved it next to the fire and sat down letting out a sigh of relief. I took the small package of goat cheese, bread and sausage out of my rucksack and began to eat. To wash it down i had brought a bottle of 12 year old scotch that had cost me the last of my money. After a while it felt almost like home. The tranquilitiy of silence only disturbed by the crackling of the still wet branches every now and then. As it approached two past midnight i took the rope out of my rucksack and searched the ceiling for a fitting beam that was not as rotten as to break and thwart my inted. When i had decided which one to take i tied the rope around it as strong as i could manage and moved an old bookshelf beneath it.

Suddenly i felt a cool breeze touching my face and froze unable to think. After what felt like an eternity i sat down in the chair again and wondered what the hell was that?
Since i am a rational being it must have been coming from a crack in the walls i concluded and stood up again. I climbed upon the bookshelf tied the noose around my neck and kicked it away. The rope tightend and i passed out.
I felt a warm sensation on my right eyelid then moving on to my nose and i opened my eyes. Damn i thought that can't be true as i saw the sun shining though one of the big windows into my face. I had made sure everything would be fastened good enough and when i looked to the beam i had used it was still there, intact but the rope. The rope!
It was laying loose next to me as if thrown down. I sat there for a moment puzzled as to what had happened.

To be continued...

 

[rationaltake]

This is great. Looking forward to the next bit.

 

[ewigeruhe]

Part Two

I got up slowly, my back hurt terrible and i felt light headed must've been concussion from my fall i thought. Next to me was a small puddle of dried blood and i began to search my head with my right hand. At the back i felt a small patch of crust were i've must have hit the ground. I stood up and stumbled to the window looking outside. The sun illuminated the snow in a radiant light that made the rundown garden almost seem idyllic. I decided to give it another try that night and since i had nothing else to do i wandered around the house for the remainder of the day. There were so many rooms and chambers, that i could spend even a week here and not see everything.
Next to the dining room was the library. The old bookshelfs were covered in dust and cobwebs. Only a handfull of books were still left. I studied the covers and found what looked like the family history. In there i came across the untimely death of Miriam (Miri) Douglas who drowned by accident in the winter of 1786 in the nearby lake only 15 years of age.
The family suffered greatly from the loss so much so that old grief stricken Mr. Douglas never recieved any visiotrs and forbid anyone to go to that acursed lake ever again. Not long after this the Estate fell more and more into disrepair and one wing after another was abandoned. I went on to the next floor, the staircase was tricky to walk on and i feard to fall through any moment. As i reached the last few steps a wooden panel gave way and i lunged forward only to have my hands wildly fumbling in the air. I felt my knees hitting the the wood then my face made contact. I wrestled myself free and thought well now that i hurt on my front the back isn't that bad anymore at least.

The first room on this floor was Miris it had been untouched since 100 years at least. Somehow it felt strange and there were little signs of decay here which was odd i thought. As i observed the room the mirror next to the closet picked my interest. I went there and looked up my bruises. That final adventure had been a truly painful one for me. Suddenly i felt a presence with me and a chill ran down my spine. As i looked up again there was a silhouette with me in the mirror.
I turned around but there was nobody with me in the room my face went pale and i began to tremble a bit.
Then i heard a faint whisper "don't be afraid Jonathan" and i became immediately calmer. Awkwardly i asked aloud "who are you?"
The answer was a quiet Miri.

To be continued...

 

[ewigeruhe]

I will continue this tomorrow btw i will get drunk now and ponder my exit strategy.
I hope you enjoy this story and love to all of you!

 

[ewigeruhe]

Part Three

Miri was watching the rat that lived in the attic for some time as she did every night. It was busy, gathering straw and scraps of fabrics that were laying around to improve it's nest in the corner of the room, under the worn down billard table that used to to be the focal point of so many evenings in the good old days. When she still had been alive. It was hard for her to recall these memories these days after such a long time, alone, not able to speak to anyone. Not like the first twenty years after her death when there were still people around or visitors from time to time that she could spook or vex for her amusement.
From the dormer she could see the round outlines of the fountain in the middle of the garden, where shadows played a game of catch on the snow when the pale moonlight broke through the moving clouds. There was a loud creaking sound all of a sudden that made her ethereal form tense. Was this the old gate? she thought.
With rediscovered energy she watched as a dark figure emerged on the snowy path leading to the main door of the mansion. As it came closer she could tell by the state of his old battered woolen mantle and the tattered hat that he must have been through a rough patch. When he was almost at the door he looked up at the roof trying to make out if there were any dangers it seemed. He had a strange aura around him and his expression was both excited and sad at the same time.
Miri decided to watch him a bit before she was going to play her game with him in that moment and followed him on his way to the grand dining room.

He seemed very calm and steady as he went about that night but there was this lingering sadness that never left him. As the hours passed she could sense something was off and it was confirmed when he took the rope and fastened it onto one of the massive wooden beams that lay across the room.
As he had finished his work she quickly flew through him in a gamble to see his reaction but nothing came out of it. She decided to trick him that night and sat waiting on the beam were the rope was tied and as he was struggling and then passed out she untied the rope and saw him fall onto the floor still unconcious poor fool she thought giggling.

To be continued...

 

[ewigeruhe]

Part Four

My heart was racing, i felt dizziness creeping up in me and pinched myself in the arm to see if i am really here right now, as if this was even necesarry with all the hurting spots on my body. I staggered backwards and sat down on the floor. Reluctantly still questioning my own sanity, i asked "a-are you.. a ghost?"
Miri let out a quiet laugh and proceeded with a cheeky "boo hoo" which made me laugh as well and calmed me down a bit. Outside it had begun to snow again and as the big snowflakes were slowly making their way to the ground the sun had began to set for my final night.
After i collected myself again i began explaining to her how i ended up here and why i wanted to leave this world all the while supressing my feelings of unease. As my whole life had been just a never ending cascade of failures and disappoinment brought on by my own apathy and incapability. She was listening intently which i was not used to at all, after the years of loneliness and solitude i had subjected myself to, but it felt good to tell someone, even though i couldn't really see her.

After some hours had passed i was relaxed and began to enjoy the company. It was then i gathered all my courage and asked her about the drowning.
As she expained, her family wanted her to marry a Barron that was a renowned brute but had great wealth. So the night before his proposal she slipped out of the estate, went to the lake, broke the ice with a stone and jumnped into the cold water. Since that night she was bound to spook around the estate until someone else takes her place. I felt myself trembling for a second and asked immediately without a shred of a doubt if i could not do that for her?
She hesitated, as it would surely be nice to finally rest but to subject me to that she wasn't sure but i insisted. So we made our way outside the gate.
The sky had cleared at that time for wihle now and the wonderful valley lay before us all white like a fresh tablecloth. Occasionally small game made it's way through the ankle deep snow on it's way to the woods.

The lake was surrounded by small hedges and at the opposite end was a big old pine tree. We made our way onto the ice, it seemed not very thick but it held my weight.
As we were approaching the middle of the lake, i felt more and more invigorated. Then she stopped about 2 meters before me, turned and said thank you.
In this moment the ice broke under my feet and i felt the water enveloping me like a bedsheet and when i opened my eyes again i could see my liveless body floating
under the icesheet.

And that's how i met my ghost.

The End.
Thank you all for reading and i hope you enjoyed it!

 

[rationaltake]

Thanks. I really enjoyed this. I like the winter setting and the atmospheric descriptions. It's also a different take on the usual ghost story. The ghost is friendly and the hero willingly takes her place.

 

[ewigeruhe]

Thanks. I really enjoyed this. I like the winter setting and the atmospheric descriptions. It's also a different take on the usual ghost story. The ghost is friendly and the hero willingly takes her place.

Thank you so much i don't really even know why i wrote it and how lol. And yes i am a contrarian
Although the last part i found not as good as the parts before but it was all i could manage.