Gothic Story

The porch of the house sagged against the weight of rain and fallen leaves, its support beams rotting and twisted. Rusty nails just barely stitched the dilapidated porch to the building.  A crooked hand-painted sign read "Bed and Breakfast".  Looking to be in much better shape, the handsome brick building itself towered against the scenery.  A large window faced the frothy sea, with a rusted lantern hung just outside, swaying slightly despite the lack of a breeze.  Kathryn stepped out of her car, and her heels crunched on the gravel as she made her way to the door.  The rotted wood under her feet groaned in protest as she ascended the steps.  Clutching her purse at her side, Kathryn knocked timidly on the faded green door.  Almost instantly, the door swung open and an elderly woman introduced herself as Edith.  

Edith held a soup ladle and a faded washcloth in her hand.  Despite the warm weather, she wore a heavy knit sweater and a long gray skirt.  Her eyes looked tired, but she stood tall and smiled eagerly.  She pulled Kathryn through the door and took her to tour the house.  

They entered through the kitchen, which was dimly lit, with outdated appliances lining the walls.  The soup Edith was cooking smelled much like the salty sea air, but with hints of spices.  Edith led Kathryn to the dining room, which was elaborate, yet antique.  Shelves lined the walls, filled with fragile porcelain tea sets.  A thin layer of dust covered the higher shelves, and Kathryn assumed Edith was either too short or frail to reach them.  A steep staircase led to the second floor, where Edith's bedroom was located, and then they climbed slowly to the third, the fourth, and finally, fifth floor.  Gasping in the stifling heat, Kathryn watched Edith in awe as she bustled around.  Swinging open the door, Edith announced that it was to be Kathryn's room during her stay.  Kathryn nodded and looked around.  A large, ornate bed was pushed into the corner.  The carved oak bedposts supported a black bed curtain that would surround the bed if pulled taut.  On top of the pillow was an old doll.  Its hair was missing in patches, and the fabric was worn out and colorless.  Kathryn turned away when she caught Edith looking at it adoringly.  What caught Kathryn’s attention most of all, though, was the window.  It faced out toward the water.  The leaded glass panes were framed with beautifully carved wood that curved up towards the center.  Sitting in front of it, was a handsome, matching oak desk.  An ancient typewriter sat on the corner, with a stack of blank paper and pens.  Kathryn walked over and set her purse on the desk.  She turned to thank Edith for the beautiful view, but Edith had slipped out silently while her back was turned. 

Kathryn joined Edith for dinner once her belongings had been unloaded from the car and transferred into the dresser upstairs. Edith welcomed her with a bowl of steaming soup and fresh-baked bread.  They sat in silence for a while, while Kathryn ate, then Edith spoke up.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are doing in a small town like this?" Edith glanced up at Kathryn, who looked down at her hands and blushed.

"Just getting away, mostly," Kathryn responded quietly.  Her face turned an even darker shade of red, due to the long pause that followed.  She looked up to see Edith watching her intently.  "My mother wanted me to stay, but I just needed to leave home," Kathryn watched Edith.  "It's a long story…" Kathryn blurted into the uncomfortable silence.

"Of course," Edith stared at Kathryn, and then returned again to eating her soup.

Later that night, Kathryn sat at the large desk, and scribbled out a short letter to her mother, then scratched it out.  Frustrated, she leaned back and looked out the window.  The sky was a deep violet, with stormy gray clouds dotting the horizon.  Her eyes followed the panes of glass, and she admired the woodwork surrounding it.  The iron lantern swayed ever so slightly.  Yearning for the breeze that swung the lantern, Kathryn unlatched the rusted hinges and swung the window open.  The familiar salty smell wafted into the room, and the night seemed to come in with it.  The room darkened and Kathryn shivered, even though the breeze was warm.  

"What are you doing?" Kathryn spun around to see Edith standing in the doorway.  She had replaced her long skirt and sweater with a frilly white wool nightgown.  It fell to her ankles, buttoned up to her chin, with yellowed lacy ruffles around the wrists.  Her wispy dark gray hair, which had been perfectly combed during the day, was standing in all directions.  Her lips were pursed in a strange sort of grimace.  One side of her mouth sagged into a frown and the other was curled slightly into a strained smile.  

"Well, I was just opening the window for some fresh air.  I didn't think it would be a problem," Kathryn said.  Edith's bizarre appearance surprised her, but Edith didn't seem to hear her.  She hobbled over and stood next to Kathryn and gazed out the window.

"Yes, of course.  The lantern does need to be lit.  So their boat can find us," Edith mumbled.  She fumbled through a desk drawer and retrieved some matches.  After several attempts, Edith lit the lantern hanging outside the window.  She then shuffled away, towards the chair where Kathryn had carelessly tossed the old doll.  Edith placed it carefully back on the pillow, and walked out.  Kathryn remained standing, staring, at the lantern glowing in the darkness.

"Good morning, dear!" Edith smiled as Kathryn entered the kitchen.  "I hope you slept well," she added, despite the gray circles under her eyes.  Kathryn sat herself down at the small island table and ate a few bites of oatmeal while Edith watched. “So what do you plan to do while you’re here?”

“I was thinking I would just stay for a few days, until I get things worked out, decide what I’m going to do,” Kathryn replied.

“I’m a mother, you know.  Maybe I could help you,” Edith suggested, searching Kathryn’s eyes.  Kathryn sighed and rested her chin on her hands.

“She just thinks I’m still a child.  I want to live on my own, and get married.  She thinks she needs me to live at home with her, and take care of her,” Kathryn pursed her lips, surprised by her sudden outburst.  Edith’s expression was emotionless. She appeared sullen, detached.

“Maybe she does need you, Mary,” Edith replied, her voice low.

“It’s Kathryn,” Kathryn reminded her.  Edith’s head twitched, her eyes glazed over.

“What’s that?”

“My name, it’s Kathryn.  You called me Mary,” Kathryn shifted in the uncomfortable silence that followed.  Edith turned to the sink, and began to rinse out Kathryn’s breakfast dishes.

“Did I?” Edith replied icily.

Kathryn spent the day walking along the shoreline.  A storm brewed over the sea, and waves crashed on the rocks, dampening her clothes.  Kathryn waded in knee-deep, and felt the sand shift under her bare feet as the waves rolled back out.  Nearing night time, Kathryn headed back to the house.  Thunder rumbled threateningly overhead, and large raindrops plopped into the sand.  By the time she reached the house, Edith was already shutting the windows and lighting candles.  Kathryn attempted to avoid her and walked up to her bedroom.  Edith, however, came upstairs in a matter of minutes.  “I’m sorry if I seemed short with you this morning”, she said, sitting next to Kathryn near the window.

“Who is Mary?” Kathryn couldn’t seem to contain her curiosity.

Edith sighed and turned her face away from the window, and looked at Kathryn. “She is my daughter.  She left, sailing, with a man she met while travelling.  I begged her not to go, I wanted her to stay.  She would not,” Edith’s face hardened.  She looked at Kathryn in the eyes.  “I needed her,” Kathryn felt offended, mocked, by Edith’s story.  “Some nights I light the lantern, in hope that she will see it and it will guide her home to me,” Edith said.

“Maybe she doesn’t want to come home,” Kathryn suggested coldly.  Edith stood abruptly, and walked out of the room.  The wind whistled and rain pelted the window.  The lantern was glowing outside.  Kathryn walked back and forth in her room, angry with herself and Edith.  She regretted telling Edith about her mother, and why she left home.  She decided she would pack up, and leave the next morning, to stay with her brother.

After packing and getting ready for bed, Kathryn sat at the desk and looked out the window.  It was too dark to see the horizon, but every once and a while, the lantern’s reflection glinted off of the waves.  Kathryn whipped around as she heard the door creak open.  Edith stood there in her nightgown, her eyes smoldering.  “Where are you going?” Her voice cracked, she sounded like she was on the verge of hysteria.

“I’m going to leave tomorrow, I’ll pay you for the full weekend, but I just need to go,” Kathryn avoided eye contact.  She played with the hem of her shirt, and glanced around the room.  Thunder cracked and the lights flickered.  Edith walked into the room and approached Kathryn.

“You can’t do this to me, Mary, not again,” her voice was high pitched.  Kathryn backed away as Edith reached for her.  “Please don’t make me force you to stay,” Edith warned.  Kathryn backed against the desk, and Edith pulled from behind her a faded rope.

“I’m not Mary! I’m not your daughter!” Kathryn cried.  Panicking, she lifted herself onto the desk and pressed herself against the window.  Edith grabbed her wrist, and pulled her violently down.

“You’re going to hurt yourself!” Edith cried. “You will not leave!” Kathryn struggled free of the old woman’s grasp and sprinted for the door.  She felt Edith’s nails claw her back, but she burst through the door and down the stairs.  Kathryn heard Edith wailing upstairs for her to stay.  The howling calmed as Kathryn descended the steps, and ceased as she reached the door. Kathryn hesitated for a moment, curious.  She then ran outside to her car.  As she was getting in, she looked towards the window.  The rain pelted her eyes, making it difficult to see.  As she realized what she saw, Kathryn choked out a moan of surprise.  Edith banged her fists on the window until it broke open.  The glass shattered against her curled fists, and spattered her nightgown with blood.  She let out a bloodcurdling scream.  In her rage, she stumbled, and began to fall through the window frame.  Edith wildly thrashed about, trying to grab onto something to save her.  She fell in slow motion before Kathryn, and landed on the sandy gravel with a sickening crunch.  The old doll, faded and soaked in the rain, was clutched in Edith’s hand.  Kathryn swayed, sunk to her knees, and screamed into the night.