o my family and to my best friend
`
Our story begins in the year 1654, in a place very far away from where we are now. A place full of untamed magic and legends. Legends that come to life only when people believe in them. But this one, this one was very much dead. There was a town located at the edge of Dark Wood, an angry forest filled with dreadful creatures of the night. Wolfs, bears, spiders, and things whose souls no longer connected to the people as they once did. No, this legend is different from all others, about a classical story of a haunted mansion.
This little town was called Blackwood, the streets were gray, the town itself held no color. Or the warmth of the sun, just the dark shadows of old and crumbling buildings. No flower that boomed lived very long, it was dark and depressing. In a town like this you would expect dark and depressing people as well. All wore the only color that ever traveled to Blackwood, the color black. All the people’s faces and skin were pale, tired circles lay around all their eyes. But one….
A youth around the age of 18, her skin a slight pale color. Pink lightly brushed her cheeks, her lips pink and thin. She always wore a long black dress with a bow in the back of her hair tying her long raven hair. Her eyes were as blue as the as the snow that fell in the winter. They glowed through the colorless scenes of Blackwood. Her name was Anna.
Her mother was the only one who came out from the small town to live with Anna’s father. Anna was claimed as her mother’s growing legacy of beauty. Which each passing year, the features of womanhood surfaced. Anna lived with her father, Marcus, and her grandmother, Eva. Eva had lived in the village her whole life; she was the oldest woman in the village. She lived longer than the normal person is expected, 80 years. Every Sunday, the day everybody locked their doors. In fear when the tainted animals came and stalked whoever was roaming in the night. And every Sunday, Anna listened to the story of Eva’s life.
“Up top that hill, the one just a few miles from Blackwood. The one in which no has been to in years, the haunted mansion. Blackwood Manor,” Grandmother Eva then rambled off about how beautiful manor once looked, how this town was the most beautiful in the entire world. The people were happy and the sun shone every day. Eva then told the story of when she was invited to the manor herself. “I was indeed, when I stepped into those doors. Magic seemed to float carelessly in the air, I had been invited there to meet the young man of the house. Whose father wished him to marry a woman from the town. Although, I promise you I was thee most beautiful at the ball. In till one women showed up.” Eva made a grunting gesture whenever she spoke her name. “Marry Beth, that’s what her dreadful name was. She was a witch I tell you, I’ve tried convincing everybody that she was. But one believed me. That night of the ball he chooses her to become his bride. Now mind you this, Marry Beth was in fact a witch! She put him under some devilish spell, an unholy deed. I then went home, all of my dreaming for the most handsome suitor waned.
“Days later on the night of the wedding he invited everyone in the town. When I went to the manor, that’s when it happened. I was in the ballroom where the vowels were to be spoken, his father. Ask me to fetch the young master to see what was taking him his sweet time. The young master, oh dear, there goes my memory again…” Anna sat waiting for Eva to remember whatever she had to see. “Oh yes, Victor, that what his name was. Yes, well Victor’s room was in the tallest tower, in the West Wing. I climbed the stairs to fetch him, and then when I got to the door I stopped. There was talking on the other side, I looked through to the keyhole to see what was going on. Then I saw them, Marry Beth and Victor. He looked just handsome in a groom’s outfit; he was man of 20 at that time I believe. Anyway, then the talking turned to shouting. They were yelling at each other about something, but I can’t remember what it was about. But then he turned his back to pick up something, it was a gold ring. He turned around and then it happened. She stabbed him!” Eva always made a stabbing motion with a fake dagger through her chest.
“And then, he fell backwards, and onto the bed. I was frightened, and then I ran down the tower and back into the ballroom. I screamed what happened, I was losing my head. The father ran to his boy to see if it was true. He ran with him to show what I had seen was true. When we got to the tower, Marry Beth was gone, poof! And only Victor lay on the bed, his eyes shut, he lay perfectly. Like a body in a coffin already, his father went to pull the dagger from him. But, the second he touched the handle, it burnt his hand! No one could touch him, so his father had no choice but to leave his son there.” Eva made a sad face before continuing. “His father soon wasted away in the manor, no longer working, and living. He soon died, and manor fell in shambles. And there Victor stayed unchanged by time, Victor’s father still tired though. He went mad, trying to convince the ladies of Blackwood to pull the dagger from Victor.
“That Victor was still alive, only one could pull the dagger from Victor. And restore to land, to bring Victor back. That he would marry which ever women who could pull it, and that he must by the terms of the curse. Some tired but failed, other’s feared to be cursed. And that has how the sun never shines in Blackwood anymore. And that was 50 years ago; nobody has seen Victor’s body since Victor’s father passed.” Eva after finishing her story, soon always fell asleep. Anna had heard the stories many times.
Some times she wished to go to Blackwood Manor, and see what has become of Victor Blackwood.
Anna sat at the table enjoying dinner with Grandmother Eva and her father. There was something she desperately wanted to ask her father. Anna placed her fork on the table, then built up her courage and asked. “Father, I was wondered; tonight is the All Hallows Eve party. And many of my friends are going. I was wonder if I could as well?” Anna squirmed in her seat waiting for her father’s answer. Eva was placing some soup in her mouth when she said.
“I say you let her go, it’s about time the girl gotten out of the house for once. And go hunting for suitors.” Marcus, was about to protest with Eva, Marcus was a quiet man, not much to talk with. “I don’t know, you’re still so young Anna,” He turned saying to Anna, the Eva slammed her fist on the table. “No Anna is going Marcus, I know your always saying ‘don’t get in my business when it comes to raising my child’ But fact of the matter is Anna is 18 a full grown adult, Anna you didn’t even have to ask. And her
beauty isn’t going to last forever, I will promise you that. May as well find a suitor in her prime while she still has full working, birthing hips.” Anna didn’t like it when Eva mentioned how birthing Anna’s hips looked. But Eva had a point, Anna didn’t need Marcus’ permission for things anymore.
“Fine…” Marcus said, then groaned as he got from the table. It took quite a toll on Marcus, to learn that his little girl wasn’t so little anymore. Marcus has always dreaded Anna’s eighteenth birthday. Anna got up at the same time and hugged Marcus, and then she said she loved him and quickly went up stairs.
She opened her bedroom door, then she jumped slightly up and down. Anna’s crush was going to be there tonight; she couldn’t help but feel the butterflies flutter in her stomach. As she went through her doors looking for her costume.
After giddy girl jumping and silent screaming into her pillow, she finally found her costume. Anna pulled it on over her corset; it was a silver threaded dress, with fake diamonds stitched onto the dress. Anna sat at her desk for the remaining time, getting her long raven hair to curl. But to no avail, she then took the top half of her hair. Tying it with her black bow, and braiding the strands of hair that flowed behind.
Anna then placed on black makeup for her mask, with was silver and black, and quite simple. Painting her lips a bright red, she was ready to leave. As s
he observed herself, she noticed how beautiful she really was, her curves finally fit with the dress. Wearing long black gloves, and thigh high boots under her dress. She placed on her mother’s necklace, it was a silver locket. When you opened it, it was a picture of her mother and father. It was a choky necklace so it didn’t fall down her corset. As Anna checked herself for the last time. She heard a small tap on the window; she walked to the window and opened. It was Garret, Anna’s crush, her best friend, Isbell, and a few of her minor friends.
“Are you coming?” Isbell asked, Anna shook her head and said. “Yes! I’ll be down in a minute!” With that she shut and latched the window shut, then ran down stairs. As she did she passed Marcus and Eva. Eva caught her by the arm and said. “Well hold on a second and let us get a look at you. Twirl around for me.” Anna smiled and turned around, Eva gasped and said. “Oh, you look just like your dear mother, so beautiful; I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding a groom tonight. Isn’t that right Marcus?” Eva asked looking at Marcus, Marcus grumbled then said. “You look very beautiful Anna, go and have fun, but not too much fun.” That was the last thing he said before Anna made her way out the door. “Bye!” She waved back then joined her friends.
Isbell and Anna hugged, as a group of girls surrounded Anna and talked non-stop of how beautiful Anna looked. Then Garret turned to her, Anna felt herself blush, she curtseyed and he bowed. “Shall we go?” He asked, holding the carriage door for her. She stepped inside saying thank you, then the next thing she knew…
She was dancing to violas and drums and flutes, as they played their exciting tunes. Anna jigged and reeled with many men that night. She never lost her footing, dancing crazily around the village tavern, loosing herself.
Skipping and laughter took place within the drunken men’s shouts. Garret had pulled Anna away from the crowd; Anna took a small sip from wine as Garret spoke.
“Listen after this were going to Blackwood Manor! You want to come?” Garret asked in a high whisper, Anna almost spit her wine out. “Yes! "But, why?” Anna asked, Garret then said. “You’ll see when we get there.” Anna couldn’t refuse, Garret was going to be there, she liked the feeling of breaking some rules, and she would finally see what had become of Victor Blackwood.
Only four of the friends, including, Anna, Garret, Isbell, and Erik. Erik who was a new member who was founded by Isbell. Only two got in the carriage as Erik and Garret drove. Anna and Isbell talked excitingly about their night. Isbell explained how she found Erik alone, asked him to dance. Then she was golden, they danced through each song together. Anna a little dazed from the one glass of wine, felt herself go nauseated. As the street went from cobblestone to dirt road. Pretty soon it began to rain, and thunder took place of the night sounds.
After what felt like hours to Anna, was only fifty minutes for everyone else. They stopped in front of a big iron gate. The gates looked as if they had been beaten into many times. Dead veins of plants grew around the gates for so long. They had closed the gates shut, Anna and Isbell looked through the window in the carriage as Garret and Erik. Made efforts in breaking the plants loose from the gate to force it to open. They opened the carriage with umbrellas, Anna stepped out careful to not getting mud on her dress or shoes. By now the road was once again worn cobblestone. She walked with Garret through the gate, and threw the walk way.
Then the grey manor came into view, Eva was right even in this state of