The Lady in the Wind

The rustling trees tell of the coming fall. Their dried branches squeak and scream against one another with the wind whistling through. Beams of sunlight from the setting sun highlight the skeletal shadows of the shedding trees. The warm-colored leaves meander with the current to their final resting place below.

I shudder with a sudden feeling of unease. I'm unsure of what is making me nervous but certain that something is off.

I plunge my hands back into the warm water filling the sink basin in front of me. Emerging covered in suds, I tap the faucet nozzle to begin rinsing the soap and debris from the plate I've retrieved. The burst of water quickly refreshes the plate to its original glory. I set it gently onto the drying rack beside me.

I look back out the window to the noisy trees outside. Leaves continue to drop one by one from the soon-to-be barren branches. There's a sense of purpose from the wind as it moves through these aspens and out onto the water. The lake is beautiful this time of year. Small ripples accent the surface as the breeze continues its wandering path.

The feeling of uneasiness grips me again.

My hands plunge back into the slightly less warm water again to grab the drain plug. Only this time I'm met with a searing jolt of pain as my hand brushes against the steak knife that lay hidden below the sudsy waters.

"Ouch, what the hell," I think to myself.

The uneasiness worsens as I remove my hand from the water and see the gash streaking across my palm. The red wells from within it like the juices from the steak it cut earlier tonight, or like it emerged from the lake.

Or perhaps how she emerged from the lake. She certainly looked human, but not quite. Something was off. She had fiery red eyes, with hair to match.

I shake the thought from my head. After all, it had just been a dream. So what if I'd had the same dream three nights in a row and each time with more detail. I hadn't been down to the lake at night for weeks, and I always woke up safely in my bed.

I'm just spooking myself.

I finish rinsing the steak knife clean and set it aside allowing the cool water from the faucet to wash over my fresh wound. Fortunately, it's not very deep. The bleeding has slowed and nearly stopped as I pat my hands dry.

Retrieving the small first aid box from the pantry, I gently wrap the fresh wound in a loose bandage, and grab my whiskey from the counter. Inhaling the alcoholic scent deeply, I can feel the warmth from it stirring in my chest. It chases away the inklings of fear that were beginning to needle their way into my psyche. I take a deep drink and allow the soothing burning to inch its way down my throat.

I plop down on the couch and grab the book on the table beside me. It's a beautiful night, would be perfect to sit on the patio, but something tells me I should stay in.

A howling gust of wind punctuates this uneasy thought.

Another drink of whiskey and I settle into the chair to read.

We need to get out of here, the chapter begins.

She's coming back, I think I can hear her. The heroes scurry out of their hiding place in the basement and attempt to cross the house. The presence from which they run gets closer and closer.

They escape the basement and pass through the dining room towards the kitchen. Throughout their escape, the sound of footsteps behind them gets louder. They skitter around the corner into the kitchen to be met with the crimson eyes from which they were trying to escape.

Help me, help me, help me the creature states without speaking. The heroes can't take their eyes off of the disembodied red ones.

"Help me." I think I hear quietly.

"Help me, help me, help me," It gets louder and louder almost a scream. My heart begins racing and I turn to see a haunting pair of glowing red eyes.

The creature screams, pleading for help without seeming to speak. I'm shaking, my breath no longer coming in full inhales but in short, stuttered gasps. I don't know whether I should run, or even whether I can.

THUD

I'm jarred from sleep as my book slips from my lap and onto the ground.

"What the hell was that?" I shudder again. I have never fallen asleep this easily before. This dream is going to be the end of me. I walk over to the bathroom and splash water across my face.

The cold relief washes over me immediately. My terror evaporates bit by bit with each droplet of water leaving my face and falling to the sink. I watch them round the drain and drop into the darkness below.

"I really should replace these drain stoppers, they've been sitting next to the sink for months," I think to myself. I pat my face dry with the towel next to me and gaze at myself in the mirror. My brown hair is messy and frazzled, fitting with how I feel. Dark circles highlight my blue eyes against the backdrop of the bathroom behind me. I haven't bothered to shave in days and it shows. Tangles of hair accent my jaw.

I really need to get some sleep.

I wander back to the kitchen and glance out the window. The breeze has calmed and the trees finally sit still blanketed by the darkness. The surface of the lake is an undisturbed sheen reflecting beautifully the moon and the nearly naked trees around it. Turning away from the window, the clock in the microwave catches my eye.

It flashes 11:00.

I can't believe how late it is. I must have snoozed for a couple of hours. The nerves from my nightmare haven't fully worn off, but I plod to my bedroom to try to get some much-needed sleep.

I click the bedside light off scanning the darkness of the bedroom. Ensuring that I see no glistening red eyes, I can feel my own begin to close.

Help me

Almost a whisper, I startle from sleep. I glance around the room, the moonlight streaks through the windows painting shadows that I don't recognize. I'm alone.

Help me... Please

"Not a whisper, just muffled by the closed windows and walls."

"The voice is coming from outside," I say out loud more to try and prove that I'm not dreaming. I peer out the window and see the lake below. My house reflects back to me from the still serene surface. In fact, I can almost make myself out in the second-story window.

As I stare into the reflection below, I feel my heart plummet into my gut. It would be hard for me to mistake the red eyes shimmering in the window below mine.

Help me

Definitely much louder now, it's inside the house. I peel myself away from the window and grab the iron poker from next to the fireplace. I don't know what I'm up against, but I get the feeling that this isn't going to be enough. I peer from my bedroom door, my ears tingle as I listen for the next installment from the disembodied voice.

I can hear footsteps faintly echoing in the halls.

Crossing the hallway, I step onto the staircase eliciting a slow and sustained squeal from the burdened floorboard.

The footsteps stop.

Help me

She's so close now, my heart races against my ribcage as if trying to escape for itself. I quicken my pace, terrified, but resolute. I want this nightmare to be over.

At the base of the stairs, I break into a run, heading towards the kitchen where I last thought I heard her. I burst into the room to find it empty, the back door held slightly ajar. It squeaks on its hinges, another thing I've been meaning to fix, as the breeze gently enters the room.

Flinging the door open, I finally see her. Fiery red hair flows down the length of her back. She's slender and tall. She wears a flowing emerald gown that moves more than the wind suggests that it should.

"What do you want with me?" I shout to her.

It echoes across the lake.

I don't even realize it, but I'm still walking. My knuckles are white as I grasp tighter onto the poker that I've carried with me. With each step closer, I begin to realize how tall she actually is. She has to be at least a foot taller than I am, her flowing gown covers her feet.

My echoes fade.

HELP ME

The response nearly knocks me to my knees. It's so loud that it feels like the entire mountain responded to my question at once. I gasp for a breath as I look up towards the lake. Only this time I'm met with the blistering pair of red eyes. My heart feels like it's going to explode.

She turns and heads to the water's edge. I feel compelled to go with her, almost like my feet don't have a say in the matter.

I start shivering uncontrollably as we approach the edge. The lake, no longer a calm mirror, begins to roil and ripple as the wind whips through the valley again. All I can see in front of me is her red eyes.

My feet move me forward, no longer interested at all in what my brain has to say. Grass turns to sand and then into mud as the water begins to churn around me, chilling my bare feet. I'm so cold.

Ice fills my chest while I stagger further into the lake. The water surrounds my chest and neck. All that I can make out in front of me is the fiery rings of her eyes, terrifying beacons towards whatever destination awaits.

HELP ME

She bellows again. The water sits slightly below my eyes now, as I continue following her unable to turn away. She turns to look at me, her scarlet eyes driving terror into the essence of my being.

I see nothing... Nothing but red.

That is until she breaks into a grin. Her teeth are sharp, like spear points whittled out of bone. The water begins to fill my ears, drowning the sounds of the wind to a faint background hum.

Thank you, you've set me free.

I'm pulled underneath the surface.

Sunlight streams through the mostly naked branches above me. I glance around, coughing a little as I try to get my bearings. Propping myself to an elbow first, then to my feet I stumble dizzily back into the mud. The breeze snakes between my legs through what remains of my clothes.

My second attempt at standing is successful and I begin walking towards the house. I grab the poker on my way in. Funny, I don't remember seeing it fall. I gently push through the back door, still ajar from where I left it last night. In the kitchen, I stand solemnly. I'm not even sure what to believe at this point.

Did I dream it all?

I stumble to the bathroom and splash water onto my face. The chill is dull compared to the water of the lake. It runs along my face, dripping into the sink. I pat myself dry and gaze into the mirror. My fiery red hair, still wet from the lake, is in absolute disarray as I try to tidy it. I tuck it behind my shoulders.

I meet my own gaze in the mirror. The circles around my eyes are dark. They form a staunch contrast to the green glow in the center of each. It's going to take some getting used to. I can't help but smile as I realize that it worked.

Help me

I think I hear a faint whisper. The voice is deep and distant, an incorporeal male's voice.

I don't know what's next, but I know I need to get away from here.