-1Spirit of revenge
By
Earlynda L. Riley
Caulayn was a happy girl of sixteen. She had long blonde, curly hair and olive skin. Everyone said she was the prettiest girl in town. She lived in a large house with her mother and father, who owned several successful businesses. She had everything a girl could want. But there was a problem, a very big problem. You see, Caulayn was not as intelligent as her parents wished she were. She couldn't do math, read beyond a second grade level, or even write a full sentence. The only things she could do well was singing, dancing, and pretending.
One day, her mother and father called a tutor for her to at least learn basic math, reading, and writing skills. Caulayn waited in her room for the tutor. In her mind, hours passed by. She started to pretend she was a singer on a grand stage, singing her heart out while the crowed clapped and cheered. Her dream was interrupted when the tutor and her parents entered the room and found her standing on a stool using her brush as a microphone. Her parents were so embarrassed, that they asked the tutor to come back another time.
Later that night, Caulayn was punished by having to wash the floor in the kitchen. She didn't seem at all sad though. She made a game out of her work. She would dance every ten tiles, sing every fifteen, and march like a soldier every twenty. When her parents came to check on her progress, they only saw her dancing with the mop.
"What do you think you're doing Caulayn? You're supposed to be mopping the floor! Not dancing with the mop!" yelled her father.
"I am cleaning the floor daddy. The mop is still on the floor. See?" said Caulayn pointing to the mop.
Her mother and father saw no way of reasoning with her, and sent her to her room without supper.
The next day, the tutor had come back to teach Caulayn. After thirty minutes, the tutor left yelling that the child was un-teachable. Caulayn's parents went to see what had happened. When they opened the door to the study, they saw Caulayn drawing pictures on the blackboard instead of finishing her math problems.
"That's the last straw!" her mother screeched. "You've never been firm enough with her! Never even raised you hand to her! If you're not going to discipline her then I will!" and with that, she grabbed Caulayn by the arm and dragged her out the kitchen and to the basement.
"You're going to stay here until the sun comes up tomorrow!" yelled her mother as she locked Caulayn in the cold and dark basement.
"Good night mommy!" Caulayn said waving to her mother as she slammed the door shut. She didn't really understand why she was down there, but it didn't make any difference to her. She had always wondered what was in the basement. She looked around and saw boxes on top of boxes on top of even more boxes. She walked over to a lone box in a corner and looked at it. It looked very much like an old rusted treasure chest.
"I wonder if there's any pirate gold in it!" Caulayn thought to herself as she looked for a way to open the chest. She saw a hammer lying on a bench on the other side of the room. She ran over and took it, then brought it back to the chest. She raised it in the air and brought it down in the lock as hard as she could. Only a loud clanking noise filled the room while the chest remained closed. Caulayn hit it again and again, until she could barely hold her arms up. She was so tired that she fell asleep beside the chest and used the hammer for a pillow.
"Why have you been sent here?" asked a soft woman's voice.
Caulayn opened her eyes and looked around, but saw nothing. Only darkness and dust accompanied her.
"Over here." Said the voice again.
Caulayn turned around and saw a purple light coming from the cracks of the chest.
"Are you playing hide and go seek in there?" asked Caulayn as she got up.
"No. I've been locked in here for a long time."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to make people laugh instead of marrying a rich prince."
"Awe. I'm sorry. But you can still make people laugh even when you're married." Caulayn said in a cheery tone.
"It wouldn't have been allowed. But none of that matters now. Why have you been sent to this place?"
"My mommy brought me here after she saw me dancing with the mop. I guess she thought I needed a break from dancing and mopping."
"For dancing your mother sent you here?" asked the voice in shock and anger.
"Yep." said Caulayn still in a cheery mood.
"Go back to sleep. You need your rest." The voice faded and the light went away, leaving Caulayn alone in the dark.
"Good night box." she said lying back down and going to sleep.
The next day her mother dragged her out of the basement and locked her in her room the whole day. Everyday Caulayn was locked in her room unless she was eating, or her parents were going out. Caulayn always enjoyed being locked in her room though. She was able to pretend as much as she wanted, without being disturbed by her parents yelling at her. The only thing she didn't like about it was that she never got to talk to her friend that was trapped in the chest.
Four months had passed since Caulayn had been locked in the basement. She had forgotten all about her friend in the chest, and was no longer being locked in her room during the day. Caulayn was playing out in the garden when she heard her father announce,
"Today is the mayor's birthday. The three of us have been invited to attend the annual ball that is thrown in his favor." He said holding the invitation in the air.
"That's wonderful news! But what are we going to do with Caulayn? We can't take her to the ball." Her mother whispered to her father.
"Caulayn has been acting like a proper lady these past four months. I think we can take her to the ball." And with that, her father left to prepare himself.
Caulayn was forced into a pink and green ruffle dress that night with modest heel shoes, and pink gloves. Her mother wore a beautiful red dress with pearl earrings and necklace. Her father was dressed in a tuxedo, complete with top hat. After her and her parents got in the car, she began to daydream she was on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. When they arrived at a glorious white mansion, Caulayn couldn't help but pretend she was in a fairytale. She imagined the mansion as a medieval castle, and that she was a princess. She pretend the town had been tricked by a witch to go to the castle so she could cast a spell on everyone and steal their money. Her parents dragged the day dreaming girl inside and sat her down at a table and left here there while they went to talk to their friends.
"I have to escape! But there are guards everywhere…" Caulayn thought to herself, as she remained her own dream world. She got up from her chair and began to wonder around the room. She was able to slip past people easily unnoticed as her fantasy played out. She made her way up a flight of stairs, and onto the second floor. She looked down from the balcony, and saw everyone bellow chatting and waiting for the arrival of the mayor.
"Those poor unsuspecting people! The witch will trap them here for all eternity!" Caulayn thought to herself. At that moment, the mayor came down the steps with his lovely wife on his arm.
"There she is!" Caulayn shouted. The mayor, his wife, and all the guests looked up at the balcony to see Caulayn pointing at the mayor's wife. Her parents looked up in horror, and hurried towards the stairs to stop her from doing anything that would damage their reputation. Before they could reach her, she grabbed a hold of a banner tied to the railing, and swung down at the mayor's wife. She let go, and fell on the mayor, who knocked his wife over the stair railing and into a small decorative pool of water on the side.
"Out! Out of my house!" yelled the mayor as he pushed Caulayn off of him.
"I have defeated the witch! You are now safe citizens!" said Caulayn standing proudly. Her parents each grabbed one of her arms and dragged her out of the mansion mortified. Nobody spoke a word on the way home except Caulayn, who was still proud of her triumph over the mayor's wife.
As they entered the house, her parents still remained silent. Only when her father closed the door behind them, did her mother begin to yell at her.
"How could you embarrass us like that? Because of you, your father will be the laughing stock at his companies!" she screeched.
"But…but I saved the people from the witch." Caulayn said in a low, timid tone.
"Get out of your pretend world and start living in the real one!" her mother yelled as she slapped Caulayn across the face. Her head jerked to the side, and her hair flung in the air. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Caulayn held her cheek where her mother struck her. A tear came out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. It dropped between the floorboards, into the basement, and hit the wooden chest's lock.
"You didn't need to hit her!" her father said to her mother.
"It's been a long time coming. She needed to be hit years ago." Her mother stated crossing her arms. Caulayn just stood there, no expression on her face. It was the first time since she was born she didn't have a smile on her face. Her mother grabbed her arm and dragged her to the basement. She left her in the middle of the room
"You'll stay down here for the rest of the week!" her mother yelled as she slammed the door. Caulayn still stood there. Tears fell down her face uncontrollably even though she didn't make a sound.
"Come here Caulayn, come sit by me." said the soft voice from the chest. Caulayn walked over to the chest and sat down. She laid her head on the chest, still weeping. With every drop that fell on the chest, it began to repair itself.
"Don't worry Caulayn, we'll never be hit again." Whispered the voice.
A week passed, and her parents never came for her. Another week passed and still no one came to get her. Caulayn still remained in the dark and cold basement weeping over the chest. It was now Christmas and snowing. Over a year had passed, and her parents had forgotten her. They were even planning on having another child. Caulayn's body had changed dramatically. Her hair was now stained black from age; her skin was as white as paper, and a black line came out from under each eye, showing her path of tears.
"It's time for us to take our revenge. Our parents have forgotten us, left us to rot in the basement. They are even planning another child." Whispered the voice to Caulayn. It was no longer soft, but raspy like an old woman's. The chest opened itself, and out came the purple light. It surrounded Caulayn and engulfed her body.
"This is the perfect time of year to start a family. Everything's so beautiful and white. We can have a fall baby." Said Caulayn's mother to her father. He didn't respond. He just sat in his chair by the fireplace, thinking intensely about something.
"Fine. While you think, I'm going to go finish getting the present." She said leaving her husband alone by the fireplace. He sat there staring into the fire, trying to remember something he had forgotten long ago.
"Daddy! Daddy look what I found!" said a small child's voice.
"Caulayn? Is that you?" he said standing up and turning around to where the voice was coming from. When he saw what was calling him, he yelled out in horror. A low roar was the last thing he heard as a purple light surrounded him.
"Honey! Honey come see what I've gotten you!" yelled Caulayn's father.
"Coming!" Caulayn's mother yelled in a giddy tone. "He's always so thoughtful!" she giggled to herself as she ran into the living room.
"Where are you dear?" she called out to him.
"I'm in the basement. Come see honey." He called out for her again. She giggled and hurried to the basement. When she reached the door, she found that it as already partly open.
"Are you down there dear?" she called out.
"Yes. Hurry honey, you don't want me to put it up for next year." He said from the darkness of the basement. She giggled as she made her way down the steps of the basement. She looked around in the darkness for her husband and a light, but found neither.
"Dear come out please. I can't see a thing." She said in a more frustrated tone than before.
"I'm right here mother." Said a mixture of Caulayn's voice, and the voice from the chest.
Caulayn's mother turned around and screamed loudly at what greeted her. Caulayn stood before her dressed in a black and white jester outfit. She had a double bell, split color hat on, collar, shirt, and skirt. She wore horizontal black and white striped socks, and curl towed shoes. Her face was emotionless, and her eyes had turned completely black.
"What took you so long mother? I've been waiting here for so long." She said walking towards her. Every few steps she took, a projection of Caulayn would show to the left side, or a projection of another girl dressed in the same outfit would show to the right.
"Stay away from me!" yelled Caulayn's mother as she backed herself into a corner.
"Aren't you happy to see me mother? I've been waiting so long to see and father again. Why didn't you come for me?"
"Please don't hurt me!" she cried.
"I won't hurt you. You're just going to stay here with me. Forever and ever and ever." Said Caulayn as the purple light surrounded her mother to.
Past her father's petrified body, still sitting in the chair by the fire, and past the kitchen, you will find the basement door. Past the door, down the stairs, and past the petrified body of her mother, you will find a wooden chest. Beside the wooden chest you will find the skeleton of Caulayn, still dressed in the pink and green ruffle dress. Her only crime in life was being sixteen, and wanting to remain a little girl. If you look inside the chest, you will find the name 'Kalania' engraved on the wooden lid, and the skeleton of another young girl, dressed in a black and white jester outfit. Her only crime in life was wanting to make people happy and laugh. If you listen closely in the garden, you will hear Caulayn laughing. If you listen closely in the living room, you will hear Kalania telling jokes to her parent's guests.
Caulayn is now able to play in the garden all day, everyday. Kalania now walks through the town at night, looking for children that have been mistreated by their parents in one way or another. If you go into you're basement at night, and look around hard enough, you'll see the chest she is trapped in. If you cry hard enough, you'll see her spirit and hear, "Why are you crying? Why are you here?".