The Third Floor Bedroom
"It had all started when someone left the window open for a whole month," the realtor said. "Someone would buy this apartment, then, on the last day of the month, they'd be determined to get rid of it. We never know why. I will warn you, strange things have been reported happening here."
"That's okay," Belinda's mom said. "We'll buy this place, clean it up a bit."
Two weeks and three days later, on the 16th of October, ten year old Belinda and her, now jobless, single mom, moved into the little apartment on the third floor of a rickety old building off Castlefrank Road.
It was an odd little place. The whole apartment only had one window, the one in Belinda's room. The living room was painted yellow and beige. The kitchen was painted purple and every counter top was different, one ceramic, one marble, one stone.
Oddest of all was Belinda's new room, the one with may rumors floating about. With it's single window, the walls were all painted forest green, with sudden grey streaks here and there. Dotted along the walls were little white doves. The room was rather off setting, but Belinda loved it.
That night, after getting all her school things ready, Belinda went to bed in her odd new room. As she lay in bed, she counted the little birds on her walls. There were eleven. Those little white dove like birds turned into splotches, then disappeared with the rest of the world as Belinda fell into the quiet world of the sleeping.
The next morning, Belinda woke up early, excited to start her late school year. She wasn't one bit nervous. She knew she'd make new friends, and her school grades never worried her.
Walking to school, Belinda saw her reflection in one of the storefront window displays. Her dark brown curls and pale skin were complete contrasts to each other. Her eyes highlighted her inner energy. One was green, one was blue.
The colourful leaves from the trees fluttered down around her like dancing butterflies in the wind.
At school, no one talked to her. When she walked by in the hall, she heard whispers of "... lives in The Third Floor Bedroom." Belinda realized that they are talking about the third floor bedroom with a capital "T."
That evening, she came home in tears. There were already rumors spreading that she was a witch with tapetum eyes. She refused to speak to her concerned mom.
As she lay in bed with her window curtains open, she gazed at the crescent moon. It looked like a little boat. As she stared at it, she wished that she had a friend at school. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flash of white. Then, as her eyes fluttered closed, she counted the birds again. Ten. Weren't there eleven before? She'd recount in the morning. But, for now, she drifted into sleep…
At school the next day, she saw a red haired boy who hadn't been at school yesterday. He walked over to her and smiled, introducing himself as Kenneth.
Kenneth was the first student to talk to her, let alone smile at her.
Kenneth and Belinda became great friends.
When she got home, she remembered to recount the birds. Ten. Where did the eleventh go?
That night, under the light of the moon, she wished that her mom would get her a new ipod.
There.
She saw a dove fly out the window, toward the moon.
It looked just like the ones on her walls. Suddenly, Belinda whirled around, counting the birds on her walls rapidly. Nine. Belinda was starting to develop a theory.
The next evening, Belinda's mom gave her a surprise gift. It was a brand new ipod touch!
Before bed, she tested her theory. Closing the blinds so that the moon didn't shine on the room and the birds in it, she wished that her mom would make spaghetti for dinner the next day. Then, opening the blinds, went back to bed.
The next day, she got no spaghetti for dinner. When she recounted how many birds there were, she realized that no bird had left.
Belinda learned two things. Firstly, that the birds were a countdown and every bird carried her wish out. Second, that she had to be under the moonlight for her wishes to be carried out.
She decided to call the birds her "Moon doves."
Belinda continued making wishes under the bright moon.
When she made her second last wish, things started turning on her. Her past wishes started coming undone.
Kenneth moved to the other side of the country.
Her ipod broke for no reason.
Her new, really nice gym teacher retired at only 48.
It couldn't be a coincidence.
Belinda's life dropped back to the dark hole she had managed to wish her way out of. Belinda became lonely, lost in her own world.
One night, in her sad existence, Belinda couldn't take it. She used her last wish.
Watching the last Moon dove fly away, she whispered to the moon, "let this darkness leave me. Let me be in peace forever. Let me float in joy and never swim in tears again."
The next morning, Belinda was nowhere. But truly, she was everywhere. All the Moon doves had returned to the wall, and one more. The new bird had never been there before, making there now 12 in total.
If you looked close enough, the new bird had one eye that was blue, the other green. They were the same as Belinda's tapetum eyes.
Belinda's spirit would remain here forever. Carrying wishes to the moon. Flying on joy and peace.
For today was October 31st, the last day of the month.
The End