AN: Inspiration struck after a Halloween photoshoot
From the shadow of my library, I watched the young woman. She had made herself comfortable, her feet tucked neatly underneath her as she became engrossed in the book I had been reading. It was a pose I was sure her mother would not approve of, for being 'unlady-like', but also one that tugged at my heart, such as I still had left. It had been a favourite pose of my darling Mariana, when she was still alive. I took the thought and laid it carefully with all the other thoughts and memories of my late wife, buried deep within. I had lost my mind over her death once, I was not keen to repeat the experience.
That was one of the reasons I had started these annual balls. They were a way for me to honour her memory without losing myself in the grief for the rest of the year.
I could not remember exactly how the Bell family had come to my attention. Perhaps an associate had mentioned them at some point. I saw no reason not to invite them, and so I did. They would be welcome guests at other balls for the forseeable future. I was well aware of the status of the Redwood Ball attendees. Other than that, I had given the family little thought.
That had changed this evening. Although I rarely showed myself in public, even at my own social event, I liked to watch for part of the evening, imagining Mariana in the middle of the dancefloor, laughing up at me. Perhaps that was why the eldest Bell daughter had drawn my attention. She could be seen dancing as soon as the music started. She did not laugh up at me, of course, and her hair was red rather than black, but their way of acting was similar enough. Even from where I stood hidden, I could feel the life filling her.
Under normal circumstances that would have been the end of it – just a girl who reminded me of my wife a little, but otherwise little to do with me. When I'd had my fill of watching the dance, I retreated to my library, as I usually did. But then something new happened – something I had not seen since I started these balls. Elizabeth Bell had gone exploring, and she had found my sanctuary.
I had heard the doors open, and her voice calling out. I retreated into the shadows, wrapping them around myself. I wanted to see what she would do if she thought herself alone. I did not expect her to make herself quite so much at home. As I watched her, memories of Mariana swam closer to the surface. How often had my wife been sitting there, book in hand? Sometimes leaning against me, but also often with her bare feet resting on my legs, or curled up in a corner of the couch like the Bell daughter now.
I do not know what alerted her to my presence. Perhaps I had made a sound, or she felt the danger lurking in the shadows. I had no wish to hurt her, but I could not help being who I am, and the simple fact is I am dangerous. Some people were sensitive to that sort aura, and it was not something I could turn off at will. Danger was danger, even if it stayed contained.
Whatever it was, she obviously noticed something. One moment she was engrossed in the book, the next she was uncurling from her position on the couch and standing up, peering into the shadows.
"Is someone there?" she asked, tugging a strand of bright red hair that had come undone behind one ear. She could not see me, of course. One of the perks of being me – if I do not wish to be seen, she could be looking right at me and still not see me, not if there were any shadows nearby, which there were in abundance in the library. Still, it might be time to reveal myself. Releasing the shadows so they could glide off me, I prowled closer. "Hello, my dear."