The Letter

I don't know who you are , and I don’t think we will be ever able to meet each other , but I need to tell my story and this is the only way I have to do it.

My name is Solomon, I was 21 years old when I move to this small city in which the college where I have decided to study was located, I was very exciting when I arrived here and the first thing that I did was look for a place where to live, so I dedicated to go around this picturesque city and ask for information, while walking around I ran into an old gypsy:

"would you like to know your fortune young man?"- She asked

I answered no , but the old woman keep insisted until I agree; she took my right hand and look at it like trying to find something , her face that  at the beginning had showed a smile suddenly turn serious , she stare my hand  like she has seen or read something bad. she look at me:

" listen young man, listen to me carefully, go back home, desist of your plan of stay here, or at least move to another city away from here ... a tragic fate await for you...it's written in your hand lines... but you're on time to avoid it, leave now this place, keep your soul away from the eternal doom, get back to where you come from"

while saying that the old woman was staring at me... I can remember her eyes, that brown eyes that begged me to leave ha place...I should have listened... but I didn’t and I regret it now at the bottom of my soul.

I pulled my hands out of hers ,gave her some money, and then I walked as fast as I could away from her ... I heard her screaming at me from behind:

"get back ,young man, get away from that doomed fate!"

I continue walking until I couldn't hear her anymore...Doomed fate , who could believe to an old gypsy?, that kind of person are knowing for fool the people with theirs tricks ... I realize now that I was young and stupid, ... sometime it's good to listen to what  elders have to said, they are the voice of the experience and they are full fit of that wise that only the time can give.

After the incident with the old woman, I continue with my search. I was told by a merchant about a guest house located in a quiet place, surround by the nature at the outsides of the city when I heard that description I thought it was perfect... what can be more appropriated than the silence of the loneliness of the countryside for study in peace. I thanked to the man for the information ,but after leaving the place  where we were , I noticed that  the people around   look at me in a strange way , like scared of something , special the elders ,they speak softly to each other’s... I can hear theirs mutters right now ... this was my second mistake... I should have  investigated why they reacted in that way ... sometime it is better to know the story behind an attitude, maybe you could understand it...

"What weird people live here" I thought and l head to the outside of the city, in the road i found a funeral procession walking in the same direction as me ,so I walked behind them , all of them were in black and all were sobbing , the last woman in the procession eventually turned to look at me, then she look again the road they were follow and then she  turned to look at me again , she made it several time  of the way until  we  arrived  to a point in which the road divided in two paths , the path at my right  was the one  that I had follow , the funeral procession followed straight away  ,  " young man , excuse me"  called a voice that made me stopped , I turned  to see who was the one that had spoken, it's was the woman who  had been looking at me  all the way to here.

"You shouldn't go to that place, turn back, don’t go there ... not all the ones who go there come back again or return to their homes …get away this place, get away.” She said an she continue her way following the funeral procession.

I observed them going, but a noise made me look at other place, in front of me in the other side of the road was a black horse, staring at me with his dark sad eyes that cause me a strange feeling but I ignore it an continue my way, this way my third mistake, I didn’t get the advices and signals that where given to me, sometime is good to make a stop in our journey and look around for the signal and advice that are given to us.

I can remember the first time I saw her deep dark eyes, her nostalgic smile, her short black hair, her pale skin; the first time I Meet the house owner: Lady Parnassós, and I also can remember the first time I heard her voice saying that words that changed my destiny , after I had signed the rent contract:

“this is a contract between you, the signatory and I, no third ones beside us can participate in it, two rules I asked to be obey: The first, nobody, except of you with which I have make the contract, can get in or stay in the house without my permission, because I considered they strange and strange are not allowed in this house. The second and the most important one, this contract can’t be broken before the agreed time, it have to be complete in it totality, broken the contract will have consequences. And that is all, so now on I´m your host and you are my guest”

I have signed a contract with the devils without know it, and my curse started. I had two week free before the class start, I spent my first seven days visiting the city at mornings. I used to walked around it crowded street, some people look at me with mercifully eyes, like if they were looking at a condemned going to his execution, I tried to not pay attention to this, even though it was uncomfortable there is something that made me curious, even now a day, I never ran into the old gypsy again, I would like had seen her one more time maybe she would explain me better of  what she was talking about the last time we meet, but that never happen and I learn that some advice are only come once in a life and it depend of you if you want to listened it.

In some corner of the city, I heard an old myth about a haunted house, not everyone that went there come back again and the few ones who had returned were kind of mad, but myth are myth, I thought, inventions of the people … naïve of me … not all the myth are completely false some of them have a part of truth.

At evening I returned to the guest house, and then after a cup of tea and a little chat with lady Parnassós, I went to explore the house… this big mansion is a wonderful of the antique architecture, I have to accepted that this place has a mysterious charm that involved you, but for sure, the most interesting thing about this place is the great collection of paintings that covered all the walls , one interested thing it that all the painting have people within it, they are really detailed painting , made with a very delicate technique , they look likes alive , their eyes are so realistic that you can feel that they can look at you and follow each  one of your step ,but of all of them was a particular one that called my attention more than the others, the title of the painting was “The white Lady “ at the canvas you could observe a graveyard illuminated by the light of the full moon and a blond hair woman in white standing under a big tree that was in the middle of the graveyard , the woman look like to glow, but what called all my attention was her face , she had big green eyes that showed a deepest sadness and were full of tears , the drops that were sliding down her cheeks looked so real almost like you can touch it, that painting caused me a deep feeling of despair and sadness, suddenly the voice of lady Parnassós took me back to the reality, when I asked her about the paintings she said that all of them had been painting by her; Lady Parnassós is like this ,she appears of nowhere , she move like a shadow through  the house, you don’t even noticed her presence unless she wants to be noticed, I used to meet her for the food time and for the evening tea when we had small chats, talk with her was easy , she know a little bit of everything , sometimes I had the impression that I was talking with someone older than the age she appeared to have, but the rest of the day I rarely look at her,… she spent the rest of the time in her studio ,after all she is a dedicated artist .. she is always painting ... Lady Parnassós is as mystery and charming as this house, and she is as doomed as I’m…

Was that night, the night of the seventh day when everything change, that night I couldn’t sleep, the time passed, and when the wall clock gives the 1:00 am, I decide to get out of the bed and do something to keep my mind busy, I walked to the window , in all the time I had of been here I have never look the landscape hide behind that curtains, I opened the window ,this night  there was a pretty full moon at the sky , so all was illuminated  and the lands cape that I saw was of a graveyard and in a middle of it there were a big tree , in that moment I the winds blow and I heard a sound like od someone crying louder that make me felt a deep despair, and for a moment I had the impression of had seen someone in white clothes standing under the tree, and I immediately remember the white lady painting , at first  I thought it was because of the lack of sleep and the impression that the painting has caused on me , but  the cry was getting louder and louder and my hearts started to beat faster, I looked down and I saw that in the stone of the edge of the window there where written like if someone has scratched it with it nails in that hard surface, the words “ Help me” a shiver ran through my body I looked up again and in front of me there was that pale face with that big sad green eyes full of tears stared at me , I screamed of terror , and after that everything black out  and I don’t remember anything more.

The next morning when I wake up I was at my bed , I sit at the edge of my bed ,feeling a little bit confused, I thought that everything had been a nightmare, but  when I opened the window… the graveyard and the tree were there … I looked down and in the hard stone surface of the eyes of the window there was written that words “ Help me “…

I got out of my room, and went downstairs, the breakfast was served in the dining room but Lady Parnassós wasn’t there… I couldn’t eat, my mind was a mess because of was happened last night, everything should had an explanation and that moment the only want that could give me it was lady Parnassós… some mysteries shouldn’t be resolve… is better that they keep like mysteries…

I knew that lady Parnassós studio were somewhere upstairs of that big house, so I decide go and looked for it, while walking through the halls, I realized something, although this place was a guest house, I haven’t seen any other person beside the both of us, a noise made me stop and get into a room that had the door opened, it was an old room, in one corner there was someone sitting in an antique rocking chair that was balancing slowly.

“never dare to break the contract …or she will take your soul as she took ours … don’t try to run you cannot ” sang a ´child’s voice ,… and he was right you can’t escape from her… the  person sitting in the chair just fade out… I thought I was going mad or that I still trapped in a nightmare … the grunge walls of the room was full of letters , that was the only room in where there wasn’t any painting … “ she paint your life , she paint your death  and she take your soul” read a phrase on the wall , I ran out that place completely invaded by the panic … I could heard steps followed me , the cry of last night and the child voice  behind me while a was running , the hall seemed endless… finally I could refugee in the room at the end of the hall… I locked the door, suddenly everything went quiet ,no one was following me anymore , but a strange feeling was oppressing my chest… when I looked around the room  I found out that I was at Parnassós studio , the place was full of canvas , brushes and paintings.

I focus all my attention in a serie of painting that were supporting by easels standing in a line in front on me , I approached to look them  closer, the first canvas showed a young man arriving to a city , the second one showed the same young ma talking with an old gypsy who was reading his hand , the old woman look worried, the third one showed that young man talking with a merchant , the people around they look at him scared, the fourth one was about the young man followed a funeral procession… the young man of the painting was me , all was there , the woman in black that talked at me, the black horse, the tea time in the evenings, the lady in white at the window, the room of the rocking chair , the hall, and … there was a painting of me looking at the canvas ,and behind near the door was someone , I turned back … Lady Parnassós was standing there , looking at me , by this time a wasn’t interesting in ask for an explanation anymore , the only thing I wanted was leave that place: I told her that I wanted to go ,but she remind me that I have a contract with her … I said that didn’t care to me I just wanted go out of there in that moment ,she  sigh and then she showed me some papers she was holding in her hands

“there is your contract “ she said

I took it and went out the room

“Remember that you accepted my rules and broke the contract before the agreed time had consequences, keep that in mind “she added, but I didn’t care it, I just wanted be out of that haunted place, I didn’t even take care of my luggage the only thing that I was care about was on going away that place, I went out the house and I tear the contract in pieces… that was my fourth and last mistake … After it I cannot turn back anymore.. I learned that sometime broke a promise or a responsibility you have taken has terrible consequences.

I don’t remember how much time I walked, but no matter which path or direction I took, I always end in the same place: I still returning to the guest home , it was like I walked in circle ,started at in a point and ended in that same point …

65 years have passed since that day , I’m 86 years old right now, and I still prisoner  in Parnassós’s house, I have memorized the name of every single painting that is hanged in the walls I know every halls and rooms of this house like the palm of my hand, I listened that louder cry every nights ,and all the evening , I took the tea with her , we talked sometime, is the only thing I can do … the time has passed through me and I have aging , but she still the same… I don’t know what in the world she is, and honestly I don’t want to know …

I write this letter with the hope that someone besides her, could ever read it, and run away that fate or at least be aware of what happened in that house, and finish the contract safe, and that be able to go out here and spread the word about that cursed place…

So that was my story, I’m so tired, and I fear that by tomorrow morning Parnassós will be hanging a new painting in the wall: mine … but I hope that the death set me free of that curse.
Wishing the best luck for the new guests, says goodbye