The Old Woman

                         



The Old Woman





         Raven haired curls clung to her damp brow and contrasted sharply against the white pillows of the bed that matched the pallor of her skin.  Tammy felt small in her bed trembling and alone.  Her Grandmother had tucked her in hours earlier but now teeth clenched; her enormous brown eyes sought the darkness for a noise she detected.

        Her bedroom door creaked  open. In the darkness a hooded white figure hovered in an abyss as dark and deep as the sea.  Icy cold fingers of fear paralyzed her, beads of sweat trickled down her face. 

         The apparition began a slow gyration in her direction. Tammy was mesmerized and pushed  into the corner on her bed away from her pursuer .   

        A long skeletal arm reached towards Tammy from the belled sleeve of her cloak, her heart skipped a beat.  She strained to see the face of the figure that glided nearer.  A bony finger from the extended hand drew so close, so very close.  She could the face now.  None... Only shadows.. of the eyes.. and the nose.. and the mouth...

         The sharp fingernail grazed her throat; she closed her eyes and screamed. 

        Terrified screams wakened Sue from a deep sleep.  The bedroom door stood open and her granddaughter, Tammy had pushed herself into the corner on her bed. She thrashed about like a wounded animal.

        Sue ran into the room long red hair in disarray. Her gown billowed behind her.

        “Tammy. Honey.  It’s just a bad dream.”

        She tried to comfort the child but she thrashed and beat at her wildly.

        As Sue watched Tammy's eyes they follwed something she saw in the dark and she suddenly glanced over her shoulder and then back to Tammy. She could swear Tammy watched someone move through the room behind them and continue towards the closet.

         “She’s right there!  See her!”  Tammy pointed into the darkness behind her Grandmother. "

         It was as if the old woman sucked the child into the darkness with her. 

         Sue turned quickly around and let out a sigh of relief.  “There’s no one here, Tammy. It was just nightmare.”

         “She’s gone into the closet. Look in the closet!"           

         “There is no one in the closet, Tammy, I'll show you.”

         Tammy, cried out, “NOO!!! Don't open it!  She is in the closet!  I know it.  She hides in the dark.” 

         “It'll be alright you'll see.”  Her Grandmother hesitated before opening the door.  The child almost made her believe there was someone or something in the closet.  The door opened. Tammy stared hard into the darkness of the closet and looked at Sue.  Sue turned on the light inside the closet with a trembling hand.  "See all clear." Then turned out the light and closed the closet back.  She felt foolish but even at her age she still closed her own closet at night.  She had never liked an open closet in the dark.

         Her grandmother went back to the bed and said. “See it was just a bad dream."  She wiped her damp brow and felt to see if she had a fever then got some clean pajamas from the dresser.  “Would you like to sleep with me tonight?  You've had quite a scare."

        "Can I?"  She threw her arms around her Grandmother's neck.

         "Tammy you're trembling."  Tammy grabbed her face and looked into her eyes. 

        "Grandma? You are you, aren't you?"

        "What do you mean, sweetheart? Of course I am."  She hugged her as  she her picked her up.

        "I just wondered if you're going away too or maybe you're not really..."  Her Grandmother interrupted.

        "No, Tammy I am not going away. Don't you worry about that."  In her room Sue, eased her in the bed and Tammy entwined her fingers in her long red hair. 

        "Your hair is so pretty Grandma can I brush it?" 

        "Tell you what sweetheart it's late. Why don't I brush yours and lie with you for a bit till you fall asleep."  She kissed her Granddaughter on the forehead and got a brush. 

         "Ok maybe tomorrow then."  And she  yawned.  "You'll stay with me so she doesn't come back?"

         "Yes."  Sue brushed her hair gently and Tammy began to relax and sleepily mumbled sleepily.  "Do you think mommy will ever come home?"

         "I hope so Tammy I know you miss her."

         "What happened to her Grandma? Why wouldn't she talk to anyone?"  Just then a cold chill went through the room and Tammy shivered.

         Sue felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up then chastised herself.  She started to stand and felt Tammy grab her.  "I'm putting the brush up and turning the light out.  I'm not leaving sweetie." She turned out the light then lay down. Tammy snuggled by her and Sue felt a tug at her heart.  Once again she felt that cold chill sweep across the room and it was the middle of summer. She looked over her shoulder before drifting into sleep.

   

                                                                  *************************





          It came upon Frieda the night after she had visited Sue.  A heaviness, a darkness, she could not explain.  Thoughts from the past, whisperings, telling her she needed, she wanted what she had not touched in years.  Her dreams were shadows and voices she could not understand but they made her cold and afraid.  Sometimes from the corner of her eye, she thought she saw movement in the dark corners of her house. She chastised herself that she was being foolish. She replayed it over and over again. Sue had called her that day.

         "Hello."

         "Hi, Frieda it's Sue."

         “How are you, Sue?”

         “Not so good could you come by.”

         Frieda felt the cold and heaviness from the moment she arrived.  It hit her like a sledgehammer.  Tension at times could be infectious so she shrugged it off. 

         “Tell me what’s going on Sue”

         “It’s Tammy I’m worried. Tammy had this nightmare….”

         “All kids have nightmares Sue.”

         “Yeah but before I could calmed her down, she had me scared.  She was convinced she saw the old woman from the dream in her room.”

         "Didn't you ever have a dream that seemed real to you I have. Said Frieda. And shivered.  Frieda looked towards Tammy's room.  "Who is she talking to?"

         "Her rabbit.  His name is Harvey.  She has had him for some time and she is particularly attached to him since her Mother's illness.

         "Grandma, did you open the closet?  It was closed last night." 

        "No, sweetie I didn't open it.  Tammy Miss Frieda is here."

        "Why is it open?  I didn't open it and if you didn't open it, 'She must have opened it'!"

        "Tammy I must not have closed the door tight last night. That's all.and it drifted open."

        "I don't think so."

         "Tammy are you going to speak to our company?"

         "Oh, I'm sorry. Hello Miss Freida."

        "Hello, Tammy."

          Tammy went back to her room but she wasn't convinced no matter what her Grandmother said.  She was greeted by Harvey her 3 foot rabbit.  She poked him with her finger and said.  "I don't know Harvey what do you think? And where you last night anyway I should have asked you that earlier.?"

        "What did you say?"

        "Well I think you're just a big chicken and I have a good mind not to talk to you anymore Harvey."

        "What do you mean you were sleeping?  I needed you.  I was scared.  Some friend you are."

        "I'll give you another chance tonight, Harvey.  Want to go outside to play?  I don't like it in here."

        "What?"

        "Oh, you'll stay in and watch the room while I play."

        "Good idea, Harvey."

        "Tammy, who are you talking too?"

        "Harvey."

        "O.k."

        "Whose Harvey?"

        "He's a 3ft. stuffed rabbit I got her for a gift right after her mother got sick."

        "Does she talk to imaginary friends often?"

        "Just Harvey. She adores him."

        Tammy grabbed a chair, wedged it under the closet door handle, and sat Harvey in it.

         “You stand guard, o.k.?”  She had already dressed earlier and had breakfast. She heard friend Tinker Bell knock at the back door. "Hey Tammy wanna play?"

         "Sure Tink. Let me ask."  Tink was short for Tinker Bell.  Tammy thought it was the coolest thing in the world to be named after a fairy.

        “Grandma can I go outside Tink is outside and wants to play?”

        “Yes sweetheart just stay close to the house.”

         "Another pretend friend?" asked Freida.

"No, Tink is real as far as I know that's her name.  Cute little girl."

        Sue and Frieda continued to discuss Tammy while she played.  ”I apologize for Tammy behavior.  She was rude just now."

         "It's o.k. Sue I'm sure she's not herself after all that happened last night and what she's been through in the last several months."

         It’s bad enough that her mother became suddenly catatonic when Tammy was with her and no one knows why.  Maybe she blames herself who knows?  If you could have seen her last night, it was genuinely frightening. She acted so strange later and I don't think it's over yet."

        “Be patient.” 

        “I am I'm just worried." 

        “I think it's normal to have nightmares after trauma. If things don’t get better I know a good doctor and counselor you can take her to.”

        “Maybe you're right I'll just give her a little more time to adjust."

        Sue could hear Tammy and Tink playing

         “Well you know kids sometimes ....”  Said Frieda looking sympathetic.

        Tammy spun around and around.  “Ashes, ashes we all fall down.” She flopped down in a bed of clover in the yard.  The air was warm and the clover felt cool against her skin.  Tammy loved clover she wriggled her toes in it and rolled in it then she looked up at the blue sky.  She wondered if her mother could see clouds out of her vacant staring eyes.

        Tammy lay still and tried to look like her mother did when she had found her.  Only her eyes would blink from the air and her mother’s had not.  Her arms and legs grew achy from lack of movement and Tammy was just plain bored.

         Then she heard Tink."Hey Tammy wha cha doin?"

         "Let's play pretend with the clouds as they go across sky." said Tammy.

         Tink said. "There's a dog chasing a cat up a tree."

         Tammy said, "I see a jungle."

         Oh, playing pretend was so much better than dodging that old woman in the house. Now the jungle came alive.  There was an elephant with a tiger.

         Suddenly; from nowhere the old woman was there!  She zoomed out of sky straight at Tammy like a thundercloud.  Tammy jumped up and looked at Tink.  Tink was still lying in the grass staring into the sky totally unaware of anything.  When she turned around the old woman was gone.  Had she imagined it? 

         "Hey Tink did you see anything in the sky like an Old Woman.?"

        The hairs on her arm and on the back of her neck stood up.  She suddenly feared Tink turning around and looking in her direction she began to back slowly for the door where her Grandmother talked with Frieda.

         Tink turned to face her and her face was blank.  No eyes, no nose, no mouth.  Tink got up and began to stumble around the yard.  Tammy screamed. 

         Then she heard Tink say."Tammy you o.k.?"

         Tammy was afraid to turn around but she felt Tink's hand on her shoulder she whirled around.  "Yea, .I'm o.k. but I thought ...maybe you were hurt or something.  you ok.?"

         "Felt a little weird must have fell asleep for a few minutes and had a weird dream...  You going inside?

         Tammy just nodded still shaken from what she had seen.  "Not feelin so good right now."

         "Guess I'll go home or across the streets to Kevin's.  Come on over if you get to feelin' better.  Tammy you be careful, now, always look for the light."  And she smiled.  A strange not Tink smile.

         Tammy just stood there for a moment thinking and said aloud. "What did you say Tink?" She called.

         Tink just turned, waved, and nodded.

         "Why the heck did Tink say something like look for the light, oh well." mumbling as Tammy came into the house. 

         At the door Tammy felt a little more calm and just wanted to be alone.  When she entered the house, she went straight to her room and the closet stood open with Harvey and the chair lying on the floor.  Tammy ran to her Grandmother crying. 

        Frieda said. “I'll leave you to take care of Tammy now.  Call me if you need anything.”   

        “Thanks for coming by Frieda I’ll talk to you later.” 

        Frieda left hoping the cold and heavy feeling that she had assaulted her upon arrival would leave but now as she reflected upon her experience that day she knew that it had only gotten worse.  She wondered if what was happening had to do with the house or something else.... but she knew something was happening to her since she had seen Sue and Tammy that day.

                                                      ****************************



                       

        “Tammy what’s the matter?” Sue asked her granddaughter.

        “Nothing I'm just tired.”  She looked up at her Grandmother with those big brown lonely eyes and her Grandmother hugged her tightly.  She knew there was something wrong but she did not know what to do.     

        Tammy could not shake the dream, it was part of her reality.  The old woman lurked in every shadow. In the closet, the shower, under the bed, an empty room, she haunted her every waking moment.  Tammy feared her cold bony fingers would close about her throat at any minute. She could not tell what time of the day it was.

        Yet she dreaded for night to come the most. She already spent time under the covers in fervent prayer, "Please, God, don't let me have bad dreams tonight. After this nightmare she was afraid she would never sleep again" 

        Throughout the day she found herself consumed with a longing, a loneliness, feeling an empty void for the mother who had left so long ago it seemed now.  She thought of her and not the old woman at those times.  What had happened that day? She would never forget her eyes. Vacant.  Expressionless.  How she just lay there and stared.  No speech. No smile. The mother she had known was gone.

        Where had she gone?  What did her eyes see where she was?  Not Tammy.  Her eyes were cold and distant.  She blinked backed the tears and wandered aimlessly about the house. Heaviness in her chest made it hard to breath.  The loneliness.....She loved her Grandmother and she tried but...it wasn't the same as....

        Tammy shivered.  Someone watched her.  She turned quickly to see who or what was there. The curtains on the window swept slowly side-to-side.  She ran from the room.  It might be her.  The old woman. 

        The sun was beginning to set.  There was no supper cooking.  "Grandma, are you here?" 

        The curtains blew in on all the windows.  An odd orange glow came from the back of the house.  "Grandma is that you?" 

        She walked towards the back of the house.  The wind was blowing in the open back door.  The setting sun cast an odd orange glow into the kitchen.  Her Grandmother stood in the doorway, a butcher knife in her hand and an odd gleam in her eye, her beautiful red hair swirling about her face.  Her dress blew about her legs, a whiskey bottle stood open on the counter. 

        Tammy began to tremble. Her mind raced. She was afraid when Grandma drank and she had promised.

        "Grandma are you alright?" 

        Sue swayed in the doorway and her eyes blinked slowly.  She looked at Tammy and said, "You!" 

        She pointed the butcher knife in her direction.  Tammy noticed for the first time that blood dripped from it.  She began to back up.  Her Grandmother staggered in her direction; Tammy woke screaming.

        The old woman stood in her bedroom waiting. 

        Sue's efforts to quiet her seemed pointless and she finally slapped Tammy in an effort to wake her.  "Tammy sweetheart, it's grandma you're alright."

        Tammy sobbed quietly afraid to look at her grandmother.  Still her grandmother lay beside her and held the shivering child. Tammy pretended to sleep but fear kept her awake.  Her eyes were closed; she dare not open them for she did not know what she would see.  She thought of her mother.  She longed for her mother.  If only she would come and rescue her.

        Despite her effort Tammy was not able to stay awake and she could see the old woman in the darkness. She wanted desperately to wake but could not.  There was someone else with the old woman and she called to Tammy from the darkness.  Nothing was real though.  She knew it.  Whether asleep or awake it made no difference.

        Just like the with her Grandmother, she did not know what to believe...  She smelled the whiskey again.  Her grandmother stood behind her in an odd orange glowing light, the butcher knife, and the whiskey bottle in hand. She laughed and started towards her looking the same as she had in the nightmare from moments before.  Tammy knew if she woke the old woman would be there too.

        Tammy had nowhere to go.  The old woman was in her dreams and in her reality.  The Grandmother of her dreams was someone she feared.

        She was trapped.   

        A familiar voice came from behind the old woman and called her name again.  Tammy believed she saw her mother in the distance.  She ran towards her, but stopped, afraid of the old woman; but the dark and cold beckoned her forward. 

        A voice called to her.  "Tammy, don't be afraid I'll be with you."  Called a voice....

        Tammy shivered but proceeded into the darkness. 

        Her grandmother dropped the knife and the whiskey bottle.  She called to her.  Momentarily, Tammy was confused.  What was happening Her Grandmother seemed different now.  Desperate to have her return.  Like she used to be.

        The other voice called and regained her attention.

        Tammy heard the old woman clearer and the cold darkness enveloped her like a blanket.  "There's my girl. Come closer."  The voice was so familiar.

        Tammy could barely hear the voice of the grandmother that she knew; that she had always known; She was very far away now pleading and crying.  "Tammy, please don't leave me."….the voice faded into the distance so very far away..... 

        She could see the old woman plainly now and she had a face--The Old Woman had the same face as her mother.  Her eyes were cold and staring and they bore into hers. 

        Tammy felt the cold of the darkness....  The cold staring eyes of her mother sucked feelings, fear, and life out of her.  She walked into the darkness with her mother never to waken again.

        Her grandmother had awakened to find Tammy shivering and crying out in her sleep.  Her attempts to wake the child failed and after a time the child’s eyes flew open.  Tammy eyes had the same cold, distant, and vacant stare that Tammy's mother possessed.

        Sue would never forget how forlorn Tamara had looked when she had been placed in the hospital.  Tammy was named after her mother and they were very close.  No one but Tammy knew what happened to Tamara but the hope had been that some day she would get better.  Now Tammy had shared the same fate. Sue felt sick. 

        She combed her fingers through her hair as she wondered what she could have done different.  What she would do now about her granddaughter? 

        The kitchen by the window was her favorite place to think when she was troubled.  Her hands rested on the sink and she stared out at large old oak tree.  Her hands that were usually busy cooking or cleaning were frozen on the edge of the sink.  How had things gone so terribly wrong?  She ran her fingers through hair again, another sign of trouble.

        God, I need a drink, she thought.  It was automatic.  She hadn't allowed herself to drink while Tammy was here but now she needed one, just one, to quiet her nerves.  Her hands were shaking when she took them from the edge of the sink and reached for the cabinet.  Then, she saw the whiskey bottle sitting on the counter beside a butcher knife and a glass.

        Where had they come from?....The glass had traces of whiskey in it.  She picked up the glass and inhaled deeply.  It was actually her brand, she thought.  Christian Brother’s Brandy.  That was impossible she hadn't...But Sue didn't let that stop her...She'd think about it later...She needed that drink...She rinsed out the glass and poured herself a big one then gulped all of it without stopping.  She ran water in the glass washed down the liquor and poured some more liquor into the glass then drank that. Her hands had stopped shaking so badly.

        She stood at the sink and relished the warmness of the fluid flooding threw her veins for a minute wiping away all traces of the afternoon.  A drink could always do that, just for a moment. But trouble was, the real world was always just a breath away.

        Then, she looked at the knife.  She picked it up, intending to put it away and heard a noise coming from Tammy's room. 

        Before I go to the room...She thought...

        Hell, I need another drink.  She took a swig out of the bottle, then another swig and said out loud, "I think I'll just take the bottle with me before I go investigate."  She staggered a little as she walked forward and then she righted herself.

        "Whose there?" she called.

        She walked slowly to the bedroom bottle and knife in hand. The door stood open slightly and a soft glow came from the room.  Sue saw a shadow pass under the door and she almost dropped the bottle as adrenaline shot through her veins.  Her whole body began to tremble and her mouth went dry.  She wished her heart hammering in her ears would stop so she could hear any noise that came from the room. 

        She froze and stared underneath the door for any sign of movement.  She held the knife in front of her willing her body to move forward.  Her granddaughter was in that room, she had to protect her.  Her hand trembled so violently she almost dropped the knife.  She remembered everything Tammy had said about the old woman but then she chastised herself.  She shoved the door open with the knife.  The room seemed empty. 

        Tammy lay still and unmoving on the bed.  The setting sun cast an odd orange glow through the curtains as they blew in the breeze. 

        Sue felt stupid.  She realized the shadows came from the movement of the curtains on the open windows.  As she was closing them, she realized she had not opened the windows. 

        Her back was to the door when she heard it slam.  She turned and she stood there--the old woman.  The eyes that bore into hers were cold and lifeless.  The bottle and the knife fell to the floor.  The world as Sue knew it went cold and forever dark.





                                                                ***************************





         Now Frieda had begun to have nightmares and delusions of her own.  She decided to give Sue a call.  Frieda would analyze over this day because she didn't know things had already gone very wrong for friend and Tammy.  They were way beyond help but now she needed help.

         “Hello Sue”

         “Hi Frieda, What’s up?”

         “You ok.?”

         “Define o.k. Frieda? Not myself I know that.  In fact I’m feeling pretty strange these days.”

         “Really cause that’s what I called about….”  Sue cut in.

         “And Tammy is getting stranger and stranger…It’s a freaking circus around here these days if you want to know the truth.” 

         “Where is Tammy?”

         “Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping….?  Awake or asleep what difference does it make.”?

         “You’re not making any sense.”

         “Probably not.  One of those things where you’d have to be here to understand.  Gotta go.  Places to be and things to do.”

         “Are you leaving Tammy alone.”

         “Of course not can’t explain it concerns Tammy got to go before it’s too late….Stranger and stranger Frieda that’s all I can say…” Phone went dead.

         Frieda sat looking at the phone fear creeping up her spine.  What was happening to her friend?  She had never heard her talk like that before except when she was drinking.  But she wasn’t drinking anymore.  She knew she wasn’t because of Tammy.  She called her back. A busy signal.  She got in her car.  She was good hour away if traffic was kind to her.





         When she got to the house it was dark….

         She went up the steps and touched the door.  It drifted open.  The light switched didn't work.  The air was so cold she could see her breath from the light outside and it was dark in the house.  She took a small flashlight out of her purse.  Frieda looked at her watch it was nearly 10:00 p.m.  She stepped inside the door.

         "Sue?" No answer. 

         "Tammy?" No answer.  A noise.  A sort of wet sound.  Slap drag.  Slap drap. Sue waited just inside the door.  A shadow in the flashlight that she couldn't make out.  Louder slap drag.  A sweet sickly smell filled her nostrils.  A cold darkness descended upon her.  She held her breath.  A horror of what might be in the dark.  A hammering noise or was it the beating of her heart.

         She was halfway into the livingroom.  From her memory came a dream with the same slap, drag.  Was it a nightmare or was it real?  She could see Tammy's door and was paralyzed to move any further.  She thought she saw a shadow in the kitchen.

         Frieda called out. "Susie is that you?" 

         Straining to hear every noise she held her breath.  A hand on her shoulder.  A voice.  "Frieda?"  She fainted. 











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