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| Short Stories : Burning Tears (Chapter 4) |
Part 4
Sue had been sleeping a little when she was suddenly woken up by something. She couldn't find out why. Nothing had happened and she didn't hear any suspicious noises. She straightened up, but she couldn't see anything unusual in the room either. She breathed a sigh of relief. But something had awakened her, perhaps an inner feeling of uneasiness. She didn't know, at least she was wide awake now and sleep was out of the question for the time being. She tried again to fall asleep, but she just tossed and turned. Resigned, she gave up and slipped out of bed. She paced nervously up and down her room. Michael had left his cigarette on the table. Maybe that would calm her down a bit, so she lit one of them. But that didn't help either. She went to the window and stared into the darkness. After a while she couldn't stand it in her room anymore and she quietly went downstairs. She saw and heard nothing of the others. Where could they be? But she couldn't find an answer to that. She decided to go to the library again. With great determination she found the book she had leafed through tonight. She opened the page on which the stranger from her dream was depicted and looked at him again more closely. He had even features and there was something sad in his eyes. He was dressed in a long black coat and a silver chain dangled around his neck. She could not see the trailer exactly, the picture was too small for that. She felt a bond with this man that she couldn't explain to herself. It was almost as if she knew him. As if she had known him for a long time and then something bad had happened. Her feelings were confused and she could not think clearly. Brooding, she went to the patio door and pushed the black curtain aside. Outside in the garden the surface of a small lake was reflected and the moon hung overcast in the sky. She pulled the belt of her dressing gown tighter around her waist and stepped out onto the terrace. The wind swept icily over the land and individual leaves performed their dance in the air. Sue went closer to the lake and looked into the black water. She barely felt the cold on her skin because her thoughts were far from this place.
Tom, too, was still nervously pacing up and down his room when he saw Sue standing down by the lake. Her long hair was blowing in the wind and she was staring at the surface of the water. Her black robe was puffed up in the air and her skin shimmered white. He couldn't take it anymore and made his way downstairs to her. Sue was still lost in thought at the lake when she suddenly saw a second face appear in the water. Startled, she turned around and almost lost her balance and fell into the icy water. But the other person pulled her back in time and held her tightly in his arms. For a moment she was propped up against his chest, inhaling the scent of his skin. Then she considered herself and shrank back a little. She looked straight into the face of the stranger from her dream. His eyes were fixed on her and fixed on her insistently. There was an indescribable power and strength in his eyes that prevented Sue from looking away even for a brief moment. Her gaze was fixed on this man and she couldn't think logically. Her pulse went crazy and she got hot. Dizziness set in and everything around her began to spin before she plunged into dark fog and passed out.
Sue slowly regained consciousness and at first couldn't remember what had happened. Her eyelids fluttered and she slowly took in her surroundings. She was lying on the couch in the living room and Tom leaned over her. His face looked worried, but when he saw her slowly coming to, his features relaxed. "Sue ..." His voice was a low whisper in her ears. Just the sound of his voice triggered wild feelings in her and a shiver ran down her spine. For seconds they just looked each other in the eye and there was an unspoken bond between them, which the two of them were not even aware of at that moment. "Sue ... I was so worried about you." Tom gently stroked her cheek. Sue sat up slowly and stared at him in complete disbelief. She still couldn't understand that she was now sitting in front of the man from her dream and who had been depicted in the book. She had read there that he had lived many years ago, but here in front of her was a young handsome man. How could that be? He must have been dead by now. Was there a ghost talking to her here? "I ... that can't be true ... I" stammered Sue to herself and shook her head. Tom put a finger to her lips. "Pssst ... calm. I'll explain everything to you."
Tom got up and ran over to the window. He lit a cigarette and looked out into the distance for several minutes. He didn't know how he could best explain all of this to Sue without her declaring him crazy and fleeing the house out of fear. There was a soft knock on the door and Michael entered. He saw Tom standing by the window and Sue crouching on the couch with a pale face. "As I see, have you already made yourselves known?" Michael sat down next to her and took her ice-cold hand. "Michael ... no ... I ... I don't really know what happened. I was standing out by the lake and then I almost fell and then ... I woke up here and he was here." She pointed in Tom's direction. "He's the man from the book ... and ... he's been dead a long time, isn't he?" Sue was beginning to doubt her sanity. Michael exchanged an intense look with Tom, who was still standing helplessly at the window and smoking. "Good Sue, I'll tell you the whole story. Hopefully you'll be able to understand everything better afterwards." While Michael began to talk, Tom stood motionless by the window and continued to stare into the darkness. Now everything would depend on Sue and how much she already felt for him.
Michael started to talk. "Many years ago we all lived happily ever after in this house. By we I mean John, Paul, Georg, Tom and myself. We have always been good friends and often made music together. It was our hobby and we often could we bring joy to other people. This house has always been a home for us to hide in in less fortunate times. One day Tom met a beautiful, pretty girl named Samantha. She was so lovely and pure, a friendly character, which we all loved very much. But Tom and Samantha fell in love. Their love was something special and they wanted to be together forever and be happy. Then one day a bad man came around here. His name was Graf Marcus von Manson, a disgusting guy with bad manners and ugly as a barn owl. At some point he met Samantha. Her charm fascinated him and he wanted to own her.
No matter what it should cost. But Samantha didn't reciprocate his feelings. On the contrary, she hated this man who kept chasing after her and harassing her. When this Earl Marcus de Manson realized that Samantha would never willingly leave Tom to come with him, he decided his heinous act. He put a devilish curse on all five of us. He cursed us to eternal damnation. We should become creatures of the night. Since then we have only lived outside at night or when it is dark. During the day we just disappear as if we didn't exist. And we're tied to this house all the time. We can leave it, but we cannot go far. So for us there is no escape. He had Samantha killed back then. He thought, if he couldn't own it, then no one else should be able to own it. "Michael paused for a moment and looked into Sue's face. She was deeply moved by the whole story and tears stood in her eyes She could understand all the suffering they had all endured over the years.
"Since then we have lived lonely and alone here, waiting for the day when our redemption comes." Sue looked at Michael. "So there is still hope for you all to be redeemed?" Michael nodded. "Yes, there is. At some point a person will come and he will be able to save us. But that person alone has to find out how to do it." Tom looked seriously at Michael and then looked over at Sue. This sat like a pile of misery on the couch and struggled for composure. It was all a lot for her. Michael suddenly urged Tom to go outside. It was time for the two of them, because soon it would be light and they would disappear again. Just vanish into thin air and not exist until evening falls again. Tom stepped closer to Sue and smiled at her. "Sue, please don't be afraid of us and trust us. You would help us a lot with that." He was still looking at her and Sue was getting hot and cold under his gaze. She nodded silently, unable to say another word. Michael and Tom left the room to leave Sue alone. Alone with her thoughts and feelings that she still couldn't explain. Shortly afterwards the sun rose on the horizon and the new day began. Nothing could keep Sue on the couch anymore. She ran through the house like a wild animal. She couldn't get a clear thought. She kept thinking about the story Michael had told her. The terrible curse that tied them all to this house and the tragic love between Tom and Samantha. The pretty woman in the painting must therefore be Samantha. But Sue looked very much like her. Should she be the person who could redeem all five here? But how should she do it then? She had to find out and went to the library again. Maybe she could find a hint here. But as hard as she tried and rummaged through all the books, she couldn't find any useful clue. Maybe she should search all the rooms again. Maybe she could find more here. One room particularly captivated her. She had never set foot on him before, but he literally put her on. She entered shyly and looked around. The room was tastefully decorated and also kept in dark colors. The large bed was covered with black satin sheets and candles were scattered everywhere. Sue became curious and looked around more intensely. There was a scent in the air that sounded familiar, but couldn't place it. On the wall there was a small table with various utensils, among other things a black rosary hung on a silver candlestick and another silver pendant lay on the plate. It showed a heart entwined with a triangle. Sue carefully picked it up and looked at it. It was the pendant Tom had worn in the book. She remembered it exactly and pressed it to her chest. She took a deep breath and thought of Tom. This man had fascinated and bewitched her. Ever since she had dreamed of him, he had been buzzing around in her mind. Each time her heart was beating to her neck and when he had held her in his arms outside by the lake, it was completely done for her. Now she knew it too, the scent in this room came from him. She had smelled him intensely when she leaned against his chest. He beguiled her senses and Sue couldn't help but lie down in his bed. Something made her do it. Was it unknown forces or just the need for sleep? After all, she hadn't slept for half the night and all morning. She felt safe in his bed and it was almost as if his fingers were caressing her. With the pendant in her hand Sue fell asleep soundly and disappeared into another world. She dreamed of him and he kept calling her name. His eyes looked at her for help and he took her hand. But whenever Sue wanted to take his hand, they were separated from an unknown force. Her sleep was restless and she tossed and turned. When she woke it was already dark outside. Her heart began to pound wildly and beads of sweat stood on her forehead. The dream had taken her with it and she had to take a deep breath to calm down a little. What time could it be?
Sue got up and made her way to him. She absolutely had to see him. Hopefully she would be able to find him.
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