MASTER GEORGE AND THE HAT LADY (Episode 1)

EPISODE ONE

DEATH AND THE DARK

What if I told you there was no way one could repay death? Would you believe me?

At first, I never knew what it was like to mourn a loved one not after my dad died of blood cancer. I always felt there was nothing one could do to bring back the dead but what I’m about to tell you is weird and would probably keep you up on your mystery toes.

It’s about my mother, yes! Isabella. She’s usually the strongest person I know, always looking out for me and Josie after dad died but something changed in her after another tragic incident.

It happened on a beautiful Tuesday right after me and Angie went for an ice cream break. The queue was long as people wanted to taste the new ice cream flavor that had come to Willemshire.

“It tastes like all flavors combined”, Dr. Hopkins our maths teacher said.

“Yeah it’s awesome sir”, I replied.

Angie felt disgusted by him, the reason being he had always approached her in our boarding school.

“You’re lucky your house is close to this place champ”, he smiled reluctantly.

I smirked back with my girlfriend starting to feel uneasy. “Let’s go”, she finally said. I wondered why she always wanted to have her way but this time it was certain that anyone who ended up on her naughty list would get waitlisted in her book of revenge.

“I’ll see you around sir”, I tried to make it seem less awkward.

Mr. Hopkins didn’t mind, he was rather intrigued by the ice cream flavor.

“Do you know who owns it”?, I asked Angie who held my hands firmly.

She gave me that special seductive look and replied, “It’s the Hat Lady, the one who just arrived in the neighborhood.”

I almost irritated her with my immediate reaction.

“Hat Lady eh!”, I nodded like a fool but she was right, that was what she goes by.

We were almost home when I saw the shining red on the road. Now it may seem very disturbing to you but this storyteller can smell blood. I’ve had that strange gift for quite a while but trust me that’s not the only scary thing you’ll get to comprehend.

“Marcus”, she called out to me.

“That’s my mum’s voice, ain’t it”?, I let go of Angie’s hand.

“Oh my God”, she placed her hands on her mouth. “I’ll call an ambulance.”

There she was covered in the pool of her own blood, Jane Mikael…..the only companion that came out of the same hollow world as I.

“Mum”, I attempted to hold her to myself.

“It’s my fault”, she yelled. “I told her she shouldn’t date that boy Travis and…..and…..”, her breathing started to stutter.

“Mum it’s not”, I held my sister’s hands which were already slit with a blade.

“It’s fine!”, I said with my trembling countenance which had Angie worried because she knows how I feel around stress.

“You smelt it, didn’t you”? the strange voice laughed inside my head.

“Right at the ice cream joint, you smelt that pungent okra-like odor, didn’t you”?

“Get out of my head”, I whispered as my mother’s blond hair covered half my mouth.

“It’s my fault”, she still blamed herself but I knew Travis was no good. No one in his or her right senses would allow their children to date a drug addict.

“Mum be positive! She still has a weak pulse”, I lied knowing how she would break down to hear the word “dead!”.

God knows I regretted seeing that day, I regretted being born and in just twelve hours I regretted watching them put my Josie in the ground. No tears could express what I felt but looking at my mum scream, I wanted to console her, I really did.

“Josie get up”, she crawled on the bare soil not minding the prominent people who took their time to attend the burial.

“First Dad and now this”, I cried on Angie’s shoulders but her red face shew it all. She had no words for me and the fact that my tears weren’t resulting in the nuisance my mother was causing, showed a bit of maturity to my stress issue.

“Keep it up”, that voice in my head laughed at my sorrow.

How can I explain to everyone present that I still smell Josie’s decaying flesh? Am I not going to be called insane or worse?

“Get up!”, my mum still ran mad with anguish. It went on for hours until the wicked rain started to splatter on us like blood. Everyone left one after the other even though they knew they could stay longer.

“Call us if you ever need anything”? the rich dropped their cards with me. Life can be so cruel, first my dad and then my junior sister. When can pain truly look at me and shrug his shoulders?

“I don’t want this life anymore”?, I spoke to Angie but her reply was interrupted by those silly vibrations from her bag.

“My dad’s calling!”, She said as the weather played pranks on us.

“My regards to him”, I suddenly acted standoffish.

“Be safe”, she whispered to my ears as that peck was the only human feeling I felt since the suicide.

I immediately turned to where my mum lay hoping we go home as well but she wasn’t there.

“Mum”, I called out in fear. “Mum! Mum”, I wandered in the rain. She didn’t respond rather I felt that cold hand on my shoulder.

“This is all your fault”, the slap hit me hard.

I staggered a bit before realizing it was her. The stench of that darkness in her heart displayed through her teeth as I saw insects crawling on them.

“Mum I’m sorry”, I managed to gulp some saliva.

“You said she had a weak pulse Marcus”, she slapped me again this time with blood encasing my teeth.

“Mom I’m sorry”, I pleaded.

“I am not your mother”, she roared at me. That tone sounded strange like she was possessed by something.

“Mum!”, I screamed back.

There it was, her soft smile after the mess.

“I’m tired Marcus, let’s go home”, she fell on my chest.

My heart started to pound heavily but the raindrops gave us no moment of soliloquy. I swore that as we walked like snails, a male figure stood afar. He was holding an umbrella and to my surprise waved at us.

“This place is haunted”, I concluded as I scarily waved back but honestly I thought of calling the police.

“Travis must die”, that devil’s voice kept singing.

“That’s one thing we agree on”, I replied but just as we entered our apartment, the loneliness and warmth hit us with Josie’s death.

“Mum I’ll make some tea”, I gently sat her down with her nodding the only response I needed.

“You want sugar”?, I asked as Angie flashed me more than thrice.

“Mmmm,” she responded.

I sluggishly bent my head in shame for I was embarrassed that I lied to her about the weak pulse. I must be the worst son in the history of human sons worldwide.

“I should be hanged”, I spoke to the hot cup of coffee but looking intently at it, I saw the creature inside of me trying to digest my words with a cold smile.

“She’s gone to the dark”, I said as I quickly heard the plastic chair fall on the floor.

“Mum!”, I ran to the sitting room with the coffee but then she wasn’t there neither was the plastic chair four-legged as I met it.

“She’s gone to the dark”, it re-echoed.

That was when I realized that her room door was half opened and her voice wretched and crooked.

“Move back or it’s the last thing you’d see, boy!”

I didn’t take those words seriously but the screechings got me on the floor and unconscious in no time.

To be continued.

Thanks for reading, and please don’t forget to leave a comment.

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