The Recordings

The Recordings

Twilight walked to the window - the floor, covered in old wooden planks, cracked to the most subtle step - as she usually do everyday. But those days were all the same: no more schedules to obey or tasks to complete, her life sadly resumed to a pure feeling of melancholy – memories of an old world. Her crown, the only "Equestrian" thing that still remained, is now covered in dust: as she is just a specter of her own past, trapped between walls of a strange unknown room. Years passed so quickly...time for her doesn't matter, she is weak. Since "that day" things changed so drastically! But they ought to improve: this would not be an ordinary day, but the beginning of the "restart" of her life began with the sounds of an old gate opening...

Thin rain fell on the windshield of the car while it crossed a road flanked by a forest reserve, it was afternoon and some spots on the forest were beginning to dusk, the trees casting their shadows over the street created a mosaic with the light rays which managed to escape from the thick leaves of the woods.

Two men occupied the front seats of the vehicle; they were going back from a long day in the city, one of them, the driver was a real estate broker, Harry; 35 years, not so tall, hazel hair, successful look.

The other one was a little bit younger maybe in his early 30’s, tall, dark wavy hair; David Grayhills, a well-known architect looking for a new house on Washington.

David was rather eccentric, he had some odd architectural preference for houses, but not ‘any’ kind of houses, he was looking for an exact type of residence, one of the Victorian style, and if you are wondering what is a ‘Victorian’ house the best way to describe it is ‘The Adams Family House’ however, this kind of construction is quite rare, and expensive.

Redmond wasn't a big city and the Victorian houses options were rather limited, some houses were just too big, another ones were just too expensive, and some houses were simply creepy enough even to David.

After a long day, and many houses later, David (and Harry) were exhausted, and they hadn't found a single house who match all the requests.

“So Mr.Greyhills, none of the houses interest you?”

Harry was an old school friend of David, when he knew that David was returning to the city he volunteered to help him to find the house, David still insisted on paying for his job.

“Harry… I swear if you ever call me ‘Mr’ again I’ll cancel your payment.” David Frowned

“I wasn’t asking you for payment though…”

Harry was smiling by the corners of his mouth; he knew how exactly bother him and also knew that David would pay for his job anyway.

“Harry… All the houses you shown me were really great… But-“

“Yeah, Yeah, I know… ‘This isn’t Victorian enough’ blah blah blah” David chuckled

“Dude, I’m talking serious here… Those were amazing houses, it’s just that… I felt that something was missing, you know… Something ‘more’” David sighed and shook his head.

“Look David, I know you since we were kids, and I know that you have this ‘dream’ of living in a house like this, and I really appreciate this...

...tough you have to understand that this Isn't a big city, and we don’t find this type of house you’re looking for on every corner…”

“…Perhaps if we sought in another town.”

David looked through the window, the sun rays were becoming fainter and dispersed, Harry had just turned on the headlights of the car.

“You know I can’t go to another city Harry… Alan just finished one troubled relationship… His wife got his house, his car, his pants, and almost his own business; he needs some brotherly assistance until his life got back to the rails.”

Harry seemed to think for a brief moment before slow down the car and went into a cobblestone path besides the road.

“Where are we going?” Inquired David slightly confused.

“I remembered something… There is another house...” Said Harry on a strange tone.

“There is? And why you haven’t said it before?”

The path they went were quite narrow and gloom, some old iron fencing bordered the sides of the road, a strange kind of gas lamp swung at the top of iron poles now and them besides the path, unfortunately none of them were lit.

The trees around the road were very old, and they branches and leaves created a species of cloak above the way.

“Well… You see David, this is a… well, this is a quite ‘secluded’ house, personally, I though you wouldn't like.”

David remained in silence, Harry’s explanation wasn't very convincing, and he knew enough of him to know when he was lying, or at least hiding something; certainly there was something ‘extra’ on this story.

Sometime later the trees became less dense and gave space to some overgrown bushes, suddenly a majestic ornate iron gateway arose blocking the path, the sun was almost setting, but there were sufficient light to see the house behind the gates.

Harry stopped the car ahead of the gates but left the headlights on to enlighten the house, both of them got out of the car and stood in front of the gate; David was dumbfounded.

“H-harry… T-t-the house is… AMAZING” David got close to the gates and put his face between the iron bars like a prisoner.

“Can we enter there??” David was looking like a children opening gifts at Christmas.

Harry removed a rusty key from its pockets and gave to David.

“Yeah… It’s getting slightly dark, but I think we can have a quickly glance around the house.”

David smile was immeasurable, just like his madness, any other ‘normal’ person would think twice before entering there, but he wasn't a normal person…

The creaks of the opening gates would give anyone chills, the rusty hinges squeaked like the doors of an old cage.

Twilight suddenly awoke from her sleep, the sound of the gates opening were clear, the squeaks were like a omen to her memories.

She stood up shakily, her strong hooves were long forgotten...

As Twilight got close to the windows millions of thoughts passed trough her mind; maybe they were going to attack her, maybe they knew the guy who made all those things with her.

She hid behind the torn drapes and watched all the moves of the two intruders entering in the house gardens; she couldn't listen to them, but could barely understand the situation.

One of the two guys was short, and was explaining something to the other one; the other guy was little bit taller, and was circling the house at a slow pace.

Sometime later, one of the guys took a sit at the stairway and looked almost directly to Twilight's window, but luckily she managed to crouch and avoid him.

The house wasn't that bad, mostly of the windows were sealed with wooden planks in order to avoid unwanted visits to the residence.

The weeds grew uncontrolled around the ‘gardens’, years without a gardener created a small forest around the house yards, some weeds even reached the chest high of the two guys.

It was a three stories house, and at the very top of it a beautiful tower stood on the roof, it was like the icing on the cake.

“Do you know something about the story of this house?” David was walking through the ‘gardens’ and circling the house at a slow pace, paying attention to every single detail.

“Well, I know what the owner told me…”

“He said that this house was built at the turn of the past century, she belonged to a wealthy merchant of the town, unfortunately during the crisis of 1927 the business of the family went bankrupt and the majority of the family moved to Alaska, the house was given to one of the businessman son, the only one who stayed here at Washington, he was a very lonely men… lived alone in the house until he passed away seven years ago…”

David had just given a full turn around the house, and now he was trying to see the interior of the mansion between the planks of the window.

“I loved the house Harry… I really REALLY loved it, but I don’t know if I can afford it; one house of this scale must be very expensive…”

Harry’s expression was very peculiar, something between curiosity and awe.

“A-are you REALLY interested?”

“W-what? You still have doubts about my interest?” David chuckled.

“Well… The house is for sale for $ 500,000.”

.David jaws almost felt on the floor.

“$ 500,000? This house… THIS freaking house, it’s for sale for $ 500,000???”

He said pointing to the old mansion.

“Well David, I’m sure we can lower the price with the owner if it is expen-“

David pinched his nose and chuckled

“HARRY, the price is perfect! I was sincerely shocked, how can the owner ask such a LOW value to this house?”

“Well… the only heir was a distant cousin of the guy who lives in Florida, and as he had no interest in inhabit the residence, besides the OBVIOUS difficulties in selling this kind of house... He thought that $500,000 was a fair price.”

“It is more than fair!”

David has just sat on the floor of the staircase who leaded to the front door of the house, he had for just a second the slightly impression of seeing something moving on the attic window, but it was just some old curtains floating in the wind.

“I’m going to buy it.” Said David unhesitatingly.

“You are going to do WHAT? But we haven’t even seen the interior of the house” Harry stood by the side of David on the stairs.

“I am going to bought it anyway, I can discover the interior of the house during the reform; Harry, this is a lifetime opportunity, and I can’t lose it”

The darkness of the night begun to crept trough the grounds, David stood up and they headed to the path, locked the gates and got into the car.

Some moments later, Twilight returned to the window, right at time to see the two guys leaving the house in one of that strange carriages.

They did not appear to be threats, but after years of traumatic experiences, Twilight couldn't judge it.

Whatever those creatures would be doing at the house, they couldn't get into Twilight shelter, or at least she thought...

“David… You are completely insane.” Harry smiled.

“Yeah, I know that, but I still want that house!”

The car turned around and returned to the main highway.

“Sometimes I ask myself what your brother must think about this…”

“He’s used to it…” David smiled and laughed like a crazy during all the way back to the city, and to Harry’s office.

When they arrived, Harry sat at his desk, and began to pick up a ton of papers and files of his archives.

“Very well ‘Mr’Grayhills… If you really desire to acquire such residence, we must begin with the paperwork’s…” Harry said sarcastically, but the piles of papers, documents, tax statements, and a million of other bureaucracy were really fearsome.

“But to your ‘unhappiness’ David, this is going to wait until tomorrow; I’m exhausted, and I don’t think that the owner of the house could get to Redmond in one single night.

“You’re right dude, I ‘think’ I can handle one more day” David chuckled and shook Harry’s hand.

“Thank you, very very much Harry, I don’t know what could I do without you” David smiled.

“Dude… that sounded a little bit gay, but coming from you, I think I could expect it…”

They broke into laughing.

“Very, very funny of you Harry, I see you tomorrow…”

David got back to his car, and back to the hotel that he was staying.

Surely, David would find many ‘extras’ in his new house…