The Voice

When the room went dark, she heard her name. It was ushered in a hushed tone, more than a whisper. It seemed detached with an almost palpable chill resonating from it. Something she sensed more than detected, the eerie spectre's faceless voice made the hair stand straight up on the nape of her long and slender neck. Her sense of dread was instant as though the word DANGER were yelled from the other side of the mansion. And somehow it was familiar.

She reached behind her with both hands and slid back into the dark hoping to steady herself with the security of the sturdy, paneled wall. She sensed the wall and the need to step away from the disembodied voice. “Why her name? Why did the lights go out? Did anyone else hear it?” Her mind raced.

Just as she began to slink along the wall, she had found the lights abruptly came on and filled the room. Nothing had changed. People continued to mull about as though nothing had changed. Or if it had, they were unnaturally unphased. The sense of foreboding hadn’t subsided even with the room brightly lit. Her eyes darted around the room looking for some clue or discontinuity… something that stood out or seemed di… and then she saw it. Her brain stopped scanning.

Right there at the master staircase she saw him. She nervously looked away from him and checked for any other reactions in the room. No one seemed to even notice him let alone react. But how could that be possible. The bright lights and colorful costumes were in stark contrast to the glowing pasty spectre she couldn’t help but stare at. The sense of danger began being replaced with intense curiosity. She stood still and straightened clutching her phone. That was when she let out a squeal as the formally dressed spectre turned and smiled and looked straight at her with her jaw agape.

She composed herself and started walking towards the open patio and the safety of the crowd. Her legs felt the wobble as the confusion and fear jostled her panicked brain. Halfway across the checkered floor the lights shut and began to intermittently flicker. The room seemed to flicker itself. In the light the people were stood in their same places but in the dark she saw a different crowd flicker in the between. They were dressed in period costumes but it seemed their normal dress. The tween crowd seemed more like they were out of a different time, not a different place.

She began to hear a different sound as the lights stayed darker for just a bit. It was music from a bygone day but it was being played on some old phonograph. She strained to make out faces and make sense of the dark flashes between the flickering of light. A young couple danced and glided across the checked floor as the rest of the room circled them in regaled gowns and formal attire of the day. As she peered as hard as she could at the happy couple the female seemed to alarmingly notice her… She continued to dance in the arms of her suitor but as he spun her around she continued to look over her shoulder. She seemed as equally confused and curious. Like no one else was seeing anything out of order in either dark or light. But they somehow had a connection.

The music seemed to die down, the lights seemed to flicker faster as the spectre lady now stood on the dance floor alone staring. They were locked in each others line of vision. The debutant started to point at the slack jawed guest. Then, as before, the room went dark but this time she was shocked and screeched out by the booming voice behind her when it said her name. “GRACE.”

Suddenly the lights came on and she was stood in the middle of the balcony that doubled as the dance floor. The crowd were subdued by her screech that had sequestered the band and stopped them playing. All eyes were on her when she jolted again at her name. “Grace?”

This time she recognized it. This time she knew the body behind that voice. She threw her arms around him, shaken. Her fright was quickly sensed as she was embraced. “Are you alright baby?”, he asked. She leaned back to confirm she wasn’t hallucinating. It was indeed her Graham. “I’m fine,” she answered hesitantly as she again looked around the room. “I’m fine.” This time she sounded a little more convincing.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he tried to laugh off in a concerned tone.

“Must be the champagne.” She pressed in close to him firmly circling his waist with her arms. Everyone seemed to take that as their cue to resume with their activities as the band picked up the beat and played them into a slow dance. Some couples joined in the dance as the younger groups headed off the dance floor. Graham matched her steps as the two of them embraced and danced in a tender embrace.

She swirled around with her cheek nestled into his chest. His arms provided security as she relaxed and let herself reset. He hummed to the tune being played and she squeezed him even tighter yet. This was real. This was safe. She felt a smile beam across her face. She closed her eyes and let out a soft giggle. The night seemed right again.

 

They stayed on the outdoor dance floor for the next three songs. Sarah and Connie each grabbed her hands and the bride they came to see rushed in. The four of them bounced and spun around and hung on to each other to stay upright. The party was in full swing.

Grace left Jill and her two bridesmaids on the floor and made her way to the washroom just off the living room on the other side of the master staircase. The results of the champagne caused her to stagger and realize how bad she needed to pee. She let out a chuckle and swayed a bit as she found the door. She reached around the inside of the wall and turned on the light and closed the door behind her as she walked in. She was just looking up from the floor to the mirror when she saw her reflection.

“GRACE” the booming voice clanged! And the bloody face of the spectre earlier was right behind her in the reflection!... (1094 words).

© Art Wherks Oct92025