Ghost of Rose Manor Chapter Three Part Two

The next morning was very confusing to me. I wasn’t sure if I had had the oddest dream in history or if it was real. I looked under my pillow and the seeds I had placed there were gone. Okay so Morpheus did take the seeds. I had to admit that I found Morpheus rather interesting. He didn’t try to seduce me but explained he had tried to seduce Samuel… which I found to be hilarious. Greek Gods, am I right?

I dressed and got ready for work, however this time I simply put on my normal attire: a Japanese sun shirt, blue jacket, black patch pants and red Converse. It expressed my ’I don’t give a fuck’ side. I wasn’t about to try and impress a mad man every day with skirts. I didn’t tell my parents about the dream. We just had a simple, quiet break before I left. Part of me, okay all of me, was pretty excited to see if Samuel confirmed the dream last night.

I never thought I would be happy to be back in that house but if it was true that Samuel had been the one to scare me then I really had nothing to fear. The workmen were there again and also some gardeners and landscapers. I wondered why Samuel never did any of this before if he had been here for so long... didn’t seem to make sense. I walked into the foyer, happy I didn’t fear for my life on the slick floors this time, and headed toward the music.

Samuel was human and playing his piano in the morning light, just like he had been the day before. “A few minutes early, I like that, Anastasia!” He said and finished the piece he was playing. “I trust I didn’t scare you too badly last night then…?” He said and got up from the piano. I looked behind me to make sure none of the workmen were near and then moved closer to him. “So that was real…?”I said low. I was smiling. I could feel it and he smiled in turn when he realized I was a bit thrilled at the idea.

“Magic is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Yes, Anastasia, it was real. So…I am sure you have questions and I do have answers but let’s not talk with the common rabble listening in…. Come to my office.” He said and put his arm around my shoulder to lead me out. “I see you are feeling more at home already…” He said giving my outfit a once over. “Well, I figured I didn’t need to seduce you since Morpheus already tried…” I said and held back a smirk. He raised a brow and then averted his eyes. “Bastard… sexy bastard.”

I laughed out loud at that. “Hey, it didn’t work, okay… completely. You know he can change into a female form…? I’m just clarifying.” He defended. “Sure, Samuel, sure,” I teased as we reached his office and he escorted me to one of the chairs. “Now…” He started as he sat down, “What would you like to know?” It was nearly impossible to choose one thing to ask. “Were you giving me those dreams before, the ones that asked me to come to you?” I asked pointedly. “That’s a good question… next question!” He said smiling.

“No, you have to answer that one, Samuel!” I growled. “Uh… Okay, let me explain. When you and your friends came to the house, it was the first time in a long time anyone had. As you know, your grandfather made a trip here too but I simply hid from him. I wouldn’t have had I known what I know now. I needed you to come back, Anastasia so I… mildly attached part of myself to you so I could bring you back here.” He explained. At least he had the nerve to look guilty! “You ruined my life!” I shouted unexpectedly. Though somehow I knew it would all come down to this I was still mad.

“I know… I know and I hadn’t meant for that to happen. I wasn’t powerful enough to completely take over your dreams so it seemed nightmarish. I nearly got probed by Morpheus for it mind you… it’s not without its punishments. I was just desperate for help… I’m sorry it hurt you, I really am.” He said sincerely. “Why me and not one of the other girls? Why not my grandfather?” I asked, “Because you weren’t afraid. Well, not at first. I made a miscalculation on that I’ll admit. I also needed a… virgin female.” He said and smiled sheepishly.

Whoa. Whoa. “A what? Is this some kind of evil black magic thing?” I asked, “Of course not! That’s used for attacking this is about reversing.” He defended fervently. “Well, how do you know I’m still a virgin anyway, maybe I gave it away in college!” I said giving him a suggestive smirk. “Please, Anastasia. Do you really think I would have gone to all this trouble if I thought you weren’t still a virgin? Do I need to say again I was almost probed by a God for this? Besides, the dream spell would have broken had you lost it.” He said.

I wasn’t sure if I was more embarrassed or ashamed at this point. I was blushing and irritated at him for all this but at the same time I was relieved. At least I wasn’t crazy and I could sleep again without the nightmares. “What exactly is this spell we need to do and if it involves sacrificing me, I’m out.” I said, giving him a dirty look. “No, not exactly sacrificing but… how to put this, you might have to stay with me for a few days.” He said and smiled. My stomach fluttered nervously at the idea.

“Why?” I asked warily. I didn’t completely trust him yet. Yes, he had told me the truth but still, he was making me nervous. “It’s kind of a long story…” He muttered looking down at his hands. It was the first time he really seemed… human, I guess. The first time I saw him he seemed unearthly and odd but right now, in his dark office, he looked normal, human. “I have time.” I said and sat back in the chair. He looked up at me and narrowed his eyes as if thinking over his response. “Well, I wasn’t always like this… I was human once. A long time ago, I was the Samuel Mir that built this home. I built it for my fiancé and future family.

I was born in 1799. My parents moved us from Spain to America in 1809 and used their money to start building this town with a few other families that came over. People didn’t live long then and when my father’s time was up, I inherited the family fortune and used it to build this house in 1828 for my family. I had a sister and my mother to care for and we were all to live in the house together so I made it very large. It was to be a house of happiness but… sadly, it wasn’t. My mother soon took ill and passed from fever and my sister caught the same and was dying.

I was very low then and miserable. I had to sit and watch my sister slowly succumb to the same thing that killed my mother and it was hard. My fiancé, Eliza, was patient with my moods and pain but she wasn’t happy either as I desperately sought a cure for my sister. I spent money hand over first to save Marie but… no one could. One day, while I was going through my father’s old things, just to take my mind off of life, I found a box.

My father said it was very old and had been in the family for hundreds of years. He said to never open the box because there was something evil inside it. The story frightened me when I was a child but that day I was more interested in the content than my father’s warning.  I opened the box and this… thing, came out. It looked like what I look like now, what I really look like, that antlered thing. It said it was trapped and if I helped release it, it would give me the power to heal my sister.

I couldn’t believe it but then it showed me what it could do. I was in awe and I was a fool. What it didn’t say was that by releasing it from the box I was taking its place. But, instead of the box being my prison, it was this house. By the time I realized what I had done, it was too late and the creature fled. Eliza was amazingly understanding of my plight. She believed me, if you can imagine that. I was able to use my new powers to heal Marie and they brought me these books and questioned everyone they could about how to break the deal but to no avail.

Eliza died from complications of the heart in 1870 and Marie died three years later… and then I was completely alone.”