Hours later, toward midnight, Cambria was at the back door of Missy's house, too tired to wonder how she had wandered there. She walked through the unlocked door. The creaking of the house was all she could hear and it swayed like a ship in time with the sound. Cambria walked numbly through the dark house and up the stairs, not looking up at the wooden beam until she reached the top of the stairs and turned around.
The rope from her garage already waited in her hands. She had tied the knot perfectly, singing to herself. She'd been practicing with the song.
Over, under, around and through,
tie the knot and I'll dance with you.
Standing on the top step, she tossed one end over the beam that seemed made for such a purpose. She measured it and tied the other end off onto the sturdy railing. It swung gently, waiting for her, soothing in its offer of comfort. Like rocking a baby...
The sing-song rhyme appeased her. She didn't feel the tears coursing down her cheeks, leaking from her sunken eyes and making them burn. She clambered up to plant her feet on the railing on either side of the stairs, standing suspended and spread-eagled in the empty air. Reaching up, she took the noose, her noose, into her hands and placed it around her neck. She was going to be okay. She was going to get some rest. She was going to dance.
She closed her eyes, feeling calm for the first time in what seemed her whole life, and stepped off into nothing. Her feet did a brief, spasmodic jig, and then she was still. Finally, Cambria was able to rest and she swung, gently, peacefully, until they found her the next day.
The house itself remained empty for years. Realtors were obligated to divulge the house's history to potential buyers. That, and the constant creaking, drove any interested parties away. The place was finally foreclosed on, falling into disrepair and sitting empty for nearly a decade. Finally, the house was repurchased by an investor, fixed up, and rented out. New families moved in, and the history of the house was forgotten, but not gone.
Years later, Sarah stood in the kitchen, listening. “Hey, midget, what are you up to?” She took the sandwiches she'd made and went looking for Amy, the girl she was babysitting. She found her, sitting at the top of the stairs, making faces.
“What on earth are you doing?” Sarah asked. She climbed the stairs, sat down next to the little girl, and offered her a sandwich. Amy took one off the plate and bit into it. “I'm like the woman with the braid,” she said with her mouth full. “She said she's going to teach you to tie knots.”
“What woman?” asked Sarah, taking another sandwich. Amy pointed up into the empty air above the stairwell and Sarah followed her gaze. “She's got her own song,” said Amy, and she sang it, rocking her head in time.
Over, under, around and through
tie the knot and I'll dance with you.
The ceiling was high enough to be slightly in shadow with a dark, wooden beam crossing over the stairwell for decoration. The beam creaked slightly as the house shifted and Sarah felt thick silence stuff itself into the empty rooms around them. She stared quietly up at the dark ceiling, chewing her sandwich thoughtfully. Dust trickled down, silhouetted against the large window, while the beam overhead creaked softly under the weight of nothing.
If you've enjoyed this story, you are invited to try other works by Angela Yuriko Smith which include full-length books, short story collections, novellas, and poetry. You can find updated information and free stories like this on her blog, DandiFluff.com.
Thanks go to Amy Eye from theeyesforediting.com for editing and formatting. SHE IS AWESOME!!!!! Contact her now and mention “The Braid” and get 20% off your next book formatting!
The cover design was created by Kyra Starr who can provide a wide range of graphic work from individual art images to fully formatted book covers suitable for paperback. Contact Kyra Starr at [email protected].
Thanks also go to Peter Adam Salomon, author of the Bram Stoker Award nominated All Those Broken Angels and Henry Franks, for his pivotal input and critiques on this story. You can find books by Peter Salomon at peteradamsalomon.com.
Keep up with Angela Yuriko Smith at AngelaYSmith.com.
The Braid: A Short Story Page 2