by Jojo Brown
Chris, thankfully, spoke up, as my tears were choking me, “No, Doctor, Ella was not privy to the facts until very recently.” He went on to explain to the head of the institute, how I had come to learn of my mother’s life.
As their conversation became very in-depth and analytical, I got up to gaze out one of the windows. The view was magnificent. The place had truly been named properly. It had a beautiful view of the majestic mountains that surrounded the place.
I felt a warm, gentle touch on my shoulder. As I turned to see who it was—expecting Chris—smiling, a beautiful woman, moved to stand beside me at the window. The sunlight streaming through the pristine glass, shone against her hair and skin. It seemed to almost make her glow.
Hanging below her shoulders, her soft, straight hair looked as though it had silver and gold threads running through it. The white material of her floor length gown was almost painful to look at with the sun gleaming off it. I had to turn back to the window. Somehow, the sun on the snow seemed to be easier on my eyes.
“A wonderful sight. Is it not?” I heard her soft whispery voice in my ear. “Just the way it was meant to be; wild, natural, undisturbed.”
I felt her move beside me and exhale deeply. Her steamy breath fogged the clean pane in front of her. As I watched, she used the tip of her finger to draw in the fog she had created. Within a circle, she marked a five-point star over a yin-yang symbol with a ‘Z’ and ‘E’ on either side.
As I watched in amazement, I felt rather than heard her words.
“Take care, my child. Protect it; hold it close, always. There are some who will try to take it… destroy it. They know of you and fear you, just as she feared you, years ago. You must be strong to be rejoined, to find your way. You must take care. Know that you are watched. They always see. They always know!”
In complete puzzlement I whispered, “What are you saying? Who is watching me? Who fears me? Why should anyone be afraid of me?”
I turned to look at her, when she failed to answer. All I found beside me was empty space.
I heard a door close, which I had not noticed before, tucked as it was into an alcove. I assumed that she must have been one of the doctor’s assistants. I just couldn’t figure out how she had known about the symbols, or why she said what she had.
Thirteen
"Ella?”
It was Dr. Lawrence, “Ella, could I see the amulet?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I was so lost with the woman and my own thoughts, that Dr. Lawrence, his office and Chris, had all completely left my mind. I spun around to face him and felt the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end.
“May I see the amulet, Miss Marshall?” he repeated, rather sternly.
He did not appear quite so comical anymore. There was a new harshness behind his eyes. He was a man who was quite obviously used to getting what he asked for… the first time he asked.
Now, he did indeed look like he belonged there amongst the cold harshness of the institute. There was a coldness coming from him that somehow made me determined to not let him get the upper hand.
“Who was that woman? Was she your assistant, Dr. Lawrence?”
“What?”
The look on his face was priceless.
Instead of jumping to obey his request, I had actually had the nerve to ask him a question. Oh the joy. The bliss. The feeling of absolute freedom! I had actually not cowed down to someone in authority.
It was downright exhilarating—if only for a moment.
He was still standing in front of me with his hand held out, with the obvious expectation that my necklace should be placed into it— immediately. Slowly lowering it, he asked, “What woman, Miss Marshall?”
“The one that was here just now, of course. Which other woman would I be talking about? And why are you both looking at me like that?”
The doctor looked around the room, raising both of his arms to indicate the entire space, “There is no one here except us.”
“Well, yes, I know that, I am not an idiot Dr. Lawrence. She left, just before you spoke to me. I am pretty sure that she went through that door in the alcove. I didn’t actually see her go through it, but I did hear it close.”
As I looked from Dr. Lawrence to Chris, I felt shock by the matching expressions on their faces.
“Oh, come on. Surely, you saw her, Chris! The doctor has an excuse, his back was to me, but you were sitting right there, facing this direction. Even you couldn’t have been that engrossed in the conversation that you didn’t see someone dressed all in white, walk right past you.”
The two of them looked like they had been struck with one of those ‘freeze-ray’ guns from some science fiction story. They just stood there, staring at me as though I had turned purple or something.
“What on earth are you staring at me like that for?” My voice cracked so much it didn’t even sound, as if it had come from my own throat. I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and I wished that one of them would say something.
Even hearing that I had totally lost my mind had to be better than this silent staring.
Finally, Dr. Lawrence came to his senses. Blinking a few times, clearing his throat, running his hands through his hair and adjusting his tie, he asked, “What did this woman look like, Ella?”
“Well, as I have already said, she was dressed all in white. She had golden blonde hair, down past her shoulders and…”
I stopped in mid-sentence. I could not for the life of me give them any better description than that. I had no idea what she had looked like, other than the fact that she was beautiful. I didn’t even know what color her eyes were.
“And, I don’t know,” I finished lamely.
“No, I don’t suppose you do.” Dr. Lawrence sighed. “The door which you indicated, there in the alcove, has not been used for years. It was sealed up, when the room on the other side was turned into a file room.
“There is a very heavy filing cabinet on the other side of that door, which would be impossible to move. I think perhaps all the stress over the past few days has been too much for you to handle.”
“Are you telling me that I imagined it?” There was a definite tremor in my voice.
“Ella.” Chris was at my elbow, with real concern showing in his eyes. “Sweetheart, I didn’t see anyone. I am sure there was no woman here. There wasn’t even time enough for anyone to come into the room and then leave again. You were only standing at the window for a minute or two, when Dr. Lawrence asked you if he could look at your necklace. You must have imagined it.”
“But, she seemed so real, Chris,” I begged him with my eyes to believe me.
“And I am sure that I was standing at the window for a lot longer than a couple of minutes. She used her breath to cause the fog on the window and drew my pendant in that fog.”
Turning to point at the fog drawing, I was startled to see a grimy, undisturbed, barred window that you couldn’t even see through.
“Ella,” Doctor Lawrence’s friendly, gentle voice was back. “The human mind is an amazingly strong machine, but very fragile at the same time. In times of great stress, it protects us in numerous ways.
“But… to be quite honest, I do not think that this is the case, this time. This is something altogether different. You see, Ella, you are not the only person to say that you have seen this woman.”
“So, you did see her.”
“No. I am afraid that I have never had the pleasure of meeting ‘The Lady in White’, as she is known. Many of my staff, as well as most of the patients here have seen her, though. You see, this house has quite a history, and the woman that you saw lived within these walls many, many years ago.
“After she died, the house stood empty for a long time. She and her lover were murdered in the west tower. Her husband was a cruel man, he kept her very much like a prisoner, but when he was away tending to his lands, she found a way to have a relationship with another man.
“He had been hired as a gard
ener. They soon found out that they not only shared a love for flowers, but they also shared a profound loneliness as well. The young gardener’s family had been tragically lost in a fire and the Lady had been cut off from her family, by her husband’s cruelty.
“They both wanted to find a way to be together. They were in the tower, going over their secret plans of how the Lady would be able to escape, when her husband returned earlier than expected. The mistress’s lady-in-waiting tried to run and warn the lovers of his arrival, but he was too fast and she paid for her loyalty with her head.
“When the Lord of the manor came upon the lovers, he ended both of their lives, quite viciously, then hurled himself from the topmost window. After that, none of the family wanted anything to do with the estate and it simply sat empty, for years.
“About fifty years ago, it was purchased through a public auction and renovated to be this institute. ‘The Lady in White’ has been seen many times walking the halls. She has spoken to a lot of the residents here, but you are the first visitor to ever encounter her.”
“You’re telling me that I saw a ghost?” my breath was coming in short, painful gasps at the very idea.
“Well, we actually call her a ‘watcher’ as she seems to watch over everyone here. However, you have no need to worry, you are in no danger. We have never had anything happen that could in the least be considered the workings of a poltergeist or angry spirit.”
“Now, if I may. I should very much like to have a look at your amulet.”
Fourteen
We had all taken our seats again, throughout the telling of the Lady’s story. I leaned forward in my seat on the couch, holding the necklace out for the doctor to see. The chain was still securely around my neck, which was exactly where I intended it to stay.
Dr, Lawrence reached out to take it in his hand. Just as his fingers touched the edge of it, there was a loud knock at the door.
We all jumped at the sound and a nervous giggle escaped my throat. Upon the doctor’s beckoning, the same nurse who had escorted us to the office came in.
“I’m sorry Dr. L, but Marsha is getting very anxious. She has been dressed and waiting for you all morning. She says that she made this appointment with you a week ago.”
“And right she is. Tell, Her Ladyship, that I will be up to see her latest creation shortly.” Dr. Lawrence chuckled, the first real sound of happiness or relaxation that I’d heard from him, as the nurse closed the door.
As she left, he turned back to Chris and I. “I am so sorry about that. Now perhaps, if we are quick enough, I can get a glimpse of your necklace.”
I held it out once again for him to see. His hand did not move in my direction that time. He just sat there, leaning forward… staring at my pendant… or amulet or whatever you want to call it.
His face grew deathly pale as his eyes widened, the same way my father’s had. Even his lips lost all color. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead; he seemed to be having difficulty breathing.
“Amazing. Absolutely amazing.” He was stammering. “Oh my God! How could it be? I thought she… It was just a… How could she do this?”
Finally looking at me, the fog seemed to clear from his eyes. “Please forgive me, Miss Marshall. I must seem like a babbling idiot to you.”
Jumping to his feet, he very nearly knocked the table in front of the sofa over. “Come with me. There is something that I really do think you must see.”
* * * *
Down the hall, up three flights of ornate stone steps and along another wide hall, we obediently followed the back of the doctor’s bobbing head. All along the hall, he greeted and was greeted, by the residents of Mountain View. The majority of them referred to him as Dr. L. There was a relaxed way about how he interacted with them all.
It was clear that they were comfortable. Some of them wore institutional-style pajamas. The majority were dressed just like Chris and I in jeans and sweaters, while others wore outrageous costumes.
The most notable by far, was the woman standing ramrod straight at the end of the hall. I knew right away that she just had to be, Her Ladyship. Her raven hair hung so straight that not only did it look ironed, but starched as well. Her face had been thickly powdered to a ghostly white sheen. Her body was covered from chin to floor in black taffeta, black evening gloves covered her hands.
As her right arm slowly rose to point, perfectly rigid, from her shoulder directly at the doctor’s face, I had the chilling thought that she could very easily pass for a female version of the Grim Reaper.
Her raspy voice sent chills down my spine, “We have waited long, for thy coming, sir. Thou hast caused great anxiety upon our body. Thy time is under no circumstance whatsoever, as important as ours. What excuse dost thee choose for thy pardon, this day, Mr. Sawbones?”
Right there in the middle of that sterile, white hall, Dr. Lawrence took the stiffly extended hand, lowered his lips to the black cloth, and then folded himself at the waist in a deep, formal bow.
“If her Ladyship couldst find forgiveness for such an un-courteous man as myself, the gratitude that I should feel would be immeasurable.”
Lowering her hand, closing her powdered eyes and turning her back to us, the Lady rasped, “As thee is aware of thy wrongness, we shall pardon thee… yet again. Now, on to the unveiling which is at hand.”
Forcing myself to not burst out laughing, as the doctor winked at us over his shoulder, I looked at Chris. It was obvious that he was struggling to stifle a laugh as well.
We all followed the dark figure through the double doors and into an amazingly large art gallery. Sculptures of every size and shape, framed sketches and paintings as well as numerous pieces of fine pottery, filled the room.
“What is all this? Where did it all come from?” I felt nearly overwhelmed by all of the amazing treasures in that room.
“This is all work done by our residents. Have a look around; I will just be a minute or two, while Lady Raven shows me her latest painting. There is something very important that I want to show you.”
True to his word, the doctor found us examining the exhibit within five minutes.
“Some pretty amazing things here aren’t there?” he remarked as he came to stand beside us in front of a beautiful rendering of the surrounding mountains.
“Some of these would be worth a small fortune. You should try putting them on the market,” Chris mused.
“Oh, we have. We have had shows and quite a few of the pieces have sold. The institute takes a small percentage and the rest of the money goes into the artist’s account. That way, when they are ready to re-enter the outside world, they have a financial cushion, as well as an outlet through their art.”
“That’s wonderful,” I couldn’t tear my eyes from the magnificent painting before me. “But, what does all of this have to do with my mother?”
“All of this is because of Sandra. She was the first artist to use the arts and crafts supplies for more than just crafts. She got a lot of the other residents motivated, and this, this is the result.”
Looking around the gallery, trying to spy something could be my mother's, I queried, “Which ones are hers?”
“None of these, Sandra has her own room. She has always insisted on that; keeping her work separated from the others. It is just one of those artistic quirks. That room is what I wanted to show you.”
As he turned, he motioned for us to follow him.
Fifteen
After weaving our way through the labyrinth of exhibits, we entered a smaller art gallery through a door in the far wall. As we walked in, the sheer volume of paintings that filled the space overwhelmed me. Every inch of wall was covered with framed paintings overlapping each other. More hung suspended from the ceiling on piano wire, while even more stood in stacks against the walls and piled on the floor in carefully balanced towers.
They were all breathtakingly beautiful. It was hard to believe that the same person who had tried to kill her child could have painte
d something so full of passion.
“Sandra is a very passionate woman.” Dr. Lawrence told me quietly, as if he had been reading my thoughts.
“She is usually very serene and uncomplicated. The reason that she has remained in residence here at Mountain View has more to do with these paintings than I ever realized.
“You see, once a year, for the last ten years, we have had a meeting to decide whether or not she is ready to be released. As soon as she hears the subject of returning to her home, Sandra’s whole persona changes.
“The serene lovely artist that we have all come to know and love is eclipsed by a violent raging maniac. She reverts to the way she was when she first arrived here, she rants on about the two forces that will clash. She screams every year that the stars ask too much from her.
“She demands to have the doors thrown open for her, to allow her to re-enter the world and hunt down and destroy the cause of all the havoc in the world… you, Ella! It seems that she still wants to see you dead—at least a part of her does.”
I stood there, staring at him in disbelief. The doctor had just told me that every time she thought that there was a chance to get to me, my own mother went crazy with the need to kill me. After all those years, she still wanted my blood on her hands and there I was, walking right into her grasp.
“Oh my God, Chris. What am I doing here?”
Taking me into his embrace, he reassured me softly. “You are here to get answers. You are safe. This is the best place for you to talk to her. They know how to handle her here. I am sure the good doctor here, will ensure your safety, as well as your mother’s.”
The good doctor was standing in front of a canvas, staring at it with such intensity; it was almost as though he were trying to see through it. I am sure that he had not heard a single word Chris and I had said. In fact, he probably forgot we were even there. When I asked him, just how he thought the paintings had something to do with my mother’s bloodlust, he turned to me as if he were in a dream.