Wraith

(For right now I'm calling this project Wraith but I am busily working on it)

Wraiths

I was sitting out on my porch just relaxing as it was reaching dusk. The shadows were lengthening with the sun so low on the horizon. Shapes were becoming indistinct all around and it finally was the time I wanted to relax for a while. Earlier in the day the kids had come back for a visit and had brought my Grandchildren with them.

Now I love them dearly but I like shorter visits then how long they spent at our house for the day. They have so much more energy than I do, the little varmints. I really do wish sometimes I was four, five and six years old once again. Being the age I am I’m sure doesn’t have any advantages for me in some ways.

While I was sitting there just about nodding off some of the shadows started coming to life. I guess that would be the best way to describe it. It was as if they were dancing and writhing on the expanse of rather dead desiccated brown grass that consisted of my lawn. At first, they weren’t making any sound which was a little disturbing but I let that pass rather quickly. I was by this time becoming very awake and sentient as they got closer.

"Come join us!" I felt it more than I heard it.

Not quite believing what was happening I asked the moving forms a question as I shook my head. I now really wanted to eliminate the unwelcome intrusion. "What are you talking about?"

Once again I felt their voice within me, "come join us".

I was really starting to believe that my mind was playing tricks on me. There was no way that something like this could be! "But I don't want to join you", I declared. "I want to stay right here where I am!"

"Oh no, we insist that you come with us now", I felt the now adamant voice inside of my head. Writhing together the phantasms came over to where I was at and began to surround me. Though I really wanted to run away I found that I just couldn't. My body was ignoring what my brain was attempting to tell it to do.

I began to feel myself rise from my chair into the air as it seemed I was floating. My heart fluttered as my fear began to overwhelm me while the phantoms began to cradle me. In moments I found myself in the middle of the yard. My every struggle against their taking hold of me proved totally ineffectual.

Everything around me began to fade into what seemed the distance. Shadows coalesced into nothing as everything disappeared that had been a part of my life. While for a few moments I could see all that had been around me clearly now it began to look much like the heat rising off of blacktop. Then it all began to fade into what seemed to be the distance as everything became lighter.

When it all started becoming clear again I could see a bright sunny field that extended below me. In the distance it looked like I could see the ocean? On the hillside began to appear to me with little buildings that made me think of little grey beehives. They were quite a distance from where I was standing. "Where the hell am I?" I looked around trying to figure it out and nothing was coming to me. There was absolutely nothing that I could recognize around me. Even the phantasms that brought me here were now nowhere to be seen. They had apparently served their purpose whatever that might be.

Having the oddest feeling I had to ask a question. "What the hell was I doing here?"

This is something I knew I would have to find out pretty soon. Under my feet the wonderful carpet of sedge and heather felt so comfortable. I began to stroll slowly towards the beehive shaped stone buildings near the bottom of the hill. For a moment I wondered what was behind me so I stopped and turned around. At the top of the hill appeared to be a high peak that was shrouded in clouds and I couldn’t see anything else.

With nothing for me to really see I began heading towards the bee hive shaped buildings again. In my ears the crunching of the heather sounded really loud with every step. The only other sound was the wind that blew around me. It was an almost constant wind that was blowing in fact. There just wasn’t anything to stop it either I figured out after a few moments except for things like the stone wall I was getting close to.