Chapter 1-Title Undecided
We read a short story called "The Yellow Wallpaper", I am taking a page from it and writing a new story. I do not own any rights to the story. This is all fictional, any coincidences come from my inspiration from the story.
The car hit a pothole, roughly. Melanie shot up in her seat. John had been driving and she was too tired to stay awake. Not to mention that the cars rhythm can put anyone to sleep. She wasn’t excited; she had rarely been, not for a long while. John was taking her away, to help her. She loved him dearly and did anything he asked of her.
She looked out the window; the landscape had gone from interstate highway to forest. How long had she been asleep?
“We’re almost there darling. A few more miles.” John said, his tone far from caring. She found it odd.
“I didn’t know it would be this secluded…” She replied, trailing off in the end. He offered no response.
The paved road ended and a dirt road began. At least it was dry, so they weren’t splashing through mud. She continued watching the trees blur by; uneasiness began to settle firmly in the pit of her stomach. She was happy to be with John, but to be so far out. They were so distant from life, secluded in the woods.
The car began to slow and her attention shifted to the front of the car. Ahead of them lay a rather large estate. Old, yet still somehow very well kept. They stopped in front of the gate blocking entrance to the property. John parked, turned off the car and got out. The keys to the gate must have been added to his keychain. He removed a padlock and swung the gates open.
“What do you think?” He asked as he got back into the car.
“It’s beautiful.” She said softly as her eyes combed the property. It looked as if the grounds had just been recently taken care of, John must have had people come before they got there. They followed the driving path, round the side of the estate and toward the garages. John pressed a button on the console by the car light, one garage door opened in response.
‘Yes.’ She thought. ‘He has been here to take care of things already.’
The garage was not to far from the estate so it was a short walk to carry their bags in. The rest would arrive tomorrow, along with her sister in law.
John opened the back door and they rolled their suitcases inside. He moved ahead of her. Flipping on the light as he left the room with his bags. She stayed behind, examining the room they just entered. She looked down the hall, far beyond was the front door. It was a long hallway connecting the front to the back.
She left her suitcase and began to walk the hall. Her hand was dragging along the mahogany wood that paneled the walls. She passed openings to other rooms. A sitting room, a dinning room, men’s parlor complete with a billiards table, and then what appeared to be a woman’s room with a piano, the house was old fashioned to say the least. She hopped the billiards table and the piano had come with it and John had not made a few impulse buys.
She reached the front, exiting the hall and into a grand entrance room. An ornate crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, two beautiful staircases running along both sides of the room to the second floor. She wondered where the stairs to the third floor were. The curtain at the windows were drawn, she opened them, letting the light invade the darkened space. It made the chandelier glow; the spectrum of light invaded her eyes. She got lost in the beauty.
“Sweetheart?” Jonathan had appeared out of nowhere, scaring her. Her hand shot to her chest. It beat wildly as he ran to her. He was quick. He managed to reach her as her legs began to buckle. The light faded as her eyes closed.
She awoke later. How long she had been out was uncertain, but from the light she could she, it had gotten darker. She felt around to figure out where she was. A bed? A bed where? They had not chosen a room yet, why would he have a bed set up? She sat up, unsure of her surroundings yet. Light was shining softly from behind the curtains. She found her way to them, opening them give her a little more sight. John was lying on the bed next to where she had been. He must have sensed she had moved. He stirred and looked to her by the window.
“Melanie, please come lay back down. I don’t think you should be back on your feet yet.” He said it softly, but with a sternness behind it that said he would make her if she disagreed. She nodded and walked back to the bed, returning to the spot she had just left.
“I’m sorry I frightened you. I did not mean to. Are you okay?” He said with the genuine love she had felt missing earlier that day.
“Yes love, I am. It’s just my anxiety, as you know.” She replied.
“How do you feel now?”
“Better, calm, relaxed.”
He kissed her forehead, and then he moved closer to her side. They soon fell back to sleep, letting it keep them until the sun would rise.
Melanie awoke the next morning, finding John had already risen. Her next discovery was the room they had been sleeping in. Whether it was the grogginess from last night, or the bad lighting, she had not noticed the horrid state of the room.
The walls were in horrid condition, peeling yellow wallpaper covered the walls. The wall itself was filled with dents and holes in the plaster. The floor was not in bad condition, but it was worn. Furniture had been moved in, a dew dressers and a desk. The bed seemed to be the only nice thing, and that was only because it was the one they brought from their old home.
Out of bed, Melanie examined the decaying wall treatment. Her fingers traced the rough texture. ‘Who would put this up?’ That led her to wonder what kind of people had once lived here.
As she toured the room she came to a set of French doors, leading to a balcony. She stepped outside, finding herself at the top of the house, four flights up. She hadn’t realized how big the house was. The balcony wrapped around to one other side of the room, looking over the grounds behind the house.
That was a sight to be seen. It began with a normal backyard, past that a swimming pool, but beyond… gardens, all sorts. She could only see the roses from there and knew she had to visit them.
She finished admiring the grounds and moved back into the room, finding the door back down to the rest of the house. She managed to get down to the ground floor, where she found John in the kitchen with coffee.
“Good morning Johnathon.” She said quietly as she entered.
He looked up from his paper when he heard her voice. He smiled and rose from his chair to embrace her.
“How did you sleep love?” He queried after kissing her good morning.
“Well thank-you. I don’t think I ever slept that well in the city.” She responded with a smile.
“I hope you don’t mind that I made an executive decision on the room. I just thought it would be perfect. At the top of the house, a beautiful view.” He said in his defense.
“It is lovely, but we will have to do something about the walls. I don’t think I can live with that wall paper.”
“Anything you want. We can have someone come to take a look. A designer?” He asked.
She paused, “Well, I was hoping I might be able to work on it myself.”
“Melanie, you know with your anxiety and the fact that you seem to always have very little energy, it might be to much for you.” He said to her, with a tone of doctoral concern.
“Maybe it will help me. Maybe it will get me over my exhaustion.” She said desperately.
“Melanie, I’m your husband, and I am also your doctor. I have to say no to this. I don’t want you to push yourself until we have a better understanding of what’s going on.”
She sighed, but knew she could not argue. “Alright, we can have someone come out an do it.” She felt defeated.
“Listen, I have to go into work soon. Explore the house today. Maybe look around the grounds, but do not over exert yourself. Charlotte will be here within a few hours.” With that he kissed her once more and left the kitchen to get ready.
After he left, she returned to their room to change. She couldn’t help but keep staring at the ugly wallpaper. Perhaps he wouldn’t let her redesign the room, but he said nothing about getting rid off the old stuff.
She went to the first panel of wallpaper that was peeling and ripped it off. It left some remnants behind, but she got a lot of it off. Just as she was about to move onto the next panel, she noticed something. There was something else on the wall. She couldn’t tell for sure right away, but it looked like a face. A face with eyes, piercing eyes that sought her out immediately. Her heart began to beat faster and she backed away from the wall. Backed up to her bed where she sat and watched the eyes. The eyes, which watched back.