watching

Year 1671.

The darkened sky rumbled angrily and the wind howled and whistled in warning of an approaching tempest. In one of the sleeping chambers somewhere high in the castle, A woman was curled up on a bed, her golden hair spread like a halo were a contrast against the silken black sheets. The continuous squeaking of the window on its rusty hinges brought a tight frown on her forehead and with a ear shattering thunder, she jolted awake from her slumber. Barefoot, she paded towards the open window, The stone floors cold against the warmth of her skin sending goosebumps up her spine. Her thin chemise was barely enough to ward off the icy gust of wind that blew inside, snuffing out the remaining candles and shrouding the room in absolute darkness. It was a little after noon but the dark clouds looming above had transcended it into complete night. after spending years in the abandoned duchy of Cranborne where sun was a rare sight, She had become accustomed to inclement weather. The storm cloud released a mighty downpour as she gazed upon the unkempt lawns surrounding the ancient, withering castle. her skin tingled with the ominous awareness of being watched and chill curled at the back of her spine. at once, her head jerked to the turret on her left and she staggered back, startled. There, in front of the crumbling, soaked tree, a shadow stood as still as a stone statue and the only sign of any movement was the slow fluttering of a cloak. Lightening struck again and she tried to wipe away her sleep by rubbing her fist over them but she could still see the unmistakable outlining of a figure standing still under the unforgivable onslaught of heavy rain. she could turn away and run back under the covers and pretend as if no one caught her playing with sparks but for some reason her wide eyes were caught in a trance as if a single blink and it would somehow appear right next to her. despite the panic sinking it's sharp teeth into Delaney, her breath came out in quick burst of chaos and the thunder was a distant melody now as she watched the figure move. she could tell that they too were staring right back at her with the slight tilt of their hood clad head and her throat worked with sheer terror as the figure lazily prowled towards the courtyard.

A thousand questions ran through her mind after all other than Barbara and sir Alen and herself, no one lived on the property and the figure was much more broader and taller than her knight so who could it be?

Spooked, She found herself slamming the window close with more force than needed and went back to her bed with her room shrouded in complete darkness.

The pitter patter of the rain and the thunder was becoming soothing now and she was lulled into a deep slumber. The next time she opened her eyes, it was night time.