Touching Him Softly

Leon

Late summer of 1958

"It all began with a letter, a letter that I received on the day of my twenty-eighth birthday."

Dear Leon:

To my precious Leon, by the time you read this letter, I must be gone. You've been a blessing to my life, watching you grow up and turn out to be a handsome well educated young man. The only problem is that you are so cold-hearted. I don't know what happened for you to turn like that, but I hope that one day your heart will melt. I have a treasure I left behind Leon. I want you to go back to my old manor and take care of my treasure. Please have patience and I pray that money isn't all that you think of. I promise you that this treasure is beyond any money you will receive.

Love, Aunt Heather

-----

"Are you sure about this?" My cousin asks as he drives me towards the manor. I cross my arms, looking straight ahead, watching snow beginning to fall. We are in the far west of the mountains in a small village that my aunt used to live.

"I am." I simply told him. He frowns scratching his big forehead with his thumb while tightening his hand on the wheel.

"So you're leaving the farm for this?"

"I like old things," I admit to him.

"Sure you do, says the man that has only been a workaholic, farming all the damn time. Don't even have time to date or have fun. I don't even know how you've become so cold-hearted." He said as his eyes concentrated on the rocky road.

He's right, I only pay attention to my farm, my plants, and animals. I don't have time for dating or such. It's a waste of time.

I move myself to get more comfortable since his old red truck seat is a bit stiff.

"Life just brings unexpected twists and turns." I simply told him. Looking out the glass window watching as the scenery of trees passed by. My cousin sighs in frustration scratching his matted curly brown hair.

"Well, everyone goes through hell at a certain point of their life, but it's no reason to grow cold, you dig?"

"Depends on how you look at it," I told him.

"Leon, sometimes you irritate me."

"Well, I'm not pleasing everyone, am I?" I turn to give him a forced smile causing him to sneer at me.

"Damn, such a pain in my rear as always." he shook his head as he came to a stop parking in front of the large manor. Without a word, we both left the truck, slamming the truck door hard behind me and I turned to see the manor in front of us.

It's a huge thing, a faded blue color with overgrown vines. Some of the windows are boarded up and it's only three stories high including the attic with the small window. I look up at the night sky watching more snowflakes coming down, piling up the front of the hood of the truck and on the glass, watching the windshields go back and forth getting rid of flakes to give us a better view of the road.

"This place gives me the heebie-jeebies. I'm actually glad that aunt Heather didn't let me inherit this old place. I don't care if it cost a fortune. I just never liked this place." I heard Oliver complain.

I went behind the truck and gather my bags and swing it over so I can take a hold of it. My cousin pierced his brown eyes at me. I blinked as I arched a brow.

"What?" I asked as I turned around, heading towards the doors.

"Didn't you hear?" He asks, as I stop halfway and a strange sensation ran down my spine. I felt like someone was looking down at us. I lifted my gaze up to see for a brief second something white in the window, like a dress or a sheet. I squinted my eyes, not sure how to receive that.

"What didn't I hear?" I asked as I shook my head and headed towards the brown door. Upon entering through the brown door, we entered a small hallway that leads towards the big old living room. A large fireplace is seen and above it is a large old portrait of my aunt. A younger self of herself. Smooth pale skin, with chubby round cheeks. Her hair is curly locks of gold and thick hands lay gracefully on her lap. Showing her puffy green fashionable old dress with large gold earrings and a few rings on her fingers. I couldn't help but smile at the display.

"That this place is haunted by the virgin ghost." my cousin said as he shivered at the mention. I was taken aback by his words looking at him.

"Is it now?" I simply said, feeling a bit amused to hear that.

"Of course, rumors have it that she died along with the fire."

"Fire?" I asked him. My cousin stretches out his arms to dramatize his explanation.

"How long have you been out of touch with Aunt Heather? She had a fire about five years ago. Up to this day, no one knows what really happened. Rumors had it that she had a young woman living with her, but she died in the fire. From what I learn she used to be called the village idiot." He explains.

"I didn't know she had a child, I haven't seen her for over ten years. I have been eighteen since the last time I have seen her." I admit to him.

"A lost cousin? I really don't know, but from what I know she never married and I never heard she had a lover. If so it should be some hell of a secret having a kid out of wedlock." He admits. I shrug, not caring about that, but from what my memories served she never had a child.

"Stop assuming things, past is in the past. Since it's late trying to fix the fireplace. If memory serves me she has a little red tool shed in the backyard. I'll search if there's any wood in stock." I told him. Oliver nods, but his face tells me he doesn't want to be left alone. I rolled my eyes at him, turning around to head for the kitchen.

The kitchen looks old decaying almost, I turn on the switch and the light went on, but the light bulb flickered. There's no furniture at all. Only one old yellowing refrigerator on the right side of the wall and an old stove next to it. Two large windows face the east side giving a beautiful view of the mountains.

I wonder if I can restore this old place? It used to be a small theatre for the village. It used to be my favorite place to come to hear music when I was a child. The theatre should still be intact on the eastern side of the manor, right? Concerned now since I heard about the fire.

Upon going outside, I began to walk towards the shed. Looking at the massive large yard for some odd reason it felt like a gothic graveyard. Aunt Heather has about five angels statues at each corner. The shed is a small thing compared to the statues. It's painted red and has a flat rooftop. I place my hands inside the pockets of my black jacket to cover them from the cold.

As I walk down, I stop midway and look down at the floor to take notice of something strange. Small footprints on the light snow and it looks freshly made to. I arched a brow as I turn to see the brown shed door open. Upon reaching it, I didn't see anything inside, but old tools. No logs insight.

I didn't see anything at all. No footprints. Nothing. I told myself.

Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching me once again. I turned to look around, but couldn't spot anyone. Maybe I'm overthinking it too much.

Turning around I headed back to the manor. I spot a small amount of stock of wood on the right corner near one of the old aging angel. I went up to it and bend down to grab it. I stop in my tracks when I heard small movements behind me like a shuffling sound. I turned rapidly, but once again, I didn't see anyone.

"Must be a wild animal that lives in the mountains. I forgot we get those here." I told myself, looking back up at the statue. I shiver to see the hollow eyes looking back at me as though it can see me or something. They have their arms upwards as though praising to the heavens and has huge wings behind it.

"This place is not haunted at all. Nope, I'm just too tired is all." I convinced myself once again and head back in.

Upon returning to the living room, Oliver sat on the old red couch looking at something in his hand. I went up to the fireplace and place the wood inside.

"This is enough for tonight." I simply told him.

"I have a question," Oliver asks of me, causing me to turn to look at him.

"Yes?" He shows me the letter from my aunt and waves it a bit drastic. I place the wood down and went up to him snatching the paper away from him.

"How did you get this?" I asked a bit annoyed.

"Aren't you a bit frosted? I found it in your luggage sticking out. My question is, you know Aunt Heather died a few years ago." He said. I nodded, sitting next to him.

"So?"

"Then why are you receiving this letter years later? From what I know, her lawyer never mentioned a letter," he tells me. I look down at the letter re-reading the paragraphs.

"Then who do you think sent this?" I asked, turning to look at him. My cousin looks around, hunching closer to me as we heard a loud thump upstairs causing us to jump in fright.

"Maybe the virgin ghost, that wants to gobble you up!"