"It's time to tuck you in sweetie" Jenna said as she put Rebecca on bed .
"Mom?" Rebecca called.
"Yes baby girl" she responded
"Why does that lantern always come on at night? Is it some kind of 'wonder of the world' too?" She asked innocently.
"Oh darling, there are other forces in the world that aren't so natural after all." She responded gently.
"Mom! You always say that but never really give a valid explanation as to why the lantern is turned on. Yet you tell me to avoid the lantern" Rebecca said in an upset tone.
"I would love to tell you the story dear but you're still very young and your tender heart may not carry" Jenna responded.
"Mooom!, you know that I can handle anything. Anything at all" Rebecca said while giving her mom the puppy-eyes.
"Fine. Fine. I'm going to tell you the story, but mind you, I won't be sleeping in your room tonight so you'd be on your own. Do you still want to hear the story?" Jenna asked her ten years old daughter.
"Just spill the beans already mom" Rebecca said with excitement in her voice.
"Okay darling, you asked for it". Jenna said as she took a deep
breath.
Many years ago, there was a family of three that lived in our neighbours house. History has it that they were very lovely people. A husband, wife and their only son-Jack.
Just like you, Jack loved to stare out his window at night. On one of those nights, little jack saw a man covered in a coat with a lantern in his left hand. The man beckoned to Jack for help and Jack with his good heart offered to help. He didn't want to wake his parents up in the process so he opened his window and slid out.
Nobody knows what happened to little Jack but his parents never saw him again.
"First of all mom, who told this story? Was there any other person staying with little Jack? How did they get the perfect description of the man in the coat?". Rebecca asked
Jenna let out a gentle laugh.
" Now, you wouldn't expect me to know this. I wasn't even born when this incident occurred. I'm just telling me what your grandparents told me" Jenna responded.
"Does this mean that the man in a coat abducted Jack?" Rebecca asked with a trembling voice
"That I do not know for sure, but what I do know is that people still hear little jacks voice calling from the lantern" Jenna responded.
"So Jack is trapped in the lantern and no one wants to save him?" Rebecca asked.
"You won't even let me finish the story Rebecca" Jenna blurted.
"I'm sorry mom, please go on" Rebecca said.
Days went by and everyone who passed by the lantern could hear a voice coming from the lantern but know one dared to touch the lantern.
In the same mysterious way, Jack's parents disappeared and soon enough, it wasn't just Jack's voice that could be heard from the lantern. It was the whole family's voice.
People came up with different suggestions about the lantern. Some said that the family was being used to lure more people, well other said they were trapped in the upsidedown. I think that they're trapped in the upsidedown.
A judgement was passed and it ordered everyone to stay clear of the lantern at night because that was when the voices could be heard.
"Trapped in the upsidedown? How possible is that?" Rebecca asked.
"Okay honey, it's way past your bedtime. You can save the questions for another day" Jenna responded. She gave Rebecca a light kiss on her cheeks and turned off the light.
"Goodnight mom"
"Good night honey. I love you"
Jenna woke up quite early and went to grab herself a cup of coffee. On her way, she noticed Rebecca's room door was slightly open. That was strange. She remembered shutting the door last night and Rebecca never woke up so early.
She trudged to Rebecca's room and her little girl was nowhere to be found.
"Rebecca! She screamed as she searched everywhere for her little girl.
The window was open. The window! The lantern!
"What have I done!" Jenna weeped. She realised that she didn't emphasise the fact that Rebecca wasn't supposed to open her windows at night yet alone go close to the lantern.
With so much determination, Jenna waited patiently for dusk. History was about to repeat itself because Jenna was going to find her babygirl at all cost.
What do I see
I see a lantern. It's the only source of light on a dark path. There is a cloud of mist surrounding the lantern, indicating a cold night.
What do I feel
I feel that there is some sort of story behind why the lantern is lit on a dark and lonely path. It gives an eerie feeling.
| This is my entry into the freewriteshouse pic1000 prompt. |
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With love, wongi ✨