Pink Wine

Castle Hill Stories
Pink Wine
7
*******
Through the lace the sun beamed in on the pillow where Dawn slept. Her face was swollen from her soon to be ex’s visit. Still she looked peaceful sleeping there. At lease Lauren thought so right before she woke her mother up.

“Mom get up. Rise and shine sweetheart. I forgot to leave you a note yesterday Aunt Vick is going to be here today. She’s coming in for the Fall Festival.” Lauren said then took a seat on Dawn’s bed.

Dawn pushed herself up on her elbows and replied, “Good Lord. Vick could have given me some warning.”

“She told me on the phone that the stars told her she needed to be here.” For that remark Dawn smacked Lauren playful with a pillow then fell back on the bed.

Later in the day Aunt Vick entered the house and filled it with joy.

“Damn, that is one pink kitchen.” Vick said as she placed her hands on her hips.

Vick was a curve gal that all the men loved and she loved them right back. She even married one once. Vick always told people she wouldn’t marry again because the last one had the bad taste to die on her. The truth was that she loved him very much and missed him every day.

“Oh don’t start on me you paint your kitchen blue. You even painted the ceiling blue with little stars.” Dawn rolled her eyes at Vick and walked around the table to the sink.

“Oh you’re just jealous. Do you have any pink wine to go with this kitchen?” Vick said as she moved herself to the table and took a seat. Dawn smiled at her and got some wine.

The day passed and the two women caught up on each others lives. Trin and Lauren fluttered into the conversation from time to time. When the day was done the two women moved out to the back patio to share yet another glass of wine and a look at the stars.

“You have told me everything today and yet you’ve told me nothing. There’s a damn witches salt circle around your house and you haven’t brought it up once. Please tell me you didn’t do this?” Vick remarked as she turned her glaze from the stars to look at Dawn’s reaction.

“Well you know how I feel about the subject.” Dawn said she stared back at Vick.

“You know more about this subject then most and that damn salt circle is glowing blue. Trin and Lauren don’t see it do they?”

“No! Vick watch what you say in front of the girls.”

“Lauren is old enough to know what you are. Next summer we’ll all know if she is one of us. Don’t you think you owe it to her to prepare her for what might happen?”

“I have time Vick. I have time. I just want her to be normal a little bit longer. Unlike you I was born this way. I can’t believe you can see the blue glow.” Dawn was exasperated with her friend. Was now the time to tell Vick about the Vampire.

“Dawn we have been friends awhile and I know when something’s up with you. Just tell me what’s going on so I can relax.”

“The salt circle came with the house. So did the vampire in the big house on the hill. My ex-husband is going to screw up my life every time I get comfortable but hey relax your not me.” Dawn gave Vick a bit of sarcasm to chew on.

Vick made her way to one of the plastic patio chairs and flopped into it. She took a long drink from her wine glass and stared back up at the stars.

“Oh come on, say something. I get it that I’m screwed but where is the love and support.” Dawn said as she took a seat next to Vick.

“Maybe you’re not screwed. Maybe you’re are the path that your meant to be on. But damn a real Vampire!” Vick rolled her eyes and looked at Dawn.

“He’s good looking in a manly way too”

“Please to don’t let me meet him, I’ll fall in love.”

“I think he’s lonely too”

“Shut up! I’m getting wet.” Both women started laughing. Vick was happy because it had been a long time since she had heard Dawn laugh like this.

“Vick I’m glad you’re here. You and I haven’t torn it up for a long time. Maybe we should. Here’s to our next adventure.” Dawn said as she raised her wine glass to Vick. Just then both women heard a growling noise. Both ladies stared at a black wolf on the other side of the salt circle.

“Did you forget to tell me you met a werewolf by any chance?” Vick tried to make light the position they were in.

The wolf pace the edge of the salt circle as both women sat there wine glasses down on the concrete and rose to their feet. Dawn looked over at Vick and nodded then walked to the edge of the salt circle. The wolf moved to meet Dawn then let out a mighty howl. The howl was answered by a white wolf running toward them.

When the white wolf reach the black wolf it went straight to battle by jumping on its back and biting its neck. The two wolves rolled around and fought till the black wolf yelped away. The white wolf took a moment to catch its breath while staring at the women. Then it walked across the salt line straight to Dawns side. The wolf nuzzled its nose to Dawn’s tight, so she reached her hand down and touched the wolf’s head. Then the wolf ran off back into the fields.

“What the hell was that?” Vick said a little shaky with fear.

“Nothing but Gavin the vampire that lives in that big fancy house up there on the hill.” Somehow Dawn smiled as the words came out of her mouth. Poor Vick was making her way back to her wine glass for a drink but found it empty.

“Boy I hope you got something a little stronger then wine in that pink kitchen of yours.”

To be continued…

Love From Fur

Castle Hill Stories
Love from Fur
6
*******
The night sky was over head while she lay in the gravel of her driveway and cried. Her tear weren’t because she had been smacked down to the ground yet again but from the knowledge that even divorce wouldn’t rid her of Ryan. They had a daughter together and she knew he would use it forever against her.

Blood trickled from her nose and a small bit of blood showed on her mouth. She lay there feeling like a loser. Between sobs she opened her eyes and a white wolf looked down at her.

The blue halo glistened around her but still she reached for the wolf. With pain twirling in her mind she did the unthinkable she ran her hand down through the fur. The wolf groaned and nudged Dawn’s cheek.

Dawn sat up, pulled down her sweater and brushed off her jeans. With the realization that her soon to be ex-husband was truly a monster Dawn took the compassion from the monster in front of her. She wrapped her arms around the wolfs neck and hugged the animal. Her sobs had ended but while her head rested on the animal she got her head back together.

With a little scratch behind the ear she pulled away from the wolf. The wolf stared into Dawns eyes so she bent over and kissed it’s nose. “I’ll be alright now” she said in a small voice.

The wolf howled out into the night and ran off across the field. Dawn picked herself up off the ground as she watched the wolf leave.

“Bye Gavin!”

To be continued…..

Authors note: Sorry I’ve been sick and busy but I truly plan to get back to this story.

Witch Wolf

Castle Hill Stories
Witch Wolf
5
*******
At midnight the wooden kitchen table told many stories. One end of the table had rainbows, castles, and ponies waiting to be colored in with the crayons that filled a basket. In the middle a cheerful bowl of apples and oranges filled the mind with autumn’s bounty. The other end had a stack of bills and divorce papers waiting for decisions to be made. Unfortunate for Dawn she was the one who sat there at midnight trying to make the decisions.

The phone rang and Dawn quickly picked up the cordless phone so Trin didn’t wake up.

“Hello”

“I’m going to be there tomorrow to see my daughter and that piece of shit house you moved her to. Don’t be stupid and try to stop me from seeing her.” The voice of her soon to be ex-husband Ryan sent chills through Dawn.

“Ryan how is this going to help anyone?” Dawn said

“I have a right to see my child and I have a right to see what conditions you’ve moved her into.”

“Fine you do that.”

“I will. Make sure you tell all your hick friends I’ll be carrying my gun. Don’t want any trouble with the locals.” Ryan was making sure Dawn knew his visit wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“I’ll pass that on to anyone that really cares.” Dawn’s anger was growing.

“Tomorrow then.”

“Yes, tomorrow.” The phone clicked dead but Dawn stood there for a few seconds just staring before placing the phone back down on the table.

Dawn shock her head and rolled her eyes with anger a few more minutes before the tears came. She had to be nice to him in hopes that he might give her money. Bills needed to be paid and Trin needed more winter clothes. Dawn was doing the best she could to scrape by. However being polite to a man that used her as a punching bag was something she wasn’t sure she could do anymore.

Needing to clear her head Dawn grabbed a flashlight and headed out to check that the barn was locked properly. She stomped out to the barn while the cold air whipped into her face. Ryan had already beat Dawn with his words so she didn’t feel the cold. She found the barn locked up tight just as she had left it. Working through things in her head Dawn walked over to a bench that sat near the garden.

Blowing out a deep breath Dawn tried to look at the stars but the tears came again. She bent her down and cried into her hand. Then she felt him. She pulled her head from her hands to see the freaky blue bubble surrounding her. This night wasn’t going to get better was all that her mind could think.

“Are you enjoying the show?” the sarcasm in Dawn’s voice was unmistakable.

Dawn watched Gavin float in a flash right up next to her.

“I really didn’t want to intrude. Why are you upset?” Gavin said.

“You mean other then I’m sitting here wrapped in a bubble of light that I don’t understand and I’m talking to a Vampire, right?”

Gavin laughed and sat down next to her. “I’m old, so I’m a good listener.”

“Oh, wow, vampire humor. Yeah that’s going to help me.” Dawn rolled her eyes and gave Gavin a nasty look.

“You stopped crying so the Vampire must have helped a little.” He gave her a nasty look right back.

“This isn’t vampire seduction is it? First I thought it would be better then this and second the last thing on earth I need is a man. Any kind of man.” Dawn turned her head to look into Gavin’s eyes to drive her point home.

“I don’t know about you but I could use a friend.” Gavin said.

Dawn reeled herself in from her anger. She had a lot on her mind and she was trying to understand this man, this vampire who sat beside her.

“Why did you build the salt circle?”

“That’s not an easy question to answer. I don’t think your going to believe me anyway.”

Dawn stood up and looked down and said “Have it your way.” She started walking toward her house.

“She tried to cage me!” Gavin yell out to her as he rose to his feet.

Dawn stopped and turned toward him but didn’t speak.

“She wanted me to make her what I am. I wouldn’t do it so she trapped me. She planned to offer herself to me when the hunger came. I got free before that happened. So I built the circle to protect the house from evil. The downside was that I watched my friend grow old and die” Gavin’s eyes stared at the ground while images of a past life played through his head.

“And my “Blue Halo” as you call is?” Dawn asked.

“My guess is that you’re a natural witch. The circle is feeding your pure energy.”

“Natural Witch! What the hell is that?”

“It a talent that some are born with. Let me guess you like witches just as much as you like vampire.” He laughed at her.

“I don’t have time for this. I have kids to raise, a nut soon to be ex-husband, and bills to pay. Taking night classes at Hogwarts is out of the question.” Dawn was working herself up into a fury over being thought of as a natural witch.

In the open field behind them an animal crept closer to them. Gavin froze trying not to give too much of his surprise away.

“Gavin there is a black wolf about 100 meters over there.” Dawn point in the direction of the wolf but Gavin didn’t turn his head to look.

“It’s time I took my leave. Goodnight.” He took one moment to look deep into Dawns eyes and then he was gone. Dawn looked out into the field and now she could see two wolves. The black wolf that she saw first and a bigger white wolf were crossing the field together.

To be continued…..

Authors notes: Sorry this is taking so long but my daughter has been sick and I haven't had much sleep lately.

Pink

Castle Hill Stories
Pink
4
*******
“Pink! You have a truckload of pink paint. What pray tell are you planning to do with it?” Lauren said as she zipped up her coat and pulled her sunglasses down her nose. She turned head to look up at her mom who was lifting up big buckets of paint from the truck bed.

“I think I’m going to paint everything that doesn’t move including you if you don’t help get this stuff in the barn.” Dawn brushed passed Lauren and heaved two buckets of paint toward the barn.

Lauren picked up her share and followed her mom. They sat the buckets down and headed back.

“Come on, tell me what you planning mom.”

“I’m going to paint the kitchen pink and maybe my bedroom.” Dawn got to the truck and lift out some shopping bags and a gallon of milk.

“Mom no man will step foot in this house.” Lauren laughed at her own words and shook her head no.

“Maybe that’s my point. Now open the back door of the house for me.” Dawn gave her daughter a look. Lauren rolled her eyes, huffed then opened the door.

As Dawn walked in she saw Trin her younger daughter coloring at the kitchen table that had six mismatch chairs. She walked over to her and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you Mom.”

“I love you too Trin. Oh good picture. Is that the barn?” Dawn stopped to study Trin’s drawing.

“Yes, see the fence. I’m doing the grass now.” Trin scrubbed away with her green crayon.

“Mom you need to see this.” Lauren had made her way around the table and was looking out the window over the sink.

A sick feeling hit Dawn’s stomach and she wondered if Lauren was now seeing the blue flame from the salt circle. “Ok Lauren what?”

“Look out in the field. There is a man walking this way holding a big basket. I guess you didn’t paint the house pink quickly enough.” Lauren’s wise ass remark gave Dawn a smile.

All three females were out the door and on the back patio in a flash. A tall man was steadily walking across the field toward them. Dawn was admiring his feature when she realized where she had seen them last.

“I’m going to walk on out and greet him. Lauren I want Trin and you to stay within the circle. Don’t leave it.” Calm was Dawn’s voice but her eyes told Lauren to listen carefully. Lauren grabbed Trin’s hand and took her back over to one of the plastic patio chairs.

At sixteen feet from the man Dawn stopped and put on her best cold hard stare. It worked because the man stopped his pace to a crawl. They both stood at a distance and just looked at one another. Then it clicked in Dawn’s brain that the sun filtering through the clouds.

The man smiled and said “I can walk in the day light. My name is Gavin Campbell and I live in the big house up there on the hill.” He was talking about the big mansion on the hill that Dawn glazed at everyday. She had recently been watching the leaves change color around the place while breathing in the fall air on her patio.

Dawn didn’t move but gave the same unpleasant stare to the man.

“I see you wear that witches blue halo like a proud queen.” Gavin was losing patients with Dawn’s rudeness.

“Considering, that I know what you are, I think I’m doing rather well.” Dawn said while realizing that she was once again in a blue bubble force field.

“Please tell me, that which I am. It has been a long time since I’ve heard a true human say it. Let’s see if you have enough venom in you to spit it out.” Gavin set the basket he carried down on the ground in front of him and folded his arms.

The wind blew Gavin’s shoulder length hair forward so he brushed it back with one hand. Dawn noticed his brown hair had the same red cast that hers did. She couldn’t stop form think that he was just another Scot like herself. But she knew better.

Trying to lighten the tension Dawn asked “What’s in the basket?

Gavin picked up the basket, deciding to give a little too, and held it out to Dawn. “It’s full of vegetables from my garden. I was hoping to make it a welcoming gift.”

Placing one foot in front of the other Dawn took the basket from Garvin and then said “Thank you.”

The blue bubble snapped and popped when she was inched from him. Dawn focused on her breathing so not to give away her fear.

“The breeze is getting cooler so I won’t keep you any longer. Oh wait I didn’t get your name.” He gave her a puzzled look.

“My name is Dawn Ferguson” she said.

“Well then Dawn, you have a good evening.” Gavin turned and started walking back across the field.

When he was a little ways a way Dawn yelled to him “Gavin Campbell, you’re a Vampire!”

He turned back to look at her with a smile. Then he yelled back “Dawn Ferguson I’m the one that built the salt circle!”

To be continued…..

Human or Blood Bank

Castle Hill Stories
Human or Blood Bank
3
*******
Time was moving on. Trin didn’t miss her father so much because she was enrolled in a wonderful preschool. Lauren had adjusted to having her Mom tell what time to come home. Dawn was working hard at her new job and even harder on making her house a home. She bought used furniture from junk store and yard sales to fix up for her house. Also she resold some items at a little shop in town.

The spring rains had come and the salt circle had never melted. At times Dawn and Lauren would be standing in front of the sink looking out the window at the circle. However they never said a word to each other about it. They also never discussed a man they had both seen from time to time in the back field.

Whatever had made her faint the day she moved in it hadn’t reoccurred and she was happy about that. She only had a few new strange things going on with her. She sometimes would wish she didn’t have to get up to shut off a light and it would turn off on its own. She started reading people better then normal. When the phone would ring Dawn always had known who it was but now she knew what they wanted too. These things didn’t bother her. She just wrote then off as her.

Fall came and everything changed one night. Dawn had stopped by a shop in town that was a reseller for some of her furniture crafts. They had some money for her so Dawn was in a good mood. She decided to treat herself with a great cup of coffee at a local bistro.

She walked in the bistro and placed her order. At the counter she spoke to a few people she knew about the fall festival coming up. She saw a nice looking gentleman sitting in a booth reading the newspaper. He caught her eye in seconds. Her coffee was up so she made her goodbyes and walked outside. The gentleman at the booth folded his paper and made his way out the door. Dawn was waiting for him.

“Human or blood bank?” Dawn blurted out.

The man turned his head back to look at Dawn with a smile on his face. “Pardon me?”

Dawn kicked a rock in front of her on the sidewalk and said “You heard me. Human or blood bank?”

“Blood bank.”

A blue bubble force field engulfed Dawn but she knew that humans couldn’t see it. The man in front of her could. She gave him a hard stare and said “Keep it that way.” Dawn turned and walked on down the street to her car.

The man shouted to her “It was nice meeting you too.” He repositioned the newspaper under his arm and walked on down the street in the opposite direction.

To be continued.....

New Beginnings

Castle Hill Stories
New Beginnings
2
*******
Boxes filled with bits and pieces of a life were stacked in the U-haul. Dawn pulled her sun glasses off and looked in the truck. Her beaten and bruised face was a sign of what her life had been. She picked up a box and headed toward the house and her new beginning.

As Dawn walked to the house she tried hard not to think about all the things she needed to get done in the next week. She needed to find a job and a babysitter for her younger daughter Trin. Keep her confidence up was going to be hard with her Mother around.

“Why did you waste the money dragging this junk here? You don’t even have any real furniture. If you think Dad and I are going to hand money out to you left and right you better think again” said Dawn’s Mother Bessie. Bessie was seventy-two and she came from a different time then her forty year old daughter.

“Thank you Mom for coming out here today. Also thank you for talking to Nick about a job for me. You might not believe me but I appreciate it.” Dawn had to bite down hard on her tongue to get that out of her mouth without screaming. She just had to get this stuff off the truck. One step at a time she told herself.

Lauren wasn’t as good at holding her tongue as her Mom. She carried a load of stuff past her grandmother and she said low so her Mother wouldn’t hear “lighten up will ya. She’s had the crap beat out of her and now your beating her with your mouth.”

“Well I never told her to marry that good for nothing.” Bessie said as she followed Lauren in the house.

The ladies got the stuff off the U-haul and in the house in a timely fashion. Bessie gave her remarks where she could. Dawn was growing ever so tired but she held in her hands the last load of stuff. Trin came bouncing around the outside of the house and up on the porch with her older sister and grandmother. They watched as Dawn walked with her hand full of stuff toward them. Right as she crossed the salt circle a pain ripped through Dawn and she collapsed in a faint.

Lauren quickly jumped off the porch and was down to her mother. Bessie grabbed Trin’s hand and came down beside Dawn.

“Mom! Mom! Mom can you hear me?” Lauren was frantic for a response from her Mother. She moved the stuff away from her and brushed her hair back from her face.

Dawn slowly opened her eyes. She knew her daughters and her mother were standing there. She understood that she was lying on the ground of the house she just rented. What she was focused on was the blue flames shooting up from the salt circle. And she knew with out question that she was the only one that could see it.

“Lauren what the hell is this salt circle?

Dusty Roads

Castle Hill Stories

Dusty Roads

*****

Dust filled the air behind the Ford pickup truck on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Indiana. Mellencamp was singing about not being done with the night as Lauren drove the pickup truck to meet a friend about a house for rent. As the truck popped up over the raise Lauren could see the house and she was happy to find it in good order so far. She could see her friend Peanut sitting on the tailgate of his truck in the driveway. The truck whipped into the driveway along with the dust cloud.

Lauren jumped out of the truck, straightens her jeans and pulled her jacket tight. The gravel crunched under her boots as she walked toward Peanut. He looked shaky and nervous.

“Damn Peanut its cold, you could have waited for me inside the house.” Lauren said and half laugh at Peanut sitting there.

“I’m not going in that house. I really don’t know if this is a good idea Lauren.” Peanut blushed as he spoke to Lauren like he always did.

“Peanut my Mother is moving back to Indiana and she needs a place to move to. The price your Dad gave me over the phone is right so what could be wrong. The roof isn’t falling off.” Lauren said with a look of determination on her face as she placed her hands in her coat pockets.

“Just Dad didn’t tell you everything. This was my aunt’s house and she wasn’t right in the head. Look there is foot an a half salt circle all the way around this house. Who in there right mind does something like this. Also she’s been dead for 5 years and the salt circle is still here. Why? Lauren in 5 years my Dad has rented this place seven times and nobody stays more than a week.” Peanut adjusted his hat and got off the tailgate.

“Are you saying the house is haunted Peanut?” Lauren was laughing as she started walking toward the front door.

“No I’m not saying that. I’m saying there is something weird about this place.”

Lauren laughed and said “Give me the key.”

Peanut handed Lauren the key. She walked up the stairs to the porch but Peanut stayed in the yard. Before she placed the key in the door she turned back to Peanut.

“You going to show me the house or not?

“Nope!”

“Fine.” In a huff Lauren took the key and opened the door. She walked in but felt nothing out of the ordinary. She checked through all the rooms, bathroom and kitchen. The place was clean. She walked out the back door and down the stairs to the patio. She knew her mother would love the patio and it would be a great place for her little sister to play. There was a big red barn up against the back fence. Beyond the fence she could see part of a pond and cows out in the field. Lauren took in the fact that the house set in a valley between two tree covered hills. A big mansion could be seen on the top of the right hill. Lauren had no idea who lived there.

Done with her tour Lauren followed the salt circle around to the front of the house. Peanut was back sitting on the tailgate of his truck. He looked up at her as she came around the house.

“So who lives in the big house on the hill?” Lauren asked.

“You mean mansion and I have no clue who lives there.” Peanut was getting more frustrated by the minute.

“Maybe your Dad knows.”

“Nobody knows. See I told you, this place is weird.”

“Peanut you don’t make a very good drama queen so knock it off. Your Dad said he’d show my Mom how to use the tractor to mew the grass. I take it the tractor is in the barn.” Lauren turned to stare at the barn. A dark shadow went across the barn as Peanut and Lauren looked in its direction.

“Did you see that?”

“It was a cloud moving in from of the sunlight Peanut. What’s wrong with you?” Lauren turned back around to look at Peanut. She was growing tired of his behavior.

“It’s this place. It scares me. And before you ask I don’t know why. There is just a feeling I get when I’m here.” Peanut shivered.

“Fine! My Mom will take the house.” Lauren stated as she placed her hands on her hips.

Peanut said nothing just shock his head and headed for his truck. As Lauren and Peanut left down the country gravel road tiny blue flames started dancing out of the salt circle. Peanut and Lauren didn’t see them in their rearview mirrors. They also didn’t see the man in the back field on a black horse.

To be continued…..