Echoes of Enchantment

In a quiet suburban neighborhood, nestled among the rows of houses stood a long forgotten Victorian home almost crumbling, The house exuded the air of a faded grandeur and scars of countless years could be seen on it. Walking through the stairs I was greeted by creaking floorboards and air thick with the scent of old books and a faint smell of lavender which I figured was from my grandma’s favorite potpourri. Looking behind my shoulders I could see my mum heading towards a sweeping staircase curved gracefully towards the upper floors,it’s bannisters worn smooth from years of use,to her right a series of doorways leading to various rooms of the house,each holding a memory dear to people who once lived here,I walked towards the stairs into one of the big rooms while wondering how grandma would have managed with the heavy doors leading to her room. Sunlight filtered through the lace curtains into her room casting a warm glow over the antique furniture and family portraits that adorned the walls, in a quiet corner of the room sat a weathered dressing table,it’s ornate legs were adorned with intricate carvings,it’s surface an array of delicate perfume bottles and a vintage hair brush laying close to a tarnished jewelry box. I ran my fingers along the smooth,polished wood,I couldn’t help but feel a sense of reverence for my grandma, and the heirlooms that adorned the dressing table,at the side of the table,a drawer caught my eyes and I walked towards it, pulling it open a gust of misty air wafted up carrying with the scent of paper and dried flower,waving my hands I tried to clear the air as I picked up a letter almost old and crumbling from the age,then my eye caught something in an old leather,bringing it out I found out it was a book,an ancient book. With fingers trembling out of excitement,I began to leaf through the book,my eyes widening in wonder at the fantastical tales and stories within it,stumbling upon a page with dragons and another with witches, another with centaurs and fairies and one of ancient prophecies, When suddenly,I felt eyes on me like I was being watched, but when I turned there was nobody there so I picked up the book and found my way back to the living room, I decide to the book back home, and I tucked the book underneath my arm and making my way outside, walking so quietly to avoid the creaking sounds of the stairs, while waiting for my mum to get downstairs so we could get home early since it was already getting late and she had a night shift by 8. Mum! I called out, it’s getting late ! and I needed to see Rosie, she would love to read this book or at least try to dissect the meaning of the drawings,I pulled out the book out of my underarm and I saw an inscription on the side I didn’t notice till now,though not clear due to some dust residue, I took my handkerchief to clean it out a bit,cleaning out the sides I felt something prick my fingers, maybe a little wood or something I thought and watched my blood trail off my fingers down to the book making two little pools of blood,I put my fingers into my mouth and suckled off the blood on my fingers then wrapped my fingers with handkerchiefs. unknowingly to me, I had just awakened the power of the book, The Book of Enchantments. Mum!! I called out again this time louder Almost there, she replied walking down the steps as quietly as she can too, We head towards the car when I looked backwards to the house,and noticed a pair of bright yellow eyes from grandma’s room,I looked at my mum surprised and turned back to it but nothing was there. I needed rest I thought to myself remembering I’ve barely had a decent sleep in days due to my exams and all I needed was a good night sleep. We drove back home in silence and mum left almost immediately we got home for her shift. Rethinking my decision I decided to have this night to myself, I prepared dinner after which I had a nice dinner and bath, then I remembered the book and I went to get it,realizing that the leather looks new almost like it revived itself, the inscription now very clear on it. An eye ,an axe ,and a pair of hands holding tightly to themselves. Looking down at it I decided to find the meaning of this inscription as I changed from my dressing robe into my pajamas . I went into work and after a few minutes, I found out it what it meant ‘’I accept”,I looked at it for a while before saying out loud “I accept”and suddenly it felt like all the air in the room was being sucked out as everywhere turned dark and very quiet almost as if everything stopped working,looking around I couldn’t see anything,suddenly an eerie feeling enveloped me as I saw that same glowing eye’s from grandma’s window coming close to me. Looking down I saw the book just laying so peacefully on my thighs as I felt my head becoming heavier each inch the glowing eyes draw,as I lost consciousness. ************** Suddenly a bright light shone on my face,opening my eyes I was greeted with a pair brown eyes with bushy a brows and beards looking almost matted,almost immediately I realized he wasn’t wear a shirt and my eyes trailed down as it hit me,as brown hair’s trailed down his legs then it hit me he doesn’t have legs it was hoofs ,not legs hoofs!my brain screamed and I screamed! As I felt everything slipping and I fainted. Who’s this and what do we do with this human? Should we kill it? My senses became alert as I remembered, he isn’t human!! Startled I move back in fear as I looked up saw that from his waist down was that of a horse the upper part a human’s, I couldn’t believe my eyes and I screamed who are you?!!! He stepped a bit behind and I saw other pairs of hoofs and I realized that he wasn’t the only one, looking up I could see about 5 of them looking at me with the puzzled look. The first holding something that looked like a wine gong with a chariot drawn on it’s skin, I looked around and saw what looked like huge pillars of rock almost five times my size with the drawings of chariots and what looked like them drinking,on every one of the rocks. Looking around I found a path leading towards a woods and the book laying few steps towards it and swiftly picking up the book, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me running like my life depended on it.running through the path into the woods not looking back for once,I kept running till I came across a little cave with a really small entrance,crawling inside I realized it was enough for three people looking around I could see bones of animals dead and inscriptions on the cave walls ,I looked for somewhere dried enough to sit.I took the book pulling it close I curled into a baby position as I drifted off to sleep out of weariness.