Gardenia

A Story by Bella Gray

Ah, the smell of gardenias. Such a pleasant smell... until you realize it's come out of nowhere and disappeared before you can blink.

Usually the smell of flowers is an inviting scent. Usually it's accompanied by smiles, laughter and kisses. Usually there is a beautiful boquet on grand display in the center of the table. These flowers had none of that, but were accompanied by a cold breeze, paranoia and a feeling of being watched.

My house has always been "haunted." Since before I can remember I've felt the presence of something, or seen a shadow on the wall that belonged to nothing in the room. Most of the time these incidents were passed off by my parents as things that had rational explanations. They were always just a trick of the eye, or a television left on in another room who's buzzing was getting to me. This time, however, I was completely alone with no one to explain away the odd sensations I felt, and the weird smell that seemed to never have been there.

It was at that moment that I knew that my house wasn't normal. I was walking downstairs, well, my family's version of downstairs, to put my dad's clothing on his bed. I was in the unfinished hallway, a dark place with no lights and beams exposed, when I caught a whiff of something sweet passing my nose. Gardenias. I knew the smell almost instantly. My mother's favourite flower was the gardenia, but we never seemed to keep any around. I thought for a second it was her perfume, but she had left the house with my father hours ago, and she had run out of that perfume a month passed. I stopped when I smelled it, instantly looking behind me to see if she was there, to see if anyone was there. Nothing and no one was in the path.

Then another odd feeling, the one you get when you know a door has just been opened behind you. I get this feeling a lot, but that day it was strong. There were eyes on me, above me, watching me as I tiptoed down the three stairs to the converted garage. Quickly I divvied up the clothing and laid it in piles on the bed. All the while I felt the sting of eyes on the back of my head. I nearly ran up the stairs and out of the room. The door slammed behind me, of my own doing, and I made it back to the livingroom almost panting. I never saw anything, no apparitions, no scary faces, no odd, hanging mist, but the presence was enough.

Since then the same feeling has washed over me on a daily basis. I thought it would stop once I moved out of the house, but every time I return I realize that I'm not alone. There are eyes always watching, a silent mind taking notes on the living that reside here. The smell of Gardenias never permeate the room anymore, but I will never forget that that smell was the catalyst of a lifelong search to know what's really happening in this old, creaky house. Hopefully someday I'll smell them again and finally have all my suspicions confirmed.

© 2008 Bella Gray

Author's Note

How is the voice used?

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Reviews

Hedra Helix

What's weird is I'm in Duarte too and my house is also haunted. Mine's just have a white cat, but everyones seen it. It's pretty blatant, but I'm fairly sure it's a cat. Crazy li'l Duarte. ;) Monrovia and Sierra madre and Pasadena are pretty well haunted up too from what ive heard. The bakery dept of the whole foods on foothill is haunted. ;)
Burn white sage.

I felt your creep out so i think the voice you used is good;) fast clear, good pacing.