The Stairs
The old house by the Nakayama river was a two story white building with a triangular red asphalt shingles roof. There was no porch and the windows were painted of a dark grayish color. The main door was not placed in the middle like most houses in the area, but to the right side of the facade. Not a particular reason for it. It was the only house in a mile, only green grass surrounded the property and there was a rocking chair waiting for the visitors at the front.
Kai was eight years old, the third son. He was a curious, intelligent, witty kid. He had two sisters: Maria and Mina. While out to sell the crops, the parents will let the kids in charge of Maria. The kids will avoid the stairs at all cost.
Strange things happened to Kai around the stairs throughout his life.
CLANK! There was again a noise down the steps. Then, a subtle and sudden touch behind Kai’s back scared the hell out of him making the little one jump and look behind. Again, no one was there. BANG! The door was shut and Mia runs to hide with his brother, appearing through the front door shoe-less and gasping for air. Some footsteps are nearing them and the hallway lights are turned on. Five, ten minutes are gone, yet no one comes through the door.
KLASH! The vase was thrown to the floor and the air in the room became electrifying. Uproarious, squeaky, and wheezing sounds can be heard throughout the second floor. With no other choice, both kids scared to death run towards the stairs and out from their hiding spot to see where Maria is.
As they reach the stairs, Kai feels the touch of a hand pulling from his shirt and sees a big shadow growing, crawling from a side of the wall. He keeps running down the stairs with Mina following. Safely on the first floor, the little sister starts calling for Maria. There is no response. Kai terrorized goes to the kitchen and as he starts opening the door to the patio his parents show up. The young-ling did not hear the footsteps approaching or the main door opening and even forgot for a bit about his sister, the child’s heart was pounding and accelerated, and he felt extremely relieved to see them. Only with the adults in the house there was safety from the shadow. Maria then opens the patio door with a laundry basket and says hi, Mina walks in and Kai sits in the kitchen table.
The strange happenings became less frequently as Kai grows up. The sounds, the moving shadows, and the threatening sensations no longer bothered him as much. He will spend time outside playing with the neighbors kids, cycling through the area, swimming in the river during the hot days. Being a regular kid. The malevolent, sinister-like sensations began to fade away, instead a more benevolent almost luminous warm energy could be sensed while passing through the corridor. Mina and Maria spent more time outside with their schoolmates or at school. Life became a cycle of routine chores and assignments. Life was peaceful…
Many years passed and as an adult, the little boy ended up marrying a young talkative girl and remained living in the house. The house became more lively with the addition of his wife’s family to his household and he bonded with all of them quickly. One of them was awfully sick and could not do much on his own. Everyone felt for Alex, still his bravery and kindness won people’s heart. Alex did not complaint, he was cheerful, thankful, and noble. Kai became a fatherly figure to him. Not always around, there was an unspoken connection — LOVE. Love grows as silently as the grass around the brink of a river, as flowers die out, as unappreciated daily life wonders that happen during a single existence and go unnoticed.
Not much Alex thought could give in return to his sister and somewhat adoptive father, so he painted a portrait as a thank you. Gave it without a frame to them and kept on living piously and enjoying every single moment while waiting for Death to come. Past five o’clock, normally, Kai’s daughter and son would be out and about. The parents either on the second floor or in the kitchen. SMASH! A burglar enters the house and tries to reach the second floor; however, a shadowy figure stands in front of the armed guy. Paralyzed, the guy runs away as quickly as possible and out the front door. No one notices a thing.
Years go by uneventfully and Alex passes away one morning as expected due to his illness. Kai fearless now in his late fifties would go down the stairs to fetch his routine green tea (which he liked to drink while listening to the news in a high frequency old radio). Walking down the stairs the portrait was hung viewable to whomever entered the main door, that morning Kai as usual woke up, got out of the bed, washed his teeth, and prepare to go to the kitchen. A bright sun daylight illuminated the second floor coming from the open room window at the end of the corridor. The portrait caught his attention and with a deep sadness and resignation Kai acknowledged Alex’s goodbye smile drawn on widely and brightly on the face painting before it faded away slowly and the mouth settled in the usual position.
Kai now rests with Alex in the spirit world, waiting for better pastures.
