Ferrum College Chrysalis Literary Arts Magazine: Fall 2021

The Other Side

By Shela Muriel On October 19th you had been at home in your attic trying to clean it out and get it organized. The attic was dusty as if no one had been in it for years, which might have been the case. The circular window on the attic wall had been broken, allowing wind to blow through. Outside you hear the wind whistling through the trees. You are just moving some boxes around when you notice a cloth blowing briefly. Wanting to make sure that there is nothing hidden under it, you make your way toward it.

The wind continues to ripple it as you inch closer to it until eventually you make it over, and your hand grips the cloth as you pull it back, revealing an old bookcase.

“What is this?” you ask. The bookshelf hadn’t been there before. It looked to be falling apart. You look at the shelf briefly noticing that there had been nothing in it at all, or so you thought. You touch the wood, which was starting to rot, and as you feel the wood, your hand touches a strange button that you hadn’t thought would be on the shelf. Curious as to what it was, you decide to press the button. Suddenly, the back of the shelf slides open revealing an even older cloth covered in dust and smelling of mold. Despite the putrid smell, you pull it off and find an old leather-bound journal.

You are in complete shock finding that the journal was in perfect condition–well, aside from the yellowing pages. Confused, you bring the journal to your room and sit down on your bed. Your original task being completely forgotten, you wonder why there was an old leather journal hidden within the shelf. However, looking at the closed object wasn’t going to give you the answers you are searching for. Thinking that the name of the small leatherbound book would be inside, you decide to open it. Rather than the name of the person, you find a date and old cursive writing.

October 1st, 1871 Dear Diary, It’s the fall of 1871, I’ve been sitting in my home doing nothing but writing. I sit at my desk which is dark wood with ebonized designs all on the front and around the back. My family and I had just moved into this strange new home this past summer. I have to say that, aside from the creepy atmosphere, I find that it’s fairly nice. While I can’t exactly give away this information, I do know that I may actually like it here. At least that’s what I’m assuming. I should probably head downstairs now; my 56