What Happened ToMadeline Mason

Madeline went missing. Two weeks later she is found covered in blood, on the side of the road, barely breathing and barefoot. Despite the cold winter night, somehow she was alive wearing nothing but a bloodsoaked nightgown. 

Madeline is rushed to the hospital, and at her old age of 67 she fights to live. Once she recovers, despite all of the police's questions about what to happen to her in those weeks. She has no recollection of how she got her injuries. In fact, the only thing she does remember is her name: Madeline Mason. 

Now, it is time for her to be released and a man claiming to be her husband comes forward to bring her home. Along with a young brunette girl claiming to be her daughter, Madeline doesn't recognize either of them. She cannot place their faces in her memory.

The moment Madeline returns home she immediately feels that something is wrong with this place. None of it feels familiar and with danger closing in all around her. Madeline feels as if she's going mad. 

But what if she isn't? What if the faces from the forest are real and what if someone is lurking waiting for the opportunity to finish her off? 

In this thriller/psychological horror. You go into the mind of an old woman who is struggling to recollect memories of her life. As well she struggles to distinguish what is fact and what is fiction. 

• Chapter 1:My name is Madeline Mason.
• Chapter 2: Going Home
• Chapter 3: It's Staring at Me

The Next Chapters to come:

• Chapter 4: Gracies Gone 10/04/20
• Chapter 5: Its In The House
• Chapter 6: Hiding 

Chapter 1: My name is Madeline Mason

I am told my name is Madeline Mason. Though at the moment, I'm unsure of all else besides my name. 

The doctors say I am lucky to be alive and that with my head injuries I should be dead. Who knows? Maybe I'd been better off dead. 

Because now, I'm alive sitting in a hospital room with a chubby white haired man across from me who tells me he is my husband. I do not recognize him. A young woman in her twenties sets next to him, she says I'm her mother and she's my daughter. 

But I do not recognize either of their faces. My head pulsates as if someone has bashed my skull in with a 25lb sledge hammer. I'm nauseous and throwing up every twenty minutes or so. 

The police have been here too asking me questions and though, I desperately want answers as much as they do. I can't help them. Hell I can't help myself at the moment. 

My mind feels as if its a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle eager to be worked and solved. But I have neither the time or the energy to solve it. 

My name is Madeline Mason. 

I don't know my age. 

I don't these people. 

I don't know who the president is. 

Or the year. 

I only have my name and even my name feels wobbly. It's loose on my lips every time I say it to the doctors. 

But it is familiar, something about it feels right in a way I can't explain. 

The doctors say that the white haired man and the brunette girl are eager to take me home so I can recover in a place that feels familiar to me. 

I do not want to go home with these people. Something doesn't feel right about the white haired man. The brunette though, I can't remember her name is very kind and gentle. Being near her, gives me a sense of belonging and piece. 

She might be my daughter. But that man is not my husband. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm even married. 

There is no wedding band set on my hand. No locket with my lovers pictures. No way to know other than being forced to believe them. 

I tell the doctors I don't want to go home. Especially not with him. The brunette woman says not to worry and holds my hand. She stays by my side almost the entire day. 

The moments she leaves the room is the worst. That's when he comes and sits next to me and I roll away from him. Not wanting to look at his cold blue eyes that chill me to the bone. 

Someone hurt me. And I wonder if he is the one who did it. The one who caused me to lose my memory. His voice is warm when he speaks to me. 

"Don't worry Madeline. We'll go home soon and it'll all be alright. We'll get through this together. I'm so sorry you're hurt dear. I wish I could take the pain away from you and put it on me. I'd do it in a heartbeat." He says as he touches my shoulder softly. 

I instantly jerk my shoulder away and continue not to look at him. I do find some comfort in his words. He seems gentle but, something about him makes my skin crawl and my stomach churn.

I'm terrified to go "home." And  I don't know why it scares me so much. But it does. 

The thought of tomorrow makes me want to scream. Because tomorrow, I'm going home whether I like it or not.

The doctors are eager for me to recover my memory as are the police who continue to call nightly to check on me. The officers who arrived at the scene were to kind to me and so was the truck driver who found me. He sends sunflowers and "get well soon" cards. 

Those sunflowers are the only thing that brightens up my day. Not once has the man claiming to be my husband brought me flowers or cards or chocolates. Only the truck driver. 

I don't remember much from that night or the two weeks prior. Or anything about my life before then. 

I only remember the truck driver because he stayed with me until "my family" arrived. I remember taking his hand and begging him not to go and not to leave me with these strangers. 

But sadly, he did leave and my family since hasn't left me alone to breathe before attempting to smother me with conversations and memories I don't have. 

They tell me about my life before and the white haired man says how happy we were though in his eyes I can see he is lying. And the brunette woman tells me of adventures and cafe brunches. All are beautiful images in my mind but none of them seem real or feel familiar to me. It breaks my heart to see the disappointment rush over her face when I tell her I don't remember. 

Chapter 2: Going Home. 

I'm pretty sure they hate me today. Which is fine as the feeling is mutual for now.  I've screamed and clawed at the car desperately trying to get out since we left the hospital. 

My voice is hoarse from how many times I screamed, "NO!!! I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE. I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME!!"

The brunette who's name I finally remember is Gracie. Its name that come to me in my sleep late last night. 

I remember walking through a garden with a smaller version of the brunette woman cradled in my arms with flowers in her hair and a bright yellow easter dress. Though the memory feels from a long time ago, I know by the womans facial features. She is the same as my Gracie. 

"Mom please you have to settle down. You're making Daddy nervous while he's driving." Gracie pleads to me as I continue to unlatch the seatbelt. 

My eyes meet hers for a moment, and in her brown eyes I can see the desperation in them. After a few moments I stop unbuckling the seatbelt and let her buckle me back in. For you, Gracie. Only you, I'll settle down.  

"Thank you." Gracie whispers in my ear as she latches the sealtbelt again.

The chubby white man is driving in the front driverside seat in front of us. He doesn't make eye contact with me, he just glowers with a look of frustration on his face through the rearview mirror. 

Good. I hope he is annoyed. I hope he is so annoyed that he leaves and its just Gracie and me. 

I don't talk to Gracie or him the rest of the car ride. I just stare out the window trying to recognize any of the neighborhood houses or nearby areas.  

Remembering Gracie's name was a total accident, when I woke up and asked her if that was her name.  She burst into tears, hugging me tightly. 

"Oh mom. You remembered." Gracie whispered to me between sobs as she held me tightly this morning.  

I found it strange that she didn't tell the man with the white hair that I'd remembered her name so soon.  He had left the room in search for their breakfast this morning.  I'd refused to eat this morning, for no other reason then my own selfishness of not wanting to make it easy for the doctors to send me home. I'm starving now. 

When we turn onto the road with the forest surrounding it.  I scream in horror.  

As the memory of me being chased through that forest by unknown assailant comes into my mind.  My legs begin to tremble and burn as if I'm still running.  Inside my mind, I'm transported back there.  

My barefeet dig into the ground as i step on twigs and slowly step over logs.  I have this horrified look on my facr and i am running for my life.  Someone's persuing me. I can hear them breathing and cackling. I can hear their footsteps, their heavy.  I run with all of my might until it grows dark. I am still running to terrified to look back. My night gown is ripped from all the briar bushes and broken branches I get caught on.  The moment I think I'm safe.  Black leather covered hands reach out and wrap around my mouth.  I scream in horror.  

" Dad stop the car. Mom needs to get out." Gracie says her voice is muffled as if shes miles away though shes sitting next to me.  

"Gracie, I-"

"Daddy, stop the car now."

"Fine. Neither you or your mother will listen to anyone. I'll stop the car. But it won't help the doctor says shes going to have these fits and the best thing we can do is let her work it out. Thats all I am trying to do, is let your mother work it out in her own way."

"Dad, we don't have time to argue about this. I'll talk to you about it later." Maggie unbuckles my seatbelt and helps me get out of the car. 

She smiles at her and gently holds my hand while the wind blows in our faces.  I'm thankful for this. Because even though the forest is just across the road, I feel stronger and safe with Gracie here with me. 

"Thank you Gracie. I needed the air." I say. My words sound flat and hoarse as I cough after saying them.  

She looks like a little girl here. She just smiles at me and for a moment I can visualize her in that same easter sunday dress I dreamed about.  She looks like an angel. 

I just needed a few minutes to breathe to process everything. 

After a few minutes she helps me get back into the car and buckles me back in.  I can tell the white haired man is more annoyed as he is silent the rest of the drive. 

He doesn't turn on music for me though I hear Gracie ask him numerous times.  He doesn't talk just stares ahead unspeaking.  

We arrive and the house itself looks like something from a horror novel.  Its painted in dark expresso with grey masonry rock wrapped around it. Its a lot bigger then I imagined. 

But then again the bible does say hell will one day spew over and the demons will walk the earth. Not if they had this house.  I'm pretty sure all the layers of hell could fit inside the kitchen and living room alone.

The house is old, rustic and victorian. The silver splashes from the windchimes are the only life that seem to exist in this dark place. 

The moment we exit the car I'm horrified, as I see nothing but trees and forest surrounding the house.  There are no close neighbors, just the thick brushy wildnerness to keep me company.  

I don't like it here. Something feels wrong, and though Gracie reassures me by telling me I'm safe here. I know she's wrong.  

I can feel it in my bones, something wicked lurks here. 

Chapter 3: It's Staring At Me. 

I seen the evil today. I knew something evil lived here. I just wishes I'd known how close it is to this house. 

I saw it staring at me from the woods. It's elongated face locked in a twisted  contorted mess of skin and teeth. A dislocated and elongated jaw hung up as it's eyes met mine.  I knew it thats instant it wasn't afraid to come inside and get me. I am the mouse, it is the cat lurking about for it's prey. 

I am the mouse. I am the prey it's seeking. I tried to show Gracie today. 

We were sitting in the kitchen with my wheelchair facing out toward the woods surrounding my home. I could hear Gracie's lovely humming as she brushed my hair.  I sit there sipping on the herbal tea she'd made for me. Almost asleep from how nice it felt to have my hair combed after two weeks of it being a knotted mess. The nurses in the hospital tried to get the dirt out of my hair. Brushing it and spraying detangling spray constantly. They even tried washing it out. But the water was too hot and despite what I told them.  They wouldn't quit putting me under the hot water. I fought them every step of the way after that. From the time I left the bed, to the time I reached the bed again and all during my shower. 

Gracie has gentle hands and she takes her time with my hair combing it gently and individually picking out the tangles. 

I raise up as she commands me, my back hurts from sitting in that position too long. Thats when I saw it. 

Its skin as pale as the moonlight and its eyes a hollowed out abyss of blackness, and decay. Maggots crawling around its empty eye sockets all while it watched me from the trees. Barely 10 ft away from the gate to the backporch. 

I grab Gracies hand and pull her down slowly til she's eyelevel with me. 

"Mom, what are you doing?" Gracie asks.  I shush her as I point directly at the creature. 

"Gracie, do you see it?" I ask just now noticing the tremble in my voice. My fingers are trembling too as I point directly to where it stands pearing around at us from the tree. 

"Momma, I don't see anything." Gracie tells me. I'm wondering if she's just dumb or if she's blind.

"Its right there Gracie look!" I say as I turn to look at her and then back in the direction of the creature. But, just as quickly as it appeared it had now vanished. 

"It was right there. Gracie, the evil. It was right there." I tell her, pointing as the tears well up in my eyes. I can see it in her face she doesn't believe me. I'm so frustrated, I just put my hands down on the wheels and turn to roll away from her. 

"Momma, I didn't see anything."

"Just stop. I don't want to talk about it anymore Gracie!" I yell for the first time since arriving here. Gracie stands still and she doesn't utter a word. I look back at her, standing there holding the brush. In her eyes I see her confusion. I see the longing she has to understand me. I see the despiration and the sadness. 

"Momma, I'm sorry." She says sitting down at the table, placing the brush down easily in front of her. Resting her face in her hands. 

I roll back over to her realizing my tone might've been a bit brash. All this time of no one listening to me, has caused me to be meaner than I intend to be. Or than I want to be. I want to hold Gracie and tell her of the monster that lives in the woods. I want to be able to walk to protect her, I have too I'm her mother. But, despite my best attempts to stand. My body's just too weak anymore. 

Gracie spends all her hours with me, confined in the same prison we call home. I realize in this moment, she and I both our trapped here. We're cellmates and caged birds, eager to be free and to feel the wind on our faces. 

I comfort her stroking her hair.

"Gracie, I didn't mean to be so harsh. I just want to protect you." I say wishing I could tell her more. Wishing I could describe to her what I saw. The words come, but the fall flat on my tongue never escaping my mouth. 

"Momma, what did you see?" Gracie askes me. Thats when we hear him arrive. The man with white hair whose name I don't care enough to remember. 

He comes in smiling, but his icy eyes meet mine. 

"Having a rough day are we Madaline?" He asks with such a fake senserity in his voice. I wish I could spit on him and show him how sour his words must taste. 

Gracie straightens and shakes her head. 

"No," She lies. "Momma, just saw something in the woods earlier. She got spooked is all."

I watch his face as she says this to him. His eyes light up and I know in that instant he knows exactly what I saw. 

"Must been that ole bear again. Or maybe a coyote. Is that what you saw Madaline?" He asks his words are loaded guns all with their bullets aimed right for me. 

I want to scream that whatever I saw wasn't anything human. I want to say we're in danger and we should leave. 

I look over to Gracie who's waiting patiently like a little girl whos waiting to find out if she gets candy after dinner or not.  

I choose not to say anything. Afraid my words might hurt Gracie more or that I wouldn't be believed. 

I simply nod. 

The man with the white hair bends down and kisses my forehead. I jerk away in disgust. 

"There, there, dear its alright. I'll go out to the store in the morning and pick up some rifle ammunition. In case it comes back, we can deal with once and for all." He says to me. 

I just glare at him. 

Gracie speaks up. "No, you know Momma doesn't like animals being killed. I'll call the animal control people in the morning. So they can tranq it and transport it safely to a new place. No living creature deserve to die Daddy. You know that."

He scoffs as he walks back outside. Muttering swear words under his breath. 

I want to follow him outside. I want to scream and shout at him. But, I remain imprisoned in this chair. 

"It must have been scary seeing that bear Momma. No wonder you were shaking earlier." Gracie says as she stands up and continues brushing my hair. 

I sit here in silence and enraged. I'm alive but I wish I lived anywhere else with anyone else besides him.

I still suspect he or the creature are the ones who hurt me. Who put me in this chair confined and imprisoned forced to deal with his cold Stares and riddle filled tongue. 

For now, I sit in silence. But I know its there waiting for me to get well enough to walk outside where it's waiting for me. 

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Chapter 4: Gracies Gone will be available on 10/04/2020.  Follow me and stay tuned!!