Needs First - Play Later – wewrite freewrite – Week 10

Needs First - Play Later

This is my entry into the wewrite freewrite contest, by @zeldacroft and @freewritehouse, for week #10. For more information on the contest, have a look at this post:
https://steemit.com/wewrite/@freewritehouse/we-write-10-the-manor-house-last-week-s-winners-announced

This Week's Prompt
The Manor House
by @zeldacroft

“I can’t believe we’re here!” Clara gushed, gazing at the manor house. Its front steps were preceded by carefully-laid stone, centered around a magnificent fountain. Tourists bustled around eagerly with their cameras and visitor pamphlets as the two sisters joined them.

“It says here that tours start every hour in the Grand Gallery,” said Kelly, holding up the guidebook. Clara was too busy admiring the variety of flowers that adorned the area, from the climbing vines near the elegant windows to the lush bushes around the stone path. So Kelly went back to her reading, but with a smile. It was nice to see that the manor was already living up to Clara’s expectations.

After a brief distraction by a duck swimming in the fountain, the sisters quickly made their way inside. As they mounted the marble stairs, Clara’s excitement became tangible, an emanation of joy that merged with the curiosity of the other tourists.

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••.•´•.••My Part••.•´•.••

It was the laughter of children mingling in with their words. It wasn’t a spooky kind of laughter, but the kind of comforting laughter we hear when children are genuinely having a good time and are involved in their play. A comforting sound to all who hear it, as it activates memories of their own childhoods with much happiness still contained in those memories, ready to ooze out and snag them emotionally once again.

It was having its effect all right. As Kelly looked around, everyone had a smile on their face, laughing and talking about how the kids sound so cute!

As Clara started to take another step up, Kelly took her arm and pulled her back. Whispering softly, Kelly said, “Now Clara, you know we’re not to look for them, and we’re also not to communicate with them. We agreed. Just listen to them; they are happy and enjoying themselves. Doesn’t that make you happy?” Clara nodded in agreement.

“You need to make them stop Clara, but don’t do anything that’ll cause a scene,” Kelly whispered. Seconds later the children’s’ voices stopped speaking and laughing.

The tour guide didn’t know what to think. She had never heard these sounds in here before, and they had sent chills up her spine. She tried her best to maintain her sense of reason, but she knew for a fact, there were no kids in this building.

It had to be pranksters with pre-recorded sounds and hidden speakers, she desperately tried, and needed to make herself believe. Why someone would pull such a prank, she just wasn’t prepared to even think about. That would have to be considered later, once it’s been determined what happened here.

“Folks… if I could get your attention… Folks please, can I get your attention… thank you. Thank you.” The mumbles were finally dying down at that point, and the guide said, “I’m not sure what the sound or where the sound… what the words that we heard that sounded like children playing… it must all be part of some sort of prank set up by someone, as I can assure you, we are the only people in the building.”

As the mumbles started to multiply again, she raised her voice and continued. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but the fact that someone has broken into the building and set up audio equipment and who knows what else to conduct a prank, presents a potential danger to our guests on the tour. For insurance requirements, this tour must be canceled.”

“Your ticket purchases will be refunded and we hope you will accept our apology for any inconvenience this has caused you, and you will come back to see us again.”

“Now, do you see what you’ve done?” Kelly asked of Clara. The tour is over now and we have to leave all because you just had to bring them here to play, before we even got a chance to see if we like it enough to stay permanently.” Clara looked sad and hurt. “Oh come on, you silly girl; it’s not the end of the world,” Kelly said, which made Clara smile. “We’ll just come back tomorrow!”

Sources for images used in this post:

_{Manor House: Image by Peter H from Pixabay
Children Playing: Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash
Marble Stairs: Image by engin akyurt from Pixabay
Child on Stairs: Image by DarkWorkX from Pixabay
Smiling Child: Image by Silvia Navarro from Pixabay}