Mrs. Villa

MRS. VILLA

by Cristal Reyes

The old theater. Condemned years ago after a fire gutted it’s beautiful interior, it stood like an unpleasant disfigurement on the Main Street of a small, quiet town. Many tried to have it removed, but the owner was a stubborn woman who wanted it to stay.

The old woman stood outside her theater. A deep sigh rattled her old body. She was ninety and she was alone. Most of her friends were dead or don’t remember her, and her family… well, her family…

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when someone placed a large hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry Mrs. Villa I dinnit mean ta scare ya!” It was Tommy, the postman. Mrs. Villa smiled. Tommy, he was such a good boy. Slow, but kind and honest. Honesty seemed to be a highly misplaced virtue in this town.

    “Oh Tommy don’t you worry. An old lady needs to get her heart going every so often to remind her she’s alive.”

“That’s nice Mrs. Villa, but whatcha standin outside o’ this ol’ place fer?” He gave it a wary glance, “it ain’t a pretty sight, that’s fer sher.”

Mrs. Villa lifted her tiny shoulders and sighed. Too many memories…none of them good. “No, no it’s not a pretty sight, but it needs to stay, Tommy. It needs to stay.”

Sometimes, she could hear the screaming. In her dreams, the screaming and the flames never ceased. Sometimes, she felt something licking at her toes – the tongues of flame tickling her feet, slowly burning her skin away.

Tommy, oblivious to the haunted feelings of the old woman, grunted and offered to walk her home. He hummed happily as they meandered towards her tiny, dilapidated home. Despite the sunlight that brightened their afternoon, Mrs. Villa could still feel the dark presence of the theater crawling up her back. It didn’t want her to leave. Too bad.

    As they reached her home, Mrs. Villa thanked Tommy and retreated into her dark house. Tommy smiled and waved from the sidewalk. She closed the door and held back a sob. So alone. She was so alone and it was dark here. Maybe she should call Tommy in for a while? No, he didn’t need to see her pain. She was afraid to sleep…she was afraid to stay awake…she was afraid to die. There would always be ghosts to haunt her. She closed her eyes- the charred theater scratched at her consciousness. The screaming was bound to visit her again…

    Tommy, still on break, wandered into the dim pub by the theater. A coworker, seated at the bar, scoffed as soon as he spotted Tommy. “Did I see ya talking to that ol’ bat Villa? She’s a crazy one, I tell ya.”

Tommy haltingly replied, “Aw, Mrs. Villa’s juss a sweet lady, didn’t mean to bother her none. Juss took her home cuz my momma says that’s what nice boys do.”

His coworker leaned in close and asked, “D’ya know what that crazy bitch did thirty years ago? She burned the damn theater down. She killed everyone inside in cold blood and no one can prove it.”

Tommy’s face lifted in confusion. “Now, why would sweet Mrs. Villa set ‘er own place on fire? Does’n sound right ta me, uh-uh!”

The other postman smiled grimly. “Mr. Villa had an affair. Lot’s of ‘em actually. Apparently, before the show, she was bein’ sweet on him. Left him to enjoy the show with their kids. It’s all gossip o’ course, but there you go.”

Tommy sipped his cola slowly, turning these thoughts in his head. Sweet ol’ Mrs Villa? Nah, she was good ol’ Mrs. Villa who didn’t like fire. She told him so.

That night, as Mrs. Villa sat in her dark house, she could feel the theater clawing at her. As long as it stood, she wouldn’t die, nor would the souls within. How much longer could she resist it, though? The screaming…oh god the screaming. The incessant screaming of trapped, flaming souls… Mrs. Villa felt something creep around her delicate arms – a chilling, terrible something held upon her. In the next moment, she could feel herself being dragged into the hellish nightmare of the theater - a horrific scream trapped within charred interior…

In the morning, the skeleton of the once great entertainment hall was found in ashes, burned by a silent, cold fire. Some went in search of Mrs. Villa to tell her the fate of her theater, but upon entering her home, were only greeted by dust and the sensation of cold fingers crawling down their backs. Mrs. Villa was never found...the remains of her theater was soon cleared away and a new one built. It was a grand production - the jewel of the town! The opening night resulted in the deaths of more than one hundred lives. A vicious, angry fire lit up the night and carried their screams into the air, and Mrs. Villa laughed.