The Sinister Slumber of Forever

Life had never been easy for Jennifer.

A terrible car accident had left her with debilitating back pain. Her fiancé was killed in the accident leaving her to wonder why she had lived?

She found herself at an Estate sale, searching for home furnishings as she began life anew, on her own. There, sitting in the corner, was an upholstered arm chair that had seen better days but was a beautiful wingback. It was covered in

a red mohair fabric that still looked good. The cambriol feet were dusty but their beauty showed through. The man running the sale noticed her interest and spoke up to her.

“You know there’s been a few people looking at that old chair but for some reason, I feel it’s calling you to take it home” He smiled. Noticing she was using a cane, he offered to have his men bring it to her place. The chair, delivery and all for only $50. Jennifer was delighted and had the workers follow her home. Soon, it was placed in what she thought to be the perfect location. She envisioned herself delving into a romantic novel sitting in it next to the room's front window.

She vacuumed the upholstery and used furniture polish to bring a dazzling brightness to the wooden legs patina. She lifted up the spring filled cushion and to her surprise found an envelope tucked in the side arm. Replacing the cushion she was delighted at just how comfortable the chair actually was. As Jennifer opened the envelope, her eyes widened as the original bill of sale was there, purchased in 1918! Having provenance that proved its actual age of 105 years, she was thrilled! Then, three newspaper clippings slipped into her lap. She tucked the article back into the envelope, promising herself she would read them all at a later time. Although she found the articles curious, she was busy now making the chair clean and ready for use. It was to be the most comfortable piece of furniture that she had ever owned!

That night, she fell into a most restful sleep since before her accident. She woke refreshed and was anxious to make her Doctors appointment. Before Jennifer could even mention her good fortune finding a comfortable chair, Dr. Reynolds, looking at her back, noticed what appeared to be very tiny pin pricks. “Are you seeking acupuncture relief for your back discomfort?” he asked. “Oh no” replied Jennifer, not at all. The doctor examined the marks closer and verified to her these were microscopic pin wounds. “Perhaps it’s an allergic reaction? I just bought a new chair and slept on it last night” she beamed. “I would suggest you put a blanket or throw on it to see if that helps.” With that, Dr. Reynolds was off to see his next patient.

Jennifer did as he had asked, covering the chair completely.

Once again, she enjoyed a peaceful sleep. Getting dressed in her bathroom she curiously looked in a hand mirror reflection of her back. Those microscopic pin marks appeared much larger now, red and swollen but were not bothersome or itchy.

Her only complaint was waking up with a bit of a sore throat of which she blamed on the cool night air from the open window next to her. Knowing that the chair had been covered, there wasn’t any possibility that it was what caused those marks she thought.

That night, Jennifer decided to try her bed once again. After several hours of tossing and turning with nightmarish dreams, she returned to the living room. To her surprise, the blanket she had placed over the chair was now neatly folded on a table on the other side of the room. How curious she thought. She had not remembered doing it! Without another thought, she sat back in the chair covering herself with the throw. Awaking the next morning, her throat had not improved. Her chest felt heavy and congested as she breathed. What was going on, she wondered? Jennifer called her Dr. who assured her it was probably just the common cold that had been making it’s rounds lately. “If your symptoms don’t improve by tomorrow, I want to see you in my office right away,” he said.

Jennifer rested throughout the day. She was pale looking and had no energy. She dozed on and off without eating or drinking much of anything. It was now getting dark outside. Again she snuggled up into the warmth of the blanket. Funny, the seat itself seemed to be more narrow. Her hips could feel both sides of the arms now. How could this be she thought?

Now wide awake, she remembered that envelope and removed it from the chair arm. She turned on the lamp as the three articles once again fell into her lap. The first told the story of a most unfortunate woman that was found suffocated in a maroon colored wing back chair. Foul play had been suspected.

The second yellowed clipping told of a man that died of a mysterious influenza. He too was found dead in that very chair with a picture included, taken with the deceased man still in it!

The third article was dated from the 1960’s where a woman was found deceased in a red wingback chair. Her cause of death was listed as another mysterious suffocation. The articles dropped from Jennifer’s finger tips to the floor. She watched in horror as the papers rose up and refolded themselves back into that old envelope. The chair let out a groan as it seemingly stretched out to engulf Jennifer’s petite body. She tried to stand, but felt the chair had become even tighter. Her arms were now pinned at her sides. In a state of panic, she twisted and turned her body in an attempt to escape. Tears filled her bulging eyes as the chair's wings closed in on her face. Slowly covering her voiceless mouth…..

Weeks later….

“Say there, I see you have a good eye for furniture” said the estate salesman. “I’ve noticed there’s been a lot of interest in that wingback chair, but I have a feeling that it’s calling you to take it home” he smiled.

The End