Sounds of Sunday Morning


There’s an eerie wailing sound in the air this morning, outside Aquatom Mansion. It’s very loud, and reminds me of the noise a vacuum cleaner makes as it whistles and purrs away to itself if it has been left in one spot for far too long.

I had a look out of the bedroom window, and around and beyond the lush greenery that is behind the mansion. It’s a damp start to this first Sunday morning of October, which is in complete contrast to the height of Summer start we had here yesterday, on the first day of October. It looks as though it is still warm, but I haven’t ventured out as yet; and sometimes looks can be deceiving.

The grass is a paler than normal shade of green today, and the leaves on the trees now have their Autumnal shades of browns and golds and reds and yellows, mixed in with some greens. I love the colours of Autumn, and the crisp rustling sounds that accompany the colours too!

There’s a slight breeze out, but nothing that would indicate that the wailing sound I am hearing is either being made by the wind, or carried on it.

The skies are heavy with grey clouds, and apart from the ever so slight movement caused by the breeze, most places are still. It reminds me of an afternoon, sometime in mid-Summer, when a storm is moving in. Whether we will have a storm only time will tell. Being indoors when it is raining heavily with thunder and lightning is one of the best feelings imaginable, for me, anyway.

I occasionally hear strange sounds in the air around the mansion, but this morning’s ghostly vacuum cleaner is a first.

Sometimes, I hear an air raid siren, which is a sound that I do not like. I haven’t lived through any conflict, I’m thankful to say, where the siren is needed to be acted upon, but living in these ‘peaceful’ times doesn’t make the sound of the siren any less threatening.

And then there is the old-fashioned school bell. A hand held bell that is being rung by a ghostly teacher surrounded by ghostly children, in a ghostly school playground to indicate that playtime is over. This sound starts with the children laughing and screaming and shouting, their voices muffled and merged as you normally hear in playgrounds across the land. Then, the hand bell is rung, and with each ding-a-ding the children become less audible. Finally, the bell is the only thing to be heard, before complete silence.

The reason I refer to the teacher, children and school as ghostly is because there aren’t any schools around Aquatom Mansion. These sounds could be carried on the wind, I suppose, but do schools use hand bells nowadays? And, what makes this all the more eerie, is that the mansion is built on grounds that were once home to an old school.

The wailing sound has stopped now, and a quick glance out of the window reveals everything to be exactly as it was. No – it’s still there, my hearing must have gotten used to it, so now I can only hear it when I actually concentrate on it. And when I do concentrate on it, it is as loud as it was before.

I wonder what other sounds are there, that I do not hear? A ticking clock, a bird singing, cars driving in the distance, people laughing and talking, music, dogs barking, twigs breaking, leaves falling, water droplets hitting the ground. No, not water droplets – raindrops. It’s raining now. Only lightly, but it’s still rain.

And constantly the wail is there too. I’ll probably never get to know what this sound is, in fact, I may never hear it again after today for that matter.

Well, I’m fascinated by things that are unexplained. This just gives me one more thing to think about…

18 responses to “Sounds of Sunday Morning”

  1. penpusherpen avatar

    Of course the wailing sound had stopped, Sir Aquatom, ‘cos I stopped singing, … I had my mp3 player plugged in my ears and felt I had to join in trying to hit the high notes…. Sorry it unsettled you… mind you, when I hear my voice it unsettles me too. spine chilling sort-of 😉 … Aquatom Mansions sounds quite a eerie place (mayhap only sometimes?) but full of stuff to keep the grey matter busy and searching for answers… Hearing a school bell would certainly make me ponder, … a lot….
    ‘Tis still dry and ever so warm hereabouts.. (not roundabouts though) … and my Pyracantha still needs taming, um.. you wouldn’t like to give it try, perchance?… 🙂 xPenx

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Hi Pen, at least you have solved one mystery for me. I wouldn’t have commented if I’d have known it was you singing… sorry about that 😉
      Aquatom Mansion is full of eerie things, Lady P, and that is before I go down to the cellar…
      Alas, I can’t help you with your Pyracantha apart from giving a helpful little tip… beware paving stones. How’s your ankle, by the way (it was your ankle, right?)

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      1. penpusherpen avatar

        (’twas and is Sir Aquatom, ) it’s causing no end of trouble still, and I never did go to the Drs … but one friend had an easily sorted out shoulder strain and now two years down the line she’s a wreck… nearly died under the anesthetic for Keyhole surgery…so I thought…I’d um… be a chicken…(could account for my singing voice? NO , not the ankle …the being a chicken. 😉 ) …anywho…Cellar?.. Yikes…always put the lights on, not like in those creepy films where they have a weeny teeny torchlights, does “no-one no good ” …ever.. I noticed, so make sure you have your light bulbs checked in the daytime…See? planning ahead…. I’d best go, and yes, I will beware the paving stones, not my fault it jumped out at me… . Fyrespike says Hi by the way… xPenx

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        1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

          Crikey, Pen! That puts you off keyhole surgery, doesn’t it?!
          I always find that I have to go down to the cellar just after midnight, with only a candle to boot – that always gets blown out on the thirteenth stair down – it’s where the fuse box is, and I need to un-trip it after a bulb has blown. Bulbs always blow at night, don’t they?
          I actually liked your singing, come to think of it Pen…
          Please pass my regards on to Fyrespike in return!

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  2. Tilly Bud avatar

    Not tinnitus? 🙂

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Hi Tilly, no… I hear that ringing constantly! It was Lady P (above) although I’m not too sure…

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  3. Emily May avatar

    The mystery of the wailing sound… Sounds like something some storybook detective would have to investigate. Expect me poking my nose around the mansion soon.

    On another note, you must must must head out today! The weather is beautiful and I am, in fact, outside right now and I’m commenting with my ipad. Makes writing a whole lot harder, I’ll say. Anyway, have a nice day and hopefully you’ll get to the bottom of this mystery! 🙂

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      We’ve had rain today, Emily, but it was still very pleasant. I don’t mind being out in the rain anyway, but today it was really warm with it – very refreshing!

      Whatever it was that was causing the sound has stopped doing it now – I’m only hearing the normal evening noises, so we’ll need a storybook detective who deals with mysteries from the past…

      Like

  4. summer breeze avatar
    summer breeze

    Hi Tom 🙂 the weather has been so beautiful here in the south of uk, it just doesnt seen like oct! shorts in the garden on oct 2nd? never heard of before, but not complaining lol
    beautiful autumn colors but with temp of 30c is very strange. love your autumn pic, thanks for visiting a Summer’s Breeze 🙂

    Like

    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Hi Summer – glorious weather this past weekend; very strange for October but no complaints from me too! The autumn colours are amazing, aren’t they?

      Like

  5. kateshrewsday avatar

    Ah, Tom , you are very like my brother, who seems to walk closer to things undreamt of in our philosophy than the rest of us. When we return to consciousness the first sense that returns is sound. I wonder if sound is the first step into another realm of consciousness?

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      I wonder if it is, Kate… and I also wonder if things will sound differently in that other realm (like sounds under water are different to sounds in an empty room). You’ve got me thinking now… 🙂

      Like

  6. susielindau avatar

    We have a ghost in our house right now that taps. I think it must be with a cane since it has a wooden sound to it. First it taps the top of the dresser, the ceiling, the tv, the table and then our headboard. As long as it doesn’t tap my husband or I we are okay with it…..

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Hello Susie, thanks for commenting! 🙂
      They like to make themselves known, don’t they! I have a visitor who I’ve named Dot, and she likes to switch on my electrical gadgets – my music system usually! So, are you saying that you haven’t been tapped yet… I would imagine a wooden cane being slightly uncomfortable!

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  7. jennygoth avatar
    jennygoth

    its been breezy and warm here but temps are going down by the minute rain and wind for the end of week much more normal weather which i like for october summer should be left behind now and let the autumn begin my fave time of year your noise could be a distant drum summoning up the spirits ready for halloween aqua or then it could just be a local farmers machinary orrr the swish of the reapers sythe as he wanders the earth lol hmm a good imagination and it could be almost anything xxjen

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Hi Jen – I like the sound of the spirits being summoned for Halloween; that’s what I’ll put that sound down to!
      And yes, the weather is changing… we are in for the remnants of another hurricane from Wednesday…

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  8. Androgoth avatar
    Androgoth

    Perhaps it is the sound of all those naked nymphs beating down your bedroom door, lusting after your… Aquatom, aquatom… AQUATOM, wake up Aquatom it was just a dream 🙂 You have heard of that saying ‘You’ve Been Tangoed’ well you’ve more than likely just been ‘Hoovered’ too so watch out for that one as it could be a recurring nightmare… However after saying that, perhaps it is best to just think of those nymphs for now, don’t you think? 🙂 lol

    Androgoth

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    1. Tom (Aquatom1968) avatar

      Oh, sorry, Andro, I think I drifted off there – or was hypnotised.. that’s the same kind of feeling I believe. Eek… you’ve been hoovered doesn’t sound like a particularly pleasant nightmare – if there can be such a thing…

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