❝Staring out to dark
your reflection stares right on,
searching for the one
with whom my lover will move on.❞

─────── 

TWENTY TWO | RELIGION

It had been eight weeks since the events that occurred in the house on the hill. A place where strange things had been taking place over the past decades. Some would fear and avoid Allerdale Hall at all costs, some would feel curious and would go into the property instead —just like Adeline and I did. Snow had melted, yet the cold air remained, blowing softly, dragging the thin clouds in the grey sky. The grass fields surrounding the house had lost their vibrant green and adopted a duller shade, matching with the mansion. The whole scenery was a palette with pale, dark and somewhat depressing colours, however it was beautiful in its own way.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as we drove through the gates of Allerdale Hall, yet again, "I admit I don't feel comfortable with this," I added, toying with the can of tuna Adeline had handed me before we left the hospital, "come on, we're here for a cat, I'm pretty sure it can find something to hunt. Maybe you already forgot this is the place we almost got killed in."

"I know, I'm sorry," she said mildly as she slightly drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, "but, I can't leave him here. There's nothing to worry about, though I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Thomas again," I looked through the window and sighed.

"I don't mind running into him, I do mind running into her sister," I stated, slightly shifting in my seat, "I don't even think you'll find that cat."

"I told you I'll take a quick look, and the tuna will help a lot," I sighed again, seeing how the mansion seemed to grow as we approached. The car came to a halt and I couldn't help but feel shivers running down my spine, I just hated to be there, "five minutes, that's all I ask, you don't have to come in with me, stay in the car and don't worry," she said, "nothing's gonna happen, everything's over, we saw her die," she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"That's the problem, she was already dead."

"Nic, she's not here anymore, she's gone," she said in a soothing voice as she put her hand over mine, there was no way to stop her from going inside the house for that cat. I handed her the tuna.

"Five minutes," I told her, her lips curled into a smile and so did mine.

"I'll be right back," she leaned in for a quick kiss and then she closed the door behind her. I inhaled deeply as I observed her go inside the mansion, disappearing through the doors. I drummed my fingers on my knees anxiously, absentmindedly biting my lower lip. This was the last thing I thought I would do, to return to this cursed place. I thought this would be the day we'd leave it all behind and we'd start anew, I was wrong. To sleep in a small hospital bed for two months  after you've had mayor surgery after being shot by a possessed woman isn't nice, so everything I wanted was to finally go home and do what I —as a doctor— recommended to my patients: to rest.

My index finger looked for the heater and was about to turn it up when I looked over the dashboard and saw the sudden fog forming at the distance. I saw it slowly crawling through the high grass surrounding the mansion while my finger froze on the heater button. Since we were in Allerdale Hall, where anything could happen, I didn't know what to think. I wasn't sure if it was only the weather or a paranormal activity kind of thing. I opened the door and slowly got out of it, holding my still sore side and then staring at the fog, "Adeline?" I shouted, hoping her to hear me. I called her name again, seeing how my breath condensed in the cold air.

There was a soft breeze, yet the fog didn't seem to go away, it gave me the impression that the breeze caressed my face instead of just blowing and dragging a few old leaves with it. The wind blew softly again and some of the fog cleared and I could see the clay harvester in the distance. I shut the car door and went around the car to make my way towards the clay harvester. My fingers touched the cold metal of the machine, it was a majestic structure and I thought how great this invention had been back in the day, but it wasn't what surprised me the most. I knitted my eyebrows together, observing and slightly gaping at the beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly perched on one of the rusty gears. I kept my eyes on it all the time and just when I moved my hand closer it flew away towards the back of the house, by this time the fog had become thinner and saw it batting its yellow wings until I couldn't see it anymore in the sky, when I lowered my eyes I saw movement behind the old house.

"Adeline?" I called as I walked to the back, clutching my side; even though it had been two months I hadn't healed completely and it hurt from time to time. Once I reached the back of the house I saw old furniture piled up and just by an old brick arch, I saw a woman in a loose lace dress with long sleeves. Her hair was gold-blonde, it cascaded down her back in wavy locks and wind played with it. She stood there with her back towards me. I could hear myself panting, she slowly turned around to face me and my jaw dropped when Edith Cushing, my great-grandmother, laid her eyes on me. She looked as astonished as me, her figure approached and honestly I didn't know how to feel since my experience with ghosts and stuff had been a bit rough, I just stood there slightly petrified until she finally stood inches apart.

"Don't be afraid," she said, her hand reached out for my face. I knew I didn't have to be afraid of her, but still. Her hand caressed my cheek as a smile danced on her pink lips, her eyes sparkled with joy as she studied my face, "Everything ends with this," she uttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Lucille is gone, finally gone, Nicholas," unlike Thomas she didn't say much, "everything ends with this," she placed a kiss on my cheek and turned around, starting to walk away.

"No, wait!" I blurted out, reaching out. She stopped and looked at me, "What if she comes back? What- what do we do if that happens?"

"She won't comeback."

"How do you know that?"

"There is nothing that holds her to this place anymore, Thomas won't be here anymore," she slightly shook her head, "she was tethered here for the love he felt towards her, love that she managed to extinguish with her actions. Now there's nothing," she said, "you and Adeline will have what Lucille took from Thomas and me, that is a victory," she added with a smile on her lips, then she began to walk.

"Please, wait . . ." I said softly, for some reason I didn't want her to leave, and I didn't want Thomas to leave either. I raised my eyebrows when I saw her turn around again when she heard my half-whispered words. She gave me a smile, "Why are you here?"

"I came for Thomas," she said, "I'm finally taking him home," I smiled and watched her walk away. She and Thomas we're basically the only family I had left, even if their physical bodies had been gone for years, but their souls had managed to stay a little longer. Now, the fact that she was leaving and Thomas was leaving too, meant that I'd be alone, that I'd be the only Sharpe left again, but with a reason like that, I couldn't dare to whish they stayed a little more. She made a pause and looked back at me as I observed carefully, "Take good care of her."

"I will," I uttered, soon after I saw her vanishing into thin air. I stood there, now staring into nowhere and thinking about everything the ghost had just said. Although the fog had dissipated by now, my vision had started to cloud with tears, my throat felt tight, however a smile crept on my lips.

"Oh, thank God!" I heard Adeline say behind me. Her words snapped me back to reality and I hurried to weep my tears with the back of my hand as she continued to speak, "I've been looking for you, and screaming your name like crazy!" I turned to see her.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"Hey," she said, giving me a curious look, "are you okay?" She walked up to me.

"It's nothing, come here," I pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead, "it's nothing . . ." I trailed off as I broke the hug.

"Are you sure?" I smiled at her.

"I am, don't worry," she observed me, "ready to go?" Adeline smiled still no convinced.

"Yeah, I didn't find the cat," she said, we began to walk and I put my arm around her shoulders, "maybe he found another haunted house to live in," she said jokingly, and making me smile. We reached the car and I opened the door, ready to get in, but stopped when I saw Adeline still standing there, "It's so quiet in there . . ." she uttered, "he left and didn't say goodbye," she said, looking up at the mansion before us, she almost sounded heartbroken, "I wish he finally finds peace."

"I think he finally found it," I said, her eyes fell on me, "and, I think he wasn't the only one who found it," she smiled and so did I. I felt a bit startled when I felt something rubbing up against my legs, it was the cat, "Oh, look who's here," I lifted the cat and caressed its black and velvety fur, "you're not leaving without him, are you?" She approached and began to pet the cat, it purred as she scratched its chin.

"He'll finally have a home," Adeline said smiling, "I hope he likes living with the living, though," I let out a soft chuckle. Then, she looked inside the car and let out a gasp as her eyes met the small figure in the passenger seat, she took it in her hands and smiled widely. I saw her eyes filling with tears as she caressed a small, hand-carved rocking horse with her thumb. She looked up at me, "It's him . . ." she breathed out, "it's definitely him,  he's saying goodbye," and as if on cue, a familiar cold breeze lifted the hair that fell over her shoulders; I didn't say anything about my encounter with Edith, it would've ruined the moment, so I decided I'd tell her about her some other day. After a long and silent pause she spoke, "Do you think he'll be fine?"

I smiled at her and put the cat in the car, it quickly made itself comfortable in the back seat. I wrapped my arms around Adeline and planted a kiss on her cheek, "Don't you worry, I bet Edith will guide him home," she looked into my eyes and smiled.  It was funny, even ridiculous how we met. If this had to happen for me to meet this woman, it was worth it. Now I only have to keep my promise, to take care of her. 

I like to think that Thomas and Edith were given a second chance through us and if that's the case, they will live within us forever.

THE END