Page 38 of In All My Dreams

No. No. No.

This can’t be my mother.

She reaches out toward me again, and I let out another scream before turning and running right into Ian in the hallway. I turn and slam the door shut behind me, making the sconces on the wall shake and the flames dance.

“Don’t ever go in there again, Ian! Don’t ever open that door!” I turn and sob into his chest.

“What’s in there?” he asks, his voice shaking just as much as my own.

“Death!” I yell at him, taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. “I saw my mother’s ghost. But she looks scary now, like she did when she was dying. I swear it was her. She’s in there.” I shudder, shaking my head to clear the memory. “Promise you won’t ever go in there.”

He rubs my back as I clutch his. “Yeah, I promise, Georgie. I promise.”

We both eye the door skeptically before finally heading back toward my bedroom. My heart is still racing, and I can’t shake the image of my mother’s ghost out of my thoughts. I’ll never sleep again.

“Want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?” Ian asks. “I used to keep guard when Irene had bad dreams, too. Sometimes.” His voice is sad as he looks down at our feet, toeing the plush carpet.

“What if your mom finds out?”

“Well, if she finds out, she’ll ground me. And then I’ll just have to sneak out and keep guard at night,” he says as he smirks at me. “I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

I believe him with my entire heart.

18

Georgia

Now

“Come on. Let’s get some sleep. I’m sure Auden will be up bright and early with that promise of the fair whispering in her ear all night.” I grin at Ian before getting to my feet.

We collect everything in a comfortable silence. My mother always used to have this saying when we would spend time together in silence.

Love needs no words.

The saying has stuck with me ever since the first moment I heard her say it. And since her death, I’ve tried to find beauty in the silence of life. Whether it’s brushing Auden’s hair as she reads a story to herself or spending time with Ian in the car without speaking to each other. I’ve relished in the love that surrounds the silence because of my mother.

I don’t understand how someone who supposedly loved me so much could try to kill me.

Yes, you do, Georgie girl. You know why. Because you’re a monster yourself, and your mother knew it and couldn’t live with that secret one moment longer.

“Here, you forgot to eat this,” Ian says as he hands me a hefty piece of banana bread. My mouth is already watering, and I haven’t even taken a bite yet. “What do you think Auden’s favorite part of the fair will be?” Ian asks as we make our way back toward the house.

I gaze up, looking in every window for my mother’s ghost. I have a strong feeling I’ll see her in my dreams tonight, and I hope it’s the version I miss most and not the one that haunts me in my nightmares. A curtain in the upstairs bedroom stirs. I catch the movement at the corner of my eye, and when I look over, I see Auden staring down at Ian and me. Her mouth is twisted in a silent scream, and she’s pointing at the lake...

My mother’s ghost is standing behind her with her twisted, rotting flesh of a hand sitting on Auden’s shoulder. Her nose drips blood while her mouth is twisted in her own silent scream.

“No!” I gasp, dropping the quilt and running into the house as quickly as I can.

“Georgia!” Ian shouts from behind me, his voice echoing throughout the empty halls of the manor as I race toward our daughter. “Georgia, wait! What’s wrong?”

I hit the top of the stairs and throw myself into Auden’s door. My eyes sweep across every inch of the room before they hit hers. She’s standing at the window, silent tears streaming down her face as she stares at me. My mother’s ghost is nowhere to be seen.

“Auden! I’m here. Oh, baby, I’m right here!” I wrap her into a hug and pull her over to the bed with me, cradling her in my arms as she sobs into my chest.

“What happened?” Ian yells as he finally makes it into the room. His eyes are wide with fright before they land on mine.

Some type of emotion crosses his face before he sighs with relief.

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