Page 19 of One Last Touch

“Mum?” I whispered and then felt like an idiot, until another sharp rap had my heart in my throat. I moved closer, pressing the left side of my face against the door, ignoring the roughness of the wood grain as I listened desperately for any more movement. I rested my hand on the handle for a moment debating whether it was worth risking Sage’s agitation to leave my room, before slowly turning it and feeling it yanked viciously in my hand.

No. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. I want you to live. Had it been… Had I been awake? No. That was… ridiculous. Impossible. Maybe I was still dreaming right now, just a very vivid, confusing dream.

My mind span as I took a step back from the door. Haunted, the officer had told me. The kids dared each other to go in. Surely that was nonsense. Ridiculous rumours.

I glanced back at the open book on my table and stopped and stared. It was closed. No, that wasn’t right. It had been open just a second ago, hadn’t it?

Listen to him, darling, won’t you? This is a place for the dead. I was losing it. I had to be. My mother was gone. I couldn’t have spoken with her, the book must have been closed, I hadn’t heard anything outside the door. It was all impossible. A dream or, more accurately, a nightmare.

I needed to clear my head. I needed to find Sage. He would… Listen to him, darling, won’t you? Was that who she’d meant? Sage?

No, no. She didn’t mean anyone. She was my imagination. Some part of me wanted me to give up and I couldn't listen to it.

I hauled open my bedroom door and stepped outside quickly into the empty space. I heard no footsteps, no breathing, and I glanced around uneasily before deciding I would feel better if I checked all the rooms and then went to see Sage and Ms Weathers.

Most of the doors were kept open now and that gave me a small measure of comfort for some reason, like it was better to be able to see whatever lurked in the dark.

I started out on my floor, looking through the east corridor. Nothing. So I headed up the stairs, eyeing the corner that led to the master suite with no shortage of trepidation. The moonlight guided my way as I walked, stopping when I reached the opposite end of the corridor to the master suite. All the doors were empty, all the rooms unused, and now my toes were cold. I gave up, deciding to walk back to my bedroom, but instead stopped at the window seat that overlooked the lake.

It was so serene. The water was black and the moon reflected on the surface like a white orb, illuminating the grassy banks on either side. I was reminded uncomfortably of my dream for a moment, the water closing over my head, before I shook it off. Maybe I would just sit here for a while, maybe Ms Weathers really did sleepwalk and I would bump into her wandering around. I hadn’t found a trace of her or Sage in any of the bedrooms.

The corridor was quiet aside from the house settling, creaking and groaning in the quiet language that only buildings seemed to know and that spoke to an owner’s soul. Maybe it was weird to feel so attached to a house, but it was mine. In some ways it felt like I was always going to end up here at Alswell, like it had been waiting for me.

I looked out at the lake, letting the movement of the water lull me as the perpetual draft chilled my skin and my eyes grew too heavy to keep open.

* * *

I’d woken up in the window seat with the sunrise and headed back to my own bed. Someone had laid a blanket over me and tucked it in around my feet, but I had an awful crick in my neck now. That had been hours ago and while I’d found Ms Weathers in the kitchen that morning, I hadn’t seen Sage all day and it was starting to worry me. I would have felt slightly better if Ms Weathers hadn’t also seemed concerned too.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear. He’s probably just off resting, or working in the forest.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sage? Working?”

Ms Weathers chuckled but it sounded forced. “He’ll turn up.”

I nodded as I got on with the housework. It was too cold outside today to try and plant anything, and the sky was far too gloomy. If the sun didn’t come out at some point then I wasn’t sure anything I’d planted would grow.

“At least the rain is giving them plenty to drink,” Ms Weathers said when I complained and I shrugged.

“I don’t want them to drown though.”

“It’ll be fine, dear. You’re doing such a good job.”

I smiled, grateful she was here. “I think I’ll go for a walk.”

Ms Weathers waved me away and I grabbed my boots and coat from the hooks by the door before making my way outside, tugging up my hood against the rain.

It would be nice to get away from the dust, even if just for an hour while I walked through the forest adjacent to the lands.

The grass was already soaked and I took care with my step so I didn’t slip and land in the equally slick mud where I’d begun planting. The rhythmic raindrops against my hood settled me, grounding in a way that nothing else could be as I increased my pace, heading in the direction of the lake and pulling my hood forward to stop the wind throwing the water in my face. I didn’t turn to the dock though, instead I moved to the right and inhaled the fresh scent of the forest. Wet leaves, damp wood from toppled trees, the mud splattering me with each step as I sped up, enjoying the sound of my own breath in my ears.

The sky was grey, but the sun still shone weakly, illuminating the small trail Sage had shown me on my first day. I followed it all the way around, stopping at the trunk of a large tree and spinning around quickly.

“I’m pretty sure I can walk through the woods alone,” I called and smirked when Sage stepped out from the brush. “You are possibly the worst stalker I’ve ever met.”

“I’m not a stalker.”

I snorted. “No, just a very hands-on, inattentive gardener.” He rolled his eyes and I bit my lip on a smile as I turned away. “Don’t follow me, Sage.”

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