The Way Back Home

Chapter Thirty Four: Running Up That Hill

CHAPTER SONG: "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo

April 25th, 1917

William Schofield awoke in the living room of his sister Molly, the purple morning sky light streaming through the windows, the twittering of birds in flight gracing his ears. As he dressed for the morning, he exhaled a sigh of relief that he hadn't forced himself awake to free himself from another nightmare of losing those he cared for the most.

Instead he had dreamt of the beautiful woman sleeping upstairs in the spare room... beloved Emmanuelle... alive and warm in his arms as they had waltzed in the parlor.

And yet he could never shake that image of her from his demonic dream whilst he had slept on the train. Cradling her lifeless, cold body as he tearfully begged her not to leave him after he had pulled her from the hourglass...and still he had been too late...

But, that had only been a dream, not reality.

He tried to keep his shaking fingers steady had he laced up his boots and finished gathering up everything he needed for the day ahead. As much as Will didn't want to leave his family so soon after their reunion, duty still called at home and he was loath to disobey.

Will walked outside and took a deep breath of the outside air, looking out at the brilliant sunrise, the golden rays shining through the clouds as magenta and blue mixed into a lavender combination of God's watercolors painting His canvas of the atmosphere.

He strode to the small section of Molly's garden from the side of the house, where he knew Cici and Elle would pick flowers to decorate their dinner table and selected a few freesias to leave as a token for his sweet Emmy...

As much as Will appreciated the gorgeous dawning of the morn, the only beauty he sought to view before his departure was the face of his love. The sunrise borne in the horizon just didn't compare to her natural splendor...

Carefully holding the flowers in his hands, he walked back inside and quietly closed the door behind him. He looked around the parlor, looking for a pen and paper to write a note for her explaining his absence, hoping she would understand... just thinking of her inspired him to write entire manuscripts and poems in ways he had never felt before...

He found the set of stationary in the drawer of the mahogany table in the center of the living room and set the ink pen to paper, each word written with careful strokes so as not to splotch on the parchment, each letter dripping with adoration for the intended recipient.

His shattered watch was placed in the drawer of the parlor table, stuck at the same time of 5:00 in the morning...

Will made his way up the stairs, the weight of the steps causing the wood to creak beneath his boots as he winced, hoping he wouldn't awaken the girls too early. The love letter folded in half with the flowers secured in the crease.

He made his way to the top of the stairs and his vigilant gaze focused on Molly's bedroom door. He had recalled Emmy's words from last night and he knew he had to bridge the gap between his most loved sister and his paramour.

How Will hoped to convince Molly to give his beloved a chance to get to know her and he aimed to choose his words with care as he raised his hand and knocked on her bedroom door with his knuckles, knowing his sister would be awake by now.

"Molly, 'tis Will. I need to speak with you before I leave." He spoke just loud enough for her to hear, and he listened for the rustling of her dressing gown skirt as she walked to greet him.