Lillian retired to her quarters for the evening,the long day had tired her so she wasn't interested in finishing the few letters left on her desk or reading the last of the paper. Lillian quickly undressed herself - having given Heather the next few days off many of her duties were left to Lillian - before putting on her cotton nightgown.
Lillian used the bucket of water extinguish the fire before finally climbing into her warm bed and blowing out the candle. As the darkness flooded the room Lillian felt a buzz of excitement as she knew tomorrow would be Christmas Day, there would be much feasting the turkey would be dripping with grease and have a fibrous texture. There would be steaming vegetables and much flavorous, blood red wine.
She shut her eyes peacefully to fall into a deep, solemn sleep. Knowing tomorrow would be Christmas she felt her muscles release and felt a comfortable, strangely pleasant kind of strain before turning her head onto the soft pillow. Finally drifting of before the final chime of 10.
"Oh god!" a voice said knocking the metal bucket from beside the fire, Lillian daren't move she grabbed the chamber pot from under the bed and jumped up her heart beating out of her chest.
"Alright, alright keep your hat on" the phantom said. It had purple hair the glowed from the white light seeming glowing from its body, much like the lord himself. It wore a black dress that contrasted the light that radiated from it like a black cat in a white room.
"W-what at-wh" Lillian spluttered holding the now quaking chamber pot. The thing lowered the chamber pot onto the floor.
"Oh yes, I'm May or the ghost of the future but that sounds awfully morbid"
"The future,near future, yours or mine"
"I am your future, many years down the line but we are the same"
"Same? We couldn't be any more different, look at your hair, your dress, your ankles!"
"Oh yeah you Victorians are funny about ankles aren't you"
This left Lillian with more questions than a three year old infant. "Us, victorians? Pray do tell me where are you from"
"A small village in the south"
"I think you misunderstand me, are you not a Victorian?"
"Oh no I'm Gen z, whatever that means?"
"Gren z'd? What happens in Gren z'd"
"Oh it's alright I guess, we have some awful things like vaping and fast fashion, but things like healthcare are free and we have electricity"
"Varpuring? electricity?"
"Doesn't matter, now come, come I'm going to show you!"
"Show m-" Lillian began to say before being dragged towards the large, dark canvas before her. May kicked open the window.
"Gironmimo!" May said jumping out of the window
Lillian yet out a little yell in fear. May flew up as if treading water in thin air.
"Come on, come on!"
"But girl-ghost-may I shall fall"
"Not of this evening"
Lillian somehow knew to step up onto the window still and step out like a blind man led by his nose. She fell for a single moment before be flipped round and held in the air as if swimming without water.
The ghost led her on, into the night and a light could be seen where the moon had shone, it expanded across the skyline and left the night behind them welcoming the day.
YOU ARE READING
The Christmas redemption of Miss Lillian Brown
General FictionVictorian London 1860, Miss Lillian is living the typical life of an unmarried Victorian woman. She however isn't keen on balls or meeting men she wants to work in business but he father has forbidden her. When close family friends the Pembroke's in...
