The Ghost's Diary 👻 ✓

43. Shadows in July

An icy breeze tosses my strands to the side, making me fold them behind my ears.

Dylan, Allison, Ethan and I look around at our surroundings. Well are in a whistling-emerald field in front of the 1890 Edenfield.

Looks like the clouds are now gone for good.

I glance back and forth till my eyes settle on someone in the distance, along with everyone else.

It's the same blonde woman I saw in school.

This time, though, I can easily comprehend her hum.

There will be shadows in July, shadows in July.

The woman's white chiffon skirt's touching the grass, the blonde for her hair providing a contrast against her black blouse.
She walks on bare feet and continues humming. Her stature remains immune to the cold, even in her summer's clothing.

I look back at Dylan as recognition splashes his eyes, making him temporarily dazed before taking a steady step forward, along with me.
Ethan and Allison merely shrug after looking at each other and then follow suit.

But also twilight in February.

The woman's hair whirls around in the air; I take my eyes away from her and see us approaching an old manor near a cluster of trees. Even though the old manor seems crytal like fragile, it has a faint petrichor like odour.

She jumps across a little puddle and hums again:

I promise, alone you never shall be.

"Where are you taking us?" Ethan says as he takes a bit large step. The woman only turns slightly, smiles and hums again.

I'll always stay by your side.

She reaches the door handle of the dark wooded manor but her hand stops midway as I blurt out, making everyone else stop in their tracks and Ethan sigh in aggravation at not being acknowledged before,
"Where are you taking us?"

She only tilts her head to the side. A soft yet sombre voice comes out:
"Don't you want know why was the ballroom door ajar for the second memory? Why did I seem familiar to you at your school? How did you get out that trance on your late night journey, Dylan?"

At the last sentence, Dylan and I gaze over each other while she continues speaking,
"Why did you, Allison, felt compelled to take that route to bump into Ethan and Eric that day even though you usually take another? Why you, Ethan, thought it better to chatter away with Eric even when you were about to get late for class, seems out of character, doesn't it?"

She straightens herself and clicks the door handle, entering the dimly lit manor. The door rustles due to the wind before Dylan takes the handle and looks over his shoulder at Ethan, Allison and me. He enters the manor as the rest of us shrug and enter as well.

Does this mean that the dream I had as Dylan was real?

The manor is partially dark, with no candles nor lights whatsoever. Faded light streams through the large windows, making the place far more accessible than it was before. The corridors are narrow, while there are flower vases on vintage tables and golden framed mirrors on the walls.

A bark resounds throughout the manor.

All of us look at each other, wondering if we should investigate furthur. But light probs on the floor echo and an elated bark follows.

A small dog, though fully grown, comes out of a corner and runs towards me. I unconsciously take a step back and hold out my arms as it pounces on me.