Elisabeth

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

'Elisabeth? Are you... Elisabeth? My little princess Elle?' George Green walked into the large living room of the Mitchell household. His trembling finger ran over her pale cheek, his other hand clutching her shoulder. 'Are you my Elisabeth?' The blue-green eyes and the full, pink lips. Thin, with modest hips, a modest chest, and a small waist. Perfect cheekbones. Golden, large curls and waves streaming down her back. She was like her mother, except for her eyes. They were his.

'She's real, isn't she? Do you see her? This is my Elle.' Mr. Green whispered softly, taking her hand and following every finger with his own. 

'She's real.' Will said, entwining his fingers with her other hand. George looked into her eyes, a tear rolling down his cheek.

'You are not messing with me, are you?' Her dad asked Mr. Mitchell. He hugged Elisabeth tight. 'You have no idea how much we missed you.' He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down a bit.

'I have an idea.' Elisabeth said, goosebumps forming from the smell of her father. He smelled like cinnamon. Sweet cinnamon.

'Your mother watched the moon every night, hoping you would be looking at the same moon somewhere. She knew you were alive. She knew for sure.' Elisa could feel her fathers tears on her shoulder.

'And I did. I stared at the same moon, every night. Until she died a month ago.' Elisabeth swallowed her spit.

'How do you know she died?' He said, taking a step back. 'Where were you all this time anyway?'

'The moon became dull. It lost it's magic.' Will explained, putting an arm around her waist. Her father didn't seem to believe it.

'You are telling me you really had a connection through the moon? I can't believe that, Elle. I want to, but I can't.'

'Well she was isolated from the rest of the world. I was her only company, and I had no idea Mrs. Green died.' Will said.

'Right. Why don't you just tell me the whole story.' George said, accepting a cup of tea from June and sitting down on the sofa. June sat next to Mr.Mitchell on the same sofa as George and Will and Elisa took the armchairs across from them. Michelle handed Elisa and Will some drinks and sat down on another sofa. 

'I fell of the ship, the night we played hide and seek with the other children on the ship. It was storming and the wind pushed me over the railing. I managed to grab onto something; I don't remember what. It brought me to an island. A desert island. I've lived there for nine years until Will washed ashore and we went back together on a raft.' Elisabeth explained, ignoring Will who was squeezing her hand. She didn't want to know what he had to tell, she just wanted her father to know right now.

'Why didn't you go back earlier?' George Green asked, playing with his tie. He came to the Mitchells right after his work, that was obvious.

'I was six, dad. Six. I had tried everything. I had built two rafts, I had swum as far as I could, I had made large and smoky fires. I screamed so much my voice was hoarse by the end of the first week and I even tried the message in a bottle. Never did a boat pass by. Only twice did a helicopter pass by. I had given up, but when Will came we realized there was no reason to give up. Anything to get back.'

Her father was starting to ask a new question, but Will interrupted.

'Excuse me, would you mind if I had a word with Elisabeth over here in private?' Will asked politely. He pulled Elisa from the sofa and she followed him to the kitchen.

'What's wrong?' Elisa asked, frowning. 'What happened?' 

'I can't believe you're doing this.' Will whispered. He sounded angry.