An Ancestry of Secrets

Chapter 4

Josephine walked through the tall grass to the dark figure. As she got closer, she could see it was a woman with her back turned towards her. She touched the woman on the shoulder. The darkness faded from around the woman. It was Emmaline but younger with long hair and a flowing white dress. In her hands was a black leather-bound book with gold etching. She offered it to Josephine. She opened it but pages were blank. She looked up from the book. Before her stood two versions of her mother. Emmaline on the left stood with her long hair movingly wildly, her mouth stitched closed. Struggle registered on her face as she tried to speak. Emmaline on the right, the one Josephine knew, held the threaded needle and the blank book. She smiled at Josephine, her head shaking in a no gesture.

"Mom?" Josephine woke in a sweat sprawled out on her couch. The room was dimly lit by the lamp next to her. She sat up and moaned when she sat up, stiff from her awkward sleeping position. How long had she been asleep? Something fell off her and thudded on the ground. She reached down to pick it up. It was her cellphone.

The phone lit up as she brought it out of sleep mode.

1:36 am

There was a text from Scott.

Went home. You were out cold. Call me if you need me. <3

Josephine made her way to her room and laid down on her bed. Her mind drifted back to the dream about her mother. What had it all meant? She tried to ring any meaning out of the dream, the more she was stumped. Maybe the events from the day were just trying to work it out in her head. The more she tried to make sense the more she hit a wall that seemed to prevent her from pursuing it any further past the superficial.

Exhaustion began to pull her from her thoughts, allowing her to drift back to sleep.