The Younger Martin ➳Brett Talbot

Ashes

Me and Lydia were going through grandma's stuff and Lydia needed to find something to help us with the Benefactor.

We heard the floorboards creak and I grabbed a paddle. I turned around and I saw mom standing there. "Oh god!" Mom shouted.

"Mom! What are you doing!" I shouted.

"What are you doing?" She repeated. "Nothing." Lydia sighed and I put the paddle back.

"How did you know we were here? Did you follow us?" Lydia asked.

"No I'm getting ready for the open house tommorow." She shook her head.

"The open house is next week." I told her raising my eyebrow.

"Okay, I followed you. Honey you two come up here every weekend. Sometimes even in the week days, and as far as I can tell there's not a boy involved. So I really have no clue what your both up to."

"We're trying to figure something out. Something important. And seriously mom you don't need to be involved in every single detail of our lives." Lydia told mom and I agreed.

"No. But I can help if I can." Mom said and I sighed. Lydia picked up the picture. "You know her?" Lydia asked.

"Meredith Walker." She said and I turned my head to Lydia. She walked over to a cabinet grabbing a silver jar. "These are th grandmother's ashes." She said.

"Grandma died in Eichen house." Lydia looked up at her.

"Your father had a difficult relationship with his mother. But after the things she said, and the way she acted..." Mom explained.

"He thought she was crazy." I sighed. "Well she said she heard things." Mom turned her head to me.

"Why would she want her ashes here?" I asked looking around.

"Well actually she didn't. She left instructions to have them spread across the lake." Mom looked at the lake.

"How come your having done it?" I asked. "Because she wanted you to do it. And she wanted Lydia to be there with you. When Lydia turned 18. But since there's only a few weeks till that, I suppose now is a time as any." She said handing me the jar.

I opened the lid and I looked down to see Mountain ash. "Mom these arnt grandma's ashes." I told her.

"What do you mean? Of course they are." Mom got confused.

Lydia picked some up and let it slip out of her hand. "It's mountain ash." I sighed. Lydia threw some at the edge but it flew into place.

She looked up at the place. "The whole building. It's all made of mountain ash.

We walked back to the table and mom handed me a note. "This is a letter your grandmother wrote when she died. I don't even know why I kept it because it's bassicly nonsense."

I opened and showed it to Lydia. "Are you absolutely sure grandma's dead?" Lydia asked.

"Yes I mean she has to be." Mom looked confused. "This isn't nonsense mom. It's code." Lydia sighed.

"The not was given to Lydia because Grandma knew you were a banshee." I whispered to Lydia.