Halloween

1914

There were footsteps as she walked. She had performed on Halloween again. If it wasn’t who she thought it was, she’d feel rather stupid.

“There’s a war on now,” she said as she slowed down her pace.
“Is that so?” asked an English voice. “Please, do tell.”
“It’s mostly Britain and Germany and their allies, we’re not really involved with it yet but we probably will be,” said Marie. Looking to her left, she saw the face of Edward Mordrake. “I’m not really sure how it happened but I feel bad for the soldiers, they were told they would be home for Christmas and it’s already Halloween.”
“It seems they lied, that’s not how war operates,” he said. Marie smiled a little and nodded in agreement.
“I think some of them might have realised that now.”

As she walked back to her tiny apartment with the ghost walking beside her. She wondered if other people could see him. Since he was a ghost that appeared to freaks, she assumed he only appeared to freaks. If anyone was to see her, she’d be walking alone and talking to herself.
“I’d like to go to war,” she said, turning to look at Edward Mordrake again. “I could walk across No Man’s land and survive.”
“You were born female, you cannot fight in a war,” he said. Marie hummed.
“Probably for the best, I don’t think I could kill anyone,” she said. “I do think we’ll be able to vote soon as well, I’ve been trying to support some of the suffrage groups.”

“It wants to hear a story,” he said, changing the topic. Marie felt dread well in her chest. “It wants to hear of a joyous moment.”
One story came to mind immediately. “It probably sounds stupid but when I was ten, there was this doll in the window of a toy shore.”

Holding her father’s hand, Marie happily skipped down the road.
“What do you think your sister would like?” her father asked, looking at his daughter. As they walked past a store with dolls in the window, Marie stared at them. There was one with beautiful blue eyes and black hair and a pretty . “What do you suggest?”

Her father noticed she was distracted and knelt beside her.
“If you help me pick some presents for your sister’s birthday, I’ll buy you that doll there that you’re looking at but you have to promise not to tell your mother.”
Marie’s eyes widened as she smiled and nodded. “I promise.”

“I left the doll behind when I ran away. It was a shame, getting that doll is one of my earliest memories. The problem with living so long is that you forget so much,” said Marie with a sigh. “I didn’t take it because I thought my mother would take me back.”
“But she didn’t,” said Edward. “Your father does not seem like your mother, he seems kinder.”
“He wasn’t like her, he was kinder,” she smiled as she remembered him. She looked down at the path but it was covered by the green mist.
“Something happened to him.”
“Yes, he was… he died during the civil war,” she said quietly. “I miss him.”

“I’m sure you do, my dear, but I’m afraid I must leave you here,” he said. It took a few steps for her to realise he wasn’t walking with her any more. She turned and he smiled, nodding his head. “I wish you a safe journey, my dear.” Edward fell into the darkness, the mist fading with him.