It's us {Dani and Jamie}

Imaginary

4

The attic of Bly Manor was nothing special. Pretty much the same as any ordinary one, except for the taller ceilings and the huge mounds of stuff everywhere. Boxes, chests, a rocking horse, a chandelier - an endless sea of treasure. The perfect place to play.

"Your parents were quite the collectors, weren't they?" Asked Dani, helping Flora up the ladder.

"Not particularly," She said, crouching to examine a pile of board games, "Most of this isn't ours. It belonged to the other people that used to live in our house. Air loons, daddy always called them."

Dani held back a grin, "Heirlooms?"

"Yes, that's it - oh!" She cried suddenly, rushing across the room to a wooden wardrobe, towering eight feet high near the window, "Look at what's in here, Miss Clayton! This is my favorite air loon."

The girl wrapped her hands around the large brass knobs, pulling them wide to reveal a dozen old fashioned outfits, hung on old wooden hangers.

"Oh wow," The au pair murmured, pulling back a deep purple ball gown to examine it, "These are beautiful."

"Aren't they?" Flora sighed dreamily, "Can you get that one for me?"

"What, this one?" She pulled a perfectly Flora sized dress down from the rack, admiring it's silver thread, "Who did these belong to, do you know?"

"No, but I have a guess," Said Flora, struggling to pulling the gown over her clothes, "There was a mummy - the one with all the big gowns, a little girl - who had the little gowns, and a daddy. His outfit is in there somewhere."

Dani searched and pulled out a black suit from the far end of the rack. It was in good shape for looking like it came from the 1700's. She ran her fingers over the stiff fabric, tracing the man's stitched initials on the tag near the collar: A.L they read.

"Ooo! I have an idea!" Flora exclaimed, "You be the prince and I'll be the princess and we can play royal ball!"

Dani laughed, "I don't think the suit will fit over my clothes."

"Then change, I won't look." Flora turned around, covering her eyes with her fists.

The au pair opened her mouth once before closing it again, pondering. This would keep her occupied for a while...

"Oh sure, why not!" She replaced her sweater and jeans for some dead guy's black suit and looked at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, it fit surprisingly well.

"Alright M'lady," She said, spinning around with serious brows, "Let's dance."

Flora giggled, "Nuh, uh, you've got to say 'Shall we dance."

"Shall we dance?"

Flora grinned, taking Dani's hands, "We shall."

The two of them spun their way around the attic, stepping to avoid the clutter, but still ending up falling down. Luckily it was onto a couch. It puffed up a cloud of dust that shimmered in the light from the window.

"This is much better than playing with my other friend." Flora smiled through heavy breaths.

Dani laughed, but then looked at her funny, "Who do you mean?"

My friend," Said Flora, like this was obvious, "The one who lives in the lake."

"The lake?" Dani asked, furrowing her brows. But then she realized, "Ohhh, do you have an imaginary friend?"

She tilted her head in confusion, "Is that what it's called when they don't have a face?"

Dani smiled, "Yes, Flora."

"Then yes, I have an imaginary friend."

"What's their name?"

The girl lifted herself off the couch, pulling off the sparkly dress, "She doesn't remember."

Dani frowned, "But why-"

"I don't want to talk about my friend anymore." Said Flora suddenly, taking the dress back to the rack.

Dani's frown deepened, but she didn't press. Her eyes were drawn to the window as she stood up in A.L's suit. She looked at the lake and got the oddest feeling. As if it were looking back...

"Oi!" Someone called from behind, "What's all this, then?"

Jamie crawled up from the ladder, holding a watering can and a teasing grin on her face, "I was just coming up to water the window boxes, I didn't know this was the royal palace I was walking into. I would have come better dressed!"

Dani shook her head with a smile, "Don't make fun of me, I'm the Prince. I could have you executed, peasant."

"I'm the princess!" Flora beamed.

"Alright, your highness, I've got a message from your royal cook," Jamie said seriously, crouching down to her level, "Your royal lunch is ready in the royal kitchen and it looks royally delicious, so you better get down there."

The girl smiled and thanked her, scurrying down the hole in the floor.

Jamie turned her attention back to the woman in the suit, "Well, well, well, Prince Poppins, don't you look dashing today."

Dani smiled, "Don't flirt with your superiors, royal gardener, that could get you fired."

She set down the watering can, approaching with an arrogant grin, "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

She stopped six inches from Dani's face, staring unabashedly at her lips, "So our own royal ball last night... That was fun, eh?"

"Yes." Dani managed.

"And those moves... who knew you had it in you?"

Dani smiled, but leaned backwards as the gardener's face leaned in closer, "Could you help me get this off?" She asked instead, tugging at the red tie around her throat.

Jamie raised her brows, "Blimey, skipping right to the end, are we?"

Dani's face reddened, "No! I just - well I tied it too tight and - and the knot isn't - could you just help me?"

The gardener chuckled, reaching two hands towards her neck, "'Course I can."

They stood in silence, Jamie fumbling with the fabric. Dani couldn't help but notice a few details she hadn't noticed before about the woman standing so close. The nails on her long, delicate fingers had soil caked beneath them. A few leaves lay hidden in her brown curls. She smelled of lilacs and grass.

Every inch of her exuded life. Perhaps it was that right there, the fact that she was the complete polar opposite of the man who haunted her memory that caused the flashback.

All of a sudden she was right back in that fitting room, trying on her wedding dress. Jamie's hands were those of the female employee, helping her into the white gown. Feeling electrically guilty because those hands, that random woman's hands, felt more right against her skin than her future husband's ever had.

And then she was back in the attic. Jamie was Jamie again, but she stood back, holding her hands up in surrender, "What is it, did I pinch you?"

Dani closed her eyes, disoriented, "What?"

"You gasped, Dani, like I kicked you in the shins or something."

"No - no you didn't - I just - I don't know what-"

"Hey," Said Jamie gently, "What's wrong?"

But it wasn't the gardener talking anymore, it was Eddie, her fiance.

"What's wrong, Babe?"

Dani sat in the passenger seat of the car, on the verge of tears, "I wanted - I needed to tell you that - I can't-"

Eddie's brows furrowed, "Hold on there, calm down," He said, taking her hands, "The way you're talking it almost sounds like you want to break up."

She him in the eyes, willing him to understand.

He let go of her hands, "Oh."

"Eddie-"

"Oh..."

"Honey, let's talk about this, please-"

But he was already opening the car door, stepping into the street, and with a single WHOOSH he was gone. Not just out of her life, but out of his too.

Back in the attic, the au pair started to cry.