It's us {Dani and Jamie}

Ghost Stories

5

Days had passed. They made uneasy eye contact in the hallways, then looked away. They fumbled when passing the mashed potatoes at dinner. Said good night and good morning, but that was about it.
   
And Dani knew it was her fault. She was the one who had a mental breakdown in the attic, so she was the one who had to make things normal again. She knew Jamie was waiting for it, but honestly, Dani didn't quite know how.

Confidence was never her strong suit.
   
So the days passed in an anxious limbo between them, neither knowing quite how to act.
   
And Hannah, being Hannah, noticed something was up and had apparently made it her mission to fix it.
   
"How about a bonfire?" She suggested one evening, once the kids were asleep, "Roasting marshmallows, getting a little fresh air... sounds fun, no?"
   
Dani looked up from the sink, where she was washing dishes, "Isn't it a little cold tonight?"
   
Hannah chuckled, "That's why we would be making a fire."
   
Owen nodded, "Why not? I'll grab the blankets."
   
Dani stole a glance at Jamie, but she didn't look back. The four of them made their way out of the kitchen and down a path towards the firepit, arms full of blankets and bottles of beer.
   
"Ahh, this is nice..." Said Owen after the fire had been going for a while.
   
Jamie scoffed, throwing a few stray twigs on the crackling logs, "Would have been nicer if you helped me build it you strong, capable man."
   
They chuckled softly, letting the sound get washed away by the whisper of the flames.
   
"When I was a kid," Said Hannah, eyes far away, "We used to tell ghost stories around the fire."
   
Dani shivered, mostly from the cold, "I don't think I like ghost stories too much."
   
"That just means you haven't heard a good one yet." Owen winked.
   
"Does that mean you've got one?" Jamie asked.
   
"Maybe..."
   
She took a long sip of beer, "Well don't keep us waiting, mate."
   
Hannah nodded with a smile.
   
Owen looked to Dani who shrugged, "Well alright then. It's not my story, really, I heard it from the man who was the gardener before you, Jamie."
   
"Ehh... I don't trust this story already." She said suspiciously, "That guy was a twat."
   
"Oh yeah, it's complete rubbish, but he told it so convincingly it stuck with me all these years."
   
"Well consider me intrigued," Said Jamie, propping her feet on a log, "Dazzle us."
   
Owen smiled faintly, "It was back a long time ago - hundreds of years. The manor was owned by a rich man - Arthur Lloyd - and his wife Viola. They lived with Viola's sister Perdita."
   
"Why did the sister live with them?" Hannah wondered.
   
"She and Viola were very close, but you've got to understand one thing: Perdita was in love with Arthur, right as he was about to marry her sister, so there was some jealousy there."
   
"Oh jesus, this can't end well." Jamie sighed, taking a sip from her bottle.
   
"For a while everything was alright. They lived peacefully, the three of them, and soon Viola and Arthur had a daughter. Viola loved that little girl more than anything, and everything was wonderful."
   
"Until...?" Jamie rolled her eyes.
   
"Until Viola got a deadly disease-"
   
"There it is."
   
"-she was only supposed to live for another few months, but she defied all the odds, living in sickness for years and years. She had to watch from her death bed as her sister slowly started taking on her responsibilities as the mistress of Bly and as a mother figure for her daughter. And then..." Owen paused for dramatic effect.
   
"Spit it out, mate." Said Jamie.
   
Hannah chuckled, poking her leg, "Look who's suddenly on the edge of her seat."
   
"Shut up."
   
"And then..." Owen continued, "Perdita and Arthur began to fall in love. Viola had to watch from her bed as her daughter found a new mother and her husband found a new wife. As if she was already dead."
   
"Jeez Owen, this isn't scary, it's just depressing." Dani said.
   
"Just wait," He groaned , "You guys are the worst listeners ever. Now is when it gets good. So Viola got mad, obviously, so she got in the habit of hitting her sister while she was trying to help her take baths, or bring her food. Just straight up smacking her for no reason. Perdita couldn't say anything, obviously, you can't be mad at someone who's literally dying, but she started wearing away, bit by bit, getting more and more angry, boiling beneath the surface. Until one day... boom. Perdita hit back."
   
"Did she kill her?" Jamie said, eyes wide.
   
"Yup. Clamped a hand over her mouth and boom. That was that."
   
"Damn. Go her," She laughed, "I mean I know Viola was dying, but you can't just punch people, you know?"
   
Hannah and Dani held back laughs.
   
"But Viola had other ideas about her fate," Said Owen darkly, "Through sheer force of will, so it seemed, the same force that kept her alive all those years, she stayed. Not alive, but at the Manor. Making her home in the lake, her favorite spot on the grounds."
   
"In the lake?" Said Dani with wide eyes.
   
"Yes, why?"
   
She was about to make the connection between Flora's imaginary friend, but thought better of it. Just a coincidence, no need to rile everyone up, "No reason."
   
"So she became a mermaid ghost?" Jamie clarified.
   
"No, she had her legs. But over time, her face began to wash away - like rocks being smoothed by a flowing river."
   
Dani's heart skipped a beat: two coincidences...

"The reason for Viola's persistence in staying at Bly soon became clear," Owen continued, "Revenge. One night, dragging her faceless self out of the dark water, she crept into the manor. Walked the halls, dripping water over the hardwood. Made her way to her dear sister's room and -BAM-" He clapped his hands, making Jamie jump on her log, "Dragged her sister by the neck in a death grip all the way back to the lake. Drowning her. Sometimes, every once and awhile, the people of Bly Manor can see Viola, to this day. Still looking out for her daughter and dear husband Arthur."
   
"Jesus christ, Owen," Jamie cried, "You're going to give me some bloody nightmares with this shit."
   
He laughed, "I did warn you."
   
"Hmm," Said Hannah thoughtfully, crossing her arms, "I don't know if I'm impressed."
   
"Ouch!" Owen said, "How come?"
   
"Well it's the characters, really, not the story," She said, "If they had just said what they were really thinking the whole time then none of it would have happened. If the sister said she was in love with the husband before Viola got married to him, if Viola told Perdita she was jealous... pretty unrealistic, isn't it?"
   
Jamie let out a bitter laugh, "Oh, I'd say it is realistic. I can think of a few people who aren't too good at saying what they're thinking."
   
Dani looked at her shoes. She probably wasn't supposed to be getting life lessons from a ghost story, but she felt the fate of the characters making her uneasy with her own actions. What Hannah said was true - not saying what they thought had led to the deaths of the two sisters.
   
Dani surely wouldn't suffer as extreme of a consequence, but not sharing how she felt was sure making her life harder - and Jamie's too.
   
She stood up from her log so abruptly, the three other pairs of eyes turned to her in confusion.
   
"I'm going to get more firewood," She announced.
   
Hannah frowned, "But we've already got plenty-"
   
"I'm going," She interrupted, "Jamie, come with me please?"
   
"But-"
   
"Come with me."
   
The gardener sighed, but stood up, taking her beer with her, "Fine, weirdo, let's go."
   
"Yes," Said Dani, taking a deep breath, "Let's go."