The Attic

Chapter 10.

        The sun was beginning to whisper hello in the sky, the blue turning light mixing with orange steaks the sun had painted in the sky. I lost track of time, have I been sitting there for hours, minutes, I wasn't sure. I held the locket in my hand the cool metal staining its existence in the palm of my hand. I was waking to wake up from this dream, how on earth did this locket get around my neck. I've never owned anything like this before. I was debating on opening it but afraid of what I may see. My eyes glued to the locket, taking in every detail every piece of it entirely. My eyes felt heavy I was still tired as my bedroom grew lighter from the new day. I looked toward my window, how beautiful the sky dances. Ready to start a new day...then it hit me. Adaline will never see another morning like this she missed out on so much with the world in the past 20 years. I made a mental note to start appreciating the simpler things of life. We never know when it could the very last. The thought made my throat close up, too deep of a thought for such an early morning and lack of sleep. The heart shape with the beautiful letter A stained on my brain. The curious adventure that swam through me. At this point these unusual circumstances were becoming normal to me. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing just yet. I felt a sense of sadness take a toll on me. I could feel my heart break as tears wanted to run down my face. Suddenly I just knew, and the fear that I once had was wearing off.

"Adaline?." I whispered feeling foolish as soon as I said her name. There was no way she would be haunting me or the simple fact I stilled hope she wasn't dead.

"Adaline..." I looked around my bedroom part of me expected her to vanish before my eyes. Telling me exactly what she wanted me to do so we both could move on.  A deeper part of me knew there was something much bigger to come out of this...

"Adaline" I said once more " I know its you...and I know you want me to find you. Help me and I will find you. I promise but you have to help me."

"Who are you talking to?" I jumped in the air I didn't notice my mother coming in my bedroom to gather some clothes for laundry

"Oh nothing its just a phrase I've read its a mystery book. I've gotten to into it." I touched my feet to the floor and started toward my dresser to find an outfit for the day. I could feel her eyes staring a hole in the back of my head. I pretended to be searching through my clothes hoping that she would eventually leave and let me. I could only pretend to sort through clothes before it came too obviously that I was trying to stall. I turned around to see my mother still staring at me. Her face lost and worried.

"What's wrong mother, are you feeling well?" I was trying to flip the situation around. Perhaps she would fall of it and allow me to be the ghost lady alone in my room

She continued to eye me "Yes darling I'm fine, are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course" I laughed out " Why wouldn't I be?" I stared back at her. This was uncomfortable and the last thing I wanted was for my mother to know what was going on.

She stepped closer to me and eyes the locket. Her eyes touched the metal looking so fragile in her delicate hands.

"Where did you get this lovely thing?" 

"I found it" I didn't want to try to make up a story for her to find loop holes in.

She put the necklace down to my chest and that was it. She smiled at me and and caress my cheek With some of my dirty laundry she walked out the door. I stood there confused why was mother acting so weird. I knew that I needed more information. I needed from someone that I could talk to that was here 20 years ago. I knew what I had to do, I needed to talk to Ellie Taylor.

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I knocked on Ellie's front door, waiting under the humid day. The summer was going by quickly but the heat wasn't close to dying down. I could feel the sun burning the back of my neck my ponytail only had a part of my skin. I knocked again and waited, I looked over to her window to see if she was peaking through her curtains. No such luck her curtains drawn hiding the world that she lived behind these walls.  I was ready to give up and walk away, perhaps she was busy with chores of her own on this Thursday. I went to walk away when I heard the creaking of her front door.