That One October {T.M.R}

𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

"You're late." Tom said with a frown.

Vivian sat beside him with a fearful look on her face. "I had to be."

He crossed his arms. "Why? I snuck out to see you, I could've gotten in trouble!"

Not that he cared, he would just be punished with no dinner. It wasn't like he never stole from the kitchen anyways.

"I am sorry, I could not be first here." She shuddered and dropped her voice to a whisper, "Draugr could get me easy alone."

He chose his words carefully, choosing to play along rather than upset her. "Did it attack you again?"

The girl nodded rapidly. "Yes, and at aunt's house too!"

"Why would that matter?"

"I thought he would not go there." She brought her knees to her chest, "Tom, what do you know about dead?"

The boy furrowed his brows. "Death? It just means a person's heart stops beating, they stop breathing. Their body is empty and then rots, and that makes their soul go elsewhere."

"Where?"

"Well, I don't believe in God, if that's what you assume. I don't think there's a Heaven or Hell. Hell's on Earth, if you ask me."

She wasn't sure what she thought, but that wasn't the answer she was looking for.

"So where, then?"

Tom shrugged. "Here, there, everywhere. Some become ghosts. Now that, I do believe in."

Vivian's eyes widened and she grabbed his arm. "What?"

He moved away. "Calm down. Any ghosts are usually harmless." He smirked, "Unless they're not."

She scowled. "Do not scare me."

"I'm not trying to. You asked me a question, I answered. Not everyone becomes a ghost, but it's eternal nothingness otherwise, like you're asleep."

"Draugr is like ghost," She told him, "Do you know how to rid of them?"

He laughed flatly. "No."

She thought for a second before speaking again. "Is Uncle Nikolai a ghost?"

"Was he a bad person?"

She shook her head.

"Then probably not." A smug expression appeared on his features, "Only the wicked come back. The good stay where they're supposed to."

Vivian stood up. "If you keep scare me I will run home!"

Tom scoffed. "It's the truth! It's not my fault you're afraid."

"No talk about it!"

He got to his feet as well. "Fine!"

After several moments of silence, the boy spoke again.

"Could you teach me magic now?"

The girl glanced around. "Not here, we go to fort."

As they went he noticed once more that she was walking on his left side. She always did, and would sometimes even move out of her way to do so, which he found amusing.

The children sat underneath the sticks, now shielded from the crisp wind and any curious eyes.

"I teach you Accio."

The boy had heard that word before. "What you said when you moved your watch?"

Vivian nodded. "Lift your hand."