Half a Lady

Epilogue

The letter sat on his bedside table, tied with a green ribbon. It seemed impossible that something so innocuous could hold so many secrets. He unrolled it with shaking fingers.

Benny,

How does one write a farewell letter? I haven't the faintest idea. Writing has never been something I'm particularly gifted at. But if I've learned anything from our time together, it's that I should feel grateful for what I do have. And I am so incredibly grateful to have you in my life.

Do you remember the time Grandfather told us about Odysseus? It was last spring, during that vicious thunderstorm. You were convinced the cabin would wash away, and Grandfather distracted us with tales of a Greek hero who went on an incredible adventure. Odysseus dodged sea monsters, outsmarted a cyclops, and sailed the world. But through it all, he never stopped trying to return to his family.

It's time for me to go on my own adventure. I wish I could join the nunnery and be the dutiful daughter our parents desire, but that isn't me, and that isn't my future. It would be cruel to pretend otherwise. From now on, I'll be staying at the Avercroft boarding school. I'm going to be a teacher if you can believe it! I'll visit home for the holidays, and I'll send letters as often as I can. Please write back. No matter what, I will always be your loving sister.

-Cordelia

There was a smaller piece of paper tucked behind the first. Benny ignored it and re-read the letter. Once. Twice. Then, a third time, trying to calm his racing heart. Cordelia had embarked on a quest to become a... teacher? It was a far cry from a swashbuckling adventure with sea monsters and cyclops, but at least she sounded happy.

Benny closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about why Cordelia had left. He should have said more, should have done more, so she would know how much he loved her. Instead, he was stuck reading her letter and wishing she was here.

Benny pulled out the second paper, scanning Cordelia's elegant script.

Before I go, I want to leave you with a riddle. You were always so clever at solving them. Best of luck!

I hold people captive for days at a time;

Yet they come willingly, and I commit no crime.

I'm quiet by nature, though I aim to inspire;

But some people are wary and burn me with fire.

I keep many secrets, both known and untold;

I record the world's stories, the new and the old.

Benny frowned. Cordelia's riddle seemed unerringly dark for someone filled with so much light. Hadn't it said something about holding people captive and being burned with fire? Perhaps his end-of-the-world worries weren't that far off.

He turned the riddle over in his mind. It had to be something people enjoyed if they allowed themselves to be caught up in it for days. Maybe it involved spinning tops and toy soldiers? Benny would never get bored playing with those. But he couldn't picture a grown-up doing that. Toys didn't seem very inspirational, either. And what did that part about fire mean? Was it metaphorical, like Grandfather's stories of a phoenix rising from the ashes? Or was it connected to the last part of the riddle, about keeping secrets and stories?

Wait. Secrets and stories. That was it.

Benny hurried down the hall. The door to Cordelia's room was ajar. The space looked different than he remembered. Her trunk and most of the things that lined her vanity were missing. Her paintings had been taken down, and her leather satchel was missing from its hook. The room felt unlived in, like his sister's presence was a memory from the past.