One Goes Running (DISCONTINUED)

One

Addison closed the door to her bakery and locked it, Skipping down the street.

She had always loved the outside world, it smelled nice and was beautiful.

Ever since she was a little girl, her mom would hold her hand and walk through the luscious, thick woods with her. They would sometimes even have a picnic.

Addison smiled sadly at the memory, taking in a breath of fresh air. Her mother had died not too long after going on one of their famous picnics. Turns out, her mother caught the flu and died of it two days later. All Addison had left of her mother was one of her bracelets. Addison fumbled with the bracelet on her skinny wrist, remembering her mother.

After a while, she learnt to accept that her mother was gone. It took a while to get used to filling up her mother's spot, but she did it. Now she took care of the cleaning, cooking, and gardening. She also took care of her younger sister, Halley.

Shaking her head, she walked into the door of her house, taking off her apron. She turned to Halley, who had been sitting there waiting for Addison to come home.

"Addie!" The young girl cried and hugged her sister.

Addison laughed.

"Hi, squirt, how was your day?" Addison asked, kneeling to her level.

"It was great! We learnt.." Halley trailed off, explaining her day at school.

Halley was only 7 years old. That means she was only a baby when their mother had died.

Which also means she doesn't remember her.

Addison sighed. She wished her mother was here.

Their father had always been away from home, so they couldn't get to know him, either.

Addison remembers all the times she tried to play with her father, but he would always respond with;

"Not today, I'm busy."

Or;

"I wish I could, but I have work."

Addison often wondered where he was, and how he was doing. She hoped he was doing well.

Addison picked up Halley.

"Hey, how's 'bout we go out to mama's grave today?" Addison asked Halley, who nodded her head in agreement.

~❤️~

  Addison and Halley stood in front of their mother's grave. Written on the grave was; 

"Willow Maple"

"1872-1906"

Halley put down a flower for her mother, despite not remembering her. 

Addison smiled sadly and patted Halley's back. 

"Go on, go play in the meadow." She encouraged, lightly pushing Halley as she ran off towards the meadow. 

Addison kneeled down at her mother's grave. 

"Hey mom, I just wanted to say that I missed you," She greeted, "I'm 16 now, time sure has passed. Oh, yeah, Halley is 7 now!" 

Addison laughed sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. 

"I really miss you, say hi to grandma for me, okay?" She said before wiping a tear from her eye and standing up. 

Addison looked out at her sister, who was chasing a butterfly in the meadow. 

"Addie! Look! A butterfly!" Halley squealed. 

Addison laughed and ran out into the meadow. 

"Wanna catch some with me, Hal?" Addison asked. Halley nodded her head, running after another butterfly. 

Addison ran after her but stopped when she saw a white butterfly, perching on a daisy. 

Mom's favorite... She thought.

"Hey, Addie, what's wrong?" Halley asked, concerned. She waved her hand in front of Addison's face, jumping up to her height of 5'8, or at least trying to. 

Addison shook her head, snapping out of her trance. 

"Nothin'," Addison responded, looking towards the sunset, "I think we best go home now, Hal." 

Halley yawned and nodded. Skipping on ahead of her sister, blonde hair bouncing as she took a step. 

Addison smiled as she watched Halley. 

Stay young forever, Hal. Never grow up. She thought. 

~❤️~ 

Later that night while Halley slept, Addison couldn't shake the feeling that something bad would happen. 

It haunted her so much that she couldn't sleep. Every thought she had was soon taken over by a feeling in the back of her mind. The feeling that someone was watching her every move, even if she lay in a bed. 

Addison got out of bed and sighed. 

Why the heck do I feel as if someone is watching me?  She thought over and over again. 

She sleepily walked to the water well, holding a cup. She shivered. 

It was cold. 

The wind tickled her skin and she pulled water up from the well. Then she heard the most peculiar sound, it was something she couldn't describe. A kind of, weird, scratching sound from inside the well. At first she thought it was just her mind playing tricks on her because she was tired. But it soon grew louder. 

Startled, she dropped her cup and looked down into the well, still pulling up the water.

Addison thought that maybe a critter fell down the well, but realized the animal would be trying to comminuicate, and most likely wouldn't be alive. 

As the noise became louder, Addison dropped the bucket of water back into the well, making a thump. She ran back into her house and locked the door. Something was out there. Something was in that well. Addison peeked around her curtains out the window. Nothing. Nothing was there. The wind had died down, too. 

Addison got a chill up her spine and quickly shut the curtains. She walked to Halley's room with a blanket and sat down in the old rocking chair in the corner of the room. The one her mother used to tell her stories on. She sat down on the chair and covered herself with the blanket. 

Soon enough, she had fallen asleep. 

But, unfortunately, had forgotten to lock the back door.