The Undying

The Undying
Victoria and Charlie

There was once a little girl who was playing in the woods behind her victorian home. It was late in the afternoon and night would soon fall. As the little girl walked down the dirt path, the leaves crackled under her feet as she got farther and farther away from home. She was too busy looking down at the tracks her shoes left in the wet, soft dirt to notice where she was going. When she finally looked up she realized she had stumbled upon the ruins of an old, grand home. The ruins were charred as if the house had been burnt down, but the girl knew it was once beautiful by looking at what was left. There were remains of two columns, tall and intricate, reaching for the sky. The steps and posts were delicately carved, and the walls of the home were crumbling. She walked around the house, and into the garden behind it. Two great stone lions flanked each entrance, darkened and eroded from rain and dirt. The stone path was eroded, but covered in a white powder that looked like ashes. In fact, the whole garden was covered by ash, looking as if snow had just fallen. As the girl bends down to touch a flower frozen by ashes, she sees something move out of the corner of her eye. As she’s turning around, she hears a dog bark and a woman yelling. With her heart racing, the girl runs out of the garden and down the dirt path back home.
    The next day the girl returns to the garden, determined to find out what happened to the home. But as she is approaching she sees a woman in a white dress looking in the opposite direction.
    “Ello, Miss? Is this yer home?”
But the woman only smiled, without looking in the little girls direction.
    “Why are ye wearin a wedding dress?”
The woman glided over and sat upon a stone bench. She motioned the girl to sit with her. The girl walked over, the ground changed from dirt to stone. She was now standing in the center of the garden. She sat with the woman, who asked, “If your courteous, would ya loike ta hear a stoury? Whoy don't I tell a stoury, that’ll be noice rouight?” The girl nodded.
    “Moi names’s Janice, Janice Knottingham, and Oi used ta look a lot loike you. With the little dresses n wot not. But then… Oi met him. The one, Louie Sorcio. He wos gorgeous, wit his slick back black hair n his brown eyes. Its loike it was yestaday dat he proposed. Of course Oi said yes, looky here,” The apparition showed the girl a large, cracked, diamond ring. “Although moi stuck-up parents nevah loiked im’; saying e was a swindler troyin ta git ma money or wotevah’, I neva listened. He was perfect! … Oi do miss im’. Is just not fair. Loike Oi didn't deserve to be wed. Moi stupid self had ta go in die the day after...didn't even get to say “good morning” to im’,” the woman paused, her gaze drifted away, but she then sprung up and blurted, “Oh but wot a joiyfull day moi weddin was. Moi dress was dazzling, the cake was enormous, Louie was of course as handsome as eva. He was so sweet, he made sure every little thoing was perfect. He got the flowas’, he mixed the drinks, he bought the cake, and he even brought doves… DOVES for croyin’ ouut loud. Ahh, I remember the cakes vanilla frosting. The champagne, well actually the champagne tasted a little off, but everything was just...just perfect. Like moi darling Louie."
    The woman stared off into the distance, her hands were clasped together and pressing on her chest. The little girl gazed at the apparition and asked, "How did you say you died?"
    "In moi sleep...authorities said Oi was poisoned r sumfin'," responded the star struck bride.
    "So this guy Louie, what did he do after you...you know?"
    "Oi doun't really know. It pains me still that Oi could neva foind im' afta' da wedding...he just went up and disappeared. He musta been hartbroken.
    The girl's brow furrowed in thought, "Did they ever figure out who poisoned you?"
    "Nope," said the woman, "Oi read in tha news that they were neva able to foind the crook, said that he'd book it out of London the noight after."
    "So he poisoned you on the day of your wedding, you died after you got married, and Louie disappeared without a trace?"
    "Yes."
    "Lady I think Louie is your murderer."
    "Wot! That's is preposterous! Why would you eva say such a thoing, Louie was purfect!" blurted the apparition.
    "Just hear me out, k." The woman settled and the girl continued, "your rich and Louie was poor. Of course he wanted to marry you! But if he was the only person in charge of all the wedding stuff, then who else could've done it?"
    "Well...uh...no. no."
    "And! And, the police said that they could find the murderer because he disappeared...sound familiar?"
    "Oh-oh god!" The woman fell silent, tears streamed from her face but then floated upward. She slammed her fist on the stone bench. "That conniving weasel! I-I feel so...I hate...I-I." The woman paused and looked at the girl. She said softly, "thank you"
    The woman floated into the air and wiped the tears from her face, smiled, and waved slowly at the girl, who was just bewildered be everything that was going on right now. She then began to dissolve into a cloud of glowing stars which drifted slowly up to the clouds.
END