The storm was picking up.
Carter Carmichael hurried into the house, his boots squeaking as he did so. Dark storm clouds hung overhead, and thunder rumbled lowly in the distance, casting a gloomy atmosphere across the entire vicinity. He hastily slammed the door shut and shed his grey overcoat, hanging it up on a nearby rack.
“Only me!” he called out cheerily. When he didn’t receive a reply, he sighed and stepped further into the hall, stopping at an old wooden door. Peering inside, he noticed a woman hunched over a coffee table, her grey hair flowing down the side of her face like a veil. “Morning.”
The woman simply grunted in acknowledgement. Carter’s smile waned at the hostile reaction. He bustled into the room and drew the curtains back, wincing when he remembered the ominous clouds outside.
“Awful day today,” he said conversationally. The woman ignored him once again.
Carter turned back to see her poring over a few old photographs, her fingers skimming over the youthful faces gently. Her eyes narrowed in bewilderment, as they always did when she found the photos.
He sighed. “I’ll go make some tea.”
Carter Carmichael hurried into the house, his boots squeaking as he did so. Dark storm clouds hung overhead, and thunder rumbled lowly in the distance, casting a gloomy atmosphere across the entire vicinity. He hastily slammed the door shut and shed his grey overcoat, hanging it up on a nearby rack.
“Only me!” he called out cheerily. When he didn’t receive a reply, he sighed and stepped further into the hall, stopping at an old wooden door. Peering inside, he noticed a woman hunched over a coffee table, her grey hair flowing down the side of her face like a veil. “Morning.”
The woman simply grunted in acknowledgement. Carter’s smile waned at the hostile reaction. He bustled into the room and drew the curtains back, wincing when he remembered the ominous clouds outside.
“Awful day today,” he said conversationally. The woman ignored him once again.
Carter turned back to see her poring over a few old photographs, her fingers skimming over the youthful faces gently. Her eyes narrowed in bewilderment, as they always did when she found the photos.
He sighed. “I’ll go make some tea.”
Carter hurried back into the kitchen just as the whistling kettle clicked off. He poured Earl Grey tea into two expensive china cups and, after placing them on equally expensive china saucers, hurried out. He walked across the expansive corridor, his boots continuously thudding against the old wood, and turned right, entering the lounge.
“Tea’s ready,” he exclaimed jovially. When the only response he received was a disgruntled hum, his shoulders sagged. “You can’t keep looking at those pictures all day.”
Once again, the woman merely ignored him.
“Cassandra…” Carter started, but found that he couldn’t say anything else. He sighed, and set the two saucers on the coffee table. “I know today is difficult, but you can’t keep sitting here.”
Cassandra’s gaze idly flicked over to the tea, before returning to the photographs.
“Look,” Carter finally relented. He kneeled in front of the coffee table. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. I know… I know you’re suffering, but I also know I’m right. You can’t just stare at these photos all day, it’s not good for you. How about we go for a walk?” He quickly backtracked when Cassandra’s nostrils flared. “Okay, maybe not a walk. How about we just talk instead? I could get the harp out, play a bit, and you can tell me about them. How about that?”
Cassandra pressed her lips together, clearly contemplating his offer. Her idle gaze alternated between Carter and the photos.
“C’mon,” Carter urged. “It’ll help, I promise.”
The steely resolve in Cassandra’s eyes slowly died down, and she sighed. “Fine,” she said brusquely. “But I want Hobnobs.”
Carter chuckled. “Sure.”
His gaze drifted to the windows, and he sighed when he noticed the drawn curtains. Briefly considering a reprimand, he decided against it and strode across the room, pulling them open again to suppress his irritation.
“The rain’s stopped,” Carter noted, with mild surprise. “Sure you don’t want to go for a walk?”
If he received a response from Cassandra, he didn’t hear it. Carter leaned towards the window, his breath staining the glass with fog, distracted. There was something in the clearing that caught his attention.
“Who are they?”
“Tea’s ready,” he exclaimed jovially. When the only response he received was a disgruntled hum, his shoulders sagged. “You can’t keep looking at those pictures all day.”
Once again, the woman merely ignored him.
“Cassandra…” Carter started, but found that he couldn’t say anything else. He sighed, and set the two saucers on the coffee table. “I know today is difficult, but you can’t keep sitting here.”
Cassandra’s gaze idly flicked over to the tea, before returning to the photographs.
“Look,” Carter finally relented. He kneeled in front of the coffee table. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. I know… I know you’re suffering, but I also know I’m right. You can’t just stare at these photos all day, it’s not good for you. How about we go for a walk?” He quickly backtracked when Cassandra’s nostrils flared. “Okay, maybe not a walk. How about we just talk instead? I could get the harp out, play a bit, and you can tell me about them. How about that?”
Cassandra pressed her lips together, clearly contemplating his offer. Her idle gaze alternated between Carter and the photos.
“C’mon,” Carter urged. “It’ll help, I promise.”
The steely resolve in Cassandra’s eyes slowly died down, and she sighed. “Fine,” she said brusquely. “But I want Hobnobs.”
Carter chuckled. “Sure.”
His gaze drifted to the windows, and he sighed when he noticed the drawn curtains. Briefly considering a reprimand, he decided against it and strode across the room, pulling them open again to suppress his irritation.
“The rain’s stopped,” Carter noted, with mild surprise. “Sure you don’t want to go for a walk?”
If he received a response from Cassandra, he didn’t hear it. Carter leaned towards the window, his breath staining the glass with fog, distracted. There was something in the clearing that caught his attention.
“Who are they?”
Zoe stirred awake, her face wet from the damp grass that she was lying on. Slowly, she sat on her feet, and looked around, dazed and disoriented. She was in a clearing of some sort. To her left, a row of trees stood, leading into a forest of some sort. To her right was a dirt path paving the way to a large, run-down house. It was big, like a mansion, with old, dry white paint and long green vines snaking up the gutter and chimney. The windows had drawn cream-white shutters, making it difficult to see inside.
In the distance, she could hear waves lapping against the shore. It was a peaceful sound. Serene...
Zoe shook her head to in an effort to clear the drowsiness. She noticed her friends lying around her, and shook Sarah Jane’s shoulder. “Sarah Jane,” she whispered. “Sarah Jane, wake up.”
It took a few minutes, but eventually Sarah Jane was roused from her slumber. “What…” She turned to face Zoe. “What happened? Oh.” She rubbed the side of her temple. “I remember."
In the distance, she could hear waves lapping against the shore. It was a peaceful sound. Serene...
Zoe shook her head to in an effort to clear the drowsiness. She noticed her friends lying around her, and shook Sarah Jane’s shoulder. “Sarah Jane,” she whispered. “Sarah Jane, wake up.”
It took a few minutes, but eventually Sarah Jane was roused from her slumber. “What…” She turned to face Zoe. “What happened? Oh.” She rubbed the side of her temple. “I remember."