Flo sighed. “Well, thank you. I’ll have to keep researching. I need to know exactly what happened with my curse, because when I took off my gloves, they aged. I’m worried. If the curse failed so miserably in the first place…what if I die?” Flo looked at her bare hands. “I don’t know what was done to me.”
“I know your father wanted to control you. He didn’t have the power to do that, so I know that he made calls to those people. That night, those robed people came and you were taken down that hall and there was nothing I could do. On my insistence, Erickson tried to stop them, but couldn’t follow. When your father returned, he looked scared and he threw those robed figures out of this house. He never saw you again and neither did I. At least not until you emerged from that room the way you are now, and yes, at first, I thought you were a ghost, but you were so frightened of us, we let you be.”
Flo nodded. “I’m sorry for that.”
“No need to be sorry, dear. I am glad that you are talking to me. You don’t need to be afraid of ghosts, and I will put the word out they’re not to be afraid of you. You are a revenant after all, But we’ve all gotten used to Mercedes being able to see us, and now Sven being able to see us, but it would be nice if we could also talk.”
Flo nodded. “I would like that. So, it looks like if I’m going to find any information about my curse, I’m going to have to get Mercedes go to Tallowfield.”
Lottie nodded sadly. “It seems that way, though I don’t know about sending her there.”
“I agree. I don’t want Mercedes going there.”
“There’s just something not right about that whole situation.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Lottie floated over toward her and took her hand. It was cold, and there was an energy about it because Lottie was a ghost, but it was comforting. Flo felt something deep inside her, a memory coming back.
“Flo, you’re crying. Come here,” the soft voice of her mother calls out.
Flo climbed into the bed and her mother smiled and held her close.
“I was scared, mother,” Flo cried. “The storm is loud.”
“Don’t be scared. I’m here. Always. Now sleep.”
Flo felta sting and tears welled in her eyes. She remembered her mother. The one who loved her first. Lottie’s touch brought back another memory. Something deep and emotional. It was as if she were coming out of a fog.
“Dear, you cannot worry about these things you can’t control,” Lottie said softly. “You have to focus on the fact that you’re here and you found your true love again. You have to live, which is a silly thing to say given what you are and what I am, but nothing seems to make sense. All I know is this is a good place to live. Most people seem happy, so you just have to try to make sure that you live every day as best you can, even if you don’t remember him or your life or the other details. To wallowabout what you can’t control, well that’s a horrible way to spend eternity.”
Flo touched the corner of her eye and felt the dampness. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, dear. Now I’m going to go tell the other spirits of our conversation so they have nothing to fear. They won’t scare you off, although I would be wary of Mario. He still hasn’t gotten used to wearing clothes again.”
“Are his clothes missing?” Flo asked, amused.
“He does have clothes, but they’re kind of soggy from his adventure in the pond when Sal killed him. He prefers to run around here naked, much like Magnus. However, his clothes always return at the start of new day. At least Magnus is better at that now that he has Mercedes. Now, I’m going to be on my way, but everything will be well, dear. You’ll see.” Lottie squeezed her hand one more time and then turned into a ball of energy and dissipated through the wall.
Flo sighed and turned back to the bookshelf. It wasn’t the answers she was looking for, but it was a start, and at least now the others would talk to her. Things were definitely looking brighter and she didn’t feel as upset or anxious.
Which was a nice change of pace for once.
Chapter
Seven
Sven had to actually go searching for Flo. She wasn’t in the library when he came to find her. For one second, he panicked that she forgot who she was and retreated back to her room, where he’d have a hard time getting to her. He would’ve come to find her sooner, but Erickson would not stop talking. Sven kept listening on the off chance he’d say something important.
He didn’t.
It was mostly about how he watched his carcass rot away, and then how the house was built up around him and how he saw that he and Magnus were cursed, but he was frustrated about how he couldn’t communicate with them.
He tried to ask guided questions of Erickson, but it didn’t work well. Eventually, he freed himself from his former shipmate and went looking for Flo to see how she was making out. Except she was gone from the library.
It didn’t take him long to find her in his apartment, out on the widow’s walk, where he often stood at night. She was standing there and looking out toward the lake.
“Here you are,” he announced, stepping outside.
