Alone in the house, or so I thought. I sit at my desk writing music. I zone out, not paying attention to my surroundings. I hear something, but I ignore it. More banging. I hear footsteps. They slowly walk up the stairs, getting louder and faster. Eventually, the person is running up the stairs towards my bedroom on the 3rd floor. Cautiously I open the door. I see Joseph clambering up the stairs to the attic, my room. “Joseph! What happened?” My 14 year old brother stands in the corner of my room, tears streaming down his face. He is as pale as a ghost. “D..d..down..downstairs” He chokes out the words before tears engulf him.
I bring Joseph towards my bed and sit him down. I walk towards my desk and pull the key out of my drawer. Walking towards the door, Joseph suddenly yells out in fear. “Wait! Don’t do that!” Confused, I question him. “Mother doesn’t like it when you lock the doors. “He tells me in a shaky voice. I stop dead in my tracks. “Mother?”
Mother? Mother!? How does he know about Mother? He was only a baby when she died. He surely couldn’t remember that. “Mother? Joseph, how do you know Mother didn’t like that?” I ask, afraid of the answer. “She told me when I was playing hide and seek with Aidan a few weeks ago. She stopped me, she yelled at me.” He gets lost in his thoughts. All of a sudden, somebody or something is pounding on my bedroom door. “It’s Mother! She’s found us!” Joe’s voice is squeaky and scared. Slowly, I make my way towards the door. I can’t hear the knocks, but I’m unsure if they have stopped or if I have simply blocked them out in an attempt to stay strong. I close my eyes and pull open the door.
A long, flowy nightdress is lying on the floor. I pick it up and carry it inside. The dress is covered in filth. Dirt, small twigs and leaves are scattered along the dress, as if it had just been worn while running through a forest. Joseph takes one look at it before slowly saying; “That….that..that was..” He can barely get the words out. “Mothers, it was mothers” I say to finish his sentence. I look into my brother’s eyes, both of us absolutely terrified. “I thought Dad brought this to Nana’s house with the rest of her belongings.” “She did.” Joe replied. “But she’s back.”
I must have heard him wrong. Back? What does he mean by back? She died! I saw her body being put 6 feet under! She can’t possibly be alive after 12 years!? Suddenly, a car pulls up outside. Father. He was the manager of a hotel and spent most of his time there, only coming home for dinner some evenings. Joseph and I slowly walk downstairs. The smell of reheated soup lingers in the air. “Lilith! Joseph! Set the table please!”
While eating, questions hurl around my head. I am tempted to ask Father if he knew anything. “Joe, Can you pass the water?” “LILITH!” Oh no, I forgot. Father had a strict rule on calling people by their full names. So instead of Dad it was Father, instead of Mum it was Mother. The same went for myself and Joseph. It felt too formal to me. There is a knock on the door. I can see Joseph tense up in his chair. “L..Li..lilith. Is that her?” Our father sits there, confused. “Is that who?” I and my brother sit there, wide eyed. “Ehm..Mother..Is that Mother?” Our father stares at Joseph, then turns his gaze to me.
To be continued…...