Eternal Love

Chapter 2: John Busby

Sheila was not sure what she would find when she arrived in her mother's room, but that's where the muddy footsteps led. Her mother appeared to be sleeping peacefully, recently tucked in. She saw the footsteps led directly to her. Whatever or whomever it was, they did not mean any ill will, from what Sheila noticed. She decided all is well and went back to her room.

She lit the candle next to her bed and grabbed her Bible. She decided to read the Song of Solomon, she loved that book. It read so romantically, she often dreamed of a true and pure love such as Solomon and the queen of Sheba had. The pastor at their church said it was technically a love story to Israel, however the Bible did mention Solomon's fondness for the queen of Sheba. Sheila believed the latter, she figured it was a love story regardless of whom it was to and it always made her happy when she read it; whom was she to deny the feelings she got from that book.

She read the first five chapters, then grew sleepy. She put the book down, blew out her candle and settled in for the night. She was asleep for twenty minutes and then was awoken by a loud knock on the front door. She groggily got up, lit her candle and went downstairs. She opened the door, yet no one was there. She stepped out on the porch and waved the lantern from left to right; still nothing but the fog and endless blackness of night.

She closed the door, locked it and went back upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, another knock Came at the door. This time she grabbed her father's rifle , then opened the door. She yelled out to the night, saying she had a gun and whomever was out there needed to leave immediately. She fired one shot into the air, then went back inside; locking the door behind her.

The rest of the night went by uneventful, which Sheila was glad for. She awoke to the sun brightly shining it's rays over her. She felt well rested, even though she had spent the first few hours of the night chasing illusions. She proceeded to the kitchen and saw her mother had a friend over for breakfast. Ophelia introduced Sheila to her friend, Madam Gabriela; she was a fortune teller and medium, her mother had told her.

Madam Gabriela told Sheila how her mother had informed her of the suspicion Sheila has of the grounds being haunted. She told her she could help to identify whether the place was haunted or not, through doing a seance. Her mother mentioned Halloween was only a day away; they could do it then. Madam Gabriela agreed.Then added that Halloween was the time the veil between the living and the dead could be lifted; they would for sure get a response on that night of all nights.

Sheila thought it could be useful, so she agreed. She decided after she had breakfast and got dressed; she would go to the gardens and write in her journal for a while. She was there for a few minutes, when a sudden gust of strong wind blew right through her. Her journal flew off her lap and landed face down on the grass. As quickly as the wind had come, it had gone.

Sheila picked up her journal, dusted it off and flipped it over; the word "Hello" was written on the front page. She tried to see if she could rub it, and realized it was fresh ink. She looked over at the garden chair she had been sitting in and saw her ink and quil sitting there; with fresh ink on the quil. She didn't recall writing the word, she looked around and saw no one else in the garden. She decided the wind must have knocked her out for a few moments, then proceeded back to the mansion.

She was approaching the front door, when that same wind blew again. This Time she could've sworn she heard a faint masculine voice say her name. She turned around and saw only the brown, red and orange leaves from their oak trees blowing across the ground. Sheila felt confused, she didn't understand why she was seeing and now hearing things. She went inside and shut the door, she turned her back to the door and leaned against it.

She breathed slowly in and out three times, then brushed her hair back in place and went to the kitchen. She found the housekeeper in there, cleaning up the breakfast mess left behind by her, her mother and madam Gabriela. Sheila grabbed a apple from the basket on the table and went upstairs. She sat quietly in her room and read more of her Bible while eating her honey crisp apple. She finished up her apple and went downstairs to throw it away.

Ophelia yelled for her daughter to come outside to the porch; Sheila reluctantly obeyed. There, standing next to her mother was a finely dressed gentleman. He had a soft baby face, with a Spanish conquistador style mustache. He had shoulder length blonde hair tied back with a single black ribbon. He held himself as a prince would; confident and strong with a arrogant air to his attitude. She couldn't help but hold back a giggle when she saw him.

Ophelia instructed her to mind her manners and shake the man's hand. Sheila humbled herself and offered her hand to the gentleman; which he responded with a kiss to her hand. Sheila sat down on the wicker chair next to the gentleman and listened as him and her mother converse. They spoke of politics, religion, history, economics, etcetera. Things Sheila was hardly interested in. As they finished up their conversation, the gentleman asked Sheila if they could go on a private walk around the grounds together.

They walked for a while in silence, simply enjoying the beautiful gardens around them. Then the gentleman asked her what her name was; she told him and asked him his name. He told her John Busby. She responded with a kind greeting and asked where he was from. He told her Northern London, close to the city local square.

They continued to get to know each other, which lasted for hours. The next thing Sheila knew, it was well past lunch time and approaching late afternoon. She learned he only had him and his brother left of their family; majority died off of numerous natural causes. Although, he did inform her of a cousin named Thomas that had died on the grounds of the estate a few miles east of their estate. He said the family was told it was of pneumonia, but he and his brother had other theories to his death.

Sheila kept that in the back of her mind, then suggested they go back to the mansion due to how late in the day it was getting. John agreed and they proceeded back to the mansion. When they got there, they learned the cook was just getting started on dinner. They decided to go into the parlor, and play a game of bridge while they waited for dinner. Suddenly, there came a sound of steps running up the stairs outside of the parlor.

John looked surprisingly at Sheila and asked if she had heard the sound; she nodded nervously. He told her to stay there while he investigated the stairs. A few minutes later, John came back with a confused look on his face. He told her there was nothing but one bedroom door at the end of the hall open.

He said he went into the room, but there was nothing there; poor confused man.