The Life of Her

Frosted on Ground

It was a bewildering spectacle.

The fetid smell impairing around her had burned my eyes into tears and her portentous mien was even hard to capitulate. It was hefty and bleak. The darkness surrounded me in its burrow, slowly consuming every piece of mine. How long will I be in this place? It didn’t take me long to be put again in this agonizing state. A thin, grey fume had appeared from nowhere, gradually giving the obscurity into change. A woman’s voice was there, giggling in awe - calling out my name. It felt like a Deja Vu. It was.

Wake up, Trenton.

Wake up.

She gave a louder buzz. Every word had struck strength in me, pushing me to do what she said. It was purely trenchant. Her last words had pulled me out to the surface and I distinguished how greatness brought me back. It was Amber, her face was just a few inches away from mine. She was grazing intently, as her hand was caressing my cheek.

I saw her tears form in the corner of her eyes and dropped like the rain.

“Y-You came back…” She whispered between her sobs.

Did we escape?

My eyes wandered the area and the setback was there. We were still inside the abandoned house, which means that the ghost is here with us. A tingling sharp pain hit me on the head as I slowly lifted myself from the ground. Amber helped me as she raised my back in her arms. I sat beside her and witnessed the annihilation. The couches have long sharp scratches, severely opening their insides. Frames and furniture were shattered on the floor. I raised my crown and saw the chandelier was still hanging. Somehow, it’s the only thing that had never taken damage.

“W-What happened?” I asked.

Amber bit her lips, pulling herself as she wiped off her tears with her shirt.

“Y-You passed out for almost fifteen minutes. D-Don’t you remember anything?” She groped.

I shook my head and stared my fingers on my lap. Suddenly, several tapping sounds came from the other side of the room, where a passage is leading into another one. A woman clothed in her puffed white dress and a hat with a red strap on it came, locking her sight on her notebook. She has a curly puffy hair, deep-set brown eyes and is abruptly larger in size.

She walked towards us, without pulling her eyes on it. It was the thing that Lucas took before. So, she was able to get it? Was she the one who took it from him and went missing? Who is she?

Her green scarf was swaying on her neck. She stopped and stood beside the couch. She slowly lifted her head and watched us. She smiled at me and gradually closed the novel that she was reading.

“Oh, now you’re awake.” She promptly stated.

She moved to the couch and rested. Crossing her skin-toned legs, she placed the book on the wooden table. She snapped her fingers and a cup of freshly brewed cappuccino appeared on her right side. I blinked twice and rubbed my eyes. Her hand slowly took it and placed it on her lap. She was graceful in handling it, taking a sip.

“Ahh. This one is just exactly what I needed.” She smiled.

“It’s so nice to be back here. I didn’t know why the Grandmaster needs to bring me here for this.” She added and made a pout. “

“W-Who is she?” I asked Amber who was now on her feet, staring at the woman.

The woman smirked in awe and jolted from her seat.

“I’m Everly Willow Adair, the owner of this prestigious cabin, which also seemed to be haunted to most of you. Don’t you think, it’s good to have a retouch of this place?” She winked at me and suddenly turned herself.

She raised her hands up high. Closing her eyes, she started to do a chant that I don’t comprehend. Slowly, she glowed into a bright, yellow light. I was holding my breath. She took a deep whiff and in an instant, she swayed her arms in opposite directions and the light scintillated into tiny sparkles, capturing the whole room. It was so glossy and in a moment, things altered into new. Those sullied, sooty couches and furniture have shined brightly clean. The flat-screened television was furnished black as well as the fireplace, now burning wood to give us heat.

Even the brown mat that was under the couch and table was tidy. Everything was shimmering that it had blinded me. I narrowed my eyes at her, and now her arms were down. She slowly turned herself and a flash of smile was on her face.

She clapped her palms, taking off the fizzles.

“That was fast.” She giggled.

“Now. Where are we?”

“U-Uh-.”

“Wow! That was amazing!” Amber said while her eyes were round, giving praises to the woman.

I witnessed how her eyes flushed from the compliment Amber was giving her. She bowed her head and said, “Thank you. Thank you. It’s nothing to be surprised about. Now,” She grazed to use, her face going serious.

“Now that both of you are here. Let’s discuss things…especially about your current state.” She fiddled with her fingers and travelled to sit on the couch.

“Who are you really?” I slowly stood up and walked to be in front of her. Amber was keeping her distance from both of us and decided to stay beside the stairs.

“I told you I’m Everly Willow Adair, the holder of this place and soon to be your guidance…Do you believe in fairytales?”

“Not really…”

“I do.” Amber answered.

“Then, you should consider me as your fairy godmother.” She giggled. “Though you might not see me handling that magical wand, I can still make things incredible through my hands.”

“Where’s the ghost a while ago, Amber? The one coming from the stairs.”

Amber looked at me in an uneasy way, scratching her head. “Oh, that. It’s…her.” She pointed to Ms. Adair.

“What?”

“Yes, she’s right. Unfortunately, that ghost and I are one. I’m sorry if you have to deal with that creepy scenario, but even I, was stuck in this place a long time ago, not until you and that boy visited here. That time, I reached out for your help, but I guessed anyone that would see me in a specter form will sprint away. I was able to track down the other guy through the thing that he stole from me, but he was not the one I needed. Your trail had vanished and I couldn’t find the link to your soul. I left with no choice but to wait for another time for us to meet again.”

“And that’s how destiny made its way for us…” I said.

“Then why did it happen? Why did we have to be in this burden where Amber is now a ghost and I in her body?”

She rubbed her forehead and sipped her drink. “Let’s just say….her time is near its end.”