Chapter 2: The Herbalist’s Ward

Date: October 20th

Morning light filtered through Lillie’s window, but its warmth felt muted, as though the world outside was holding its breath. She sat on the edge of her bed, clutching the photo album from the night before, her heart still racing from the memory of shadows and whispers. Though they had retreated, their presence lingered in her mind like a dark stain, a reminder that they were far from gone.

“Lillie! Breakfast is ready!” her father, Joshua, called from downstairs.

Taking a steadying breath, Lillie rose from her bed. She couldn’t carry the burden of last night’s events alone; she had to tell her father about what she had heard, what she had seen. As she descended the stairs, anxiety twisted in her stomach, the anticipation building with each step.

In the kitchen, Joshua stood at the counter, flipping pancakes with a practiced hand. The smell of syrup hung in the air, warm and sweet, but Lillie’s appetite had vanished, replaced by a nervous energy that tingled in her fingertips.

“Hey, kiddo,” he greeted, without turning around. “Sleep well?”

“Um, not really.” Lillie hesitated, her eyes on his back as she gathered the courage to speak. “Dad, can we ... can we talk?”

Joshua glanced over his shoulder, his expression softening with concern as he saw the seriousness in her eyes. He turned off the stove, setting the spatula down, and gestured for her to sit at the kitchen table.

“Sure,” he said slowly, taking a seat across from her. “What’s on your mind?”

Lillie took a deep breath, feeling her heart pound as she clutched the edge of the table. “Last night ... I heard Mom’s voice.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet the words hung heavily between them. “It was calling to me ... from the dark.”

Joshua’s expression tightened, the color draining from his face. He looked away for a moment, his gaze distant, as if he were grappling with memories of his own. “What ... what did you hear, exactly?” he asked, his voice low and cautious.

“She said she was waiting for me,” Lillie whispered, her pulse quickening as she remembered. “It sounded so real. But then ... everything felt different. Darker. Like something was trying to trick me, and I didn’t feel safe anymore.” Her voice trembled as she recalled the shadows closing in, and the pull they had exerted on her.

Joshua was silent for a long time, his expression guarded, as if he were carefully choosing his words. Finally, he leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. “Lillie ... there’s something I need to tell you.” He paused, his gaze clouded with worry. “But ... I don’t want to say too much. I’ve been trying to protect you from this, from things that ... that might be hard to understand.”

“What do you mean?” Lillie asked, searching his face. “Why did I hear her voice like that? Why did it feel ... wrong?”

Joshua exhaled, his gaze flickering with hesitation. “When your mother passed, it left ... an emptiness. And sometimes, that emptiness can draw in things we don’t fully understand. I’ve felt it too, Lillie-this presence, lingering around us. It feeds on grief, on the sadness we carry. It’s ... part of why I tried not to talk about her too much. I thought if we moved forward, the shadows would leave us alone.”

The weight of his words settled heavily in the room, filling the silence between them. Lillie’s heart sank as she realized he had been carrying this burden alone, trying to shield her from something he didn’t fully understand himself.

“So ... the shadows I saw, and the whispers I heard ... they’re because of her?” Lillie asked, her voice barely audible.

Joshua’s face tightened, as though the question itself caused him pain. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s because of how much we miss her, how much we’re holding on to what we lost. Sometimes ... memories can become powerful. And sometimes, the things we hold close can take on a life of their own.”

Lillie swallowed, a chill creeping over her. “So ... these shadows ... they’re not just in my head?”

Joshua shook his head slowly. “No, Lillie. I’ve seen them too, felt them. They come when the grief is strongest, when we let the memories pull us too far into the past. I didn’t tell you because I thought ... I thought if I kept silent, it would protect you. I was wrong.”

Lillie felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. “Why didn’t you tell me before? Why did you try to keep it a secret?”

Joshua’s shoulders slumped, his gaze falling to the table. “I thought if I ignored it, if I kept it to myself, then maybe it would go away. I didn’t want you to have to face this. But now ... now it seems it’s already found you.”

The pain in his voice resonated within her, the weight of his words settling heavily in her heart. She reached across the table, placing her hand over his. “I’m not afraid to know, Dad. I just ... I want to understand.”

Joshua’s gaze softened as he looked at her, but there was still hesitation in his eyes. “I’ve been trying to find answers, but it’s not easy. These shadows ... they’re hard to understand. They come and go, slipping through our lives like ghosts. And all I know is that they grow stronger when we give them power.”

“Power?” Lillie repeated, a shiver running through her. “What kind of power?”

“The power of memory,” Joshua said quietly. “The things we hold onto-the pain, the longing-it gives them strength. They’re drawn to it, like moths to a flame.”

Lillie looked down at the photo album in her lap, her mother’s face smiling up from the pages, untouched by sorrow or fear. The idea that her love and longing could somehow fuel the shadows twisted her heart with guilt, but a fierce resolve took hold of her. She couldn’t let them take away her memories, couldn’t let the shadows twist what was left of her mother’s presence.

“What do we do?” she asked, her voice steady despite the fear simmering in her chest. “How do we fight them?”

Joshua sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if we can ‘fight’ them, exactly. But I’ve read that there are ways to protect ourselves, ways to hold onto the good memories without letting the shadows corrupt them. There are rituals, protective symbols ... things people have used for centuries to guard against forces they didn’t fully understand.”

“Do you think it could work? Keeping them away?”

“It might,” Joshua said, though there was uncertainty in his voice. “I’ve tried some things before, on my own. But ... I think we’ll need more help if we want to do this right. I know of someone-a woman who understands these kinds of things. She lives on the edge of town, keeps to herself, but people say she knows a lot about the things we can’t see.”

Lillie’s curiosity stirred, mingling with a nervous anticipation. “Do you think she could help us?”

“She might,” Joshua said cautiously. “But I don’t want you to get your hopes up too high. What we’re facing ... it’s complicated, Lillie. These shadows ... they’re not something I fully understand. But if you’re willing, I think it’s time we seek out someone who might know more.”

Lillie nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope mixed with apprehension. “I’m ready, Dad. I want to understand this, to find a way to stop it.”

Joshua looked at her, his gaze filled with a mixture of pride and fear. “Then let’s do it together. Whatever lies ahead ... we’ll face it as a team.”

As they prepared to leave, Lillie felt a renewed strength settle within her, mingling with the familiar ache of loss. The journey ahead would be filled with challenges, and the darkness that haunted her family was far from gone. But with her father by her side, she felt ready to uncover the truth, to face the shadows, and to reclaim the memories that were rightfully hers.