Chapter 4: Embers of the Past

Date: October 25th

As dusk deepened into night, Lillie returned to Pam and Barry’s cottage, the warmth of the fire inside drawing her as she crossed the threshold. Her heart was still racing from her encounter in the forest, and her father, Joshua, was the first to greet her, worry etched into his face.

“Lillie, what happened out there?” he asked, pulling her into a steady embrace, his voice low and soothing. “Are you alright?”

Lillie took a deep breath, grounding herself with the weight of the Black Tourmaline in her pocket. “The shadows ... they were in the forest,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “I heard her voice again-Mom’s voice. But this time, it was different. Darker, like ... like something was pretending to be her.”

Joshua’s expression darkened, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze serious. “But ... you didn’t follow it? You were able to resist?”

“Yes,” Lillie replied, surprised by her own strength. “I don’t know how, but something inside me knew it wasn’t real. I told them they weren’t my mother ... and they seemed to lose their power. Like they couldn’t touch me when I didn’t believe.”

Pam and Barry exchanged a knowing glance, and Pam nodded with approval as she placed a reassuring hand on Lillie’s back. “That took courage, Lillie. Shadows thrive on doubt and sorrow, but when you stand firm, they lose their grip.”

Joshua’s eyes softened as he looked at Lillie, a mixture of pride and relief shining in his gaze. But beneath the pride, Lillie noticed something else-a deep sadness, one that seemed to linger behind his eyes, dark and haunted.

Joshua let out a long sigh, his fingers tracing small circles on the back of Lillie’s hand. He stared into the fire, lost in thought. “You’re stronger than I realized,” he began slowly, his voice tinged with emotion. “After tonight, you deserve to know ... the things I’ve tried to protect you from.”

Lillie watched him, her heart pounding as she sensed the weight of his memories. She had always thought of her father as unbreakable, as her protector, but tonight, she could see the grief he had carried, hidden behind a wall of silence.

“Dad ... please, tell me,” she whispered, placing her hand over his. “I want to understand.”

Joshua nodded, his gaze distant, as though he were searching through memories buried deep within. “Your mother, Katie, was everything to me,” he began softly. “She was the light in my life-the one who made everything feel ... right.” A bittersweet smile flickered across his lips. “We met at work. She had this way of making even the worst days feel brighter. People were just drawn to her ... and so was I.”

Lillie listened, her heart swelling with pride and sadness. She could almost picture her mother’s laughter, her kind smile.

“One evening, after work, we stayed late,” Joshua continued, his eyes glinting as he recalled the memory. “We talked about our dreams, what we wanted out of life. And I knew, right then and there, that I wanted to spend mine with her.” He chuckled, a trace of mischief in his smile. “I wasn’t exactly a romantic, but I had a plan.”

Lillie leaned forward, intrigued. “What did you do?”

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with the memory. “I took her to a jewelry store, pretending I needed help picking out a gift for my sister’s wedding. I told her to choose a ring that she thought my sister would like. She went right to a simple, elegant ring and held it up with this look of wonder on her face.”

Lillie smiled, feeling as if she were seeing a new side of her parents.

Joshua shook his head, laughing softly. “She had no idea what I was up to. When she picked out the ring, I walked straight up to the counter and bought it. Then, as we left, I slipped it into her hand and said, ‘You picked it out, and I paid for it-so I guess that means we’re engaged!’”

A laugh escaped Lillie as she imagined her mother’s playful reaction. Joshua’s smile softened, his face momentarily brightening with a warmth that seemed to push the shadows back.

“She laughed, punched me on the arm, and called me a fool,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “But she said yes, and in that moment ... I felt like the luckiest man in the world.”

They fell silent, letting the memory hang in the air between them. The fire crackled softly, casting a golden glow over the room, and for a moment, it felt as if Katie herself were there with them, her warmth filling the space.

After a moment, Lillie noticed Joshua’s gaze shift, his expression darkening as he looked down at his hands. The smile faded, replaced by a look of sorrow, and he turned his gaze to his forearms, where faint scars were visible in the firelight-thin, pale lines etched into his skin, trailing like faded memories.

“Dad?” Lillie whispered, her heart sinking as she reached for his hand. “What ... what are those?”

Joshua hesitated, his voice catching as he spoke. “These ... are reminders. Marks left from the shadows,” he said quietly. “They appeared after your mother passed. I thought ... I thought I could ignore them, that they’d go away. But grief has a way of opening doors ... doors I didn’t know how to close.”

Lillie’s heart tightened as she realized how deeply her father had suffered, how much he had kept hidden to protect her. “I never knew,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You’ve been carrying this alone all these years...”

“One night,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “I felt her presence. I wanted to believe it was her ... I wanted it so badly that I let myself follow the shadows, thinking I could reach her. But the farther I went, the darker it became. I was lost in it, trapped. I could barely see the light.”

Lillie’s eyes filled with tears, and she held his hand tightly, imagining the torment he must have gone through. “How did you escape?”

Joshua’s voice broke as he looked into her eyes. “You, Lillie. I remembered you. I remembered that you needed me. That thought ... it was the only thing strong enough to pull me back.” He paused, his fingers brushing the scars on his arm. “The shadows left their mark, as if to remind me of what they could take.”

He looked at her, his gaze fierce, the firelight casting shadows across his face. “These shadows ... they prey on grief, on our memories. They twist everything, make us believe things that aren’t true. That’s why I didn’t want you to know. I wanted to protect you from them.”

Lillie’s chest tightened, and she blinked back tears, determination hardening within her. “I promise, Dad. I won’t let them take me. I’ll stay in the light.”

A small, relieved smile touched Joshua’s face, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace. They stayed close, wrapped in the warmth of each other’s presence, the fire’s glow casting a shield against the darkness that lingered beyond the cottage walls.

The fire crackled, its embers glowing like stars in the hearth. As the room settled into silence, they found a kind of peace. For tonight, they were safe, the shadows kept at bay by the quiet strength between them.

Gradually, the warmth of the fire and the comfort of each other’s presence lulled them into a peaceful sleep. The shadows might return, drawn to the grief they carried, but tonight, the light was stronger.

Morning light was thin and pale as it streamed through the windows of Pam and Barry’s cottage, casting faint patterns over the table where a collection of charms, herbs, and small vials lay scattered. Pam and Barry were deep in conversation when Lillie and her father joined them, a quiet urgency filling the room.

Pam looked up, meeting Lillie’s eyes with a mixture of warmth and gravity. “We may have uncovered something important,” she began, her voice laced with the weight of her discovery. “These charms Kirk and Judith gave you-they’re potent, but they’re only part of the protection you’ll need.”

Barry, closely examining the blue potion, glanced up, his brow furrowed in thought. “This potion isn’t just for warding off shadows,” he explained. “It’s blended with herbs tied to memory and loss. I believe it amplifies the lingering presence of someone deeply connected to the spirit world, someone whose love ... or grief ... was left unfinished.”

A shiver crept down Lillie’s spine as his words sank in. “So ... it’s meant to bring my mother’s presence closer?”