18. Georgia

18

Georgia

Now

" C ome on. Let's get some sleep. I'm sure Auden will be up bright and early with that promise of the fair whispering in her ear all night." I grin at Ian before getting to my feet.

We collect everything in a comfortable silence. My mother always used to have this saying when we would spend time together in silence.

Love needs no words.

The saying has stuck with me ever since the first moment I heard her say it. And since her death, I've tried to find beauty in the silence of life. Whether it's brushing Auden's hair as she reads a story to herself or spending time with Ian in the car without speaking to each other. I've relished in the love that surrounds the silence because of my mother.

I don't understand how someone who supposedly loved me so much could try to kill me.

Yes, you do, Georgie girl. You know why. Because you're a monster yourself, and your mother knew it and couldn't live with that secret one moment longer.

"Here, you forgot to eat this," Ian says as he hands me a hefty piece of banana bread. My mouth is already watering, and I haven't even taken a bite yet. "What do you think Auden's favorite part of the fair will be?" Ian asks as we make our way back toward the house.

I gaze up, looking in every window for my mother's ghost. I have a strong feeling I'll see her in my dreams tonight, and I hope it's the version I miss most and not the one that haunts me in my nightmares. A curtain in the upstairs bedroom stirs. I catch the movement at the corner of my eye, and when I look over, I see Auden staring down at Ian and me. Her mouth is twisted in a silent scream, and she's pointing at the lake...

My mother's ghost is standing behind her with her twisted, rotting flesh of a hand sitting on Auden's shoulder. Her nose drips blood while her mouth is twisted in her own silent scream.

"No!" I gasp, dropping the quilt and running into the house as quickly as I can.

"Georgia!" Ian shouts from behind me, his voice echoing throughout the empty halls of the manor as I race toward our daughter. "Georgia, wait! What's wrong?"

I hit the top of the stairs and throw myself into Auden's door. My eyes sweep across every inch of the room before they hit hers. She's standing at the window, silent tears streaming down her face as she stares at me. My mother's ghost is nowhere to be seen.

"Auden! I'm here. Oh, baby, I'm right here!" I wrap her into a hug and pull her over to the bed with me, cradling her in my arms as she sobs into my chest.

"What happened?" Ian yells as he finally makes it into the room. His eyes are wide with fright before they land on mine.

Some type of emotion crosses his face before he sighs with relief.

"The bad one wanted to get Mommy again," Auden cries out to him. "It was going to take her away from me. But the nice ghost saved you. She saved you, Mommy."

I clutch at her tiny body, holding her closer to me as she cries harder.

Ian crosses the room quickly, kneeling in front of us. He places his hand gently on Auden's back, rubbing soft circles like he's always done for me. "Shh, I promise I won't let anything happen to your mom, or you. You're safe with us, Auden. You're safe."

Auden stops crying and looks up at me. Her hazel eyes shine with unshed tears while her lip trembles. "Can I sleep with you, Mama? I don't want the bad one to get you."

I bring my hand to her cheek, wiping her tears away. "Of course, baby. Of course."

Ian holds his arms out for her. "Come on, little one. I'll tuck you and your mom in." She jumps into his arms with no hesitation, and my eyes follow them as they walk out of the room.

I walk over to the window and stare down at the lake, wrapping my arms tighter around me when I feel a phantom breeze stir by. The hairs on my neck stand up, and I feel a soft caress on my shoulder. Looking over, I see the same rotting hand that was on my daughter's shoulder just minutes ago. My breath hitches in my throat, heart pounding harder than ever, as if it's trying to burst right through my chest so it can hide from the ghost of my mother.

"Mom," I whisper, refusing to turn and face the monster of my nightmares. "Please tell me what's going on. Please."

"Don't trust . . . don't trust . . . protect . . ." Her voice is a strangled whisper on the breeze.

"Protect who?"

I turn on my heel, slamming my hand to my heart as I turn and face Ian, who is standing behind me.

Not my mother.

"Did–did you hear that?" I gasp out. "Did you see her?"

His brows knit in confusion. "See who? I only heard you say something about ‘protect something,' but I couldn't make out what you were whispering."

I put my hand on the shoulder where my mother's hand was. I look around my childhood bedroom thoroughly while the hair on my neck is still standing, all before my eyes land back on Ian. His features are distorted from the lack of light, casting shadows over his face as he looks at me with nothing but concern in his eyes.

"You really didn't see her?"

Ian looks around the room and shakes his head. "You're the only one in here, Georgia."

Fuck, maybe I am going crazy.

I look around my childhood bedroom one last time before following Ian across the hall, lost in thought.

What does my mother mean by protect ?

Who is she talking about?

Is any of this even real?

But that doesn't explain Auden's outbursts.

Something sinister is happening in this house, something that began a long time ago.

"Want me to keep watch, like old times? I'll take the couch." Ian interrupts my thoughts with a soft smile, his voice pulling me away from my unanswered questions.

I look at Auden, curled up and fast asleep on my side of the bed, almost as if nothing happened moments ago.

"No, I'll take the middle. You can take the other side. The bed is big enough for all of us," I say as I drag him toward the bed.

I pass out the moment my head hits the pillow.

I wake to the sound of Auden screaming, my body jolting upright and crashing right into Ian's bare chest as I search the bed with my hands, looking for my daughter in the heap of tangled sheets and blankets.

"Where is she?" I yell, my voice groggy with sleep while I throw the blankets off of myself in search of Auden. " Where is she? " I scream again as her wail of terror hits the empty room for the second time.

The light above me flickers to life, showering myself and Ian in light. Auden isn't in the room. I can see light peeking out from underneath the bathroom door, and I stumble to the door, grabbing the handle and throwing it open.

Auden is standing with her back to me, staring at herself in the mirror in silence. Tears glisten on her red-tinted cheeks.

"Auden," I say, rushing to her side. "Auden, what's wrong?" I place my hands on her shoulders, staring at her through the reflection in the mirror. When I touch her, she doesn't flinch or acknowledge my presence at all. Her eyes are locked on something I can't see, her body eerily still.

"Georgia," Ian whispers from behind me. "Is it possible that she's sleepwalking?"

I meet his gaze in the mirror before flicking my eyes back to my daughter.

"Auden, honey, are you awake?" I ask softly. My hand stops midair as I go to touch her cheek.

You're not supposed to touch a person who is stuck in a dream.

She doesn't answer. Instead, we watch as she opens her mouth again and lets out another shrill scream. It ends as quickly as it began, and then she's back to staring into whatever nightmare she's stuck in.

"Ian, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help her!" My voice cracks. My heart is pounding fiercely in my chest as he comes up behind me and grabs my shoulders in comfort. "How do we help her?" I turn and look up into his eyes. He looks just as lost as I feel.

There's a loud pounding on the bedroom door, making Ian and I jump in surprise.

"Georgia? Is everything okay in there?" Mrs. Foster's voice is muffled through the door. Ian shoots me a look of panic before he rushes back into the bedroom to grab his shirt.

"Auden, sweetheart. Please wake up, baby. Please wake up," I whisper. My words have no effect as she stands completely still in front of the mirror.

I hear the bedroom door open. "Hey, Mom. Auden is stuck in a nightmare," Ian tells Mrs. Foster.

Mrs. Foster clicks her tongue. "What are you doing in here, Ian? You're supposed to be in the room across the hall." Her voice is quiet, but the disapproval rings clear, sending a slight shiver down my spine.

I step out of the bathroom. "I'm so sorry she woke you," I whisper to Mrs. Foster. "She's having a nightmare, I think. Ian came over to see what was wrong just a minute before you did," I lie.

Mrs. Foster crosses into the room and peers into the bathroom at Auden. "You used to sleepwalk all the time like this. Just give her a few moments, and I'm sure she'll snap out of it."

"Do you remember how you used to wake me up? She's never done this before, and I'm scared to make it worse."

Mrs. Foster gives me a soft smile as she walks over and places her hand on mine, squeezing gently. "Oh, honey, this isn't something to work yourself up about. Most of the time sleepwalking happens when you're in a new place or there's more stressors in your life than normal. I think we can all agree that fits this situation," she says with a gruff laugh. "Just make sure you lock this door, both doors if you can. Sleepwalkers can hurt themselves, so we don't want her to be able to get to the staircase when she's in this state."

"What can we do to wake her up?" Ian asks.

Mrs. Foster releases my hand and walks past me, then into the bathroom toward Auden. Ian and I both watch as she places her hand on Auden's shoulders and rubs her back lightly. "Auden, honey. We are going to walk you back to bed. Okay?" Her voice is soft and soothing as she gently turns Auden around.

Auden still doesn't respond verbally, but she takes slow steps with Mrs. Foster's guidance, and within moments, Auden is tucked right back into her, her eyes falling shut shortly after.

Mrs. Foster turns and smiles at us. "See, it's as simple as that. Gentle touches and a soothing voice. You never want to make loud noises or try to jostle her awake when she's in this state. She can easily injure herself by panicking and running. Always make sure the area is clear of tripping hazards and that the doors are blocked or stay locked. I'm sure she'll grow out of it, or it'll stop once you're both back home again. She most likely won't even remember this when she wakes up tomorrow. You never remembered any of your nightmares when you had your sleep spells like this, Georgia," she tells us. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head back home and try to get some sleep in a proper bed. Good night, Georgia. Ian, be a dear and walk me home." Her command is polite but firm, and Ian gives me a wide-eyed look, which makes me giggle, before following his mother out.

"Thank you, Lydia," I call out before they head down the stairs together.

It's clear that Ian's mom still hasn't warmed up to the idea of me and her son together. She was never openly rude or hostile about us being together when we were teenagers, but she was never accepting of it either.

I wonder what she'll think if she finds out that Auden is her granddaughter. Will she be ecstatic like my father was, welcoming my child into his heart with open arms? Or will she see Auden as the complication, just another reason why Ian is stuck in my life still, all these years later?