Moonlit Promises: A Tale of Shadows and Redemption

wthorne began to come into view. The trees arched overhead, their skeletal branches twisting like ancient guardians in the pale morning

ive, or else it breathed its secrets over the wall of silence and out of ear. She remembered her father, talking about the town

owever

ront of the modest two-story house her mother still called home. She stepped out of the car,

eat kettles of coffee, and she rose to look up at the door's opening. Her bright gold hair was streaked

rle

er voice broke, but unmist

whispered, h

an half the time to blink for her to bridge their bodies bet

llowed. Mother's perfume scent, lavender, and vanilla, went round her. She was coming

ng back to look at her; a whisp

rlett said, feeling he

. The smells were of fresh-bread baking, and old wood that is so old it roots you firmly in the memory. Her s

the way certain rooms felt colder when she stepped into them. Scarlett hadn't seen him in years. His name

said, putting down her coffe

er coat and running her hands through

mile. Well, you're always

g to visit; something felt off about Hawthorne too quiet, too familiar, but at the same time, no

eyes on the moment: her mothe

. I've got a fresh batch of bread in the ove

ed weakly. So

lped her mother do their chores, and tried to push away the creeping sense of unease nudging at the ed

tt stood by the window of her room, wrapped tight in her arms, watching how shadows danced between trees.

ed beneath the surfaces of this town. H

e very roots of Hawthorne. But those stories were always fragments: half-truths, assumptions, quiet voi

t unset

Scarlett whirled around, a little frightened. She caught her mother's eye; h

at be? Scarl

slightly. Maybe someone from town

ove towards the door. Knock. This time, sharp. She was running, her hea

here

rp-featured, windblown in hair, hands deep into his pockets, a calm, unreadabl

nd time seemed to fr

e said smoothly, his

way, not sure whether

we t

ped in

thing about his presence that sort of car

oze, debati

re, she

Scarlett knew her return to Hawthorne w

y but felt somehow that the shado