She never slept on that night.
She couldn't close her eyes. She was afraid of her own dreams.
Or nightmares.
"The ghosts always go out at midnight."
No one had to know. Not even her husband.
It'd be her birthday today. She'd be 27 years old.
Perhaps she was...
Ruth never found out.
For now, she needed some fresh air. Sitting on the living room, staring blankly at the wall opposite.
The window was open. She didn't care about the cold or the rain. She only wanted to breathe... Perhaps welcome the ghosts even.
Her ghost was always welcome here.
Her picture was on the coffee table next to her. She hardly looked at it. But she felt, the picture was staring at her.
There were days when she felt it wanted to speak to her. The girl on the picture...
She remembered that night.
The voices...The fear... Her voices... Her daughter...
Goodbye, Mother...
Rose, come back here!
She had wanted her to be safe. She wanted her close to her all that time. But the gap couldn't have been bridged.
She had ran out of time.
She had realized that night. As she had been staring at the ship going down. Her daughter's laughter in her ears. That childish sound.
For once she had hoped; she had prayed...
Rose had been stubborn...
Rose...
She had promised never to mention her name again... She owed it to her sanity. Whatever remained of it. She could feel her close.
The picture fell. Lying on the coffee table.
It shouldn't lie there...It was a crime; a sin...
Ruth picked it up. She touched the picture. For the first time in five years.
"The ghosts always go out at midnight."
Her voice... The moment she held the picture, she heard her...
Her daughter...
Her first cries.
Her childish laughter.
Her fine French accent.
Her shouting...
"Good bye, Mother..."
Most of all, the way she had been calling her Mother.. Happily... then disapprovingly... then angry...
Why does she have to be punished like that?
Oh but she knew why.
Her ghost went out at midnight.
"Tell me, Mother."
She could hear her. Her voice deeper due to the years and the cigars. Similar to hers when she was young...'
"Tell me all... Tell me what I need to know... "
She closed her eyes. Tried to keep the tears away. She had the chance... She shouldn't lose it...
I've grown old, dear.
I am no longer the girl I used to be.
I don't even remember the day I looked into the mirror and didn't recognize me. I don't remember that change taking place.
Mysterious as it is, the older I grew, the more similar we looked.
People would say they see me in you. That's a lie.
I'd look at you and see Henry.
Of course you remember him as a white-haired man with a beard.
I wish I had pictures of his younger days to show you. But he disliked photographs with all his might.
You adored them. So did I.
I remember the day I had taken you to a photographer's to have your picture taken.
You were 3 years old.
I still have that photograph. I look at it every night before I go to sleep.
I am reminded of happier times.
When your father was alive.
When you were still with me.
Something, deep inside, tells me you are all right. That you are alive.
But my mind tells me otherwise.
You might not want to see me again. I can respect that.
As much as it hurts.
I understand your reasons behind it.
But first, let me tell you a story.
A rather sad one.
I've never told anyone.
But I can't keep any more secrets from you.
A/N: Hey, I'm back! This fanfic started from a headcanon on mine concerning Rose and Ruth (which I won't say yet ;P). I didn't want to publish it just yet but I was so excited for it :) For those who are reading Left Outside Alone: I am currently editing it, and I only have, like, 7 chapters left, but I am making some changes to the plot and this whole un-plotting and re-plotting thing takes time, so :P
Please review!