The fog was dense, and it seemed to fill my lungs, causing them to grow heavy and labored as I fought for every breath. There was a light ahead of me that remained stagnant as I walked toward it and muffled voices all around me. I was forced to wander forward and wave my hands in front of me to try to keep from running into anything in my path. After what seemed like hours, I found a door with a window from which the bright light was coming from. The knob was cold and smooth in my hand as I turned it, and as it opened, I was suddenly shoved through it by a rough hand on my back. This caused me to fall on the floor, and as I tried to get up there was a man's voice in my ear, "Come on now sweetheart….say you're sorry…" Then a large hand grabbed my hair, forcing me to my feet. My captor turned me around and I was face-to-face with a larger man with a smug smile on his face, revealing a few golden teeth. He started laughing and then I heard ripping fabric.

I awoke in a cold sweat, my heart racing and my breath labored. I could also feel my head throbbing as I tried to re-orient myself to my current state. Moonlight streamed through the large windows on my right, allowing me to see the room that I was in. It took a few moments for me to recall that I was in the Van Dahl manor and in the room that Oswald had allowed me to sleep in. Relief took over my body, but not enough to allow me to go back to sleep. I got out of bed and walked to the large window overlooking a balcony. I was wearing a blue, silk nightgown that reached my ankles that did little to protect me from the cool night air. So, I found a robe on one of the chairs in the room and put it on. While looking out on the back lawn a small shadow darted across the yard, catching my attention. Curious, I wanted to investigate.

Luckily there was enough moonlight to allow me to find the candle on the nightstand and matches in the drawer. After lighting the candle and throwing the used match in the extinguished fireplace, I left the bedroom and started walking slowly down the hallway to avoid waking anyone else. The cold, stale air was only broken by random creaks and crickets from outside. My bare feet slowly and carefully brought me down the stairs. The candlelight reflected a bit off the dark wood around me and I was able to see the familiar portraits hanging around me as I continued forward. I was thankful that the awful smell from earlier was much fainter than before, but it also made me wonder how it was so easily extinguished. If it was a dead rodent in the wall or something, they would have had to cut a hole in the wall or something.

The room that contained the source of the stench was fortunately next to a door that looked like it led to the back lawn. So, I looked inside the room and the strange item on the small table was gone. This made me wonder if it was, in fact, the actual source of the stench. I swatted away a fly that suddenly buzzed around my head and walked to the door leading outside. I placed the lit candle on a small table next to the door and decided to blow it out to keep a fire from starting before I returned. I took a deep breath of the cool air and walked out across the stone patio leading to the open yard lit by silver moon beams. My feet touched the cold grass, causing me to gasp a little. Again, I saw movement from the corner of my vision, piquing my interest again. It disappeared in a line of trees several yards away from me. Not wanting to lose sight of it, I started running toward the trees.

As I drew closer, I heard a strange sound like metal hitting sand. Every four or five seconds, it would hit again and again. I reached the trunk of a tree and saw that there was another clearing, and I saw the source of the shadow as well as the sound. The shadow was a cat. I could see its eyes glowing in the distance before it ran out of my view. The source of the sound was a figure with a shovel, digging. The figure was thin and seemed to be wearing a dark sweater with a collar. I could tell it was a man and that he was getting tired quickly, his movements becoming more labored the longer he was working. But, to his benefit the job was pretty much finished. He used the back of the shovel to pat down a small pile of dirt. I heard him sigh loudly and he threw down the large tool. I heard him panting and saw his breath in the cold air through the moonlight.

"Too bad I couldn't keep you around longer…. you were my favorite ornament…." I recognized the voice even from that distance as Oswald's. I heard him chuckle much like earlier that evening when he told a joke. "But, this is how it has to be… I can't have Fee finding you after all. Thank God she didn't know you like I did, and she never will." Again, he chuckled. I was so confused by what he was saying, I couldn't even begin to try to figure it out. For some reason, I felt a small sense of dread as I watched him, like I was in a dangerous situation. Which confused me even further. The man before me has done nothing but be kind to me since I found him outside the bus. But watching his strange behavior and hearing his strange speech caused my stomach to turn in knots. I decided that now was the time that I should leave before I was discovered.

I started carefully retreating toward the house quietly and felt a twig snap beneath my foot. I gasped as I saw the man before me snap his head toward the sound and he started to limp toward me quickly saying, "Who's there!?" I started running, worried that he would see me before I got back in the house. My heart pounded in my head and my lungs started burning as it inhaled the cold air. Suddenly I heard the screech of a cat behind me and Oswald cry out in surprise. "Damn it! You scared me you mangy tomcat!" I was grateful to the feline as I finally reached the door again and went back inside as quietly as I could. Finally, I reached my room and closed the door behind me, resting my back on the wood and tried to catch my breath. Just as I was calm again, I heard the back door open and close from the hallway. I expected to hear uneven footsteps on the hardwood floor, but there was a strange silence instead.

This set off alarm bells in my head for some reason and caused me to decide that I had to look like I was still asleep; so I quickly took off my robe, flung it back on the same chair, and jumped on the bed. I pulled the covers over my head and turned away from the door. As I tried to keep my breathing shallow, I realized my mistake as I finally heard those footsteps that I was expecting climbing the stairs. I left the candlestick on the table downstairs! Cursing my stupidity, I held my breath when the footsteps reached my door. I heard a soft knocking and heard Oswald say behind the door, "Fee? Fee? Are you awake?" I was now caught in a dilemma; do I answer the door or hope he just gives up and goes away? Even though we obviously had some history, he was still a stranger to me besides a few select memories. So, I decided to err on the cautious and stay hidden.

I heard the doorknob turn, causing my pulse to race; but I fought to keep my breathing steady and slow. His uneven gait walked slowly toward the foot of the bed as he repeated in a whisper, "Fee?...Fee?" But I didn't move or respond, hoping that my ruse would work and that he would give up. Another part of me worried that he would try to wake me, which wouldn't allow my act to continue convincingly. So, I was forced to wait. After a moment that felt like eternity, I heard him sigh and whisper with a resolved tone in his voice, "I guess not…" I expected him to leave the room, but strangely enough I heard him sit on one of the chairs at the foot of the bed with a relieved sigh. Why isn't he leaving? I asked myself as I strained my ear to listen to what he would do next.

"Fee…I…" he said in a low, soft voice. "Felicity… I… I've wanted to tell you… for so long…" As he spoke, his voice waivered like it was a struggle to find not only the words, but his voice. I heard him stand and his steps come toward me. My heart raced again, but I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing. In…out….in…out….slowly. My covers were slowly removed from the top of my head and I prayed that he would believe me still unconscious. I felt his hand, gently touching my hair and moving it away from my face. "I… I love you…" he whispered so quietly that I barely heard it. Then I felt him kiss my cheek softly. The kiss ended shortly, and I felt his breath as he withdrew his head from mine. "Sleep well… I'll see you in the morning…" The cover was then placed back over my head and Oswald left the room, closing the door softly behind him.