CHAPTER TWO
The girl was still holding the letter she'd just found. She'd read it three times already, but she still couldn't understand any of it. She was about to read it yet another time when she felt a cold raindrop fall on her head. She quickly folded the letter, put it in her pocket, and ran home as fast as she could.
She went inside and found her mother sitting on the couch, reading a book while sipping a cup of herbal tea.
"Hey Mom" the girl said, slightly out of breath.
"Hi sweetie. How was your walk?"
"Good. It just started to rain so I came running back."
"Want some tea? I made a fresh pot."
"No thanks."
She instinctively placed her hand in her pocket and felt the letter underneath her palm. She slowly took it out and unfolded it. She glanced at the words and suddenly felt this strange sensation inside of her; as though the letter had specifically been meant for her to find. She shook her head, trying to convince herself that her vivid imagination was playing tricks on her. But that eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach only kept getting stronger with each passing second. She needed to tell someone about it…
"Mom?"
"Mm-hmm?"
"I found something by the oak tree."
"What is it?" her mother asked, setting her book aside.
"A letter…but I'm not sure what to make of it. It doesn't make a lot of sense."
"How so?"
"It all sounds very strange… somewhat like a fairy tale."
"Well, maybe it is? Perhaps it's just a page torn off from a book?"
"No, I don't think so. It's handwritten."
"Wanna show me?"
"Sure" the girl said, handing the piece of paper she'd found to her mother.
As she started to read the letter, the girl immediately noticed a drastic change in her mother's facial expression.
"Oh my God" the woman whispered, her eyes wide open.
"Mom, what is it?"
"I can't believe this… how can this be?" she said, completely oblivious to her daughter's question.
"Mom, what's going on? Do you know what this letter is about?"
At that exact moment, the girl's father walked into the room, humming a song to himself. But as soon as he noticed his wife's wary expression, he immediately stopped.
"Honey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
She raised her head and looked at her husband. She opened her mouth, but she was unable to speak.
"You're scaring me" he told her as he sat down next to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What's going on?"
"It's Nick…" she finally managed to say, her voice shaky.
"Nick?" the man murmured, furrowing his brow.
The girl watched as both her parents stared at each other in silence. This letter had definitely upset her mother. She'd thought perhaps the handwritten words had been the ramblings of a crazy person, or maybe someone who'd had a little too much to drink. But now, looking at how the letter had clearly affected her mother, she knew there was much more to it. Her mother had said a name: Nick. She'd never heard her mention someone named Nick before, and neither had her father. However, judging by the look on his face, he seemed to know him as well. Who was this man? And what did he have to do with the letter she'd found?
"Mom, Dad? What's going on?"
They both turned their head to look at her, but neither of them answered. Her mother had tears in her eyes, but they weren't the product of sadness. No… they reflected fear. After a moment, her parents turned their attention back to each other.
"What is it?" her father whispered.
"He's… alive."