Chapter 13: Lucky for some
The flight from the mountain happened in the early hours of the morning. Running into Thunder Mesa, the villagers saw a little girl in a red coat, welcoming her into their homes and bandaging her wounds. But what they didn't see was the people who followed behind her. All the members of her family, save for Henry and Timothy, stood behind her. As her head was bandaged, she took them all in with a smile. Martha, Melanie, Jake, grandfather and his father and mother, Henry, Ivana, Sara and Christopher, Avery, and even Florence, though he wasn't technically a family member she thought of him like a fun uncle. That left her, number 13, to stand among them. Melanie watched the girl get bandaged up, before the resident nurse walked out of the room and the ghost approached the child, placing a hand on the locket. "Father gave this to me. But it belongs to you now." She whispered, smiling and taking Crystal's hands in her own. Something then occurred to the child. Melanie hadn't had the chance to see her little brother for all these years, so Crystal was determined to bring them together again. She had a suspicion Henry had been the one to drag him away, so if anyone knew where he was, it would be the businessman. And speaking of which, she wanted to learn more about him, his past seemed like a secret reason for his actions. Suddenly, grandfather's father, also called Jake, walked over to Melanie. Wordlessly, the two hugged, Melanie's eyes becoming tearful. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, the man shaking his head. "I understand…mother." He responded, closing his eyes and the two embracing, Jake eventually joining the hug and putting his arms around the both of them.
After some time, the nurse came back in, bringing with her a local policeman, who spoke privately with Crystal, confessing that they would need some time to figure out what to do with her, and her case, but wondering if she had anyone she could stay with for a time. She thought back over the people she met, before remembering somebody who had been kind to her, and whispering the name to the policeman. A few hours later, she finished packing, encouraged by the ghosts to take their old things and aided by Christopher and Avery, while Florence was down in the basement tinkering with something, learning how to lift items as a ghost. Her suitcases were full of items old and new, remnants of a past she was lucky enough to finally know. She then headed out of her bedroom, the house now full of people. All of the bodies had been removed, Crystal asking that they were buried under the stone veranda, the family plot, and that Timothy be placed in a real coffin, with his sister and her husband, just as he deserved. The ghosts all bid her goodbye, Florence reappearing with the music box in his hands, fixed and playing the tune again. "Whenever you hear it, think of us and how much we all love you." He whispered, Crystal tearfully nodding as she packed it into her case. Suddenly, she remembered something and ran off, the ghosts wondering what she was doing.
By the door of the attic, Crystal found the key in the lock, just as she had left it. She walked up into the small room as the sun rose, turning the room a dull pink, and reached into the trunk, past the fragile skeleton. Her hand seized the little drawing, and she retrieved it, taking the key and watching as the strangers took all the items from inside, Crystal locking the door behind them. Nothing left in the room of mysteries, just as it should be.
In the hallway, Crystal found Melanie, who was gazing at herself for a moment in the mirror. "You're beautiful." The child whispered, causing the woman to turn around, pleasantly surprised. "Thank you, little Mel." Melanie responded, a playful smile on her face. Crystal offered her the drawing, Melanie's eyes flickering with recognition. "Timothy…" she whispered, looking from the drawing in her hands to Crystal with both concern and confusion. Crystal turned on her heel, saying nothing, but nothing needed to be said. The mere realization that Crystal had found her little brother was enough to calm Melanie. "Mel!" Melanie called out, Crystal looking back and nodding. Melanie's face softened, a genuinely happy smile on her face. "Thank you." She whispered, slipping into the shadows where her lover awaited. At this, Crystal smiled too, before turning her head and walking downstairs, meeting Avery, Florence and Christopher at the bottom. Jake appeared out of nowhere, the four of them wishing her well. Crystal felt into her pocket, feeling the familiar slip of paper from the first day, Christopher winking. "Goodbye, Melanie." They all whispered, before disappearing into the shadows as she opened the door, stepping out into the sun.
The policeman awaited her outside, his face gentle and kind, immediately helping her with her suitcases and promising she could return one day, discovering her as the sole inheritor of the family fortune from her birth certificate. Crystal gazed at the manor out of the back of the car, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the drawing and key, watching as her home got smaller and smaller, before becoming a mere dot in the distance behind the mountain. Bidding her home goodbye, for now, she disappeared toward Tumbleweed, intent on staying with Annie if possible, and promising herself that she would return, compiling all the mysteries and stories into a history book, just as her grandfather would have wanted. She gazed out of the window, spotting a figure with a cowboy hat, waving as she moved further and further away. There were many more mysteries to discover in the future, and she was determined to write all of the history. As the last Ravenswood, it was her responsibility to do so.
Due to Crystal's absence, the ghosts were unsure as to what they would do, but the house was technically hers, so the police refused to let it be sold or rented out, allowing them to live there for as long as Crystal wished them to. Melanie looked out of her old bedroom window, spotting Henry walking toward the house, Martha calling for her. This stirred a memory in her mind, a memory of the day Tim died. Henry had appeared at the manor in a similar way, her mother also calling for her, and him passing her a tin soldier, telling her that her little brother was dead. She didn't believe the story about the train now, having a feeling there were pieces missing, but in any case, she walked downstairs in the same fashion, or rather, floated. Her father entered the house, telling her he had a surprise for her and to close her eyes. Martha smiled at him, Anna peeking around the doorframe to also try and see, her brother Jasper also arriving to watch. Melanie closed her eyes, playful and secretly very excited, before Henry led her outside, his hand in hers. Footsteps startled her, and Henry gave a slight chuckle. "Open your eyes, Mel." He whispered, Melanie blinking as the sunlight hit her. Then her gaze settled, and she gasped.
Before her stood someone she hadn't seen for more than a hundred and fifty years. A boy who she still loved, and who still loved her with all his heart. Tears fell down both their faces as they took in each other, before he cried out her name, a heart-warming yell which she had secretly awaited all these years. In turn, she cried out his name, the two rushing toward each other and embracing, crying with joy at their reunion.
As Melanie held her little brother, she felt something in her heart change, shift. A new feeling, warm and sweet. One look at Timothy showed he felt it too, the rest of the family coming outside, hands over their hearts and tearful. Martha gazed at Henry, his eyes changing as he felt it too, something inside him finally awakening. Tears fell down his face as he stared at his son, who gave him a happy smile, and he knew he was forgiven. Everyone let out a happy sigh, feeling this warmth as one, and knowing that Crystal truly loved them, or rather, Melanie truly loved them.
Epilogue: Ten years later…
The black car parks on the drive, a lone young woman with brown hair and sea-green eyes stepping out. Dressed in a long blue dress, similar to the painting hung in the foyer, and a bow in her hair, she removes two suitcases from the car, locking it. Her locket sways as she moves, stepping up toward the door. She unlocks the home, her hand tracing the familiar golden handle, before she turns it, being welcomed into the sitting room by her ghostly family. She pulls out a book, and begins to read aloud to them all: "Chapter 1: In which a girl finds a key…"