November 16, 1779

The next morning, Lillian went over to the cemetery just outside of town. Performing the sign of the Cross, she dropped down on her knees in front of her parents' grave and placed her hands in her lap.

"Hello, Mother and Father", said Lillian. "I'm sorry I haven't come here lately, but I was...Well, I'm sure you're aware of what happened by now. Father, I did nothing that warranted those men to ravage me. I was only trying to defend my friend. A great evil delivered them onto me, and in return, their wicked sins were punished. I know not if it was you or God who delivered the Hessian to save me, but I pray that you and Mother look down on him with gratitude and thank him for his kindness in taking care of me. I know his sins of killing are wrong, but I pray that you keep him safe and well, because I love him so. Mother and Father, I love you both so much and wish you were here with me, but I know you're in a better place and watching over me, and that I will see you in God's Kingdom one day. That is all."

Lillian made the sign of the Cross again and rose up and was about to leave, but then looked to her right and saw a blackbird perched on a nearby headstone. It was a raven. Lillian stared at the black-feathered creature, watching its dark eyes stare right back at her. A raven in a graveyard was often considered an omen of great misfortune, and Lillian knew that if she continued to stare at it, the raven would steal her soul and carry it away.

Look away from the raven, Lillian, her mother would say to her when she was growing up. Her mother had always been superstitious and believed the raven was an alley of the Devil, and that those who looked into the dead, black eyes of the dreaded bird would never find their way into the afterlife. Turning away, Lillian headed back into town to the tavern and ignored the raven, who flew away.

Before entering the tavern, Lillian looked over and saw a man kissing his wife goodbye before leaving for war. The man looked down and picked up his son, a five-year-old boy named Abraham, and gave him a hug.

"Can I go with you, Father?" The boy asked.

"No, Abraham, you're too young", his father answered. "Maybe when you're older." He set his son down, then mounted his horse and rode off to join the Continental Army with the other men, who had already left.

Lillian knew that man by the name of Van Brunt and already predicted he would be one of the men who wouldn't be coming back alive, but of course, she remained silent on the matter. Her bright blue eyes lingered on Abraham, to which point, she went into a trance. In the vision, Lillian saw a man who looked very much like Mr. Van Brunt, only it was Abraham all grown up. He was a handsome man of twenty-five and was in love with a blonde girl, but Lillian became horrified by what she foresaw next, as Abraham, who went by the name of Brom in the future, was seen battling a headless man who ended up killing him by slicing him in half below the torso.

Soon as the vision ended, Lillian gasped in fright and stepped into the tavern immediately, keeping her back to the door for a minute and placing a hand over her beating heart, breathing heavily. She hated these premonitions of death and wished she had never been born with this curse, but there was nothing she could do to revoke it. She simply had to live with it.

Lillian put a hand to her forehead, sighing deeply, then went over behind the counter to pour herself a drink of water into a pewter mug. Suddenly, she heard a squeaking sound coming from somewhere and looked around the tavern to locate the source of the noise, but the place was empty. The squeaking noise drew her attention downward and Lillian saw it was nothing more than a mouse scampering across the floor, searching for crumbs.

"You shouldn't be here", said Lillian to the mouse. "If the owner or his daughter catches you in here, they'll kill you."

The mouse stood up on its hind legs and raised his head, sniffing the air. He stared up at Lillian, who knelt down and offered him a tiny crust of bread, gently stroking the mouse's head with her finger while he ate.

"You can't keep coming in here, little friend", said Lillian. "Believe me, I wish I could keep you, but I can't. Now go away from this place before somebody sees you."

Just then, Lillian heard the door open and stood up immediately. It was Mr. Mortner who entered the tavern. Lillian looked down and witnessed the mouse scamper away, watching him crawl back into a hole in the corner.

"Is everything all right, Lillian?" Mr. Mortner asked her.

Lillian looked to the old man and answered, "Yes, sir. Why do you ask?"

"Cassandra told me you were in the cemetery a while ago."

"Yes, sir. I was visiting my mother and father's grave. I know it sounds silly, but I wanted to see them."

"What's so silly about it?" Mr. Mortner questioned. "There's nothing wrong with us wanting to reach out and speak to our departed loved ones now, is there?"

"No, sir", said Lillian. "Last time I heard, anyway."

Mr. Mortner chuckled in amusement and told her, "I know exactly how you feel, my dear. Every now and again, I find myself speaking out loud as though my wife were still with us. She always knew the right thing to say when it came to raising children, especially your father. She certainly understood him better than I did. Whenever he was troubled, Nikolas would always look to her for advice. He was like the son she never had."

A soft smile appeared on Lillian's face when he mentioned her father's name. "Do you remember my father, Mr. Mortner?" She asked him.

"Of course I remember", Mr. Mortner answered. "My wife and I had been married for three months, and more than anything, she wanted a child. Then one day, I went hunting in the forest for rabbits and came across a poor orphan boy of nine years. He was crying and told me his parents drowned in the Hudson River. He didn't have any other family to care for him, so I invited him to live with us. Nikolas took some time getting used to having a new family, but he soon settled down with us like he was our own. He was very much like you growing up, always keeping to himself and tending to his work. He was a very religious man, prayed to God every morning and every night. I always imagined he would become a priest when he grew older, but when he met your mother, his heart abandoned the idea and became open to the thought of being a father and starting a family."

Lillian thought on it for a minute and asked him, "Do you think he would have wanted me to have a family of my own someday?"

"It's hard for me to say, but I believe your father would have wanted you to consider it. I know things have been hard for you these last few weeks, but one day, you'll find a suitable husband and start a life all of your own."

"But how will I know if I can trust him?"

"That is something you must think of for yourself. You mustn't worry so much about these things, Lillian. You're still young. You'll find a good man someday. It just takes a little time to find the right one."

Later that night, Mr. Mortner decided to close the tavern early. Lillian went upstairs to her room and put on her nightgown and said her prayers before climbing into bed. Once her head hit the pillow, she closed her eyes and began to dream. In the dream, she was running through the Westerns Woods, desperately trying to find a way out. She came to a stop in the middle of a trail and called out loud, "Hello? Can anyone here me?"

Lillian looked around, but nobody was in sight. Suddenly, she heard a familiar sound, a crying noise coming from somewhere deep in the forest. She recognized it was the sound of a baby crying and followed the voice of the infant down to the end of the trail, where she came upon the frightening sight of the dead tree she had seen in her nightmares before. Lillian looked at the root of the dead tree and saw a bundle wrapped in a blanket and ran over to it, dropping down on her knees and unwrapping the blanket to get a look at the child, but there was nothing to be found except air, almost as if the baby had vanished.

"There's nothing here", Lillian said to herself.

Suddenly, Lillian felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head, looking up and seeing a man standing next to her. "Fear not, my child", he said. "For I am with you always."

Lillian rose up slowly, staring at the man with shock and admiration, asking him, "Father?"

The man smiled warmly as her, showing nothing but fatherly love for his one and only child.

Lillian felt tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him into a tight grip. "Father!"

Nikolas Waise hugged his arms around his daughter, speaking softly, "Yes, Lillian. It's me."

Lillian hugged him tighter and sobbed quietly into his shoulder while her father rubbed her back with one hand. She was happy to finally meet him at last, even if he was a ghost.

"Why do you weep, child?" Nikolas asked her.

"I miss you so much", Lillian whispered, tears falling down her cheeks.

"And I miss you, but I've never stopped watching over you."

Nikolas released his daughter and looked at her, wiping away a tear from Lillian's face with his thumb. He looked just as handsome as her mother described. Dark brown hair, rugged face and warm brown eyes.

"It makes my heart swell to to see how much you've grown, Lillian", said Nikolas. "It's uncanny, but you look so much like your mother when she was about your age."

Just then, a raven swooped down and landed on a branch high above the dead tree. It flapped its wings and cawed, looking down on the father and his daughter. Lillian was frightened of the raven's presence and clung close to her father, but Nikolas released his hold on his daughter and stepped forward, approaching the tree without fear.

"What are you doing?" Lillian questioned him. "Don't you know the raven is evil?"

"The raven is not evil. She's a friend."

Nikolas lifted his arm up, beckoning for the raven to come forth. The raven flew down from the dead tree and landed on his forearm, allowing Nikolas to stroke her feathered chest with the back of his finger.

"The raven is a smart bird and will give you guidance when you feel lost", Nikolas said to his daughter. He turned to Lillian and said, "Treat her with kindness, and in return, she will be your friend and humble servant."

"But...But Mother said-"

"I know what your mother said. After my death, she feared the same power that possessed me would destroy you, as well."

"Power?"

"The gift of foresight."

Lillian stared at him and asked, "What do you know of my curse?"

"Your grandmother was born with the ability to predict the future", Nikolas explained. "She passed it onto me, and I passed it onto you. Your mother always feared you would inherit these abilities, which is why she asked you never to reveal about it to anyone. You know what would happen if anyone discovered your powers, don't you?"

"Yes, sir", said Lillian. "People would accuse me of being a witch and kill me."

"Which is why I never spoke about this to anyone, not even the Mortners. Only your mother knew about it. She didn't understand it, but she loved me just as much as I loved her. I could never keep a secret from her."

"How is Mother? Is she well?"

"Yes, she is. She is at peace and thinks of you everyday. She watches over you all the time, just as I have watched over you and her over the years."

"Why did you leave us, Father?" Lillian asked him. "Why did you-"

"It was my duty to serve my country and protect the family I love. My friends and neighbors were going off to serve. I wanted to do my part and fight for the cause. I have no regrets serving in the last war, but I do regret not being there for you when you needed me most on the night you were ravaged."

Lillian lowered her head in shame upon hearing him say that. The raven flew away and Nikolas lowered his arm and walked over to Lillian, lifting her head and bringing her eyes back up to meet his gentle gaze.

"It wasn't your fault, Lillian", he said. "Those outsiders deserved their death by the Hessian's sword. I don't approve of him, but he saved your life. I cannot hold a grudge against him for that."

"You know of him?"

"I know enough. I know that he has done great evil against the Americans, but there is an evil far greater than him that resides in this forest, and you must be careful to avoid it at all costs."

"I don't understand."

"In twenty years time, a witch will sell her soul to the Devil and bring harm to our village. It would be wise for you to leave this place before it is too late."

Thunder crashed and a bolt of lightening flashed across the sky, frightening Lillian, who hugged onto her father, who wrapped his arms protectively around her. Nikolas turned his head and saw the roots of the dead tree starting to lift up and form a portal, opening a gateway to the underworld.

"The powers of evil are growing stronger", said Nikolas. He looked at his daughter and told her, "Lillian, listen to me. It's not safe here. You have to leave this place."

"No. I want to stay with you."

"Don't argue with me. Just go."

"But I-"

"Go!"

Lillian didn't understand, but took her father's words to heart and started running through the woods. At one point, she tripped, but got back up and continued running. Coming to a clearing, Lillian stopped for a moment to look back, then turned around and found herself face to face with a little blonde girl. She had blue eyes, and was wearing a pink dress and holding a twig in her hands. Holding it up, the girl snapped the twig in half.

Lillian woke up with a gasp and sat up straight, panting heavily. She put a hand to her throat and felt for her father's cross, which was hanging around her neck. She looked around and found herself back in her room, wondering if what she saw was either a vision or a dream or perhaps a bit of both.

Suddenly, there came a tapping noise at her window, to which Lillian looked over and placed her feet on the floor, standing up and going over to see what it was. Opening the window, she discovered it was a raven, who flew inside and perched on the back of a chair in the corner of the room. Lillian closed the window and went over to get a better look at the beautiful bird with dark plumage. The raven ruffled its feathers and looked at Lillian, cawing as though it were trying to speak.

Holding her arm up, Lillian allowed the raven to perch on her forearm and stroked its chest with the back of her finger, just like her father did. "Are you the raven from my dream?" Lillian asked the bird, knowing she wouldn't receive an answer from the black-feathered creature, but finding it amusing to have an animal friend to talk to again.