Where Shadows Tremble

Where Shadows Tremble
Tessa looked around her room double checking she had everything she would need for the next two days. Cassie’s birthday was tomorrow and she still needed to pick up a few things along the way. Falcons Crest was a least a 4 hour drive from Falls Hollow she needed to leave on time before she was stuck in Friday afternoon traffic.

Upon arriving to Falcons Crest Tessa headed to the bed and breakfast she would be staying in. Her room was on the top floor of a three story Victorian home. The queen size bed was adorned with a nice fluffy comforter, the kind you can just sink into and snuggle. She placed her luggage in the small closet and headed to the bathroom to start a bath. She poured a glass of wine and sank into the warm bath water. She instantly felt the exhaustion and tiredness leaving her body. Being back in Falcons Crest was a reminder of everything she had lost.

After some time she slowly made her way downstairs for dinner, the owner of the B&B provided dinner for the guests. The aroma of freshly cropped mint and something else hit her nose. She inhaled deeply and made her way to the dining area. She could hear the soft murmur of voices and dishes clattering, as she got closer the smell of cooked meat and potatoes was mixed in the air as well. She rounded the corner and came to the dining area, which looked to be a large foyer on the opposite side of the house. Windows and a screen door made up one side of the wall over looking a beautiful cliff drop. She could hear the roar of the waves coming from beyond the cliff line, it was breath taking.

Suddenly she felt a small hand tug her own, she was so in awe with the view that she just squeezed the hand back and smiled. In a muffled distance she heard a name being called. "Valerie? Where have you gone off to now?" Tessa looked down and saw that she was holding the hand of a young girl, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She saw the girl's mother looking for her frantically, she squeezed her hand one last time and told her to run to her mother. The girl smiled at her, she lingered for just a brief second and than she was gone. Tessa watched as mother and daughter reunited, she could feel the mother's panic. She quickly wiped at her face and grabbed her dinner. Coming back to Falcons Crest was going to be a very hard and emotional toll on her.

The next morning Tessa dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, a white tank top and a black blazer. She made her way downstairs again and head voices by the front door. "Don't move from here Valerie, mama needs to go back up stairs really quick. I forgot out key." When she heard it was the mother daughter duo she quickly made her way to the front door and let the mother know she could stay with the child. The mother was so relieved and thanked her, Tessa and Valerie went to sit out in the screened porch at the front of the house. Valerie grabbed Tessa’s hand and led her to a rocking chair. She mentioned for Tessa to sit, climbed on her lap and quickly buried her head in Tessa's neck. Tessa felt the pang in her heart and for a very brief moment it felt like Cassie was giving her a hug. Tessa wrapped her arms tightly around the little girl, she held back the sob she wanted to let out. She inhaled that fresh baby smell of the child's shampoo. Her mind knew that this was not Cassie, but heart told her to just enjoy it, to mend and heal in the hug of this young child.

The girl pulled back and stared at Tessa, she had very wise eyes for a young girl, like her soul was older than her physical body. "The little girl told me to give you a hug. She says her name is Cassie and you're her mama." Tessa gasped, her heart stopped for a quick second as she watched the girl on her lap. Her heart was beating rapidly, she wiped at her tears and asked the girl to repeat herself. "The girl says that you still look pretty and that you still smell the same. That you were always the prettiest mama." Tessa silently wept, Valerie kept playing with her hair, twirling it on her finger, pushing it behind her ear or just running her hands through and messing it up. She kept looking at Tessa with a soft smile on her lips, like this was normal everyday stuff for her. She didnt seemed frightened, she kept looking off to the side, as if communicating with someone silently.

"She says she's sorry for making you sad, for breaking your heart. But she loves you and misses you very much, and she's super happy that you're here." The sound of the front door opening and slamming shut brought Tessa out of her fog. "Valerie! What have I told you about this foolishness. Look what you've done!"

The girl was quickly snatched out of Tessa’s lap, she quickly got up and pulled the girl behind her. Tessa wasn't sure what would happen to her but she wasn't going to let anything happen while she was here. "Ma'am please, she wasn't doing anything wrong."

"You cannot possibly tell me you believe her? Talking to ghost?! Unbelievable. She has been talking non stop about a little girl it's driving me bananas." Tessa turned to look at Valerie who was staring off to the side, as if she was looking at someone still standing there. "Is she still there Valerie?" She asked shakenly. "Yep, but she has to go. She says Pop pop is waiting for her to go play on the swing. But that she's okay and that she wears the locket you gave her everyday."

Tessa dropped to her knees, she let out a gut wrenching wail. She clutched her stomach and let out all her emotions on that front porch. Tessa had given Cassie an identical locket like the one she had, she had placed a picture of the three of them; one of the very last pictures they took together as a family. She had placed it in Cassie's hand before the casket was closed and she buried her daughter. She could hear voices in the distance, everything was muffled, as if they were talking to her underwater. She felt a small hand squeeze her fingers, she held on to that tiny hand until she felt strong arms wrap around her. She knew that smell anywhere, sweet smoky vanilla with a hint of spice. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. "She saw Cassie, our Cassie is still here" She whispered the words and felt his arms tightened around her. The wound had been reopened and he knew she was here to finally heal for good.