NORA

Still not a wink of sleep, and it's beginning to get light outside. I have spent the entire night trying to understand why I'm having these dreams about my family, about... well, Mr. Marcelli. They're making me go crazy, and probably not in the way Nora in my dreams wants to go crazy.

"Long night?" Maggie says, filling up the breakfast table.

"A bit too long." I grab the steaming-hot mug and sip the black coffee. "Mrs. Sofia is still asleep, then?" I'm curious if I'm down here too early, considering that I'm the only one seated at this enormous ten-seater dining table.

"She should be here—"

Before Maggie finishes her words, Mrs. Sofia strides inside the room. "Good morning," she says, looking between Maggie and me. "You slept well?" She directs the question to me.

I don't know if I should tell the truth, but the concern is there, and it makes sense. I must look as horrible as I feel. "A little, yeah."

"Mhm," she nods and sits down. "I'll have some of the fruits, Maggie. Thank you."

"Let me bring them from the kitchen."

Only the two of us remain behind once Maggie disappears. I keep the cup toward my lips while my other hand moves over my neck, nails brushing over the back of it every time an odd sensation runs through me.

I don't know what it is that exactly comes over me when I open my mouth, but something surely does. "Where's Mr. Marcelli? I mean—" God, I feel embarrassed. What is wrong with me? "I haven't seen him since yesterday."

Mrs. Sofia lifts her head and looks at me, "I told you, he's gone for a while."

Like gone, gone?

"Oh, so he won't be here?"

"Yes."

"For how long?" Shut up, Nora.

She takes a breath, a deep one at that. "Perhaps a week, maybe more. It depends."

Oh... on what? Thankfully, before I open my mouth, Mrs. Sofia manages to continue, suppressing my own question.

"But nothing to worry about. I'll be here. In fact, I'm having a few people over tomorrow evening, and if you're comfortable, you're welcome to join us in the lounge. It's a small gathering."

I don't even think about it, "Of course, I'd love to."

She smiles at my answer, "Good."

I finish my coffee, a little more awake than I have been since waking up from the nightmare, and head back to the room. There's no relief that I get in knowing that Mr. Marcelli isn't here, that I won't be seeing him for the next week. Maybe in his absence, those nightmares can die down, after all, they do come from a place of my imagination.

If not, I really need to start looking for a shrink to get rid of these. There must be a reason why my mind is doing that.

It's in and out of work. The time at the clinic passes by so quickly that when it's time to leave, I don't believe it. Instead of heading straight to the house, I tell Henry that I need to get a few clothes, and he takes me to a store in town.

I don't think I have any clothes for tomorrow night, since the ones in the room are mostly summer dresses and t-shirts. Nothing that would be suitable for the kind of gathering that I think Mrs. Sofia might have.

I'm leaving the store with a few bags when I hear my phone ringing in my pocket. My first thought is that it is Elena, but when I see the caller ID, I take a deep breath before answering the call. He has tried way too many times now.

"Adam," I say, pressing the phone against my ear. "Hello."

"Hey," his voice sounds the same way it had been almost a year ago. "I didn't think you would answer."

"I did, didn't I?"

"I'm so sorry," He's quick to say, knowing that at this point, I'd be cutting the call. "I tried reaching out to know."

"Oh, yes, I know. Long after..."

Henry takes the bags from my hand before placing them in the back of the car while I get into the seat.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry for that as well. I didn't hear about it until I came here, and now I feel so terrible that I didn't keep in touch, Nora. I'm so sorry again. I should've been there, should've been at the funeral, at the—"

I cut him off, not entirely in the mind to speak about my parents. "It's fine."

"No, no, it's not fine."

The car begins to drive down the road and out of the parking. I look out the window and stare at the town. "You don't have to explain anything, Adam. I understand." Mostly.

"Where are you? I even tried to reach Elena, but she won't respond to any of my messages. I have been so concerned, and even if it's just some coffee, I want to see you. I'm staying near the old diner with a friend."

"Adam," I brush my fingers over my head. "I'm not in town."

"What?"

"I moved out, a few weeks ago—" Wow, it has already been a few weeks. "My parents wanted me to come here... a family friend of theirs." That's the best I can put it.

"Where?"

"It's far from town."

"Okay, but where?"

"Blackcrest. It's near this place where my parents got married." I respond to him after a moment.

"Can I come see you?" He drops the question like it's so easy to forget the fact that he ditched me on a random day and disappeared for months.

"I can't—not now."

"I just want to know if you're doing okay, Nora. Nothing else." Right... "But if you don't want to, I understand that. I'm here if you need anything, and I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's alright," I sigh, "I have to go now, I'll call you later."

I hang up and place the phone aside, leaning into the leather seats while Henry keeps occasionally looking at me through the rearview mirror. He probably has heard every word of this call, but I don't care.

By the time we reach the house, it's getting dark. The sky is darkening with each minute. It's the time that I usually love. I get out of the car and head to the back to grab my bags, but Henry stops me.

"I'll bring them up, Ms. Nora."

"Okay, thank you."

He nods and grabs the bags before I turn around and head down the path that leads up to the front door.

Once inside, it's a little quieter than I remember. I make it upstairs to my room before taking off my jacket, while Henry enters and places the bags on the table. I'm still getting accustomed to having a driver and, over that, a housemaid. My parents would never have one. They'd rather make me do everything, or they'd do it by themselves.

"That sounded like a tense conversation," Henry says, standing up straight. "Who was that?"

"Oh," I turn from the window. "Just a..." I'm very cautious with my words. "Friend."

Clearly, this is going back to Mr. Marcelli. I still haven't forgotten the fact that he knows where I've been these past few months, after my parents died. What I had done the entire summer and with whom I had been living.

"Alright. I'll leave you to yourself."

"Thank you again."

I close the door of my room as Henry leaves and then turn. My eyes fall on the bed, and something inside me tightens. I have no intentions of sleeping this early and slipping into one of those nightmares again. I'm done with them, and I've decided not to sleep until I'm completely tired and worn out.

That isn't yet.

A warm shower, a dinner, a walk in the garden, and an intellectual conversation with Elena still doesn't tire me. So, I began sorting out another box of things that had been sent from my house back in Glenfell last week. I needed more than what I had gotten, and I realized that only a while back.

Mrs. Cohen was more than happy to send them to me when I contacted her. It's not much, but plenty for me to get going around here. Perhaps I'm beginning to finally settle.

Around midnight, there's a ruffling that I hear, that catches me off guard. I jump off the cold floor and up on my feet before poking my head outside the window. Fresh air floods in along with an odd scent that I don't think I've ever smelled before.

It's of a... wild something. I can't tell what exactly, but it rubs straight on my nerves and awakens me. It is pungent in every possible way.

What is it?

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