Epilouge
Halloween 1970
Amelia Skellington smiled to herself as she watched her grandchildren, clad in ghoulish costumes of ghosts and witches, go bouncing off down the street, laughing merrily. Ah, Halloween again. Still her favorite holiday after all these years.
Still her favorite since that Christmas so long ago.
How long had it been? Sixty? Seventy years? Ever since then, Christmas left only bitter feelings in her heart.
Oh, Jack.
Amelia tucked a wrinkled hand into the pocket of her sweater and pulled out a little rag doll. It wore a slightly tattered dress, it's once bright hair faded and it's cloth worn thin from years of loving cuddles. None of it's stitches were original anymore and it's face only carried faint stains where it's once adorably painted features had been.
His last gift to her. Found amongst the broken bits of glass Christmas ornaments in the woods.
She had kept it through these long decades as a tangible memory of her older brother. Not as though she needed any reminders. His face was still painted in her mind, and nothing could ever make it fade. If she closed her eyes, she could still see his darling, lopsided grin.
The old woman sighed and turned her dim vision toward the window. Lovely autumn night. It was a surprisingly warm October this year, and the trees were still brightly colored. Fiery oranges and reds. The blackness of the sky was pinned back by the stars, and a lopsided moon cast it's mottled glow through the trees. Taking a seat beside the window looking out over the lawn, Amelia let her eyes, still blue as sapphire, wander across the October landscape.
What was that?
Amelia blinked rapidly and fumbled for her glasses. Out of the corner of her eye! Something in the trees! Pushing her spectacles up her nose, the woman rose from her seat, ignoring the creaking of her bones and scanned the yard. She looked for a very long time over the grass and into the shadowy forms of the trees before giving up and dropping back into her seat with a heavy heart.
Briefly, on the edge of her vision, she thought she'd seen it. On a blanched face, the silly, friendly grin of her brother.
Halloween 1970
Amelia Skellington smiled to herself as she watched her grandchildren, clad in ghoulish costumes of ghosts and witches, go bouncing off down the street, laughing merrily. Ah, Halloween again. Still her favorite holiday after all these years.
Still her favorite since that Christmas so long ago.
How long had it been? Sixty? Seventy years? Ever since then, Christmas left only bitter feelings in her heart.
Oh, Jack.
Amelia tucked a wrinkled hand into the pocket of her sweater and pulled out a little rag doll. It wore a slightly tattered dress, it's once bright hair faded and it's cloth worn thin from years of loving cuddles. None of it's stitches were original anymore and it's face only carried faint stains where it's once adorably painted features had been.
His last gift to her. Found amongst the broken bits of glass Christmas ornaments in the woods.
She had kept it through these long decades as a tangible memory of her older brother. Not as though she needed any reminders. His face was still painted in her mind, and nothing could ever make it fade. If she closed her eyes, she could still see his darling, lopsided grin.
The old woman sighed and turned her dim vision toward the window. Lovely autumn night. It was a surprisingly warm October this year, and the trees were still brightly colored. Fiery oranges and reds. The blackness of the sky was pinned back by the stars, and a lopsided moon cast it's mottled glow through the trees. Taking a seat beside the window looking out over the lawn, Amelia let her eyes, still blue as sapphire, wander across the October landscape.
What was that?
Amelia blinked rapidly and fumbled for her glasses. Out of the corner of her eye! Something in the trees! Pushing her spectacles up her nose, the woman rose from her seat, ignoring the creaking of her bones and scanned the yard. She looked for a very long time over the grass and into the shadowy forms of the trees before giving up and dropping back into her seat with a heavy heart.
Briefly, on the edge of her vision, she thought she'd seen it. On a blanched face, the silly, friendly grin of her brother.