Parting

The shade provided by the barn is nice on this warm day. The work for John and Donna is almost complete; all that is left is to finish assembling the stalls inside. My sides have completely healed since what happened at Stormcrest Manor, a few weeks ago. The locals are still terrified of the woods, but thanks to Lorelei’s frequent trips there, people are starting to come around. The dark aura is gone, and even though these people don’t have magical senses, they can feel the change in the air.

I attach the hinges of the last of the stall doors, and fasten it into place. I stand up and back my way into the middle of the barn, looking around. All the wood has been weather-proofed and the roof is done too. I think I’m finished here, finally. 

“Looks amazing,” Donna says from behind me. 

I turn on my heels to face her – I hadn’t heard her approaching. “I’m glad you like it.” 

“I can’t thank you enough for what you did, helping us out and looking out for that young woman too. You’re a real blessing, I tell you. We thank God every night you came along, dear.” 

“You’re too kind, ma’am.” 

“Come by the house, we’ll get you paid,” She urges. 

I follow Donna back to the farmhouse, where John is sitting in a rocking chair out front, having an afternoon drink. 

“Barn’s all done?” He says, smiling. 

“Yes sir, it’s all ready for you.”

He reaches into his jean pocket and takes out a stack of 20$ bills, handing it to me. “There’s a little bonus in there for ya.” 

I rifle through the money. There’s nearly 2000$ more than we agreed upon. “I can’t accept this-” 

“Don’t give me that. You earned it. You did a lot for us and we’ll always be grateful,” He says. 

Donna offers me a little side-hug, and John extends his hand for me to shake. 

“What will you do now?” Donna asks, standing by her husband, her hands on his shoulders. 

I take a look around. “I think I’ll head home for a little while. I thought about my wife a lot while I was here, and I think I’m ready to go back.” 

“Good for you, dear, I hope you find your way,” She replies. 

We say our goodbyes and I walk back to town, to the inn. I was hoping to catch Lorelei before I checked out, but she isn’t around. But I have a feeling I know where I’ll find her. 

I take my bag and head into the woods from the backyard of the inn. It doesn’t take me long to reach the creek, and I follow it all the way through Sturm’s Thicket. Without the curse changing things, the forest is easy to navigate. The birds and other small animals have already returned and made their homes here, and soon more animals will follow. 

These woods have been stagnant for a long time, lost in their history, much like the Lord of Stormcrest himself. But now they’re starting to heal. 

I reach the base of the hill and hike my way up to the gate of Stormcrest Manor. There is a certain warmth and charm to the home now. Despite its decrepit state, it has regained some of its regal charm. I step around the crater from my fight with Erwin, and walk inside.

The floorboards are soft and creak beneath my feet as I enter the foyer. I follow the familiar path, passing through a doorway that has long-since lost its door, and stepping over some debris in the hall from where part of the room above had collapsed. The door to the library and its frame are both so warped they cannot close, so I bow my head and enter. 

The far wall has long since collapsed, and the room is filled with much of the resulting ruin and debris. Lorelei sits in the opening, atop a flat section of rubble, her notebooks and reference books scattered all around her, along with a hiking bag. She turns to me, her hair in a messy bun, and gives me a little wave. 

“I thought I’d find you here,” I say finally. She stands, and I offer my hand to help her climb down the rubble. 

“Are the townspeople sending another search party?” She asks jokingly. 

“Not today. I came to say goodbye. I finished up my work here, and I’m heading out today,” I tell her. 

She looks a little sad to hear that. “That’s quite a shame. I was really starting to get used to you. Living on the road like this, I haven’t made many friends. I’m not much of a people person, but I am really glad I got to meet you.” 

“I’m glad I met you too,” I tell her. A smile forms on my lips. “I think Yukiko would have really liked you.” 

“I would have loved to have met her. A real-life witch! That’s just incredible to me. I’ve been searching my whole life for someone like that.” 

I brush off a collapsed support pillar and sit on it, dropping my bag by my feet. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but there are more witches out there. Dozens of them, hidden all over the states.” 

She grins in reply. “Then I shall hold onto the hope that I might meet one! In all seriousness, I want you to know that I understand why you kept your magic secret, and I’ll respect that. I’ll never write about real magic or tell anyone the truth about what you did here.” 

We share a nod. “Thank you. It’s not me, it’s just… There are people who lived through the witch hunts, and one in particular has made it her mission to maintain the secrecy of magic to protect these women.” 

“She has nothing to worry about from me. I love magic. I love ghosts, and demons, and vampires, and cryptids. And when you love something, you treat it with respect,” Lorelei says, walking over to the now-empty shelves and running her hands along the wood. “Besides, I have a new project.” 

“Oh?” I follow her with my eyes, my brow raised. 

She chuckles. “You didn’t hear the news from the people in town? I filed some paperwork with the governor’s office and bought this place. It’s going to be declared a historic landmark, and I’m going to restore it.” 

“Really?” 

“There is a lot of history in these walls. I’ve done some exploring, and there are books and journals and lots of other things that have survived. Around the time the Sturm family was alive here, hundreds of thousands of German immigrants came to America looking for their futures. This place could tell us a lot about who these people were, how they changed America’s culture, and what their lives were like.” 

“So you’re going to make it into a museum?” I say, resting my hands in my lap. And Lorelei definitely has the passion to make this idea successful. 

“One part museum, one part landmark, and one part haunted house. The tragedy of Erwin and Annaliese is something that will capture the hearts of many people. This place was lost in history for a long time, wrapped up in the horrible things that befell it, but now Stormcrest Manor is going to have a new purpose, and it is going to help a lot of people learn and find some joy.” 

“So you’re going to move here, officially?” 

She nods happily. “I am! I’ve already put in an offer on a nice little house nearby. What’s next for you?” 

I stretch out my legs for a bit, releasing all the tension in them. “I’ll be headed home. Back where I belong.” 

“Does this have anything to do with what Erwin said? Before he disappeared? Something about the successor who will find you some day?” 

“Yeah. One day, the next Witch of the Full Moon is going to come to Yukiko’s home looking for answers, and I’m going to be there to help her.”

“Well, in the meantime, I hope you’ll stay in touch. You know where to find me,” She says. 

“I’ll write,” I tell her, and we share a hug. 

I take up my bag and say my goodbyes, and head out of the manor. As I cross the yard, I look up and see something. It’s difficult to make out at first, with the afternoon sun beaming down on me. But as my eyes adjust, I realize it’s a luna moth. The little creature flaps its wings and takes off, flying away toward the woods. 

“If you can hear me from wherever you are, do me a favor and check in on Erwin and Annaliese,” I say to the empty sky. “I’ll be home soon, my love.”