Chapter Text
Chapter One
The year was 1920.
The night was misty, and foreboding lingered heavily in the air. Lights in the distance were merely orbs of fire, flickering like miniature suns. The search party ventured deeper into the woods while the lord of the manor observed from the balcony of his daughter’s chambers, the door leading out propped open slightly. His younger daughter sat inside with two of the guards, nervously pulling the stitching out of the sleeves of her dress.
“Lord Morgan, surely this has gone far enough.”
Lord Morgan said nothing in reply.
“This is the second search of the woods in a row. If the search party found nothing before, what will make now any different?”
“You think I should give up hope?”
“That’s not what I—“
“You think that I should give up on my oldest daughter?!” Morgan thundered, turning on his companion, “How can you suggest this? She is your fiancée as well, is she not? Do you not fear for her safety?!”
The young man, whose name was Benjamin, drew back slightly, “Of course I worry about her, my lord. I am more so than any man out there,” he pointed to the woods, “but I just don’t think we’ll find anything in the woods now.”
Morgan eyed him furiously, then gradually relaxed and turned back toward the distance. “Perhaps you’re right, Benjamin…I apologize. But I do not want to give up on Rosetta. She is my oldest, and if she is still alive out there, what would she think of her father if he did not search to the ends of the earth for her?”
Inside, his younger daughter Milliana’s face fell. The two guards looked from her to Lord Morgan curiously.
“Well…we should at least call them off for today. It’s getting late, and this mist is turning into fog.”
The aged lord grunted in frustration, then sighed, the fatigue tracing the wrinkles on his face. “Very well…inform the watchmen at the gate to call back the search party.”
“Yes, my lord,” Benjamin nodded, turning and heading inside.
Morgan turned back to the woods once more, staring into the trees as if he could somehow sense his daughter’s presence out there. Even he had to admit that the search was wearing down on him as well as the men who volunteered to search for her.
Rosetta Rollins, the eldest daughter of the Rollins family, left the manor to go into town and visit the family’s banker and discuss the nature of her inheritance once she married her fiancé, Benjamin Lawrence. The journey there would have taken a few hours by car, but Rosetta did not return for two days. Her father, Morgan Rollins immediately began investigating the matter. With Benjamin accompanying him, he went into town and questioned his first suspect, the banker, who informed them that their meeting had ended on time and that he saw Rosetta drive off. Troubled, Morgan and Benjamin headed to the police and informed them of the situation. A search party was formed and sent to search the surrounding roads and towns for any sign of Rosetta’s car. Benjamin himself headed to his hometown in case she might have, for some reason, gone there.
Two days later, the police chief himself made the trip out to the Rollins estate and informed Lord Morgan that his daughter’s car had been found wrecked and abandoned in a ditch near the woods between the town and their estate. Benjamin arrived at the estate shortly after, saying that she was nowhere in his hometown. The search party’s attention was now focused on the woods. The search had since been going on, and two weeks had passed. Everyone was starting to lose hope in the idea that Rosetta was still around, or even alive.
Even Lord Morgan was beginning to lose hope, himself. It pained him to come to this revelation, but he just couldn’t keep deceiving himself anymore. At this point, it was better to accept the hurtful truth and pray that whatever fate had befallen Rosetta, she was in no pain. Slowly, he turned from the balcony, as if it physically hurt to do so, and headed inside.
Upon his entrance, Milliana stood. “Father…?”
He looked upon her with a heavy heart. “I’m sorry, my girl…I’m afraid it’s time we put an end to all of this foolishness.”
“What do you mean? You haven’t given up, have you?”
“It’s been too long, Milliana. We have not found a thing to prove Rosetta is still out there.”
“Is this the nonsense that Benjamin put in your head? He’s awful quick to jump to conclusions, isn’t he?” she narrowed her eyes, “And he’s supposed to be the man marrying her!”
“Please, let’s not get hot with him,” Morgan replied, putting his hands on her shoulders.
“No! I refuse to believe Rosetta is dead!” she snapped, “Benjamin isn’t head of this family, you are, father!” her fists clenched, “He can’t convince you when to end the hunt!”
He stared at his youngest daughter. He’d never heard such a fire in her voice before! It was odd, because since reaching adulthood, the two sisters rarely got along, and often appeared to detest one another. Was it the idea of one being in potential danger that made the other worry so? Morgan looked into Milliana’s eyes and smiled for the first time in weeks.
“I’m sorry, my love.” He said softly, “You’re right…I shouldn’t be giving up so easily. We’ll reconvene the search tomorrow.”
Milliana’s gaze became less intense, but she did not smile back. “…I think I’ll retire now, Father.” Her voice, at least, sounded satisfied.
“Of course, I’ll leave you be.” He let her go and exited the room.
True to his word, Lord Morgan reconvened the search the next night. However, he did so only to find the night literally dampened by a thunderstorm. The search party squelched through the mud and pushed the wet hair out of their eyes, pointing their flashlights forward in a determined manner and despite everything, marched forward. Rather than watching from the balcony of Milliana’s room, Morgan and Benjamin observed from the front entrance of the estate, shielded from the rain by the awning.
“You spoke with her last night?” Benjamin inquired.
Morgan nodded. “I think it’s clear the when we lose someone out of the blue, we realize just how important they are to us. Milliana was quite insistent that we continue searching.” He scratched his beard, “Obviously their relationship as sisters did not die with their mother as I thought.”
“Their mother, my lord?”
“Yes…after her death is when they began to shift apart. Rosetta was completely focused on becoming head of the family, and Milliana saw it as her trying to replace their mother.” He sighed, his heavily-lidded eyes closing, “It was a difficult time for all of us.”
Benjamin nodded slowly, turning back to the lights of the search party, “Yes…truly difficult, indeed.” He was thankful for the dim lighting outside, so Morgan would not notice the sudden furrowing of his brow.
…Meanwhile, in the woods, the search party became momentarily distracted by a shape moving through the trees.
“Over there,” shouted one man, “it ran that way!”
“Could you see who it was?” called another.
“No, it’s too dark!”
“How do you know it’s not just an animal?”
“I’m certain it was a person!”
Three of the men began to give chase. In front of them, the “person” ran zigzags through the tall trunks of the trees, a dimming lantern clutched in one hand. At first, it seemed like he did not know that he was being followed, but after a few minutes, he skidded to a halt and turned abruptly, facing the three men behind him.
“You there,” one of them addressed, “What do you think you’re doing in these woods at this hour?”
The stranger, who turned out to be a young man dressed in rags, blinked raindrops out of his eyes, confused. He looked from one person to the other. “Did you see it too?”
“What? See what?”
“I saw someone moving in here. Someone in a dress. I came in here to follow,” he brandished the lantern in his hand outward, “Did you see it as well?”
The three men looked at one another, puzzled. “Are you saying you saw a person running through here?”
“I think so,” the young man nodded, “A woman.”
Before this odd occurrence could be probed further, it was agreed upon that the young man be brought before Lord Morgan. The men took the young man by the arms and led him out of the woods and toward the estate.
“My lord, look,” Benjamin pointed to the approaching lights, “someone’s coming!”
Taking an umbrella from one of the guards, Morgan opened it and marched forward to meet the search party as they crossed the lawn toward the manor. Benjamin hurried after, pulling his cap over his head.
“What is this?” Morgan stopped a short distance away, “Did you find something?”
The leader of the search party came forward, “My lord, we happened across this boy here in the woods,” he motioned for him to be brought forward, “he claims to have been following someone he saw running through the woods.”
When Morgan laid eyes on the young man, he didn’t know what to think of him. He was in a stained, ragged overcoat and ripped trousers, fingerless gloves on his hands, scuffed shoes on his feet and a filthy scarf around his neck. His hair looked as if it were covered in mud. The most alarming feature was the sight of the young man’s eyes…they were piercing.
“What did you see, boy?”
The young man’s voice was oddly calm as he spoke. “I was walking back to town from a trip, and I saw a figure run across my path. At first sight, I thought it was a ghost, but I came closer when they tripped and tumbled in the ditch. It was a woman in a dress, her hair all messy as if she had fled in fear of something. When she heard me approach, she got up and kept going into the woods. I was concerned, so I gave chase.”
“Did you see her face?” Benjamin asked.
“No, sir. I could barely make out her face in all this rain.”
Morgan closed his eyes momentarily, thinking. On the one hand, it was entirely possible that the woman this boy saw was Rosetta. Her car being found wrecked, it wouldn’t be illogical to assume that someone had ambushed her and tried to kidnap her. On the other hand, it was also possible that this strange boy was lying.
“What say you, my lord?” asked the search party leader, “Should we keep him here and call the police?”
Benjamin stepped forward, though not too close, toward the young man. “Do you have any proof that what you’re telling us is true?”
“…” the young man looked him dead in the eye, “You don’t believe me?”
“Look, stranger, this is a very serious matter and we need to know right now whether or not you’re telling the truth. A woman’s life is at stake.”
“Is it?”
“Dammit man, just answer my question!”
Morgan turned, opening his eyes. “Benjamin! That’s enough!”
The young man was not fazed. “As a matter of fact, I did find something in the road when she crossed me.” Yanking his arm back from one of the men holding him, he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a silk scarf, soaked and dirty.
Benjamin immediately snatched it from him and held it out to Morgan. “This is Rosetta’s…she wore it all winter!”
Suddenly, one of the men at the back of the party began shouting in alarm. “My lord! Look, there’s someone coming this way!”
Everyone turned and looked to see another figure emerging from the trees. The figure stumbled across the ground, dressed in what looked like her undergarments. Her long, dark hair was undone and spilled messily about her, covering her face from view. Even from such a distance, her identity was unmistakable.
“Rosetta!” Morgan cried out, pushing through the search party and running toward her.
“My lord, wait!” Benjamin ran after him.
Just as the two men came close, Rosetta stopped in her tracks, swaying to the side as if she were losing her balance. The rain had soaked her completely, making her scant clothing stick to her. The mud had coated her feet up to her ankles. At the sight of her, her father and fiancé halted in bewilderment.
“M-My lord?” Benjamin looked at him warily.
Morgan did not reply, but came forward as bravely as he could. What reason had he for being in fear of his own daughter? “Rosetta? Speak to me, please!”
Rosetta looked at him, her eyes chillingly blank. “F…Father…?”
The moment those words escaped her lips, her eyes rolled back and she began to fall. Morgan caught her long before she hit the ground, scooping her up and immediately heading back to the estate. Benjamin hurried after him.
“What should we do, lord?”
“Contact the doctor the minute I get her upstairs,” Morgan replied, “She needs medical attention.”
“But what about –“
“All other concerns are secondary, Benjamin.”
“But the boy, sir, should we let him go?”
Morgan sighed impatiently. “Send him home. Send them all home. They are no longer needed.”
Once they reached the front of the estate, they parted. Benjamin stayed outside to inform the search party of the end of their duties, thanking them and promising them that they would be rewarded for their time and effort. After the doctor was sent for, he went upstairs and knocked on Milliana’s door.
“Yes?” she answered without opening up.
“My lady, I have wonderful news…Rosetta has returned.”
She suddenly appeared in the now open doorway. “Just now?”
“Yes.” Benjamin smiled despite his fatigue, “And she is safe, now. Your father took her upstairs, and I have sent for the doctor.”
“I see…”
“Is something wrong? Your reaction to this news is rather odd.”
Milliana leaned against the doorframe. “I was just very scared that she wouldn’t come back. Now that she is home safe, I…feel calm. Is that unusual?”
Benjamin put a hand on her shoulder. “I know exactly how you feel. Would you like to see her?”
“I doubt Father will let me until the doctor’s seen her.” She shrugged, “I don’t mind. For now, just knowing she’s in the house is enough.”
For a moment, the two of them just stood there. Nearby, the guards watched them, then turned to the window and watched the search party leaving the grounds. The young man with the lantern followed behind them, looking up at the house once he was far enough away. He made eye contact with the guards, who did not seem the least bit fazed by this.
Benjamin suddenly realized that the guards were there. “Milliana, may I come in? There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Huh? Oh, of course…” she stepped aside and let him pass.
Once the door was shut, he faced her again. “There was a boy in the woods.”
“So?”
“The search party found him not long before Rosetta was found.”
“Why is this so urgent?” she raised an eyebrow.
Benjamin swallowed, loosening his necktie. “He may know something.”
Milliana was about to brush off his comment, but then she froze, actually hearing what he said, and looked at him in alarm.
“He claimed that he was following Rosetta as she ran into the woods, and even had found her scarf to prove his story, but still…there was something about him that I just don’t trust.”
“What should we do, then? Where is he now?”
“He left with the search party. I have the feeling we’ll be seeing him again.”
“Benjamin…”
“All I’m saying is that we must keep an eye out for him. For all we know, he could try to get to Rosetta.”
“For what purpose?”
“I don’t know.”
Milliana looked away, going over to her vanity. She picked up a frame holding a picture of the two sisters standing together, in the garden outside of their house. “I understand, Benjamin. You keep an eye out for the stranger, and I’ll stay close to Rosetta.”