Great Oak Gazette

By Cate Sharper

Prologue: 70 years ago (1954)

“Anna, watch out!” yelled a woman, running toward her daughter. Her surroundings were scorching hot, and the wooden beams above her were slowly burning to a crisp. Her ruby-red dress was slightly aflame, and her hair flew behind her in a tangled mess.

“Mom, help!” yelled a little girl in a white dress, its hem faded into a smoky gray from the ash swirling in the air. She was lying under a fallen beam, her middle pinned down by its heavy weight. She reached her hand out as an attempt to grab the air, and in a last effort, her mother jumped and held on tight to her daughter. She lifted the beam slowly from her daughter’s body and pulled her out.

Once Anna was free from the beam, her mother grabbed her and stumbled out of the house. They both collapsed onto the ground, and Anna passed out on the grass. Paramedics arrived, and lifted the mother and her daughter onto a stretcher. As they were being carried toward the ambulance, their bodies scorched and charred, the mother suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Are you guys alright? Can I see my daughter? Please?” said a man, his voice soft but urgent. Their good-for-nothing father. He stopped the medical assistant and stood over the mother, examining her charred body with his daring eyes.

The mother slowly craned her neck to look at the middle-aged man in navy blue jeans and a white button-up shirt. His blonde hair was tucked into a dusty-brown worker’s hat, and his hands were black with soot. His face looked pale and tired but satisfied, with a look of accomplishment.

“That…was…dirty money,” she said weakly, her throat scorched, making it hard for her to talk. The father just rolled his eyes.

“Please, Carolina, I just wanted to help.”

“…never…again, Adam.” She tried to reach her hand up to smack him, but the burns were so bad, she winced in pain.

“You can’t even hit me,” scoffed Adam, waving his hand in the air dismissively.

A few steps away, one of the doctors surveying Anna consoled her, “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll get you to safety.” Anna weakly nodded her head and glanced over in her mother’s direction. They locked eyes for a second, and then Carolina turned to one of the four medical assistants carrying the stretcher.

“Please…get him away,” she rasped, looking for the medical assistant to help her.

Without asking questions, one medical assistant left the other three to carry the stretcher while she struggled to escort Adam away from the scene. When she returned, she was out of breath—Adam had made it clear he wasn’t quite ready to leave.

“Stupid assistants, I was just trying to help,” Adam muttered to himself, walking down the road with his hands in his pockets, and his burnt family behind him.

Present Time: 1965

“Mom, why does this mantelpiece always seem to get dustier?” Anna yelled from the front room of their hotel, a dirty rag in her left hand and a bucket of cleaning solution in the other. She had yellow rubber gloves on and a maid outfit that was tied in the back.

Her mom, Carolina, entered the room and sighed, looking at the wet mess on Anna’s face and the dirty rag in her left hand. “I don’t know, sweetheart, but just do your best, okay?”

“Mom, that’s what I’ve been doing.”

“Well, just try a little harder.”

Anna sighed, getting frustrated with her mother’s constant encouragement. “Ugh! You’re just like Dad, always—”

Anna regretted not keeping her mouth shut.

With that last word, Carolina turned pale. Those words belonged to her cheating ex-husband who had visited them all those years ago. Those words had sparked the fight that took place the night of the fire, exactly eleven years ago. And this was not exactly the best time for her to be reminded of that time.

Carolina chose her next words carefully, making sure she did not explode. “I. Am. Not. Like. Your. Father,” she said, staring her daughter straight in the eye.

At her mother’s stone-cold stare, Anna dropped her head in shame. She was right; she should have chosen her words more wisely when asking to be done with her chores. But you know what? She was done trying to dodge her past. “What really happened that night, huh? Why do you hide him from me?”

At this, her mother slapped her across the face, leaving a gashing red mark on her cheek. Anna looked at her mother with teary eyes and fled to her room, dropping the dirty rag and full water bucket on the floor. As she ran, her mind in a blind rage, she bumped into a guest, as Anna and her mother now ran a hotel.

“O-oh, my apologies,” Anna said quickly, but the guest didn’t respond. He simply walked forward as if nothing had happened.

That’s strange, usually people are nice here, Anna thought. She shook off the thought quickly and flew into her room, flopping onto her bed and burying her face deep in her pillow. She thought to herself, Argh, why does Mom ALWAYS have to be so sensitive about these things? Just because my good-for-nothing father showed up suddenly at our burnt house eleven years ago doesn’t mean she should hold a grudge forever.

It was true, her mother always got sensitive when Anna’s father was mentioned, and she tensed up like she knew something everyone else didn’t. She had tried asking her mother about it, but each time her mother would just yell at Anna and send her to her room.

Anna rolled over in her bed and stared up at the ceiling, where little paper stars formed the Orion constellation above her and the Pleiades Sisters constellation to her right. Trying to calm her racing mind, she closed her eyes and imagined herself surrounded by crystal waters and cherry blossom trees. She created her own personal paradise for her to escape to. Ever since she was little, this had been her coping mechanism for when her parents fought, their anger echoing throughout their old three-bedroom apartment.

And it worked, like it always did.

Within minutes, her eyes felt heavy, and her brain slowly quieted as she drifted into a deep sleep.

~

When Anna woke the next morning, the sweet smell of pancakes filled the air. She got up from her bed and realized she hadn’t even changed into her pajamas. Her makeup was smeared, and her hair was a frizzy mess. She stretched and walked down the hallway, sensing something was off.

Anna’s mother was standing in the kitchen, a cheerful smile plastered onto her face. “Morning! Would you like some pancakes?” Her mother’s voice was oddly high-pitched, and she was wearing a bright yellow sundress. Something was off.

“…Mom? You okay?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, you kind of… exploded? Last night?”

At this, her mom paused for a slight second. She definitely remembered last night.

“Well, I thought we would start over today. New opportunities, you know?”

Anna sighed, knowing there was no going against her. Her mother did this whenever she was dealing with flashbacks from eleven years ago. And Anna had just learned to go with it.

“Yeah, I guess. Can I get mine with sprinkles?” Anna sat down at the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen while her mother added white sprinkles to a pancake. Her mom transferred the pancakes from a round pan to a white ceramic plate. “Thanks,” Anna said halfheartedly as she gulped down the pancakes. She ate her breakfast in three bites, wasting no time so she could fly back up to her room and shut the door.

Anna slid down, her back against the door, and let out a sigh of relief. Her mother was scary when she was happy. “Don’t worry, just be careful and keep making her think you’re perfect,” Anna told herself, resting her head on her knees.

~

DING DONG DONG

The clock struck three just as the doorbell rang, the two sounds chiming in perfect timing. The vibrations echoed through the house and woke Anna from the wonderland she coveted inside her head. She was still on the floor, her hair a frizzled mess. She heard the door creak open downstairs and the faint sound of talking. She stood up, stretched her arms, picked up the brush from the floor, and ran it through her hair. After straightening her clothes and shaking out her legs, she made her way downstairs, careful to avoid her mom.

One of the maids had opened the door and was talking to—

“Dad?” Anna said, her eyes widening in disbelief. But her dad gave no response, he just kept talking to the maid. “Dad! I’m right here!” she said again, but he continued his conversation.

“Hello, I’m looking for Anna and Carolina? I believe they own the house here,” he said to the maid.

“Oh, yes, of course. Right this way, Mr….?” she said, trying to catch his name.

“Adam. I’m their… well, it doesn’t really matter,” he said, trailing off before saying ‘father.’

“Ah, I see,” the maid said, and the room turned quiet as she began to walk to the front room.

Adam suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence with his sly demeanor. “Ma’am, I never caught your name, did I?” A small smile broke across the maid’s face.

She blushed and answered, “Melanie, sir.”

He quickly flirted back, saying, “Just Melanie? Does that mean I can give you a last name?” The maid quietly chuckled and blushed deeper.

“S-sorry, but I’m not allowed to become involved in romance. House orders.”

“That’s ridiculous! How could Carolina keep you from such pleasures?”

At this, the maid cocked her head. “Carolina? Who’s that?”

Adam was confused. The maid had just recognized the name seconds ago.

“Uh, the house owner?”

The maid’s face clouded with a distant look, and then confusion settled over her features.

“Never heard of that name. But come on, we’ve got no time to waste! You wanted to meet the owner, right?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then follow me, sir. I’ll lead you to… Ms… um… the owner,” she said, shaking her head and continuing into the front room.

Anna stood alone, a wave of shock going through her body. Her own father didn’t recognize her! It had been eleven years after all, but even a father can recognize his daughter anywhere, anytime. She sighed with frustration and followed the faint sound of voices into the front room, where the maid had seated Adam and instructed him to wait for the owner to arrive. He was wringing his hands and exhaling short puffs of nervous breath.

Anna moved to sit down next to him, and he jumped as she pulled out a chair.

“Ah! Why is the chair moving?” Adam screamed, jumping out of his chair and backing up.

The maid rushed into the room, giving the chair a surprised look. Anna had set the chair down, where it remained untouched. “Moving? The chair wasn’t moving. Mr. Adam, please sit down, she’ll be here soon.” The maid once again exited the room.

Just then, Carolina walked into the room, and Anna quickly ducked under the table, wanting to see what would unfold between her parents.

“Oh my god, of course he’s here,” Carolina said to herself, rolling her eyes. She still wore her sundress, but it had hints of melted chocolate on it. Adam was sitting down again, still wary of the chair, but had no reaction to Carolina’s entering.

Suddenly, Carolina began to spin violently, and for a moment, Anna thought she might fall over. Instead, her dress began to emit thousands of electrical sparks. One of the sparks flew and struck Adam, causing him to whip around in his chair. He locked eyes with Carolina, who had stopped spinning, and a hush fell over the room.

“…Carolina?”

“Adam.”

“What—wait, how are you—” he trailed off, dumbstruck at her sudden appearance.

Anna held her breath under the table, daring not to make a sound. She needed the truth from her mother, and she couldn’t risk missing a single word.

“Alive? It appears I am,” she said in a monotone voice, not really answering his question.

“But I—I saw you burnt, and—and scarred.”

“Oh, and now you care?”

Adam began to back away, his hands gripping the edge of the table as he stumbled into it. As Carolina slowly inched toward him, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth a flat line, Adam tripped on himself and fell to the floor with a crash.

Carolina rose above him, not in stature, but literally floated off the ground.

“What the-” Anna quietly whispered to herself from under the table, making sure to stay out of Adam’s sight.

Carolina’s voice boomed louder than any other noise. “I told you to leave and never come back again! And what do you do? You come back and act like everything is okay. AFTER ELEVEN YEARS?”

Adam covered his face with his shaking hands, spitting out a quiet, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Carolina scoffed. “SORRY? Ha! Like I would take that.”

She reached for Adam’s throat, her hand slipping effortlessly through his flesh as though it were air, penetrating deep into his throat. He began to choke uncontrollably when—

“Mom, stop!” Anna shouted as she rushed out from under the table, desperately trying to pull her mother down to the ground. But Carolina shoved her aside, her attention now fixed on Adam’s face, hand outstretched.

Anna closed her eyes, trying not to watch as her mother mauled her father to death. “Please! Stop! Mom!” Anna screamed at her mom, but her mother’s hand kept clawing.

Then, the words fell out faster than Anna could catch them. “I love Dad! Please… don’t hurt him.”

Carolina stopped dead in her tracks.

“What. Did. You. Say?” she said, now turning to her daughter, sprawled on the floor and helpless.

Anna closed her eyes, braced herself for impact, and repeated her words. “I love Dad. He was forced into something he didn’t want, and he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this for eleven years or more. So please, stop. Just this once, slow down.”

But no impact came.

“You’ll find the truth soon enough, sweetheart. Look in the mirror and find yourself,” said a faint voice, disappearing as it spoke.

When Anna opened her eyes, she was surrounded by shimmering particles of light — rays of sunlight, but more like fragments that form inside a glass prism. The light bounced off the surfaces, casting the room in angelic rays.

“…Mom?”

But her mother was nowhere to be found. Instead, Adam sat up, dusted himself off, still shaking. Anna realized it was just the two of them.

But something stopped her from speaking. A little voice in her head spoke to her, let him live his life without you. You love him, and that’s all he needs. And Anna decided it was right.

Anna hesitated, “Goodbye, Dad,” she said aloud, but he didn’t answer. Without bothering to see where he was going, Anna turned around and walked back into her room.

Epilogue; 2 weeks later:

Dear Diary,

Today, I, Anna, want to re-tell the truth about me and my mother. Many years ago, we lost pretty much everything we had, and one man was behind it all. The mafia boss, my father’s boss, and the most evil man alive. He promised my father money, but instead lied to him when my father did what he asked. After that, my father was not accepted into my family anymore. But it doesn’t matter now. I love my father, and he knows that. Somewhere out there, he’s stabilizing his life, and finding someone new to help heal his pain. My mother is gone, moved on from this world, but not quite dead, like I once thought. Two weeks ago, my father visited our hotel to try and re-write the past. My mother, blinded by her love for me, almost killed my father in the process. I know, not the most humanly thing to do, but then again, I find out that we’re not exactly “humanly” ourselves. You see, before my mother moved on, a faint voice whispered to me to “look in the mirror”. I thought it was being vague, but it in fact quite literally wanted me to look in the mirror. Because there was nothing to see. No reflection, no movement, nothing. In that moment of chaos and new secrets being unlocked, I had a realization. Eleven years ago, I passed out next to my mother before I got a chance to see my father, or hear what had really happened that night. And by connecting this, and the result of my absent reflection, I have come to this conclusion. I died that night, 11 years ago, and so did my mother, after expending all her energy to banish my father.. From then on, my mother bought this hotel while we were alive, and came to “haunt” it after me and her died, making me believe I was still alive and had grown up in this hotel after our house burnt down. She had collected dust from each room, preserving the spirits that had died in those rooms, and had added her own soul to it, allowing a recipe to be made that could be spread on ones dress, allowing the living to see us for a short amount of time. I never found out why she wanted Adam to see her after she died, but I guess it’s a mother/ex-wife thing. Some parts of this story still confuse me to this day, and I am still searching for an answer as to why my mother did what she has, but in the end I try to make sense of most it. Thank you diary, for listening to this, and I hope you’ll promise to protect this secret forever, even when I have moved on to the so called “afterlife”. I shall not be gone yet, but in time, I will fade away, just like my mother. 

                                                               -Anna, Daughter of Carolina, December of 1965