Ghosts we leave behind

chapter 2; Elijah

Eleanor had a restless night, tossing and turning after cleaning up the broken vase. Barely feeling like herself, she raised her cup of tea to her thin lips and sipped quietly. She found Nora's note on the fridge, informing her of her grocery trip so breakfast simply had to wait.

She glanced at her brown faux leather loafers sitting by the opposite wall of her bedroom. Grocery shopping was the only time she ever really left the house so today, she would have to put the shoes back in the cupboard.

"I do hope she'll remember the eggs," Eleanor mumbled, taking another sip.

Dark clouds gathered outside, a premonition of heavy showers due later that evening.

"What will we do if she forgets the eggs?" Eleanor sighed, resting the cup on the duvet over her lap. "I wished she would have asked me before going, Henry. I wonder if she even made a shopping list."

Silence followed but the air felt heavy. Unsaid words hung in mid air. Eleanor looked at the single seater opposite her. The bulb in the lamp flickered but her gaze never faltered.

"What's wrong? You're never so quiet."

When there was no response, Eleanor looked outside  the window again and finished her tea.

"I have a strange feeling Henry and it won't go away."

There was a slow groan, faint enough to miss it at first.

Eleanor touched the silver oval locket that hung from a chain around her neck, engraved with flowers. Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"What do you mean a storm's coming?"

There was no response and Eleanor was left to wonder exactly what he had meant by that. The light stopped flickering and she was alone for a while.

Downstairs, the basement door opened and closed quietly.

•

Nora didn't expect anything out of the ordinary that morning. She finished shopping and loaded the car by ten.

Nora tried carrying all seven bags with her all at once to avoid a second trip. It proved unsuccessful when two of her bags split open on the pavement, spilling yogurts and apples on the ground.

Letting her hair fall forward to sheild her embarrassment, she carried yogurt cups and fruit to the front door. Twisting her fingers through the keychain, she fished around for the correct key and began piling things into the lobby.

"Oh," Eleanor watched from the end of the lobby.

"Don't worry about it," Nora muttered, swinging her purse inside while she carried the last of the torn grocery bags.

"Are the eggs okay?" Eleanor asked, picking up the purse.

"Yeah, they're fine," Nora replied, locking the door behind her.

The pair spent the next few minutes organising the groceries in the kitchen. Luckily for them, nothing had broken except for a block of cheese that had taken a hit. Nora picked up the bread and milk, making her way to the fridge when she noticed mud on the floor.

The stains trailed across the room and outside the kitchen, eventually fading out on the rug in front of the stairs.

"Nan, do you have a vacuum or a mop?" she asked, rubbing and inspecting the dirt under her shoe.