Ghosts we leave behind

chapter 11; the road not taken

Nora was distracted the following morning after breakfast during her call with Patrick. With him being on speaker, she scrolled through the pictures she'd taken of the shoe prints in Eleanor's room. She was curious about the shoes that left them, well aware that Eleanor's feet were not even close to their size. But she had to be sure.

Eleanor, dressed in a long coat, black shoes and silk scarf over her head, stood by the front door.

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick them up?"

"No," she dismissed. "I'll be fine, thank you."

Nora nodded and waited for Eleanor to leave for the local produce market. After last night's storm, the sun was strikingly bright like it had been washed anew. And Eleanor seemed to have really benefitted from the sleep, acting like nothing had ever happened. At least that's what she figured.

After having left, Nora slowly picked up Eleanor's slippers and checked the soles against the picture she'd taken. When they didn't match, she went upstairs and into Eleanor's room. Opening the wardrobe, she sat down on the floor and began to file through them. Her phone lay next to her, the screen open to the close up she'd taken of the print.

Time passed by and after going through the shoes twice, she straightened her back and sighed. None of them looked the same.

Nora put the shoes back but stayed on the floor, leaning her back against the closed wardrobe. Hugging her knees, she rested her forehead on her folded arm.

She didn't know what this meant for her.

Having nobody to discuss it with or share, Nora didn't want to spiral again. Who do you go to when you think that your house is haunted?

✞

Eleanor soon returned with several brown bags filled with vegetables and some fruit. She rang the bell and put down a bag on the door mat.

Nora opened the door and let her walk inside, "Thank you," she said, walking past with bags in her hands and tucked under her arms.

Nora bent to grab the last ones from the floor when she spotted Elijah in the yard, "That should be the last of them."

Nora thanked him and walked inside to help unpack the groceries. Eleanor retired to the living room after having used the bathroom. And as Nora walked past the now closed front door, she stopped when she realised he was still outside and nobody had invited him inside.

"I'll be a second," she said loudly so Eleanor could hear her.

He looked up as Nora opened the door.

"I am so sorry about that, do you want to come in?" she asked.

"No thank you, I just saw Eleanor at the market and-"

"Yeah, thanks for that. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you."

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

Elijah looked at the window for a brief moment. The sun was out despite the chill from the previous night still collecting on the leaves and grass.

"Come on," Nora insisted with a smile when she noticed his pause.

Elijah looked thoughtful before following her into the house. "I don't want to intrude."