Ghost!France x Reader

Chapter 7: The Mystery Contuines

A few months passed and the house was finally coming together, almost all the walls were sanded down and repainted, the floors that were rotted were removed and replaced with new wooden panels which were then polished. All the furniture was moved to its respectable place, the boxes were all crushed and put out for recycling. The only thing to do now was to go into town and get some other essentials, such as food, curtains, mulch, hedge clippers and possibly a lawn mower. Although I'll probably have to get a weed wacker. I put everything that I needed onto a list on my phone and got ready for the day. I grabbed some clean clothes and a towel and headed to the bathroom, plugging up the drain I ran the hot water and waited for the tub to fill up.
After getting washed and dressed, I got my car keys and headed downstairs, grabbing a granola bar and heading towards the door. Before I could even touch the handle, Francis appeared beside me.
"Where are you going?" He asked, slight irritation was laced with his words. I turned and looked at him.
"Out? I have to get some things." I replied and he just looked at me.
"..Are you coming back?" I sighed a bit and nodded.
"Of course I am, I live here, where else would I go?" He shrugged a bit and looked off to the side.
"I was just wondering..that's all." He said, glancing back at me. I shook my head and smiled.
"I'll be back in a few hours, okay?" He nodded. "Don't tear up the house." He chuckled and I left the house, closing the door behind me and getting in the car and driving off to town.
   As I drove out of the gravel driveway and past the iron gates, I took in the scenery around me. The Fir and Silver Birch trees were tall, waving in the wind slightly, their massive height enclosing the area of the mansion and the road as well. The grass was tall, obviously unattended to and forgotten for many years. As I followed the gravel path, not driving to fast so I don't accidentally overturn the car or get the loose rocks stuck in the wheels. The path slowly became more and more like a road as the trees slowly became thinner and more spread apart as I came up to the lone road outside of the pathway. Pulling onto it I followed the signs for the town that was a few miles away. Turning on the radio, I listened to the soft voice of the radio announcer and continued on my way to town.
Arriving into town I passed many shops and houses and apartment buildings. Spotting the grocery store I pulled into the parking lot, got my purse and got out, locking the car as the door closed. Walking across the parking lot I smiled and nodded at some of the people who passed by, they greeted me a good morning and smiled as well. Walking inside I grabbed a shopping cart and made my way around the store. Pulling out my phone, I looked at all the items I needed from here. Humming a bit I made my way around the store, putting the items I needed into the cart. About thirty minutes later I proceeded to the checkout line, making small talk with the cashier.
"Are you new around here? I've never seen you before." The cashier asked and I nodded.
"Yeah I recently moved in, a few months ago actually." She smiled and scanned my items.
"Do you like it here so far?"
"I do, the area is very beautiful and everyone seems very nice." I smiled at her as we continued to make small talk.
"Don't take this weird but what area did you move into?" She asked as I started to bag the items.
"It's the house in the forest, there's not really a street name but it's off of the long stretch of road a few miles from here." Her movements stopped and she looked at me with concern. I tilted my head in slight confusion. "Is everything alright?" I asked her. She took a moment to respond.
"That house has been abandoned for almost three decades now...." she paused and glanced at me, as if I may be startled by her next words. "They say it's haunted by an entrapped spirit, a vengeful one..you aren't scared of living there? Alone?" She asked, hesitation in her voice. I shrugged a bit.
"If a ghost wanted me to leave I would've done so, so far nothing has bothered me." I lied straight through my teeth. I didn't want this young girl to think I'm crazy for talking and macking with a ghost half the time. She visibly relaxed.
"Well at least the rumors don't seem to be true. Still be careful though, a murder happened there about sixty decades ago." She said and I looked at her.
"What murder?" She gaped at me.
"You don't know?" She looked at the clock and sighed a bit. "I go on break in a few hours, come back here and I'll tell you everything about that house." I nodded and she finished ringing up my items. After bagging everything I packed it all up in the cart.
"I'm [Your Name] by the way." The cashier smiled.
"Fae." I smiled back and paid, she handed me my receipt. "Alright then, you're all set. I'll see you at two then?" I nodded and put everything in my purse.
"I'll see you at two." We smiled at each once more and I left back to my car, putting everything into the backseat of the car. Getting back into the car, I pulled out of he parking lot and made my way to the hardware store.
   Around twelve I made my way home, I got everything on the list and I even picked up some flowers for the garden area. Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel I pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the house. Opening the backseat door I grabbed a few of the bags and headed to the door. Before I could get my keys out the door swung open fully and Francis stood there.
"You're back." He breathed out with smile. I rolled my eyes and walked in.
"Of course I am." I said and put the bags down on the kitchen counter, going back outside to get the rest of the bags. Francis stood by the door. After unloading the groceries and putting them away I went back outside to get the outdoor equipment. Getting the lawnmower out of the trunk I put it on the porch to keep it protected from the elements.
"What is that?" Francis asked, coming out of the doorway and inspecting the lawnmower.
"It's a lawnmower, it cuts the grass. It runs on gas. You pull this," I put my hand on the cord, " and it starts." I explained to him and he nodded.
"That's very interesting." He stated and I smiled. "Did you get anything else?" He asked.
"I did actually." Going back to the car I got out the gas can for the mower and put it on the porch and pulled out the cases of flowers. Francis beamed at them.
"Those are wonderful!" He exclaimed, inspecting the flowers with interest. "What kind are they?" He inquired.
"There's chrysanthemums, daffodils, marigolds and some petunias." I said and he grazed his fingers over them gently.
"Oh I've missed seeing these flowers, the only ones I see are the wild ones and frankly they've become a bore to me." He said, longingly looking at the flowers. I smiled softly and put them on the porch steps and put the mulch bags next to them. "When are you planting these?" He asked
"Whenever I take care of the grass and everything else in the yard."
"How long will that be?"
"I don't know yet, a few weeks maybe."
"Oh..oh alright." He smiled sadly.
"Francis, the flowers aren't going anywhere." I rolled my eyes and walked back inside. He followed, closing the door behind him.
"I know but I'm just excited."
"I know you are." Taking a seat on the couch I checked the time on my phone. 12:35. I still have time. Francis sat next to me, leaning his head on my shoulder.
"It was boring without you here." He said with a pout. I sighed and chuckled a bit.
"Well I'm here now." He nodded in response. "What do you do when I'm not here? Or when I'm sleeping?"
"Usually just walk around, looking at the walls. I watch you sleep. I'll go outside and look at the stars or the animals. Most of the time I'll go outside." I smiled a bit.
"That sounds nice...wait what? You watch me sleep?" I turned and looked at him. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down.
"Sometimes...."
"Francis." I said sternly. He sighed.
"Okay maybe I watch you sleep all the time. I can't help it, you look so peaceful just lying there." I gave him a look and he continued to look down at the floor.
"I'm not mad at you...just weirded out a bit, that's all." I said and he glanced up at me. "Just tone it down on watching me sleep." Francis nodded and smiled a bit. He went back to resting his head on my shoulder.
Around 1:30 I started to get ready to meet Fae at the grocery store.
"You're leaving again?" Francis asked.
"Yeah, I'm meeting up with someone in town." He nodded and watched me as I left the house.
Parking in the parking lot, I went back inside the store and searched for Fae, she was waiting by the employee break room.
"Oh there you are! I was starting to think you forgot about this." She smiled and I chuckled a bit.
"How could I? I was intrigued by the murder in my house." She took my hand and led me to the back of the store where there was a door that lead outside.
"A lot of us eat back here whenever it's warm out. Or when we're hiding from the manager." She said with a slight chuckle. She led me to a table and sat across from me in the chair. I sat down as well.
"So..about the house." I started.
"Oh yeah!" She said, "There was this man, Francis Bonnefoy, he was very wealthy and he was in love with [Great Grandmothers name], she was wealthy as well and the youngest in the family. Francis would write her letters and send her gifts. It wasn't until he set out to propose to her did another man come into the picture. Her father disapproved of Francis, he always said how Francis wasn't good enough for his daughter. That's when Arthur Kirkland came into the picture. He was wealthy as well, very wealthy. He came from England. He was rivals with Francis, a family feud that came between them. When Arthur head that Francis was in love with this girl, he set out to break them apart. And he succeeded. Francis disappeared and no one ever saw him again. His parents stopped looking for him after ten years, but his sister, Francine, never stopped. They say she hired people to find her brothers body, but they failed. She died not knowing what happened to her brother." I looked at her, tears welling up in my eyes.
"Do they know what happened to Francis?" I asked and she shook her head.
"No one knows, they never found his body. Many say that Arthur killed him, some say that the girls father did. But a few of us say it was the girl herself."
"Why do they say that?"
"Well, the night Francis went missing she was on her way to meet him by the lake near her house. She swears she never went there but she had no alibi. It seems suspicious, but I believe she fell in love with Arthur and he used her to get rid of Francis." Fae finished.
"That's awful." She nodded.
"That's why they say the house is haunted. Francis never found peace, some say he never will." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
"I hope he does."
"I hope he does too." Fae checked her phone. "I have to go back in in ten minutes. Here," she handed me her phone,"put your number in, we'll talk more later." I did so and handed it back to her."
"I'll see you later, text me okay?" I said and she nodded.
"Of course! Bye [Your Name]!" Fae said enthusiastically and I headed back home. Her words replaying in my head over and over again. Could my great grandmother really have murdered Francis?