Evangeline

With no recollection of the past, Evangeline stands surrounded in frost covered flower

buds. The night air lightly combs through her silky hair. Her hand trembles against her abdomen,

a faint pain still lingers under her cold fingers.

Turning, the walls of rose buds becomes a darkened alley, slightly glowing from the

drifting snow flakes. With no other way to go but into the rose bushes, Evangeline bunches her

black skirts in each fist and walks, disappearing into the shadows.

Lord Sebastian Bellingshausen steps out of the cab and onto the dusty road. The driver

quickly unloads his trunks and suitcases from the top of the carriage. Sebastian adjusts his deep

blue cravat and strides to his new house.

Bitterly, he makes his way up the porch steps and unlocks the heavy maroon door. Inside

opens up to a hall, a coat rack stands tall just inside the entryway. At the end, a matching maroon

door is left ajar. Sebastian motions for the driver to leave his trunks beside the coat rack and

heads for the second door.

The house opens up to a drawing room with bland beige walls and brown furniture.

Abandoning the drawing room, he follows winding stairs leading up to the second floor.

Sebastian discovers a study, library, and a bedroom, all with the same boring beige and brown

color scheme. You couldnt have let me pick my own house, now could you Father, He mutters

to himself, slamming the study door, his temper rising.

Scowling, Sebastian continues his exploration of his new home. The third floor,

containing multiple rooms, slowly peaks his interest. The walls of the corridor arent painted

beige like the previous floors, but a sea green. The doors too, are different from the second floor,
instead of pale white, they are black as ink. He finds a colorful study, a bright library, and a

bedroom that seemed to belong to a young women. Eerily, it appears it is still in use. The bed is

slightly messy, as if hastily made, the curtains are open, and on the dresser lays a hand held

mirror, a hair brush, earrings, and a bouquet of pink and white roses, yellowing at the tips, dried.

A warm breeze drifts in through the open window. Hesitating to enter the room, Sebastian

lingers in the door frame. The air wraps around his lean body, as if pulling him into the room.

Once his foot passes over the line into the room, a weight lifts off his shoulders, all negative

emotions that hung onto him from his argument with his father vanish. His tense shoulders

slowly relax into a natural slouch.

In a trance, Sebastian realizes that he has crossed the floor and has reached the

windowsill seat. A sudden urge to rest flows through his body as the scent of the long dead roses

fog his mind.

Sluggishly, he sits on the pink sill seat. With no control of his body, Sebastian feels

heavy, but slowly allows himself to drift off.

The frost on the buds have long melted, allowing large bright petals to unfold, turning

upwards into the luminous sun. Evangeline perches on the edge of a metal bench, twirling a full

white rose between her fingertips.

Forlorn thoughts cloud her mind, clashing with dreary emotions, finally releasing the

tears she feared to let go. One after another, they stream down her cheeks, dripping onto the

smooth pale petals.

With nowhere else to go, Evangeline gathers the three roses from the bench and makes

her way to the dingy cemetery.

 ~

Lord Bellingshausen finds himself in a healthy assortment of flowers. The spring sun

beats down on his temple. Pushing his curly dark hair out of his deep blue eyes, he observes the

garden around him. Short flowers in blues, pinks, yellows, and white huddle together in patches.

They are the border of the circular field. In the center stands a tall gazebo; long vines twist and

weave elegantly up the sides.

Past the gazebo, a long stone path trails into a corridor of roses. The entrance is nothing

but perfectly bloomed white roses. And farther along the trail the white roses slowly transfer into

a creamy yellow. Yellow to pink, and finally, pink to red.

Sebastian halts, startled that he is not the only one visiting the garden. In front of him

stands a beautiful young women, her hair knotted up, and dressed in a black satin evening gown.

She turns to him, green eyes widening. Who are you, she asks, her voice like music. Caught

off guard Sebastian stammers, Uh, L-lord Sebastian Bellingshausen. Pleasure to meet you

Miss

Goodnight, Evangeline Goodnight, The woman replies, politely smiling. She stretches

her hand to him and Sebastian politely kisses the top. If you wouldnt mind, can you please tell

me where I am. And how I got here His voice trails off, realizing he has no memory of

getting here. Evangeline offers her arm to Sebastian. Taking it, Sebastian links their elbows

together. I know the way back. Its quite simple actually, she says, walking the opposite way

Sebastian came. Youre the person who just moved in, right? I saw your father when he first

came to the house.

My father, eh. Of course you saw my father. I bet you saw my brother too, Sebastian

frowns. A sharp pain starting to pierce the side of his skull. He lightly touches his right temple
with his fingertips. Evangeline, noticing his discomfort walks faster, her boots rhythmically

tapping against the stone trail. I dont believe I know whom you speak of, she responds lightly.

Good news, we are nearly at your destination.

Dazed, Sebastian lowers his hand, looks forward and notices the maroon door of his new

house. Seems you are correct. Is it alright if we meet back here tomorrow? Im afraid you are

the only one I have met since moving in. They stop just before Sebastians street. I would love

that, Evangeline answers, she pulls her arm away from his, See you then, and turns back into

the rose garden. Im looking forward to it, he calls back.

As Sebastian reaches the front door, he opens his eyes to find himself still in the top floor

bedroom. Confused, he bolts into a sitting position. Looking around he stares out the window in

disbelief, There is no way I dreamt all of that! Pushing himself off the sill seat he rushes down

the curving staircase. Almost tripping over his trunks, he opens the maroon door, runs out into

the dusk sky, not bothering to close the door behind him.

He runs across the empty street, a cold breeze whips his hair. He shivers in his shirt, he

had left without putting his over coat back on. As he runs, he starts to question why he is chasing

a path from a dream. What was so important?

Then he sees her, Evangeline. Just as in his dream, she wears a dark satin evening gown.

Her hair is an ebony pile on her head. Evangeline, he says, breathless, Evangeline, this time

louder. She looks up, deep green eyes locking on his navy blue ones. Lord Sebastian

Bellingshausen, I believe we agreed to meet again tomorrow, her mouth curls to the side. I-I,

he stutters. She smiles, hope sparking deep within her chest. So what brings you out here at this

hour? Sebastian asks, following her back into the garden.

 I needed a walk alone. To gather my senses and to get my mind off of things. And

yourself? She raises a black brow at him. I wanted to make sure you were real. And Im glad

you are, I dont need another disappointment in my life right now. Getting cut off from my

family and moving to a new home with hardly any money is practically all I can handle at the

moment. Sebastian sighs in relief, finally getting that off of his chest, even if it was to a girl he

had just met. He sticks his hands in his pockets, noticing the temperature start to drop.

You seem to know this path well, do you come here often? Sebastian asks. Evangeline

turns to him, Recently, yes. At times, this is the only place I can be. She no longer smiles. A

frown forms as she looks away from him, and stares into the dim corridor of roses. He opens his

mouth to say something, but she had already stopped several paces behind him, plucking off

several flourishing roses from the tall bushes. With the roses in her hands, she faces Sebastian,

Its quite dark, I must be going now. Will you still be here tomorrow? He looks down at her,

notices that something is bothering her, but doesnt ask, instead he says, Ill be waiting at the

gazebo. She grins, but it doesnt reach her eyes.

Each and every single day, Sebastian and Evangeline meet at the gazebo. Sometimes

twice a day. Spring has passed, and summer is drawing to an end. Today, one of the last warm

days of the year, Sebastian walks with Evangeline, holding her at her waist. They are picking

four white roses, just like any other day.

When Evangeline is satisfied with her small bouquet she turns to Sebastian. Promise we

will meet again tomorrow, he looks down at her, into her large green eyes, I promise. He

kisses her, long and softly. I promise, he repeats, resting his forehead against hers before they

part.
 She walks one way, her boots clicking, slowly becoming less audible. He walks another,

but this time, he doesnt go straight home. Instead, he takes the turn that they always pass,

needing time to think today.

The behind the hedges, a local cemetery is revealed, a place he has never been before. As

he nears the headstones, he notices a familiar figure. Evangeline walks with the four white roses

to the corner of the cemetery. Kneels down and neatly arranges them on a headstone.

Without thinking, Sebastian heads towards Evangeline, until he is standing over her

shoulder and can read the print on the headstone.

In memory of Evangeline Goodnight, a beautiful daughter and sister. We will always love

you.

Taken aback, Sebastian re-reads the headstone and looks down at Evangeline. He falls to

his knees, shock and surprise overloading his emotions. Dropping his head onto her shoulder,

Evangeline jumps.

Sebastian, she gasps. Her eyes widen.

Evangeline, you...you

Sebastian, look at me, I dont know why Im still here, or how I died. I just remember

being here one day. Sebastian! Please, look at me, you have to help me, Evangeline pleads, tears

streaming down her face.

Sebastian looks up at her, his face pale and his eyes clouding. How Why didnt you

tell me? His tone turns accusing. How could you keep a secret like this from me? Youre-

youre dead! Evangeline flinches. Unsure of what to do, she scoots back onto her grave.

When she looks back up, Sebastian stands, slowly, a tear drips off his chin. And at that

moment, she knew there was nothing she could do. Nothing to get him to help her find out what
happened to her before she died. Nothing to prove how much she loved him after all of the time

they had been together.

He was gone forever.

All day she sits at the gazebo waiting for him. She waits again the next day, and the next,

and the next. He broke his promise. After the fourth day, she tries his house. One that once

belonged to her.

But no one was there.