The days in Royal began to stretch, each one mirroring the last. Routine set in, and boredom gnawed at Ethan. While his journal remained a constant, his emotions grew more intense, raw, and unfiltered on the page. Anger, boredom, and frustration began to take their toll.
Ethan would sit for hours, staring out the front window at the empty street. His mind drifted, pulling at different memories, different scenarios. He was searching for a past that made sense, but it remained elusive. His gaze often fell upon his violin case. Once a source of love and passion, it now evoked only hate and depression. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my violin,” he’d mutter to himself. “What if I listened to my parents? Why was I so stubborn?” There were times he actually considered throwing the violin into the fireplace and burning it, but what would that accomplish? And then, visions of his grandfather playing in the park gazebo would flicker, adding to his confusion, anger, and depression.
The walks around the neighborhood offered a partial reprieve. Ethan found that the more he explored, the clearer his mind became. Sitting at home doing nothing, his thoughts would unravel, and his emotions would play relentless mind games. He discovered that writing in his journal or immersing himself in books and magazines kept those mental battles at bay. But there was only so much reading and writing one could do. Ethan needed more.
That’s when he remembered the key he’d found on the coffee table. One day, he picked it up and went around the house, trying it on every door that had a lock. Surprisingly, it worked. It worked remarkably well, in fact. He could now lock up the house, the shed, and even the utility shack housing the electric generator. “I’m now safe and secured from unwanted intruders living in this ghost town,” he said mockingly to himself, a hollow laugh escaping his lips.
That night, Ethan finished his journal and read a couple of chapters from a book. Tiredness crept in, and he headed upstairs for bed. After brushing his teeth and having one last glass of water, he unmade his bed. He switched on the bedside lamp, then turned off the ceiling light. He walked to the bedroom window, which overlooked the street. He looked at the dark, deserted houses across the way, and his imagination took flight. He started to dream of what life was like here many years ago—the families, their lives, their loves. Ethan yearned for a life like that, a life of love and acceptance.
Then, abruptly, Ethan snapped back to reality. He stared intently at one house across the street. A light flickered on in an upstairs room. Ethan froze, amazed. How could this be? Was someone there? Was he not alone in Royal? The light shone brightly, and he could make out a shadow moving within. He tried to open his bedroom window, but that pane remained stubbornly stuck. Ethan grabbed his blue jeans and shirt, pulling them on in a rush. He looked out the window again. The light was still on.
He dashed down the stairs, bursting out the front door and into the street. He stood directly in front of that house. The light was still on. He could see the curtains rustling with a gentle breeze, the window open. A shadow appeared, walking across the room. Ethan stood in the street, mouth agape, his mind spiraling between past and present. The old photos flashed vividly: his grandfather, then the unknown woman, back to his grandfather, then the unknown woman. Then, a vision he’d never seen before: the two of them together. The image solidified in his mind, growing clearer until…
“Hello!” Ethan shouted, his voice tense. “Who is there? Who are you?”
The shadowy figure came closer to the window. Ethan wanted to move, to get nearer, but his feet felt rooted to the spot. The figure lifted the window pane higher. The bedroom light created a shimmering glow as she looked out. She was dressed in an old fashion white nightgown, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulders.
“Hello!” Ethan shouted again, desperation lacing his voice.
The figure turned her head and looked directly down at Ethan, a faint smile on her lips. The vision of her, the sheer beauty of her, burned an image into Ethan’s brain. He could only stare in amazement. Then, without a word, the image receded back into the bedroom, closed the window, and turned off the light. Ethan stood there for a few more minutes, staring up at the now dark window. Then, he turned and walked back to his house. He sat on the front porch steps, still gazing at the house across the street.
Morning light filtered through his bedroom window. Ethan opened his eyes. He was in his own bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking around. Was it all a dream? Did last night really happen? He picked up the picture frame and stared at the photos, especially the one of his grandfather. Then, in a split second, the vision of Ethan’s grandfather and the unknown woman flashed before his eyes again. It startled him, and he dropped the picture frame. Luckily, it didn’t break. He picked it up and placed it back on the nightstand. Ethan got up, ready to start another day.
He went downstairs to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat and plan his day. After eating some canned fruit, Ethan walked into the living room. On the coffee table lay the key. Ethan picked it up and stared at it. Again, in a split second, the same vision of Ethan’s grandfather and the unknown woman flashed before his eyes. He slipped the key into his pocket and went out the front door.
Ethan walked across the street and stood in front of the house. He looked up at the bedroom window. It was closed, looking as if it hadn’t been opened in many years. He walked up the front sidewalk, stopping once again to stare at the house. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. He walked up the front porch steps and opened the screen door. With a nervous hand, Ethan put the key into the front door lock. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned the key until he heard a click. He turned the doorknob and gave the door a slight push. It opened. Ethan took a couple of steps inside the house as the screen door closed softly behind him.
