<br><br><center>*We paint ghosts over everything, the sadness of everything. We make ourselves cold. We make ourselves snow. We smuggle ourselves into ourselves. Haunted by each other’s knowledge. All day snow falls, all night snow. I try to guess your trajectory and end up telling my own story. I leave footprints in the slush of myself, attempting to get out.
― Richard Siken*
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*No Glass Slipper*</center>
<br><br>After Zadie left, I armed the security system, made coffee and stood looking out the window at the storm. The snow was driving numberless flakes from the darkness into the light of my bay window. I watched them die like shooting stars, blinking out in silence.
After a while I went and sat down before the fire feeling pleasantly tired, but calm and serene. It had been a perfect night and my future with Zadie looked bright. Tomorrow we'd go to the animal rescue and adopt a dog that could become part of us and we'd be a little family.
The prospect filled me with joy and I began slowly nodding off to sleep.
<br><br>But a soft rusting noise behind me caught my attention and caused the hair on my arms to stand on end. I wanted to sit up and investigate but couldn't move because of fright.
I could hear what sounded like the shuffling of slippered footsteps and they appeared to be moving away from me. Finally, my curiosity overpowered my fear and I sat up quickly just in time to catch a glimpse of Anais scurrying up the stairs.
"Wait!" I called out, "I won't hurt you."
But the lithe figure of the girl melted into the shadows and was gone.
<br><br>I knew if I followed I'd find no trace of her but followed regardless, hoping to catch another glimpse of her.
She was beautiful in her dark sweater and blue jeans―and then, I stopped.
I literally stood stock still in the middle of the staircase pondering what I was just telling myself.
*A girl from the 1920's in a sweater and designer blue jeans? How the hell is that even possible?*
When I took this apparition and put it together with my vision of Zadie riding with me in a horse drawn sleigh, the conclusion was clear―I must be losing my mind.
<br><br>I forced myself to go upstairs anyway expecting vacant rooms and confirming my suspicions. The girl literally seemed to disappear into thin air.
I tried to quiet myself and go very still and listen, for rustling, breathing, shuffling, but I got nothing...as expected, I might add, but I had to make the attempt.
Still, one thing I knew for certain―the girl was a flesh and blood woman, and if by chance a goddess, then a Venus in blue jeans.
She was gorgeous and very real.
<br><br>A thought crossed my mind. It was snowing outside―and if there were other secret passages in the house to use to escape, she'd leave tracks as she went out.
I went downstairs, put on my parka and disarmed the alarm system before heading out. It was snowing very lightly but tracks would still be visible if she left the house, but again there was nothing.
I did a complete walkabout covering the entire perimeter of the house, but the snow was pristine, perfect and untouched.
It made no sense...and then it hit me―she could still be in the house.
*Was it safe for me to go back in?* I hate these situations when there's no ready answer.
I had to do something―make a decision. So, I called for back-up.
I punched in Coda's number on my cell.
<br><br> <center>To be continued…</center>
<br><center>© 2022, John J Geddes. All rights reserved</center>
<br><center>[Photo](https://images.app.goo.gl/a8mt2QN5JswRjYSN9)</center>
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