The world is in tears

Chapter seven

Elsie stares out of the bakery shop, into the sky. She watches the rain droplets for a while and shudders uncontrollably.

She didn't bring a coat or jacket. Now, she feels cold.

Somehow, she couldn't help noticing the bad feeling the weather is expressing. Like the cloud is very sad. As the world itself is sad. The bad omen surrounds the atmosphere as if something bad has just happened or as if something bad will happen soon.

What can it be? Just yesterday, she had the same feeling. And everyone in the marketplace died.

What could this bad omen be about?

A strange thunder strikes across the sky again and Elsie jerks up suddenly. She looks around her and discovers she's alone.

She should have followed her brother the other time when they said they were going home. Well, she only wanted to sell more bread.

Since the fateful event that happened the night before, the sales has suddenly decreased.

Most people are at home, mourning.

Elsie only offered to sell bread because it was food. And no matter how down people are, they wouldn't want to miss their breakfast or their lunch.

And she didn't bring an umbrella. Walking in the rain isn't a thing for Elsie for she catches a cold easily.

Something feels her off suddenly. Elsie looks around her and sees a head, stretched out from behind the shop.

Elsie quickly looks away, her heartbeat has increased slightly.

"You can see me, can't you," a voice says into her ears and suddenly, a girl is standing in the air before her. Her black long hair fell off on her shoulder and extended to her waist.

She's in a white long outdated dress and a bracelet was on her left hand.

She's beautiful with an oval face shape and big round eyes. Elsie has never seen someone so beautiful. She looks perfect and younger. Like fifteen or sixteen.

While looking at her, Elsie realize she could see through her. She looks like a chiffon material.

Elsie's heart bolt sat upright and realization crept in. It's a ghost!

Elsie looks away quickly and starts praying silently. She wished she had followed her brothers.

The girl was suddenly crouching before her, "I'm not going to hurt you. I only want you to help me."

Elsie looks at her again and stood up. She rushes inside the shop and closes the door behind her, fear to gripping her.

It was the very first time and she wonder why and how it was so.

Her family wasn't in the line with the witches, sorcerers or fairies. How then, can she be able to see ghosts? It was uncalled for!

"If you don't help me. He will die!" A soft voice sobs and Elsie turns around quickly, her heart almost burst out of her chest.

But there was no one there.

"I was like you an hour ago. I just died. I just became a ghost and I strongly need you," the voice says again. It seems it's a bit far away from Elsie.

Elsie didn't turn this time. The fact that the ghost used to be like her just an hour apart made her heart melt.

Life is a gift, she reason but there's only a line in-between the dead and living. What would she have done if she was the one dead and she desperately needed someone to hear her?

She knows the feeling somehow, even though nothing of such has ever happened to her.

She turns and yes, the ghost was at the corner of the room, staring at her with an expression that will even make the world sad.

The ghost was sad and she wonder why, "Please, help me!" She whispers and the tears fell from her eyes.

An image flashes before her eyes quickly. Elsie saw herself in a pool of blood. Someone was watching her, someone in a white fitting gown.

The lady in white was crying too as she watch Elsie's lifeless body.

Elsie blinks once and the image was gone.

She felt cold shivers run down her spine as she started to think about what the image was about?

"Please, he needs your help," the young girl says again, jerking Elsie out of her thought.

She looks at her and tries to hold the shiver in, "I'm sorry, I didn't know," Elsie says hurriedly, "how can I help you?"

The girl zooms at her and remove the bracelet from her hand. She stretches it out to Elsie.

Elsie watches the bracelet for a while, doubts settle in her. How was she supposed to hold unto something that's also as ghostly as she was?

The girl nods slowly at her and the bracelet appears on Elsie's wrist. Frightened, Elsie jerk backward and stare at the bracelet, amazed at what had just happened.

"Now, you are the Belle. You will be the new belle," the girl says and was suddenly moving apart from her.

Elsie gives her a skeptical look, " What do you mean?"

The girl merely smiles, "Thank you. I can finally rest now," she says and moves out of the room.

"What are you saying? What should I do with the bracelet?" Elsie screams into the air and opens the door.

The girl was outside, so caught up in the air, "Tell him it's Belle. He will remember me," she smiles wildly again and you can vividly see the happiness on her face.

She waves at Elsie and disappears.

A pink flame was suddenly where she was. The flames clutch at the bracelet and disappear almost immediately.

Elsie stares, confused and unable to even explain what had just happened.

What does the girl mean by she was the new belle? What's the new belle supposed to do?

She tries to touch the bracelet and it's strangely impossible to do. Her hand seems to sink in as if she was just touching her hand.

"Find him!" A voice scream in her head.

Elsie places her hands over her ears and screams louder than her voice could carry.