Chapter XLVIII:

The Civil War only lasted for four years. That was enough to cause trouble for Maddie and siblings. She shouldn’t have gotten close to me. I started to see her every day. Sometimes it was to come collect her siblings from my shack. Other times, there was no reason at all. I started to feel uncomfortable about this. But how could I turn her away? I didn’t feel so lonely when she was with me.

I shook my head.

This wasn’t supposed to be like this. But I didn’t know how to turn her away. Because of this, Maddie and her siblings kept coming here. Sometimes, they would stay for days. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have much to give them. Her siblings were just happy to see me. I reluctantly embraced them. Maddie gave her approval with a smile and a nod.

Things got worse when they moved in with me.

I don’t remember when or how it happened. They all just showed up at my home one day and never left. This was a bad idea from the start. First of all, my shack wasn’t big enough to fit them all in. It was Maddie, about twelve children, and me. All in the swamp. During the war. Nothing could’ve been worse. Well, there was one thing. But I will get into that one later.

Still, my life had its moments with them. I couldn’t remember a time when I didn’t wake up to one of the children with their faces close to mine. I couldn’t help but smile. Heh. Me smiling? It’s been so long. It felt like we were family in those short years. Maddie cooked and I helped to take care of the kids. None of them knew my secret. I hoped for a moment that they would never find out. Alas, fate was never on my side to begin with. Luna was still there. The ghosts were still there. Maddie and her siblings couldn’t see them. I didn’t know whether I should be relieved or worried.

I didn’t see how close Maddie and I were getting when another little brother brought it up.

“Are you going to marry big sis?” he asked. I spat out my milk. I stared at him with big eyes.

“What?!” I asked. Her stared up with big innocent eyes. I looked over at Maddie. Her face was so red.

“Um… Uh…” she said. He looked over at his sister. Maddie quickly looked away. She and I wouldn’t look at each other for the rest of the day. The brother might have set us on that path that would lead to her destruction.

For now, we lived like a family while wondering when the war would end. There was another thought that crossed my mind. What would happen after the war ended? We couldn’t go back to normal. Would Maddie go back to wherever her home was? Would the ghosts leave me alone?

“Is something wrong?” I heard beside me. I turned my head. Maddie stared at me as we sat outside of my house. I shook my head.

“You wouldn’t understand,” I said. She took my hand in hers. My heart jumped in my throat.

“Then let me try,” she said. I didn’t have anything to say. I shifted my eyes away from her. She said my name. Before I knew it, Maddie leaned in for a kiss. It didn’t know how this was happening. All I know was that I kissed her back in that moment.

From there, things started to unravel.