Chapter 6 - The Woman In The Red Dress

A few weeks after Matilda had thrown out the letter weren't exactly great. She's been stressed out about her hearing things, Carla's conversation with Bria, the creature, the Mysterious Boy, and overall, the change that was happening to her. Matilda was sitting at her desk, daydreaming whatever it took to avoid facing reality once again. There was a knock on her door, causing her to jolt out of her daydream.

Mr.Brown walked in, holding two cups of coffee and placing one on her desk. "I turn to coffee when I have a stressful day." He says, taking a seat on her bed. She straightened herself up and took a sip of her coffee. It was pumpkin spice. Silence burned between them two until Mr.Brown spoke up. She turned to face him, noticing he was holding the same envelope she had thrown out. "Care to explain?" He mutters.

"It's an acceptance letter to a magic school, Dad. I don't think there's a need for an explanation."

"Well, it may say school of magic but it's an actual school. I think you should try it." He suggests, knowing that he'd sound crazy. "Magic isn't real and I sure as hell won't attend a school like that. It's just a prank some boring people do when they have nothing better to do."

Mr.Brown decided to give up and not push it any further. "Your mother would've agreed with me." He says quietly. Matilda glanced down at her hands, pained at the sudden mention of her mother. She wished she had the acumen to forget the horrible death that happened, leaving her helpless at a young age. Matilda could cry anytime she could if her eyes weren't so arid. Despite the terrible loss, she was more than grateful to have a father that showed nothing but great assiduous towards her. But then again, she wished her life was easier. "You know, she was adventurous, always had something to do, I honestly could not tell her boredom struck me. You'd think a man like me would hate the ideas she had but it truly did the opposite." Mr.Brown was grateful to spend all those years with his wife but just like Matilda, her death tore them apart.

"What's wrong?" Mr.Brown asked, watching Matilda's face creased in curiosity. She let out a deep sigh. "It's just, you told me she was on her way to a doctor's appointment that day but you didn't say what for." Now, Mr.Brown let out a deep sigh. "Honestly, I wish I knew what the appointment was for but your mother always found a way to keep things a surprise. She didn't mention anything but the time she needed to be there." Questions kept eating Matilda alive. "Do you think that if she hadn't taken me to school before the appointment, that she'd still be alive?" Mr.Brown quickly caught onto her. It clicked quicker than a hairclip. "Matilda, love. I hope you're not blaming yourself for what happened?"

"I can't help but feel that it is my fault."

Her voice cracked, signaling Mr.Brown that she was on the edge of tears. Her shoulders dropped and she fiddled with her pen. Just a few months after her mother's death, Mr.Brown had the foggiest idea on how to care for Matilda. She spent all those weeks locked up in her room and for a girl her age, she truly took on more than she needed to. Mr.Brown knew that the circumstances of the situation were only causing affliction towards her and that a great change was needed.

Partially the reason he considered this move.

"Your mother loved you so much that she wanted to spend every minute with you. She didn't care if she was late to work. I'll tell you one thing, out of all of her favorite moments with you, the ones she loved the most were watching you run off to school after dropping you off. A mother like her would never ever blame you for something that wasn't in her control. So, no need to blame yourself when no one else does." Mr.Brown truly always found a way to cheer Matilda up, even when she didn't want to hear it. "Thanks, Dad. I needed that."

He placed a kiss on her head before leaving her alone. She realized he had left the letter on her bed but she didn't bother calling him back. Grabbing the letter, she reread it over and over, trying to somehow find a clue that this was a joke. Suddenly, there was a crashing noise outside of Matilda's window. Jolting up, she pressed her face up against the window, slightly pushing on her nose. She trailed her eyes from the yard gate to where the trash cans stood. There was a figure. Tall, skinny but had a very dignifying curve. It was a woman, who seemed to be rummaging through the garbage. She had long brown hair and wore a black sun hat, but it wasn't just some ordinary sun hat. It looked… magical.

She looked magical.

Matilda froze in her place as the woman looked up at her, grinning. There was a random streak of shimmer that glossed her bright green eyes, somehow causing Matilda to feel… strange. She was a beautiful woman but whatever she was up to made her feel uneasy. People walked by the yard, completely unfazed by the mystery woman standing by the garbage. Matilda was shocked that no one did anything and wondered if they couldn't see her.

No, that would be stupid.

How could Matilda see a woman in red but anyone that walks by, couldn't? She thought about running out of the house and asking a bystander but knew that if she was right, they would only look at her funny. Maybe think she'd need help. Besides, she felt stuck, unable to move her legs. No matter how hard she budged, the capability to move was limited. The woman returned to her mission and rummaged through the garbage for a few more minutes before a satisfied yelp left her lips.

Whatever she was looking for, she found it.

The woman brushed her dress down before stepping off of Matilda's yard. She walked down the street, disappearing around the corner. Suddenly, she felt free of whatever force was holding her down. She sped down the hall, the stairs and opened the front door, hoping to see the woman. No sign of her. She ran to the gate and looked down the sidewalk: no sign of her. Sighing, Matilda made her way inside. The area where the trash cans were, smelled of flowers and vanilla.

"Okay, maybe I'm not dreaming. There was a lady here. Going through the garbage. But who is she?"

Matilda felt determined to find out who this lady was but the only clue she had was the lingering scent left behind. Any woman could use the same scent or wear the same red dress and Matilda wouldn't know. She had no idea what she was going to do but she knew that Wigston wasn't the same when she first arrived. "Are you alright?" Mr.Brown asked, stepping aside to let Matilda walk. "Y-yeah I am." She murmurs.

"Are you sure? You just ran out of here like you saw something." Somehow, Matilda didn't see her own father standing in the living room, in the exact spot where the front door was in sight. "Do you smell flowers and vanilla?" Matilda asked, ignoring his question.

He shrugs. "I don't smell anything but air." He laughs, but his smile fades when he notices Matilda wasn't laughing along.

"I'm sure it was nothing."