Hello beloveds and welcome to tonight's reading The Girl Who Sees Ghosts Part 2 Just taking a few moments now before we begin to settle into your space and arrive here now in this moment maybe taking some longer deeper inhales maybe a sigh on the exhales snuggling down into your duvet and when you are ready we shall continue with our story Over the following weeks,
Their friendship deepened into something Sarah had never known before They explored every corner of the park Louise led Sarah to a hollow tree where forgotten coins had been stashed decades ago their edges worn smooth She showed her how to listen at the base of the old oak where the roots hummed faintly with voices that sounded like echoes of long-gone children She even introduced Sarah to a friendly ghost dog who bounded across the grass barking soundlessly,
His tail wagging through the air Sarah laughed until her stomach hurt You're the best friend I've ever had,
She told Louise one crisp afternoon as they sat on the swings sharing a packet of crisps Sarah had smuggled from home Louise's glow brightened,
The silver eyes softening,
And you are mine But sometimes in the quiet moments,
Sarah caught a shadow in Louise's gaze a flicker of sadness,
A question she didn't ask Once when the sun dipped low and the park was painted gone,
Louise whispered Do you ever wonder why I'm still here?
Sarah frowned,
What do you mean?
Most people,
When they die,
They move on,
I've seen it happen They just,
Louise lifted her hand as if releasing something into the air They go,
But not me,
I'm stuck Words sent a chill through Sarah Maybe you're not stuck,
Maybe you're here for a reason Louise tilted her head,
Considering this Maybe,
Or maybe I just haven't found what I lost What did you lose?
I don't know The voice was small,
Almost fragile That's the problem Silence stretched between them,
Broken only by the creak of the swings Then Louise straightened suddenly,
A grin flashing back like sunlight through clouds Never mind,
She said,
Brightly,
I've got you now,
That's enough Sarah wanted to believe her,
She really did One evening,
Louise met Sarah at the swings as usual But something about her energy was different She bounced on her toes,
Her silver hair sparking faintly,
As if lit from within I've got a surprise for you,
Louise said,
Eyes twinkling Sarah tilted her head,
A surprise Louise nodded eagerly,
You've seen a little of what I can do But tonight,
I want to show you somewhere special Somewhere only ghosts can go And because you are you,
You can come too Sarah's heart skipped,
Where?
Louise grinned,
Crooked and mischievous,
Follow me and find out They left the park and wandered through the quiet streets Where the last shopkeepers were pulling down shutters and the street lamps buzzed faintly Louise walked with a lightness that made her seem to float And Sarah kept close,
Afraid she might vanish if she strayed too far At last,
They reached the old churchyard,
A place Sarah usually avoided The crumbling gravestones leaned at odd angles,
Moss curling over names too faded to read The iron gates groaned as Louise pushed them open Here,
Sarah whispered,
Uneasy Don't be scared,
Louise said,
Taking her hand Not everything in graveyards is sad,
Some things are magical Hand in hand,
They stepped between the graves until they reached the far corner Where ivy crawled thick over a stone wall Louise pressed her palm to the ivy and whispered something too soft for Sarah to catch The wall shimmered At first,
It looked like moonlight glancing off wet stone But then the shimmer deepened,
Opening into a silvery archway Beyond it,
Sarah glimpsed a glow of colors too rich for words Her breath caught What is that?
Louise smiled The garden of midnight roses Stepping through felt like walking into a dream The air was warm and sweet,
Filled with the scent of blossoms The ground glowed faintly,
Soft as moss under their feet All around them,
Roses grew in every shade Deep crimson,
Pale blue,
Gold,
Even black But they weren't ordinary roses Their petals shimmered like starlight And some floated free,
Drifting in the air like glowing lanterns Oh,
Sarah whispered,
Her eyes wide,
It's beautiful Louise laughed,
Spinning among the flowers I knew you'd love it I found this place years ago,
But it only opens when the moon is just right The roses grow for us,
Ghosts,
And the ones who can see them She plucked a rose the color of frost and held it out Instead of wilting,
The bloom pulsed gently,
Glowing brighter in Sarah's hand What does it do?
Sarah asked Each one holds a memory,
Louise explained Touch the petals and you'll see Sarah hesitated,
Then brushed her fingers against the bloom Suddenly,
Images flashed before her eyes A little boy running barefoot through tall grass,
Laughing as his mother chased him A birthday cake with candles glowing A dog curled up on a rug,
Tail thumping They were fragments of lives,
Precious and fleeting Stored in the rose like a treasure box Sarah gasped and dropped the flower That was someone's memories Louise nodded solemnly Yes,
The roses grow from forgotten moments Happy ones mostly,
The kind that people don't want to let go of completely Then this place is a garden,
A garden of memories Louise's smile softened Exactly They wandered deeper,
Touching petals,
Sharing visions Sarah saw children playing hopscotch in the 1950s A woman knitting by candlelight A young man proposing under fireworks Each memory flickered bright and then faded Leaving a lingering warmth in her chest I wish I could keep them all,
Sarah whispered Louise shook her head They're not ours to keep We are just visitors She bent to sniff a midnight black rose Sometimes,
If you are very lucky You'll find one that belongs to you Sarah frowned What do you mean?
Your own forgotten moment,
Louise said Something you lost or didn't even know you had Sarah tilted her head,
Curious But Louise only smiled and skipped ahead Her silver glow blending with the shimmer of the garden They stayed until the moon dipped low and the roses began to fade The air grew cooler and the shimmer of the archway reappeared Time to go,
Louise said,
Taking Sarah's hand again The garden only stays open until dawn Sarah cast one last longing glance at the glowing roses Then followed Louise back through the arch The churchyard was silent and ordinary once more The ivy-covered wall just stone As they slipped out into the street,
Sarah whispered Louise,
Thank you for showing me Louise's hand squeezed hers There are more places like that,
And now we'll discover them together For the first time in her life,
Sarah didn't feel strange or alone She felt chosen
