The Mausoleum Part 1

This is a part of the Storytelling Mentorship Group by @michelle.gent

A woman stands while staring at the shut mausoleum door as the wind blows.
The cemetery is quiet and cold. Still, she doesn’t want to leave and waits.
She turns as she hears a disturbance nearby.

Two women quickly step behind a nearby gravestone.
“I told you she’d be here. She’s here every day at the same time with that look on her face.”

Shrugging her shoulder while shaking her head she continues, “As if he is going to walk.”

The other woman, “What happened who’s in there?”

“I hear her husband only I don’t know what took him. I heard he came up missing. I saw his name on the mausoleum and knew I dare not talk to her while she has that look in her eyes as if in a trance.”

The other woman, “We should go Clare. I don’t like this.”

Clare is holding back while the other woman is pulling her arm.

“Pull all you want, I know this sounds crazy but there are things we don’t know about in this world we should really ask ourselves. Could it be?”

The wind picks up all at once and becomes brisk. The trees next to them the leaves begin to fall.

The woman lets go of Clare’s arm.
“ It’s getting cold outside we should be going now.”

The night and the cold set in as the cemetery became completely vacant.

Added by Michelle: She shivers and wraps her arms around herself. The night is creeping up on her, the cold accompanies it, chilling her bones even through her coat.

Victoria turns and leaves and once entering her home pulls the fingers of her black lace gloves and lays them on the table. Removes her hat while looking in the mirror briefly.

Rewrite by Michelle: Victoria turns to leave. She glances back only once, the gloom enveloping the mausoleum gradually so she knows there is no point in looking again.
When she gets home, the first thing she does - as she always does, is remove her lace gloves, pulling each finger to loosen the fabric.

She goes over to the writing table and begins to write in her diary. I was there again today and nothing happened. I felt his presence but nothing happened. Those women were watching me again. That one I think she follows me. I need to find out why. I know he’ll return. I must find a way to stop them from coming.

Victoria continues writing. I do miss you my love and I know one day we’ll be together as we planned. I’ll be waiting just as you instructed me.

The link for part 2

Original photograph and writing by @rebeccabe
photograph using Canon T6 Hyperfocal Technique ISO 100 F22 1/4 18mm