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him. It felt like he was still taking up space in my heart, and I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to let him go completely, which meant there might not ever be room for someone else.
    I took a look in the backseat at Anne Marie and Eva. They were both sitting there smiling and nodding their heads. Apparently they agreed with my mother. It was going to be a very long week.
    ~~~~
    When the vehicle came to a stop I opened my eyes and looked up at the wrought iron gates. They were large and imposing, their years of neglect showing through the mass of kudzu that had started to overtake their shape. Mother and I got out of the car and walked up to them. She held aside some of the foliage so we could look through. From the entrance I could barely make out the chimney of the old house that I knew wasn’t far from where we stood. Anne Marie and Eva hung back by the car, not wanting to intrude on my mother’s grief. After a few heavy sighs she looked at me and said, “Well, it’s now or never.”
    Trying to be strong for her , I grabbed a hold of the gate and pushed. After some straining and groaning the gates moved aside with a loud and ear piercing creak, as if they hadn’t been moved for some time. We stood there for a moment waiting for the dust to settle, waiting for something to happen. After a moment my mother said, “Alright, let’s go.”
    The ride to the house seemed to take forever. I looked deep into woods that lined the sid e of the road. They were silent and still like no creature had ever set foot in them. As soon as the thought popped into my head I swear I saw something move.
    I looked forward just in time to see the house come into view. It was enormous and just like I remembered, aside from the obvious neglect. The bricks were worn away in places, and some of the shutters hung at an angle, their hinges having rotted and fallen away years ago. Weeds had taken over the yard and the fountain in the front of the house, and had started to wind their way up and around the big white columns in the front. The window panes were all in good shape though, and appeared to be clean and new. As I looked at the house, I saw that the roof sloped up, but was flat on top, and I noticed there was a railing running around it.
    “What is that railin g there for?” I asked, pointing.
    “It’s called a Widow’s Walk ," my mother said. "It was used by women whose husbands were at sea. When the husband would leave the wife would stand on the roof of the house and wave goodbye until she could no longer see the ship. Sometimes the women were said to have continued to wait there until their husbands came home, and sometimes they never did.”
    “That’s sad,” Anne Marie said, taking one of the bags from the car.
    “I wonder why there is a Widow’s Walk on this house. It’s not near a river is it?” Asked Eva.
    “Yes actually. I think it’s just part of the architecture of the house, but there is a river out back,” my mom answered.
    “Do you think we could go up there?” Asked Eva. “I think it would be really cool to see the view.”
    “Um, sure. I think we have to get up there through the attic, but it should be no problem,” my mother said, although I could tell that she was hesitant.
    At the mention of the attic, my eyes strayed to the upper most window. For a split second I thought I saw something.
    “Did you see that?” Anne Marie asked.
    “What?” Asked Eva.
    “Something moved across the upstairs window!”
    “You’re crazy, stop trying to freak me out,” said Eva.
    “I’m serious,” said Anne Marie, “I saw something!”
    “You did not! You’re just letting your imagination run away with you.”
    “I saw it too,” I said.
    Eva looked at me in disbelief. She narrowed her blue eyes and said, “You two are trying to get me to believe in all this nonsense. I’m not falling for it. Let’s go inside and see just what’s in there.” She picked up her bag and started toward the front