Gadalik wrapped his green robe tighter around his body, both to keep warm and to prevent the chilling wind from stealing it. Usually he'd carry a staff with him--a weapon capable of harming intangible ghosts, although his main use for it was to differentiate spirits from the living, as it was for those who could see the dead--and if it hadn't broken during a fight with a violent ghost three days prior, Gadalik would've used it to help trudge through the piling snow. He never realized how much he relied on it until it was gone.

Black clouds ahead were spreading over the evening sky with suggestion of a storm fast approaching, but luckily for him he was winning in their race to town.

He crossed the gateway, turned around, and pulled out a crinkled map which he then flattened against the inner-side of it, letting the wind pin the paper for him to gain his bearings. It depicted an inn nearby and so, rolling up the map to slip inside his robe's inner pocket, he dragged himself to it.

People were already rushing to the shelter of their homes. Gadalik would have done the same if he lived there; alas, he'd only known where this town resided from the aforementioned map his adoptive-mother Glacia gave him to find her if there was an emergency.

She had gone to meet her boyfriend Gale in the village yonder, and while she told Gadalik to stay home, he couldn't ignore the letter he received the day after she left. A good portion of the ink had been melted off from having went through the mail slot to land in the slush that had seeped under the door of their house, although the address and the need for help were still clear.

By the time he reached his destination, hail had begun to fall. Gadalik grabbed at the door handle blindly with his numbing hand and gently pulled it open--the gales suddenly blew it outward with force that would've broke his nose had he been any later dodging it. He used it as leverage to pull himself through the entryway, and tugged it shut behind him.

The air inside was thick from the space heaters stationed around the lobby. A few tables were set up, and an older man was sitting at one of them, drinking a beverage. Pins and needles rushed through Gadalik as his sense of touch returned. He took a moment to adjust to the more pleasant temperature, then rummaged in his left inner coat pocket, retrieving his wallet before asking the clerk if there was an available room.

She looked concerned when she replied, "Yes, there's one left. But the fuse to it is out... It doesn't have lights or heat."

That's still better than becoming a snowman. "I'll take it." Gadalik withdrew some crumpled cash and handed it to her.

"Oh, dear... You're a couple dollars short, there," she informed him.

He grimaced. That's awfully expensive for a room, especially one without heat or lighting...

"Need help, young man?" said the elder at the table.

"Um..." Gadalik didn't want to ask someone for money, but he didn't want to sleep in a hailstorm either.

"How much does he owe you, miss?"

"$2.15..." the clerk answered.

"Here." The man gave her three silver coins. "Enjoy your stay, young man."

"I really appreciate this," Gadalik said, genuinely surprised and grateful to him. "Here, let me repay you." He pulled out lunchbag from right inner pouch and offered the equivalent amount of food to him.

The man declined. "You're that spook from the newspapers, correct? I've been expecting you. I'm Finley. You can repay me with a favor. Meet me here at noon tomorrow. Until then, get some rest, lad." With that, the man returned to his seat.

The clerk handed Gadalik a key labeled '206.' "It's on the second floor; the last on the right," she specified. When he started for the staircase, she called out, "And be mindful not to lose that key! The spare one is missing."

The second-story hallway had three rooms on either side, with a small ceiling light between each of them. The bulb at the end was flickering. Gadalik fished out a pack of matches with one hand and pushed his key into the knob of Room 206 with his other. The door popped open as soon as the key was turned. I'll have to lock it once I'm inside if I want it to stay shut...

He had to yank the door in order to close it all the way, then reentered the key from the inside and turned it. The door fought to reopen, but it held. Gadalik then swiped a match against the pack until it sparked into a flame, illuminating enough for him to spot some candles in holders clinging to the wall on both sides of the doorway, which he thankfully lit. There was a single bed in the corner with a window across from it, and... A child?

He rubbed the half-frozen tears from his eyes, confirming that a little girl about five years old was in front of the window. She was pale, staring wide-eyed back at him with both fear and curiosity.

"Um... Hello," Gadalik greeted her, uncertain as to what else he should do.

The girl silently stood up and backed away from the curtains, her gaze never leaving him. Her clothes were unravelled at the extremities, and he realized some of the dark spots he previously assumed were shadows were actually stains. I doubt her family could afford a room... They must have taken the spare key to sneak in here. "Are you alone? I mean, where are your parents?"

At first she said nothing, averting her eyes melancholically. "Mommy went out before the hail started... She hasn't come back yet."

He knelt to her level but didn't approach her. "Don't worry. Your mom probably found someplace else to stay until the storm passes."

"But why?"

"It's dangerous to be out in this weather. She'd have to go inside somewhere to keep warm. I'm sure she'll come back for you when it's safer out."

"Really?"

"Really." Unless there was nowhere she could find... He shoved the thought from his head. "My name's Gadalik. What's yours?"

"...Bianca."

"Well, Bianca, I have this bag full of food, and I don't think I can eat it all by myself. Do you want some?"

For the first time, she smiled. "Yes, please!!"

Cold night air leaked in from the window, trying its best to snuff out the last of the candlelight. Gadalik had made himself a pallet on the floor, while Bianca took the bed. She'd encouraged him to share it with her, but he didn't want her mother to walk in and find him that close to her.

Most people seemed to assume the worst of strangers these days.

He didn't mind the lack of heat and comfort that much, but the sound of ice crashing against the roof and outer walls was keeping him awake...and he was exhausted.

"Gadalik...?" she whispered. "When will the storm be over?"

"I don't know," he mumbled. I only had enough to pay for tonight...so hopefully it'll pass before dawn.

"...Will you stay with me until she comes back...?"

He hesitated. I can't leave her alone... And if I tell the clerk she's here, Bianca and her mother will probably be kicked out and homeless. I can't afford another day here, though... "Let's give her some time to come back before we think about that, alright? Try to get some sleep."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Gadalik awoke surprisingly early. Opening the curtains to let the sunlight in, he realized the morning sky was clear. "Hey, Bianca," he began, but stopped when he saw she wasn't in the bed. He looked under it, then finally toward the door.

Bianca was sleeping propped up against it. She stirred from his voice. "Is Mommy back, yet...?"

"No... Not yet," he said, forcing himself to sound optimistic. "But I'm going to be heading into town, so I'll keep an eye out for her. What does your mother look like? Would you tell me her name?"

"She has white hair, like mine... And she has gray eyes, and light skin, like mine. Her name is...Mommy..." She yawned.

"...Alright, I'll be back soon. You stay put, okay?" He walked out of the room, heading downstairs.

"Good morning," said the clerk when he returned the key to her. "How was your stay?"

"It was...great, thanks." He couldn't disguise the lie very well. When she glared at him, he shied back. "S-sorry. It was...helpful,," he corrected himself. He looked around the lobby, hoping to see Bianca's mother enter at any second.

"Expecting someone?"

"Uh..."

Gadalik wasn't sure if he should mention the woman; if his suspicions were true, she was a squatter who stole the spare key to the room, and he didn't want them getting in trouble. I'll just be vague. "Actually, I was wondering if you saw a woman leave here yesterday? She apparently left right before the storm, and I just want to make sure she's okay."

"Sorry, I'm not obligated to tell you of my patrons' whereabouts."

"...I understand." He went out the door and into the empty street. One by one, people began to populate it, and one by one Gadalik described the woman to them. The responses he received were far from helpful:

"Doesn't she work at the deli?" No. "She left town weeks ago." Bianca stated she was there before the storm, which was yesterday. "My friend is also searching for her. Strange he doesn't know her name, either..." "Sounds like the one who's been making goo-goo eyes at my husband. They went that way. When you find them, deliver a message to my Bartie, will you?"

Gadalik ventured in that direction and came across a middle-aged bearded man with a younger woman...the latter having very dark brown eyes. That's not her... "Bartie?"

"It's Batholomew. You need somethin', kid?" the man huffed.

Gadalik looked at the wedding ring on the guy's finger. "Um... Your wife...Cheryl..."

"Go on. Spit it out."

"S-she said she wants a divorce."

Bartie's face turned red with anger. "Why, that no-good little...!" He took off his ring and threw it. "She couldn't even say that to my face?! I oughta..."

Gadalik backed away slowly, then ran.

By noon, he reentered the inn and sat down, defeated, at a table in the lobby. He knew he'd have to face Bianca sooner or later with no news of her mother.

"Ah, you made it." The man whom helped pay Gadalik's room fee approached the table. He sat down across from the robed teen and ordered tea for the both of them, casually sipping it once it arrived.

Gadalik added a sugar cube to his and stirred it in...and kept stirring, absently watching the whirlpool in his cup.

"Is something troubling you, young man?"

"...Yes." A gut feeling told Gadalik he could trust Finley. "There was a little girl in the room I stayed in last night... She said her mother disappeared. I asked around, but nobody seems to know where or who she could be."

The man put his drink down. "Bianca... So you really are that spook. Garlic, was it?"

He chuckled. "It's pronounced 'gad-uh-lick'. You're the one who sent me the letter, right?"

"Yes. At first I didn't believe a youngster like you could have so much experience with ghosts. You're only, what, sixteen?"

"I turned seventeen a week ago," Gadalik politely corrected him.

"Yes, of course. When I saw who your parents were, though, I figured you'd be at least decent, so I'd like to ask for your help." Finley sipped the tea. "You see, my daughter Alma--Bianca's mother--is deceased. I want you to summon Alma to prove to Bianca that she's not with us anymore."

"I...I'm sorry. I can't summon spirits from the other world; I'm not a medium who can channel them, either. All I can do is assist a spirit to move from this world to the next by helping them resolve their unfinished business."

Finley nodded slowly. "Hmm. Then you can still be of service. Alma went out to find our dog right before a storm like this one hit, just last month... She locked Bianca in the room you stayed in and promised to be back with our dog before the storm got too bad, but...she died out there." Finley added sugar to his cup. "Bianca refused to leave that room ever since. Nothing I say can persuay her--she won't move until she sees Alma."

Gadalik tasted the tea despite having no appetite. "Does the clerk know she's there?"

"She knows of Bianca, but that doesn't stop her from renting the room out if it means having a paying customer. Lots of bad things have happened to that room over the months, however, that deters most people from renting it... Some say it's cursed. Our dog sure seemed to think so; that's why he fled the first night we moved in. Most recently, there was an electrical fire and the fuse blew out. Nobody's been willing to go in there to repair it."

"That explains it..."

"Poor Bianca was inside when it happened... Even if you can't bring Alma's spirit to her, you must have some other tactics for dealing with the dead. So, here" --Finley handed him the key labelled '206'-- "see what you can do for Bianca."

"Alright. I'll talk to her." Gadalik stood up, tucked his chair in, and went back upstairs. He paused in front of the door, then finally turned the key. It popped open once again, revealing the little girl behind it.

"Yay, you're back!" Bianca cheered. "Did you find Mommy?"

I should've thought this through... "I didn't... But your grandpa found her, a long time ago."

Instantly, she crossed her arms and stomped her foot. "I don't care what Grampa says. Mommy said she'd come back for me, and I believe her."

"Your mom would have come back to you, but she can't now," Gadalik tried again. "She's gone someplace she can't come back from."

"But you said you said you were sure she'd come back when it was safer outside..."

"I know I did... That was before I knew where she was."

"You know where she is?"

He gulped. "She's in a different world now."

"Well I'll wait 'til she comes back to this world," she repeated with finality.

"She can't, Bianca. She'd be here if she could."

"Why can't she?"

"Because...she's..." The sentence trailed off.

"Dead?" Bianca snorted. "That's what Grampa said. But Grampa says death is sleeping for a long time. That means Mommy will come back when she wakes up."

"No... Death is like sleeping, but it means never waking up again."

"Never waking up...?" she echoed, confused and saddened.

He nodded ever so slightly. "At least, your body is. Your soul moves on to a world beyond this one, and it can't come back here easily..."

Bianca was quiet for a few moments, his words sinking in. Then she broke down and wailed. "It's not fair! She promised to come back...!"

Gadalik let her vent it out, fighting to prevent unwanted memories from resurfacing.

"I know this spirit seems like the scariest one yet, but I promise your father and I will beat it. So don't worry about us so much," his mother chuckled. "We've defeated every one up until now, haven't we, Gadalik? We'll win this time, too. Besides, who will take Glacia's boat back to her if we lose?"

"Sometimes things can break promises, even if a person doesn't," he murmured.

She eventually calmed down, though tears still dripped down her cheeks. "Really...?"

"Yes. I know how you feel... My parents were also dead when I was a few years older than you."

Bianca sniffled. "What did you do?"

"Someone else stepped up to take care of me," he explained, and brought the map into view.

"But it's not the same from someone else... That person's not your mom..."

"True. But she loves me as much as my real mother did... Just like your grandpa loves you."

"But I've been so mean to Grampa... I yelled at him every time he came in here... He probably hates me now," she sobbed.

"That's not true. He sent me a letter before I got here. He told me how much he wants to see you smile again."

She seemed shocked by this.

"Come on... Let's go see him." He opened the door and lead her downstairs. She froze when she spotted her grandfather at the table.

"Bianca?" Finley called.

She hid shamefully behind Gadalik.

"Come here, sweetheart... It's okay. You're not in any trouble."

"Grampa... I... I'm sorry, Grampa," she cried, running into his open arms.

"It's alright... I love you so much, Bianca."

"I love you, too, Grampa..."

As their embrace tightened, Finley's arms slowly phased through her; Bianca's body was becoming transparent. In a matter of seconds, she was gone.

That evening, Gadalik walked out of the inn and recognized the silhouette of someone--female, wearing a knee-length yellow dress, a blue overcoat with purple trim and shining pearls approaching him from a distance. "Glacia?"

The woman squinted her eyes as she neared him. "Gadalik?!" She quickly hid one hand behind her back. "I didn't expect to run into you here! I was just headed home. Gale brought a present for you--"

He hugged her.

Glacia was caught off guard by the sudden action, but managed to awkwardly returned it with her free hand. "What's this for?"

"I'm just...glad you're here."

"Pfft. I told you I'd be back in three days."

"Yeah." He sniffed. "I know."

"What are you doing out here, anyway? Ghost business?"

Gadalik grinned and held up a gunnysack of silver dollars. She squealed with delight and messed up his striped hair by proudly patting his head. He laughed and lightly pushed her away. "Did you have fun with Gale?"

"Sure did! I have a surprise for you, too." She revealed her other hand to show him a brand new staff. He gaped at it in shock. "When I told Gale what happened to your old one, he mentioned he received a similar one as payment for catching a bad guy. I went all that way to bring it to you!"

Gadalik grasped it, and retained a familiar edge to his vision. If I'd had this, I would've known Bianca was the ghost I was supposed to help from the start. He looked back toward the only dark room on the inn's second story.

Then he smiled as the light came on.