The Castle in the Curio Cabinet

You are old enough to understand that. If you persist in this fantasy, we will get rid of the castle."

It had been enough to teach Mary to share her beliefs only with her brother, and again reminded them both of how different their aunt was from their mother.

Mary reached out and moved Kyles hands from the glass, too late, as she saw by the smudges on the glass. She knew that Aunt Lyse would be angry, but determined to take the blame. "No, Kyle, Mom is there--on the balcony. She is so beautiful in her robes and crown. Dad must be inside now. She is waving, Kyle--look, cant you see her? She always waves to me. Thats how I know she wants us to come there, to live with her and Dad again. Someday we will. I know somehow we will, Kyle."

Kyle screwed up his features. "Aright, Mary. If you say so. If you figure out how, can I go too, even though I cant see them?"

"I guess so, Kyle. I will go there. Just you wait and see. I hate it here--and I keep remembering mom. Do you remember Mom and Dad Kyle?"

Kyle thought for a moment. He remembered being tickled by his dad on the grass. He remembered his mom bringing him a birthday cake. Mostly, though, he just remembered being happy. It was hard to remember what they had looked like though.

A tear slid down Kyles cheek. "No, Mary. Not much. They loved us, didnt they?"

Mary continued to stare into the cabinet, looking at the seemingly empty balcony. "Yea, Kyle. They loved us. They still do. Wave goodbye to Mom Kyle. Aunt Lyse will be home soon with dinner. You have to go wash up."

Kyle dutifully waved at the castle and stood up. He wiped the solitary tear from his cheek and stood up. "Okay, Mary--you comin?"

His sister looked at him for a long minute. She knew that Kyle was too young to understand her sadness. Many nights, when the lights were off, she wished she would die so that she could be with Mom and Dad. She knew that her aunt and uncle didnt love her, and never would. It hurt. What hurt most was that she was beginning to forget what her parents, killed in a car crash just a year ago, looked like. Each passing day had served only to blunt her memory, to slowly erase the years of happiness they had shared. As the months had passed after having moved to their new home, all of their parents possessions, much like Marys memories, had slowly disappeared, having been sold or given away. Finally, only the castle remained.

The castle was enough, though. Beginning one day several months ago, Mary began to see her parents there. The magic of the castle renewed her memories, and brought her parents back to life. Every day she would come and watch them in the castle as they stood on its balconies, or walked along its pathways. Mary knew that they were happy together, living in their dream castle. The castle, they had told Mary, that they had bought together during their honeymoon.

Mary sniffed, clearing the cobwebs of the memories from her mind. "No, Kyle. You go--Ill see you later, okay?"

Kyle cocked his head, unsure of the reason for his sister's strange behavior. He nodded his head and ran off towards the bathroom.

Mary turned back to the castle. She now saw both her mom and dad on the balcony. Dad, wearing flowing purple robes, held onto Moms hand. With her other hand Mom waved, beckoning almost frantically.