Pumpkins and death

They stuffed them self’s with delicious food and there pie was very popular, after she left the oak stand she got a message from her mothers phone again “I need to see you” she’s alive, she really is alive. She told herself. Lilly packed up her things and left the bake sale, the text didn’t say where to meet, so she assumed it was at her old house the one that burnt down. She took a shortcut down the woods and stepped into the house, Lilly looked around, but she didn’t see her. Lilly thinking it was another joke, she turned around and saw a little stuffed bunny she had when she was a little girl, it was weird because nothing survived that fire. Lilly picked it up und turned around, “mom?”

Lilly and her mother hugged and Lilly assumed it was just a dream because the therapist she got after her mothers death said that it would look like my mother, but it wasn’t. They sat down no the black table and Lilly just had to ask “what happened” Lilly’s mother took a look at the stuffed animal and said “you loved it so much I couldn’t let it burn down” Lilly’s throat was blocked she couldn’t say another word without bursting Into tears. “Mom what happened” Lilly said quietly to avoid people knowing anyone was in that house. Ashley was Lilly’s mothers name, and it was also the name that was on the stuffed animal.

“Someone set the house on fire, and this note was on the table next to your stuffed animal” Lilly looked confused she took the note that was in Ashley’s hand. “If you don’t die, she will” Ashley seemed scared anyone would come in “but why didn’t you go to the police, and who in you grave?” Lilly answered worried, “I was scared, and I don’t think anyone is in that grave” Ashley said constantly looking over her shoulder.
Lilly and Ashley turned quickly, they heard a cracking sound like someone on a branch. They stud up to look if someone was there, as Lilly jumped behind Ashley, Lilly’s mother look out a gun. They heard a piano playing in the woods Lilly whispered “let’s go back” but Ashley didn’t hold back.

A sigh of relief “It’s only mike, what are you doing here and what’s with the piano?” Lilly said and turned to see of her mother with a okay, but when she looked up, nobody was there, so the question for Lily was, was it real or was it a dream? “I already found it here, I just wanted to see if it’s the Works” mike answered. Lily didn’t give much thought of her mother, not being real, but she did consider that it was just a defense mechanism to cope with her mother’s death. Mike asked Lily what she was doing in the woods all alone.
Mike: “What are you doing? Who are you talking to?”
Lilly: “didn’t you see her?” Lily looked at him like he was crazy.
“See who no one is here” he replied, looking at her like she might have had a breakdown, and maybe imagined Ashley being there.

“Come on I’ll drive you home. You can explain it to me on the way.” But why would Ashley disappear like that. Lily hasn’t seen her mother in almost a year. They only spent 20 minutes together, and she just disappeared.