Campfire Stories 8 at #OurAuthorGang

 Amaya's Baby by Erika M Szabo

Maria was deeply concerned about her best friend. She had never seen Kati so withdrawn since the first spirit had visited her during their high school days. The memory of Kati's vibrant personality seemed like a distant echo. "We need to pull her out of this slump," Maria said to her husband, Mike, her voice tinged with urgency.

"What can we do?” Mike asked, jamming his clothes into a duffle bag, his brows furrowed with worry. “Has she told you what's troubling her?"

"No, she shuts down every time I try to ask," Maria replied with a sigh, frustration evident in her tone. “Fold those T-shirts, Mike! Don’t just shove them into the bag.”

“Okay, miss perfection! Who will see us in the woods to complain about my wrinkled clothes?” Mike laughed, and staring into nothingness for a second, he mused. "I know she hates camping, but suddenly, I’m getting this strong urge to take her with us… so strange."

"It’s strange indeed,” Maria said, glancing at her husband. “But I think that's a great idea," Maria agreed, her spirits lifting at the thought. "Perhaps the crisp, fresh air and an escape from the bustling chaos of the city will be just what she needs. I’ll call her."

Kati, reluctantly, but agreed to spend the weekend with the couple at their campsite by the lake in the mountains. They arrived late Friday afternoon and after parking their trailer, Mike took the firewood out of the trunk and made a campfire. The women prepared sausages and potatoes to bake, and they prepared salad and dessert.

After dinner, they settled by the crackling fire, its warm glow casting flickering shadows around them. The soothing symphony of the forest enveloped their senses: the whispering rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze, the distant call of a night owl echoing through the trees, and the soft chirping of crickets harmonizing with the crackle of burning wood. The night air was cool, carrying the earthy scent of the forest floor, and the stars above twinkled like scattered diamonds in the velvet sky.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Kati sighed. “I know you’ve been worried about me, and I love you for that,” she turned to Maria. “I wanted to tell you but… okay I’ll tell you what’s been bothering me.”

Maria silently hugged her friend.

“I’ve been searching for Amaya’s little girl,” Kati sobbed. “And I can’t find her.”

“Is… is she?” Maria asked softly.

“Yes, both of them are dead. The first time I saw Amaya's ghost happened two weeks ago. She showed me a once magnificent house reduced to a charred skeleton by a fire lit by her husband. I could feel the weight of the tragedy that had befallen her. She had been searching for her baby, their once peaceful home now a chaotic memory, but she thinks she’s been doomed to wander this earth without ever finding her child.”

“That’s terrible!” Mike whispered, but Maria silenced her husband with a stern look.

Kati continued, “She could still see the fury in her husband's eyes as he accused her of infidelity, his rage building until he snapped and ended her life and that of their 3-month-old baby girl. Amaya had been unable to protect her innocent baby from her husband's wrath, and now she’s left with the agony. She longs to hold her child, to feel the warmth of her tiny body in her arms. But it was all in vain, she can’t find her baby.” Kati cried.

“There, there,” Maria patted Kati’s shoulder. “Did you see Amaya’s ghost again?”

“Yes, I see her every day. She’s feeling a surge of anger and despair and lets out a mournful wail. It’s heartbreaking to see Amaya's translucent form floating through the charred remains, her eyes glimmering with grief and determination. The memory of acrid smoke and the feeling of the searing heat that had consumed her flesh is still vivid in her thoughts, but she is a ghost now, and the pain no longer affects her in the same way. But her soul is in agony. She told me she had heard whispers from other spirits that the baby's spirit lingers and moves from place to place, crying for her mother. With renewed hope, Amaya searches, calling out for her child in a voice that only the dead could hear. But as the hours turned into days, Amaya's hope began to dwindle. She could feel herself losing her grip on this world, the pull to the afterlife growing stronger with each passing day. But she refuses to leave without her baby.”

“Is there any way you could help her?” Maria cried out.

Kati grabbed Maria’s hand, staring at the lake shore her eyes wide. “Oh, they’re over there!” she whispered. “Amaya is holding her baby girl in her arms.” Kati sighed, tears flowing down her face. “Amaya is smiling and showing me how her little girl urged Mike to invite me on this trip. She wanted me to know she’s at peace now. Oh, it’s so beautiful! They’re floating toward the brilliant light.”

Maria and Mike turned their heads, but they only saw the full moon’s shimmering reflection on the water. 

Erika M Szabo

https://authorerikamszabo.com

Erika loves to dance to her own tunes and follow her dreams, introducing her story-writing skills and her books that are based on creative imagination with themes such as magical realism, alternate history, urban fantasy, cozy mystery, sweet romance, and supernatural stories. Her children’s stories are informative and educational and deliver moral values in a non-preachy way.