Grandmother's White Robe

I always enjoyed visiting my grandmother in the summer, seeing her smile with excitement every time I walk in the door on that first day of June. I might be an adult now, but that doesn't stop her from ushering me into her kitchen and immediately offering me cookies. Her house always smelled like freshly baked gingersnap cookies and always had a warmth that made me feel loved.

"Thank you, Grandma!" I say as I eagerly stuff the spicy-sweet cookie in my mouth. As I do my little happy cookie dance, I look over at the aging woman. Something seems wrong. Usually she eats with me, but this time she just looks at the plate with a sad kind of longing.

I slide the plate closer to her, only to have her wave it away.

"Something wrong?"

She just shrugs and gets up from the table, and glides into the living room, her robe draped around her giving her an angelic look. She sits on the couch and ponders for a moment before patting the place next to her.

"Come here dear. There is something I need to tell you." There's a sense of urgency in her voice. Something that chilled me to the very bone, but maybe she just wanted to scare me. She always used to tease me and make up stories about the forest behind her house.

"Okay, but if you're going to warn me about the forest again, I already know." I half joke as I sit down next to her. Truth was, even though I knew the stories weren't true I was still afraid of the forest.

My grandmother's blue eyes lock into mine. I can tell that this, whatever it is, was serious. She tenderly grabbed my hands and told me in the most serious tone she's ever used, "Do not go into the forest."

That's it. No fanciful story about witches or sprites that want to eat my toes, no werewolves that need my hands. Just seven little words. I think that sentence was all that I needed to stay away, so I nodded solemnly. "I know grandma. I promise I won't go into the forest."

She smiled at me, but not a true smile. It was the smile of someone who knew I was lying. I was telling the truth though, maybe I'm just being paranoid.

After our conversation, we went about our day like we usually did. Long talks about nothing, card games, and a trip into town for some clothes or other goodies. It wasn't until night that the chilling warning came creeping back into my mind.

I sat in my room and stared at the forest through my window, wondering why I needed to stay away. It was just a bunch of trees after all. As I sit and ponder my grandmother's warning, I notice movement. A person in my grandmother's white robe walking into the woods.

I watch the figure disappear behind the trees before sneaking out and following. I walk for what feels like hours before I find a clearing. There I find a body. It's an old woman lying face down and decaying. Her robe is so beautiful, but the body is terrifying.

I decide that I want the beautiful white robe, so I take it. Maybe I should keep my granddaughter from the forest. She doesn't need to see this poor woman.

I walk back into my house and I start baking gingersnap cookies. My granddaughter will be here in a few minutes and they're her favorite.