MTLNOVEL Chapter 7: Ernestina Comes in
Ernestina stood at the door, her eyes tired and her arms tightly hugging her grandmother's empty journal. She looked like she had been running for hours, her clothes slightly dusty and her hair sticking to her forehead.
Elric's mother fussed around her, urging her to sit and have some water. But Ernestina kept shaking her head, her fingers tightening around the notebook every time she glanced at the door.
"I really need to keep looking," she said softly, almost to herself. "I can't lose that journal… it's all I have left of her."
Just then, a loud crack of thunder rolled through the sky. Within seconds, heavy rain started pounding against the roof and windows. The whole house seemed to tremble with each drop.
Ernestina stood up quickly. "I… I should go before it gets worse," she stammered, stepping toward the door. But as soon as she opened it, a cold gust of wind and sheets of rain rushed in, soaking her arm instantly.
Elric's mother quickly pulled her back in. "You can't go out in this! You'll catch a terrible cold. Please, stay until it calms down."
Ernestina hesitated, her lips trembling. Finally, she lowered her head in defeat. "O-okay… just for a little while," she whispered.Meanwhile, upstairs, Elric had heard everything. The storm outside felt like it was echoing the storm inside him. Slowly, he stepped out of his room, his heart pounding hard enough that he could feel it in his throat.
He stopped at the hallway entrance and saw her sitting awkwardly on the edge of the couch, staring at the floor. Ernestina glanced up, and their eyes met for the first time in what felt like ages.
Elric swallowed hard. His hands felt clammy. He didn't know why he felt so nervous ;maybe because of how many times he had ignored her cheerful greetings at school, or the times she offered help and he turned away with a careless shrug.
"Um… hey," he said, his voice coming out quieter than he intended.
Ernestina blinked in surprise but gave him a small, polite smile. "Hi, Elric," she replied softly, her voice a little shaky.There was an awkward pause. The sound of rain filled the silence between them, like a giant curtain falling over the world outside.
Elric shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I… I heard about your journal," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm sorry that happened. It… it must mean a lot to you."
Ernestina looked down at her hands. She nodded, her fingers fidgeting with the edges of the empty notebook. "Yeah. It was my grandma's. She used to write prayers, stories… little pieces of her heart. It's… the only thing that makes me feel close to her now."
Elric felt a twist in his chest. He remembered all the times he laughed at her for always carrying books, called her "church girl" behind her back, and ignored her kindness as if it was nothing.
"I… I'm sorry," he blurted out suddenly. "For… for everything. For ignoring you… for… for acting like a jerk."Ernestina looked up, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, to his relief, her expression softened. She gave him a gentle, almost sad smile."It's okay," she said. "Everyone goes through things. We all have our struggles."
Her words felt like warm rain on his frozen heart. The girl he had dismissed so easily was showing him more kindness than he probably deserved.The rain continued to roar outside, but in that small hallway, something felt different. Softer. Safer.They stood there for a moment, just listening to the storm. And for the first time in a long while, Elric felt a strange sense of peace ;like maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance for him to change.
Ernestina settled into the couch more comfortably after Elric's apology. The tension between them eased, as if the heavy rain outside had washed some of it away.
Elric moved a chair closer and sat across from her, his curiosity burning brighter than his guilt now.
"So… what did your grandmother write about?" he asked, leaning forward.
Ernestina's eyes softened. She ran her fingers along the edge of the journal, even though it was empty now."She used to write a lot of stories," she said, her voice distant but gentle. "Most of them were about faith… about people finding light even when everything felt dark."
Elric tilted his head, intrigued. "Like what kind of stories?"
Ernestina's eyes lit up for the first time that evening. "There was one about a boy named Daniel who stood firm even when everyone else turned away from God. And another about a young girl who prayed every morning for her enemies instead of cursing them. Grandma said we all have a little bit of these people inside us… waiting to wake up."
Elric's eyes widened. "That's… actually pretty cool," he said, surprised at how interested he sounded.
She laughed softly, covering her mouth for a moment. "You think so?""Yeah," Elric replied, nodding earnestly. "I mean… it's different from the stuff I hear every day. You make it sound… alive."
Encouraged, Ernestina kept going. She shared another story about Joseph and his dreams, and another about a woman who forgave someone who betrayed her. Each story felt like a small light flickering in the stormy night.
Elric leaned in closer, asking question after question. "Wait, how did Joseph know what his dreams meant? And why didn't he just escape when he had the chance?"Ernestina laughed again, her voice growing more confident. "Well… sometimes staying put is harder than running away. But that's where strength grows."
They kept talking, sometimes debating, sometimes laughing at each other's reactions. It didn't feel awkward anymore. For the first time in a long while, Elric felt like he was really there ,not running, not pretending, not hiding.
Outside, the rain kept pouring harder, like a river crashing against the windows. Thunder rolled across the sky, making Ernestina jump slightly every time.
After a while, she checked the clock and her face fell. "Oh… it's getting really late," she murmured. She looked nervously at the door, then at her soaked bag near the entrance. "I should… I should try to get home…"
Elric shook his head quickly. "Are you kidding? You can't go out there in that."
She hesitated. Then, gathering courage, she looked up at him. "Could I… borrow your phone? To call my mom?"
Elric immediately unlocked it and handed it to her. "Of course."She dialed her mom's number with trembling fingers. When her mother answered, Ernestina spoke fast, her voice shaky at first but steadier as she explained.
"Hi, Mama… yes… it's me… I'm safe. I'm at Elric's house… no, I couldn't come home because the rain is too heavy… yes… I'll stay here for now…"
She paused, then held the phone out toward Elric's mom, who had come into the hall after hearing the conversation.Elric's mother took the phone gently, speaking softly. "Yes, ma'am… she's completely safe here… of course, she can stay the night. We'll make her comfortable. Don't worry."
When she handed the phone back, Ernestina let out a sigh of relief. Her shoulders dropped as if she'd been carrying a giant weight.
Elric's mother gave her a reassuring smile. "You'll stay here tonight. The guest room is all yours."Ernestina nodded, her cheeks pink. "Thank you… so much."Elric watched her, something warm and strange blooming in his chest.
The storm continued to rage outside, lightning flickering across the sky. But in that small living room, with stories shared and laughter echoing, something gentle had started to grow.As they started picking up their mugs and putting things away, Elric glanced at her and quietly whispered to himself, "Maybe… this is the start of my real story."🤔
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