She crept closer, the sound of rain masking her steps. The figure was placing something on the grave. This time it was a small, worn teddy bear. The gesture was tenderly ceremonial. The stranger bowed their head, lips moving in what might have been prayer, apology, or memory. Ellen’s breath hitched.
Lightning tore across the sky again. The stranger’s silhouette wavered, fragile yet deliberate. For a heartbeat, Ellen hesitated, unsure if she was about to confront a ghost from her past or someone else’s grief entirely. The wind howled through the trees as she finally stepped from the shadows.