NORA'S JOURNAL Jonuary 15th sew it egain last night, 2s | was on my woy to empty the widower Rutger's chomber pot The condlle in my hond went out and, stonding still in the dork corridor on the second floor, Icould hear the floorboards move. Some ‘one was wolking foward me. I whispered my husband's ‘nome, and on unknown voice responded with @ word | couldn't understand. The hairs on my arms stood up ‘and the blood throbbed in my veins. Finally | dropped the pot and ran downstairs. My footsteps woke several of the quests. | had fo spend more than an hour on my knees scrubbing the stench of Rutger's excrement off the floorbourds. Sami was angry | didn't fll hin I'd seen .@ ghost ~ it would be adding fuel to the fire. Jonuary 17th Do I really have myself fo blome? I know whot I did to ‘Som, but that wos almost twenty years age. He gets 450 different when he's ongry, ond | go mute with fear = whilst he demands answers. Perhaps | should know ‘better than fo upset him? But oll I did was suggest that the sudden falling opart of the inn might have occult couses. I definitely shouldn't have mentioned the ghost Now I won't be able fo show myself to the quests for a week ~ the bruises around my neck con be concealed with @ collar, end no one con see the pain in my chest ‘ond stomach, but my left eye is purple like « plum and my nose is swollen. fear for Sophic. She is 30 much like me, ond I'd like to tell her everything - but I'm afraid of what Sami would say. He wants fo eradicate all things ertstie ond sublime from his doughter's body ~ that which come from me. Jenuary 31st I mentioned my nightmares to Sophio, ond it turned ‘out she's been having the same dreams! A mon be~ ing killed ~ the murderer sneaking up behind him ond ‘cutting his throot with o knife. The body is buried in unconsecrated ground, and suddenly itis my body in the grave. I've been buried olive and con't get out. All| want is revenge, or peace in death. | wake with Fobrucry 7th The fourth time | sow him | understood what he wes whispering ~it'snot @ word, but o nome: “Pyri". Aftor spending several days pondering the motte, to So- i's reat annoyance, I remembered where I'd heard that nome. Somi’s grandfather, who used to run this ghosts togeths inn, was named Pyri Harjula, There ore lots of old letters in the attic. Among them I found a stock of ‘messages all signed with Pyri's nome, written in code ‘ond addressed to someone in Upsala, The code wos ‘easily deciphered, and now I've shut myself away in ‘my room all morning, reading Pyri' love letters. Sami is furious thot I've neglected my duties. He is banging the kitchen walls ond throwing soucepens ogains? the floor. Poor Ingelie. February 8th I now know who the dead man is. Pyri writes of his quilt ‘ond feelings of remorse over w murder he committed. He killed «mon named Oscar Hiortby slitting his throat This hoppened during © meeting with three people from Upsalo. One of them was named Albert. Oscar was unwilling fo cooperate, but what he wos meant fo do om unsure of, They buried his body somewhere in ‘our garden. Pyri says that, instead of having o priest consecrate the ground, they desecrated his body with ‘magic. He fears that he has damned the inn and con domned himself to hell. March Ist ‘Sophia has been quiet and withdrawn for some time ‘now. I sat down fo falk with her, and she fold me that she dreams of setting up o theater. She wonts fo puton shows here at the Witch Cat. I thinkits 0 brilliont ideo. have sent on invitation tothe Troll Dreoms theater troupe, mostly to attract customers but also to inspire Sophia. They will pass through here in eorly April. This time | won't let Sami get his way. March 19th ‘Sami sow the letter from the theoter director, and os 1'm writing this I hove hid in the stable like o noughty child, He hit me with the fireploce poker ~ everything went black and I woke up on the floor. ost the feeling in the fingers of my left hand, and they ore still numb. Blood, saliva, snot ond fears are runing down my foce, 501 need fo keep this paper away from my body to ovoid staining it 'm so scared. April 3rd If | stoy here he'll kill me. Tonight I'm packing my things, and I'm taking Pyr's letters with me. I'll show them to Sophio when | come for her. Perhops we will return fo the Witch Cat one day, when Sami hos died ‘or come fo his senses. Then we con go looking for