Kaya was five years old. She was a blonde haired, blue eyed girl that was full of life. She always had a smile on her face, and her laugh could make even the saddest person smile. She loved to dance around her new house and spend time with her new friends.
Kaya's family moved into the Murder House two months ago. She came from a wealthy family that bought the first house they saw.
Her parents, Jill and Andrew, seemed to only notice Kaya when it was convenient for them. They had her when they were both very young, and they both grew up too fast. They hadn't been ready to be parents, and now they constantly fought, completely annoyed by each other's presence. Kaya didn't seem to mind now that they lived in the new house. She had so many new friends in this house to keep her occupied.
Her best friend was Violet. Violet spent most of her time with Kaya, playing games with her, reading to her, and just being there for her. Kaya had tried to tell her parents about Violet, but they just convinced themselves that their daughter had an imaginary friend. They had no idea about all of the souls that haunted the house. Ignorance keeps people from seeing the truth.
"Vi….O…Let…" Kaya called out into the dark hallway.
"Hi, baby girl." Violet whispered into Kaya's ear from behind the little girl. Kaya squealed, turning around to wrap her arms around Violet's neck.
"Where have you been?" She asked and frowned. "Mommy and daddy are fighting again." She buried her face into Violet's shoulder.
Violet rubbed the little girl's back, picking her up into her arms. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I'm here now." She whispered, trying to sooth Kaya.
Kaya leaned back and smiled. "I wish you were my mommy."
Violet smiled. She wished she was Kaya's mother as well. She wished that she could be a mother, in general. That wish had been taken away from her when she had overdosed on pills and killed herself. She hadn't meant to kill herself. She just wanted the pain to go away. Little did she know at the time that the pain in the afterlife was much worse than the pain she experienced when she was alive. Everything was heightened in death.
It had been almost five years since she had damned herself to be stuck in this house for eternity. It had been five years since she had spoken to the one person that held as much of her heart as the tiny girl in her arms. She hadn't even seen Tate in the years since she had said goodbye to him. She hadn't seen him, but he had seen her. He watched her everyday, spending hours sulking in the dark corners of her life.
"Kaya? Come downstairs for dinner!" Jill called up the stairs to her daughter. Violet smiled at Kaya and placed her down on the ground.
Kaya looked up at Violet. "Can we play princesses after dinner?"
Violet smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll be in your room." Kaya smiled brightly before running downstairs.
"You would make a great mom, Vi." She tensed at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard it in so long, but she knew it was him. She could never forget anything about him. He was always in the back of her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to erase him.
"Finally worked up the courage to come find me, Tate?" She tried to make her voice sound stern, but a few words were shaky.
Tate moved closer to her, stepping out of the shadows so that she could see him. "I've always known where you were, Vi. I've watched you with Kaya. She loves you."
"Well, it's nice to have someone." Violet moved to walk past Tate, but he held out his arm to stop her. She took a few steps backward, not wanting to be so close to him. She didn't trust herself.
"You know… You could be her mom and have her forever."
Violet's brow knitted in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"I just want you to be happy, Vi, and she makes you happy. I can see how you yearn to be her mother. It could be quick and painless, ending her life. You could keep her forever." Tate had been slowly moving closer to Violet until he was directly in front of her.
Violet didn't respond for a moment, still trying to process what Tate had said. When she did, her hand connected with Tate's face in a hard slap. "You bastard! How could you say that to me?"
Tate shook his head. "I only want you to be happy!"
"I don't want anyone else to die in this house! Especially not that innocent, little girl. How could I damn someone to this existence?" Violet felt hot tears fall down her cheeks, and she quickly wiped them away.
"It doesn't have to be a bad existence…"
Violet glared at him. "I said NO, Tate! But I guess you don't really know what that word means."
Her words hit him harder than her hand. He growled and grabbed her by her arms, letting go of his nice side for a moment and accepting the dark. "You have no idea why I did the things I did. Don't act like you are so high and mighty. You loved me once, despite the fact that I murdered fifteen kids."
Violet felt like she was about to sob. He was right. She had loved him even though he was a murderer. She had given herself to him anyways. She was just as bad as him, and that was why she couldn't damn Kaya to this horror house.
"Let. Me. Go." Violet growled, trying to sound strong even though she felt like she was breaking.
"Violet?" A little voice called out from behind Tate.
Violet looked past him and saw that Kaya was standing in front of her room. Violet tried to smile. "It's okay, baby girl. Go inside. I'll be there in a second." Kaya nodded her head and went into her room. Violet yanked herself out of Tate's grasp and glared up at him. "If you or any other spirits come near her, I will rip you apart. Do you understand?"
"I just…" Violet didn't listen to the rest of what Tate had to say. She couldn't take it. She had to get away from him, and the only person that could make her feel better was her sweet little girl.
"Go away, Tate." She whispered just as she was opening Kaya's bedroom door. She watched him disappear and felt a sense of relief mixed with a sense of loss once he was gone.
…
Tate kept his distance from Kaya and Violet for the months that passed. He continued to watch both girls from afar. He watched how happy Kaya made Violet, and it broke his heart that Violet didn't see that she would be even happier if Kaya was a spirit. It scared him to think of what would happen to Violet when Kaya grew up and left. It would break her, and he feared that there would be nothing in this house that could fix her.
He blamed himself. Everyday, he wanted to beat himself up for not being able to save Violet. If only he had gotten to her sooner… If only he hadn't written "I love you" on the chalkboard… If only he would have told Violet that he was dead… There were so many "if only" situations that haunted Tate. He had done so many awful things in his life, but the one thing that he regretted the most was not being able to keep her alive. He would rather her have been happy and alive then miserable and damned to this house. He would have given up spending forever with her just to see her smile all of the time.
Her smile was something that he craved and could truly light up a room. The house felt a little brighter whenever Violet was in a good mood. Tate used to be her reason for smiling, but he had lost that job as soon as his secrets were exposed. Now Kaya was the only thing that could make Violet smile. There was a part of him that envied the small child, wishing that he could take her place in Violet's arms.
Tate would sometimes think of what it would be like if he hadn't ruined everything, if Violet and he were still happy. His mind would wander to thoughts of Violet and him playing with Kaya together, reading to her and having tea parties. He thought of them both tucking her into bed, kissing her goodnight before making their way to their own room and kissing each other goodnight. They could have been a happy family. He could have shown Violet that making Kaya a spirit was a good idea, and they could have been a family forever.
Tate had no idea that Violet's thoughts would occasionally drift to the same scenario. She would let her mind wander, thinking of how different everything would be if she was still with Tate. She wondered if he would be a good dad, if he would take Kaya into his arms like she was his own. There was a part of Violet that taunted her, reminding her that Tate was already a father. She pushed those dark thoughts away, locking them into the recesses of her mind.
Violet's thoughts were interrupted when Kaya jumped into her lap. The little girl looked more tired than usual, and her skin was warm to the touch. "Kaya, do you feel okay?"
Kaya shook her head and frowned. "I don't feel good. My body hurts." The little girl cuddled against Violet, and Violet held her tightly, rocking her back and forth trying to sooth her.
Violet frowned at the sound of Kaya's coughing that shook her small body. "My poor girl." Violet whispered.
"Will you lay down with me, Violet?" Kaya coughed out her words. Violet nodded and pulled the little girl closer to her, letting Kaya rest her head against her chest.
"Go to sleep, baby girl. I'm not going anywhere." Violet started humming a lullaby to help Kaya fall asleep. The little girl finally gave in and fell asleep with a small smile on her lips. Violet held the little girl for a few hours, getting lost in her thoughts again. She was pulled back when Kaya started to cough uncontrollably.
"Kaya? Kaya, wake up!" Violet shook the little girl, trying to wake her so that she would stop coughing. Kaya continued to cough, and her breathing started to become erratic.
Violet started to panic and called out the first name that came to mind. "Tate!"
Tate appeared at her side and saw Kaya's body shaking in her bed. Violet was leaning over her, shaking her in a panic.
"Tate, help me! I can't get her to wake up. Please!" Violet started crying and shaking Kaya even more. Tate grabbed Violet around her middle and pulled her away from Kaya. "Tate, stop! You have to help me!" Violet was screaming as tears ran down her cheeks. "What am I supposed to do? Her parents don't believe in ghosts and can't see any of us. I can't tell them to help her." Violet's words were muffled by her tears that choked her.
Tate held Violet tightly to his body as her sobs shook through her small frame. "Let her go, Vi. She'll come back."
"No!" Violet screamed and tried to wrestle out of Tate's arms. "No! My baby girl…" Tate felt tears prickle at his eyes as Violet continued to sob in his arms. They both watched as Kaya's breathing slowed. Her coughing finally stopped, and she stopped breathing. "No…" Violet whispered.
"There was nothing we could do, Violet. We couldn't save her, but now you can have her forever." Tate tried to sound soothing.
Violet shook her head. "This isn't what I wanted…" She whispered. "I didn't want to have her forever. I wanted her to grow up and have a life. I couldn't selfishly keep her here."
Tate spun Violet around in his arms so that he could look into her eyes. "Listen, Violet. You had nothing to do with this. She died because she was sick. This isn't your fault." Tate's words were stern, and Violet gaped at him.
"Why did you call out to me, Violet?" Tate asked.
"What?"
"Why did you call for me? You could have called for anyone, like your mother or father. Why me?"
Violet shook her head. "I… I don't know…"
"Maybe you need me. You just won't let yourself admit it. I've missed you so much, Vi." Tate leaned closer to Violet. She looked up at him, leaning in closer too.
"I know… I know, but that doesn't change anything. I'm sorry. Go. Away." And he was gone. She was left in the dark room with the body of the little girl that she couldn't save. She wondered if this was how Tate felt when he watched her die, knowing that her body was dead but that her spirit would soon find her way back into this house.
…
Kaya had been a spirit in the Murder House for almost three months, and the house was brighter than ever. All of the spirits loved Kaya, even Thaddeus. She would giggle and say "Thank you, Thaddy" whenever he brought her gifts, such as dead rats. She had started calling Violet "mommy" a week after her parents moved out of the house. They had found her body the morning after she died and had been so distraught that they had to move out as soon as they could.
Kaya was currently skipping through the upstairs hallway, singing quietly to herself. She rounded the corner and ran into someone's legs. Her bottom almost hit the floor, but strong arms picked her up. She looked into a pair of black eyes, knowing exactly who was holding her.
"Hi, Tate!" She smiled brightly. She hadn't spent much time with Tate, but she knew who he was. She heard many stories about him, but she wasn't afraid of what people said.
"Well hello there, Kaya." Tate smiled before setting the little girl down on her feet. "How are you?"
"I'm great!" Kaya exclaimed. "Are you still sad?"
Tate knelt down so that he was eye level with Kaya. "Sad?"
Kaya nodded. "You always look so sad, and mommy talks about how sad you are sometimes. She worries about you."
"She does?" Tate was shocked that Violet was even thinking about him. He figured that she would try to forget about him now that she had Kaya as her own.
"Yea… Sometimes she cries when she talks about you. I feel bad. Why are you both so sad?"
Tate shook his head. "It's… It's a long story."
Kaya frowned and nodded. Tate felt bad for not being able to answer her question, but he couldn't tell her about his past with Violet. She was too innocent to be burdened by the darkness. He tried to think of something to make her feel better. "Hey, Kaya? Have you met Beau yet?"
Kaya shook her head. Tate smiled and extended his hand out to her. "You're going to love him." Kaya smiled and jumped into Tate's arms.
The two of them spent a few hours in the attic with Beau. Beau instantly fell in love with Kaya. Tate could tell by the way he shared all of his things with her. He even let her sit on his bed. Kaya was so sweet to him, completely ignoring his deformities. That was the beauty of small children. They were innocent enough to see beauty in everything.
Kaya kissed Beau's forehead before walking over to Tate and yawning. Tate smiled down at the little girl and picked her up. Kaya laid her head against Tate's shoulder and yawned again.
"I think it's someone's nap time." Tate whispered.
Kaya shook her head. "But I'm not tired, Tate." She tried to hold in another yawn.
Tate chuckled quietly. "Okay, little bit. Let's go find Violet." Tate carried Kaya down the attic stairs and into the upstairs hallway. He walked to Violet's room and knocked on the door. His breath caught in his throat when she opened the door. Violet smiled slightly when she saw Tate holding Kaya.
"Hi." She whispered.
"Hey. I'm just bringing her back to you. We spent a few hours with Beau."
"Thank you. I'm sure she loved that." Violet reached out and let Tate move Kaya into her arms. The little girl smiled and cuddled close to Violet. She turned her head and looked at Tate.
"I love you, Tate." Kaya whispered. Tate smiled and leaned forward to press a kiss on the top of Kaya's head. When he pulled back, he was very close to Violet's face, and both of them froze for a second. They stared into each other's eyes until Violet blinked and took a step back.
"Thank you again for spending time with her. She has wanted to meet you for a while." Violet smiled and moved back a few more steps.
Tate nodded and smiled. "It was my pleasure. She is an amazing little girl. I can see why you fell in love with her so easily." He waved before turning and walking away.
Violet took a deep breath and felt tears prickle at her tear ducts. She sniffed to keep the tears at bay, and the noise made Kaya stir. She looked up at Violet.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, baby girl?"
"I don't understand…"
Violet tilted her head to the side, confused. She moved to sit on the bed, still holding Kaya in her arms. "Understand what?"
"Why are you not with Tate when you love him so much?"
Violet was taken aback by the question. "I…"
"You love him, mommy. And he loves you. I can tell. Why can't you be together?"
Violet felt a tear fall down her cheek, and Kaya wiped it away. "I'm sorry, baby girl. It's a long story."
"That's what Tate said too, but I don't believe you. If you are in love then you should be together. That's it."
"Kaya, you are so smart, but there are some things that you just don't understand yet." Violet was trying so hard to contain the feelings that Kaya was making resurface. She had buried her feelings for Tate, and she had made up her mind that her life with him was over. All of a sudden, Kaya was making her rethink that. She was starting to listen to a five year old.
"I do understand!" Kaya yelled. Violet was taken aback again. "Please, mommy. Just give him a chance. What if Tate could be my daddy, and we could be a family?"
Violet sighed. "That's a pretty picture, but…" She stopped talking when Kaya started crying. "Kaya? Kaya, stop crying." Violet wiped away her tears.
"I just want you to try. Please." Kaya cried.
Violet knew this was a bad idea. She kept telling herself this over and over again, but she couldn't upset her little girl. "Fine… Fine. I'll give it one shot. One. Do you understand, Kaya? If one time doesn't work then this is over."
Kaya stopped crying instantly and smiled, clapping and jumping on the bed. "Yes! I know. It's going to work!" She was so excited.
Violet tried to smile, even though she was panicking on the inside. She could only imagine what she had just agreed to. "Okay. Okay. Now lie down and take your nap." Kaya fell asleep with a huge smile on her face.
…
Kaya had spent the entire day with Chad. It had taken her a while to convince him to help her, but once she started crying, he couldn't say no. They had been cooking and decorating all day. Well, Chad had been cooking and decorating, and Kaya had been bossing him around. Once everything was perfect, Kaya went upstairs and pulled Violet down the stairs.
"Come on, mommy." Kaya pulled on Violet's hand, practically running down the stairs. Violet tried to walk as slowly as possible. She was having a panic attack on the inside because she didn't trust herself around Tate in such an intimate setting. Her nerves heightened when Kaya pushed open the door to the dining room.
The room was completely dark except for the flickering candlelight that glowed around the dining room table. Tate was sitting in one of the chairs and stood up quickly when Violet walked through the doorway. Violet froze when she saw Tate. He looked so handsome in the yellow glow. The shadows from the candles danced over his pale skin. Violet's breath caught in her throat and tears prickled at her eyes when all of the emotions came flooding back.
She was frozen. Kaya moved behind her, pushing on the back of her legs. "Go, mommy." Kaya pushed with all of her strength, and Violet tripped forward a few steps. Tate instantly moved to catch her, but Violet held up her hands to stop him.
"I'm fine." She mumbled. She moved to sit in the chair across the table from Tate's. Tate followed her motions and sat down.
Kaya smiled. "Have lots of fun." She waved before walking out of the room.
Tate stared at Violet, and Violet stared at her hands in her lap. The silence in the room was deafening.
"This was a sweet thing for Kaya to do." Tate was the one to eventually break the silence.
Violet bit her lip and nodded.
Tate took a deep breath. "How have you been?"
Violet shrugged. She felt that if she spoke, she would say something that she would regret. She had no idea how to interact with him anymore.
Tate growled and slammed his fists against the table, making Violet cringe. "God damn it, Violet! You promised Kaya that you'd try!"
Violet looked up at Tate with tears in her eyes. "I am trying! I'm trying not to have a breakdown right now!" The tears finally broke through, and she started to sob. Tate jumped up and was by her side in seconds. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "Don't." Violet cried out.
"I'm not letting you go, again." His words were full of love. He pulled Violet's head towards his chest and tried to sooth her sobbing by running a hand up and down her back.
"Why won't you just leave me alone?"
Tate leaned back so that his eyes connected with Violet's. "Because I love you." Violet whimpered at his words, but it didn't stop him. "I know I fucked up, Vi. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, and I don't deserve it. But you have to know that I would do anything for you, anything… Except leave you alone. I can't. I'm selfish, I know, but I need you. I can't let go of you."
"Tate…" Violet whispered, staring in his black eyes which seemed even darker in the low light.
Tate moved his hands so that they cupped her face. "Just tell me that you want me as much as I want you. Please, Vi…"
Violet took a shaky breath. "I never stopped…"
Tate made a noise in the back of his throat before leaning forward and trying to kiss Violet. She placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. "Violet…" Tate whispered. Violet shook her head. Tate moved his hands to the back of her neck, pulling her lips against his. Violet let out a sob against his lips, but he still held her close. His lips pushed against hers with more force.
Violet's mind was racing. A part of her was telling her not to respond to Tate's kiss, but the other part was begging her to kiss him back. The latter part eventually won, and Violet whimpered as she wrapped her arms around Tate's neck and pushed her lips back against his.
Tate smiled into the kiss. He had been waiting for so long for this. His arms wrapped around Violet's waist and pulled her into a standing position as he stood up. Violet's teeth nipped at his lips, and he could feel his jeans becoming tighter. Violet arched her back, pressing her hips against Tate's and gasped when she felt his arousal pressing against her.
"Sorry…" Tate mumbled, worrying that Violet was going to change her mind at any second.
Violet shook her head and moved her hands to Tate's shoulders. One of her hands trailed down his chest and over the bulge in his jeans. His hips jutted against her touch.
"Violet…" Tate moaned. "I don't… I don't want to rush you."
Violet looked up at Tate. "I just… I just want to forget about everything in the past and just be here, with you. Right now. Please, Tate. Let's start over."
If Tate's heart was still functioning, it probably would have exploded at that moment. The way Violet stared deeply into his eyes and finally spoke the words that let him back into her life made Tate want to start crying. "If that's what you want…" was the only phrase that he could think of.
"Is that what YOU want?" Violet questioned, suddenly worrying that Tate didn't want to start over.
"Of course! Yes. Vi… That's all I want." Tate fumbled with the words quickly.
Violet smiled. "Okay." She whispered before leaning forward and softly moving her lips against Tate's. Tate wrapped his arms around Violet's waist again. This time he picked her up and sat her down on the edge of the dining room table, situating himself between her thighs. His lips travelled across her cheek and down to the soft spot on her neck. Violet moaned and threaded her fingers through Tate's curls.
"I need you, Violet." Tate murmured against her throat.
"Here?" Violet asked, remembering that they were in the dining room. "What if Kaya comes to check on us?"
Tate chuckled and looked up at Violet. "I guess we can be like real parents and make it quick." He winked at her. Violet finally admitted to herself that she missed how carefree it used to be between them, and it was starting to feel that way again.
"Would you want to be Kaya's father?"
Tate smiled and nodded. "More than anything." Violet smiled and ran the tips of her fingers against Tate's cheeks. "Hold on." Tate mumbled as he moved around Violet. She watched him as he pushed the plates to the other end of the table and placed all of the candles on the bar. "Safety first." He joked, and Violet giggled. She opened her arms to him, and he moved back to her.
His hands slowly moved up Violet's thighs and under the hem of her dress. His fingers hooked into the elastic of her leggings and underwear, pulling them off her legs. Violet took a shaky breath when Tate's knuckles brushed against her core. Her fingers unbuttoned his jeans and pushed his jeans and boxers down his legs before wrapping her hand around his length.
"I love you…" Tate whispered. Violet reached up and pulled his lips to hers. His hands moved to rest against the small of her back, tilting her backwards a little so that he could easily push into her core. They both moaned at the fulfilling contact.
"I…" Violet moaned as Tate started to slowly move in and out of her. "I love you, too." She whispered. Tate smiled and kissed her with passion, increasing the pace of his rhythm. They both were lost in each other's embraces, holding tightly onto one another as they reunited.
Violet moaned Tate's name as her release flowed through her body. It was sensual and calming, setting her mind at ease. Tate's release followed after Violet's, and he held onto her tightly. Violet was wrapped around Tate, resting her head against his chest and listening to his breathing. They stayed like that for a few long minutes before Tate kissed her forehead and pulled out. Violet whimpered at the lost, and the sound made Tate smirk.
"Don't be sad, love. You can have me anytime that you wish." Tate teased, and Violet slapped his shoulder playfully. "I've missed that smile." Tate commented on the bright smile on her face. Violet blushed and bit her lip.
"I'm sorry…" She mumbled after a silent moment. Tate looked up at her, confused. "I'm sorry for pushing you away and not being willing to let you back into my life. I'm sorry that I tried to give up on you. I'm just sorry…"
Tate wrapped his arms around Violet. "I love you so much, Violet. Do you know that?" She nodded against his chest. "I would've waited centuries for you, even longer if I had to."
Violet leaned back and looked into Tate's black eyes. "I love you. I want to have a happy family with you and Kaya."
"Me too." Tate smiled and kissed Violet lovingly.
…
ONE YEAR LATER
"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!" Kaya screamed as she ran around the backyard in circles.
"Yes, I can!" Tate laughed as his arms wrapped around Kaya, pulling her off the ground. The little girl laughed and squealed as Tate blew kisses all over her stomach.
"Daddy!" She giggled as Tate tickled her.
"I didn't know that I had two small children." Violet called from the back door as she watched Tate and Kaya playing in the backyard. Tate laughed and walked over to Violet. Kaya jumped into her arms and kissed her on the cheek.
"Hi, mommy." She smiled brightly. Violet kissed her on her little nose and smiled. Tate leaned in and kissed Violet on her lips, and Kaya made a noise and covered her eyes.
Tate laughed. "Hey, booger. You're the one that got us back together so no acting silly." He teased.
Kaya stuck her tongue out at him, always knowing when he was being sarcastic. She was very smart for her young age and had acquired the gift of being able to read people. "And now we are a happy family!" She cheered.
"Yes, we are." Violet smiled and looked at Tate, mouthing "I love you." He winked at her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Kaya looked between them.
"I love you both so much." She said and wrapped an arm around both of their necks.
"And we love you more than anything." They both spoke at the same time.
And that's how they stayed, forever stuck in the Murder House. But what's forever when you are surrounded by people that you love more than life?