From the window of her former bedroom Violet Harmon watched the 'For Sale' sign rise in the front yard. She knew this would happen eventually. Sooner or later the blood would be cleaned from the floor, the cribs tucked away in the attic, and the spirits in this house would calm down enough for some living soul to wonder in again, thinking they could make this place their home. "That's a load of bullshit." Violet pushed open the window, bringing her last cigarette to her mouth and lighting it. She would have to get ahold of Constance, see if she would pick her up another carton. That was the biggest pain about the house. She couldn't leave. No one could.

"Violet, you shouldn't be standing there. Someone could see you." Violet turned, looking over at her mother, Vivian, as she joined her in the room. She watched her mother give her a disapproving look at the cigarette, but was glad when Vivian didn't complain aloud. It wasn't like they would kill her. The pills had taken care of that. How long had it been? Oh yea, five years. Sometimes it still felt like yesterday that her, her mother and her father had moved into the house. It was so beautiful, so full of potential. Or so they had thought. It was a windowless prison, trapping them exactly how they were for eternity. Even after Violet had known what was happening, even when she knew about the ghost s who's house she shared, she loved the place. But that was because she was young and in love. And it made her so very stupid. Vivian wrapped her arms around her daughter, and Violet leaned back into her mother's embrace. Even though it made her sad that her mother was dead, Violet was glad she wasn't alone. No matter how long she was here, she was still only 15, and she still needed her mother.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you left this room, got out with the others." Vivian sounded hesitant, and Violet knew why. This wasn't the first time her mother had offered this bit of advice. Normally Violet would start spewing venom, yell at her mother and tell her to get out of her room and leave her alone. But soon this wouldn't be her room. Soon this would be a young man's office, or an old woman's sewing room. Or the bedroom of another teenage child, doomed to repeat the mistakes of the previous occupants. At the thought of someone else going through what she had gone through Violet shuddered in disgust. No one should have to live like that. Not even the dead. Violet wanted someone to tear the house down, get rid of it. Maybe that would free everyone.

"Not a fucking chance." Violet pulled away from Vivian, following the same cycle they fell into each time. She didn't want to go out there. She had tried that, tried to move about the house and the grounds that were to be her eternal hell. But the moment she walked out of the room there he was. It might have been years, but Violet could remember it like it had just happened. She had meant what she said. She loved him, every part of her soul wanted to be with him. It was her mind that knew better. It was her mind that judged him and found him guilty of crimes too unspeakable to think about. It was her mind that had to punish him. But in a game of head over heart Violet didn't know how long she would last. One day she knew she would break down, think he had suffered enough, and forgive him. They were stuck in this house forever, she couldn't avoid him, and her feelings, for all of eternity. In the beginning it was easier. Her rage was still new. It was as if every scar on her arm had been torn open again, and the mere sight of him was like sticking the bleeding appendage into the salty ocean. Violet could face him because she could tell him how much she hated him, even if it was only half true. The pain he felt, the tears he cried, the times he begged her to forgive him, it made it better for her in the beginning. Violet had no idea if they were true, or just another lie coming from his mouth, but it made the bitter part of her feel better. Righteous and justified. But time does heal the worst of the wounds. Violet learned to accept what had happened to her, to her mother, to her whole family. They were not the first victims of this house, and she knew they wouldn't be the last. But they would be the last to fall victim at his hands. And it was because of this she had to stay away from him, watching only from a distance to make sure he didn't laps. The moment he did would be his last moment in this house. Violet had no idea how she would do it, but she would make sure it happened this time. And for good.

"No one has seen Ta-"

"I don't care. It's bullshit. The second I walk out of here he'll be back. I want to kill him, Mom. I want to chop him into tiny fucking pieces for what he did to us." She said the words, but Vivian could no longer hear the conviction behind them. She was losing her little girl all over again, to the same monster as before. But this time, Vivian wanted it to happen. At least this time she would know the stakes, and they were ones Vivian could handle. And she knew Violet would be happier once all had been resolved. Vivian saw herself in her daughter more and more, and one of the biggest regrets she had was not making things right with Ben before she died. Violet had all the opportunities to make things right with the boy she loved, and she was refusing to take them. He had made mistakes, no one could deny that. But the heart does not care about what someone does. It only care for what it feels. Love is as selfish emotion as it is selfless.

"You can't Violet. You know you can't. And you can't stay in this room for the rest of forever. So come on. Let's go out into the back yard and you can see the sun. Moira just made some tea, I don't even know where she found it after all this time, but it tastes alright." Vivian took Violet's hand, leading her away from the window and towards the door. Violet followed the first few steps, like she always did, but just before the door she stopped. Vivian had expected this, and tugged at Violet's hand. Violet was depressed, Vivian knew the signs, and even though Violet couldn't actually take her life, she could go crazy. There were plenty of ghosts in this house who had lost their minds and were spending their afterlives huddled in corners, unaware of the passing of time or even the fact they were dead. Vivian wouldn't let that happen to her little girl.

"Mom, don't make me go." Violet's voice took on a softer, pleading tone. But Vivian shook her head, reaching out and opening the door. Violet bit down onto the cigarette she was still smoking, biting the filter in half as she fought back tears. She was more than afraid of going out of her old room, she was terrified. Terrified to run into him again, to open the wounds she had painfully stitched back together. But staying in there was just as bad as going out there. If he really wanted in the room with her, there would be no stopping him. He could walk through any locked door, make his way through every barricaded entryway, scale any wall, if he so chose to. And that was something else Violet knew, even if she didn't admit it to herself. He was staying away from her room because he knew as long as she was in there, she didn't want to see him. Leaving her room was waving the white flag. It told him she was fair game once more. At least to Violet that is what it was saying.

"Come on, Violet. How long has it been since you left this room? Weeks? Months?" Vivian sighed, looking back at her daughter's spectral form, and let go of her hand. She wasn't going to force Violet into anything. That sort of thinking was what led them to living in the Murder House, and then their deaths. Her little girl could take care of herself in their afterlife. But she could try and convince her to leave. "You know what today is?" Violet shook her head. Days didn't mean much to her anymore. Only one day really mattered, and that was Halloween. The one day they could leave, be free. Violet had spent the last two years with the Dead Breakfast Club, it at least kept him away from her. Despite the cruel things they had said to her when they met they really were sorry she had died. Everyone was sorry when someone so young lost their life. But Violet knew it wasn't Halloween, Halloween had already passed for the year. So that meant… "It's Thaddeus' birthday tomorrow." Violet did her best to hide the gag when her mother said the name. Why she had named her brother after the most evil being Violet had encountered Violet didn't know. Maybe it was the hold the house had on them all. Maybe it was because of Nora and all the grief she had gone through. No matter the reason Violet couldn't agree with it. Vivian knew she had Violet's attention, and used it to take another step from the room before looking back at Violet pointedly, as if to say 'you wanna talk about this, you'll come with me.'

"Is Dad bringing it here?" Violet asked, taking a step after her mother. Vivian smiled, holding tight to Violet's hand, reminding her she was here for her, forever.

"I don't know. The phones got cut off about a week ago. But probably. He has every other year. Can you believe he's already five?" Vivian smiled, thinking about seeing her boys, the ones who made it out and ignored the way Violet had worded her statement. It was risky, bringing Thaddeus around, but as long as Ben stayed off the grounds they were ok. No one could get the boy, and the boy couldn't get into the house. Violet didn't know why her mother tortured herself that way, only seeing her family from across the street. Waving and shouting greetings to each other. That thing had killed her mother, it tore it's way out and Vivian died there, in the house causing her to be damned just like the rest of them. Violet didn't even like calling it by a name, it would always be an it to her. That thing that ruined their lives. That thing and him. Violet would never torture herself the way her mother did. Which was why she staid locked up in her room, hiding from the one thing that caused her so much pain. And joy.

"Is it really smart for them to keep coming here? Dad can only keep it away from the house for so long. Do we really want it getting in here?"

"Your father thinks it will be best for Thaddeus to grow up knowing what happened, and how we died to make sure he could be happy safe and loved. That he could grow up away from this house, and he could grow up to be good. He's your brother, Violet."

"He's not my brother. It's a freak, it isn't natural. It killed my real brother, just like it's father killed all those people." Violet stopped walking, realizing she was already down the hall and headed for the stairs. This was too far. He could be around any corner, waiting for her. Violet tugged her hand from Vivian's and took off back for her room. The minute she was inside she went to the still open window and tapped on the wind chime that hung there. It was her way to contact Constance, to tell her to come over, that she needed something. More smokes, and now. She stood there until she saw Constance come out of her house and look up and Violet. After all this time the two still only barely got along. Before it had been for him, but now it was for that thing he had created. For better or worse they were all connected, the living and the dead. The balance of life and death playing out in a very literal sense. Once the two had connected eyes, Violet threw herself at her bed and landed on the comforter face first. Constance would be there soon, a pack in her hand where Violet could bum one, and then head to get her more once she knew Violet's request.

Violet heard the footsteps coming down the hall, but didn't roll over. The light, quick steps stopped at her door, but there was no typical knock or call afterwards. Perhaps Constance was having a bad day, those seemed to be going around, and Violet rolled over to ask for a smoke and tell Constance where she could get the money for her next carton. Her mouth was half open before she even saw who was standing in her door. And it wasn't Constance.

"Tate?"