VIOLET (11 years old)
"You know, it's pretty easy finding you"
Tate's voice cracked through the silent room. He paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath before smirking at the curtain diagonally crossed from him.
It was a typical boring Friday night at the Harmon's house, where 11 year old Violet would be at home with her teenage nanny as they waited for her parents to come home from their dinner. Every Friday night was tradition in that house, Ben and Vivian would spend their Friday evenings eating out downtown to reflect on their days.
Ben called it there therapy time.
"I hear you!" Tate said, smirking as he stalked closer to the ruffled curtain. It was not hard playing hide and seek with an 11 year old girl. She made it all the while easier when she didn't know how to hide. And he was dead, he could easily see through things to see.
With confidence, he calmly floated his way over to the curtain, and spread it wide open revealing a shocked Violet. She screamed at the sudden appearance Tate had made before hitting him on the chest.
"No fair! You cheated!" She pouted as she crossed her arms like a 7 year old child. She emerged from the curtains and took a seat on the bed and Tate just smirked. "Your just jealous that your crap and I won" Tate smirked at her as she began to giggle at him.
Tate smiled at her the moment the giggle erupted out as he felt warm. Not literally, but his dead heart somewhat started to feel light. Happy, innocent. Her laugh, her presence. Everything about her, despite her age, made Tate sane. It was like anything that made Tate happy was all pushed into one tiny little girl. His happiness- rested on her.
He knew it sounded creepy, the fact that an 11 year old girl was the source of his happiness. But it was his love and admiration for her. Not romantically speaking kind of love, but maybe the brotherly protecting kind of love. She was so pure, innocent of how the world works. She didn't give a flying shit about anyone or anything. It was her vibe, her happiness that made Tate become attracted to her.
He needed her.
To survive. And Tate would protect her at all costs.
"Mr Tate! Your dreaming again!" She shouts at him as she smiles up at him shaking away Tate's thoughts. He genuinely smiles, "Am not"
"Are to-" Violet argued back as he rolled his eyes at the girls childish little games. Tate roamed around the room before plopping himself on the silk sheets of Violets bed.
"Let's do something fun" Violet offered to Tate as she sat in her desk chair, the fluorescent light shining off her face.
"Like what?" He asks, curiously.
"We could watch The Simpsons again?" Violet peeked a smile as Tate shook his head, staring directly at her. "Boring, we do that all the time" He replied in a vague tone as he collapsed backwards on her bed. Violet bit the bottom of her lip harshly , trying to eagerly come up with something.
"Do you wanna scare Lila again?"
Lila was the teenage popular girl who was babysitting Violet. She was the perfect example of the type of girls Tate hated back in high school. Snobby, constantly thinking they are the shit, rich, perfect little lives. She was such an awful stereotype as well, from the blonde hair to dating the most popular guy at school.
It was like these people were asking to be murdered by Tate.
If Violet wasn't so naive and perfect, Tate would have snapped her pretty little neck ages ago. But would Tate really risk letting Violet see such things at a young age? She needed to grow up normal, away from all the crazy.
"Nah, it gets boring after a while" Tate said momentarily as he paused thinking about the times they scared Lila up in the attic. Tate heard Violet sigh from his replies as he sits up, facing at Violet.
"Then what do you wanna do? I'm so bored that I'll even let you take pictures of me in a dress" She said sarcastically as Tate snorted. Violet hated dresses but the one time she wore them, he wasn't there to take a picture of it. He wanted to laugh at her and mock her but deep down, Tate wanted to treasure this forever.
"I don't know" He paused slightly as he racked his brain for any fun ideas. It was silent for a while as each were both wrapped up in their own thoughts until the sound of a car driving through the gates snapped them out of their thoughts.
Tate's face scrunched up in confusion as Violet's chair squeaked as she ran to the window, peering outside. Tate glanced at the clock and it said 11:50pm. It was unusually late for the Harmons to be arriving this late.
"Oh no! I'll get in trouble for being awake!" Violet shrieked as Tate stood up from the bed, watching her a she scrambled out of her regular clothes into a pair of fluffy stripped pyjamas.
"I got you" Tate said as he quickly turned off the light and hid away Violet's books and records before rushing back over to the bed, lifting the covers to help her slide in.
He sat on the edge of her bed, watching her but immensely listening to the sound of the door opening loudly and being slammed shut which confused Tate. Usually they weren't that loud when coming home.
"Be quiet, I'll go check them out" Tate said reassuringly to Violet who just nodded her head. Taking that as a go, Tate floated his way down the hallway and appeared into the downstairs hallway, making himself invisible as he watched the Harmons.
Vivian had tears running down her face, her blonde curly hair disheveled from the heavy wet weather outside. She looked disgusted, yet angry as she threw off her heels. Ben came in, following as he looked distraught.
The must've fought.
"Hi Mr and Mrs Harmon, Violet's asleep so-… are you alright?" Lila said, emerging from the living room as she held a tight grip on her bag as she looked at the couple.
Vivian scoffed before looking away, Ben gulped. "I'm fine, go get home now. Here's the money, keep the change" Ben hastily said as he chucked her a few bills, slapping it into her hand.
"Uh, okay thanks!" She said awkwardly, giving Vivian a smile before running out the door.
Tate didn't blame her for looking so eager to leave. If that was him, he would've done the same thing. As soon as the door slammed, Vivian began to shout.
"I can't believe you Ben!"
"Vivian please, listen-"
"No! Don't touch me!"
The continuous shouts of their fight was so typical that it was the same insults thrown here and there. Vivian would accuse Ben of cheating again, she would threaten to leave him and take Violet with her and throw things while Ben will be on the verge of crying, begging her to stop and forgive him.
It disgusted him. How Ben treated Vivian and how she treated him. There relationship was toxic from the moment Vivian caught her husband cheating. They were like two moths attracted to a deadly toxic flame. Tate hated them both, for fighting and ruining Violet's life. They couldn't even put up a happy front for her.
He couldn't let them either take Violet away. He especially did not want her growing up in a broken home like he did. Selfish, vain mother and a low life father with 3 other siblings. He didn't want her to grow up unhappy and unloved.
Angry at the both of them, Tate acts out as he lunges behind Vivian and shoves her roughly forward. Her body jerks roughly towards Ben who catches her. Vivian, shocked, screams at Ben before hitting him. It was useless, they were over whether either of them wanted to admit it.
Tate immediately floats himself back upstairs into Violet's room, ignoring all the loud yelling and smashing of items that gets fainter the more he distances himself. He opens the door to the darkly lit room to hear his sunshine crying.
Tate's heart throbbed in his chest as the tension in the room started to rise, hearing her hiccups between her heavy sobs. He closed the door behind him, as he walked over to her bed, sitting beside her.
It was silent for a bit, the sound of her heart beating rapidly in her chest as her loud sobs racked the room. Her fists were curled up beneath her face as she buried her face in the pillow. Tate comfortingly stroked her arm and Violet finally looks up at him.
Her teary wet puppy face looks up at him like he was the only one in the world she needed. He couldn't help but feel pain as he watched her cry more.
"Why do they keep fighting?" Violet questions as she shakes her head at him, wiping the continuous tears flowing down her face. Tate gulped nervously.
"There just too stupid-" He comfortingly says to her as he puts a piece of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear. "-Parent's suck"
She chokes a bit as a smile lights up on her lips and Tate felt lighter, seeing her smile. "Your right, there shit"
He laughs as she sits up and stares at him. There eyes connect and for a minute, Tate saw their future. She would be almost 25 years old, carrying Tate's child in her stomach. He suddenly felt woozy and fuzzy in his stomach from the thought and Tate couldn't help but choke on the vision.
What was that? Was it real?
"Tate" she says quietly as she grabs his hand, curling her small hand around his. Tate felt nervous from their touch but shook his head. He couldn't have feelings for her, she was only 11 years old.
"Y-yeah?"
"Sleep with me tonight please" She begged quietly as she shook his hand squeezing it hard. Tate's eyes widen at her request. She was still young, she was too naive and innocent to the world. He didn't want to gain more feelings for her than he already did.
"But boys don't sleep with girls, girls have cooties" Tate playfully jokes around at her but she doesn't smile. Instead, she pulls his hand over her shoulder before laying down.
"Please Mr Tate?" She says softly, nudging him.
Tate sighs as the next thing he found himself doing was shuffling over beside her as he laid next to her. He waited several minutes before she fell asleep before Tate stood back up again.
He looked down at her and smiled. She was everything to him and no matter what she did or how old she grew to be, she would always be his little sunshine. And as he stood there staring down at her, all he could think about and all he could ever see was,
His redemption.