I woke up to the sound of banging over me. I stayed motionless in bed for a moment, reminding myself the house did have an attic I hadn't yet ventured into.

Creeping out of the covers, I staggered to the string hanging from the ceiling to pull it down.

The air in the attic was much thicker than downstairs and I started to feel suffocated by the heat, but still, I crawled up the steps and began to gaze over the leftover things covered with heavy layers of dust.

"Hello?" I called out.

There was more rummaging, expect this time it was much closer.

Chill bumps covered my body and I was certain that the presence that was here was not of a person who was still alive. But…fear…I also sensed so much fear.

"You don't have to be scared." I muttered.

Out from the shadows, a heavily disfigured guy wobbled towards me.

I gasped quietly before gulping air and calming myself before I tottered to him.

He was trying desperately to conceal his face and I felt a sense of sadness sweep over me.

"Hey…you don't have to hide. It's okay."

He began to hesitantly shift his hands away and I gave a comforting smile.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"B-Beau…"

"It's nice to meet you, Beau. My name is Jetta." I said once we were only feet away from each other.

"Beau doesn't…scare you?"

"Why would you scare me?"

"Beau is hideous."

"That's not-"

"Beau is repulsive."

I edged closer to him, gently placing my hand on his shoulder.

"You're not hideous or repulsive. You're just unique. Everyone is different and special in their own way. Who would ever make you believe that you are those things?"

"Mom…I…I'm so sorry."

He began sobbing hysterically and I pieced together that his mother had been ashamed of him and locked him up here which probably resulted in his death.

In the most compassionate way I could, I gave him a small hug. "Hey, now. It's okay."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and turned around to walk back downstairs.

"I'll come back and visit, okay?" I told him.

He nodded and after wiping away tears, made a smile.

I dashed to the door and yanked it open.

"Tate!" I exclaimed, rapidly becoming aware of how short my bottoms were and how much cleavage my tank top had to be revealing.

"Oh…uh… did I come at a bad time?"

I blushed viciously. "Nah, you're fine. Come on in."

"So, what were you up to?" he asked while I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Not much, really. Just exploring the attic."

He paused and stared at me for a moment. "What did you find up there?"

"Lost memories."

"I'm sure this house has a lot of those."

I nodded before lighting up a cigarette and breathing it in.

"You do that, too?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…my ex used to smoke, too."

"Your ex? You're not in a relationship?"

He raised his eyebrow. "No."

"That's shocking, really."

"Shocking?"

"All I'm saying is I know how the girls at my old school would have reacted if you had been around them."

He laughed. "Now that's shocking."

"You'd be surprised. So, who's your ex, lover boy?"

"Her name is Violet. But things got…complicated and we didn't work out."

"I'm sorry, man. I know how that goes." I inhaled my cigarette once more, "Do you still love her?"

"I said I'd wait forever if I have to and I know I meant it, but…it's been a few years now and I don't think she will come around."

"That's rough."

"It's just…it's just bullshit, you know? I was doing better. I was…trying so hard and then I fucked up and now I'm all alone-"

"Hey," I muttered while walking to him and forcing him to look at me. "I know life can be shitty, but if it counts for anything, you have a friend in me. I'm no Violet, but I am Jetta and I would at least hope that's better than nothing." I made a small laugh. "I don't know. I'm pretty nutty sometimes, though."

His features softened and he made a grin. "I guess that's better than nothing."

"I appreciate the sincerity, Tate." I replied through laughter.

Later on that day, as I went on with my daily obligations, Moria stopped me.

"Forgive me if I'm being rude, but may I ask you a personal question?"

I gave her a puzzled expression, but nodded. I had grown a liking to Moria, it was nice to have someone around the house other than my cat.

"What happened to your parents?"

I took a breath before replying. "They were murdered. I found the bodies."

"Oh…I…I'm terribly sorry that I asked and brought up such terrible memories, Miss. Addams."

"Don't be. You have every reason to wonder why I moved here by myself at such a young age. I don't blame you for being curious."

"I know I am nowhere near the standards of a mother, but if you need someone to talk to or just be there, do not hesitate to tell me."

I smiled. "That really means a lot, Moria, Thank you."

I cried myself to sleep that night. I suppose mentioning it at all brought all those dreadful things that I had tried to suppress back to the surface.

It wasn't just the death of my parents or even the horrific event of discovering their corpses, what had followed after was what had forced me to flee my home.

Everyone in town knew I dabbled in the unknown and it terrified the tiny, Christian town that I had lived in to no end that there was someone who wouldn't abide by their rules and restrictions.

When the death of my parents came out to the public, even after they had proved I was completely innocent, the religious nutcases accused me of using them as some sort of satanic sacrifice. It was just a few people at first, but then the numbers grew and grew until I had become a complete outsider in my own town, but I wasn't a killer and I never could be. My compassion for others was too dominant in me to ever be anything but a caregiver.

With tears streaming down my face, I punched and screamed into my pillow, but all the while, I could feel someone's eyes on me. I didn't know who it was, but I could feel an overwhelming sense of sympathy which eventually comforted me enough to fall into a slumber.