"Do you know why they asked us to get here so early?" Emmett asked Rose, covering a yawn with his hand.
Rose smiled and messed with his hair. She was so nervous but also so happy. "It's a surprise. Just help me to set this room ready to welcome another eight people more. Oh, and maybe to broadcast from here. Rachel Balck wants to make the last show of the season go with a blast."
"Eight? Who? Wait, are we giving the prizes tonight? Because nobody told me and we have to get them,"
Rose stopped him. "No, it's something different. Now go and bring me more chairs. And a table."
Rose and Rachel's plan included a bit of help from Bella. She knocked the door to the booth and came out bringing with her a smiling Alice.
"We're here!" Bella greeted Rose.
"I knew you would solve it." Alice went and hugged Rose. "Now, let's just wait until my husband comes screaming and shouting for me."
"Do you think is a good an idea?" Rose still wasn't sure how Jasper would take the news of his wife having tea and cookies at KDGM.
"Is the only way I could think to get him here." Alice smiled. "It was very nice of Rachel Black to get her driver to pick me up."
"It's the least she could do," Rose argued outraged, while Bella left the room laughing.
"I think she was a victim too. Just put yourself in her place. She was overly intelligent since she was a kid and her misogynistic father always made sure she understood she was in that place until Jacob came to his senses. Which we know never happened." Alice joked, "but it must have been frustrating for her. She also was the one who helped to move the date of the wedding."
"Hmm," Rose still didn't know how to feel about Rachel.
"Hello, hellooo!" Seth chanted as he arrived carrying a table. "I was told to bring this table as a set of beautiful ladies was waiting for it." Seth winked at Alice who giggled at him. "I'm Seth Clearwater at your service, my lady." He said with a curtsy.
"You really know how to flatter an old woman," Alice answered, patting his arm.
"Viejos los cerros y aún reverdecen." *[old like the hills, and they still revive every spring]* Carmen arrived joking, but again, nobody understood her joke. "We, the elderly people, our age may well be old, but we still have the energy and capabilities to do many things younger people do."
"Oh." Seth and Alice exclaimed.
"Carmen?" Alice asked, standing from her chair.
"Mi pequeña Licha! *[My little Alice]* Carmen hugged Alice, and the rest of her group entered the room.
Soon, Alice, Carmen, Esme, Carlisle, Stephan, and some very confused Seth and Emmett were chatting and joking in the booth. They were enjoying the snacks brought by Carmen and Esme.
"Guys," Rose came back from whatever she was doing outside, "we are still waiting a couple of guests. Alice, I'm sure Jasper will be here any minute. Now, I know you're wondering why we asked your presence today," most of the group nodded, "so let me tell you that we're here not only to answer a few questions some of you have since many years ago but to correct a wrong that caused so much pain over the years."
Her explanation only meant something for Alice, as the others still didn't have an idea but as soon as Rachel and Rebecca Black arrived, Stephan's group started to get a clue.
Another five minutes spent in greetings when the two more important guests arrived... at the same time.
The door from the booth opened and Eddie came to wonder what was the reason for such fuss, at the same time Jasper barged into the room looking for Alice.
Both men walked until they realized there were surrounded by people staring at them. Then, slowly both lifted their sight, until they saw the other.
"Jasper?"
"Edward?"
For a second, Rose worried, but Jasper was so shocked to see that Eddie really looked the same. And when he was about to say something, Bella came out from the booth.
"Jasper! I'm so glad to see you."
Jasper just stood openmouthed. Bella also looked the same. At the same time, you could hear not only Seth's gasp but the murmurs of the others.
"Bella?" Rebecca went fast to Bella, trying to touch her to see if she was real.
"Rebecca!" Bella wasn't so shy so she hugged her old friend.
"But how? They told me you died!"
"I know, and I'll explain. Come take a seat over here." Bella let Rebecca sitting turning then to hug Rachel who was also crying.
Jasper was still speechless looking form Bella to Edward.
"Ok, now could someone please, explain what's going on here."
"Uhm, well, I bet some of you remember I was asking questions about the 1974 fire," Rose began her story, "well, with the help of all of you I found what really happened. There were many misunderstandings," she turned to Jasper, "a terrible crime that someone covered hurting many of you. So now, with the help of Bella and Rachel, I think we can explain what really happened that night, in order to clarify any misconceptions some of you still have."
And like that, Rose began with the story, explaining how William was pressuring Jacob, how Bella and Edward eloped causing Jacob's rage and in consequence, the fire. Bella smiled when Rose explained Jacob's health condition. Then Rose continued with William covering everything related to the fire to save Jacob's ass, leading to the lie he told Jasper.
"So he never offered you a new show if you canceled the one we had?" Jasper wondered.
"No, it wasn't like that. Our show was in standby, officially, until we were back to health. Obviously, that would never happen, but I sort of made a deal with William so he wouldn't leave you without a job."
"A deal with William?" Rose asked. That was unexpected.
Edward smiled. "I guess you need to hear my part of the story, right? Hmm, well, after the explosion knocked me out, I remained in the dark for a while. suddenly, I woke up. And it was so weird, I was standing in the same room of the explosion but everything was different. I saw people coming and going and screamed, but nobody heard me. I was desperate. Then, a ray of light came back, Bella found me." He kissed Bella's head, "and little by little she explained how she also woke up but somehow Bella managed to move around the old wing."
Bella chuckled. "It took us a while, but we were able to hear what was happening around us. And sometimes we tried to talk to the people passing by, but not everybody listens."
"One day, William came back to use one of the phones in what was his old office. Bella and I heard how he was calling a friend who was a Doctor to discuss Jacob's future treatment, joking how easily was to get him out of state because the stupid cops were eager to get bribed. Then William boasted about deceiving his daughters to accept Bella's death, how when he called my own father to explain the accident he immediately hung up as he wasn't interested, but what angered me the most, was when he explains his plan to not only fire anyone who began to question my whereabouts, but how he was trying to pin the whole incident to Jasper and Alice. I was so angry that I turned a desk and kicked a chair. William jumped scared. Then he saw me. Us. I told him we would never leave him alone if he didn't agree to our terms. That's how I managed to get at least a weekend stint for Jasper. But there was still the little problem of covering our deaths, and while he was sure to keep things quiet about Bella, I was a public figure. People were already speculating about my whereabouts. That's when we came with the idea of 'The hairy claw'. Initially, William would be operating the booth and I would do the talking, but, around that day, somehow we became more tangible. That's when we decided to let Bella and me work alone in this empty old wing."
"But how? Why? Did you see a light at the end of a tunnel?" Stephan asked.
Edward laughed. "Nope. As a matter of fact, nobody has explained a thing to us. It just happens. Will it end one day? Who knows!"
"But are you dealing with unfinished business? Completing any task you left undone?" Stephan still had more questions.
"No. We just don't know. We just woke up to this," Bella waved her hand around, "it took us time to move around. I only managed to haunt Jacob after months of trying."
"My brother is still alive?" Rebecca gasped.
"Sadly, yes. Sorry, Rebecca, you know I love you but when I woke up I was so consumed by hate towards him. And I'm afraid I used you too." Bella confessed.
"How? I don't remember seeing you."
"We didn't want William to leave without paying for what he did. So while you went to your terrace, looking for solace, I sort of whispered in your ear. We made sure to visit William, finding out what was ailing him, and I made sure you knew so you would push him to seek medical attention. I think we managed to get him to live enough to regret helping Jacob."
Emmett stood up and paced around his chair. "Are you telling me that 'Eddie the Vampire' isn't a vampire, but a ghost?"
"A-ha." Rose nodded.
"And he's really been hosting 'The hairy claw' for more than forty years?"
"A-ha."
"And that's the true reason why this wing remains abandoned."
This time Rachel answered. "Yes, I had to lie to Rebecca, making her believe I wanted to rebuild this wing. Otherwise, she would have started with the so-called museum. You know Dad only said he wanted to build a museum as an excuse to keep it abandoned, right?"
Everybody nodded. Now everything was clear.
"And what happens now?" Esme pondered.
"Well, firstly, we have a show to host, right?" Bella said smiling, "We thought it would be a good idea if this time, our guests share a scary story on air."
xxx
And so they did. Eddie and Jasper hosted the show, joking and smiling like they did in the past. They told stories, joked with the audience and by five in the morning, they all shared the name of the winners and said goodbye to the show for another year.
But this time was different, Rachel hired Jasper to host along Eddie. Bella and Alice made plans to have visits with Esme and Carmen. Emmett and Seth swore to keep the secret, knowing they would be a part of the team the next year.
Rose just stood proud, looking how the wrongs of the past, were amended.
As the show ended, everybody left the room. But this time it didn't feel like goodbye, it was a see you soon.
xxx
Bella and Edward closed the door of the booth and the room. Smiling when the reel of the station ads began to play.
"Well Seattle, we'll see you in a year with another week full of horrific stories. Prepare your fangs so you will join again Eddie 'The Vampire' in another season of 'The hairy claw''
Bella chuckled. "What a silly ad! Didn't they know vampires aren't real?"
And they walked laughing, hand in hand, while they vanished for another year.
The end.
Well, what do you think?
I think I'll owe you the outtakes until tomorrow. For us, the kids come asking for candies today on 'the day of the dead' so I'll be standing by my door with the candies :)
Last list of recommendations:
The serpent and the rainbow (1988) An anthropologist goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.
How I love this film! I prefer this kind of zombies, not those that eat brains, but the ones where someone is controlling you. And Bill Pullman looks really handsome in this film ;)
Siccîn (2014) Öznur is a young and beautiful woman. She has had a platonic love since childhood to Kudret, who is her cousin. Kudret, however, is married to a woman named Nisa and is very happy. Jealous, Öznur uses terrible black magic to change this so that she and Kudret will be together. However, she is not prepared for the evil that this spell unleashes.
Turkish horror! I've only watched a couple of films of this saga, but I found it so interesting and scary.
Bait (2012) A freak tsunami traps shoppers at a coastal Australian supermarket inside the building - along with 12-foot Great White Sharks.
None list is complete without a shark film. Now, this one may seem silly, but hey, Xavier Samuel stars it. How could one hate Mr. Riley Bears fighting sharks?
