Previously on The Haunt...
"Thanks. I'm just glad someone has enough sense to have the funeral before they..." I trailed off, not wanting to make him feel any worse.
"Find out who actually did it? Yeah, I know. You'll be dead by the time that happens."
Halfway up the stairs, my legs started to feel numb. I collapsed, grabbing onto the railing so that I wouldn't tumble down the stairs. I dragged myself up the rest of the stairs, my legs not moving. What was going on? I could see Joy was in our room, and someone dressed in all black was close to her.
"Patricia!" She had a terrified look in her eyes.
"Joy..." I reached out. I needed to save her. But I was weak. I couldn't do it. "I'm sorry."
And then my eyes fluttered closed.
"It was you, Patricia!" Joy exclaimed. She only got higher off the ground.
"What?" I whispered.
"It was all your fault!" She was nearly touching the ceiling... If there was one.
"What was my fault!?" I felt like crying, just like Joy was starting to.
"It's your fault I'm dead!"
Eddie shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. all we can do is wait." A hint of a smile appeared on my face. "What are you thinking, Patricia Williamson?" He gave me that stupid smile I fell in love with a long time ago.
"Maybe we should catch him in the act."
"I can already tell this is a bad idea."
"Joy's funeral is tomorrow." Lindsey reminded me, and my heart sank a little. "I'm assuming you're not ready, either?"
"I just hope your funeral isn't next." I gave her a sad smile.
"Are you trying to imply something?" She came closer to me.
"I talked to Eddie earlier, and I was right, he did know something." I stared at my hands. "Fabian told him who he was going after next." I looked back up at Lindsey. "You."
"The house and its residents will be under the supervision of our best officers twenty-four seven. Especially you know who." He sighed.
I looked back where James was standing, only to see a girl with brown hair that I'd never seen before appear and disappear before my eyes. I stared at the space, confused. What just happened? I became dizzy. What was happening?
"Patricia!?" Lindsey yelled as I fell to the ground. "Patricia!?"
The last thing I saw was her terrified expression before everything went black.
"I don't trust Eddie, Patricia, and I never will."
"Okay..." I gave him a confused look.
"But we need to know what's going on in his head, you're the only person that can get that from him." He took a step back.
"Are you saying what I think you are?" My breath caught in my throat.
"I want you to get close to him again." Jerome didn't look me in the eye.
"Jerome, no..." Tears started to come to my eyes.
"You need to be with him again. I need to let you go."
Chapter 51: Saying Goodbye
Lindsey and I sat in my room on the morning of Joy's funeral, cups of tea in hand. I was on my bed, while Lindsey was sitting in a chair with her knees pulled up to her chest and a blanket around her. For a while there was silence, me tracing the pattern on my cup.
Lindsey cleared her throat. "Do you trust him?" She looked up from her tea. "Eddie, I mean. Do you trust him?"
I sighed and set my cup on the drawer beside my bed. "Yes, I do."
"Am I going to die?" Lindsey held the blanket tighter around her shoulders.
"No." I answered, getting up and walking closer to her. "The police are going to have you under constant supervision starting tomorrow, but, until then, I guess I will."
"That doesn't mean I won't die." She pointed out, sounding terrified.
"You're right." I said. Her eyes were wide. "But you won't. I'll make sure."
"How are you so confident in all this?" Lindsey rose an eyebrow.
"Because I'm done sitting around and watching people I care about die." I put my hands on her shoulders. "I'm not going to lose you, too."
And then she burst into tears. "I'm sorry." Lindsey sobbed. "It's just... I've never had a friend like you before... One that really cares, you know? And now I'm going to lose everything."
"Don't think like that." I made her stand up and looked her in the eye. "You are going to be fine."
"Okay." She wiped some tears from her face.
"I need to get ready now, as do you." I picked up the hanger with my black dress on it.
"Yeah." Lindsey grabbed her dress and walked out of the room.
I slipped on the dress and looked at myself in the mirror. "You can do this." I took a deep breath and grabbed a pair of heels. I thought I saw some movement in the corner of my eye and turned. No one was there. When I looked back in the mirror, Eddie was standing beside me. I let out a small yelp and sighed in relief when I realized it was him. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry." He shifted awkward. "Did you tell her?"
I nodded. "Obviously, she didn't take it too well."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." Eddie huffed. "I'm sorry about everything."
"I wish I could say it's okay... But you and I both know it's not." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye as I applied lipstick.
"I know." He wiped the palms of his hands on the pants of his suit. "So let me make it up to you."
I rose an eyebrow at him without turning away from the mirror. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"
"By telling you that... I'm still in love with you, Patricia, and I need you in my life."
I turned around, but didn't reply. I wasn't sure what to say. I wasn't sure how I even felt. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Eddie pulled me closer. "Can I..?"
I nodded. He leaned in and kissed me, and, this time, I kissed back. I felt the spark that I'd felt before we broke up again, the connection between us, as I pulled him closer, so that our bodies were touching.
It lasted for a few seconds before I pulled back. "Wow." I breathed.
Eddie nodded. We stood there in silence for a few moments before he cleared his throat. "I should probably go, so, um..." Eddie looked around awkwardly. "Fabian."
I bit my lip. "Yeah."
"I'll see you later?" He seemed so hopeful.
I smiled. "Of course."
Eddie left the room, and sat down on my bed, all my conflicted emotions whirring through my mind.
Trust is an important part in a relationship, and I wasn't sure we could have it.
I walked into the funeral home where Joy's funeral was held and took a deep breath. Crying was a guarantee. Eddie came in behind me and grabbed my hand. I gave him a grateful smile. I needed some moral support right then. I saw Jerome from across the room, looking at us, and let go of Eddie's hand. He didn't seem to notice, as he was looking in the opposite direction of Jerome at someone else. "What are you staring at?" I questioned, nudging him to get his attention.
"You didn't see that?" Eddie asked, his eyes wide.
I shook my head. "No. What was it?"
"There was a girl." He looked around.
"Like you haven't seen any of those before?" I rose an eyebrow. Nothing about girls was new to Eddie.
"No." He gave me a look. "I mean, she was there, and she looked at me, and then she disappeared."
I remembered the girl I saw right before I fainted the day before. "What did she look like?"
"I only know that she's brunette." Eddie shrugged. "And she was wearing something very bright and out of place."
"I think I've seen her before." I grabbed his arm. "Lets go."
We walked to our seats, which were in the row behind Mr. Mercer, as well as all of Joy's other relatives. Mr. Mercer was right in front of me. "Patricia." That was the only thing he said. I could tell he was crying, and too choked up to talk.
"I'm so sorry." I felt my lip wobble, but held in any tears.
"Yeah." Mr. Mercer let out a shaky sigh. "Me, too."
A priest started to talk about how great Joy was and there was a new angel in heaven or whatever, but I wasn't really listening. I was still having trouble believing that she was actually dead. And she thought this was my fault. Maybe it was. But how?
"No, Joy's dear friend, Patricia Williamson, will speak." The priest stepped away from the podium as I stood up.
As I went behind the podium, I took a deep breath. "Joy was the best friend a person could ever have." I started. "She was always there for you when you needed her. When you were having a bad day, no matter how horrible it really was, Joy could always make it better." I smiled. "You knew you could tell her anything, because she would keep it between the two of you. Everything about Joy was amazing, really. I just don't have enough time to tell you." I started to choke up. "Joy didn't deserve to die. She was too young. Everyone here has lost someone close to them. A girl who cared about every single person in this room. And I'm sorry. I just.." I felt a few tears roll down my face. "Sometimes I wonder if it's my fault that she died, and I... I wish I could have saved her. I really do.
"There's only one thing that I can really say to whoever was cruel enough to do this to Joy." I looked directly at Fabian. "Whoever you are, I will find you, and I will make sure that you rot in jail for the rest of your sick life." He didn't even flinch. "And to everyone in this room, and Joy, I am so, so sorry this happened."
A few people stared at me as I sat back down, Eddie grabbed my hand, and someone else began their speech, but I was already lost in thought.
It was true, though.
If my plan went as well as my last one had, then Fabian would be in jail very, very soon.
Author's note: Keep guessing who the killer is, because I'm not guaranteeing that Fabian is or isn't the killer. ;) You never know...
And question: Should I also do a Next time on The Haunt?
Xoxo ~L
