1 Dead man walking
The guards that were there earlier were all missing, including the vampires and witches. The once locked gate was ripped off its hinges and the dead walked the streets freely. As we approached the cemetery, corpses swung at the car only to have the hands and arms break off.
I screamed when the window next to me shattered and a wasted hand gripped my arm. Damon reached over and broke the hand off and tossed it out the ruined window. For extra safety, I crawled in his lap. Uh huh, for protection.
We continued slowly driving through the gates and forced our way back to my parents' grave. Only we found my mother's undisturbed and my father's empty as a blonde's head.
"I think we were supposed to talk to Robert." Madelyn announced.
"I think we're in trouble." Joan said quietly.
I think you're right.
We scoured a mile radius and still didn't find my father's corpse. We did find other residents of the cemetery, but not Daddy.
We returned sadly to the estate to find the house quiet and dark in the afternoon light. Moria's sobbing was missing and I knew immediately what we would find.
Elena lay slumped on the couch fast asleep in the living room. Morigan was again asleep in the bathroom obviously primping when the attack occurred. My aunt was asleep in her bed.
We found Stefan locked in his room and for extra measure the knob was broken off. He was awake by now and banged viciously on the wood almost taking the door off with every swing. Damon easily broke the door down and freed his brother.
Must be the human blood in his system, I thought before Stefan demanded to know everyone's location.
"Elena is in the living room. Morigan's in the bathroom." Madelyn said.
"Again" Joan added rolling her eyes.
"Florence is in her bed." Madelyn told him.
"And what about Moria?"
My smirk was answer enough.
"So what was the problem?" Stefan inquired as we walked back to the living room.
"Our clue walked away." Damon replied as we heard the first sign of everyone waking up: Morigan's snoring stopped.
Stefan turned to his brother and frowned as we entered the living room but Damon refused to elaborate.
"We were supposed to talk to Robert Taliesin, Angel's father but, like almost every person in the cemetery, he walked away." Madelyn explained as Elena sat up and yawned.
"Who's missing?" Elena asked and yawned again.
"Moria." Julian said before a bloodcurdling scream erupted from Morigan's lips.
"Momma!" she cried and began blubbering.
I didn't want to see it. Morigan crying was an ugly thing to watch. Snot running down her nose, her face turning red and swollen, and her eyes turning bloodshot. Very gross.
Everyone sort of froze each asking the other what we should do. Damon looked at me with an eyebrow quirked.
Should we do anything, he asked.
I shook my head.
Morigan didn't come to dinner that night. My aunt told me she was up in her room shaking like a leaf, crying her eyes out. As she shook, she kept saying "He's gonna get me."
I felt no remorse what so ever.
Mr. and Mrs. Riley called Joan to tell her they were off on a business trip and wouldn't return until next week. Until then, we had the house and staff to entertain ourselves with. My only concern was surviving until next week.
Cook prepared the most delicious chicken I ever tasted in my life. It was smothered in cheese sauce with peas and herb roasted potatoes.
For dessert we were served my absolute favorite, Death by Brownie. It was first an ordinary brownie, then melted marshmallows, peanut butter chips then the marshmallows again and finally topped by chocolate chips!!
I was in heaven.
"Enjoying that brownie?" Julian inquired as I began eating a third helping of dessert.
Joan and Madelyn giggled as I nodded. Damon only shook his head wearing a brief smile.
"Angela is such a chocoholic. Just like her parents." Florence commented as I swiped Stefan's brownie. He wasn't going to eat it.
"I remember them both saying they would do almost anything for an endless supply of chocolate." She told everyone, "Robert and her met at a candy store in fact."
I smiled and quickly bit off a bite of Stefan's brownie to prevent him from stealing it back. I shot him a smug look that said, MINE.
"How romantic." Madelyn said with a sigh. "Robert and Ariel must have loved each other very much."
Florence nodded, "So much that he hung himself shortly after Ariel died."
I began losing my appetite and shoved my plate aside.
"He killed himself?" Joan asked with a startled gasp.
"Right in front of Angela when she was only an infant." Florence replied sadly.
I remembered every moment. Him rocking me gently for once. He was crooning Pretty Little Horses, the lullaby that my jewelry box played.
"Hush a-by, please don't cry. Go to sleep little angel." He whispered with tears in his eyes and gently laid me down on the couch in my carrier.
The rope already hung through the doorframe and waited only for him to place it around his neck. He stood up on the chair and placed the rope around his neck as I watched sleepily.
My baby mind did not comprehend what my father was doing and all I thought of was my full stomach and dry diaper.
"I don't deserve you or your brother, sweet Angel." He told me, "I want you to know how sorry I am for doing the things I've done. I made your mother fear me, I changed you."
My father sobbed then, "But most of all, I took away things that you and Branton can never get back."
I yawned suddenly tired, despite the sun being bright outside. I was so tired then but I didn't miss my father's final words.
"I'm so sorry, Angela. Tell him that." With that my father stepped off the chair and I heard his neck snap.
Branton and Aunt Florence came in from my brother's baseball game moments later and found us. My aunt sent Branton and me over to the neighbor's house while she called nine-one-one.
One day later, Branton and I moved into Florence's house. Away from the memories that I never forgot.
"That is so sad." Joan said softly as I was snapped back into reality.
It's even worse because you remember it, Damon said in my mind. I remember when Stefan was born. I'll never forget that night.
Did your mom die giving birth, I asked quietly.
Yes, he replied. I still haven't quite forgiven Stefan for killing her.
I wouldn't either, I told him firmer. I will never forgive Trinidad for killing both my parents. Even now that he's dead.
I picked up my dessert and viciously tore off a chunk of brownie then angrily chewed it while thinking. If he didn't attack Mother, then she wouldn't be dead, I wouldn't be a freak and Father would have never hung himself!
What did he mean by 'Tell him I'm sorry', Damon inquired with a frown.
I always assumed he was talking about Branton.
Damon's expression was thoughtful.
The guards that were there earlier were all missing, including the vampires and witches. The once locked gate was ripped off its hinges and the dead walked the streets freely. As we approached the cemetery, corpses swung at the car only to have the hands and arms break off.
I screamed when the window next to me shattered and a wasted hand gripped my arm. Damon reached over and broke the hand off and tossed it out the ruined window. For extra safety, I crawled in his lap. Uh huh, for protection.
We continued slowly driving through the gates and forced our way back to my parents' grave. Only we found my mother's undisturbed and my father's empty as a blonde's head.
"I think we were supposed to talk to Robert." Madelyn announced.
"I think we're in trouble." Joan said quietly.
I think you're right.
We scoured a mile radius and still didn't find my father's corpse. We did find other residents of the cemetery, but not Daddy.
We returned sadly to the estate to find the house quiet and dark in the afternoon light. Moria's sobbing was missing and I knew immediately what we would find.
Elena lay slumped on the couch fast asleep in the living room. Morigan was again asleep in the bathroom obviously primping when the attack occurred. My aunt was asleep in her bed.
We found Stefan locked in his room and for extra measure the knob was broken off. He was awake by now and banged viciously on the wood almost taking the door off with every swing. Damon easily broke the door down and freed his brother.
Must be the human blood in his system, I thought before Stefan demanded to know everyone's location.
"Elena is in the living room. Morigan's in the bathroom." Madelyn said.
"Again" Joan added rolling her eyes.
"Florence is in her bed." Madelyn told him.
"And what about Moria?"
My smirk was answer enough.
"So what was the problem?" Stefan inquired as we walked back to the living room.
"Our clue walked away." Damon replied as we heard the first sign of everyone waking up: Morigan's snoring stopped.
Stefan turned to his brother and frowned as we entered the living room but Damon refused to elaborate.
"We were supposed to talk to Robert Taliesin, Angel's father but, like almost every person in the cemetery, he walked away." Madelyn explained as Elena sat up and yawned.
"Who's missing?" Elena asked and yawned again.
"Moria." Julian said before a bloodcurdling scream erupted from Morigan's lips.
"Momma!" she cried and began blubbering.
I didn't want to see it. Morigan crying was an ugly thing to watch. Snot running down her nose, her face turning red and swollen, and her eyes turning bloodshot. Very gross.
Everyone sort of froze each asking the other what we should do. Damon looked at me with an eyebrow quirked.
Should we do anything, he asked.
I shook my head.
Morigan didn't come to dinner that night. My aunt told me she was up in her room shaking like a leaf, crying her eyes out. As she shook, she kept saying "He's gonna get me."
I felt no remorse what so ever.
Mr. and Mrs. Riley called Joan to tell her they were off on a business trip and wouldn't return until next week. Until then, we had the house and staff to entertain ourselves with. My only concern was surviving until next week.
Cook prepared the most delicious chicken I ever tasted in my life. It was smothered in cheese sauce with peas and herb roasted potatoes.
For dessert we were served my absolute favorite, Death by Brownie. It was first an ordinary brownie, then melted marshmallows, peanut butter chips then the marshmallows again and finally topped by chocolate chips!!
I was in heaven.
"Enjoying that brownie?" Julian inquired as I began eating a third helping of dessert.
Joan and Madelyn giggled as I nodded. Damon only shook his head wearing a brief smile.
"Angela is such a chocoholic. Just like her parents." Florence commented as I swiped Stefan's brownie. He wasn't going to eat it.
"I remember them both saying they would do almost anything for an endless supply of chocolate." She told everyone, "Robert and her met at a candy store in fact."
I smiled and quickly bit off a bite of Stefan's brownie to prevent him from stealing it back. I shot him a smug look that said, MINE.
"How romantic." Madelyn said with a sigh. "Robert and Ariel must have loved each other very much."
Florence nodded, "So much that he hung himself shortly after Ariel died."
I began losing my appetite and shoved my plate aside.
"He killed himself?" Joan asked with a startled gasp.
"Right in front of Angela when she was only an infant." Florence replied sadly.
I remembered every moment. Him rocking me gently for once. He was crooning Pretty Little Horses, the lullaby that my jewelry box played.
"Hush a-by, please don't cry. Go to sleep little angel." He whispered with tears in his eyes and gently laid me down on the couch in my carrier.
The rope already hung through the doorframe and waited only for him to place it around his neck. He stood up on the chair and placed the rope around his neck as I watched sleepily.
My baby mind did not comprehend what my father was doing and all I thought of was my full stomach and dry diaper.
"I don't deserve you or your brother, sweet Angel." He told me, "I want you to know how sorry I am for doing the things I've done. I made your mother fear me, I changed you."
My father sobbed then, "But most of all, I took away things that you and Branton can never get back."
I yawned suddenly tired, despite the sun being bright outside. I was so tired then but I didn't miss my father's final words.
"I'm so sorry, Angela. Tell him that." With that my father stepped off the chair and I heard his neck snap.
Branton and Aunt Florence came in from my brother's baseball game moments later and found us. My aunt sent Branton and me over to the neighbor's house while she called nine-one-one.
One day later, Branton and I moved into Florence's house. Away from the memories that I never forgot.
"That is so sad." Joan said softly as I was snapped back into reality.
It's even worse because you remember it, Damon said in my mind. I remember when Stefan was born. I'll never forget that night.
Did your mom die giving birth, I asked quietly.
Yes, he replied. I still haven't quite forgiven Stefan for killing her.
I wouldn't either, I told him firmer. I will never forgive Trinidad for killing both my parents. Even now that he's dead.
I picked up my dessert and viciously tore off a chunk of brownie then angrily chewed it while thinking. If he didn't attack Mother, then she wouldn't be dead, I wouldn't be a freak and Father would have never hung himself!
What did he mean by 'Tell him I'm sorry', Damon inquired with a frown.
I always assumed he was talking about Branton.
Damon's expression was thoughtful.