Confusion
Disappointment
Victor had been lying there on the ground for quite some time before he finally stood up. Still he could come up with nothing. He was ashamed of himself. He felt like he was letting Emily down (although he didn't know she knew).
"Oh, Emily," he said aloud in grief collapsing back on to his knees. "Oh, Emily," he repeated over and over again. "Oh, Emily…how do I get to you?" he said, hands over his eyes.
The rain began to fall more heavily and all the people began to go inside but Victor didn't even seem to notice. He didn't even move; he just kept repeating that name that seemed to sting as it passed his lips.
The sky turned dark although it was not yet night and the clouds blacked out the sun. There was no light since the moon wasn't out yet; only the glint of a street light candle reflecting off of the knife.
"Oh, Emily…how could I ever let you down?" Victor asked aloud, wondering how anyone so patronized by evil could be so innocent. She deserved her true love, and if it were him…well, he was only making the wait longer…prolonging her joy. She deserved something to go right for her at least once…and, he realized, he was screwing it up for her all because of his own stupidity…
Somewhere in the Land of the Dead, she was probably miserable without him…but the question was, had she returned to the Land of the Dead? If that was where all the dead went no matter what, then she had to be. And even if it wasn't…well, Barkis dying had broken her earthly ties…but Victor had broken it and she had said she loved him…and he was still alive while she felt tied to him…so that would have bound her still to the Land of the Dead. She had to be there. But the problem was…how did he get there?
He had given up calling her name long ago. What good was it doing him? It wasn't like she could here him… There had to be some way he could get there. After all, he had been there before…
Or maybe she could hear him…maybe he just needed to say more than her name…no…no, he told himself, that's stupid. How could that be? He had already said more than that…
Meanwhile with Emily…
Emily had been awake all night…she had had a premonition that Victor was trying to get to her, but somehow he still wasn't there. Finally she had just fallen asleep, watching for him. She had been unable to stay awake any longer and fallen asleep, unaware of it.
"Oh, Emily…" she heard someone calling her in her dream. It sounded like…Victor. No, this was no dream…it was a nightmare. Hearing him, seeing him, but unable to touch him or speak to him…as if she were a ghost. She tossed and turned in fitful sleep for a long time…before something could finally be done about it…
There was a thick fog; a silhouette in the distance. "Oh, Emily…" it called. Tall and thin…a voice unsure of itself…it sounded so much like Victor.
"Victor?" she called out to the figure. "Oh, Emily…" it replied, as though unable to say anything else.
The figure was coming closer, the fog clearing the slightest bit; she was able to see his features slightly…those large eyes and that dark hair. "Victor…" Emily said one last time. "Oh, Emily…" he moaned again.
Emily took a few steps toward him and reached out to touch him, but her hand reached straight through him as though she were a phantom or a ghost. She gasped, surprised. She knew she was dead but…wasn't she able to touch him before?
"Victor!" she screamed reaching for him again, her hand once again proceeding straight through. "Oh Emily…how do I get to you?" Victor asked himself. "Victor…you're here…I'm here!" she screamed at him in frustration and despair.
"Oh, Emily…how could I ever let you down?" Victor asked himself. "Victor…you didn't. I'm the one that left…you were willing…you wanted to…but I left…it's not your fault," she told him, somehow expecting he could hear her this time.
Suddenly Victor faded away to black. "Victor!" Emily screamed, rushing to the place where he had been, trying to grasp his figure and finding herself empty handed as though he had evaporated into thin air…disappeared in her hands. And then she woke up, breathing (in a way) heavily.
"Victor!" she screamed into the moonlight. She looked around frantically, searching for that figure. There was no one there. "Victor?" she asked again but seeing nothing but the darkness, pulled the sheets of the bed up around. "It was just a bad dream…" she told herself. Well…she wasn't entirely right…
She lay awake in bed for another hour…but then she heard that voice again. "Emily…I just wish I could get to you…" it said silently. "Who's there?" she asked frantically sitting bolt upright, clutching the sheets.
Cautiously, she rose from the coffin. There was only one person who could help her with this…Elder Gutknecht.
"Elder Gutknecht," she called out softly. Emily heard a sort of snort and then a "huh?" before she realized she had woken him. "Elder Gutknecht? I'm sorry to disturb you…but…I've been hearing voices and I don't see anyone around when I hear them. The maggot isn't here now either so I don't know…" she said before Elder held up his hand.
"My dear," he began to explain, "when a human has something to say that they really think it's necessary for us to hear, we can hear it…but we can't reply. Now, my dear, can you tell whose voice it is? I can most likely summon them here or send you to them…it's probably safer the second way."
"I…I think it's Victor but I can't really tell for…" Emily began to answer before Elder could interrupt. "Hold on my dear I can tell you for sure if I look it up here in this book. Now let me see…tell me when he begins to speak…"
"He's speaking!" Emily said a bit excitedly in a sort of whisper after about three minutes. "What is he saying, child?" Elder asked. "He…he just keeps saying my name," she told him quickly.
"I have it!" he nearly shouted. "It is Victor. My dear…would you like to go see him?"
"I…I suppose so. Yes," Emily answered. "Alright then. Remember again my dear, just say hopscotch when you're ready to come back," Elder reminded her. "Elder…one more question?" Emily looked up at him innocently. "Of course my dear. Anything at all."
Emily hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should ask or not…oh well…it was too late…she was past the point of no return. "Elder…what if Victor wants to come back? Is he able?" she asked nervously.
Elder looked a bit dismayed. "My dear…it is only possible for a living being to come to the Land of the Dead once…while they are alive unlike with the dead who may visit the Land of the Living unlimited times as long as they are at least a month apart though they may return on the same day. In fact, today is the one month mark for you my dear. You've barely made it through. However, if Victor wishes to return…he must make the ultimate sacrifice."
So will Victor do it? I know what I'm doing (I think) but please tell me what you want to happen. Anyway, I hope that chapter was better (I know it was longer, so I don't have to ask about that) and I hope that makes up for the time it took me to post the last chap. Thanks!
Lydia Deetz
