Confusion

Betrayal and Betrothal

(This chapter in Emily's perspective as an experiment...um...tell me how it is...)

I was barely able to keep from (literally) dropping my jaw. Had he actually just said he was going to die for me? Still he said it before and ended up leaving for Victoria…but that had all been my own doing. Maybe I'm finally getting my happy ending.

"Victor…you'd…you'd really do that for me?" I fumbled, trying to force the words out. Victor shook his head; what could he mean? "No, Emily," he said softly to me. My spirits fell…well, what was left of them, being dead and all. "I'm doing it for us," he told me, a smile spreading over his features. I smiled as well, faintly for a moment, but then as broadly as possible, throwing my arms around him; forgetting my bounds. Before I could understand what was going on our lips were locked together.

Faintly, somewhere in the past, I could hear the crunching of leaves underfoot and somewhere in the back of my mind there was something wrong with that…I wasn't moving at all, and neither was Victor. Suddenly though, there was a sound neither of us could ignore. There was a gasp, a sob and someone crying out, "Victor!" Yes, it was true, no one could ignore that voice that was usually so soft and suddenly so shrill…the one that belonged to none other than…Victoria Everglot.

Both turned and ran the other way while I stood dazed…why had Victor run away? Perhaps he was afraid she was going to chase him? Perhaps he thought she was going to kill him? No…no, that couldn't be it…he had just said he was going to die anyway. Now I began to wonder if Victor had ever really been there at all. I knew Victoria had because I could still hear her weeping. Apparently she had only run to somewhere behind a tree while Victor was a bit farther off.

I went silently as I could over the dead leaves to see where Victoria had gone to which I knew couldn't be far.

I walked off to see if I could find him. Not very far off from the old oak tree I found him breathing heavily behind an elm. "Victor, what…?" I began but he wouldn't let me finished. He placed his hand over my mouth, waiting to catch his breath. When he did, he said, "Emily…I'm ready. Get the dagger."

I stood speechless. "Victor," I began, but found I couldn't finish. "Emily," he said looking me in the eye, "I'm ready now. If we're going to do this, you can't delay it while I'm ready; if you stop me now, I may change my mind. Get the dagger."

Involuntarily, I found the blood-covered, rusty dagger. I returned to Victor behind the elm tree. Finally awakening his braver side, Victor raised the dagger above him, shutting his eyes. I shielded my eyes; blood wasn't my thing…I couldn't deal with it. But before Victor could drive the dagger into his heart, we heard the loudest gasp that we had ever known.

"Victor?" came that little voice that had such great annoyance. Victoria, confounded by his sudden change of heart, clutched her head and broke down crying. What could possibly be going on? "V…uh…what are you still doing here?" Victor asked still unable to say her name, and barley even able to look at her…at least from what I had seen in my premonition and just now.

"Do you really think I would leave without looking into it when I just saw you kissing a dead woman?" Victoria asked. I had to admit she had a point, no matter how crude the fact was. "Well…no, I suppose not," Victor admitted. "Victor, how could you?" she asked helplessly. That annoyed me. How could you? In the first, you let him slip away when you had suspicions, no doubt why you came after him; in the second place, if you didn't have suspicion, then why would you stalk him, showing that you don't trust him; third, when you found out, how could you not just take a stand? I know I would have, if I had found out what Barkis was going to do that to me before he did. Of course, there were other problems with him, but that's another story…

Victoria lay on the ground, supporting her self on her right arm and holding her left to her face to try and catch the tears but it was useless; they fell from her face uncontrollably, making the wet ground even muddier. She didn't seem to care that her parents would most likely be enraged by the ruined clothes, and if she sat there much longer, corsets. All she seemed to care about was that she had been betrayed. Perhaps she didn't realize that the same thing had happened to me in a far more extreme case. And perhaps she didn't realize that in a few moments, thing would be even worse…for her…and much, much better for me…

Victor crouched down at her side and she looked up into his eyes, one of hers still cover by her muddy hand. "Victoria," he began, avoiding direct eye-contact with her, "you have to understand that I love you both…in different ways but much the same; equally. But something in Emily, something in me is telling me that this is the direction I should choose. And you should know that you have done nothing wrong and it's unexpected."

Inside, I couldn't decide which emotion to let win me over; there was a bittersweet sorrow for Victoria and an overriding joy for the fulfillment of my love. What was I to do? Only one thing could be done; while in Victoria's presence, show pity, and while alone with Victor, show the ecstasy. Simple enough, right? Well, not exactly for you see, right now the joy wanted to take over…this wasn't going to be easy…

I tried to plaster a grimace on my face, but that grin kept trying to break out and apparently, it looked plenty strange. "Emily, are you okay?" Victor asked. "Hmm?" I responded. "Are you…okay?" he asked, looking slightly worried. "Why?" I asked now a bit confused. "Ummm…" Victor seemed at a loss for words and I was left in the dark about his mysterious concern. I knew I wanted to smile, but I thought I was concealing it. Since then I have sorted thing out but things can be confounding when they're taking place.

Apparently, while Victor and I were talking, Victoria had slipped away, and though we could not stop it, another paranormal even would bind in only to confuse things more…

Sorry about the length of that…I'm trying to get my chapters longer but somehow it's just not working. However, I will keep trying for my faithful reviewers!

Lydia Deetz