Confusion

Goodbye, Good Thing?

Emily reappeared in the Land of the Dead crying hysterically. She covered her face with her hands and ran for her room. What else could she do? She'd gotten that close again and messed it up…or had it really been her fault? No, it wasn't. It was that other woman…AGAIN. Sure, she had givin up the fight the last time, but she wasn't the kind for war. War of mind, perhaps, but, still…

Or had it been Victor? Did he really love her? Did he really know how to love? Had she been caught in his dreams; the dreams he never really intended to fulfill? Yes, she needed to blame someone, and right now, he seemed liable…

No, what was she thinking? It wasn't Victoria, and definitely not Victor; she was almost sure it wasn't her. It wasn't anyone involved in tonight's events…it was someone who had been involved in a different night's events. Someone, and not just anyone, a specific someone, who had caused this entire tragic tale…

No, I can't keep my heart bounded

Wrapped up in your stream of dreams

Listen to the aching of this pounding fate

Ripping, tearing at my seams

This journey only offers up to one hand

And mine is reaching to fly

Baby, ain't leaving without lonesome

But baby, lonesome would've stayed without a try

"Barkis!" Emily snarled to herself through her tears, lifting her head from the pillow on her bed. She had long since reached her room and dove onto the bed.

The room was a deep crimson with two windows, one of whose draperies were pulled shut (when both the windows were open, it was very bright. Plus, since they got the dead inventors who occasionally came up with something new, though not often, there was a floor lamp in the corner, mainly for at night). As if that didn't offer enough darkness when needed the bed itself had draperies around it. They weren't really for keeping light out, but they were nice. They were as thin as Emily's veil, and could only be seen through from the inside, much like the veil itself. The pattern was that of a spider web.

The bed was not a four-poster; rather, to keep the draperies up, there were a few hooks in the ceiling, designed to look like spiders that had spun the web supposedly.

Mindlessly, Emily dabbed the tears away from her eyes with the bed hangings. Then there was a knock at the door. Quickly, she finished wiping her eyes and called out, "Come in," pulling open the veil of her bed and trying her best not to let her voice crack or show any other sign that she had been crying over a repeated loss.

Bonejangles entered.

"Em, you okay?"

"I'm…fine…"

"Ya sure? Cuz I never seen someone fine cryin' so much…"

"I wasn't crying," Emily stated defensively.

"Is that why your pillow's so wet?"

She sighed. It would be difficult to tell anyone, but with some difficulty, she choked it out. "Okay…I went to see Victor again…and he was ready to die…but…"

"It never happened, did it?" Bonejangles asked curiously, though trying to stay as sympathetic as possible.

"No…it didn't…" her voice, cold as these words passed through her lips.

Just then, the New Arrival bell rang. They barely heard it though. There was a long silence where Emily stared at the navy carpet and BJ studied her expression, but finally, it was broken.

"I…guess we should go see who it is then?" Emily suggested.

"Right…"

Slowly, Emily stood from her bed, pushing the curtains further away with the moonlight illuminating it, as well as her veil and dress, divinely. The grim look on her face didn't darken the vision, per say; rather, it romanticized it. Since BJ had entered the dulled sun had sunken behind the horizon and the room had darkened. Emily and the bed hangings were all that was visible, and all of it was blowing about in the early evening breeze.

BJ had already turned to go, and when he turned around to see what the delay was, he had to keep his jaw in place. Emily however had been gazing intently at the ground, yet with a far-away look in her eye. She happened to glance up and see Bonejangles staring at her, barely managing to keep his jaw up. She looked at him, perplexed. What could possibly be so amazing?

Emily turned to glimpse behind her. Was it the glory of the majestic full moon that happened to shine rather brightly tonight? Was it the stars, tonight in a strange formation only seen in the Land of the Dead, which they called "The Greatest Love", a heart-shaped gathering? No, it was none of these, but as she turned her head around, her veil blew in the breeze of the open window; glowed in the luminescence of the full moon. Yet another magnificent sight that BJ couldn't help but gape at.

Turning back around, Emily studied his face one again, even more confounded than at first.

"BJ…what are you staring at?" Emily asked with all earnestness and curiosity; honestly, she couldn't see what was so amazing. The moon was always there, and it was full every month, for at least four days. The star configuration was there just as often, if not more.

The solemnity of Emily's voice woke him from his trance.

"Oh, it's nothin'. Just haven't…uh…really stopped to look at the moon lately…that's all…nothin' really unusual…" This statement was almost true. The only thing was that he hadn't stopped to admire Emily's beauty lately, let alone illuminated by the glorious moonlight.

Not completely convinced, Emily gave him a doubting look, but continued on past him down the stairs.

He sighed as she passed, relieved. "That was a close one," he said quietly to himself.

Emily, on hearing him, turned around. "What?"

"Nothin'! Nothin'! Let's just get down there before the newbie's sick o' the attention…if that's possible…"

"If you say so…" Emily replied, laughing lightly to herself. She'd heard him and was almost certain she knew now…what with how he was behaving and whatnot. She continued to smirk as she glided gracefully down the, narrow, rickety, wooden staircase. It wound downward for three stories. The train of Emily's dress being so long, Bonejangles had to linger behind just a bit.

Neither Bonejangles, nor Emily knew who it was, yet both sensed it was something altogether fate-changing and unpredictable; something…great, though.

As the slow descent continued, Bonejangles tried to concentrate on going down the stairs and namely, not tripping on Emily's train. But that required looking at Emily and looking at Emily created distraction at the moment.

At last, Emily stumbled down to the base of the stairs, legs suddenly wanting to collapse beneath her. She quickly glanced behind her, just in time to see Bonejangles on the last few stairs. Hastily, she stepped aside so he would have a place to stand at the foot of the steps.

When he continued to remain silent, Emily turned to stare at him. But before long, that oh-so-familiar scream of, "Oh!" made her snap her head back to the mass of carcasses hovering over the recently deceased new-comer.

It was rather unusual, for it had been nearly five minute since the bell had rung, and usually by now they had allowed the new-comer to get up; only a few people, if any, knew them and were that extremely excited to get reacquainted. But everyone seemed to know who it was…and that cry had been awfully familiar…

Slowly, and as politely as she could, Emily pushed her way through the crowd that seemed to contain more people than she had known lived (so to speak) in the Land of the Dead.

Suddenly, large ebony eyes met with hers; the oh, so familiar ones that she had grown to love; the eyes she had learned to look into deeply; the only eyes she had ever learned to read emotion in…the ones that had urged her to leave that fateful night.

But the problem was, in that one instant, she hadn't read them correctly…

That night, Emily had read longing in his eyes…longing for Victoria…but he had been longing for her…

"Victor?" Emily asked weakly, her voice barely a whisper.

"E…Emily? You're still here?"

Neither of them could answer any more than they had; only staring glances were exchanged.

At last, Mrs. Plum called out, "Uh…Why don't we get the party started?" At this the whole cloud disappeared like vapor, leaving Emily and Victor alone. Their words were lost, though it was easier without masses of corpses watching them.

"Victor, I was sure…"

"But I…I…" Victor sighed and gave up, hopeless. He was still on the ground, with Emily standing.

Emily crossed her arms and turned around, eyes closed in frustration. "You didn't mean to come, did you?" she asked irately.

"Well…not…not like this…" Victor stuttered.

"Then how did you mean to?" she questioned, still annoyed.

"I…I called you…" Victor paused. "And I ran…to the bridge…I don't know what happened…Falling…cold water…and black…"

"So it was an accident."

"Yes… No! I…I wanted you to stay…I wanted to be with you…but I didn't want it to happen how it did…"

"You wanted to be with me? So you don't now."

"No! I mean, yes I do," Victor was so confused. She seemed to want to be with him, but she had to find every loop-hole; like she was trying to prevent it.

"I…I need to be…alone for a while," Emily sighed.

xXConfusionXx

Perhaps I'm gonna feel you

Perhaps I'm gonna free you

Perhaps I'm gonna trust you

Perhaps I'm gonna love you

A while later, Emily came back down the stairs. Victor was sitting alone at a table, hands on his face. Emily approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder, noting that he was mumbling to himself. The sudden touch made him jump. As he glanced over his shoulder and noticed it was Emily, he started to draw away; the previous episode was troubling him.

"Victor…please, let's pretend that never happened…I'm sorry…I haven't been right since…" she looked down, unable to finish.

"I…I'm sorry, Emily."

"What could you possibly be sorry for?"

"For…for thinking you had really become…unfriendly…"

xXConfusionXx

They spent hours making up and talking; catching up and whatnot. The conversation was just now, three hours later coming to an end.

"Victor…I love you…I apologize again…"

"I love you too...I'm sorry…"

Slowly, they felt themselves drawing nearer and…

Suddenly, their lips were locked together, this time with even more feeling than their last meeting. As they pulled apart, they exchanged a smile that was not only sheepish, but held somewhat of a sly air as well…

Before you start thinking this is getting…well, you know…it's not that. It's more of the thing we wanted at the end of the movie.

Yay! I made my chapter longer! Just warning you, the next chapter could be the last! Not sure yet though…

Lydia Deetz

Note: Both song quotes are copy-right of Liz Berg, 2003. Music Loft. (Hope I did that right!)

Plus, (and I'm extremely happy about this!) Liz had me open for her at Starbucks! Three songs, not much, and mostly people I know there, but others that I didn't; and some of them didn't really hear me sing before. (And my eighth grade teacher was there...(I just became a freshman.) It was scary). Still, I have another performance coming in July. It's some prevention of cancer thing, so of course I accepted! (My aunt died of cancer) Liz had to find 3 hours worth of music. I can offer about fifteen minutes; lots more if she plays guitar with me; I only know a few songs on piano. So I have a feeling this is gonna be a great summer for me!

Answers to the last quiz: Unfortunately, nobody got both of them, so here it is. Several people correctly answered that the title of the chapter is a song by Evanescence. However, no one found that Slippery When Wet is an album by Bon Jovi...and I actually put that in there by accident and then realized it.Doesn't anyone else like Bon Jovi?