...umm...surprise, I'm not dead! I apologize for the long wait for an update. Things have been really rough these past few months and I had lost all inspiration and motivation to even write in general, much less a chapter for this story. But my brain has returned for a short guest appearance so I thought I might as well spit out a chapter while I can. It might be too short and it might be absolute trash (like me,) but I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 51

The next morning found me in the kitchen, cooking up a good ole' traditional Southern breakfast for everyone. That meant biscuits, eggs, hash browns, gravy, sausage, and the like. I missed my mom's cooking...

Once everyone was up and breakfast was off the stove, we convened around the dining room table, the subject of last night's conversation sitting in the middle of the table. No one touched it. We just looked at it like it was a poisonous snake, ready to strike.

"Well, are you going to read it?" Nadir asked, not fully knowing the situation. He probably thought it was a letter someone wrote to confess their love for me.

I sighed as I stood from my chair and faced the kitchen. "I will. I'm just trying to prepare myself for whatever it says...maybe we should eat first."

"I don't think that's a good id-"

"Erik, I will be fine. I just need to get something in my system first." I snapped, my nerves getting the best of me.

I came back from the kitchen with the food in my hands. Once it was all set out on the table and I had my plate in front of me, I calmed down a bit. The smell of home did that for me. Every time I got the chance, I was cooking my dishes from home, granted I could find the right ingredients. It did make me homesick, but it helped me.

"Nadir, I apologize about last night. I wasn't expecting projectiles to come out of the fan."

"Mandy-" He go my name right! What?!

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Erik. It was not my intention."

He shook his head. "I know you didn't mean it. The stress is getting to you, isn't it?"

I nodded as I stuffed my face, not wanting to talk anymore. The others seemed to catch my hint, making their own plates and began to eat. The only noises that could be heard were utensils scraping plates and the fire in the fireplace.

After breakfast was eaten and the dishes were washed, we again sat around the table in silence. I would take a breath as I would reach for it, then exhale as I retracted my hand. I couldn't do it.

"Would it help if I-"

"No, Nadir. Please just let me do it in my own timing."

As I was about to reach for it again, Erik snatched it from the table. "If it weren't for you wanting to read it yourself, this would already be in the fire. I memorized it, do you want me to-"

I heaved a heavy sigh. I was getting tired of the back-and-forth I was putting myself through. "I was actually about to really grab it that time. Please give it to me...now."

A hesitant look was his only reply as I took it from his out-stretched hand. The paper felt rough yet so fragile, like a leaf in autumn. With as much care as I could muster, I opened the letter and examined the contents. Erik had replaced the rose petal, I noticed, as it fluttered to the floor. I looked away from the petal and unfolded the damning letter.

"Dearest Mandy, I know your lies. I know your truths. I know all that you hold dear. Meet me at my leisure or all will be exposed. Yours ever so truly..."

"The Black Rose."

A heavy silence filled the room as the name rung out. The letter fell from my hand, landing next to the petal. So many thoughts were running through my head, but the only one that came out through the stress and shock was, "Black Rose? That's kind of a cliché name..."

After a few bouts of shock-induced, psychotic-sounding laughing (from me) and tears (from Nadir, of course,) all three of us were able to sit down and discuss what on earth we were going to do.

"No!" Erik exclaimed. "You are not going to meet this lunatic!"

My sassy side began to show itself. "Um, it's my life and I'll do what I want!"

"Oh, like you want to actually WANT to meet him." Erik fought back (equally sassy, I might add.) At this point, Nadir was holding a pillow as a shield in front of himself.

"Of course I don't WANT to, but this is the only way I can make sure that he won't hurt any of you. This is the only way I can figure out what this nutjob wants. It has to be this way. I couldn't bear it if you or Christine or anyone else got hurt because of me."

"She does have a point..." Nadir squeaked out from behind his pillow-shield. He held it tighter to himself as it he was expecting to get hit for his comment...which he would have, but I caught Erik's fist just as he was drawing it back for the blow.

He yanked his hand out of my grip. "You know he has a point, Erik."

He was quietly fuming at me. In the silence, I slowly approached Nadir with my eyes trained on the fuming being before me. I took the pillow away and gave him a signal to quickly escape. For once, he actually understood and did what I said. I knew he didn't like to see mommy and daddy fight...

As soon as the portcullis shut, Erik deflated and fell on to the couch. "I hate it when he is right..."

"But at least you can acknowledge that he's right. I know plenty of people who wouldn't budge on their opinions." I said softly as I sat beside him. I reached for his mask but he flinched away.

"You can't just take that off and expect everything better, Mandy."

My hand retreated. "I know, Erik, but that's not what I'm trying to do here. Is it so bad that I just want to see your face and know that everything will be okay?"

This just seemed to get him heated yet again as he jumped from his seat, making me fall onto the vacant seat as I was leaning against him. "That's the thing: it won't be okay if you go! I know people like this, Mandy. They won't just disappear if you bow down to their wishes. They only want more and more and they're not going to stop until either you die or they do. They will make your life a living hell!"

I jumped up after him. "They already are! You think it isn't hell having to wonder if your friends are safe or if they're gonna show up dead on your doorstep because you didn't try to save them? Because you didn't do everything in your power to make sure they were safe? Because I've been through that and I am never letting that happen again!"

This seemed to catch him off guard a bit. "What do you mean by 'I've been through that'?"

I froze as I realized what I had said – or rather shouted – at the man before me. Uh..I-I mean...well-"

I started to tear up at just thought of what had happened a few years before. Before I totally broke down, Erik wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. "I couldn't save her...I couldn't..."

He tried to comfort me, but it was too late. I was bawling and there was no stopping it. I couldn't form the words that I needed to say. I couldn't explain the reason of my pain. But it didn't matter to him. He never let go of me, never pushed me to voice my turmoil. I appreciated that more than anyone could ever know.

As my crying eased, drowsiness took its place and I fell asleep in Erik's arms. I vaguely remember him picking me up and carrying me to the bed, gently laying me down and covering me with a blanket.

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