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The claw foot tub was filled to the brim with bubbles and warm water. The candle burning on the sink counter smelled heavenly. Violet slowly dunked her toes in the bath, feeling the warmth sweep up her long legs and relax her muscles. She leaned down into, closing her eyes and just trying to relax. It was exactly what she needed, a break away from her parents and William, a moment out of view from the other ghosts in the house.
Reaching around the tub to grab her iPod she quickly plugged in the earbuds. She quickly lost herself in The Smiths. Slowly the water crew colder and the bubbles deflated like dead soldiers around her. The tub drained, anxiety swirled around the drain. She stepped out of tub gingerly, careful not to slip on the wet tile floor.
"Put a towel on." Violet screamed and twisted around, clutching the towel around her. Chad leaned over the sink studying his reflection in the mirror.
"Get out!"
"Why?" He said in a bored voice. Turning around and leaning against the sink he looked her up and down with a bored expression. "It's not like I care about what you have." He laughed dryly.
"It's my bathroom, get out." She snarled. Chad clucked his tongue and shook a finger at her.
"Correction, it's not your bathroom anymore. You're just like the rest of us, not any better." He smirked at her then turned back to the mirror. Violet gritted her teeth, anger flooding her chest.
"Get out or I'll make you." Chad's eyes darted up to look at her from the mirror. He eyed her warily. Violet could see her own expression, the cold menacing mask that looked like her. Was that really her?
"Fine, but don't think you're anything special sweetie. You're just another head case like us." Then he was gone.
So much for the relaxing bath, she groaned. Quickly toweling off and ducking back down the hill towards her old room but truly there was no safe haven anymore.
She stood at her bedroom window watching the world outside. Two children were running around in the yard across the street, Constance was dutifully marching down the sidewalk to her house. From Violet's bedroom window she could clearly see the world that she was not a part of. The wind looked stronger today, it forced the trees to bow down to it, blowing the children around who laughed and played.
Combing through her hair with fingers and working out the knots she started to slowly gaze around the room out of habit. Written on the chalkboard was "I'll wait forever" in a familiar scrawl that tugged at her heartstrings. She froze staring at it. Had it been there when she walked in? A rock was stuck in her throat that she painfully tried to gulp down. Her eyes scanned the shadows, desperately twisting to see behind her. Her heart hammered beneath her ribs. Thud thud thump. Violet tried to slide a mask over her emotions in case he was watching from the shadows. After circling the room fruitlessly twice she gave up on looking for him, he wasn't here.
Tate… she hardly allowed herself to think of him. When the memories of him were dragged up and started a battle of emotions in her chest. Guilt and passion were at war, her longing for him was blacked out by Tate's unforgivable deeds.
Crying out softly she fell to her knees, her legs trembling and eyes brimming with salty. She bit her lip inwardly scolding herself.
"No," She hissed. "I will not forgive him. He killed people, raped my mother and killed her. No" Angry tears leaped to her eyes. This was his fault, he made those choices and this was the consequence. So why did it hurt her so bad to? She swiped away the tears and stood up, throwing her shoulders back and defiantly looking around the room in case he was watching. She stepped swiftly towards the chalkboard and wiped his words away with a deft hand. Insincere childish words didn't mean anything to Violet anymore; she'd fallen for that trick last time. If he wanted to make an impression it'd take more than that.
She stormed down the stairs, slamming her hand on the banister. There was a fire in her chest, one that she hadn't felt in a long time. She flung open the basement door in a moment of passion, anger blazing in her fierce brown eyes. But as she took a couple steps down, staring into the darkness that collected and gathered at the bottom like a damp dark well, she started to feel her courage fade. Her steps became more slow and hesitant, she swore someone laughed at the bottom the stairs menacingly. For a second the Cheshire cat's smile grinned from the impenetrable darkness. She stopped, only two steps from the very bottom. Someone giggled. Violet bristled, staring as hard as she could in hopes to see her watcher. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could make out two small warped figures standing only a foot in front. Gasping she jumped back, her hand to her heart in fear. The two figures stepped forward, they had ash grey and charred flesh, their eyes dimly looked out from under burned away eyelids. Some in the house called them the Burning Girls, Violet knew them better as Margret and Angela.
"Don't scare me like that!" She whispered to them. They covered their burned mouth behind their hands and laughed. It always broke Violet's heart to see them. How could a mother bear to harm her children, let alone burn them alive? It sickened Violet.
"Why are you down here?" Angela asked.
"Well… I was looking someone but never mind." Violet dismissed her original plan, now that she was calmed down it was a bad idea to try to confront Tate, it would only lead to hurt.
"Want to play?" They cheered, faces cracking and splintering. Violet grinned at them but shook her head.
"Sadly I can't I should go back upstairs." She apologized, it hurt to see their faces fall but people weren't exactly the most welcoming down here. She scanned the darkness warily looking for hostile faces. They nodded solemnly before leaving hand-in-hand. Violet headed upstairs. For a secon she thought she heard a soft whimper call her name, begging her to come back. She didn't look back, just kept her locked on the shining doorway above.