Lost In Purple

Chapter 71: Fates End

Hey friends. Apologies for taking so long again. I wrote a chapter, hated it, deleted it, and rewrote it. I'll be better for next time. I also want to give Monsters University a happy 10th Anniversary. It came out exactly 10 years ago on June 21st, 2013. I was only 11 years old when I saw it which is insane to think about. Anyways, I hope this was worth the wait.

Johnny's POV

"Are you sure that this is what you want? I'm going to say it again, I don't want you wearing something you're hesitant about," My mother states with a raised eyebrow, doubting my judgement.

"Oh my go- Mom! Can you pleeeeeeease just do this one thing for me without being like this!" I groan as I put my hands on my head and bend backwards.

My mother giggles at my expense, showing me her pearly white chompers that are sharper than razors. "I just love yooou! Like you, I want everything to be perfect."

I lean against the front door of my parents house and exhale in relief. I'm tired of her talking to me like I'm a child, and the teasing only makes me more frustrated. A part of me wants to be excited for this suit as well but it only means that my mother will be giving it to me while attempting to embarrass me. She'll proceed to give me a hard time, followed by a cringeworthy embrace that will include either a hug or the pinching of my cheeks…and maybe a kiss on the forehead. Bleh… sends shivers my spine just thinking about it.

With a sharp sigh I say, "I know you do."

A gargantuan yet genuine smile shines at me once again. Even after all this time it seems that my mother is still a giant ball of positivity that can't be suppressed or simply forced away. I know that I was a little vexed with all that alacrity and playfulness, but there isn't any temptation in the world that would make me give that up. I love her regardless of what she does and I think she knows that deep down within the labyrinth of her complex heart. I mean... she is my mother after all... so maybe I should start cutting her some slack.

"Well, I'll see you later this week then. Be sure sure to get some sleep so you can tame that adorable temper of yours, and for all that is holy, please eat well… Only god knows what you college kids eat nowadays. Oh and be sure to call me…please… I love talking to you even if it's just for a measly minute," My mother lists out.

I roll my eyes with a smile of my own that I can't hold back. "You don't have to worry about those things. I've survived this long so I'll be able to survive for longer."

"Mmmmmmm, I don't trust you. I hear that you and your buddies are always up late eating only pizza," She beams, "You know that pizza isn't the best thing for a big and strong Scarer like yourself, right? Ugh... I can just feel my health declining thinking about all those calories you boys ingest on a daily basis!"

"…Hm…who told you all that?" I ask while clenching my teeth and letting out a fake chuckle. I never wanted my parents to find out about that because they were always having me eat the most refined and sophisticated meals growing up.

My mother crosses her arms and leans forward a little while smiling. Her eyes close and she lifts her head ever so slightly, accentuating her snootiness. "A friend. I'm not telling you which one though because I can tell you're going to hunt them down in order to teach them a lesson, which I thought I talked to you about plenty of times, Jonathan."

"Whaaat? I wasn't going to do that. I was just going to share some very strong words with them," I reply, trying not to turn the mood sour.

"Yeah no, you can't fool me. I'm intuitive…you can't beat that with those big muscles of yours," My mother laughs. She then lunges forward and ensnares me within her arms. Once her arms move around my head, she pulls herself up and aggressively and begins kissing my forehead relentlessly. I try to push her off but…you know…motherly strength, so I just accept my fate and get absolutely blasted by love. If anyone were watching this, they wouldn't be able to hear any crickets chirping or the gentle sound of the wind whistling outside the house. They would instead hear my mother going, "MWAH, MWAH, MmMmMmMWAAAAAHH!"

"OK!" I shout before finally being able to move my mother, placing her back down on her feet and then acting all bubbly, "I love you too, and I'll be sure to call you soon."

"Oh yaaaay!" My mother responds while clapping, tilting her head, and jumping up and down enthusiastically.

I open the front door and swing it open to be met with a calm night. I can also see Monstropolis along the horizon, but maybe that's not the best choice of words since the city is only a twenty-five minute drive from Thornberry. The lights still create this encapsulating aura in the sky and it brings about this nostalgic yet euphoric feeling that can't quite be described. It's pleasant remembering all the times I was outside during the night as a kid and looking at the exact same thing, wondering if I would every be able to explore the city and any worlds beyond. Luckily, I will be guaranteed that dream within the next month or two. At least that's one way looking at it. All of us in ROR are still conflicted about whether to be genuinely scared of human children because of Professor King. While everyone else says they're toxic and could be lurking around any corner at any given time, Professor King insists that there's no physical proof that shows they're toxic when excluding bacteria and viruses living within or on them.

I still have time to not worry about that though, and I instead look back to see my mother staring at me with her lovely smile and her hands folded in front her. Her fur rustles as the summer breeze intertwines with it, and the moon's glow reflects off her eyes. I give her a small wave goodbye before looking back to the roundabout driveway where the Roars Royce is still parked. The cement pathway takes me right to the passenger side door, and I round the car to see the lamps that light up the street. The fountain in the middle of the roundabout is also illuminated, showing me the few streams of water being shot into the air and plummeting back down into the lower pools. The lights coming from the neighbors also brings me comfort. In general, this place is just paradise in terms of peacefulness and it makes me wonder why I stopped feeling that's at many years ago. The blissful feeling of the neighborhood can be expanded upon and enjoyed another night though. A short yet agonizing drive back to campus awaits me, and I have to pray that I won't fall asleep at the wheel before I pull into Frat Row. With a quick pull of a door handle, I throw my limp body into the car, clicking the seatbelt into the buckle, and finally placing my hands on the circular contraption called…THE WHEEL, but of course my suffering never ends. My phone vibrates and drowns the silence with a jingle that gives me a PTSD episode every time I hear it. You know, I should really be done with this and turn my phone off because I'm tired of this happening.

I spend a few seconds struggling to take it out and when I position my phone in an acceptable orientation, I see that an unknown number has texted me. My immediate reaction is to delete the text entirely but I notice that my name is in the text before hitting the red 'delete' button.

"Good evening Mr. Worthington, this is Professor King. I'm texting you because Melanie has been admitted to the Cormeadow General Hospital. Melanie would like to see you if that's possible, and if not, she would like to know when you'll have the time to see her."

The tension that builds up within my heart suffocates me. My chest becomes tight, heavy, exhausted… just painful in general. My heart races to the point where my entire body aches after every individual thump. I lose control of everything... my limbs shake, my breathing is irregular, I can't decide if I should be crying or not. What do I do? How can I make this better? I can't…I thought everything was fine but now it's not. How is it that everything's crumbled into nothing all over again? The adrenaline rushes through me for a little longer until its' effects work no more. Professor King said that he's with her right now and that Melanie wants to see me soon, so there would be no better time to go and see her condition. The Professor might know what's going on better than anyone else too.

I don't even turn off my phone, I throw it onto the passenger seat and put the car into drive. There's never been a moment where the pedals have been floored, but this is the one exception so far. The rubber behind me screeches for a split second before I accelerate around the fountain and out the properties gates. The mansions along the street pass me by as if a flashlight was peaking through the car windows and blinding me. The mansions soon turn into businesses; Restaurants, department stores, candy shops, boutiques, and much more soar by me as I speed down the streets. A couple of other drivers honk at me every so often, but I pay them no attention, just like how I pay no attention to the few monsters taking their nightly strolls on the sidewalks, turning their bodies towards the car after I speed past them. The dashed lines on the street mean almost nothing to me, the stoplights refuse to change to red, and I end up in Cormeadow after almost thirty minutes.

The deja-vu is miserable the moment I arrive at the hospital. The same horrendous pain envelopes my entire body, making it tempting to just forget everything and run away. I couldn't leave Melanie to deal with this by herself though. While I can imagine she's tired of being alone herself, it's a nightmare to think about her shutting down after indirectly being told that she would have to wait for me to be here. I park the car, sprint into the hospital, figure out what room she currently resides in, and race to it like my own life depends on it. I'm reminded of when I saw Melanie's family grieving the eerie hallways not very long ago, how it vividly changed the perception I have of my own life. That the people you know and love with all your heart separate from their physical form and go into the great unknown without a goodbye. I've had it easy this entire time, never knowing what it meant to lose something, while everyone else truly succumbed to torment unrivaled. Even though I might still deserve to feel that way, I will try my hardest to push back against it.

Melanie's room ends up right in front of me, so I turn the handle and push it open. The first thing I see is Melanie turn her head in surprise as the door's inertia causes it to hit the door stop on the bottom of the wall. Professor King is also surprised by the sudden entrance and jumps a little after the loud thud. Nothing seems to be too bad though. Melanie doesn't look too weak to move nor are there any visible injuries that could be classified as severe. Even then, I can't help but worry. I fall to my knees next to Melanie's hospital bed while proceeding to grab her right hand, unable to calm myself down fully.

"W-what happened? Please tell me you'll be alright! I will not accept having you in the hospital too Mel, I just can't," I panic.

"Deep breaths, Mr. Worthington. As you can see, Melanie is still alive and, for the most part, doing well enough to communicate," Professor King urges.

I can't keep myself from staring into Melanie's eyes. Even though one could consider them to be normal, I can see exhaustion spilling out of them.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be calm until I know what's going on….You're the last person in Monstropolis who deserves to be like this…" I groan, looking down at the sheets of the bed. She must feel so uncomfortable right now…

Melanie puts her left hand on my cheek but moves down to my jaw so that she can push my head up. "…The doctor said a lot that I didn't understand… but he said it was Broken Heart Syndrome," Melanie answers.

"Ah…so that's what it was," Professor King divulges.

He acts like it's the most stupid and insignificant thing ever, but it isn't because Melanie's been admitted into a hospital. I feel anger and confusion and sorrow and…I can't help but ask about what it is. "You know what that is?"

"Unfortunately yes. As you know, I've done a lot for Scarers over the years on Scare Floors and this happens to be one of the most commonly severe thing to happen to Scarers under a variety of stressors. Broken Heart Syndrome is also known as 'stress cardiomyopathy' that weakens the left ventricle of the heart due to an intense physical or emotional stress. It's basically a heart attack but there aren't any blood clots keeping blood and oxygen from entering the heart," The Professor explains.

"She had a heart attack?!" I shout while standing tall.

"NO…I just said that it's similar to one. You aren't listening Jonathan, and you haven't let me finish. Stress cardiomyopathy in this day and age can be hit or miss depending on how long it takes for a person experiencing symptoms to seek medical help, and since Melanie was immediately sent here - to medical professionals- she will be fine. It's hard to say how fast she'll recover because we can't necessarily say how badly her heart was damaged, but it can take somewhere between a few days to a few weeks," The Professor continues.

I'm able to exhale sharply and feel my body relax a little. My eyes water a little bit too, but I'm able to keep more from falling out. I'm glad that she's not in any imminent danger, but I'm upset that this might get in the way of my plans for the Spring Formal at Monsters University. Regardless, I still want to know why this happened to her. I turn my attention back to Melanie and begin the interrogation.

"That still doesn't explain how this happened! Did another person get mad at you at work or something?" I howl in frustration.

Melanie nods. She's still a little shaken up and little upset. "There was the man that came into the diner just an hour before closing an-and I was told to serve him because my coworker was too exhausted to do one more table. The, um…whole time he was telling me how pretty I was and asking me if I was doing something later and if I wanted to be with a 'real monster.' I…did my best to just ignore him and he ended up leaving, but when I left the diner, it felt like someone was following me the whole way. When I got to the bus stop, the man… put his arms around me and then tried to put his hand over my mouth so I couldn't call out for help or scream or…anything. I ended up in my... ghost form...thing...and I bite his hand after he screamed at me…and I ran all the way back to the diner. After my manager went outside to see if he followed me back, I started feeling short of breath and my chest hurt… and then I fainted."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. The worst possible thing that could have happened to Melanie happened and more. She wasn't the biggest fan of people in general and now there's finally been someone out in the real world to make her even more afraid of them.

"Do you know if the police were called or if they've tried to come and talk to you?" Professor King asks.

"My, um, manager was the one to call 911. The doctor said that he… told them of what he knew but that they'll likely need to talk to me tomorrow," Melanie answers while seeming petrified.

"Alright, just stop panicking Miss Everett, all you have to do is tell them what you told me. They won't ask for anything else, and considering Monstropolitan law along with the cameras placed at bus stops to deter crime, they won't even need you to testify," Professor King replies.

Cameras? At the bus stop? It's almost as if everybody knew that something like this would happen!

The Professor crosses his arms and walks over towards the large windows. That overlook the parking lot. "As for your condition, it's clear that this cardiomyopathy was caused by an intense influx of adrenaline into the heart, on top of all the unfortunate events you've experienced this year, and ultimately caused a decrease in blood flow… it's sad really."

"Sad? Why sad?" I ask.

The Professor continues staring out the window, emotionlessly going over every detail in his head before saying, "Do you remember what you learned from your Grandfather a little while ago, and what I told you about Walter?"

For a second I have no idea what he's talking about, but then I'm able to envision the scenes in my head that I was able to create while reading my great great great great grandfathers journal.

"Y-you're talking about your great great grandfather Walter?" Melanie jumps in, looking at the both of us.

The two of us say nothing and contemplate whether Melanie should know about what happened or not. I myself feel skeptical because my family is the whole reason that her family lives like society has forsaken them. I really don't want her holding some kind of grudge against me for what happened all those centuries ago, and I'm sure nobody else in Monstropolis would want that either. At the same time, what kind of grudge is there for her to hold? She at least deserves to know the truth, that she and Carina are not only slightly different copies of each other, but that they have experienced extremely similar things.

"…Yes," Professor King sighs, "We're talking about Mr. Worthington's ancestor…and we're also talking about you."

Melanie's ears lower as her concern rises. She gently grabs the bed sheets and pulls them up slightly in a fashion that reminds me of Juno. When will the uncertainty end for Melanie? When will she be able to face the future without feeling like she's in trouble?

"Not very long ago, Mr. Worthington's grandfather gave us an old journal that used to belong to Walter, and within it was a story about him and Carina Kennedy being the best of friends. Carina at one point was the best Scarer in Monstropolis before Walter essentially created the process of Scaring that we still use today that's inherently dynamic and ever-evolving. He goes into great detail about Carina eventually becoming incredibly sick and leaving her Scaring career to deal with her health, but she sadly passed away without doctors ever figuring out what happened to her. It also turns out that this story has been passed down in the Worthington family ever since Walter's death, and that you Melanie, are actually related to Carina Kennedy," The Professor explains.

Melanie's face doesn't change. I would guess that she's confused or that she couldn't possibly believe what just escaped from King's mouth. I wouldn't either though. It's not everyday that you find out your long dead childhood hero, who has more mystery behind them than an unsolved murder, is actually a family member.

"J-John?" Melanie questions.

"It's true," I sigh, "In the journal, Walter said that Carina had a sister, and my grandfather says that her sister is one of your great great great grandmothers."

Melanie puts one of her hands up to her head and shakes it lightly from side to side. "I-…I'm sorry, but this is all so confusing."

Professor King nods and interrupts her thinking. "I'm sure you'll get more clarification in the future, but what I want to explain is what's been happening to Mr. Worthington while you two were…no longer seeing each other."

The golden, wolven monster proceeds to go into great detail regarding my fall from grace, while also relating it all to Walter's life. He tells of how Carina and my great great grandfather were best friends at the start of the Scaring age, up until Walter got lost in the sea of fame. He tells of what happened to Carina, and how Walter changed once she died. He tells of how my family and I reconnected after all these years, and how painful it was for me accept that the story between Melanie and I was like our ancestors and that it was doomed to repeat itself.

"The whole reason you two have been drawn to each other is because the two of you saved each other from succumbing to a life you hated. It was the same for Walter and Carina as they both finally felt normal in the presence of each other. While that was…nice and all, everything was so similar to the point where it was fate for you to fall ill, and this is why your condition doesn't surprise me. Stress cardiomyopathy, when left untreated, can cause heart failure which I can assume is what actually caused Carina Kennedy to die at such a young age. Of course there isn't a possibility of ever knowing if that's true…but it's as if the world is righting a wrong centuries later," Professor King elucidates.

"And now we're left to wonder if you'll end up dying too," I whimper.

Even though Melanie seems overwhelmed, she grabs my hand from off the hospital bed and intertwines her fingers with mine before letting out a few soft cries. "I probably would have… if you really did leave me, John."

I pull myself towards her and give her the biggest embrace I can muster. It warms my heart to the point where I decide to never let her go again. "I told you that I wouldn't leave you behind all those months ago…but this time I mean it. No more being afraid , no more feeling alone… it's just the two of us until the end of time…right?"

Melanie lets out a chuckle followed by a sniffle. "R-right."

I close my eyes and sense Professor King walk towards the door, which was correct because I hear the door open and then gently shut. It seems that there's was someone at the door because I can hear his muffled vocals from here, but that's not something I'm necessarily concerned with. Out of every feeling in the world, all I feel is relaxation. There's no other place in the world where I would rather be. I belong with Melanie and she belongs with me, and I hope she knows that.

The door then opens and the voices behind the door become infinitely louder.

"OH MELANIE! IM SO SORRY THAT THIS HAPPENED, I CANT POSSIBLY IMAGINE WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH!" Evelyn howls while walking into the room with Ronan who looks weak and dead tired.

I let go of Melanie just before her mother basically body slams her with motherly comfort, shoving her face into her chest like a child does with a stuffed animal.

"Youdonthavetoworkatthedineranymore! Icouldntpossiblyletyougothereanymoreaftersuchahorriblething! IwouldbesoafraidtoevenveoutsideifIwereyou, ohmygooooodthisissoupsetting, Ivefailedasamother!" Evelyn sobs at such a fast pace that all her words blur together.

I feel a hand rest atop my shoulder, causing me to turn to the side and see Professor King signaling for me to head to the door. "We should let them catch up."

Considering how hysterical Evelyn is and how depressed yet worried Ronan looks, it's probably a good idea to let them be. It's not like they've been seeing each other very much recently anyways.

"Lead the way Professor," I whisper.

I watch as he swiftly moves to escape the room and hold the door open for me, but before I leave, I look back to my best friend in the whole world and notice that she's watching me with sad eyes. I wave to her and then mouth to her 'I'll see you soon.' Her sadness dissipates and turns into a slight smile before waving back and giving her parents some well needed attention. That's the last thing I see before I greeted with the blinding white lights of the hallway, and the click of the hospital door.

"Um, Professor... might I ask why were you with Melanie before anyone else?" I ask.

"I was on the way down here to discuss with Melanie about getting her back into the Scaring Program, which has been a plan between the two of us for a while now, and then the hospital called and said that she was here after an incident at work. Apparently, I'm one of her emergency contacts along with her parents, and I ended up getting here before them," Professor King answers.

"Oh…" I say in surprise, "So...will she be going back to campus soon?" I interrogate, hoping to hear that I'll be able to see her more.

He shrugs and starts walking down the hallway with his arms behind his back. "You showed up right before I got an answer, so I guess we won't know for a little while longer. But anyways, go home and get some sleep. I'm sure you need it after such a wild night."

"Hehe, yeah…hopefully I won't accidentally sleep through my alarm."