Lost In Purple

Chapter 75: Seraphim (Part 1)

As of posting this, it's the one year anniversary of 'Lost In Purple.' Thanks to all of you who have made it this far, and an even more thanks to those who have been around since July of last year.

Melanie's POV

Things are simpler. Things are lighter. Things feel strikingly familiar. A large group of hollow spirits drift within the blackness of the space I occupy, laughing and enjoying the time they have with each other. Some of them pass me by with reverberating voices, towering above me like I did when I was a kid, and when I look down at myself, it's clear that I am a kid again, within some sort of dreamscape that may or may not be a memory that my mind locked away. There isn't anyone that I recognize either. I can't find my Mom and Dad no matter how hard I try, and I can't see Johnny or Javier or Chip or any of my cousins for that matter. All the people around me are wolven or look like my grandpa though…I'm just conflicted about how to feel about this.

With further observation, every apparition is wearing something from differing time periods. Some are wearing clothes that look to be from the 1980's, 1950's, 1880's, 1730's, and further back to styles that I can't even pinpoint. Some of the words I can pick up also sound extremely affluent, and I'm intimidated by the flow they have while speaking. I almost cower in fear when they notice my presence, but they give me a warm smile and a slight bow before returning to their conversations. I'm at a complete stand still, once again feeling the nervousness that's haunted me since I was born. All of those times I felt like the world would crumble whenever someone I didn't know would try to talk to me and cause my nerves to flare up.

Eventually the groups of ghosts move apart far enough to a point where I can see past them, and I notice my Grandpa sitting down in a purple armchair, talking amongst a large group of wolven monsters and others who seem to be related to him. Luckily, he's able to look past them all too and notices me cowering all by my lonesome. He gestures for me to go to him, turning his hand over and flicking his fingers upward. That rush of not wanting to make him mad or confused or upset or… anything like that causes me to run towards him. The pitter-patter of my short and stubby paws echo through the space I'm in. I don't make as much noise running around unlike the voices of the ghosts which makes me happy. I wouldn't want to end up being the center of attention because I'm trying to find solace in the one person I recognize; That would truly be a nightmare turned existent.

Grandpa's head lowers with every inch that I get closer and ends up looking almost all the way to the ground when I find myself grasping onto his left leg. I really want to notice how small I am, but there's something in my head that keeps me from speaking out about it and keeps me shivering in fear. I'm picked up from underneath my arms and lifted into his arms like I was when I was a kid, feeling the comforting embrace that's reminiscent of a waterbed. The ghosts around him begin laughing with giant googly eyes staring into my soul. They're swooning at the sight of me, then calling me adorable or beautiful, and other things similar to that. Hiding my face underneath my Grandpa's arm is the only thing that keeps me from dying under the immense stress that has caused their uncontrolled emotions. My snout forces itself underneath his arm far enough to the point where I feel my nose press against the fabric of the armchair, which is soon followed a few muffled awws from the ghosts.

"No, no more hiding Melody. It's time for you to be brave," Grandpa states while moving me onto his lap.

My body shakes as I look up to see him giving me a loving smile.

"You're not alone anymore. You've made some incredible friends that won't let anything happen to you, and your Mom and Dad have learned to let you go," He continues, "…Well at least your mother has. Your father still struggles when you're not around…so be strong for him."

His massive hand finds itself on top of my head, and he pets it repeatedly, moving down from my scalp all the way to the back of my head.

He chuckles and little and picks me back up so that he can let me rest on his shoulder like I did when I was smaller than a stuffed animal. "He's tried so hard to hide himself from everyone…but he could never fool me. It's something that runs in the family after all. He told himself it was better for us to never know…but I think that's why all this suffering went on for as long as it did."

With my head now on his shoulder, he moves his own so that it lays on top of mine gently enough to the point where I can feel myself getting sleepy. Even with said drowsiness, there's this onslaught of several whispers that echoes around me and I can see Grandpas figure becoming more translucent that it was before.

"I know it's hard for the both of you that I'm not there anymore, and that you'll both probably forget what I look like or how I sound. The two of you can cry, scream, run away…whatever it is that helps you release your pain…but don't let it break you."

The whispers stopped and Grandpas voice is all that's left. There's just blackness and it makes me feel like I'm no longer tired; I'm just scared all over again.

"Because neither of you need me around anymore…you both have lives to live after all."

The blackness slowly becomes brighter and it causes me to open my eyes. I see myself within the ROR house, laying sideways in a bedroom. I'm still a little shaky, but I'm able to at least pull myself up and see that I'm in the room that I once resided in a few months ago. All of my belongings that I meant to move out still sit untouched in here, and the bed that I almost never slept in still had my bedsheets on it along with my blankets draped over me. I can even see the dust in the room fly off of everything as float graciously in the air which kinds of grosses me out.

All of a sudden I hear something tiny smack against the bedsheets, so I take a glance downwards to see what's disturbed the peace. I find out that it was a drop of water that splashed against the fabric, and then see another drop down onto the sheets after feeling it fall from my face. I…must have been crying…which is kind of embarrassing…but I don't really think any other sane monster would feel any different after having a dream like that. Lately I've been getting really tired of these dreams with subliminal messages, but that one felt realistically straightforward and unforgettable. I just hope I'm not going to be plagued with similar dreams for the next few months again.

After wiping my face, I take a quick look outside the window to see the sky turning a very dark blue, meaning that the sun has almost completely set. That's…weird. The last thing I remember was being at that arcade with Johnny and now I'm back at the ROR house. So, I guess I should find Johnny so that I can put an end to this enigma. It takes a couple of shaky steps to escape from the room and find that the house is almost completely dark. The candles on the chandeliers are the only things emitting any sort of light, and there's not really any sound coming from anywhere except the kitchen. Usually this place is hopping with activity and I nearly start to believe that I've entered some sort of horror film but that's not a rational or realistic thing to think. It's kind of hard to to tell who's speaking aside from there being a voice that sounds like it's coming from a really affluent woman, but I'm hoping the other voice is Johnny's. I descend to the first floor and slowly make my way over to the kitchen, and poke my head into the kitchen. Johnny's leaning against the counter speaking to some feline monster with snowy white fur. She's taller than me and is wearing a really pretty black dress.

She starts taking a couple small steps backwards which causes Johnny to notice my presence, lifting himself off the countertop to his usual stance with his puffed out chest and hands gracefully at his side. However he doesn't have his usual cocky grin and is instead sporting a relieved smile. My observations are interrupted though because this woman ends up right next to me before turning around and gasping overdramatically. She then wraps her arms around my head and pulls my head under her chin and into her chest. It's almost like I'm her long lost pet that she just found.

There's a slight pause before her warm voice surrounds me. "…Jonathan Worthington the Third, why is she more beautiful in person? I swear to god if you lose her again I will bury you six feet under. Ah ah ah, no talking back to me, you will listen to me for once…understand?"

"U-uh…erm…yes Mom," Johnny utters.

Oh…so this is his Mom. I kind of expected her to be a bit…bigger and... more rough in several ways. However, there's something intimidating about her too. I don't know why, but I feel scared again. I… have no idea what to say or do right now.

"BUT…you're making her feel uncomfortable, Mom," Johnny says after clearing his throat.

Her hands go flailing into the air as she takes a step back. "OH! IM SO SORRY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT DEAR?!"

I'm carefully looked over by Johnny's mother. She puts her hand under my chin and lifts my head up to make sure she didn't scratch me, followed by a confusing gesture of trying to fix my hair by pushing it back and brushing it out.

"U-uh, u-um, I-I-I… u-um," I stammer while looking back and forth between Johnny and his mother.

"Oh my… again I'm sorry but you are just gorgeous…she doesn't wear any makeup does she?" Johnny's Mother questions.

"Well, uh, occasionally she does, but it's not nearly as much as the other women on campus," Johnny replies for me.

"…W-would you let her be a model for Empuress?" She then randomly states.

"Oh my god, is that really the only thing you can think of saying right now after scaring her like that?" Johnny whines.

Johnny's mother scrambles to get herself together again, embarrassed beyond belief and putting her hands up to her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I just don't want to sound all stuck up and mean like your father. I would feel so guilty if I didn't make you feel like family"

She doubles on the comments about me being 'pretty' while also trying to calm Johnny down. She almost immediately switches topics though, probably because she's tired of being the one under fire.

"Are you sure you're alright dear? You look a little pale," She asks worriedly while placing the back of her hand on my forehead.

"You need water? Medicine? More sleep?" Johnny asks in instantaneous distress.

"U-um…maybe some water," I answer weakly.

Johnny hurries to open the cupboard full of glass cups and fills it up with filtered tap water before sliding the glass towards me. Chugging water has never felt so liberating since it keeps me from having to socialize. I really made a mess of things by just simply walking into the kitchen.

"Why are her scales turning blue, John? Shouldn't she be magenta?" She interrogates.

"Uh well she does that when she's nervous, scared, or upset. That, and it's one of the reasons why I thought she would have been one of the better Scarers of the next generation," Johnny says while pulling out a bowl of fruit from the refrigerator and putting it in front of me. "It's been almost half a day, so you had better have something to eat."

My cheeks flare up as I reach out for a fuzzy little raspberry and chuck it into my mouth. The bittersweet yet sour taste floods my tastebuds and create this slight stinging sensation for a few seconds before dissipating.

"Oh Melanie you don't have to be nervous or scared of me. Johnny can back me up in saying that I'm one of those fun mothers," Johnny's mother beams.

"Wait you are?" Johnny asks.

A fist comes flying through the air on straight into the purple monsters' chest. A low, painful bellow is emitted from his mouth and his brows furrow, upset with what his mother just did. I'll admit that I felt the pain he did for a split second. That thump nearly sounded like a rock hitting a hollow metal container.

"Stop it! Stop making me out to be a bad person!" She growls as she points her index finger at his face.

"I was just joking!" Johnny growls back, "Do you seriously think I hate you that much when Dad is a literal thorn in everyone's side?"

"I know he's stubborn and unwilling to let go of those traditional views of his, but I'm trying my best to fix that! Show him some respect too, he's only gone and made sure that you could live the life you have!" His mother hisses back.

"Oh you mean the fortune that he's threatened to take away? I thought you knew that he said he would throw me to the curb several times already?" Johnny replies.

"Like I said, I'm trying to fix that attitude of his! I agree with you, that's unfair and childish especially because he's not getting what he wants!" She yells.

Unintentionally, my head lowers along with my ears, and my hands end up in my lap. I begin nervously picking my claws because I feel like I walked in on something I probably shouldn't have.

"M-Ms. Worthington, d-did I interrupt something between you and Johnny?" I chime in, eliciting guilty glances from the two giants in front of me.

"Oh…no, you didn't. This is just how we've always been with each other…ever since Jonathan entered high school, there's almost never been a conversation that's been positive between us," Johnny's Mother responds, "Also just…call me Shirley, dear. I sound so old and stuck up when people call me that."

"Ok…um…well I just want you to know that Johnny's dad caused him a lot of pain this past year, s-so you have to understand why he…kind of hates him right now," I stutter, hoping that she doesn't get angry with my opinion.

"She knows, Mel. Even though we're always arguing it's never because we're mad at each other. It's…more or so that we're angry alongside each other," Johnny admits with a sigh.

"W-well either way, you two shouldn't do that anymore. Nothing hurts more than losing a part of your family…both theoretically and…um, literally," I croak.

"Aww, I'll take that to heart," Shirley says while placing both her hands on my shoulder, "And…I'm sorry about your grandfather. Jonathan told me all about it and I can't really imagine what you have been going through."

I see Johnny lean back up against the kitchen counter and put his hand up to face while sighing. "Don't bring that up now Mom, that's not something she wants to talk about right now."

"I understand. Nobody can replace him no matter what but I do want you to know that you can always talk to us about it. Even Jonathan's grandfather will be there for you if need be," Shirley adds before peeking up in an instant, "Oh that reminds me. Part of the reason why I'm here is to see if you would be willing to have dinner with us one night. Jonathan's grandfather is dying to meet you, and so is my husband but for different reasons…but regardless of that we would really enjoy getting to know you better."

Johnny shuffles off the counter once again and becomes visibly defensive. He has this slight anger that can be seen on his face but not in an aggressive way. "Only if she's ready to do so. I'm not gonna sit back and watch her be forced to interact with people she's not ready to be around."

"Ok ok, I understand. I'll wait if I have to. But I guess that means we should get you two ready for your date since that's the only other reason I'm here," Shirley responds.

I panic because I thought we already technically went on one earlier today. I look over to Johnny with worry and ask nervously about what his mother is saying. "A-a date? What date?"

"It's the surprise I had for you. I wanted to take you to the Spring Formal tonight," Johnny answers with a laugh.

"The…the Spring Formal? But I don't…go here anymore," I tiredly state.

"Doesn't matter. As long as you go with someone who does, then you're allowed to be there. This one's also outside this time and I wanted to go to my very last one with you," Johnny explains.

I realize that going to the Spring Formal requires a bunch of preparation that I simply didn't have time to think about either. There's also the fact that I'll have to be around a bunch of people in a dress which scares me as a much as it did at the beginning of the year. lt's not like it would be as bad as last time though. I actually know Johnny now, and there maybe shouldn't be anyone there who will try to make me feel like the worst monster in the world. I just… don't want to go and then make Johnny feel bored or disappointed because of this random lethargic outburst I'm experiencing.

"I…I don't know…I'm not feeling the best and…I don't even have a dress or anything," I mumble while noticing Johnny suddenly develop that disappointment I despise. He becomes a little tense and looks like a pouting child who didn't get his way.

"Are you sure, dear? Jonathan actually went out of his way to get himself a suit and a dress for you," Shirley asks.

"Wh-John," I whine.

"Oh come on, all I want is to do things with you before I have to spend most of my days away from you and on a Scare Floor. I also thought that I could find a way to make you feel better or at least take your mind off of everything that's happened for just one night," Johnny admits.

It feels nice to hear him speak the whole-hearted truth for once, but I'm still uncertain. Even after everything we've been through, I'm still self conscious about myself when out in public. I would hate to be a distraction or some girl who looks like she's just out and about for the sole purpose of gaining attention.

"W-when is it supposed to start?" I ask.

"It started an hour ago. That's why nobody else is here, they all left already," Johnny answers.

"What?! John, this is why you can't surprise me like this! Why didn't you wake me up so that I had time to decide?! This is way too short notice!" I exclaim.

"I get it, I really do. You don't have to go if you don't want to," Johnny says while grabbing my hands.

"No! I can't say no after you got everything ready and have everyone expecting you to go!" I argue.

"H-huh?" He asks with wide eyes and an open mouth. He looks really cute when he's completely flabbergasted like this.

I have to walk behind him and attempt to push him out of the kitchen so that we can maybe get there soon enough to not miss everything. He doesn't move though and still looks confused.

"W-wait so we're going?" He questions.

"Yes! Even if I might be dead tired after an hour, I'm not letting you mope and feel disappointed any longer! This is the reason why you made plans with me anyways!" I grunt while still pushing him.

"Oh, ok, th-then you go with my mother," Johnny says with growing excitement in his voice. He then lunges forward, making me nearly fall face first onto the floor. I catch myself before disaster strikes and I see him power walk out into the living room and begin walking backwards while directing me. "She's going to help you get dressed. Make sure you're quick, alright!"

Shirley basically dragged me up to my room and pulled out a decent sized box from out of my closet. I don't remember there being a box in there before, so I'm assuming that Johnny put it there within the very long time period I wasn't here. I'm also assuming that it holds the dress he bought for me. She opens the box and shows me this really beautiful sky blue dress that looks very similar to a bridal dress. I have to ask her why it looks like that, but all she does is assure me that it's a ball gown. She also tells me about how she's the one who made it which shocks me beyond belief.

"Yeah, Jonathan had me take him to one of my boutiques and this is one of the dresses that's been on display for years. He said that this was the dress he wanted to see you in the most," She elucidates.

"B-but," I stammer.

"No buts! He went through my entire stock before choosing this one. You also don't have to worry about paying for it or returning it or anything," Shirley states firmly, "I'm just glad that somebody is finally able to wear my more experimental products."

"E-experimental?" I ask.

"Yes dear, there's always been a part of me that wanted to dabble in bridal gowns but my clientele are only really interested in evening wear," Shirley responds.

She continues to try and make me feel comfortable wearing this but I don't think I ever can under any circumstance. I could barely get used to the last one, and now I have to somehow feel worthy wearing this one. I don't argue any further though, and find myself easily sliding into it with her help. I immediately notice how soft it is and easy to move around in. The silhouette also swings around in a way that makes it feel addicting to move. I even end up staring at myself in the mirror because I love how the dress looks on me. I don't look fat in it nor is it too much on the eyes. The black rose lace pattern on the torso and top part of the silhouette also give about this gothic look that's just…pretty.

Shirley then starts digging through another box that's appeared out of nowhere, but this time the box is only as big as my head. It's apparently full of jewelry and she says that they're all accessories that she's never worn before; They've simply been in storage for as long as she can remember.

"Ah, here we are. A sapphire heartstone necklace and some sky blue topaz earrings," Shirley states.

She lets me put the necklace around my neck and then places the earring around the ends of my ears, making them look like ice crystals have formed along the edges of them.

"Ooo, and how about this?" Shirley asks.

She takes out a large hair clip accessory as big as one of my ears that has fake sky blue flowers on them. There's also some studded sapphires glued onto a couple of the flowers which sparkle once light hits them at a certain angle. She slides it just behind my right ear and then lets me look in the mirror once again. I kind of see why she asked me to be a model for her, because I look like I came straight off some runway in some wealthy country. I then watch as she takes a comb and starts brushing my mane effortlessly so that it's a bit more wavy and regal. It only takes her a minute before she puts the comb down and rushes me out of the room so that we can have as much time as possible for ourselves. I lead the way, holding the silhouette up so that I can move at a pace faster than a slow walk. Shirley also helps me by holding up the back of the silhouette so that I don't accidentally step on it a ruin the dress.

We move downstairs and turn the corner so that we head into the living room, and I see Johnny standing in front of the unlit fireplace, barely illuminated by the glow of the candles above us and the kitchen lights glow. The handsome boy is wearing a blue suit that hugs his muscular figure. He also has Victorian floral patterns on them, which is similar to last time, and has a sky blue undercoat on that's topped off with a black bowtie, black gloves on his hands, and small silver chains that dangle out of his pockets.

"Alright Jonathan, you two are all seeeet," Shirley sings while pulling me towards the front door.

He realizes that I'm exiting the house and jogs towards the doorway before thanking his mother and then taking my hand before stopping to look at me up and down as the front door is closed behind him.

"Hoooo boy, I'm in trouble tonight," He growls playfully.

"W-why?" I ask.

"Because I won't be able to keep my eyes off you. You look more beautiful than I could have ever imagined…and I'm not sure if I'll even be able to spend time with you now since all the guys there will be swarming you," He elaborates.

"Oh god, please don't let them do that," I whimper.

"Mmm…over my dead body," Johnny says while pulling me close and pushing his head closer to mine.

I have to push his head away so that I don't die of embarrassment for the billionth time. That maneuver no longer works though, because he circumvents my protection, takes my chin within his hands, and places his lips right on mine. They're softer than clouds and sweeter than cotton candy. I also enjoy running my fingers through the fur on his chin. As much as I want to stay there forever, he breaks the kiss and positions me so that I can hold his hand.

"Come on princess, let's have some fun tonight," He growls softly.

The two of us walk steadily to the pathway that winds up to the amphitheater, but instead of walking down the entire pathway, we turn left about halfway and take a small journey through the foliage. We push our way through the wilderness until we find ourselves behind the dormitory and to the southeast of the School of Door Technology. This formal is being held in the giant open field here, surrounded by green, yellow and pink lights, and filled to the brim with countless amounts of tables for seating and a buffet that's being swarmed by all the men. Johnny and I confidently make our way towards the event with my hand holding his.

I notice that there's another slight breeze tonight that makes things feel beautifully calm right now, but that's already drastically changing. A couple of stragglers who aren't at the center of the field, where many couples are dancing and mingling, begin whispering to each other while looking at us with wide eyes.

"Oh my god, he is so hot."

"Dude, there's no way she shows up again and looks as good as that."

"I thought they broke up a little while ago."

"Ugh, what I would give to be one of them."

It's all coming back to me, those unnecessary feelings that are brought about with everyone's undying want to be popular. Only a hand full of monsters have seen us and I already wish I was invisible.

"Hey," Johnny whispers, "Don't listen to them. Just pay attention to this handsome face and all those spruced up friends of ours. No more being self-conscious about who you are."

I know we talked about that multiple times so far, but it's not as easy as it sounds in my case. I just don't want to be a laughing stock or someone who makes others feel threatened.

"Mel," He whispers again, "I mean it. It's just you and me this time. All I care about is spending some time with you…the real you."

Even though it's not the easiest thing to just forget about, I take his word for it and continue making the trek to the main event. With the grass rustling under my feet, the lights finally illuminate us and reveal us to the whole school. They all became noticeably more quiet, simply because they can't help but gawk at us like we're not normal people. Like always, I would rather not pay attention to them and just look around to see where Javier and the rest of the boys are. Johnny and I both spot them all waving us down at a large table near the stage that the DJ is tearing it up. Some of the PNKs, HSSs, And OHs are there too.

"Jonathan Worthington, why are you always late?!" Carrie hollers.

I hear Johnny exhale in frustration before putting his fingers in between his eyes. "God damnit Carrie, can we please not do this again!"

...To Be Continued