A Lost Memory: Alitheia

Episode 22: Gone too soon

"Yeah," a nervous chuckle and she asked why she felt it necessary to drive all the way here.

"It's been a while since I've been in my brother's mansion; I thought I'd pay you a visit," she coyly says and asks where the bellboy is, Fitz is taken aback at the mention of him and Eliza gives her a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright we'll help you with those Miss," Akira says to her and he motions to Colchester to help him.

"Miss? Aren't you just the sweetest?" she grins like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"These must be the residents here," she adds and tells them to take her to her room. Kacey rushes to the front desks and grabs a bundle of room keys.

After dinner which Kacey made a vegetable casserole, Elizabeth settles into a room close to Kacey's, a smaller room not to her liking but she was happy to get some rest nonetheless. In her sleep, she hears muffled whispers at her door, curious; she gets out of bed wearing a silk blue nightgown. She places a hand on the doorknob and the door creaks open, this sound bounces against the wall's hallway. Finding no one she makes her way back to bed, in the comfort of her sheets and behind her a figure lays beside her unnoticed. A long black shaded hand, fingers that stretched uncomfortably long, it caressed her cheek and leaned close to her ear. It whispered, "Elizabeth," in a ghostly voice she recognized as Harold Troy.

Elizabeth's eyes shot open, she slowly maneuvered her body to her bedside table for the lamp switch. It flickered on and she lay with her back against the bed, confused and slightly unnerved, she got up and made her way to Kacey's room in the middle of the night.

Kacey wakes up with an unfamiliar scent floods her nostrils. She turns to her side to spot her Grand Aunt Elizabeth sleep soundly next to her. She attempts to wake her up though chooses to leave her be and get up to make breakfast. She prepares eggs, sunny side up with bacon and toast. The rest of the residents, join her in the kitchen and Akira sparks up a conversation.

"Morning, Kace also if your grand Aunt's a Kapnos demon I volunteer to beat her senseless with my new club," he informs her, nonchalantly.

"She is not a Kapnos demon or any demon as a matter of a fact, now eat your eggs and shut it," Fitz waltzed inside, grabbed a plate of food and stood at the counter eating.

"Are you a horse? Sit down," Akira spits back and they get into a heated argument.

"Woo beke nemen?" Eliza groans, rubbing her tummy and Kacey passes her a plate of food.

[Translation; Can I have some? in tagalog]

"How did you know what I said?" Eliza asks, surprised and Kacey answers that she figured it meant you were hungry.

"Where's your Grand Aunt Elizabeth?" Mandisa asks Kacey, she stood behind her with a glass of orange juice and places it on the table.

"Thank you, she's still sleeping," she says to all the residents though they get distracted by a screech from upstairs and they rush upstairs.

"This is terrible!" Elizabeth shrieked while staring into the bathroom mirror.

"Grand Aunt Elizabeth, are you okay?" Kacey asks her in a soft voice behind the slit of the bathroom door in her room.

"Everything is ruined!" she squeaks and turns around to face her.

"Look at this," Elizabeth points to a red spot on her forehead and Kacey leans in closer almost tripping as she does so.

"It's a pimp-" she starts off saying but is interrupted by Elizabeth.

"Don't you dare say the word," in a hushed voice as if thinking about it would make it worse.

"Come on, Grand Aunt Elizabeth, it's not that bad," Kacey tells her and Elizabeth shoots her a mean look her way.

"What have I always told you Kacey Troy?"

"Your face is your asset use it to the fullest," the singsong together in perfect harmony.

"That's it I'm staying inside all day, no week, maybe even a month till this leaves," she says, antsy.

"Actually Grand Aunt Elizabeth, there's something I need to tell you-"

"I have a pimple patch if you want one?" Fitz says through the door and Elizabeth runs to open the door.

"Where?" she deadpans, with an open palm in front of her.

"I'll go get it," Fitz makes her way down the hallway to the elevator door.

"What were you saying dear?" Elizabeth beamed this time and Kacey said nevermind.

The night makes its way into the sky and once again Elizabeth hears a voice croak her name, this time she begins to follow it. It leads her downstairs; she slowly takes each step in caution. Behind her, a shadow figure lurks.

The next morning, Kacey rode the elevator to downstairs with Mandisa at her side. A scene laid bare for them to witness, a pool of blood and her mouth agape with a ghostly expression.

"No!" Kacey cried out and Mandisa took her in her arms.

Elizabeth lay in a crucifixion pose though her legs were slanted to one side, the same pose as their friend Junior Pilloweather.

"What's going on?" the residents make their way downstairs though paused by the body contorted in front of them.

"Again?" Akira says and holds a hand to Jiro's face.

"Who is this? Why does this keep happening?" Kacey cries.

This was the first time she cried, at her parent's funeral, not a drop fell but now why did it feel like her whole world was crumbling before her. Another soul lost to someone or something unexplainable. The situation seem

ed too unbearable as Kacey passes out.