Violet

Chapter 22: Aunt Denise

"Where are you two going?" Mr. Harmon asked. Mrs. Harmon and Violet had been packing since early that morning. Mrs. Harmon ignored her husband as he watched them throw clothes in a suitcase. When Veronica's suitcase was full, she paused everything she was doing and focused on Jason.

"I refuse to stay here, Jason." She pointed a finger in his direction. "If you fail to realize that there's something strange going on, then we won't stay here," she said. Violet did her best to avoid eye contact with her father, but somehow their eyes met. Violet's heart raced. The presence of her own father made her extremely nervous. "I swear since we've moved, I feel like my life's been turned into a horror story," Mrs. Harmon added.

Mr. Harmon shrugged. "I think everyone is just a little stressed out. Maybe we just need a vacation."

"No, we don't. Violet and I are going to stay at my sister's house," Mrs. Harmon said, zipping up her suitcase. Violet had finished packing, too. She sat on her bed and stared at her hands.

"For how long?" he asked.

"Until this nonsense stops. Until you become a part of our life. Until you notice what's really going on." She turned to face Violet and nodded her head slightly. "Let's go, Violet."

Mr. Harmon stood still as his wife and daughter passed by him. He watched them as they walked to the front door of the house. Mrs. Harmon exited the house first, but Violet took one last look at her father. He was standing at the top of the stairs, leaning on the handrail. Violet let go of the door handle when she saw it. Something was behind Mr. Harmon. A dark glow outlined Mr. Harmon's body. This was something she had never noticed before. She dismissed it quickly, wanting nothing more than to leave. Without a word, she quickly shut the front door and followed her mother out to the car.

***

Mrs. Harmon grabbed another tissue from her purse. Driving and crying was difficult for her. Violet looked out the window, thinking about her father and thinking about herself. She could only question everything that had happened to her: why? Why to her? It made her ask herself if she was a bad person. Almost in tears, Violet turned toward her mother.

"Was he always like this, Mom?"

Her mother sniffed and shook her head. "No, he wasn't. He really meant the world to me. He still does."

"What happened? I mean, what made him this way and when?"

She waved her hand in the air and shrugged. "Art. I don't know what happened," she said.

Violet thought about her father once more, then the dreams. What did they mean? And was she really in danger? The thoughts taunted Violet's mind.

Her mother drove past a lake, then made a turn, entering some suburban area. Each white house looked the same. Mrs. Harmon pulled into an empty driveway. Outside, three kids were playing ball hockey on the lawn. There were two boys and one girl. All of them wore weird looking white masks over their heads. When the car shut off, one boy put on his mask and ran toward the car.

"They're here," he called out. The other two approached the car.

"April, Zachery, and Kellin," Mrs. Harmon, said stepping out of the car with her arms out. All three of them hugged her. "Hello, auntie," April said.

"You guys are so tall! How old are you all now?" Mrs. Harmon asked.

Kellin pointed at himself. "I'm theven," "Thachery is eighth. April is thirteen."

Violet smiled. She found his lisp cute in some sort of way.

April was a tall girl with straight brown hair. She was blind in one eye and had problems with her balance most of the time due to a serious ear problem. Kellin was short with a chubby and round face. His eyelashes were longer than most girls. Zachery had wild, curly hair that almost covered his eyes. He constantly looked around. When he wasn't looking around, he would tap his foot. When he wasn't tapping his foot, he was busy daydreaming about heroes and creatures that flew around.

"You all remember me? " Mrs. Harmon added. All of them shook their heads. 

Veronica reached for Violet, who had finally exited the car. "This is my daughter, Violet. She's met you all once. Kellin wasn't even born then."

Zachery had ventured away from them to do his own thing. A woman wearing shorts and a T-shirt stepped out from the house. She ran toward Mrs. Harmon and Violet with her arms out. "I'm so glad you both will be staying with me," she said. She pulled away from Violet and looked at her with sympathy. "I can't imagine how things have been for you lately. You poor thing. Everything will be better here. I promise."

Mrs. Harmon had told her sister everything, only leaving out the eye under the couch part. Violet and her mother would be staying in the guest room, which was big enough for the both of them.

"Thank you for everything, Denise. I owe you," Mrs. Harmon said.

Denise pointed at her and smirk. "Hey, no one has treated me to dinner in a long, long time," she said. Violet loved the way she talked, how Denise dragged most of her words and spoke in a dull yet calm and soothing tone.

"All right, deal," Mrs. Harmon replied.

"Let's get you all settled in, shall we?" Denise said, walking toward the car trunk to help with the suitcases.

Violet took out her suitcase and as she walked toward the house, she couldn't help but smile. Maybe things would work out with her aunt. She no longer had to worry about disappearing organs, teeth, or eyeballs underneath the couch. Although she was still spooked from the previous nights, she had no idea things were about to get much worse.