Violet

Chapter 57: Ryan's Return

Abby sat on the chair and watched as Mr. Harmon paced back and fourth in the living room. She chuckled, inappropriately entertained by her father's stress. "What's up, dad?" She asked.

He stopped and stared at her. "My wife wants to move back in with me," he said. "I was hoping Violet would join us by now."

"Dad," Abby stood up quickly. "You don't need her, dad. She's not going to join us."

"She will one way or another."

"You stole her left toe and locked her in a room, dad," she chuckled. "You have to pull people in with kindness."

"Kindness," he said, thinking about the word. "I let her live. I'm kind enough. Don't you see that I want her to be a part of this? I want my family back, damn it!"

Abby sat back on the chair. A frown crossed her face and she looked away. "Dad, why can't it ever just me you and me? You can buy Violet gifts and take her places, but all I do is your dirty work."

Mr. Harmon gave her a fake smile. "Aww, is somebody jealous?"

"You're a fucking joke!" Abby screamed. "I'm your daughter! I sacrificed my soul before anyone else yet you still want that weak little girl of yours," she placed her hands on her chest. "Dad, I understand you."

He didn't reply. 

Abby got up and walked in front of him. "I understand you. That's why I'm always here for you, but I don't feel appreciated. I feel used."

Still no reply. Mr. Harmon just stared at her. She couldn't even read the emotion on his face. Anger built up inside of her. She gave up. She walked away, letting the front door slam behind her. Mr. Harmon on the hand went upstairs to check on Violet. He walked through the door, but Violet couldn't see him. 

Violet laid on her bed with her eyes closed singing an old song that her mother would sing to her as a kid. The song made Mr. Harmon smile a little. He sat on the bed and Violet could hear it move. She sat up and quickly looked around.

"Hello?" Violet said, still looking around. After getting no reply but silence, she placed her hands over her ears. "It's okay. This is just temporary. Pain is temporary."

Such a strong girl. Mr. Harmon thought. He stood off of her bed and walked back out of the room. Walking towards his art room, he thought about Violet's words. Did Violet truly believe that this all was just temporary and that she would be let free?

"She's not going anywhere, right?" 

There was that voice again. The voice that came with the book. The book that spoke more to your soul than just into your ears. "She's going to join you one way or the other. You'll have her..."

Mr. Harmon nodded. His whole mood changed. He felt more...confident instead of sad. Whenever he would feel upset or possibly guilty about something, the voice always came to remind him of his goal. To remind him that he was in control. 

He took a seat on his chair in front of one of his latest paintings. It was a picture of Violet climbing a tree and looking down towards her foot. In the picture, it seemed Violet had an accident while climbing the tree and her left foot was red. Her toe was also falling off, almost into a pile of leaves. Mr. Harmon smiled at his almost done painting.

Ring Ring Ring

A phone in the hallway broke his thought of concentrations. Upon answering, he noticed that the front door was open. That was suspicious to him because Abby would never do that.

 "Hello?" He answered the phone, still looking around suspiciously.

"Hey, it's Veronica," she said. Mr. Harmon could hear the sadness in her voice and could tell that she had been crying before she called.

"Hey, love. Are you alright?" Mr. Harmon asked.

"Is it still okay if I come back?" She asked for the millionth time in a week.

Mr. Harmon softened his voice. "Of course, dear. Don't worry, we'll find Violet."

There was a silence, then sniffing from Veronica. "Okay," she replied. "I'll be there in two weeks."

"Alright."

The two of them hung up and Mr. Harmon now focused his attention on the floor. He jogged down the stairs and heard a noise coming from the living room. It was the sound of laughter. He walked inside of the living room and saw bodies almost stacked up high to the ceiling. Standing next to the bodies was a boy. A boy he recognized. 

"Ryan?" Mr. Harmon walked towards him. "What are you doing here?"

"This is my gift to you," he said.

Mr. Harmon looked at the bodies again. "Some of them are still alive."

"I've been watching you, Mr. Harmon," Ryan said. "I want to be just like you."

Mr. Harmon chuckled and shook his head. "You're an idiot. You can't just kill everyone. Some of them have to sacrifice their souls. The book feeds on souls and the living. Not the dead, which is why you're not good at what you do."

"You've killed more people than having them sacrifice their lives to a book," Ryan said. "I'm not as stupid as you think."

"True," Mr. Harmon admitted. 

"I've been watching you and I bet you are unaware of many things that I see."

"What do you see, huh?" Mr. Harmon raised an eyebrow.

"There's a woman that comes here to water the plants every day, yet you never see her. She also cleans your house when you're away," he said. 

"Vio-"

"She told me her name is Rosemary," Ryan said. "And that she worked here. She was sacrificed, I could tell, but she's under your control."

Mr. Harmon had no idea about that. He squinted at the boy, not sure if he was lying or not. "I do not need you," he said. "Get out of my house."

Ryan disappeared almost immediately.

 Mr. Harmon's eyes went huge for a second. "Rosemary!" He called out. 

Soon as he called her name she appeared from the kitchen with a rag in her hand. "I told you a thousand times, try not to be seen! Our deal was that you sacrifice your soul to me in exchange that I keep your children alive."

Rosemary looked down at the floor. "It won't happen again, sir."

Mr. Harmon moved a strand of hair from in front of her eyes. "Good girl. Prepare the rooms and everything for my wife."

"Yes, Mr. Harmon," Rosemary replied. When he turned away, she frowned at his back. "One day...but not now." She whispered.