Violet

Chapter 59: Mrs. Harmon's Sacrifice

Before the sun could even peek out past the mountains, Mr. Harmon stepped out of his bedroom, closing his bedroom door real slowly. Making sure he didn't make a sound, he walked towards Violet's room, going through the wall as an entrance. This time, Violet saw him.

Violet looked at him with tears in her eyes. Her face read that she had given up already. She turned away, watching the ground and not caring what he would do next.

"Get dressed. Wear something warm," Mr. Harmon ordered.

Like a zombie, Violet stood up. As she did, color returned to her room along with all of her other stuff she owned before. A weak smile crossed her face. Color never seemed so much like a blessing before.

"Hurry up," Mr. Harmon said. "We don't have all day." His voice and manner were mean. Deep down inside he was highly disappointed. He wanted his plan to work. He had hoped that Violet would give up, but he just couldn't break her. This angered him to a point where he no longer cared.

Violet dressed in a sweater and some sweatpants. It was due to the coldness of the early morning on its way. She looked at her father, not able to talk or think right.

He looked at her and leaned down, so they evenly face to face with each other. "It's your choice from now. Which is it?" He said in a low, threatening voice. "You have one last chance."

She stared at him with no expression at all on her face. At that moment, she wasn't scared of him. To Mr. Harmon's surprise, Violet spat in his face, showing him a smile afterward. An uncontrollable laugh emerged from her, one that she couldn't stop even if she wanted to. This laughter came with tears.

Mr. Harmon grabbed her by the arm, then walked out of the door with her. Before Violet stepped out, her mouth was sewn shut by her father. The two went down the stairs then out of the front door. Mr. Harmon didn't bother using the car. They walked towards their destination.

***

An old house, gray in color stood before Violet. Most of the paint had shed off of it, exposing nothing but brick. The windows were cracked while some were completely broken. The place, even though old and worn out, somehow appeared as if someone still lived inside.

"Home," Mr. Harmon said. "My parents always tried to raise me to be something I wasn't."

Violet was free to talk again after he said that. She cleared her throat and looked up at him. "I can relate to that."

He frowned at her. "The only difference is that I'm willing to give you anything you wanted where they offered me a portion of faith and nothing else. Who needs faith when you can have everything you want."

Violet's head wasn't clear enough to understand everything he had just said. Her brain was tired. Her body was tired. She was tired. Taking a deep breath, Violet looked at the grass. "I guess this is goodbye then. You can kill me now."

Mr. Harmon chuckled. "Abby was right about you. You are weak. Goodbye, Violet." He raised his hands in the air. Violet felt lightheaded. The house began to sway back and forth. She felt dizzy, and her body fell to the ground. The world seemed to spin before her.

Mr. Harmon stood over her body as her eyes slowly closed.

"Maybe spending the rest of your pathetic life alone will make you realize what you were missing. When you have real intentions to come home, then you may return to me," he said then walked away leaving his daughter on the cold ground.

***

"I must be losing my mind," Veronica said while looking around Violet's room. "I know I heard her. I heard her talking to me."

Mr. Harmon hugged her. "I'm sorry, hun. I miss her too."

"This is all my fault," she said pushing away from him. "This is both of our faults."

"It's okay, we're going to find Violet. She probably just needs a chance to...think about things, babe."

Veronica wiped her tears. "I need another drink. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this, Jason."

He followed her into the kitchen where she pulled out a bottle of wine. "Babe," Mr. Harmon sat down next to her. "What if I told you I could take all the pain away."

"Can bring my daughter back?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Then shut up about pain," she replied. "I'm living off pain. Pain and wine, baby," she joked.

"Besides Violet," he smiled. "Tell me something that you've always wanted."

"Hmm," Veronica thought about it. "A garden full of growing flowers and birds. Huge bird cages with only the rarest ones. And a life where I don't crave alcohol to get me through the day," she said carelessly.

"Done," Mr. Harmon said.

Veronica laughed. "You've lost your mind too?" she asked about to pick up her drink. However, she no longer desired it. Things got weirder for her when she heard birds singing outside. "What's that?" She said running towards the front door. When Veronica opened the door, everything she told her husband that she wanted now came to life in front of her eyes.

A golden bird cage filled with Forest Owlets, Red-Crowned Cranes, and Orange-Bellied Parrots fluttered around gracefully. The garden now had more roses, beautiful lilies, long vines growing fine onto the house, and a walkway surrounded by Dendrophylax Lindenii. Big sunflowers also started to rise right before her very eyes.

Veronica stood there in disbelief but also amazed. The sight was breathtaking and enough to excite her. "But," she faced her husband. "How? How did you do this?"

His smile faded, and he gave her a serious look. "You would be amazed if you knew the things in store for us. The question is, are you willing to do what it takes to have everything you desire?"

"What?" She looked at him. "I just want to know how you did all of this. It's amazing."

"And you can have much more," Mr. Harmon pushed. "If you're willing to sacrifice your soul to the book. The book that will give you everything you want and love," he pointed at her chest. "The book that can take the pain away."

Veronica's eyebrows lowered as she thought about it. She looked around then pinched herself just to know that what she wasn't in some sort of dream. "Will this book...will my sacrifice help me find my daughter?"

He put out a hand. "It's a start. It's the beginning of a new life leading to new possibilities. Who knows what it has in store for you," he said.

She took his hand. "What do I have to do again?"

"Just say that you sacrifice your life to the book and everything else will come after," he said.

She nodded. "Fine. I just want my daughter back," she looked around and smiled. "And maybe some other things do. All I do is have to say it?" She asked.

"All you do is have to say it," he stated in a low voice, desperate for her to say the words.

"Fine," she said. "I sacrifice my soul to the book."