Hide and Seek 3: The Last Game

Chapter 14: Violet

I spent the most time in my dorm gathering my thoughts and as much information I could about The Harmons again. I knew it wasn't helping my current situation of being stalked by Mr. Harmon, but I needed all the information I could get because I knew I couldn't live like this. I had to figure out how to stop them.

Gave had fallen asleep on the bed. I gave him a little nudge when I thought I found a clue. "Hey, look at this," I showed him my laptop screen. "Mr. Harmon's parent's lived in this house with him when he was a kid."

Gave rubbed his eyes before looking at the screen. "Huh? His house?"

I shrugged. "Do you think we could find some clues or something? Anything that could help me...stop him?"

"Stop him? Why would you want to go there?" He took my hands into his and looked in my eyes. "You have to ignore this. It is far from in your control, babe. Please let it go."

I let go of his hands and stood up. I was so frustrated that he thought that I willingly wanted to go into this house. It all came to me, and Mickiyah is to blame. I think. "You know what?" I shook my head. "I'm not going to put you through this. It's too dangerous."

"Tori-"

"No!" I yelled. "This stuff is happening and it's happening to me. I didn't want to lose my mom and the girl I cared so much about, Gave."

He got up and hugged me. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't mean it that way. I'm afraid too and I wouldn't want to lose you."

I thanked him and asked him if it was okay that I could have some alone time. He left me alone and told me that he would check on me later. As soon as he left my dorm, I got dressed and decided that I'd rent out a car and go to the old home myself.

By myself.

***

It took a few hours to get a rental car but after all the hassle, I wasted no time to drive to Mr. Harmon's childhood home. On the way, I felt entirely numb and unaware of everything. I wasn't quite sure about what I was doing. By the time I was near, my internet signal and GPS began acting up.

"No, no, no. Not now," I said. I pulled over to the side where the tall grass swayed back and forth. Before my GPS started acting up it had said I was one minute away from my destination. I stepped out of the car and immediately I saw the old gray structure of a house a few feet away. It looked like it had a few months left in it before it would crash to the ground. With all the rain and lack of attention within the house, soon there would be no use for it. It'll just ruin soon enough.

I quickly walked up to it, keeping my phone in my hand. The pocket knife in my jeans was very noticeable but I didn't care. Whatever it took to protect myself regardless of who saw. I walked up to the boarded-up place. It was anything but welcoming. Grey, towering, broken. The house oddly had a personality to it. Like it had a secret. Or a lot to say and no one to talk to.

"Hey!"

Someone called out from up top the porch who I hadn't seen before. It was a girl. A girl wearing a beautiful white dress with a face that glowed like the moon, which is weird. She was angelic. "Hi, who are you?" I said, gripping onto the bulge of my pocket knife.

"That knife won't do you any good here," she said.

Suddenly the bulge in my pocket disappeared and the knife was no longer there. It was now being held in the stranger's hand.

"I'm Violet," she walked down the rickety stairs and up to me, handing me the knife. "this was my home for a long time."

I tilted my head. "For some reason, that sounds familiar," I told her. "You're-you're a ghost aren't you?"

Violet gave me a half-smile. "I wish I had the life a ghost had but I keep finding myself in crazy situations. Unlike me, can roam free without a problem. I led you here...to meet someone. You listened to my call. You are a strong one."

"Have you been the voices in my head?" I asked her.

"No, no," she shook her head. "That's Helena."

I looked around. "Is she here?"

"She has to be very careful," Violet said. "She's trying to help you but it's hard. Your friend is indeed possessed but not only that, her parents were and have always been apart of...well another world. Mickiyah's parents, like Helena's, are demons. This is why Helena has shared her connection with you. Mickiyah figured out how to contact her parents now they would like to finish what they started...through their daughter."

"So, she does know what she's doing?" I asked.

"Mickiyah has control and if she looks deep within herself, she'll find that but the book has a big part of her right now, Tori. But please know that you can help her," Violet said.

I looked at her, taken far back that I was talking to a ghost. At that moment, I wasn't scared around Violet. Her presence didn't terrify me. It comforted me. "I don't know how much time we have, Violet but I want to thank you for taking the time to bring me here."

"Defeating Mr. Harmon won't save the world from that book, trust me I've tried when I was alive and after I met Emily," she went on. "and though Emily lost herself trying to save the world from this book and game, there's always hope. You and Emily are alike."

She stared at my shirt and pointed to my heart. "and you're stronger than you think you are. And more powerful than you know."

"Emily...Emily told me she lost her friends and family," I told her. "Are they taken by the book?"

Violet looked out into the distance like she saw something. "Emily..." she stopped talking and looked down. "It's Emily that needs to tell you what happened. The truth. Give her time. Get her to open up to you. You two together can't fight this forever so you'll need her help and she needs yours."

A lot was going through my head and I couldn't process it but I nodded my head and accepted what was being told to me. "Alright."

Violet smiled motioned towards the house. "Now, come in. Helena wants to meet you."