Violet

Chapter 51: Birthday Present

When I turned back around, I saw April face down on the ground. She was dead as a doornail. No possibility of survival, for she was shot in the head...just like her mother had been.

The stranger now faced me. His eyes full of hatred and anger. Suddenly, using his pointer finger and middle finger, he slid them across his lips. The stitches popped off and blood leaked out of his lips. "You're dead," he said, pointing the gun at me.

That was it, I was the last one left. There was no way I could face him even without the gun. He had a tough build and looked like he could snap a neck in the blink of an eye. I stood there and awaited my horrible fate. 

He took a few steps closer with the gun pointing at my forehead. I stared through the dark hole of the barrel and awaited the bullet that would soon enter through my brains. I closed my eyes, thinking that was the end of Violet Harmon. The end of myself. The end of my story.

But...it wasn't.

The gunshot never went off. I heard him groan, then I heard something fall to the ground. When I opened my eyes, the man that was in front of me now laid face down on the ground. Behind him was my father holding a bloody wrench.

He looked with a smile on his face. Abby soon entered the room with a smile on her face and the lights came on. "Congratulations!" My father clapped his hands. He stepped over the body and made his way towards me.

"You made it out alive," Abby said. 

"If I won, then where is my aunt Denise?" I asked. "Where's Kellin?"

"He died 15 seconds into the game," Abby said, sitting down next to Zach's dead body. "And you didn't win."

"What?" I asked. "But I'm the only one left."

"No," my father responded. "He was about to shoot you, but I saved you. I don't want anything to happen to you, Violet. Can't  you see that?"

Tears flooded out of my eyes. "Where is my aunt!" I said through gritted teeth.

"Ugh, can we please just kill her!" Abby spat. "She's weak!  She doesn't know good when she sees it."

Abby's body flew against the wall. I watched as my father had his hand faced out towards her. "I make the rules!" he yelled at her. He finally put his hand down and she fell to the floor. Abby rubbed her legged, then got up and left the room. I heard the front door open then slam hard as she left.

My father rolled his eyes then motioned his finger in a circle. Out of nowhere, my aunt Denise appeared. She stood in front of us with her eyes closed. She looked so lifeless. He walked closer to her but stared at me. "It's true. You did not win, but I can let her go. I can bring her back."

I shook my head, unsure of what to say. "You have to bring the kids back too."

"I can't bee too lenient, Violet," he replied.

"But I didn't ask you to save me! I could have saved myself!" I argued.

"No," he shook his head. "You were prepared to die. I know it."

He was right. I couldn't deny it. "But my aunt couldn't live knowing her kids are dead. That would destroy her."

"So, I shouldn't bring her back?" He asked. "It's your choice, Violet. I can't bring them all back."

I looked at my aunt Denise's lifeless body, then at her two children lying face down on the floor. She couldn't take it. She couldn't handle this. No mother probably could and if they did, life wouldn't be at all the same. 

"Don't," I mumbled.

"Excuse me?" My father asked while putting his hand to his ear. 

"Don't bring her back," I said.

***

Things went back to normal. Well...after the mess was cleaned up of course. It was just me and my dad for the following months up until my 12th and 13th birthday. Things never changed. I had to live with him and there was no way out. I had to eat breakfast with him and eat lunch with him and eat dinner with him.

I watered the plants outside under his supervision. I cleaned the house. I mopped the floors. I dusted the cabinets. He would work me until I was dead tired. And for what you may ask? Well, to him, all of my misery could end if I did one thing. 

Sacrificed my soul.

I stood firm on my faith. I would not sacrifice my soul just for power. I was determined to show him, but I wasn't sure how long that would take. 

A day after my 13th birthday I asked him for something. 

"What do you want?" He asked me.

"Can we please see mom?" I asked for probably the thousandth time. You see, when she got out, she came here the same day looking for me. My father told her that I ran away because of her and that he could do nothing about it because it was too late and he thought Denise had me under control.  She never came back after that day and who knows what is going through her mind.

Denise was gone, April, Kellin, and Zach were dead too. And me? She had no idea that I was with my own father, who locked me in the room with my arms and legs bounded and my lips sewn shut. I was powerless with my father. Only if my mother knew. Only if she came back and demanded answers. However, she just left it how it was and I don't know why.

"No," my father said. "She'll be fine with her parents. I hear they're taking good care of her," he flipped the next page of a normal book he was reading. I looked at the cover of the book. "Darkness." I wondered what it was about.

"Can I read that after you?" I asked.

"You read the other two already?"

"Well, yeah! They were short books," I said.

He chuckled. "Well, THE Book isn't so short. Check it out sometimes," he smirked at me.

I sighed. "Can we at least have cake for my birthday? Or do something to celebrate the fact that I'm a teenager now?"

My father thought about it. "Fine," he sighed. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to see someone. Someone special."

"My mom?!" I asked, full of excitement. 

"Shush, my dear," he lowered his voice. "It's a surprise."

*Slow updates again:( Hands have been getting a bit worse so I took a three-day writing break. If they're okay tomorrow like they are today I'll update again. Love you guys<3 Who do you guys think she'll see?*