Darkened Heart

Chapter Eighteen

Turning on the water, she let the warmth engulf her body. After she finished, it was almost hard to leave it. Although she didn't want to, she realized that she felt a little better. Rinsing out her mid-length hair, she got dressed and headed to her room. The other father was already there, tidying up the place. She guessed it was a habit of his. "Sorry, but I don't really have any spare pajamas..." She awkwardly said. "It's alright, dear." He replied shortly before removing his coat and placing it down on a nearby rack. "So much has changed. I've seen this place through the doll and the mirror, but I still can't believe it has gotten this run down and tacky." He confessed. Charlotte hopped into bed, "Well, what was it like when you were here?" She asked, hoping to humor him a little. "Oh it was nothing but the finest. I used to have massive parties downstairs. In fact, the painting of the blue boy was gifted to me by one of my close companions. I was so rich, champagne never ran dry through these walls. This room used to be my private study, and the fireplace was exactly where I kept my- wait a minute... Is it still here???" He asked. She watched him make his way over to the mantle swiftly. A dingy old metal heater sat inside rather than actual fire. It wasn't as big as the living room's, just small enough to look "cute" or disheveled. He got on his knees and looked up at the tiny chimney that likely hadn't been used for years. "There might be bugs up there. I haven't checked." Charlotte said, thinking about how many spiders could've spun their webs in a tiny dark space such as that. He grunted as a few specs of soot fell down, old and a little more brittle than charcoal, almost sneezing in the process. "Before I discovered the other world-" he felt around with his hand. "I kept a certain amount of money hidden just in case of emergencies." Finally, he pulled away from it, now holding a small, very dusty old box.

"AH HA! It's still here! After all these years... oh Charlotte, we're all set!" He tossed the lid aside and sat the box on the bed for her to see. He wasn't wrong. Inside the ancient compartment were a generous three stacks of old fashioned dollar bills. Her eyes grew as much as his. "With this, we could go anywhere in the world! Wherever we desire, and away from this prison we call a house!" He sat it on the bedside table before plopping himself beside her. "Wouldn't that be something, my dear? Just you and I taking on the world together?" He said it like an excited child. She smiled at him, softly nodding as he turned off the light. "I... I'd like that." She sighed, pulling the covers over her. Charlotte lay on her side, facing him. Her semi-wet hair fell behind her, curly and messy. The bed no longer felt as cold and lonely as it did the first time she spent in it. Even in the dark she could still see his eyes, his new eyes. "I think I'll miss your buttons a little..." She thought aloud. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "It's funny. I never thought I'd hear you say that. Usually they were quite scary for the children." He said quietly. "For what it's worth, when I first saw them, I thought they were beautiful." She hugged him. The action didn't shock him, but her small talk did. He had to remind himself that he wasn't the only one who went through a great deal of life's ups and downs. "Darling? I am truly sorry for your father..." He said, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo as his head rested on top of hers. Even in this world, he kept a portion of his tall height. Charlotte's breath quivered as she spoke, "It's alright. I'm just... I'm glad I have you." She was shaking, and because of that he felt guilty. "Oh Charlotte, please don't cry. I can't stand it... I'm the one that's lucky you came along. If anything you have me to blame, but there's just one thing I have to know." He said. She looked up at him, wondering what it was. "Why would you choose me? After how I acted? I treated you like-like how did you put it? Like my personal doll, a possession. I-I was so fixated on the idea of keeping you with me, and so fearful of losing you that I didn't even consider your kindness... I hurt your heart, and I-"

"I forgave you a long time ago." She interrupted, dragging her fingers along the side of his face. He looked as if he would cry as well. "You did?" He asked, trying to pull himself together. Why did everything have to feel like a roller coaster? "You may have had buttons for eyes, but I saw right through them. You're a person too, Victor. You're not perfect." Charlotte said. The other father thought of all those children, all of their screams, their pain, the pain he caused. "Do you think they could forgive me, too? The ghost children, Cornelius, and Wylie?" He asked. "It's worth a try." She replied, turning onto her other side. "But for now... we ought to sleep. In the morning, we'll call Wylie and I'll try to get a hold of my mom back in Jacksonville. One thing is for sure, it's going to be hard to explain what happened." She sighed. "We'll tell them together, won't we?" He reminded. Charlotte felt comforted by his arms around her as well as his chest against her back. "Yes. Yes we will." She turned her head to gently kiss him on the corner of his lips. He seemed calm as she did so, ready to rest.