What he feared happened.
Ander knew that living with his ninety-five-year-old sister would not be as peaceful as he expected to be - not when he himself was nineteen years old and Theodora was his younger sister.
"You ready young man?" she called out from the passenger seat.
Ander tried all excuses he can, to prevent from going back to his own mansion. He laughed at how he manipulated all these years and took lives of innocent people but he couldn't convince his younger sister.
Not that killing people was laughable at all. His dreams haunted him with monstrous screaming. He could still taste the fresh lives he took. Every single one of them. Most painful of them was killing Claire and Kathy. He saw his own sister in Kathy.
Claire - just thinking of that beautiful girl, his love, who saved his life, was heartbreaking. He just wished she was happy, safe, and away from him.
He was a monster. A monster who didn't deserve to live. But considering the agony and pain he felt while living a normal life with all those memories, death was an easy punishment.
He shut the gate to Dora's house and walked towards his new car. He sat behind the wheels and took a deep breath before igniting the car engine.
"What's with that brooding look on your face?" Theodora frowned.
"Just shut up and let me drive, you old bat." Ander snapped. Theodora smiled to herself.
When the car and its two passengers reached the familiar territory, Ander grew breathless. He hadn't been here since the day he tried to kill Claire. He hasn't seen Claire since the day he said farewell to her at the hospital.
But here he was.
As Ander parked the car in Monroe's driveway, he looked at Theodora,
"Hey, Dora-"
Theodora's eyes were transfixed in the distance, beyond the Monroe house. Her eyes wide open with terror.
"Dora? Did you see something?" Ander grabbed her armed and shook it.
"Your Claire is in danger. Her life is in danger."
Ander's heartbeat was frozen all these years. It didn't beat until last week. But he only realized it now, the way they were hammering after hearing what his sister said.
"Theodora! What are you saying?" his voice quivered as he formed those words.
She turned her eyes towards him, carrying the same fright it held, "I sensed danger around her, from someone close to her."
Ander's brows frowned, "You sensed her? She's still here?" He asked although he knew she wouldn't be going away this soon.
"Yes. And from what I saw, I don't think she'll be going anywhere soon."
"Dora-" Ander's limb went numb hearing it. Was Claire in danger again? Was her life at stake? How? And who would want to do that?
"Andy," Dora's voice grew paler with fright, "This has something to do with you."
Ander stared his sister with his light brown eyes, "No!" he muttered, "No."
Theodora grabbed her brother's hand, "We have to go inside, Andy. I'm sure we'll figure something out."
Ander trusted her but her voice sounded distant and unbelievable. He squeezed her hand and got out.
Mr. Vincent Monroe opened the door and welcomed them. Ander got uncomfortable the moment he entered. He'd been haunting this house from several decades and this family from several years. Now he stood before the old man, alive.
Mr. Monroe stared him the whole time, trying to put the pieces together while he talked with Ander's sister.
"Vincent, I am here to ask for a favor," Theodora said all of a sudden.
"Hey! Anything for you, Granny. Just name it -" he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"It's not that easy-"
"I lost two of my kids. That too wasn't easy for me."
Ander stared the two of them the whole time. He had no idea what was going on. But he was worried about what his sister told about Claire.
Theodora had been gifted with the power of clairvoyance. She could sense and see things no one could. That's how she knew what happened to her brother.
Few years after Ander died (kind of), Theodora built a house in their backyard. She'd rent it to young girls who could help Ander in breaking the curse. His curse would make him create different identities and meet those girls, get them into his prey net.
After all these years, both Ander and Theodora are suffering from their doings. While Ander had no control over what he did, Theodora did.
What Theodora said snapped Ander back in present. "Andy's real name is Ander. Ander Booth."
Vincent stared his grandmother with a flabbergasted look. He wasn't sure how to react to that. "You mean, The Ander Booth? Former owner of Sands and -"
"Will! You're back!" a chirpy voice came from the staircase which broke that tensed conversation.
The voice belonged to Rachel Monroe. She came down and rushed towards Ander with open arms. She hugged him and patted his head.
"Where were you?"
No one had the courage to break that moment. Rachel saw her son Will dying, a week after she lost her daughter. She couldn't accept it and she lost it. She wasn't completely unstable but she'd still act around like her kids were still alive. Confusing Ander for Will was not good.
"Hey, honey! You got up?" Vincent asked. "My grandmother's home."
"Dora!" Rachel hugged her next. "Will was at your house? I thought I heard him so I ran down."
"I.. Well," Dora had no idea what she should say.
"Hey, darling? Could you prepare something for our guests? I have to run to the restaurant later."
Rachel smacked her head and said, "Oh. How can I forget? I'll prepare a meal."
"Thank you." Vincent sighed, his eyes clearly showing worry for his wife.
"It'll be fun. A family gathering and a meal.." his wife muttered to herself as she walked back to the kitchen.
They were all silent for few moments.
"No." Theodora said, "No, Vincent. I can't ask you to do it."
He looked at her, "It's fine, Gran. I'll do it whatever you want. It's fine-"
"After seeing your wife react to Ander, I -"
"Just tell me what it is."
Ander wanted to run out of the house and just walk along the shoreline behind this house. A feeling of relief washed over him thinking he no longer had to worry about planning and killing. He'd been doing that for 80 years.
"I was going to ask you to take Ander in. Adopt him. Take care of him after I'm gone."
"Adopt me?" Ander was filled with rage as he stood up and shouted. "What am I? A child? I can take care of myself, Dora!"
"I know, Andy. But I want you to have someone for you. A family!"
"Dora? How can I live with them after.. after what I did? I'm already 19 if you count my living years."
"Just for few years?"
Vincent was silently listening to both siblings argue. "I don't mind."
Ander looked at him and gasped.
"It won't be easy for any of us. But it will be helpful in the long run. If you promise to look after my wife, child, and restaurant after I'm gone, I don't mind. That's what a son would do." Vincent said.
"You agree, Vincent?" Theodora smiled at her grandson.
Ander couldn't believe Vincent was agreeing to that stupid plan. He murdered Vincent's two kids and so many other people. He stripped their souls with his demonic powers. He almost killed a girl in their house just past week!
"After seeing Rachel with Ander, I'm more than happy. I was wishing in that moment that it would be wonderful if you lived with us. It's been hard on her lately. I saw her smile after days."
"But don't you understand? I'm the reason your kids are dead!" Ander said as he smacked his fists on the tea table. Just in that moment, he wished he could get back his powers and disappear.
Vincent said nothing but stared at Ander. A few moments later he began, "I've known something was wrong with this house and it had something to do with Grandma's elder brother. She told me that story when I was young. I've put some pieces together. Juliet's death, her daughter being attacked, a relative of granny returning out of nowhere. I know it was all related. Kasie told me there was a guy who attacked that girl, Clary, right? And the same guy was found unconscious here too."
Then he paused before asking, "Do you regret their deaths, Ander?"
Ander stared him in the eye and said, "Every moment of my life."
Ander then stood up and walked out of the back door out of habit.
"Hey kiddo," Rachel who was humming softly, called out, "The meal is ready. Don't be late."
Ander stopped and looked at her. He nodded and went to the backyard.
How can they agree to this? And his sister? Ander was so going to kill that little brat. Just because she's now old doesn't mean she can make decisions for him!
The lake in front of his eyes made him forget about everything for a while. He took a deep breath but a jolt of pain arose in his left knee while walking down to the shore. He whimpered in pain but didn't understand the reason. The physical pain was something new to him but without any reason? Were his bones getting old?
"Ow. Ow.." he heard someone behind him.
He turned around to see a girl on the ground, holding one of her knees.
"You okay there?" he asked and walked in her direction.
"I'm fine. Just tripped-" she looked up at Ander.
Both of their eyes widened with shock. The heavy beating of the heart, short breaths, this was all new for Ander. He didn't want to be in front of her after what he'd done. Yet, there was nothing in the world he could ask for other than seeing her, alive and fine. He was no longer a threat to her.
"Will- Ander? What are you doing here?" Claire asked.
She was sitting down there, innocently gazing him. He said nothing but turned around and walked back to the lake. He can't stay here after all that he had done to her.
But the pain in his knees? Did that have something to do with Claire tripping?