(Recap)
I ran out of the house and threw up again until there was only dry heaves left in what I’m assuming to be the garden. When I finally got a grip I broke down, crying at what I had seen, what is happening to me? I followed a ghost and found her dead body. I sat on the damp floor and hugged my legs to my chest and cried.
I calmed down a little and got my sense back, I can’t leave her like that, I need to tell the police, but how do I explain how I found her?
Then I saw a payphone across the street.
Slowly getting up I walked over and dug into my pocket and pulled out a quarter and dialed 911.
“911 what’s your emergency?”
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Chapter 19
Ethan’s POV
After I dropped Vi off I went to Tommy’s. His necklace worked, D had no idea that Vi was a Somniator. There were so many close calls last night when D asked about Missy and about Vi's near death experience, I nearly died…again. Thank god she had the sense to say nothing; I never want to go through something like that again.
I pulled up to an apartment building and parked in the underground parking. I locked my door and walked inside and punched the code to Tommy’s apartment in the elevator, and then it started to take me to the top floor where Tommy lived.
Tommy is the oldest reaper and knows a lot more about D and how to get around him, better than anyone in existence. You see, D found him in roughly 1323BC which would make Tommy 3,353 years old. Most people are fooled by his appearance because D found him when he was a skinny nineteen year old and there are rumors that he is the King Tut as in Pharaoh Tutankhamen the youngest Pharaoh to have ever lived, but it hasn’t been confirmed. He’s not big on talking but he’s a good guy, always there when you need him.
The elevator dinged on Tommy’s floor and I walked out to his penthouse/bachelor pad and walked straight to his games room. It’s the one place you are sure to find Tommy anytime of the day.
And surprise, surprise there he was sitting at his computer, but what struck me as odd was the fact that he wasn’t playing games, he seemed to be researching something.
“Hey man, did the necklace work?” He asked without looking at me. He did that sometimes, he kind just knew who you where or when you were near him. I thought it was because he has cameras in his elevator, but he's like that outside his apartment full of gadgets.
“Yip it worked.” I said walking over to beeter see what's he up too.
“It looks like you got laid.” He said still not turning to look at me.
“How do you know? You never turned around once, since I entered the room.”
“I can hear your smile when you talk and you never smile. That and the fact that you seem to have a spring in your step that is usually so formal to a point of soldiery.” He said finally turning around and giving me one of his rare smiles in return.
“Ya I did. It wasn’t what I set out to do, it sort of just happened.” I said, still with the goofy smile on my face. He nodded and Tommy being Tommy went straight to business, not asking details about my night.
“The necklace isn’t a cure. It might dampen D’s senses a little when he is around her but it won't last, it's temporary not to mention the forgotten will know. They will be drawn to her and I heard your girl hangs out at the hospital a lot. You need to get her away from there, if the forgotten finds out what she is, you can bet your balls D will soon find out too.”
“I can’t keep her away from the hospital, her mother’s in there.”
“Tough luck guy. If she hangs around the dead long enough they’re bound to find out what she is.” I nodded, thinking about all that time Vi has already spent in the hospital.
“Hey what where you doing? I thought this is a games room.” I asked easily changing the subject.
“Oh I was checking something out. There seems to be something going on… something big.” He ttrailed as he looked back towards his screen.
“Something as in?” I trailed waiting for a reply.
“I’m not sure yet, but it’s big, like apocalyptic big. I think you caused something to happen when you brought your girlfriend back from the dead.”
“What do you mean?”
“The forgotten are gathering. I have word from my contacts around the world that they're getting less, like they're migrated or just vanished, and while the rest of the world is decreasing in forgotten, our population is increasing, so it's safe to say they're gathering here.” He said absently as he stared at nothing.
“Gathering? Here? Are they after violet? The forgotten never leave their place of death” Oh shit Violet. I started pacing the room. This is my fault; they’re after her because of what I’ve turned her into.
“What am I going to do? How can I stop it? How can I keep her safe?” I asked him panic clear in my voice, but before he could answer my phone rang. It was Connor,
“We got problems.” I said without saying hello.
“I know. Are ye near a Tele?”
“Yea.”
“Well turn it on to the news channel.” I quickly picked up the remote to the TV in the room and turned on the TV to the news channel. They showed a picture of a dark haired Spanish girl, the reporter was standing next to a payphone and looked like she was reporting from a bad neighborhood.
“The body of 20 year old Maria Rodrigues was found today. It has been reported that an anonymous female caller had found the body, claiming that she had ‘seen’ the girl in a dream, then followed her ghost or spirit to this location as well as informing the police of the suspected killer. The identity of the caller is still unknown at present and any information on her identity as well as her whereabouts will be welcomed. The unknown caller has been dubbed the ghost chaser. No doubt she’ll be a very busy girl; the police are looking to use her in a number of unsolved cases as well as-"
“That has to be Violet.” I heard Connor say into the receiver. I still had the phone against my ear and he was still on the line. I had all but forgotten he was there. I turned away from the TV as I replied,
“It looks that way. Maybe it’s someone else, someone that has the sight.”
“I’m sorry to break it to ye mate but Vicky called me little over twenty minutes ago to tell me that Violet was freaking out over something that happened at the mall, a mall not even four blocks away from where that there dead girl was found and none of them know what’s gotten into her. She had locked herself in her room and won’t stop crying. I think it was yer girl that found that body and if I understand it right, that woman had been dead for a while. That lass hadn’t have been a pretty sight for our young Violet.”
“Fuck, a forgotten had gotten hold of her. How did she come across it?"
"The lass isn't saying a word. She's just crying a river."
"I’m going over to her place.”
“Ye better calm down first mate, last thing the lass needs now is ye storming over there shouting at her for something she has no idea about.”
“Fuck you’re right. Will be there in an hour.” Then I hung up without waiting on a reply. It was frustrating just sitting around waiting for myself to cool off, especially when she needed me. I wasn't angry with her, more... afraid. So afraid for her safety, so afraid I would lose her so soon after having found her. I haven't felt this way since that night, my last night as a human and again the night she died. I didn't want to lose her, she had become so important to me, in the small time I had gotten to know her, she had somehow wound herself around me, like a warm blanket in the cold of winter.
I turned the TV off in a daze, oh crap what am I going to do? At least she hadn’t given her identity to the cops, what a nightmare that would have been.
“That your girl?” Tommy asked from his perch in front of the computer.
“It would seem so.” I said, still reeling that she had made contact with a forgotten.
“The forgotten will be after her, especially after this.”
“You think I don’t fucking know that? Fuck!” I said in frustration as I threw the remote across the room smashing it against the wall and leaving a sizable hole in its place.
“It’s a good thing I have backups.” I heard Tommy mutter as I started pacing the room.
What the fuck was she thinking? This could put D on her trail not to mention the forgotten. Fuck this could be like that fucking Poltergeist movie with ghosts roaming the streets in hordes like hell on earth. Crap, the dead walking around in the thousands, none confined to the places of death, but isn't that already happening at the moment, before all this with Violet finding that body. I know it isn't her fault, and I know that she must have been so confused and so frightened when she had realized what was happening, and she has no-one to talk to.
My phone started ringing again and I didn’t recognize the caller but answered anyway. Taking a few deep breathes before pushing the answer button.
“Hello.” I said rather gruffly.
“Ethan.” Came Violets broken voice.
“Violet? Are you okay? Who’s phone are you using?”
“I’m not okay Ethan, I’m scared. I saw… I-I saw-“ Then she sounded like she was getting slightly hysterical.
“I’m on my way Violet.” I hung up and looked over at Tommy and he nodded before I could say anything. My anger at the situation forgotten by just hearing her voice. She was scared, she didn’t know the consequences of her actions.
“I’ll call you when I find out anything else.” I nodded and rushed out, racing to my car in the parking lot, then racing to Violets house. Without ringing the bell I opened the door, to find Violets friends Vicky and Van sitting in the lounge area along with Jonathan and Connor looking beyond worried.
They all looked up when I walked in but I didn’t stop to chat I just walked up the stairs to Violets room.
“Ethan.” I turned to see Connor coming up behind me. I waited impatiently to hear what he had to say, I needed to get to Violet.
“Yer still pissed. Ye canna see her like this. She has been through a traumatic experience.”
“I had calmed down enough. You can’t fucking stop me from seeing her. I know she went through something traumatic and I’m not about to go off on her for doing something she had no idea about. So you can back the fuck off Connor.” Connor stepped back with his hands raised in surrender.
“Was just checking.” I nodded but said nothing more as I watched him descend the stairs to continue comforting Vicky.
I turned towards Violets door and tried the handle, but the door was locked. I knocked softly on the door and called out in a gentle as possible voice as I could manage.
“Violet? It’s me Ethan. Let me in babe.” There was silence on the other side and then I heard the door unlocking without opening.
I took a few moments before opened the door very slowly so I wouldn’t startle her and I saw her curled up in a corner, holding a blanket to her chest, staring at nothing. It looked like she had been crying for hours and had finally calmed down. She was now in that state of shock, she seemed in a daze, not really here and not altogether gone.
I walked slowly towards her, like she was a scared animal and kneeled beside her, afraid to touch her.
“Violet, what happened?” I asked still not touching her, I didn’t want to startle her.
“You won’t believe me.” She said sounding emotionless, like she was talking about nothing of any importance. She was definitely in shock.
“I have seen a lot of weird stuff in my life. There is nothing you can say that would shock me.”
“We just started dating, everything was perfect, and then this happens. Why did this have happen Ethan? Why now?” She asked looking at me for the first time since I walked in here.
“I don’t know Violet.” I felt so bad lying to her, if she knew that she was like this because of me, she would fall apart and she’ll never forgive me.
“I-I saw…rats and worms… the smell-“ She whispered, seeming to have a hard time talking and getting her thoughts together.
“Shh… you don’t have to tell me.” I said finally caving when I saw a tear slip down her cheek, I grabbed her and held onto her while she held on tight to me, not really crying seeming to not have the energy to bring herself to.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like this. I just… I just didn’t want to be alone…to sleep alone with the dreams and you kind of helped me. I don't want to be alone.” I didn’t want to tell her why she was having sleeping problems. This is my entire fault; she’s suffering all because of me.
I held her tighter, inhaling her lavender scented hair. Wishing there was a way to take away her pain.
“Come on Ducky, you look exhausted.” I said picking her up in my arms and carrying her to the bed to lay her down. I pulled the blankets around her and climbed on top of the covers, pulling her head on to my chest and played with her hair.
It was a long while before she fell asleep and I kept playing with her hair, hoping to keep the nightmares away.
It felt like I was laying there next to her for hours when my phone rang and I reached for it, noticing the caller ID. I silently slipped out from under Violets head and walked to a corner of the room so I wouldn't disturb her.
“Tommy you got anything for me? Any word on the forgotten epidemic we’re having?” I asked a little anxiously.
“Sorry bud, got nothing for you, but I have info from Rein that D is looking for your girl.” My heart sunk to the bottom of my toes, my scalp prickling with fear.
“Shit.”I whispered, starting to pace the room.
“You can relax, he doesn’t suspect it’s her, but he had asked Rein to investigate into the matter. Rein called me and asked if I knew anything about it.”
“And you told him nothing right?”
“Of course, but you need to get your girlfriend away from that hospital. If she spends anymore time there, then that’s just playing with fire.”
“I know and I will. I will find a way.”
“You do that. Will call you when I hear more from Rein, I’ve asked him to call me if he found anything new.”
“Thanks man, I owe you one for this.”
“Ethan my friend you owe me more than one.”
“I know.” I whispered as I stared at Violets sleeping form.
“Night Ethan get some sleep. There’s nothing you can do now, except wait.”
“You’re right. Thanks again Tommy.” Then I hung up.
Wait! Wait for someone or something to get Violet… yeah right, over my dead body.