𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
they witnessed her destruction, they were left to wonder why. she saw nothing but darkness, though the stars shone in her eyes
VICTORIA JUMPED FROM her spot, still holding onto Gran's body, and let out a scream as someone touched her.
"It's me — Bill!" The person who had grabbed onto her shoulders, said, but she still fought their hold, so they were forced to let go of her.
She ignored everything around her, her eyes never leaving her Gran's dead body. She was just another person to the ever-growing list that Victoria has lost.
First her adoptive parents, her bio parents, Jenna, Vicky, and now Gran's. Why did the world hate her so much?
Gran was the last light in her ever dimming world. She was the one who was always optimistic and had the best advice in the worst possible times.
So, looking down at Gran's dead mutilated body, what she once treasured is now a memory, a shadow lingering in the depths of her mind.
It's a strange thing to lose something which you once had, like a limb torn from your body without the chance to save it. The door that was once open and welcoming was locked and disinviting. Gran had left her and she felt like the walls were caving in.
Thoughts were accelerating inside her head and she wanted them to slow so she could breathe, but they wouldn't.
Her breaths came in gasps and she felt like she would black out. Her heart was hammering inside her chest like it belonged to a rabbit running for it's skin.
"Tori!"
She heard someone shout, but she was too focused on trying to breathe, but her throat was constricting. It felt as if barbed wire was wrapped around her throat.
Suddenly, she was able to suck in a huge gulp of air. But, as soon as she did, she let out a painful scream.
Victoria cried as if the ferocity of it might bring Gran back; as if by the sheer force of her grief the murder would be undone. She was her grandma, her only grandma, the only person who made her feel like she had a purpose.
Sookie ran forward and tried to hold her, to calm her, even as his own tears fell thick and fast, but in her hysteria she was too strong, too wild. She stood up abruptly, making Sookie stumble back in shock.
After whirling about, unable to look through her puffy eyes at the photographs on the wall, she tumbled past a worried Sookie and Bill, and made her way out onto the porch, letting out another scream.
It was so raw that it hit Bill so hard in his undead heart that he even let out a few bloody tears. He's never seen someone so broken before. But, that was a given because he doesn't know how much she has suffered the past year and a half.
She's loosing her mind. . .again.
She can feel it unraveling, the threads of every happy memory she could ever once recall, all but a disarray of strings scattered about her feet.
Her sharp knees dig into the earth as she hit the ground, her hands unsteady as they silently claw at the dirt. That was when she realized she had stumbled down the stairs of the porch and onto the front yard.
She opened his mouth, but, this time, not a sound came out, her head violently quivering as if there is a drill to the back of her skull. Her eyes saw nothing; they have lost all sight of what is and what could have been. Her mouth was open, an eternal silenced scream.
"Vic!" Another person yelled, but this time, it was a man -- Sam. He ran towards the young girl and pulled her into his body, letting her sob into his shoulder, not caring that her tears were staining his shirt. "It's going to be alright, sweetie. Everything is going to be alright."
She shook her head, knowing better. "No. . .it's just going to continue to get worse."
THE NEXT MORNING, Sookie and Victoria sat at the kitchen table as their friends and neighbors poured into the house to give their condolences.
Victoria was too busy trying to not break down as most people that had approached the girls seemed way too insincere.
But, once she saw someone open up the refrigerator and pull out a half-eaten pecan pie, she snapped. "Maxine Fortenberry, you put that pie down right now!" She jumped up, her eyes wild, making the nosy woman flinch.
"This is Gran's pie!" Sookie shouted, snapping as well, grabbing the pie from the nosy woman.
"I'm sorry, I was just making some room," Maxine voiced, glancing around at the crowd that had gathered in the kitchen, wanting to see what had happened.
Tara walked over to the girls and grabbed both of their hands. "If you'll excuse us, I need them upstairs." Sam went to follow, worried for the brunette and blonde. Tara saw that and stopped him. "Just give us a little girl time," She said before pausing at the stairs. "Come on, Lafayette!"
The four ended up in Sookie's room, and the women sat down, while Lafayette laying across it.
Sookie was the first to break the silence. "I shouldn't have lost it like that," She mumbled, grabbing ahold of Victoria's hand, seeing how upset the younger girl was.
"I'm not apologizing for what I did," Victoria spoke, looking fown at the bed sheet. "Maxine is a nosy bitch who's been putting her nose where it doesn't belong since forever."
Tara laughed and wrapped an arm around the young girl, smiling, agreeing. "Damn right. Don't apologize, sweetie."
"Said," Lafayette agreed. "I mean, if she talked any more shit, she'd be shaped like a toilet." He grinned in satisfaction when he saw Victoria's lip twitched upwards slightly. He knows how much pain she's been through for the past year and a half. She's lost so much already and to lose Gran so close to those other deaths, it must be messing with her terribly.
Sookie let out a breath. "Gran's gone," she said as if she just came to terms with the fact that her grandma was gone, gone forever.
Victoria covered hee mouth, holding back a sob that wanted to escape. She might've not seen her Gran's for the past couple of years, but she still loved the older woman with everything in her. She was the one thing that was pure in her life.
"Yes, she is," Tara spoke softly, looking at both of the girls who had heartbroken expressions on their faces.
Victoria couldn't speak and she didn't want to because she knew that once she opened her mouth, all she would do is cry.
"I don't know what I'm suppose to do," Sookie spoke up, looking at the floor with wide eyes. "Can't even think straight."
"Well, of course you can't," Tara said, sighing. "How can you with all these circling buzzards? You know, neither of you are their entertainment. You don't have to dance for them. You just gotta feel whatever you're feeling."
"I'm not sure I'm feeling anything," Sookie admitted, frowning. "I'm just numb."
Victoria sucked in a breath and looked at Tara. "Thank you for getting us out of there," She said in a wobbly voice, trying to stay strong.
"Yes. Thank you," Sookie said, looking at her best friend. "I haven't had a single minute of silence."
"You want me to tell them to shut the hell up?" Tara asked, smiling, about to get up from the bed.
Sookie let out a small chuckle. "I wish it were that easy."
"It is," Lafayette said, pulling out a baggy of pulls from his pants pocket. "Your wish is my command, bitch."
Sookie shook her head. "Oh, no. I don't do drugs."
Lafayette had a pointed look on his face. "Sook. Relax. This is not drugs. This is just a valium." He handed her a small blue pill. "I'll tell you what, put it on your nightstand just in case you change your mind." He looked to Victoria who scrunched up her nose and shook her head, already knowing what he was about to ask her. "Your lost." He then stood up, pocketing the pills. "I'm gonna go and check on the circling buzzards."
"Lafayette?" Sookie spoke up, looking at him.
"Yes, ma'am?"
She held the pie out to him. "Would you mind taking this downstairs for me?"
He gave her a soft smile, glancing at Victoria who was looking down, biting her lip. "I will guard it with my life," he said softly before leaving.
Tara looked at the girls. "You want me go call anyone? Your siblings, Victoria?"
Victoria looked up with wide eyes. "No!" She shouted before softening, seeing their looks. "I-I haven't told them where I was and I would very much like it if it stayed that way."
"They need to know, sweetie," Tara spokw softly, placing a hand on the girls shoulder. "They have a right."
Victoria blew out a shaky breath. "I'll tell them. . .But not now. If they hate me for not telling them, then fine."
Tara nodded, sighing. "What about Bill?" She questioned, looking to the blonde. "You gonna invite him?"
Sookie gave her a look. "Tara, he can't go."
Tara looked embarrassed. "Oh, right."
"It's not like you've known a lot of vampires," Sookie reasoned. "Kinda takes getting used to."
Victoria had to agree with that.
"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it," Tara commented, then noticed Sookie's look. "What? So, not everyone is as open-minded as you. Shoot me. You should hear the things people are saying."
Sookie grimaced. "I do. Bill did not kill my grandmother."
"What?!" Victoria hissed, looking over at her cousin. "People think Bill did it?" Both girls nodded. "What the fuck?"
"Didn't you tell me he has some scary ass friends?" Tara questioned, frowning.
"Not all vampires are like that," Sookie defended. Even Victoria knew not all vampires are like that, but knew they could if they wanted to. She's seen in before.
"I'd fucking lose it if anything happened to either of you," Tara said, tears in her eyes. "You know that, right?"
"Guys, last night was so horrible," Sookie admitted, looking at her best friend and cousin. "I don't know how I would've gotten through it if it weren't for Bill. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but. . .it's like I almost feel normal."
The girls were interrupted when the bedroom door swung open, revealing a delirious looking Jason.
Sookie and Victoria stood up. "Jason--"
Victoria saw him raise his hand and before she could think, she jumped in front of Sookie, closing her eyes.
A loud slap sound was made and Victoria felt herself fall to the floor, her cheek stinging.
She shakily rose her hand to her cheek and looked up at Jason who stared down at her in shock. Tears stung her eyes, not in sadness, but anger. She quickly got up and went to slap him, but was grabbed by Tara. Sookie just stood by in shock.
"What the fuck!" Victoria shouted, her anger getting the better of her. "You slapped me!" She spat, "How dare you try to slap Sookie!" All she could see was red when she ripped herself away from Tara and lunged at Jason. She shoved him back, backing him stumble back into the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you? Who taught you to go around hitting girls, especially your sister and cousin?! Because I know it wasn't Gran!" She slammed her fists into his chest. "I don't even recognize you anymore!"
"Stop!" Jason shouted in rage, throwing her away from, making her stumbled back. And she would've fell to the floor again if it wasn't for Lafayette who had ran into the room, catching her in his arms.
"Get the fuck out!" Victoria screamed at Jason, not wanting to look at him anymore. "Get out now before I kick you out!"
Jason huffed, looking from Victoria to Sookie. "This is all your fault!" He shouted before storming out.
Victoria fell to the floor, sobbing, a big red handprint already showing on her right cheek.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON moved by slowly. Adele has a beautiful funeral, with the sun shining, her favorite flowers all over the place, and people even sang her favorite songs.
Now, it was Sookie's turn to say her speech. She took a folded piece of paper from her handbag and unfolded it before addressing everyone. "Adele Stackhouse was...everything to me. She wasn't just my grandmother. She was...my parent, my teacher, and my best friend. To say she'll be missed...just dudn't cut it, 'cause...I can't even imagine a world without her in. She was always there, with a kind word, and a hot meal, and a shoulder to cry on. Not just for me, but for everyone who knew her." She lookedat everyone, something Victoria noticed. Then, all of a sudden, she shouted. "Shut up! All of you, just shut the fuck up!" Sookie then ran away.
Victoria stood up, making everyone look to her. She cleared her throat and slowly walked to the podium, hoping to get their minds off of Sookie's mental breakdown.
"Hey." Her voice cracked, causing her to clear her throat. "I know I haven't been here in a couple of years, and I know I don't have much of a right to say I miss my Gran. . .but, I miss her so much. She was the light to my flashlight. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't know where I would be. She always made me her first priority and she always had the best advice. She's helped me through so many things and to say I loved her is an understatement. She was my life, the one person who I could confide in to with anything and she'd be there." She closed her eyes, her eyes red and puffy from how bad she had been crying all night and day. "I regret not spending more time with her."
Victoria couldn't stand up there anymore and ran off much like Sookie did minutes before. She was so tired of attending Funerals.