you, Violet.’
Her fingers were still a little sticky from the ice cream and the sun was a touch too warm on her face. She’d not yet adjusted to the discomforts of her human body: having flesh that could hurt from a scratch, or an ache in her belly when she’d forgotten she was supposed to eat.
A kiss from Nate made up for this, the softness of his lips reminding Violet how wonderful it was to be real and not a creature of pure light.
As they passed more people, Violet felt their gazing more succinctly. There was doubt there; a questioning as to what they were seeing. She wasn’t quite right in their eyes, and she knew this from their frowning and their furtive whispering to one another. Nate grew anxious seeing her fold and move into him.
‘You haven’t changed, Violet,’ he said as assuringly as he could.
‘Perhaps not to you. Perhaps you’re immune because you made me whole again. Can we go home?’
‘Definitely.’
The air became chilly and Nate gave Violet his jacket as they walked back to his car. She said little to him on the way, pondering with more fear in her heart what everyone else was now seeing. Was she ugly now, or just different, or somewhat abnormal? She’d not be able to see it in a mirror, still she needed to know, no matter how ugly she was.
The looks Violet was getting as they’d walked through the park had caused Nate’s free hand to curl into a fist. He could tell a couple of people were genuinely disgusted, but every time he looked at her, he couldn’t see a single thing to sneer at.
This had her upset and she was pensive now, sitting in his room with her knees against her chest and her chin on her arms. She wouldn’t accept him holding her.
‘I’m so scared, Nate. It’s happening already. We should go now.’
‘Maybe this will pass too, like the first spell. I’m sure once you’ve spent more time here everyone will still see you as I do.’
‘And how is that?’
‘Beautiful.’
She obviously didn’t believe him.
‘You’re not a monster, Violet. Please believe me. And you’re stronger than this. I don’t want you to regret coming back… I love you.’
This seemed to hurt her more than anything. ‘If my woes do anything to bring you harm, Nathaniel, I’ll never forgive myself.’
Nate refused to stay away from her, going to her and taking her hands before he brought her close again. ‘Don’t be silly. Your woes are mine.’ He could hear himself adopting her manner of speech. He’d suspected people would laugh at her for talking properly, and they’d make fun of her old fashion thoughts and words, but they’d just loved her more for it.
Until now.
Jacqueline wasn’t in the den anymore. Nate had to go look for her, finally finding her in the living room going through the cupboards and tearing things out. She was throwing photo albums onto the floor with no regard, the pictures slipping out from under the old covers. Violet stayed close behind Nate.
‘Where is it?’ Jacqueline muttered to herself.
‘Mom, what’s wrong?’
‘I can’t find it… It was in here before.’ She stopped and turned back, and the second she saw Violet, she gasped.
‘What are you doing? Why is she still here?’ Jacqueline got to her feet, charging at Violet who backed away in terror.
‘Mom?’
‘Get that thing out of my house!’ Jacqueline shouted at him, pointing menacingly at Violet. ‘How could you bring something like that in here? What’s wrong with you, Nate?’
‘It’s just Violet. She’s my friend! What’s wrong with you?’
Jacqueline shoved Nate aside then grabbed Violet by her hair, dragging her to the front door. Nate couldn’t stop her forcing Violet outside while she screamed at her to never come back.
‘You monster!’ Jacqueline screeched. ‘Get out of my site, you horrific beast!’
Nate ran past his hysterical mother, reaching out to Violet just as Jacqueline slammed the door on him. He heard her doing up the locks and putting on the chain.
‘Don’t you dare come back with her, Nate! Get rid of her. Now.’
Violet was trembling and crying as she stepped out of his reach. ‘No…’
‘You’re not different!’ he cried. ‘You’re not a monster, I swear. I don’t know what she’s seeing, Violet, but it’s not what I see.’
She started walking away. ‘That doesn’t matter, Nathaniel. It’s already begun, just as the others said. I’m in danger now whether you want me to be or not.’
Luckily, Nate still had Jacqueline’s keys. Violet still wouldn’t let him even touch her arm, and he barely managed to get her in the car. She was safer in there than anywhere else once he’d locked all the doors.
He decided to take her to see Rachel and Joel in the hope they were still in love with Violet enough to help them. It wasn’t an ideal plan, but his options were becoming scant.
The minute Rachel saw Violet, she burst into tears. ‘Take her away,’ she moaned. ‘Why did you bring her here at all? She gives me nightmares.’
‘What are you talking about, Rachel?’ he demanded. He had to know what they were seeing now. ‘What’s changed?’
Joel appeared and told Rachel to go back inside. ‘What are you even doing with that thing, Nate? It’s disgusting. It’s not even human.’
‘Of course she is!’
Joel slammed the door on them.
‘This was why they told me not to go back,’ Violet murmured, tugging on Nate’s sleeve. ‘We have to go now. They’ll hurt me if I stay.’
She ran from him down the porch and back to the car. He quickly caught up with her but she refused to speak until they were well away from Rachel’s house.
Taking her to the edge of town, he pulled over in an empty parking lot so he could catch his breath. The panic from seeing Violet manhandled by his own mother hadn’t left him yet. He’d never been so furious.
Violet wasn't crying, still her voice was raw and hollow.
‘This must be part of the curse. The consequence to coming back… Maybe there are those who knew this and refused to be reborn. I should’ve done the same.’
‘Does it ever stop?’ he asked desperately. ‘Will they eventually see you as human again?’
‘I don’t know.’
He covered his mouth with his cupped hands a moment, fleshing out a plan. ‘I’ll have to go back to the house for a second, I have nothing with me and I need to get the money I’ve saved from my room. If you stay in the car, I’ll tell my mom I’m sending you away. She’ll be fine if she doesn’t see you.’
Violet was frantic again. ‘You’ll leave me on my own?’
‘No, I’m coming with you and I won’t come back here until I know no one will hurt you. As long as she can’t see you, it’ll be okay. It’s not like she’s sending a lynch mob out after you.’ He felt sick then. ‘Will everyone see you this way now?’
‘I think so. I should never have done this to you, Nate. I’ve ruined your life.’
‘No, you haven’t, Violet. I swear. I’m protecting you now, no matter what.’
Nate deliberately parked down the street from his house. He squeezed Violet’s hand before getting out, promising not to take too long.
Inside, every curtain had been drawn shut. He had no time to question this. Up in his room, Nate grabbed a few things, finding the money that he’d stashed in a small box. He then went to Violet’s room and took what he could, shoving it all in a bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
He crept downstairs, holding his breath as he took each step. He was almost at the front door when Jacqueline emerged behind him. She was scowling still.
‘It’s okay,’ he said to her calmly like she was an animal about to attack him. ‘She’s gone. I got rid of her.’
‘Why did you bring her here, Nate?’ she suddenly begged. ‘Did you want to torment me?’
‘No! Mom, I had no idea what she was, I swear.’
‘I know what you did,’
she said with malice. ‘It was you. You’re the one who brought her back, let her use you to be whole again.’
‘How…?’
‘I see her now for what she is, Nathaniel. And what you are. You’re a tainted thing and I want nothing to do with you.’
‘Mom, please. You don’t understand.’ He was actually backing away from her as she approached him, for the first time terrified she might actually harm him.
‘LEAVE.’
Nate darted away from her, running out the door and back to the car. He dropped the bag in the backseat then scrambled into the front before he tore away down the street.
‘What happened?’ Violet gasped. ‘I heard her screaming at you.’
‘She knows. Somehow, she’s figured it out now how you came back and what part I played in it. She thinks we’re both evil now. She screamed at me to get out.’
Violet covered her face with her hands and wept. ‘Oh God, forgive me, please.’
‘God has absolutely nothing to do with this, Violet. That man, the preacher, he brought God into this mess, not you.’
‘Then what am I?’ she cried. ‘I must be of the Devil, Nate. What else could I be? This is how he works his evil upon the earth.’
‘I don’t believe it. I won’t. Just stay calm. We’ll go somewhere for a few days and wait, then I’ll call my mom and if she talks to me like a sane woman, I’ll know it’s over.’
Driving calmed Nate considerably. Violet gradually stopped weeping; he’d wanted to stop and hold her but they had to keep moving. The box didn’t have much money in it, nor did his wallet, and he only found a spare twenty in the glove compartment.
It was late in the afternoon when Nate pulled into a gas