Beware the Violet Read online

  Beware the Violet

  Maria Vermisoglou

  ©2019 Maria Vermisoglou

  All right reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author, except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Illustrator: Adriatica Creation

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  Map Illustrator: Milktee Studios

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  Editor: Sara Miller

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  "The blank page is a canvas on which the writer paints a story" Stephanie Ayers

  PART I

  Chapter 1: The Beginning

  “Vi, let’s go! We’re going to be late for school,” Diane chided. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and looked at me.

  “So?”

  “It’s Halloween!” she exclaimed in delight as if it was a fact everyone should know about. Diane, my fifteen-year-old sister, did a little dance around the room. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with glee and a bright smile illuminated her face.

  I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t believe she was making such a fuss over such a trivial matter. Oh goodie, how could I ever forget the worst celebration on the planet? I was seventeen years old and being a high school student was anything but fun. The final exams were fast approaching, and I was studying very hard since I wanted to pass into a great college and finally leave this town. On top of the stress, I had to deal with this ridiculous celebration.

  Halloween seemed so fake and unfortunately, I lived in a town where they celebrated with elaborate decorations and parties. Witches on broomsticks, skeletons, and vampires! They were not real, just fairy tales and scary stories. I used to believe in them when I was a child, but now that I was all grown up, I believed in the ugly reality and I was more than certain that this stuff didn’t exist. In fact, I was fairly certain it was an obvious trick for merchants to obtain more money since people shopped like crazy. The real history of the holiday was much darker than what it had become now as it was banishing the evil spirits and welcoming the dead among the living again.

  Diane, on the other hand, was in her own little world all the time and kept her dreams alive. Halloween was her favorite holiday, and that meant she would be over the moon and going all out tonight.

  Ugh. I was so over that stuff. Fortunately, we purchased all the things she thought we needed a couple of weeks ago and that meant I could have some alone time to study before she dragged me to the party downtown. The city council felt obliged to throw the party every single year as it attracted tourists so my torture was constant. Of course, each year they looked for more extravagant activities and decorations but to my eyes, they all seemed silly and a waste of my time. What struck me as odd was that all the people loved the celebration and had to participate without exception. I couldn’t be the only person to hate it. That just wasn’t natural!

  “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.” Bored, I cast a quick glance at the mirror and found the familiar girl with the olive eyes, staring back at me. I ran my fingers through my onyx hair to straighten it out and grabbed my school bag.

  I went outside while waiting for my sister and watched people going about their business. We lived in a charming little town with picturesque buildings and blue paved streets. I loved our town because it held artistic festivals all year round and famous artists often came to attend, but even with all these miracles around me, I wanted to leave and discover the world. The rays of the sun were starting peek out, and I smiled. Suddenly, a white spot filled my vision, and I blinked.

  Concentrating, I watched as a bunny hopped out on a bench and I wondered where it had come from. Not many animals came wandering into town, they much preferred the secluded woods nearby. Suddenly, the bunny stopped its funny dance and looked me right in the eyes. Its beady blue eyes returned my gaze and then, it raised its foot and waved. I froze in place. I blinked, but the bunny was still there, watching me and for a moment, I thought it gazed at me disapprovingly. The strange thing was that the white-furred thing looked at me like it could really see me. It felt like it had a conscience and could see into the deepest recesses of my soul.

  “You must be the only person in Emberfall who isn’t thrilled with Halloween,” my sister said, breaking the spell and I jumped. I looked at her and shrugged and when I turned back to the bunny, it had vanished.

  Our parents were already at work, and since the school was near our house, we walked back and forth every day, but that was fine by me as I loved to walk and see the town in the early light, before the general hustle and bustle started.

  “I must have been born in the wrong town,” I said, still mystified by the strange event that had occurred only moments ago. Could I have imagined it? White bunnies couldn’t just stare at you, but still, I couldn’t make up fantasy stories on my own. I didn’t believe in them.

  What our town lacked in size it made up for with its enthusiasm for Halloween. Every house would be decorated during the holiday, and everyone would be on the streets celebrating. Even the adults.

  “And with the wrong last name.” Diane giggled and my shoulders tensed as I thought of what was to come during the school day.

  “Don’t remind me.” Everyone always made fun of my last name this time of the year and snickering every time it was pronounced.

  “Hello Webb,” our friend, Ellen greeted me, as if to illustrate my point.

  “Not again,” I grumbled. She was nice, but she could not even resist the urge to make the stereotypical joke.

  She shrugged. “It’s Halloween!”

  “So, I’ve heard.”

  Ellen was a slender girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had moved to our town a year ago, but she was so social that she fit right in and no one had ever tried to mock her. Diane and Ellen hit it off immediately, and from that moment, you didn’t ever see Diane without Ellen. The two were inseparable. We didn’t have much in common, but I hung out with her for the company. She was easy to like and always made sure everyone was happy.

  As we headed to our classes, the teasing continued. It was a miracle no one ended up punched in the face.

  “It’s Halloween, leave them be,” Diane said, and I growled.

  Sitting at my desk for the first class, I gazed out the window, trying to forget the taunts of the children. While staring at the bushes of our school grounds, I saw a white dot jumping out of them. Squinting, I realized it was a white bunny that stood on its front legs and looked directly at me. Another one? I wondered, but when it waved its paw there was no room for doubt. Unless there was more than one. I stared with my mouth gaping.

  “Good morning, class,” the teacher’s loud voice boomed, startling me out of my reverie. “Everyone, settle down. Today, we…”

  Shaking my head, I tried to shove the bunny’s strange behavior away and focus on the lesson. It couldn’t be the same bunny, could it? Bunnies didn’t wave unless it was something new they were testing for the celebration. I’ve seen animatronic toys in the mall during Christmas so they could have adapted them to Halloween as well. Relieved, I smiled reassured and listened as the teacher explained the complicated formulas. For a moment I really thought… No, that was completely ridiculous.

&nbs
p; Thankfully, the day went by so fast; I thought someone must have pushed the fast-forward button. After school, Diane chatted excitedly about our costumes and the accessories we would wear. Being the younger of the two of us, she was able to enjoy her normal life without worrying about exams. I envied her for that, but at least I would be free once the exams ended. Free to leave and my only plan was to move to a city where they didn’t care about Halloween!

  “…I also love the gloves you bought—”

  “That you made me buy,” I corrected her, clenching my jaw.

  “They match your amulet perfectly,” Diane said, ignoring my interruption.

  “It’s not an amulet! It’s a necklace,” I said, emphasizing my words.

  I never took off the silver necklace with the purple, polygon stone my grandmother gave me. She had passed away when I was ten and wearing it made me feel close to her. Whenever I felt lonely, I rubbed the stone and somehow, I felt my grandma’s hand, touching my shoulder, giving me strength.

  My grandmother had passed away but I still felt her presence in this house. Some rainy days, I thought I could still see her in her favorite armchair near the fire, knitting with her electric blue yarn. I could recall her extravagant stories about alternative universes with creatures found in books. Admittedly, her stories were so much better than books.

  “It’s an amulet!” Diane said decisively.

  I decided not to comment on the subject as I was in no mood for an argument. “All right, whatever.”

  “We have to hurry and get ready for the All Hallows Eve Festival,” Diane said, quickening her pace, and I rolled my eyes.

  Right, the festival was tonight. Emberfall had probably one of the largest celebrations in the world, and people from countries we never even knew existed flooded the town and came to attend. I didn’t understand why there was such a fuss about it. It was just a fake celebration with food. Christmas was more meaningful while Halloween worshipped things that didn’t actually exist.

  When we turned onto our street, our house came into view. Our Cape Cod style home made of bricks stood tall and proud among the others, greeting us. A small fence surrounded our garden where we used to play hopscotch, and when it rained, we made our famous mud pies. At the far end, the treehouse we used to play in on rainy days was still standing, but since we grew up, it stood alone and abandoned.

  Big windows I used to stare out of, trying to catch sight of the small rainbows and a blue gabled roof where our kite got stuck that one year, were the things I thought made our house unique. Our household had three bedrooms even if the outside looked bigger. Diane and I still shared a room which bothered me sometimes, especially when we had a fight. Our parents had the honey-baked room as Diane called it, and the chocolate brown was for guests. The kitchen with the orange walls was Mom’s territory where she “cooked up her magic” as Dad called it. Two bathrooms made things go faster in the mornings, and our blue living room was always there to welcome our guests. It was great we had a house with a garage, because in our neighborhood it was very difficult to find a place to park and Dad used it as a storage room, too. Every room had a fireplace, and I was thankful for that because it made the cold bearable in the winter. The house dated some generations back, but I liked its streamlined, yet elegant style.

  We pushed the blue door and found our parents preparing the house for Halloween. Dad was setting up the lanterns, and I noticed a paper trail on the floor. I imagined he had tried to make paper decorations and failed again. Every year, Dad tried to craft a giant Halloween decoration, but always failed due to his wild imagination that didn’t comply in logical terms.

  “Hello, girls,” Mom called from the kitchen.

  “Hi Mom,” I greeted back and entered the kitchen that was permeated with smells. Mom was in her apron and like a witch, she was cooking three different dishes at once and I was in awe of how she could manage a feat such as this. This was pure magic, not the silly costumes people wore and ran around like crazy.

  I cast a glance at the decorated living room, and my shoulders hunched. Every corner had a Halloween lantern, decoration, or something that reminded me of this unbearable celebration. Even the chandelier! Another year with these same silly decorations. Will this madness ever stop?

  My mother, seeing my expression, gave me a hug. “Oh, come on. It’s just one night, sweetheart. It will be fun and who knows? You might meet somebody.” She winked and continued stirring the food.

  I sighed and went to my room to get ready. While I was downstairs, Diane had transformed our room into a Halloween ball. Paper exploded from every side of the room while purple lanterns hung from the ceiling. The only thing missing was a vampire or a fairy. Disgusted, I averted my gaze and quickly put on black jeans and a shirt that said Boo!

  “Don’t forget to put on the gloves,” Diane said, materializing from a corner. With her goth ballerina costume, she looked like a part of the decorations as well.

  My face morphed into a deep scowl, but I put the gloves on only so she could just forget about it. With the first chance, I planned to remove them. The gloves didn’t match the outfit no matter what she said.

  “See? They match your amulet.”

  Again with the amulet! “Let’s just go,” I said, eager to get this over with.

  We headed downstairs where our parents were already waiting. “Come on, girls!” Mom, dressed as a witch, called out and I wondered how she managed to get her costume on so fast.

  Diane ran down, and I followed, dragging my feet. Last year, I reminded myself. Last year and then it will be over.

  Mom had on a long black dress paired with a black velvet pointy hat. In her hand, she held a broom, and I was certain, this was the same broom we had in our yard last year. Her makeup was a purple glittery mix, and I thought if anyone saw her in the dark, he would run scared.

  Dad, like me, was not totally enthused about Halloween, but he simply did it to please Mom. A green cape was draped over his shoulders combined with a green shirt and jeans. I imagined he was trying to look like a superhero.

  Music seeped in through the door, and children squealed in joy. I sighed and opened the door, as I prepared for one of the most boring nights of my life. We arrived at the town square where the fun had just begun; children were trick or treating, some adults were dancing or having a drink. Nonetheless, everyone was dressed up and enjoying the celebration.

  Paper lanterns shaped as witches, pumpkins, and bats, hung from trees. Banners with the town’s insignia—a shield with a crossed sunflower and a paintbrush—adorned with rubber bats, and fake cobwebs were draped between two lampposts. Jack-o’-lanterns, each uniquely carved, were neatly arranged throughout the square, making the square seem as bright as day.

  While everyone was having fun, I took a plate with finger food and sat on a bench, avoiding the plastic spiders that were dangling from it. If there was anything I hated, it was spiders. I looked down at my plate containing witches’ fingers, creepy eyeballs, and sausage mummies. I inhaled and chewed down my food, pretending it was spaghetti while watching people dance and shouting in delight.

  “Are you having fun?” Diane asked when she saw me going for a drink. She hadn’t stopped dancing since we arrived.

  “It’s been a ridiculously long hour since we left the house, so no,” I replied dourly. I pointed at the crowd. “Look at them! Those costumes don’t even look real!”

  Diane shook her head and gave me a disbelieving look. “They’re not supposed to look real.”

  “Then, what’s the point?”

  “Violet—”

  “Forget it. I’m going for a walk.” Upset, I waved her off and left at a quick pace. I didn’t understand the excitement over Halloween or why everyone was so inclined to celebrate this make-believe holiday. I threw my gloves away as it was another reminder of this silliness.

  A rustling in the bushes pulled me from my thoughts. I stood alert, but only a bunny appeared. The bunny stared at me and then waved, makin
g me stop dead in my tracks. I took a closer look at it, but no mechanical voice came out of it, nor lights from its eyes. It was a real bunny, waving at me. “I’m losing my mind,” I murmured. The bunny beckoned me one last time and then took off.

  Curious, I followed it. Maybe it was just a prank, and I was losing my mind over nothing. “Alice in Halloween,” I said under my breath and cautiously, I strode behind it.

  The bunny continued on its way and didn’t appear afraid of me in the slightest. It came to a stop and looked at the gap where our town ended like it calculated the distance. There used to be a bridge that led to the next town, but it had been destroyed and never replaced. The mayor had deemed it better to do a reroute from the city center to bring more tourists in. Now that the human presence was gone, nature had thrived and turned this part of the land into a small canyon. The view was breathtaking and without the silly decorations, it looked peaceful. Casting a look back at the bunny, I managed to catch it just in time to jump and disappear into the void.

  “Bunny!” I yelled in shock. I approached the edge of the gap while I was wondering, was it stupid? Didn’t it see the gap? While I tried to understand what on earth had happened, the ground started vibrating.

  Earthquake?

  Out of nowhere, a door appeared in front of me. It was just a regular stained oak door, standing in what had previously been a completely empty space. I looked around, but no one was there. Curiosity won me over, so I pushed the door, but it wouldn’t open. It needed a key.

  “Where do I find the key? And why do I even care?” I said aloud. This was utterly ridiculous, but it was odd that I wanted to open the door. It felt like it was of the utmost importance that I opened that door, like my life depended on it. Peering, I looked at the door, trying to discover what secrets were held behind its rough surface, and leaned in.