The document provides backstory on the narrator's family and their curse to leave home as teenagers. It describes the teenager's birthday party and the father Marcus attending. Later, the narrator tells the children about the family history and curse, upsetting them. The next day, Desdemona convinces her sisters Lily and Fortunata to go to a gathering with her friends after school, though they are hesitant without their friend Eglantine. The narrator worries as evening approaches without the children returning home.
Roxanna is an ancient vampire who was imprisoned in her home for over a century by a magical barrier. On the anniversary of her imprisonment being lifted, two young vampires, the Count and Contessa, visit her and deliver a message from the Grand Magistrate Marcus, Roxanna's former lover, regarding a new vampire named Doran. Roxanna dismisses them and asserts her authority. Her invisible twin sister Astraea reveals she has been spying on the Vampire Council and helping Marcus rise to power. Roxanna's daughter Lily appears as a ghost to pass on, and Roxanna gains closure. She realizes she is finally free to leave her home without the barrier.
Lindsay and Zack have been murdered by Fury, Fire's evil twin. Fire blames herself for not protecting them after Justin's death. Suze is devastated at losing her daughter Lindsay. DNA evidence from the scene suggests Fury is disguising herself with dyed blonde hair. Death cryptically tells Fire she cannot find Fury because Fury has part of Fire. Meanwhile, Adam accidentally runs into a mysterious blonde woman in town.
This chapter provides context around several events happening in the Random family after Kennard Random's death and Muriel accepting the heirship. Landon struggles with being the new family patriarch without his parents. Marta pursues a relationship with her ex, Flexo. Lawrence proposes unexpectedly to Helled. Liam talks to his mother about still grieving the loss of his sister Morgause.
Rissa begins her first day of college by cleaning out her late half-sister Lindsay's art studio. That night, she has a dream where Lindsay visits her. Lindsay warns Rissa not to answer the phone, as Suze Chandler is calling. The next morning, Suze calls but Rishell answers and says Rissa isn't there. Rissa meets Rishell's friends at a welcome party, where she learns their intended majors and that Matt gets nervous talking to attractive women.
This summary provides context and key details from the document in 3 sentences:
Rissa takes Robbie maternity clothes shopping as payback for an old prank, delighting in embarrassing him by making him try on women's formal dresses. Though annoyed at first, Robbie sees the humor in the situation. The story then shifts to show Rissa greeting her partner Theo after he returns from work, implying they will have an intimate evening together while their daughter Lisbeth sleeps.
This summary provides context and key events from the document:
[1] Rissa is angry with her housemates Will, Lora, and Rishell for their failed plan to set Rissa up with their friend Matt, who confessed his feelings for her. This caused emotional distress for both Rissa and Matt.
[2] Will also brought his date Robbie to meet the housemates, but Rissa insults Robbie and a verbal argument ensues. Robbie storms off upstairs while Rissa vents her anger at her housemates for their meddling.
[3] Rishell feels guilty for her role in the plan. Lora and Will agree to try to reconcile
Rissa returns home pregnant and learns that her friends from college were murdered by Fury, the woman who killed Rissa's sister. Rissa angrily tries to go after Fury for revenge but is stopped by Fire, who understands Fury's psychology and warns that confronting her directly will only lead to more deaths. Fire promises to find Fury and make her pay, but knows it won't undo the tragedy Rissa and her family have suffered.
Roxanna is an ancient vampire who was imprisoned in her home for over a century by a magical barrier. On the anniversary of her imprisonment being lifted, two young vampires, the Count and Contessa, visit her and deliver a message from the Grand Magistrate Marcus, Roxanna's former lover, regarding a new vampire named Doran. Roxanna dismisses them and asserts her authority. Her invisible twin sister Astraea reveals she has been spying on the Vampire Council and helping Marcus rise to power. Roxanna's daughter Lily appears as a ghost to pass on, and Roxanna gains closure. She realizes she is finally free to leave her home without the barrier.
Lindsay and Zack have been murdered by Fury, Fire's evil twin. Fire blames herself for not protecting them after Justin's death. Suze is devastated at losing her daughter Lindsay. DNA evidence from the scene suggests Fury is disguising herself with dyed blonde hair. Death cryptically tells Fire she cannot find Fury because Fury has part of Fire. Meanwhile, Adam accidentally runs into a mysterious blonde woman in town.
This chapter provides context around several events happening in the Random family after Kennard Random's death and Muriel accepting the heirship. Landon struggles with being the new family patriarch without his parents. Marta pursues a relationship with her ex, Flexo. Lawrence proposes unexpectedly to Helled. Liam talks to his mother about still grieving the loss of his sister Morgause.
Rissa begins her first day of college by cleaning out her late half-sister Lindsay's art studio. That night, she has a dream where Lindsay visits her. Lindsay warns Rissa not to answer the phone, as Suze Chandler is calling. The next morning, Suze calls but Rishell answers and says Rissa isn't there. Rissa meets Rishell's friends at a welcome party, where she learns their intended majors and that Matt gets nervous talking to attractive women.
This summary provides context and key details from the document in 3 sentences:
Rissa takes Robbie maternity clothes shopping as payback for an old prank, delighting in embarrassing him by making him try on women's formal dresses. Though annoyed at first, Robbie sees the humor in the situation. The story then shifts to show Rissa greeting her partner Theo after he returns from work, implying they will have an intimate evening together while their daughter Lisbeth sleeps.
This summary provides context and key events from the document:
[1] Rissa is angry with her housemates Will, Lora, and Rishell for their failed plan to set Rissa up with their friend Matt, who confessed his feelings for her. This caused emotional distress for both Rissa and Matt.
[2] Will also brought his date Robbie to meet the housemates, but Rissa insults Robbie and a verbal argument ensues. Robbie storms off upstairs while Rissa vents her anger at her housemates for their meddling.
[3] Rishell feels guilty for her role in the plan. Lora and Will agree to try to reconcile
Rissa returns home pregnant and learns that her friends from college were murdered by Fury, the woman who killed Rissa's sister. Rissa angrily tries to go after Fury for revenge but is stopped by Fire, who understands Fury's psychology and warns that confronting her directly will only lead to more deaths. Fire promises to find Fury and make her pay, but knows it won't undo the tragedy Rissa and her family have suffered.
Rissa faints at work while leading her research students, worrying them. Theo takes her home and insists she see a doctor to check what caused her to faint. Rissa jokes it could be pregnancy, though finds the idea absurd. Theo takes the possibility more seriously and goes to get a pregnancy test while also picking up lunch, leaving Rissa impatiently waiting on the couch.
Giac presents his new wife Beatrice to the wedding guests gathered to celebrate their union. The party enjoys entertainment and dancing late into the night. As the festivities wind down, Giac and Beatrice retire while Lucio gives a toast wishing them happiness and many male children.
Zane Devereaux is having a dream where he is hosting a "Wishful Thinking Bachelorette Challenge" to choose between several women. However, the women act strangely - Meadow wants to tickle Zane, Lucy criticizes her past relationships, Cassandra refuses to forgive Zane's family, and Sandy and Carter come on too strongly. A fight breaks out between Lilith and Cassandra. Zane decides he has had enough and tries to get everyone to eat dinner.
The narrator has been distraught since witnessing nine ghosts at an abandoned house. She tells friends Lisa and Marcus about her ability to see ghosts and the tragedy of the family that lived in the house. Determined to learn more, the narrator researches the house's history and the deaths of its occupants. On a night off, she secretly plans to return to the house alone, but encounters unexpected obstacles from her housemates. They gift her a mysterious bracelet that cannot be removed, making her wonder what purpose it serves.
This summary provides the key details from the document in 3 sentences:
Craig confessed to Rachel and Jenny about his past relationship with Rachel while at Sim State, causing drama and hurt feelings. However, Rachel was understanding and told Craig she considered the matter resolved. Meanwhile, Jenny was upset with Craig but still had feelings for him, agreeing to forgive him after he reassured her that she was not second best in his eyes.
The Devereaux Legacy: Chapter Four - Part 4peasant007
Aviendha and Ashley get married in a quick courthouse ceremony due to Aviendha's father disapproving of their relationship. They struggle with the high costs of their run-down new apartment but receive help from their new neighbors, Frances and Malcolm. Meanwhile, Amelia excitedly prepares for her wedding to Miles at Saint Bella's Church, though her mother has reservations about Miles.
The protagonist barely sleeps in the tower, thinking about her decision to go with Gustaf to his village. In the morning, Gustaf instructs her to wear many layers of clothing for the long, cold hike. They use her severed braid as a rope to climb down from the tower. Upon arriving in the village, Gustaf sneaks them through alleyways due to the presence of the Dame. He leaves the protagonist alone in an abandoned house while he checks his own home. She is frightened alone but Gustaf returns and takes her to meet his mother Klara, who warmly welcomes her.
The Devereaux Legacy: Chapter Four - Part 6peasant007
Sebastian confronts the author after learning the truth about his past. The author admits to unintentionally causing the death of Sebastian's first wife, Tristen, in an attempt to stabilize the unstable London Bridge neighborhood. The author then arranged for Sebastian to marry Kitty in her world to solve the issues in both worlds. Though Sebastian is angry about being manipulated, the author explains the difficulties of being a creator and their genuine care and investment in Sebastian's family and story.
Zane is dreaming that he is participating in a Bachelorette-style dating challenge show. In his dream so far, he has eliminated one contestant named Lilith. The other contestants, including Cassandra, Tina, Sandy, Meadow, Carter, and Lucy, interact with Zane in various ways. Some, like Tina and Meadow, seem confident in winning Zane's affection, while others like Cassandra and Sandy expect to be rejected. Lucy tells Zane that he places too much value on happiness despite not being happy himself. The dream continues as Zane has private conversations with each contestant.
Clara Robinson finds herself lost and stranded in the suburban town of Pleasantview after a taxi driver misdirects her. She meets Lilith Dreamer who warns her about the town gossip and to avoid Don Lotherio, the local womanizer. Despite the warning, Clara spends the night with Don but wakes to find him gone. She then faces the town gossip about her encounter with Don. Later, she meets Beau Broke, Lucy's fiancé, who comforts her and admits to having doubts about his upcoming marriage to Lucy.
The Devereaux Legacy: Chapter Four - Part 5peasant007
Tina reveals to Goopy that she is pregnant with his child. Goopy is in disbelief and questions if the baby is really his. Tina reminds him that she has only been with him. Goopy says this changes things but promises not to tell his wife about the pregnancy yet. As morning sickness hits Tina, she remembers another time when the man she was with did not comfort her during her illness.
The Gladrags Legacy: Chapter 12- Hakuna MatataTonytheFish
This chapter continues the story of the Gladrags legacy. Shenzi has been imprisoned by Scar and his henchmen Ed and Banzai. Simba has fled in shame after betraying his sister and is now drinking alone at a bar. Scar has taken over the legacy but is running out of money. He decides he needs a wife to secure his future as heir and sets his sights on the reluctant Zazu.
As summer draws to a close in Tuscany, Serena does laundry outside under the shade of a tree while watching over her children and baby Giorgio. Donna Beatrice, Giorgio's mother, pays an unexpected visit to see her son. Serena's brother Stefano then arrives, having dislocated his shoulder in an accident. Serena and Stefano take him inside for treatment, leaving Beatrice alone with the children. She struggles to watch over them by herself.
Fury, a psychotic enemy of the Chandler family, murders Lindsay and her boyfriend Zack when she finds them alone in the house. She does this to end the Chandler legacy, unaware that Lindsay's younger sister Rissa continues it. Lindsay, with her last words, prophecies that Fury's greatest triumph will also be her downfall. Suze returns home with her dog Maia to discover the bodies and realizes with horror that a tragedy has occurred.
The document summarizes events from Day 3 of Zane's reality show. Tensions rise between the contestants, particularly between Tina and Meadow. Tina insults Zane and says hurtful things to undermine his confidence. During their private time, she tells him he will never be normal or have a real life. The other girls offer Zane support by questioning Tina's motives and helping Zane realize he shouldn't believe her insults. Cassandra is the only girl who just wants to play chess with Zane without drama.
Venus turns 18 and goes off to college, gaining independence from her overprotective mother Opal. Opal has sinister plans now that Venus is leaving, intending to fulfill a goal set by Venus' father Nathan years ago. Meanwhile, Tosha investigates whether Venus' birth was falsified and if she is actually still alive, following a prophecy. Through interviews with potential suspects who have means and motive, she discovers evidence pointing to Opal.
Morgause Bettencourt travels to the House of Fallen Trees looking for information about her biological mother, Helled. She meets her grandmother Lillian, who tells her that Helled is no longer there. Lillian reveals that Landon Random, not his brother Lawrence, may actually be Morgause's father. A confused and tired Morgause decides to sleep at the house. Unbeknownst to her, Lillian calls Helled to tell her Morgause is now in her possession, seeking revenge for past wrongs. Helled and Lawrence decide to travel to the house to rescue Morgause from Lillian.
A Victorian Legacy - Chapter 11.1 Spares not HeirsDi Meeeee
Aphrodita tells Di, Michelle, and Angela that she has fallen in love with Henry Legacy, who is imprisoned for trying to kill his brother. The others are skeptical but Aphrodita insists her feelings are genuine. Henry proposes to Aphrodita at the prison, and despite reservations, she accepts. They marry the next day at the prison with all the simselves in attendance. Aphrodita later becomes pregnant with Henry's child, and gives birth to a boy named Timothy. Meanwhile, Alfred proposes to his partner Marielle, and James begins to realize his feelings for Claire.
The twins Lysander and Rosalind have recently moved to the rainy town of Flinton after running out of money. They view their new flat, which is in poor condition, as a temporary solution until Lysander can find work and earn enough for them to leave. However, Rosa is unhappy living there and misses the company of animals. Lysander interviews at a local pub for a part-time bar job in hopes of saving up enough to move on within a few months.
Morgause is searching for her biological parents and has received a tip that Miguel's father used to date a redheaded woman named Helled. Miguel now theorizes that Helled may be Morgause's biological mother and that Miguel's uncle Lawrence could be her biological father, as they were dating until around the time Morgause would have been conceived. Miguel offers to talk to his uncle Lawrence to help Morgause learn more about what happened between Helled and Lawrence.
Roxanna tells Marcus she is pregnant after he has been neglecting their relationship to focus on vampire activities. Marcus agrees to make more time for Roxanna and the baby. Later, as Roxanna walks home from work exhausted, a zombie gypsy confronts her, saying she is owed something. The gypsy tries to take Roxanna's protective bracelet but is stopped by Jean, Helen, and Terri using magic.
Rissa faints at work while leading her research students, worrying them. Theo takes her home and insists she see a doctor to check what caused her to faint. Rissa jokes it could be pregnancy, though finds the idea absurd. Theo takes the possibility more seriously and goes to get a pregnancy test while also picking up lunch, leaving Rissa impatiently waiting on the couch.
Giac presents his new wife Beatrice to the wedding guests gathered to celebrate their union. The party enjoys entertainment and dancing late into the night. As the festivities wind down, Giac and Beatrice retire while Lucio gives a toast wishing them happiness and many male children.
Zane Devereaux is having a dream where he is hosting a "Wishful Thinking Bachelorette Challenge" to choose between several women. However, the women act strangely - Meadow wants to tickle Zane, Lucy criticizes her past relationships, Cassandra refuses to forgive Zane's family, and Sandy and Carter come on too strongly. A fight breaks out between Lilith and Cassandra. Zane decides he has had enough and tries to get everyone to eat dinner.
The narrator has been distraught since witnessing nine ghosts at an abandoned house. She tells friends Lisa and Marcus about her ability to see ghosts and the tragedy of the family that lived in the house. Determined to learn more, the narrator researches the house's history and the deaths of its occupants. On a night off, she secretly plans to return to the house alone, but encounters unexpected obstacles from her housemates. They gift her a mysterious bracelet that cannot be removed, making her wonder what purpose it serves.
This summary provides the key details from the document in 3 sentences:
Craig confessed to Rachel and Jenny about his past relationship with Rachel while at Sim State, causing drama and hurt feelings. However, Rachel was understanding and told Craig she considered the matter resolved. Meanwhile, Jenny was upset with Craig but still had feelings for him, agreeing to forgive him after he reassured her that she was not second best in his eyes.
The Devereaux Legacy: Chapter Four - Part 4peasant007
Aviendha and Ashley get married in a quick courthouse ceremony due to Aviendha's father disapproving of their relationship. They struggle with the high costs of their run-down new apartment but receive help from their new neighbors, Frances and Malcolm. Meanwhile, Amelia excitedly prepares for her wedding to Miles at Saint Bella's Church, though her mother has reservations about Miles.
The protagonist barely sleeps in the tower, thinking about her decision to go with Gustaf to his village. In the morning, Gustaf instructs her to wear many layers of clothing for the long, cold hike. They use her severed braid as a rope to climb down from the tower. Upon arriving in the village, Gustaf sneaks them through alleyways due to the presence of the Dame. He leaves the protagonist alone in an abandoned house while he checks his own home. She is frightened alone but Gustaf returns and takes her to meet his mother Klara, who warmly welcomes her.
The Devereaux Legacy: Chapter Four - Part 6peasant007
Sebastian confronts the author after learning the truth about his past. The author admits to unintentionally causing the death of Sebastian's first wife, Tristen, in an attempt to stabilize the unstable London Bridge neighborhood. The author then arranged for Sebastian to marry Kitty in her world to solve the issues in both worlds. Though Sebastian is angry about being manipulated, the author explains the difficulties of being a creator and their genuine care and investment in Sebastian's family and story.
Zane is dreaming that he is participating in a Bachelorette-style dating challenge show. In his dream so far, he has eliminated one contestant named Lilith. The other contestants, including Cassandra, Tina, Sandy, Meadow, Carter, and Lucy, interact with Zane in various ways. Some, like Tina and Meadow, seem confident in winning Zane's affection, while others like Cassandra and Sandy expect to be rejected. Lucy tells Zane that he places too much value on happiness despite not being happy himself. The dream continues as Zane has private conversations with each contestant.
Clara Robinson finds herself lost and stranded in the suburban town of Pleasantview after a taxi driver misdirects her. She meets Lilith Dreamer who warns her about the town gossip and to avoid Don Lotherio, the local womanizer. Despite the warning, Clara spends the night with Don but wakes to find him gone. She then faces the town gossip about her encounter with Don. Later, she meets Beau Broke, Lucy's fiancé, who comforts her and admits to having doubts about his upcoming marriage to Lucy.
The Devereaux Legacy: Chapter Four - Part 5peasant007
Tina reveals to Goopy that she is pregnant with his child. Goopy is in disbelief and questions if the baby is really his. Tina reminds him that she has only been with him. Goopy says this changes things but promises not to tell his wife about the pregnancy yet. As morning sickness hits Tina, she remembers another time when the man she was with did not comfort her during her illness.
The Gladrags Legacy: Chapter 12- Hakuna MatataTonytheFish
This chapter continues the story of the Gladrags legacy. Shenzi has been imprisoned by Scar and his henchmen Ed and Banzai. Simba has fled in shame after betraying his sister and is now drinking alone at a bar. Scar has taken over the legacy but is running out of money. He decides he needs a wife to secure his future as heir and sets his sights on the reluctant Zazu.
As summer draws to a close in Tuscany, Serena does laundry outside under the shade of a tree while watching over her children and baby Giorgio. Donna Beatrice, Giorgio's mother, pays an unexpected visit to see her son. Serena's brother Stefano then arrives, having dislocated his shoulder in an accident. Serena and Stefano take him inside for treatment, leaving Beatrice alone with the children. She struggles to watch over them by herself.
Fury, a psychotic enemy of the Chandler family, murders Lindsay and her boyfriend Zack when she finds them alone in the house. She does this to end the Chandler legacy, unaware that Lindsay's younger sister Rissa continues it. Lindsay, with her last words, prophecies that Fury's greatest triumph will also be her downfall. Suze returns home with her dog Maia to discover the bodies and realizes with horror that a tragedy has occurred.
The document summarizes events from Day 3 of Zane's reality show. Tensions rise between the contestants, particularly between Tina and Meadow. Tina insults Zane and says hurtful things to undermine his confidence. During their private time, she tells him he will never be normal or have a real life. The other girls offer Zane support by questioning Tina's motives and helping Zane realize he shouldn't believe her insults. Cassandra is the only girl who just wants to play chess with Zane without drama.
Venus turns 18 and goes off to college, gaining independence from her overprotective mother Opal. Opal has sinister plans now that Venus is leaving, intending to fulfill a goal set by Venus' father Nathan years ago. Meanwhile, Tosha investigates whether Venus' birth was falsified and if she is actually still alive, following a prophecy. Through interviews with potential suspects who have means and motive, she discovers evidence pointing to Opal.
Morgause Bettencourt travels to the House of Fallen Trees looking for information about her biological mother, Helled. She meets her grandmother Lillian, who tells her that Helled is no longer there. Lillian reveals that Landon Random, not his brother Lawrence, may actually be Morgause's father. A confused and tired Morgause decides to sleep at the house. Unbeknownst to her, Lillian calls Helled to tell her Morgause is now in her possession, seeking revenge for past wrongs. Helled and Lawrence decide to travel to the house to rescue Morgause from Lillian.
A Victorian Legacy - Chapter 11.1 Spares not HeirsDi Meeeee
Aphrodita tells Di, Michelle, and Angela that she has fallen in love with Henry Legacy, who is imprisoned for trying to kill his brother. The others are skeptical but Aphrodita insists her feelings are genuine. Henry proposes to Aphrodita at the prison, and despite reservations, she accepts. They marry the next day at the prison with all the simselves in attendance. Aphrodita later becomes pregnant with Henry's child, and gives birth to a boy named Timothy. Meanwhile, Alfred proposes to his partner Marielle, and James begins to realize his feelings for Claire.
The twins Lysander and Rosalind have recently moved to the rainy town of Flinton after running out of money. They view their new flat, which is in poor condition, as a temporary solution until Lysander can find work and earn enough for them to leave. However, Rosa is unhappy living there and misses the company of animals. Lysander interviews at a local pub for a part-time bar job in hopes of saving up enough to move on within a few months.
Morgause is searching for her biological parents and has received a tip that Miguel's father used to date a redheaded woman named Helled. Miguel now theorizes that Helled may be Morgause's biological mother and that Miguel's uncle Lawrence could be her biological father, as they were dating until around the time Morgause would have been conceived. Miguel offers to talk to his uncle Lawrence to help Morgause learn more about what happened between Helled and Lawrence.
Roxanna tells Marcus she is pregnant after he has been neglecting their relationship to focus on vampire activities. Marcus agrees to make more time for Roxanna and the baby. Later, as Roxanna walks home from work exhausted, a zombie gypsy confronts her, saying she is owed something. The gypsy tries to take Roxanna's protective bracelet but is stopped by Jean, Helen, and Terri using magic.
Boolprop Round Robin Legacy Spare Story - Desdemona Doran Part TwoSilverBelle1220 .
Desdemona encounters a threatening vampire in the park who warns her not to let her father encroach on her territory. A mysterious man comes to Desdemona's aid and the vampire leaves. Later, Desdemona's cat Shadow scratches her arm unexpectedly. The next morning, Shadow is affectionate again. Several months later, Desdemona is playing solitaire at work between calls.
Boolprop Round Robin Legacy Spare Story - Desdemona Doran Part ThreeSilverBelle1220 .
Desdemona has a dream where her deceased mother tells her to stop blaming herself for what happened to her sister Lily and to choose happiness. She decides to open up to Jimmy about her past. She tells him the full story of her family's history with the vampire council and what led to her being banished. Jimmy understands why she has trust issues but encourages her to let people in. They start dating and their relationship grows closer over time, though Jimmy remains hesitant to fully commit due to his werewolf condition.
Marcus has been absent frequently to attend vampire council meetings, upsetting his children. When Lily draws a picture of her family without including Marcus, Roxanna grows concerned about his commitment. She leaves a message for Marcus but doesn't hear back. Lisa confirms she also hasn't seen Marcus in weeks. Roxanna worries about the impact of Marcus' absences on their family.
This document is a summary of chapter 1 part 7 of the story "Fortune's Fancy". It describes Alex explaining to her children what happened after their wedding. Her sister Belinda had kidnapped Alex's baby son Blake and demanded money in exchange. Alex contacted her mother's old lawyer for help removing a curse on her inheritance money. A friend of the lawyer's agreed to help but said there would be a price. Alex and her family were led to a dwelling cut into a mountain, where a large wooden door stood at the base of a path.
The Pseudo Legacy - Chapter Four, Part 13 BOrikes 360
The document provides an overview of several events involving the extended Legacina family. Younger grandchildren join older cousins in school, where a fight breaks out involving Ava and Mercedes. Dean and Miranda welcome a new daughter with green skin named Sam. Micah and Genesis take their grandchildren, including twins Henrietta and Irondequoit, on a beach vacation. Mercedes' behavior is addressed by Micah. Kiley and Julie return from an adoption trip with Mercedes' new sister Porsche. Persephone offers to babysit Hugh so Lisa can go out with her date.
Eddie confronts his aunt Banyan about his mother's death, believing she is still alive. Banyan reveals that Eddie's mother faked her death and is hiding out in a green house at the end of the street. Meanwhile, Marco goes on many dates in an attempt to fulfill his lifetime want of 50 first dates. The neighborhood teens invade the Prettacy for a party while the elders celebrate birthdays without signs of aging.
The narrator is a 17-year-old southern boy who has yet to find a girlfriend. One night, his mother sends him to deliver a package to the MacArthur's home. There, he sees the shadow of a mysterious, beautiful girl moving through the house. For the next few nights, he dreams of her shadow. Determined to find out who she is, he visits the MacArthur's under the pretense of delivering jam. He falls into a pit on the way but is rescued by Nora, a visiting northern girl staying with the MacArthur's. They become close friends over the summer.
The document tells the story of Roxanna, who moves to Sim City after a traumatic loss leaves her feeling disconnected from her family and ability. She finds community in her new living situation, sharing meals and bonding with her housemates. Roxanna eventually gets a stable job as a bartender through one of her housemates. She grows closer to her housemates and finds purpose in her new life in the big city.
1) The narrator finishes their final chapter of the story about their family's quest to find mythical creatures. All of the narrator's children have now left home to continue the quest.
2) Only the narrator and their beloved husband Andrew remain in the now empty family home. They move to their original first home to live out the rest of their lives in peace and quiet, thinking of their children every day.
3) The narrator encourages readers to check the heir poll on Boolprop.net to continue the story with the next generation.
Katheleen reads her grandmother's diary and questions her mother Nadia about events after the diary ended. Nadia recalls a falling out with her own mother over religious beliefs. She took on responsibility for the family as the eldest child while also pursuing her romance career. Nadia's relationship with her mother remained strained for years, until she met and fell in love with Bruce, cementing her role as family heir.
Tyler has arrived at La Fiesta Tech university after being sent by his father Jon Smith to find Marella. Marella is excited to see Tyler again after searching for him all semester. They plan to meet up again soon. Meanwhile, Evil Susan is annoyed by Marella's constant talking about Tyler. Vauxia has been interrupted during a date by a crying mascot cow but manages to scare it away. He plans a toga party with Sorex for the next day.
This document is an excerpt from a memoir that describes the narrator's complex relationship with her cousin Nemecia during their childhood in New Mexico in the early 20th century. It reveals that Nemecia confided in the narrator that she had caused her mother to fall into a coma and killed their grandfather when she was 5 years old. The narrator is terrified of Nemecia but also dependent on her attention. Over time, Nemecia becomes detached from the narrator as she gets older.
A Buffyverse Apocalypse: Chapter NineteenRose Fyre
This chapter provides updates on various characters in the Buffyverse story. Tara goes on a date arranged by a matchmaker and enjoys her first romantic encounter. Connor continues dating unsuccessfully. Drusilla begins dating Ben after expressing interest in him. Kate settles into college life with her brothers. Richard considers becoming a vampire but must lift a restriction first.
A new baby, named Vauxia, has been born to Cadence and Gadus. Vauxia is described as having brown hair, green eyes, and two-toned skin. He is welcomed by his family, including grandparents Ocean and Menidia. His older brother Sidneyia is excited to meet him, though at his young age does not fully understand the situation. The new addition to the family brings great joy.
Magellan narrates his family's strange life in a post-apocalyptic world. He can hear the voice of the Creator, who tells him stories of how life was better before, with things like showers, varied food, and warm weather. Magellan's mother is pregnant again with twins. He helps his sister Marie with her homework and wonders what caused their world to decline into ruins. The Creator suspects there is more to the mystery than he understands.
Apocalypse In Death Valley 1.2 Childhood TalesDellyo_82
Magellan narrates his family's life in their post-apocalyptic world. His mother has given birth to twins and his sister Marie has grown into a teenager. Magellan works hard to become the responsible heir as his parents spend much of their time meditating. He helps raise and educate the twins. Despite hardships like lack of hygiene and scarce food, the family supports each other and the twins have become good students. However, the cause of their world's destruction remains a mystery.
The Doran Pseudo-Quads and the Mystery of the Cerulean AnteaterRose Fyre
Ma'or and Seren have been accidentally transformed into stuffed anteaters after touching Ma'or's stuffed anteater, which is revealed to actually be a man named Vesper who was cursed to that form by witches 200 years ago. Their sisters Astraea and Roxanna enlist the help of their friends to research how to break the curse and change them back to human form before their family discovers what happened.
Marie tells Magellan about a dream she had that showed glimpses of their family's future. In the dream, Magellan tops the Gamer career and the phone lines are restored. Their father unexpectedly dies young at age 65 days, and their mother passes away the next day. Braille does well in school and Meadow has another baby. Magellan is disappointed to miss the birth of his second child due to passing out.
Similar to Round Robin Generation Nine: Part Five (20)
This summary provides context for the document, which appears to be part of an ongoing story. It introduces Roxanna Doran, an elderly vampire who is meeting with two younger vampires, the Count and Contessa. They have come with a message from the Council that a Doran, possibly a relative of Roxanna's, has been spotted in the region. Roxanna reveals to their surprise that she herself is a Doran. She offers them drinks and implies she will share more of the story behind her history and involvement with the Doran family.
A Buffyverse Bachelor Challenge: Chapter SixRose Fyre
This summary provides the key details from the document in 3 sentences:
Liam has completed his time on The Bachelor Challenge with the two final contestants, Cassie and Rissa. He spent the evening dancing and getting to know each woman better. By the end of the night, Liam has realized he cares for both Cassie and Rissa deeply, but must make a final choice between them.
A Buffyverse Bachelor Challenge: Chapter FiveRose Fyre
Lydia decides to eliminate herself from the competition, recognizing that Liam is more interested in Rissa and Cassie. She says goodbye to Liam, leaving him with just Rissa and Cassie remaining. Meanwhile, others watching the competition unfold note that Lydia seemed to want the last word by choosing to eliminate herself. Scores are then shown indicating Rissa and Cassie have the strongest connections with Liam, while Lydia's connection was less strong.
A Buffyverse Bachelor Challenge: Chapter FourRose Fyre
Liam spends time flirting and chatting with each of the remaining girls - Lydia, Cassie, Rissa, and Croissant. Cassie and Rissa are very competitive for Liam's attention. Liam also realizes he will need to tell the final three girls about his daughter Kathy before getting too serious with any of them. The next day will include more hot tub time, kissing each girl, and eliminating one of them from the competition.
A Buffyverse Bachelor Challenge: Chapter ThreeRose Fyre
- The story is part 3 of a Bachelor Challenge reality TV show set in the Buffyverse. The remaining contestants are Cassie, Croissant, Lydia, Rissa, and Keira.
- During hot tub time, Rissa dyes her hair purple. At chess dates, some contestants try tricks to distract or cheat, while others like Rissa have meaningful conversations with the bachelor Liam.
- After activities, Liam must eliminate one more contestant at noon, before the next round of hot tub time and one-on-one chats to learn about each girl's interests.
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Liam continues his time with the remaining bachelor contestants. He spends time getting to know Keira, Lydia, and Rissa better in the hot tub. Later, he has individual conversations with each girl to check-in and give compliments. As elimination time approaches, Kori expresses her hope that she won't be the one sent home. Rissa advises her that begging won't help and her flirting could backfire as it did with Lirael. So far, day two is going better than day one.
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This document provides a prologue for a story that involves resurrecting characters from the Buffyverse. In the prologue, Lilah and Tara begin resurrecting their deceased family members to explain what is happening. Later, Buffy is brought back and reunited with her son Rupert and meets her granddaughter Lilah. Buffy then works with Lilah to resurrect the rest of their family, including Buffy's brother Liam who is unhappy about being brought back to life. The prologue sets up the story of resurrecting all the main characters from the Buffyverse.
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Liam was resurrected by his family after the Apocalypse ended. He was upset by changes in his family's relationships in his absence. He left and ran into Meadow at The Bronze, who comforted him. A woman named Elle taught him how to play pool and offered to listen if he wanted to talk about his difficult past, including dealing with Apocalypses like her ancestor and father. Liam remained brooding and quiet, unsure of how to process being brought back to life.
Kate lifts Journalism and becomes a Magazine Editor. She had been working towards this goal for some time. Upon lifting, she woohoos with her fiancé Graham to celebrate. The next morning, she discusses her achievement with her Aunt Tara, expressing relief that their multi-year ordeal contributing to the Apocalypse storyline is almost over now that she has lifted her restriction.
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This document provides a summary of Chapter Eighteen of the story "A Buffyverse Apocalypse". It discusses several events, including Lorne giving birth to twin daughters Glory and Kennedy. Kate becomes a teenager and achieves a new career. Tara's fourth novel is a success. Connor starts his freshman year at UC Sunnydale. The twins grow into toddlers.
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Lilah, the heir to the throne of Sunnydale, forgets to pay taxes on time to Rose, the tax collector. When Rose arrives to collect, she kisses Lilah's forehead, causing Lilah to fall into a deep sleep. The entire Summers-Giles family works to research what happened and try to wake Lilah, but so far have found no answers.
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The chapter follows the lives of several characters in the Buffyverse. Kate grows up into a teenager along with her twin brothers Robin and Richard. Robin shares his first kiss with a girl named Eileen. Richard kisses a boy named Orlando from his work. Drusilla also becomes a teenager and gets her first job. The chapter balances scenes of school, work, romance, and family time between the characters.
This chapter provides an update on the lives of the Whedon family and their extended relatives living in the Buffyverse. Key events include: Lynne Fitzgerald Whedon passing away and visiting as a ghost; Lilah giving birth to her fifth child Lindsey; the twins Robin and Richard growing into children; and Riley taking Connor and some cousins on a trip to Yellowstone for axe throwing and sightseeing. The narrative is written as an installment in an ongoing serialized story set in the Buffyverse.
Roxanna sees a ghostly figure named PT9 that only she can see. PT9 claims Roxanna has the power to see ghosts and dead people. To prove it, PT9 relays a message to Stella from when he was alive, shocking Stella and Maddie with private details only PT9 would know. It is revealed that Roxanna's power is similar to her siblings' abilities to shift into animals and become invisible, demonstrating supernatural powers run in their family due to elven and alien ancestry.
Seren and her siblings had a fun day playing and doing homework. In the evening, they had dinner and then it was time for bed. The next day, Ryelle and Sanar received a message that help would not be sent for their current task, so they decided to investigate themselves. Stella's kids rescued a kitten from a tree at baseball practice. Stella agreed they could keep the kitten.
The document describes a typical day for Seren and her family, including playing with her friend Susanna, doing homework, having dinner, and going to bed. It then shifts to describing Susanna's less enjoyable visits with her zombie parents who insist on calling her by the wrong name, Francine, instead of her actual name Susanna.
Maddie and Stella are both shocked to discover they are both pregnant, despite being two women. They learn from a Pollination Technician that Stella's alien biology allows her to impregnate other females when ready to mate. As Maddie is part-alien, she was able to get pregnant from Stella as well. They later give birth to quads - two girls and twin boy-girl. With the help of a servant robot Stella built, they adjust to life with their new infants.
Stella is abducted by aliens unexpectedly while studying at her friend's house. When she returns, she is visibly upset and crying. Her friend Maddie presses her about what is going on, as Stella's previous abductions have been suspicious. Stella hesitates to share the truth about her involvement with aliens, worrying it will damage her friendship but knowing that not explaining will only increase Maddie's distrust.
Stella is summoned by the alien council to report on her observations of the humans at her university dormitory. She provides impressions of various dormmates like Frances, Klara, William, Aldric, and Blossom. The council debates having Stella continue her mission of observing Madeleine Doran and the humans. Back at the dorm, Frances suspects something unusual about Stella based on something he glimpsed. Blossom confesses her feelings for Almeric but he does not return them, though Klara develops a crush on him.
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The Evolution and Impact of Tom Cruise Long Hairgreendigital
Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood's most iconic figures, known for his versatility, charisma, and dedication to his craft. Over the decades, his appearance has been almost as dynamic as his filmography, with one aspect often drawing significant attention: his hair. In particular, Tom Cruise long hair has become a defining feature in various phases of his career. symbolizing different roles and adding layers to his on-screen characters. This article delves into the evolution of Tom Cruise long hair, its impact on his roles. and its influence on popular culture.
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Introduction
Tom Cruise long hair has often been more than a style choice. it has been a significant element of his persona both on and off the screen. From the tousled locks of the rebellious Maverick in "Top Gun" to the sleek, sophisticated mane in "Mission: Impossible II." Cruise's hair has played a pivotal role in shaping his image and the characters he portrays. This article explores the various stages of Tom Cruise long hair. Examining how this iconic look has evolved and influenced his career and broader fashion trends.
Early Days: The Emergence of a Style Icon
The 1980s: The Birth of a Star
In the early stages of his career during the 1980s, Tom Cruise sported a range of hairstyles. but in "Top Gun" (1986), his hair began to gain significant attention. Though not long by later standards, his hair in this film was longer than the military crew cuts associated with fighter pilots. adding a rebellious edge to his character, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
Risky Business: The Transition Begins
In "Risky Business" (1983). Tom Cruise's hair was short but longer than the clean-cut styles dominant at the time. This look complemented his role as a high school student stepping into adulthood. embodying a sense of youthful freedom and experimentation. It was a precursor to the more dramatic hair transformations in his career.
The 1990s: Experimentation and Iconic Roles
Far and Away: Embracing Length
One of the first films in which Tom Cruise embraced long hair was "Far and Away" (1992). Playing the role of Joseph. an Irish immigrant in 1890s America, Cruise's long, hair added authenticity to his character's rugged and determined persona. This look was a stark departure from his earlier. more polished styles and marked the beginning of a more adventurous phase in his hairstyle choices.
Interview with the Vampire: Gothic Elegance
In "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Tom Cruise long hair reached new lengths of sophistication and elegance. Portraying the vampire Lestat. Cruise's flowing blonde locks were integral to the character's ethereal and timeless allure. This hairstyle not only suited the gothic aesthetic of the film but also showcased Cruise's ability to transform his appearance for a role.
Mission: Impossible II: The Pinnacle of Long Hair
One of the most memorable instances of Tom Cruise long hair came in "Mission: Impossible II" (2000). His character, Ethan
The Future of Independent Filmmaking Trends and Job OpportunitiesLetsFAME
The landscape of independent filmmaking is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and new distribution models are reshaping the industry, creating new opportunities and challenges for filmmakers and film industry jobs. This article explores the future of independent filmmaking, highlighting key trends and emerging job opportunities.
Tom Cruise Daughter: An Insight into the Life of Suri Cruisegreendigital
Tom Cruise is a name that resonates with global audiences for his iconic roles in blockbuster films and his dynamic presence in Hollywood. But, beyond his illustrious career, Tom Cruise's personal life. especially his relationship with his daughter has been a subject of public fascination and media scrutiny. This article delves deep into the life of Tom Cruise daughter, Suri Cruise. Exploring her upbringing, the influence of her parents, and her current life.
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Introduction: The Fame Surrounding Tom Cruise Daughter
Suri Cruise, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, has been in the public eye since her birth on April 18, 2006. Thanks to the media's relentless coverage, the world watched her grow up. As the daughter of one of Hollywood's most renowned actors. Suri has had a unique upbringing marked by privilege and scrutiny. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Suri Cruise's life. Her relationship with her parents, and her journey so far.
Early Life of Tom Cruise Daughter
Birth and Immediate Fame
Suri Cruise was born in Santa Monica, California. and from the moment she came into the world, she was thrust into the limelight. Her parents, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Were one of Hollywood's most talked-about couples at the time. The birth of their daughter was a anticipated event. and Suri's first public appearance in Vanity Fair magazine set the tone for her life in the public eye.
The Impact of Celebrity Parents
Having celebrity parents like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes comes with its own set of challenges and privileges. Suri Cruise's early life marked by a whirlwind of media attention. paparazzi, and public interest. Despite the constant spotlight. Her parents tried to provide her with an upbringing that was as normal as possible.
The Influence of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise's Parenting Style
Tom Cruise known for his dedication and passion in both his professional and personal life. As a father, Cruise has described as loving and protective. His involvement in the Church of Scientology, but, has been a point of contention and has influenced his relationship with Suri. Cruise's commitment to Scientology has reported to be a significant factor in his and Holmes' divorce and his limited public interactions with Suri.
Katie Holmes' Role in Suri's Life
Katie Holmes has been Suri's primary caregiver since her separation from Tom Cruise in 2012. Holmes has provided a stable and grounded environment for her daughter. She moved to New York City with Suri to start a new chapter in their lives away from the intense scrutiny of Hollywood.
Suri Cruise: Growing Up in the Spotlight
Media Attention and Public Interest
From stylish outfits to everyday activities. Suri Cruise has been a favorite subject for tabloids and entertainment news. The constant media attention has shaped her childhood. Despite this, Suri has managed to maintain a level of normalcy, thanks to her mother's efforts.
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, IPTV (Internet Protocol
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How OTT Players Are Transforming Our TV Viewing Experience.pdfGenny Knight
The advent of Over-The-Top (OTT) players has brought a seismic shift in the television industry, transforming how we consume media. These digital platforms, which deliver content directly over the internet, have outpaced traditional cable and satellite television, offering unparalleled convenience, variety, and personalization. Here’s an in-depth look at how OTT players are revolutionizing the TV viewing experience.
Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix: Unveiling the Intriguing Hypothesisgreendigital
In celebrity mysteries and urban legends. Few narratives capture the imagination as the hypothesis that Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix. This fascinating theory posits that the iconic actor and the legendary guitarist are, in fact, the same person. While this might seem like a far-fetched notion at first glance. a deeper exploration reveals a rich tapestry of coincidences, speculative connections. and a surprising alignment of life events fueling this captivating hypothesis.
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Introduction to the Hypothesis: Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix
The idea that Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix stems from a mix of historical anomalies, physical resemblances. and a penchant for myth-making that surrounds celebrities. While Jimi Hendrix's official death in 1970 is well-documented. some theorists suggest that Hendrix did not die but instead reinvented himself as Morgan Freeman. a man who would become one of Hollywood's most revered actors. This article aims to delve into the various aspects of this hypothesis. examining its origins, the supporting arguments. and the cultural impact of such a theory.
The Genesis of the Theory
Early Life Parallels
The hypothesis that Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix begins by comparing their early lives. Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington, on November 27, 1942. and Morgan Freeman, born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee, have lived very different lives. But, proponents of the theory suggest that the five-year age difference is negligible and point to Freeman's late start in his acting career as evidence of a life lived before under a different identity.
The Disappearance and Reappearance
Jimi Hendrix's death in 1970 at the age of 27 is a well-documented event. But, theorists argue that Hendrix's death staged. and he reemerged as Morgan Freeman. They highlight Freeman's rise to prominence in the early 1970s. coinciding with Hendrix's supposed death. Freeman's first significant acting role came in 1971 on the children's television show "The Electric Company," a mere year after Hendrix's passing.
Physical Resemblances
Facial Structure and Features
One of the most compelling arguments for the hypothesis that Morgan Freeman is Jimi Hendrix lies in the physical resemblance between the two men. Analyzing photographs, proponents point out similarities in facial structure. particularly the cheekbones and jawline. Both men have a distinctive gap between their front teeth. which is rare and often highlighted as a critical point of similarity.
Voice and Mannerisms
Supporters of the theory also draw attention to the similarities in their voices. Jimi Hendrix known for his smooth, distinctive speaking voice. which, according to some, resembles Morgan Freeman's iconic, deep, and soothing voice. Additionally, both men share certain mannerisms. such as their calm demeanor and eloquent speech patterns.
Artistic Parallels
Musical and Acting Talents
Jimi Hendrix was regarded as one of t
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2. By the time Sunday came around, I was already tired of hearing about Genevieve’s murder. Evidently not much
happened in Sim City, as it had been the front page story three days in a row and undoubtedly would be for at least
another week.
In addition, it was all anyone seemed to talk about. At the park, at the grocery store, even the bartender in the
restaurant I reviewed on Saturday night asked what I thought of what had happened.
3. To top it off, I hadn’t been able to reach Marcus since before the murder. I hoped – I really hoped – it meant the
vampire council was busy, rather than him being responsible.
I read all the reports carefully and none of them said anything about missing blood, which probably would have
happened if it had been a vampire.
And yet, I worried.
4. Luckily, Sunday gave me a distraction in the form of Fortunata’s birthday party.
She’d decided that she wanted a big party, like Desdemona had had, and including her father, which meant it had to
be at night, so we’d made arrangements once again for Grey to drive the various visiting teenagers home after the
party was finished.
5. I breathed a sigh of relief when Marcus showed up. “You’re here!”
“Of course I am, I wouldn’t miss my youngest daughter becoming a teen. I told you I was coming, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but that was before the murder.”
His face closed up. “Oh. Yes. Well, I’m here.”
I bit my lip. “Good.”
6. I hadn’t shared my worries about their father’s possible involvement in their friend’s murder, so the kids were
unabashedly excited to see him, especially Fortunata, who really had wanted her father to be there for her birthday.
7. We immediately got to the cake cutting and growing up. Nata turned out, if I may say so, just as beautiful as her
older sisters.
8. We brought chairs in from elsewhere in the house – the kitchen, the study, the back porch – so that everyone could
eat their cake together in the living room, since there wasn’t enough space in the kitchen.
9. I was carrying in one last chair from the porch when I saw something strange.
One of the slices of cake was floating in my direction.
10. I blinked, not certain what I was seeing, then I glanced at my children, taking an especially long look at Fortunata.
Powers ran in my family, and while none of the older three had ever shown any sign, Nata had floated as a
baby…though I hadn’t seen her do it since.
But she was sitting on the couch, between Lily and Eglantine, and she wasn’t even looking at the floating piece of
cake. Nor were any of her siblings.
11. I frowned and approached the piece of cake.
It promptly dropped to the floor, splattering everywhere.
Could it be another ghost, I wondered. Someone with control over their surroundings like Rainelle but also the
ability to control their visibility – or maybe someone who had no control and who was always an invisible and
inaudible ghost, a truly terrible fate.
It wasn’t Rainelle, I knew that much, as she had already passed me on the path outside once Nata had grown up,
headed to the far corner of the property to stay as far away from Marcus as possible.
12. I shrugged and took the last piece of cake from the serving platter. It wasn’t really something I needed to worry
about right then.
The teens were settling in in the living room, so I caught Marcus’s eye and nodded toward the kitchen. I didn’t feel a
need to disturb my children and their friends, or to try and act younger than I was by futilely hanging out with
teenagers less than half my age.
He nodded back and got up, though I suspected he would have just stayed if I hadn’t asked him to join me.
13. We sat in the only two chairs left in the kitchen and ate our cake in silence.
Finally I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Please tell me you had nothing to do with Genevieve’s murder,” I said quietly. The teens were being loud in the
living room, but I really didn’t want them to hear this conversation.
14. He looked at me, completely horrified. “Roxanna! No!”
“Did the vampire council?”
He shook his head. “No. None of us did. It’s why we’ve been meeting so much – they’re not happy someone was
killed on their territory and that they don’t know who did it.”
I sighed in relief.
15. “You were worried.”
I shrugged. “What was I to think, Marcus? She was found right by Crypt O’ Night Club.”
He placed his hand on mine. “It wasn’t us. I swear it, Roxanna. I’ve never even turned anyone, let alone killed
someone.”
“Good.”
16. We finished our cake in silence. I took Marcus’s dish and mine and went over to put them in the dishwasher.
He leaned against the fridge and watched me.
17. “Roxanna,” he said when I was done.
“Yes?” I asked. I dried my hands on a dishtowel.
“How long do you think it will be before…before the kids have to leave?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Not tonight, but soon. I’m going to talk to them about it tonight, after everyone
else goes home. They need to know. Do you want to stay?”
“You wouldn’t mind me being there?”
“You’re their father, Marcus. You’re a part of their lives.”
18. “You have been good about that, Roxanna. Letting me come over to see the kids.”
“I’m just glad you’ve come, Marcus. They need you.”
“I know.” He rubbed his forehead. “It’s strange, but being separate like this has let me get closer to them. I still
don’t always feel like a grown-up. It’s hard to believe we have four teenagers.” He looked down. “I’m going to miss
them when they leave.”
“I will too,” I whispered. No matter how much I had tried to accept it as a fact of life, knowing that if my children
didn’t go – and soon – that they might go through the same things as I had, it was so hard to let go. These were
my children.
I could understand why Mom hadn’t told us until she’d had to, but I couldn’t make the same mistakes. I couldn’t go
through that again.
19. “I know you can’t always leave Sim City,” I said, turning to Marcus, “but promise me that you’ll keep track of them
when I’m gone. Promise me you’ll watch out for them as much as you can.”
“Of course, Roxanna. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
20. We stood there in a moment of shared understanding.
Then, naturally, we were interrupted.
21. “Mom, can Eglantine sleep over like she did on Lily’s birthday?” Fortunata asked.
Marcus and I jumped apart, surprised by the appearance of our youngest, followed by her older sister and their
closest friend.
I glanced at him, then shook my head at Fortunata. “I’m sorry, but no. I have something very important I need to
talk to you all about tonight, and it needs to be family-only.” All three girls looked at me sadly, but I stood firm.
Lily backed down first, pulling Eglantine with her back to the living room.
22. Fortunata pouted. “But it’s my birthday.”
“I know, Nata,” I said, taking her by the shoulders. “But that’s why she can’t. Your birthday is…it’s important, in our
family, and this is something you need to know as soon as possible now that you’re a teenager.”
“But how come you’re telling us all at once?”
“Because it applies to all of you now. You had to be a teen first, but it’s something you all need to know. Eglantine
can stay over tomorrow if you want, instead.”
Fortunata shook her head. “She has a family thing tomorrow, right after school. She said it would probably last all
afternoon and evening.”
“Tuesday, then,” I said, and Fortunata had to be content with that.
23. The rest of the party went well – the teens spent time hanging out, Marcus and I seemed to be getting along better
than we had in a very long time, and everyone enjoyed the cake.
24. And after Grey dropped everyone back at their homes (with a warning that he needed to be back here as soon as
possible and could not under any circumstances linger at Joyce’s house), Marcus and I sat down and told the kids
about my family’s curse, about our family’s history from Carli to me, about the fact that they would need to leave
Sim City fairly soon and strike out on their own.
25. Desdemona frowned. “How long do we have? I mean, you said you weren’t as young as Nata when you left, right?”
“But we waited too long. I don’t want that to happen to you,” I said quietly, remembering what had happened. I
couldn’t watch my children go through what I had. Marcus put his hand on my shoulder and I smiled at him, slightly
comforted.
26. I looked at the kids to see that they were all staring at us. “What?” I asked.
“You’re not…getting back together, are you, Mom?” Grey asked, eyeing Marcus’s hand on my shoulder.
I rubbed my forehead. “No. Your father and I are just close. We were…together for a very long time, we’re used to
the other’s emotions and such.” I almost said lovers, but I didn’t particularly feel like scandalizing my children at
that moment.
Marcus shook his head. “No, we’re not. We want different things out of life, and I think we’re better off apart than
together.” I smiled at him.
27. We turned back to the kids. “Any questions?” I asked.
“So basically we have to leave at some unknown time to go off on our own and never come back again?” Desdemona
asked. “That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not what I want, but it’s what has to happen.”
Grey put a calming hand on Desdemona’s arm. “You know Mom wouldn’t lie to us. This is important.”
Desdemona wilted. “I know. It’s still bullshit.” Grey nodded.
28. Grey and Desdemona seemed to be, well, dealing as well as they could be, so I looked at my younger two children.
Lily was curled up in her seat while Fortunata leaned on the arm of Lily’s chair.
I came over and knelt in front of them. “I know you’ll both miss Eglantine,” I said, “but there’s a whole world out
there, and you’ll find it. I have every faith in you.”
Fortunata smiled shakily at me. “Thanks, Mom.” Then she tugged on her sister’s hand. “Come on, Lil. Let’s go to
bed.”
Lily nodded unsteadily and followed her younger sister upstairs.
29. Grey looked at me. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of them once we’re gone. I promise.”
“I know you will. Thank you.”
“Come on, Desi. Sleep is probably good.”
“Yeah, alright. Night Mom, night Dad.”
“Goodnight.”
30. Once they were gone, I sighed. “That could have gone better.”
“It also could have gone worse,” Marcus pointed out.
“Yeah.”
He stood up and stretched. “I’ve got to head out – I got permission to take the evening off for Nata’s birthday, but I
said I’d be back at the club around midnight or so.”
“Have a good night.”
“You too, Roxanna.”
31. After Marcus left, I checked on the kids. Lily and Fortunata were talking quietly in their room, while Grey and
Desdemona were talking slightly less quietly in Desdemona’s.
I left them to it. They’d be better at comforting each other than I would be right then. Instead, I returned to my
bedroom, where I tried to sleep.
I wasn’t as successful as I would have liked.
***
32. Monday morning began bright and early, as the kids all had school.
I made breakfast and glanced at the paper as I drank my very needed coffee – I was right, it was still covering
Genevieve’s murder, though it took up less of the paper this time: my most recent restaurant review was in its usual
place about 2/3 of the way through.
33. The kids came stampeding down the stairs at their usual time, acting almost normal. But by the time they got
downstairs, I could see the dark circles under their eyes, and knew that they had slept just as well as I had.
I didn’t usually offer coffee to my children, but that morning, I made an exception. They were all happy to take it.
34. No one talked much for the first half of breakfast, until finally Desdemona couldn’t take it any longer.
“So, what are everyone’s plans for today?” she asked.
Fortunata raised her eyebrows. “Um, school?”
“Well duh. I meant after school, of course.”
35. “Oh,” Fortunata said. She shrugged. “I don’t know. Lily, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
“Eglantine’s busy, so…come back home and hang out?”
“Sounds fine to me.”
36. Desdemona shook her head at her sisters. “Okay, seriously? You two have got to start hanging out with other
people than just Eglantine. I mean, she’s nice, but she’s just one person! Don’t you want to meet more people?”
Lily shook her head. “Not really, no.”
Fortunata looked between her sisters. “What is this really about, Desi?”
37. “Well, Flynn said a bunch of people are getting together at Hans’ Trap Door Corp after school, and you guys are
invited!”
Grey looked up. “Joyce asked me to come too.”
Desdemona smiled at her brother. “Awesome.” Then she turned back to her sisters. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”
38. Fortunata raised her eyebrows as she looked at her oldest sister. “I don't know if I think going out with a bunch of
your and Grey's friends will be all that fun, Desi.”
Desdemona shook her head. “It totally will be. Come on, Lily, tell her it'll be fun!”
Lily shook her head. “I have a bad feeling about this…”
“What, cause Eglantine is busy so you can’t hang out with her? You just need to meet some new people, you three
spend enough time holed up together as it is. Besides, Flynn said they're bringing some kids your and Nata's ages,
and I know you know Joyce already, considering how often she's around the house. And a bunch of the others were
over last night, and on Friday too. You’re familiar with them all, they’re just people you’re not friends with yet!”
39. “You just want to flirt with Dexter,” Lily pointed out.
“He's hot, can you blame me?”
“He wears sunglasses even at night,” Fortunata said flatly. “That makes him weird, not hot.”
Desdemona began to pout, using the face that rarely failed to get her what she wanted, and her sisters began to
crumble. As far as I knew, I was the only one who was at all able to stand up to that face. Her father certainly
couldn’t. “Please? I really do want to go, and I really do think you'll have a good time. I promise you can leave
early if you're not.”
40. Lily and Fortunata exchanged a glance. Fortunata shrugged and Lily sighed. “Alright,” Fortunata said. “We'll come.
But we're leaving if it's not fun.”
Suddenly Desdemona was all smiles again. “Thank you! I know you'll have a great time! I'm going to go call Flynn
and tell him.” She rushed up the stairs, leaving the rest of us in the kitchen.
41. “I can't believe we're actually doing this,” Lily almost moaned.
Grey shrugged. “It'll make her happy. And who knows? Maybe it'll make you happy too.”
“I hope so,” Lily said. “I really hope so.”
42. Grey turned to me. “You’re okay with this, Mom?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? You know the rules – be home by dark, don’t “forget” to do your homework, pay attention in
school. I don’t have a problem with you spending the afternoon with your friends somewhere other than here.”
“Thanks. We’ll be home by dark, don’t worry.” The school bus honked outside then, and the kids jumped up,
running to grab their bags and catch the bus. Desdemona came pelting down the stairs, meeting her siblings on the
front porch.
43. I was left alone in the kitchen with a table full of dirty bowls and cups. I shook my head.
“Great,” I said, to thin air. “See you tonight.”
***
44. I spent the rest of the day cleaning up from the party (with Rainelle’s help) and, well, not doing much else. The
party had been a lot of work, so it was nice to have a day to not do much of anything.
45. I didn’t start worrying about my kids until around 5:30 or so, when the afternoon got late. The sun wouldn’t set
until 7, of course, but I still worried a little that I hadn’t seen them yet.
I distracted myself by playing the piano. I didn’t use it often; when I did, it reminded me of my mother, as I
suspected it always would. The kids, however, loved it.
46. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry for long; at 6:10 the front door slammed open with the sort of thud that’s only made
by teenagers. Clearly it was the kids returning.
I stood up from the piano and turned to say hello to them.
47. It only took me one glance to realize that something was wrong.
“Where’s Lily?” I asked, brow furrowed. Grey, Desdemona, and Fortunata stood in front of me, looking like they
were in rather bad shape – as though they’d run quite a ways to get here quickly. Fortunata had her hands behind
her back, hiding something, Desdemona had tear streaks on her cheeks, and Grey was standing stiffly, like a soldier
awaiting punishment for disobeying orders.
Something was wrong. I didn’t know what, but something was wrong.
48. The girls both looked at Grey, who took a deep breath and began to talk.
“Well,” he said, “school was normal. Afterwards, we headed over to Hans’ Trap Door Corp to meet up with
everyone…”
49. “Grey! Desdemona! You brought Lily and Fortunata after all!” Joyce exclaimed, happily greeting her boyfriend with
a hug and a kiss.
Desdemona grinned. “Yeah, we finally convinced them to come. Great, right?”
“Awesome. Totally awesome.”
50. The large group of teens spread throughout the store – trying
clothes on, examining jewelry and cologne, buying stuff from
the vending machines, and just hanging out.
51. Even Lily had to admit she was having a good time, partly because she was able to just blend into the crowd.
Mostly, she spent time with Fortunata and a girl Fortunata’s age, who’d introduced herself as Ellen Boone, though
one of the boys, who introduced himself as Timothy Flowers, clearly was interested in her.
He was awkward in his flirting, but sweet.
Though she had to agree when Fortunata said that the makeup was a little, er, strange.
52. After a couple of hours of hanging out and flirting and trying unsuccessfully to get Dexter to notice her, Desdemona
wandered around the store with Flynn, looking around.
It wasn’t very big, but it was pretty nice – she was surprised she’d never been there before, honestly, as she
absolutely would have shopped there had she known about it.
She’d explored every inch (except the men’s room, of course), but there was one thing she was wondering about.
53. “So, Flynn,” she said.
“Yeah, Des?”
“Where do those doors go?” She gestured to a bank of four doors directly behind the cashier. “Are they, like,
employee lounges or something?”
54. Flynn smiled, though his eyes glinted with something Desdemona couldn’t quite identify. “Oh, those are a secret,
but, you know, you guys are totally part of the group. Do you want to go see?”
“Sure, why not?”
55. The doors didn’t seem to lead to anywhere, just two little staircases that, as far as Desdemona could tell, ended
after barely two feet. “What the hell is this?” she asked.
Flynn rolled his eyes. “Come on,” he said, grabbing her by the wrist and tugging her down one of the flights of
stairs. “It’s worth it.”
56. In the main part of the store, Joyce saw Flynn pulling Desdemona into the back and her lips curved up in a smile.
“Grey,” she said, “would you get Lily and Fortunata and come with me? I have something secret to show you.”
Of course, he agreed – when she gave him that smile, it always promised something good if he went along with
whatever she wanted. So he gathered his sisters and they went with Joyce and a bunch of the others to the secret
doors and down the stairs, though Lily was oddly reluctant. She went along anyway, however, not wanting to be left
alone.
The cashier watched them go, then closed up the till and followed.
57. As Desdemona had discovered just a minute earlier, the stairs didn’t appear to lead anywhere…but once they went
down them, they were suddenly somewhere else.
It was full of…junk?
58. All four of them looked around, confused as the teens they were with moved swiftly to block all the entrances or to
stand with a group of others (adults mostly, but some elders and children) who seemed to have been waiting for
them to show up.
Lily wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. “What…what’s going on?”
59. “What’s going on?” Dexter asked. “What’s going on? Genevieve is dead, and it’s all because of your goddamn
mother.”
“Mom had nothing to do with Genevieve’s death,” Fortunata said. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but she
absolutely didn’t.”
“Maybe not directly,” one of the adults said. Grey suddenly recognized her as their mother’s friend Shelly. How long
had this group – whatever it was – existed? “But we had everything. We had power, we had magic, we had access
to things you could never even dream of. And then your mother,” she said, voice venomous, “took it all away. If
she hadn’t, Genevieve would never have died.”
60. The four Dorans exchanged glances. “What are you talking about?” Desdemona asked, still confused. “What does
Mom have to do with anything?”
“Idiot child,” another adult said. “She destroyed our benefactors. She killed the ghosts who rewarded our worship
and our offerings and now she has everything we ever wanted. She has the house, the graveyard, the money, the
power, the protection from powerful forces. She has it all.”
They knew perfectly well that their mother didn’t have it all, and from what she’d told them, she’d destroyed the
ghosts to save Rainelle, not to get something from the Tricous.
They also knew that no one was going to listen to them.
61. Grey crossed his arms. “What exactly does all of this have to do with us? Our mom killed the ghosts, not us. We
can’t see the dead. It happened before any of us were born, anyway.”
Joyce smirked. “What do you think it has to do with you?” The larger group began to close in around the Dorans.
They were still blocking the way they’d come in – not that any of them really knew how they’d appeared, considering
how the staircases had ended.
62. Grey looked around frantically. Was there any other way out?
Then he spotted it – behind the larger group of adults, there was a staircase. It wasn’t much of a hope, but it was
something. He managed to signal to his sisters with his eyes, and they nodded.
As the group closed in, they broke and ran for the stairs.
63. While they made it down the stairs, the rest of this place – wherever they were – was similar to the room they’d first
arrived in. It was all a mishmash of objects, with no obvious (or even non-obvious) ways out.
64. They ran from room to room, up stairs, down stairs, through elevators, searching for somewhere to go.
65. They were pursued, of course. No matter where they went, someone seemed to be able to follow them. There was
nowhere to hide, so they continued to run.
66. One of the rooms was full of water. Grey, leading the group, managed to wade through it. Desdemona and
Fortunata followed him.
Lily, however, out of breath from running so far, tripped and fell. The other three stopped and turned to look at her.
“Hold on a sec,” she panted. “I’ll be right there.”
She put her hand out to lever herself up to a standing position, using a nearby fountain.
68. Grey, Desdemona, and Fortunata looked around frantically. “Where is she?” Grey asked.
“What happened?” Desdemona asked.
“Do you think it’s like the stairs?” Fortunata asked. She walked quickly over to the fountain. “Did either of you see
where she put her hand?”
Grey shook his head. “I was trying to find another way out. Desi?”
Desdemona shrugged. “I wasn’t looking closely enough. Maybe…here?”
69. They tried touching various spots on the fountain, until, a good fifteen minutes later, Fortunata finally managed to
put her hand in the right place. Grey and Desdemona quickly followed her and then no one was left in the room with
the water.
70. Lily, alone, had ended up on a different floor entirely, near a different fountain.
She looked around nervously, unsure what had happened.
71. She hesitated before saying anything, but she realized that her siblings weren’t with her and she did not like that at
all. “Grey?” she called. “Desi? Nata? Is anyone there?”
73. Joyce, Flynn, Dexter, Timothy, Ben, and Ellen stood behind her. None of them looked nearly as friendly as they had
before and Lily shivered.
She slowly started backing away as they approached her.
74. She didn’t see the open elevator shaft behind her, but they did.
75.
76. The teenagers gathered to watch. “Well, that’s the Reaper,” Joyce said. “I’ll go get the urn. The rest of you gather
everyone else here, make sure the rest of them make it up. We need to give it to them, after all.”
“We’re not going to kill them all?” Timothy asked.
“No, you idiot, she’s the message. This way they’ll know death is coming and maybe the mother will finally pay for
what she did, since we can’t actually hurt her ourselves.”
“Oh. Right.”
77. By the time Grey, Desdemona, and Fortunata managed to figure out where Lily had gone, everyone had gathered
and was waiting for them.
Everyone but Lily.
They looked around, even more nervous than before.
Fortunata was the one who finally asked the question. “Where’s Lily?”
Flynn rolled his eyes. “Where do you think?”
78. "I thought you were our friends," Desdemona said, glaring at the group in front of her. She fought the tremble in her
voice, but it was noticeable to anyone who knew her at all.
"Bitch, please," Flynn said, rolling his eyes at his former friend. "You think we cared? You're just a means to an end.“
"But why?" Grey asked. He had one hand on Fortunata's shoulder and now he placed the other on Desdemona's
elbow. "Why are you doing this?" He needed to hold onto his sisters right then. They could probably use the comfort
anyway.
79. Shelly glared at them. “We wanted to destroy your mother, but she’s protected by magic, due to those stupid
gypsies. You don’t have any of those protections. So we picked you as targets instead, and our teenage contingent
was quite willing to lure you here. But hurting you hurts her, which is exactly what we want.”
"And you're just telling us this why, exactly?" Desdemona asked, full of false bravado. Grey squeezed her arm lightly
to remind her that he was there.
Flynn smiled. It was not a nice smile. "She needs to know exactly what we're going to do to every last one of you,
doesn't she? One of you dead is enough…for now." He turned to the group. "Who has it?"
80. Joyce stepped forward, an urn in her arms. "Catch," she said with a smile, then threw it hard at the Dorans.
Fortunata jumped forward, barely managing to catch it before it shattered on the ground, earning herself a skinned
knee in the process - something she didn't regret at all. A minor injury was nothing compared to the safety of that
urn.
81. "Oh, and by the way, Grey?" Joyce continued. "Consider our relationship over.“
Grey, busy checking to make sure that both his youngest sister and the urn were alright, glared up at his ex. "Oh
believe me," he said, voice full of loathing, "I considered it over the second you attacked us."
82. Desdemona glared once more at the group, then looked down at her siblings. "Come on, Grey, Nata. Let's go. We've
got to get this to Mom." Her voice was gentle.
Fortunata stood up. She brushed herself and the urn off. Then she looked at the group. "You may have won the
battle," she said, "but you won't win the war. We are Dorans, and we will fight.“
The group laughed at her. "Yeah, have fun with that, kid," Flynn said.
"Oh, we will." Heads held high, the three Dorans turned and walked determinedly away.
83. Now that one of them was dead – now that the group had gotten what they wanted – the doors opened for them and
they were able to return to Hans’ Trap Door Corp. They’d been inside it – upstairs, but inside – all along.
84. “…and then we came home as fast as we could,” Grey finally finished.
Desdemona began to cry. “I told her she could go home if she wanted, if she wasn’t having fun. And now she’s
dead and it’s all my fault!”
Grey tried to comfort her, while Fortunata held the urn gently, preciously, staring at it with immense sadness in her
eyes.
85. As I looked at my children I suddenly saw myself as a teenager, mourning the death of my twin sister. I had not
been as dramatic as Desdemona, as stoic as Fortunata, or as much of a caretaker as Grey, but I had mourned just
as they had.
Four children. One boy, three girls. One dead. Three left to live on.
Was history doomed to repeat itself? Would my children end up as broken as me?
86. No, I thought.
No.
This couldn’t happen. Not again. I would not let my children go through what I had gone through. I would get Lily
back if it was the last thing I did.
87. But how?
We didn’t have a bone phone.
I’d never gone to college – there was no way to get into the Paranormal career and get one. I didn’t know anyone
who had one and I wasn’t even sure I knew anyone who’d gone to college.
I couldn’t sneak into some secret society and grab one.
88. But if talking to the Reaper was possible via phone, shouldn’t it be possible in person? Especially for me, who could
talk to the dead?
I suddenly remembered something Marcus had told me and I gasped.
To talk to the Reaper I would have to die, but…that didn’t mean death had to be permanent. Would I be truly
helping my children if I killed myself in the small hope that I might be able to give them Lily back?
No. There was another way, if I was willing to take it. I would be giving up everything I’d wanted.
But Lily was more important than me.
89. “Grey,” I said. “Go call your father and tell him to get over here the minute it is dark. Am I understood?”
“Mom, are you okay?”
“Grey Doran, go call your father. Now.”
90. He looked at me, then went over to the phone and dialed. “Dad? Hi, it’s me. Look, something happened. No, I…I’d
rather tell you in person, but…but Mom wanted me to call you. She wants you here now. No, I know it’s still light.
Right after sunset, as soon as you can. Yeah, she’s acting really strange. Like really. I’ll see you soon? Good.” He
hung up and came back over. “He’ll be here soon, Mom.”
“Good. Take care of your sisters. I have things to do.”
He nodded slowly and went back to comforting Desdemona. Fortunata moved closer to the pair of them and joined
their hug, the urn still cradled in her arms.
91. By the time Marcus arrived, I was in my bedroom, preparing for what I was about to do.
He came in barely five minutes after sunset, and if he had needed air he’d have been panting for breath. Clearly
he’d run straight from his apartment.
“Roxanna, what is going on? Grey sounded very upset when he called, he said you were acting strange, and Grey,
Desdemona, and Fortunata are crying in the living room. And where is Lily?”
“Lily is dead.”
92. He stumbled and caught himself on my bed. “W-what?”
“Lily is dead. She was killed to hurt me.”
“Holy…” He took a deep unnecessary breath and pushed his hair back. “Roxanna, what’s going on? You tell me Lily
is dead, you’re acting strange, I’d expect you to be upset over this!”
93. “I am.” I turned to face him. “But I’m going to fix this.”
“But how? You can’t just fix death!”
“You can’t.”
He blinked at me. “You can’t either. I mean, you can talk to the dead, but…but you’ve never said anything about
bringing them back. You’d have tried with Rainelle if you could. Or your sister.”
“My sister’s urn was smashed. She couldn’t be brought back. And I didn’t have a bone phone or a way to get one
for Rainelle, and while I like Rainelle, I wasn’t willing to try something more dangerous. For Lily, I am. For Lily I
would do anything and I will get our daughter back.”
“Again, I repeat: how?”
94. I crossed my arms and looked at Marcus. “You’re going to turn me into a vampire.”
95. That stunned him into silence. Then he shook his head. “What?”
“You’re going to turn me into a vampire. As soon as possible.”
“But you have no interest in being a vampire! You’ve shot me down every time I suggested it! And wouldn’t your
bracelet prevent it anyway?”
“It will prevent it if I’m unwilling, but I think if I want it, it will let me.” I glared at my wrist. “It had better.”
96. “Why, Roxanna? You’ve never wanted this before.”
“Because it’s the only option, can’t you see that? If we can’t talk to the Reaper through a bone phone, someone has
to do it in person, and that someone is going to be me. I can see the dead, I can hear the dead. Do you remember,
when you were turned into a vampire, you told me you saw the Reaper? If I can do that, I can talk to him, and I will
argue for our daughter. Lily is worth everything, Marcus, do you understand me? I will not let our children go
through what I did, and if the only way to stop it is to do something I’ve never wanted, well then, so be it. Turn me,
Marcus. Make me a vampire.”
97. After a moment, Marcus spoke. “Alright. Should we tell the kids?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t want them to be disappointed if it doesn’t work.”
“Rainelle?”
I closed my eyes for a second. This would hurt her terribly, given how she’d talked about Marcus ever since he’d
become a vampire. But there wasn’t another choice.
“Lily’s more important.”
98. He nodded. “Come here. It’s best if I can hold you.”
I came over and he helped me stand in the best position.
He looked down at me. “You sure about this?”
“Never more certain. Do it.”
100. I could feel the blood draining from my body. It was unnerving, knowing that I was dying.
Knowing that I had asked for it.
I closed my eyes and let the darkness come.
101. When I opened them again, I was somewhere else. It was dark, full of stars, and seemed to go on forever – and it
was full of people.
There were people in groups, people alone, people standing up, people sitting down, and people lying motionless on
the ground. They were every color, shape, size…and age.
Some of them glanced at me, but no one came closer.
102. “I wonder who she is,” a woman said idly. She was sitting in a group, and all of them turned to look at me.
The man next to her shrugged. “She’s one of them,” he said, gesturing to the people lying down, “or she will be,
anyway. You know they never see us.”
“Yeah. Too bad.”
103. My hands curled into fists.
I walked up to that group and stood right in front of them.
“I am Roxanna Doran,” I said. The entire group turned to look at me, shock written on their faces. “And I want to
speak to the Reaper.”
104. The woman blinked in shock. “You can see us?”
“I see dead people, yes. Where is the Reaper?”
“He’s usually over that way,” one of the men said. He gestured to his left.
I nodded at him. “Thank you.”
Then I started walking.
105. Every once in a while, I thought I caught a glimpse of someone familiar, but most of the people I was passing were
people I didn’t know.
There were a lot of them, and I wondered who they all were. Were they all dead? Where was Lily?
106. After an eternity of walking (I hoped Marcus was right when he said it didn’t actually take as much time as it felt
like), my question was answered. My daughter was sitting not far from the Reaper.
107. I knelt in front of her. “Lily.”
She looked up. “Mom! Mom, what are you doing here? Are you alright?”
I smiled gently. “I’m fine. I’m here for you.”
“For me?”
“I’m here to bring you back.”
“Oh!” Lily nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh.”
108. I stood up and held my hand out to my daughter. “Come, Lily. We need to go speak to the Reaper.”
She took my hand – or, rather, she tried to take it. Her hand slipped through mind, reminding me of the ghosts I’d
seen and the way they simply walked through walls. Perhaps Lily would learn to become substantial with time, but
hopefully she wouldn’t need to.
Or perhaps I was the insubstantial one here.
109. She finally levered herself up and followed me, though she shivered a bit as we neared the Reaper.
When we were close to him, she pulled back a bit as the Reaper reached out his hand to touch me.
I remembered this from Marcus’s story, and I stepped backwards. “Not yet,” I said. “You’re not sending me back
until you send her back with me.”
110. “WHO ARE YOU TO SPEAK TO ME?” His voice was like thunder and lightning, like a tsunami crushing a beach to bits
or an avalanche tearing a mountain to pieces, like the rumble of an earthquake and the flow of a volcano.
I forced myself to hold firm. “I am Roxanna Doran, and I want my daughter back.”
111. He stopped short. “WAS THAT IN RESPONSE TO WHAT I SAID OR WERE YOU JUST STATING YOUR NAME?”
“In response.”
“MOST PEOPLE DO NOT HEAR ME WHEN I SPEAK.”
“I can see – and hear – dead people. I guess you count.” I looked around. “All these people, they can’t hear you?”
He shook his head. “THEY CAN. BUT YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THEM.”
112. The Reaper looked at me closely. “I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE LIKE YOU IN A LONG TIME, ROXANNA DORAN.”
“There have been others?”
“NOT OFTEN, BUT OCCASIONALY THERE IS ONE WHO CAN HEAR ME EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT AMONG THE DEAD.
IT IS RARE THAT THEY ASK FOR SOMETHING.”
“Well, I’m asking. I want my daughter back. I want her to return with me when I go.”
113. “THEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TO BECOME.”
“Yes. I choose to become a vampire.”
The Reaper looked around at everyone surrounding us. “IT IS ONLY A TEMPORARY IMMORTALITY. ALL VAMPIRES
MUST DIE ONE DAY, AND RETURN HERE TO JOIN WITH THE OTHER HALF OF THEIR SOULS.”
114. I realized then that the people lying down, not moving – the ones the man had pointed to when he said I’d be one of
them – were all vampires. Their skin was pale, and though I couldn’t see their eyes, I had no doubt that they were
red.
“So Rainelle was right,” I said. “Vampires are broken.”
The Reaper nodded. “YES.”
It explained why vampires didn’t show up in mirrors. Whatever it was about mirrors that showed the truth,
whatever part of the soul showed in mirrors – vampires, like ghosts, were missing it. But ghosts saw vampires as
wrong, so they were missing even more, though also less, since they still had the body. Zombies showed up in
mirrors and zombies had bodies, but I was pretty sure they were missing something else.
Maybe sanity. I didn’t think I’d ever actually met a sane zombie.
115. “It doesn’t matter,” I said. It didn’t. It couldn’t. “I needed to be here, and this was the only way.”
“YOU CAME TO GET YOUR DAUGHTER.”
“Yes. I did.”
116. “AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE HER?”
How? I…I didn’t know. Suddenly the whole plan seemed foolish. How was I, a mere human, to take someone from
the Reaper’s domain without his permission, especially when I couldn’t even touch her? Did I think he would just
give her to me?
Suddenly I had a thought. “I want to make a deal.”
117. “A DEAL?”
“My daughter’s life, for…something. When someone uses the bone phone, you take money, right? I don’t have
much, but I can pay…”
I waited as he thought. I wished I could see his expression, know what he was thinking, but the hood hid his face
completely.
118. Finally he shook his head. I breathed in sharply.
“NO,” he said, “I DO NOT WANT MONEY FROM YOU.”
I put my face in my hands, trying desperately not to cry.
“I WANT SOMETHING ELSE.”
119. I looked up. Was he offering a deal?
“What do you want?” I asked.
“YOU SEE MY DOMAIN,” he said, gesturing to everyone who surrounded us. “THIS IS BUT THE FIRST STAGE OF
DEATH. THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE ON, TO REACH THE DEEPER REALM, IS TO LOSE ALL CONNECTION TO THE
PHYSICAL WORLD. THIS HAPPENS WHEN AN URN OR GRAVE IS DESTROYED. UNTIL THEN, EVEN GHOSTS ARE
STILL BOUND TO THAT REALM.”
I nodded. “Yes, I knew that. Which is why you can only resurrect someone if their grave or urn still exists.”
120. “IN THE PAST, MANY GRAVES AND URNS WERE DESTROYED. EVENTUALLY, EVEN WITHOUT INTENTIONAL
DESTRUCTION, THEY WOULD SIMPLY DISAPPEAR. THIS NO LONGER HAPPENS. GHOSTS ARE BOUND TO THE
PHYSICAL WORLD IN EVER GREATER NUMBERS AND ARE THEREFORE BOUND HERE MUCH MORE.”
“Right,” I said. “What does this have to do with me?”
“I WISH TO GIVE YOU THE POWER TO SEVER A GHOST’S CONNECTION TO THE PHYSICAL WORLD, WHICH WILL LET
THEM PASS TO THE DEEPER REALM. IT WILL NOT WORK ON VAMPIRES OR ZOMBIES, AS THEIR BODY IS A SECOND
CONNECTION. YOU WILL BE A BEACON TO GHOSTS AND YOU WILL SEND THEM ON.”
“How would I do that?”
“GHOSTS WILL FIND YOU. YOU WILL TOUCH THEIR HEART AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL THEIR CONNECTION
TO THE PHYSICAL WORLD, AND YOU WILL SEVER IT. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU HAVE THE POWER.”
121. “But ghosts don’t like vampires.”
“THEY DO NOT HAVE TO LIKE YOU TO BE DRAWN TO YOU. THEY WILL NOT BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR LONG.”
I thought of something. “Do you expect me to do this forever?”
He shook his head. “NO. EVEN VAMPIRES ARE NOT TRULY IMMORTAL. YOU WILL DO THIS UNTIL ANOTHER IS
BORN WHO CAN SEE THE DEAD. THE ROLE AND THE POWER WILL THEN PASS ON TO THEM.”
122. I thought it over. I already felt a bit like a beacon for ghosts, considering how often they found me. This would give
me the power to send them on, hopefully making them less unhappy and less stuck.
I wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about the fact that the Reaper hadn’t specified how long I would have to do it for, but
at least I knew it wouldn’t be for the rest of eternity.
And it would give me Lily back.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m in. You give me my daughter’s life, and I will do this for you.”
123. “Mom?”
I turned to Lily. “Yes?”
“What did you just promise?”
“Don’t worry, Lily. I’m saving you. I’m bringing you home. As for what I promised the Reaper, it’s nothing bad,
really. It’ll all be fine, just trust me, okay?”
She bit her lip and nodded shakily. “Okay, Mom.”
I would have put my arm around her if I could have, but I couldn’t.
124. “SHE WILL NOT CONSCIOUSLY REMEMBER THIS PLACE WHEN YOU RETURN,” the Reaper said to me. “IT IS NOT
FOR THE LIVING TO COMPREHEND. YOU WILL REMEMBER, AS YOU WILL NOT BE TRULY LIVING, AND YOU WILL
KNOW YOUR TASK, BUT SHE WILL NOT. SHE WILL REMEMBER HER DEATH, HOWEVER, AND WILL HOLD THE
MEMORIES OF THIS REALM IN HER SUBCONSCIOUS, BECAUSE SHE IS NOT RETURNING THE USUAL WAY. IT MAY
AFFECT HER.”
I nodded. “I’ll take care of her.” I looked at him. “What do you need me to do, for this to work?”
125. “STAND IN FRONT OF ME.” I did so. “NOW HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER STAND IN FRONT OF YOU.”
“Lily.”
“Mom?”
“Come stand here. In front of me.”
“By…by the Reaper?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. He’s not going to hurt you.”
“Okay,” she said quietly. She came and took her place in front of me.
126. “Wait,” I said. “Is there…is there any chance you could let me bring someone else back?” I thought of Rainelle,
Astraea (but no, her urn was gone), perhaps someone else…
He shook his head. “NO. DOING IT THIS WAY TAKES TOO MUCH EFFORT. I HAVE ONLY AGREED BECAUSE YOU
AGREED TO OUR BARGAIN, WHICH IS ENOUGH GAIN TO MAKE IT WORTH THE TROUBLE. IF YOU WANT TO
RESURRECT MORE THAN ONE, YOU MUST USE THE ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES. WOULD YOU PREFER THIS ONE
OR ANOTHER?”
In that case, there was no contest. “I’m taking Lily. Now what do you need to do?”
127. He reached for me with his right hand, his arms passing through Lily. I watched as she started to fade.
Then I could only pay attention to what I was feeling as his hand touched me. I hesitate to say that my soul broke,
but it felt like it, and I could see another me forming beneath my feet. I knew that this was the part I was leaving
behind to become a vampire.
His left hand twisted somehow, and suddenly I was filled with an awareness of the ghosts who inhabited this place.
I knew where they were and what they were. I could feel them as I had not before.
128. Then the world faded into blackness.
As I opened my eyes (when had I closed them?) I realized that I was no longer in the Reaper’s realm. I was back
home, in my bedroom, and Marcus was holding me up.
Had it worked? I could tell I was different – surely I’d become a vampire, considering the sudden craving for blood –
but was Lily back? Did I have the power the Reaper had promised?
129. A scream came from downstairs. “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!” That was Desdemona. Her siblings’
voices mingled underneath hers, all clearly worked up, but none as loud as my eldest daughter.
“Did it work?” Marcus asked.
“I think so. Let’s go see.”
130. We walked down the stairs and found our four children huddled together, Lily surrounded by her siblings as they all
clutched her.
She looked up at the sound of our footsteps on the stairs and suddenly burst into tears.
I caught her as she flung herself at me. I sat down, pulling her into the cradle of my arms, and held her as I hadn’t
since she was a toddler. “Shhhh,” I whispered, stroking her hair. “I’m here. You’re safe.” A few tears leaked from
my eyes, but I did my best to be strong for my daughter.
131. Marcus, Grey, Desdemona, and Fortunata all stared at us. “Mom,” Grey asked hesitantly, “what did you do? How –
how did you get Lily back?”
“And when did you become a vampire?” Fortunata added.
“I made a bargain with the Reaper. Lily’s return for…well, it doesn’t affect any of you. I have something to do for
him. But he gave Lily back to me.” I looked up at Fortunata. “But to speak with the Reaper, I needed to die. This
way, I could come back.”
132. “I can’t believe you did that. You know what I think about vampires!”
I looked over and saw that Rainelle, too, was watching. I was suddenly aware of her – I knew exactly where she
was and that knowledge had nothing to do with sight. I didn’t have time to think about that right then, though.
“Rainelle,” I said, “this had nothing to do with you. I refuse to be sorry for saving my child.”
She glared at me and stormed through the outside wall. I ignored her.
133. I continued to comfort Lily, joined by Marcus and the other children, until we were interrupted again.
This time, the doorbell rang six times in quick succession, as though someone was standing at the door and planning
on pressing it until they got an answer.
134. Grey got up and opened the door, letting in Jean, Helen, Terri, and Lisa.
“What happened?” Jean asked.
“Why are you a vampire?” Helen added.
“Didn’t the bracelet work?” Terri asked.
“I’m a vampire because I chose it,” I said. “The bracelet worked fine, but I wanted it, so it didn’t stop it.”
135. Jean frowned. “But you died. The bracelet was connected to you, and you died. We made it – when you died, it
broke, and we felt it.”
I looked down at my wrist, suddenly realizing that she was right. I wasn’t wearing the bracelet anymore and I
shivered. I no longer had that protection.
“Why did you choose to become a vampire anyway?” Helen asked. “That bracelet protected you as long as you were
alive.”
I shook my head. “There are more important things.” Lily sobbed in my arms, so I tilted my head at Grey. He
nodded and pulled Jean, Helen, Terri, and Lisa aside to tell them what had happened. I heard Helen gasp when she
heard what her grandchildren had done, but I couldn’t concentrate on that.
Instead I continued stroking Lily’s hair, trying to calm her sobs. It was slow going.
136. Suddenly Marcus sat up straight. “Crap,” he said.
“What’s wrong now?”
“Do you feel that? Fuck.”
“Feel what?”
And then suddenly I did. There was a feeling of anger but I knew it wasn’t mine. Whose was it and why was I
feeling it?
137. The door slammed open and three vampires stalked in.
“What did you do?” the one in the lead asked as she stalked over to Marcus, picking him up and holding him against
the wall as though he weighed nothing at all.
He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Her arm covered his throat, making it impossible for him to talk.
138. She looked around the room, looking at each of us in turn. Her gaze lingered on Lily, then on me. Then she turned
back to Marcus. “You are a most disobedient child. This is not allowed.”
She let go of Marcus and he dropped to the floor.
She ignored him.
“You have broken the rules and should be punished. I would rather just kill you all, but the council demands a trial
instead. You will come with me. If you do not, I will kill you all.”
139. I wanted desperately to break down, considering all that I’d been through – and now a trial as well! – but it wasn’t
something I had time for. Instead, I handed Lily to Fortunata and stood up, looking at the vampire. “We’ll come,” I
said. “I’d prefer if you asked nicely, though.”
She sneered. “Hold her,” she ordered, and the other two vampires took hold of me. It didn’t hurt, but I knew if I
moved without her permission, they would quite happily stop me, probably painfully. She turned to Marcus. “Bring
your spawn. I never should have let you have them.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” he said.
She smiled. “Oh but I am. I made you. I can destroy you if I want.”
140. Marcus backed down first. He helped Lily stand up. “Come on, kids. We need to go.”
The vampire turned to leave, followed by the rest of us, when Jean stepped in her path. “We’re coming too,” she
said.
The vampire sneered. “You?”
“You said it’s a trial. We’ve known Roxanna since she moved here. Consider us witnesses.”
The vampire took a moment, but she acquiesced. “Very well. Come.”
141. I wasn’t quite dragged through the streets of Sim City, but it was close. Everyone else was able to move on their
own power, but I was propelled by the vampires on either side of me.
We entered the Crypt O’ Night Club and I was pulled to the back corner. The few times I’d been there (it hadn’t
been often) I’d never been in this corner. I saw now that it held an elevator.
142. We all entered the elevator and one of the vampires pushed a button. It moved down, going perhaps four or five
floors down into the earth.
As the doors opened, one of the vampires holding me shoved me out of the elevator and I tripped and fell, landing
on my knees on the floor.
143. As I stood up, I looked around.
The room was clearly meant for meetings, as a large number of vampires sat in a semi-circle facing the front of the
room – and there was a row of chairs off to one side, in case they needed more, I guess. At the front of the room
was a large wooden table where three vampires sat, with an empty seat that I assumed was meant for the one who
had brought me, the one who had turned Marcus.
My children, Jean, Helen, Terri, and Lisa were led to a row of chairs that had been blocked off with a low wall.
Marcus wasn’t placed with the rest of them, or with the rest of the vampires. Instead, his maker ordered him to sit
on a chair in front of the low wall.
144. That left the single chair in the middle of the room for me.
145. I felt a bit like a recalcitrant schoolchild going to see the principal as I sat down, alone, in the middle of the room.
I assume that was rather the point.
So I sat up straight, shoulders back, head held high, and did my best to look confident. I wasn’t ashamed of
anything that I’d done. There was no need to be. I had saved my daughter and would pay the price for doing so for
a very long time.
146. “Roxanna Doran,” one of the four vampires in front said, “you have been brought here today by the vampire council,
as led by Contessa Trysta, Contessa Gabrielle, Count Bradford, and me, Count Herman, Grand Magistrate of Sim
City, to stand trial for the crime of perverting the nature of vampirism in order to return the dead to life.”
I could see my children out of the corner of my eye; I was glad to know that Lily was tucked in between Grey and
Fortunata, with Desdemona also leaning in close. I wished I could comfort her, but I couldn’t.
I had to focus all of my wits on what was happening in front of me.
147. Count Herman turned to Marcus. “Marcus Jones, you will answer for your part in this crime after we are done with
your lover.” Then he turned back to me. “Have you anything to say for yourself?”
148. “Have I anything to say for myself?” I stood up and I looked around the room, at the other vampires on the council,
at the four behind the tables, at everyone who had come to support me without even knowing what was happening.
I turned back to the four leaders. “I have plenty to say for myself. Have any of you ever lost a child? What about a
sibling? Have you ever known that you, and you alone, had the ability to save someone you loved? I told Marcus to
make me a vampire so that I could save my daughter. Despite that, I would not have succeeded had the Reaper not
allowed me to. I made a bargain in exchange for my daughter’s life, and I will be fulfilling it for the rest of mine, as
long and unnatural as it may be.”
149. “What is this bargain of which you speak?” Contessa Gabrielle asked. Or at least I assumed she was Contessa
Gabrielle, as I seemed to remember that Marcus had said that Contessa Trysta was the one who turned him into a
vampire, and this was the other female vampire.
“The Reaper gave me the power to send ghosts on to their final rest, even if their urns or graves have not been
destroyed. His realm – you all have seen it, when you were turned into vampires yourselves – it was full of ghosts.
You can’t see them, but I can. I can see the dead, and there were many there. I have seen many here as well. The
Reaper wants them able to move on and asked me to take on that role and ability. To get my daughter back, I
agreed.”
150. A murmur ran through the assembled crowd.
Contessa Trysta sneered at me. “And you think this means you shouldn’t die? I still think we should just kill you all
and be done.”
Count Herman turned to her. “Do you want to argue with the Reaper? If what she speaks is true…”
“And who says it is?”
“I’m inclined to believe her. You know what she did at Gothier Green Lawns.” Count Bradford and Contessa
Gabrielle nodded in agreement.
151. Another vampire – one I didn’t recognize, one of the many who were watching the proceedings – stood up.
“If we shouldn’t kill her because of the Reaper, what about the daughter? She died. She’s supposed to be dead.
Why not send her back?”
152. I turned to face her. “If she’s supposed to be dead, then why did the Reaper let me take her back? I’ve seen
zombies and vampires and ghosts. Lily is human and completely normal.”
She sniffed. “Normal. Of course. You Dorans are all the same, waltzing into town like you own it, causing chaos
wherever you go. I met your mother, girl. I would have taken her soul, but I was stopped. The world would be a
much better place if I’d succeeded.”
I bit my lip. This had to be one of the witches Mom had told us about. She’d never mentioned either of them
becoming a vampire, but she’d also left Belladonna Cove. Who knew what had happened after that?
I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality. It didn’t matter who she had been, only who she was now – a
member of the vampire council. “Better for who?”
“For everyone but you. It still will be, if we kill you all.”
153. I glared at her. “Over my dead body.”
She looked me up and down. “That won’t be a problem. You think you can fight us? If we decide to kill someone,
we will.”
“You’ll have to go through me first. You may eventually kill us, yes, but how many of you will die in the process?”
154. I felt movement, and though I couldn’t turn to look – there was no power that would make me take my eyes off this
woman, not right now – I could feel first Marcus, then Jean, Helen, Terri, and Lisa coming up to stand behind me.
“And I won’t fight you alone,” I said.
155. “Kimberly, enough,” Count Herman said. “If you decide to kill the girl, it will be on your head alone. Her life is little
more unnatural than anyone raised by a bone phone. It is the perversion of vampirism that we are investigating.”
He looked at me. “Everyone, sit down, in the seats assigned to you. This trial will continue as planned.”
I stayed standing until Kimberly gave in and sat down, then I obeyed the order and took my seat.
156. And so the trial continued. Various vampires and my friends and children all spoke, but it was clear that ultimately
the four at the table would be making the decision of what to do about me, with the final decision ultimately resting
on Count Herman’s shoulders.
I could only pray that they wouldn’t hurt Lily. I couldn’t see her die. Not again. What I had said to Kimberly was
true: I would do anything and everything to stop them if they decided to hurt my children, no matter what it led to.
157. Lily even managed to stand up and tell the story of her death in a very shaky voice. There were some frowns when
she told of the group who had killed her, and Contessa Gabrielle leaned over to Count Bradford and whispered
something, which he nodded in reply to.
158. Finally, around two in the morning, everyone finished speaking.
The Counts and Contessas gathered to decide on a sentence.
159. When they were done, Count Herman stood.
“This is our sentence,” he said. “For your crime, Roxanna Doran, we sentence you to imprisonment. You will be
magically locked inside your house for one hundred years.” I closed my eyes. Apparently they’d decided to let me
live, not wishing to anger the Reaper. But in some ways, this was worse. “Marcus Jones, for participation in this
crime, you will be magically bound within the limits of Sim City for the same period of time. The walls that keep
Roxanna in will keep you out. You will perform penance for the council as well. The magical bonds will be put in
place before sunrise today.”
160. Then he turned to the children and I held my breath, worried and scared of what he was about to say. “And you
children, Grey Doran, Desdemona Doran, Lily Doran, and Fortunata Doran: you are hereby banished from Sim City,
for your tendency to cause chaos, something that is not welcome within our city. If you do not leave by sunset
tonight, you will be put to death.”
I sighed in relief. Banishment, I could deal with. My children – all four of my children – would live, and for them this
was no worse than what our family curse already caused. But unlike my parents, I wouldn’t have the chance to
leave, so for me it was much worse.
But what happened to me didn’t matter. My children were safe (as long as they were gone by sunset), and that was
all that mattered.
161. “As for those who killed Lily Doran,” Count Herman finished, “we do not welcome such groups in our city. They will
be dealt with.”
I could see the vampires around me grinning at that pronouncement, clearly looking forward to whatever they were
going to do to that group. For a moment I felt bad – many of them were just teenagers, and a few were even
children – but then I reminded myself that they’d killed my daughter and I stopped.
162. And with that, the trial was over. I immediately went to my children and put on a brave face for them. “It’ll be just
fine,” I said. “Let’s go home.”
Grey frowned but nodded, willing to go along with what I wanted, at least for now.
163. Marcus stopped us before we could go. “Roxanna, I…I’m sorry. I didn’t know they would do that.”
“It’s alright, Marcus. Our children are safe. That’s what matters.”
“But–”
I put my hand on his arm. “I know.” I glanced at the children, then back at him, and he nodded slowly, agreeing
not to talk about it in front of them. “A hundred years is a long time, Marcus. You’re not going to see them again.”
“Then I guess I’d better say goodbye,” he said quietly.
“Please.”
164. He hugged and kissed each of the children, whispering quiet words of goodbye to them. Then he hugged me once
and wished me well.
Before he could leave the club, guarded by two other vampires, a vial of blood was drawn from his arm – for what
use, I didn’t know.
165. Helen, Jean, Terri, and Lisa were led from the room by another group of vampires, and finally the children and I
were left alone with the leaders of the council and a few guards.
I was once again taken by the arms and led up the elevator, through Crypt O’ Night Club, and back to my house.
166. From inside, I watched as the vampires worked their magic. They took a few drops of my blood and used it to seal
me to the house, and used some of the vial they’d taken from Marcus to seal him out.
And then, a little before dawn, they left.
167. We managed to get Lily to curl up in her bed and at least try to sleep. Desdemona and Fortunata stayed with their
sister, Fortunata curling up in her own bed and Desdemona taking the sleeping bag that Eglantine usually used when
she stayed over.
168. I considered staying with them, but once the sun rose the room really was too sunny for me to be fully comfortable.
It was strange – as a vampire, I could feel the sun, and even though it wouldn’t kill me as long as I stayed inside, it
made me feel lethargic and a bit sick.
Instead, I went downstairs to the office, one of the least sunny places in the house, and sat down in the corner by
the bathroom.
169. I still wanted to break down.
I still couldn’t.
My children needed me to be strong, at least until they left. After…after that, I would be able to let myself go.
170. Grey found me down there, sitting and thinking.
He joined me and we sat in silence for a while.
171. “Mom?” he finally asked.
“Grey?”
“Are you alright?”
“Of course I am, what kind of question is that?” He raised his eyebrows at me and I sighed. “No, I’m not alright,
but I will be. I’m glad you’re all safe.”
172. “Only if we leave by sunset.”
“You will. You have a car and you have time to pack. You’ll get your things and go before the sun sets and you’ll
find something new, just like I did, just like all of our ancestors all the way back to Carli.”
“I’m not ready.”
“I wasn’t either, but…but you need to go, Grey. If you don’t, something even worse will happen and eventually you’ll
find yourselves forced from Sim City, if the vampire council doesn’t kill you first. We almost lost Lily. I can’t bear to
see any of you die, not you, not your sisters.”
173. “This has something to do with our…aunt?”
I nodded. “My twin sister died, Grey, and it took me a very long time to recover from that. I’m still not fully
recovered, and I doubt I ever will be. I can’t watch my child die, not again, and I never want to have to see any of
you go through what I did.”
He shook his head. “I never want to. When I thought we’d lost Lily…” He trailed off into silence.
I patted his shoulder. “I know. Believe me, I know.”
174. I hated having to put so much weight on Grey’s shoulders but there was no choice. “Promise me you’ll watch out for
your sisters. Please. Lily…the Reaper told me she won’t remember his realm, at least not consciously, but it will
affect her subconsciously. And she remembers her death. I’m worried about her.”
“Of course, Mom!” He ran a hand through his hair. “Do you think Lily will be alright?”
“I hope so, I really do.”
“Me too.”
175. We were interrupted by the sound of screaming.
Grey and I glanced at each other, then we ran up the stairs and into Lily and Fortunata’s room.
176. Lily was curled up in a ball, screaming her head off. Obviously she’d just woken up from a nightmare. Her sisters
stared at her in shock.
I quickly took stock of the situation. “Grey, Desdemona, Fortunata, out.” They glanced at each other, then left.
I sat down next to Lily and took her into my arms.
“Mommy,” she sobbed. She clutched me as she cried.
I stroked her hair. “Shhh,” I whispered. “It’ll be alright.”
177. She shook her head. “It won’t. It won’t ever be okay.”
A tear dripped down my cheek. “It will. I know it feels like it won’t, but it will, Lily. Life goes on. It won’t go on
here, but you’ll leave today and you’ll travel and one day you’ll wake up and you’ll realize that you haven’t been this
upset in ages, and you’ll realize that you’ve moved on. One day, the nightmares will stop and things will be better.”
“I’m not ready to leave, Mom.”
“I know. But there isn’t a choice.”
178. Her eyelids were drooping, but she was fighting to stay awake, most likely to avoid the nightmares. “Come on,” I
said, pulling her up. “You can come sleep with me, alright? I’ll help with the nightmares.”
She nodded, then followed me into my bedroom, where I put her to bed.
179. I sat next to her, too worried to sleep myself, and watched my daughter sleep, worried about her, worried about
what would happen once they were gone.
There was nothing I could do for them anymore. I was bound to this house and wouldn’t be free until well after all
of them were dead.
180. After some time, the door opened quietly and Fortunata poked her head in. “Mom?” she said quietly.
“Nata?”
“I was talking to Eglantine about what happened, and she said she had an idea of something that might help Lily,
but she wants to talk to you first.”
I nodded and stood up, walking out of the room. I left the door open an inch so I could keep an ear on Lily.
181. Fortunata handed me her cell phone. “Hello?”
“Ms. Doran?”
“Hello, Eglantine.”
“Hi. Um, Nata told me what happened. I’m sorry I wasn’t around.”
“It’s not your fault at all.”
“I know. I still feel bad.”
182. “Fortunata said you have something that might help Lily?”
“Yeah. She said she’s a mess?”
“Yes.”
Eglantine took a deep breath. “It’s a radical solution, but…well, it may be the best option. If she used it, it would
change her personality, push the memories farther back. Everything that happened would…well, the best way to say
it is that it would stop mattering so much.”
183. I thought. “Is this something that has to be done now?”
“No. It can be done whenever.”
“Then I think you should leave it for Lily to decide. Come over before sunset and give it to her, make sure she
knows how to use it. And then leave the decision up to her.”
“That’s a good idea, Ms. Doran. I’ll see you after school?”
“See you then.”
184. I hung up the phone and looked at Fortunata, who’d been listening.
“We’re not going to school today,” she said.
“No. Lily’s in no shape to go, and frankly neither are the rest of you, or even me. We all need sleep, and you need
to pack before you leave.”
Fortunata nodded. “And it’s not like our grades matter anymore.”
“No, they don’t.”
185. “Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Thank you. For – Lily is my best friend. Thank you for bringing her back. Thank you for agreeing to whatever you
agreed to, to get her back.”
“Of course I did. I couldn’t have done otherwise.”
186. “You’re not going to tell us, are you?”
“Tell you what?”
“What you agreed to.”
I shook my head. “It has nothing to do with you, Nata. And it’s not bad, per se. Just…I’m going to be alive a lot
longer than I ever planned on.”
She nodded. “Yeah. And stuck here, too.”
That was skirting too close to things I didn’t want my children to know. “Yes,” I said simply, trying to cut off the
conversation before it began.
187. I looked at my youngest. “You look as tired as your sister, and you need to be gone before sundown. Go to bed,
Nata.”
Her lip twisted. “I don’t really want to sleep alone. And Lily’s with you.”
“Why don’t you stay with Lily for a bit, while I go find Desdemona? I bet she’ll be willing to spend some time with
you right now. And that way you won’t be alone, but I’ll handle Lily’s nightmares.”
“Okay.”
188. Fortunata went into the bedroom and I climbed the stairs, looking for my oldest daughter.
I found her in her bedroom, throwing things into a bag.
I sat down on her bed and watched her as she chose which clothing to bring and which to leave behind.
189. “How can you even look at me?” The outburst was unexpected.
“What?”
“How can you look at me? I dragged Lily to the get together and I got her killed, Mom!” She angrily wiped tears
from her face. “I’m a terrible person.”
190. “Oh, Desi.” I caught her hand and pulled her over to stand in front of me. “You are not a terrible person. You’re a
teenager who wanted to spend time with you friends. There’s no way you could have known what they planned.”
“But I should have!”
I lifted her chin and looked at her. She tried to avoid catching my gaze but eventually gave in. “Hindsight is always
20/20, Desdemona. You can only judge a decision by the facts you knew when you made it, and when you asked
Lily to come along, you thought you were just going to have a good time shopping with your friends, and there is
nothing wrong with that. You did nothing wrong, Desi. Believe me.”
191. “You really think so, Mom?”
“I really do. I love you, Desdemona, and today hasn’t changed that at all.”
She smiled tremulously, then threw herself at me. We hugged.
When I finally managed to pull back, I looked at her. “Don’t forget your hair dye when you pack.”
Her giggle was watery, but it was there. “I won’t. I’m thinking of going fully green.”
“You could pull it off, I think.”
“Thanks.”
192. I stretched out. “I’ve got to go back down to Lily. Would you mind staying with Fortunata for a bit? She doesn’t
want to be alone.”
“Not at all. I don’t mind sleeping there today.” She noticed my raised eyebrows and rolled her eyes. “I know, I like
having my own room. But after today…I’m glad I have my sisters.”
I smiled sadly. “I’m glad you do too.”
193. The next few hours were spent in my bedroom, watching Lily sleep, waking her up from her nightmares, and holding
her when she cried.
I really hoped she was going to be okay, at least in the long run. It was clear that the short run wasn’t going to go
so well.
194. After the fourth nightmare, she refused to try to go back to sleep, choosing instead to pack up her things.
She still wanted me there while she packed, even though her sisters were both quite willing to help.
I braved the discomfort of a sunny room to help, despite not feeling all that well.
195. Around 3, Eglantine came over and gave Lily something. They spent half an hour going over the directions while I
packed up all of the food from the fridge for the kids to take with them. I didn’t need it anymore myself, and they
could undoubtedly use it.
196. And finally, it was 6 o’clock, an hour before sunset, and it was time for them to go.
I kissed and hugged each of my children, saying quiet goodbyes and asking them all to look out for each other –
especially for Lily, who needed the support the most.
She clung to me until her siblings pulled her away, eyes on the clock, knowing what would happen if they stayed too
late. They didn’t want to go, I’m sure, but the alternative was unthinkable. They had to leave, and they had to
leave immediately.
197. As the door closed behind my children, I walked up the stairs to Lily and Fortunata’s room, where I could see them
getting into the car. Fortunata helped Lily into the backseat while Grey drove and Desdemona took the front.
And then they left.
198. I pressed my face against the glass, straining hard to watch the car for as long as I could. It would be my last sight
of my children, and I didn't want to miss one moment of it.
As it disappeared from sight, the sun began to set, and I sighed in relief. They'd be gone from Sim City before the
sun fully set, as they had to be.
199. I felt a presence behind me, but I didn't bother turning around. I knew who it was, anyway. "Rainelle," I said.
"Roxanna. I'm sorry. I mean, not–" She paused, thinking over what to say. "I'm sorry the kids had to leave.“
I shook my head, face still pressed against the glass. "I knew it was coming. I didn't – I didn't know it would be like
this. But I knew. And it's okay.“
"How is it okay?“
I finally turned around, trying to smile. I'm sure it was bitter. "It could be worse. I still have you."
200. She looked down and we stood in awkward silence for a minute.
Then she suddenly spoke. “I saw the vampires.”
“What?”
“Doing their…whatever sort of magic it was. They bound you to the house, didn’t they?”
I nodded.
201. She breathed in sharply. “You can’t leave.”
“No.”
“Do…do you know the full extent of what that means?”
I closed my eyes. Trust Rainelle to figure out what I hadn’t told my kids. Trust her to see the true horror of my
punishment that I’d hidden from them. “Yes. I can’t leave the house, so I can’t feed, not unless someone comes to
me, and Jean, Helen, Terri, and Lisa will have already started warning people about that.” I was already feeling the
craving for blood. It made me glad my children were gone; at least I wouldn’t attack them.
202. “But you’re not going to die.”
“No.” Vampires don’t die when they’re deprived of blood. Instead… “I’m going to go insane.”
“And bound to the house…you won’t even be able to walk into the sun and end it.”
I shook my head. “I can’t anyway. I promised the Reaper.”
203. “You…I don’t…” Rainelle took a deep breath. “Roxanna, I want you to smash my grave.”
“What?”
“I can’t do this. I can’t be bound to this house, to this yard, with only you able to see me. I could when you were
human, but you’re not, not anymore. You’re a vampire. You’re wrong. And it won’t take long for you to go insane.
I know I’m safe from you, but you won’t know that. You’ll try and attack me. You won’t recognize me. I can’t live
like that. I want to move on. I want you to smash my grave.”
204. I put my face in my hands. “I can’t get to your grave. It’s in the backyard.”
“I’ll bring it to you. I’m physical enough for that, I think.”
I rubbed my face. To be deprived of my only company, after all I’d been through. I couldn’t bear it.
And yet I would have to.
205. I sighed. “That isn’t necessary, Rainelle.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I met the Reaper, he…he gave me the power to send ghosts on. I don’t need your grave. I just need to
touch you.”
206. She came to stand directly in front of me. “Then do it.”
I hesitated. “You’re sure about this?”
“Completely. I’m sorry, Roxanna. But I want you to send me on.”
I closed my eyes, holding back tears, then opened them. “I’ll miss you, Rainelle.”
Her smile was shaky. “I’ll miss you too. I hope…I hope things are better than I think they will be.”
“Me too. Me too.”
207. And then I reached forward, touching her heart, watching as she faded into nothing.
I felt her presence disappear and I knew she was gone, leaving me completely alone.
208. I put my face in my hands and tried to cry, but I was too upset even for that.
I was all alone, without anyone to talk to, without even the ability to kill myself. I had a task to do and walls to keep
me in and the promise of insanity to come.
What was I going to do?
209. I looked up when I heard a noise.
I caught sight of the door opening, but no one was there. I looked at the mirror and there was a flash of –
No.
No. This wasn’t possible.
210. I sat down, hard, on the floor.
“You’re dead,” I said.
211. “I was,” she admitted. “You recall all the zombies?” I nodded automatically. “They had a bone phone.”
212. “But your urn,” I whispered. “It was smashed.”
She shook her head. “Susanna switched the urns when she heard Rosalie give the order. One urn isn’t any different
from another, not unless you look closely, and Rosalie…she wasn’t looking. She smashed one belonging to another
zombie, not mine. When they were gone, Susanna used the bone phone to bring me back.”
213. “You didn’t come find me.”
“I couldn’t, not at first. The bone phone…it only heals the injury that actually killed you. I was shot three times,
Roxanna. It took me a long time to recover, and then it took me even longer to figure out where you’d all gone. By
the time I finally got here, you were pregnant with your third child and in a screaming fight with, well, I assume it
was a ghost. I – I didn’t know how to tell you I was actually here. So I just…didn’t.”
214. I thought back over the last few years and suddenly some things started making sense. “That was you,” I
whispered. “You made Fortunata look like she was floating. You were eating the food. And that was you, with the
cake, at Fortunata’s birthday party.”
She nodded. “I didn’t get to interact with Grey – he was already a child by the time I got here – but I spent a little
time with each of the girls when they were too young to understand that someone invisible shouldn’t exist. I wasn’t
careful enough with Fortunata. You almost caught me then.”
215. I put my face in my hands and finally, finally, began to cry.
“Astraea,” I whispered, willing, now, to accept that it was true, that she was really here. That I wasn’t alone.
216. “Roxanna,” she said, smiling. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Not as much as I’ve missed you.”
She laughed. “This isn’t a competition. Besides, I’m here now, for whatever you need.”
217. “Are you – are you sure?” I asked, voice shaky.
“Completely. Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way.” She cocked her head. “Or should that be, wherever
you’re not going, I’m not going your way? No, that doesn’t sound right. Grammar fail.”
I laughed, a bit hysterically.
218. She knelt down in front of me and took my hands in hers. “I’m completely serious. I am here for as long as you
need me, in whatever way you need me. I will be your legs, your voice, your eyes, your ears. I will be your source
of blood and your source of information. I will be your link to the outside world for as long as you cannot be.”
I looked at her. “And you’ll stay? Even if I need you forever?” I touched my fangs with one finger, reminding her of
what I was. While I wouldn’t live forever, I would live for a very long time.
She reached forward and gently touched that same fang. “I will never abandon you again.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
***