The Ghosts of Melbrew [1/12]

Chapter 27) Descending Darkness

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[ Friday April 7th, 2017 ]

          Veronica wasn't at school for two weeks after that, and she wouldn't answer any of our calls or texts. I was incredibly worried about her, but I didn't think it was safe to go knocking on the Melbrews' door. They were up to something, and it was concerning.

          Though once again, no one cared. No one cared that Veronica and I almost died. No one cared that Nora DID die. Except for her mom and sister. Oh, poor Laura and Ava. First their father dies from cancer a few years ago, now they lose Nora, too. I think she was right, that key they found really was cursed, and I believe it, too. It was an evil vampiric key, after all.

          The two moved out of town almost immediately after. They couldn't bare to stay here anymore, not after all the bad things that have happened. They took nothing but the clothes on their backs and their old dirty car. Last I heard Laura was incredibly superstitious, and ended up leaving the car at a certain point while she and Ava stayed in motels. I have no idea what ever became of them.

          When my phone began ringing, I don't think I've ever answered it faster.

          “Veronica!” I exclaimed as I answered my phone. “Where the hell have you been?! Are you okay? You never answered any of our texts and calls for the past two weeks and haven’t been coming to school, I thought something happened to you!”

          “I– I’m sorry. I– I– I– have a lot to explain to you but I’m rather frazzled right now.” Veronica said in a shaky, uneasy, panicked voice. “I’m– I’m having an existential crisis right now– well, not an existential one but it is a crisis. M– my whole world– it– it feels like it’s crumbling to pieces.” Her voice turned to a sob.

          “My family…” She cried, “My– my suspicions were right! He was telling the truth! They’ve– they’ve all been lying to me my whole life!”

          I sat up in my bed, and she continued after crying for a second, “I– I was eavesdropping on them. They…” She cried, “They went on and on about shutting down the portal, and killing vampires, and Victor’s slip wasn’t a slip they really are trying to get it shut down! It’s activated right now and any vampire can use it with their magic!

          They've… They’ve NEVER been trying to activate it! They’ve been trying to stop it!” She stopped for a moment to calm down and catch her breath, and continued more calmly, but still with tears in her voice, “If my own family has been lying to me, then what's the truth?! I... I'm just as clueless as you guys are! I don't... I don't know who to believe anymore! What else are they hiding that I don’t know about?!”

          "Why, I... I don't really know what to say, Vee."

          "That's– that's not it!" She said, voice full of distress. "L-listen. If you thought– if you thought that was crazy you are not ready for this next part. Victor. Victor– my brother Victor, not great-grandpa– he… he was on the other side of the portal for the last seven years. He's– the– the entire time. The entire fucking time." Her voice still trembling close to tears, "The– that’s– that’s the reason why he never came home, he's been through the portal. He was on the other side of it the whole fucking time. He got stuck. He's been in the fucking Shadow Realm the whole time. He has DEGREES in HISTORY from a VAMPIRE SCHOOL!"

          I was silent for a moment as I made a face, "... what?!" I said in disbelief.

          "He– he– he's been in Vamparial! In the Shadow Realm! He was attending their fucking vampire school, or something! HE'S BEEN! ON THE OTHER SIDE! OF THE PORTAL! For seven years! Seven years, Emmy!" She kept repeating, "HE HAS BEEN. ON THE OTHERSIDE."