5Author Notes: One chapter left and that will be it! Read and Review, please. :)
Day 5
It was now October 31st. The Halloween costume party would begin at 6:00pm. Eleanor and an ecstatic Ava were just getting ready to leave their dormitory. The golden blonde girl had a cute angel costume, including the wings and halo. Ava was sporting the devil costume, hence her sometimes mischievous side breaking through.
"Oh, I'm so excited!" Ava chirped with glee, "Today is finally Halloween!"
"The party is held at the school tonight, right?" Eleanor said, brushing her hair down. "I can't wait to see what the faculty have planned for us."
Ava nodded, giggling to herself.
"Neither can I!"
Both girls smiled at one another. They were looking forward to this time of celebration and fun. It had been a while since any sort of event took place at the school. Ever since the mysterious attacks took place, students had to obey strict curfews and lock down sessions. To have something like a simple party for Halloween was refreshing. Once they were ready, the two high school kids left their room and headed out to the Dormitory entrance doors. While Ava went wondering about what costume guidance counselor Akinari would wear at the party, Eleanor had a strange feeling in her gut.
She wasn't sure where it was coming from. But, she felt a small sense of dread.
Just then, her train of thought was interrupted when her blue eyes spotted someone vaguely familiar.
There was a figure standing in front of the gates of the dorms. It was an adult woman, who was no older than 22. She wore a gray coat-dress with matching beret, black leggings, and shoes. Her golden hair was short, trimmed nicely into a neat bob cut style. Her dark green eyes had a certain, unspoken sadness to them. Clear blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, as if the teenager saw a ghost. Eleanor quickly recognized the woman instantly, but she couldn't place her name to memory. The woman also expressed the same shocked reaction.
"My god...Eleanor? Is that really you?"
The younger blonde girl regained her memory and asked,
"Margret? You're Margret, aren't you?"
The adult looked down at her shoes.
"Wow, you've changed so much! I didn't even recognize you for a while there! We've been staying in touch through letters all this time. I wasn't sure you would be able to visit. How have you been, sis?"
Margret softly glared at her younger sister.
"Did you even watch the news anymore? Have you been answering your calls lately? Mother wanted to know where you were. She thought you were still at home with Pete. She was worried sick!"
Taken aback by her sister's attitude, the golden haired teenager had trouble explaining herself.
"Oh, well, I couldn't get good reception at the dorm. And the television's been acting weird since there were issues with the weather. Wait a minute. Did something happen to dad?"
Like a shell-shocked veteran solider from a bloodied battlefield, Margret looked down at the pavement. The next three words had changed everything.
"Pete...he's dead."
And just like that, Eleanor and Ava had grew silent. They dropped their jaws in shock. Two pairs of eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Did this woman really say what they thought she had said?
"What?" Eleanor stuttered, "What did you just say?"
"His body was found at the house," Margret said. "He drank himself to death."
Eleanor felt her head starting to spin and legs began to tremble.
"No..."
"Eleanor, he's gone."
"You're lying!" Eleanor snapped, grabbing at Margret's white color. "What happened to my dad?! Tell me, right now!"
Ava pushed the disoriented girl away from Margret. She disliked being physical with a friend but it was for her roommate's own sanity.
"Ellen, settle down, okay? We should go back to the dorm and discuss it."
The other girl was still reeling with the bad news to hear Ava. She looked down on the ground, completely unresponsive.
'My father...is gone...?'
Meanwhile, at the school cafeteria...
Daisy and Walter were just finishing up with decorating the tables and setting up chairs. The party that was taking place. It was obvious the teenagers would take advantage of such an occasion. There was also a good chance that the vampires would infiltrate The pair were also going to act as security throughout the night.
"Good work, you two," said Principal LeBlanc. "With you here at this party, we should be able to keep a close eye on the students."
"You sound rather pleasant tonight, Principal."
"Whatever do you mean, Daisy? I've always had faith in your abilities."
The boy rolled his eyes, seeing right through LeBlanc's veil.
"Liar. Are you that eager to see what costume Mrs. Cole will be wearing?"
"Ahem! So, what's next now?"
Walt shrugged causally.
"We wait for the kids to arrive and watch how it goes."
The short statured principal furrowed his eyebrows.
"That's it?"
"Well, yeah. Daisy, if you may."
Daisy sighed, knowing Walter was being lazy as usual. So, she elaborated to LeBlanc about the plan.
"Vampires hunt for human flesh and blood when there is a large group of people in one area. One careless move, and they will show themselves. Walter and I will deal with them. All we can do now is wait for the opportunity."
"And there is also something else..."
The short middle aged man and Daisy looked at Walter.
"What else is there to know?" LeBlanc asked, skeptical.
"Well, I think I might know who are mysterious attackers are. It's got to be those siblings, Yumi and Yukio."
While it came as a surprise to the high school principal, the dark skinned girl had known that her instincts would never lie to her.
"I knew it..."
Eleanor and Ava read through the newspaper Margret gave them. They found the section part, where it mentioned Eleanor's father's death.
"But, what about mom?"
"She's doing fine, Eleanor," the older sister assured. "She should be discharged from the hospital next week."
Eleanor sighed shakily with relief. At least their mother was going to be alright. In all honesty, the teenager was beyond happy to hear that. Still, how will they explain Pete to her? How will she feel?
Her parents weren't always getting along. Her mother was always in charge of things and kept Pete in check. Once she got severely sick, everything was thrown out of balance. Eleanor's father basically ruled over her and forced her to work around the house to no end for a whole month. There was nothing there to feel but resentment and anger for what he put her through.
"...And after mom is discharged, we will already have planned the funeral."
"For Eleanor's father, you mean?" Ava asked.
Margret nodded.
"Since Eleanor is his daughter, she is going to help me make arrangements, tomorrow."
The red haired Hispanic girl frowned with disapproval. She stood up from her chair and crossed her arms. Although it seemed like she was butting in on someone else's family affairs, Eleanor was still Ava's friend regardless.
"Now hold on a moment. Ellen just found out today! She needs more time to cope with this. Can't this wait for a few more days?"
The adult woman sullenly shook her head.
"We can't wait. It's best to take care of this now than later. Eleanor, I want you to be up by 8 o'clock this Saturday morning."
The golden blonde teen clenched her fists at Margret's curt response. Even after she left the house years ago, nothing had changed. She was still the same controlling, distant, and aloof big sister she had always been.
"No."
The older blonde turned her head slightly towards the quiet voice.
"What?"
Eleanor's blue eyes turned to stone as she glared at her sister. Finally gaining the courage to stick up for herself, she spoke again.
"You heard me, I said no. I'm not helping you with the funeral. You don't get to boss me around anymore. If you are so worried about that, do it yourself!"
The older sister raised both her eyebrows, looking at Eleanor like an exotic creature. Never in her life had the timid girl rebelled in any way.
"How can you say that?" Margret chastised. "He's your father, Eleanor! He brought you into this world. Have you rid yourself of compassion for your own parent? Stop being foolish and do as I say."
Something in her snapped. Her sister's aloofness, lack of emotional support, and bossiness were enough to push the usually gentle and meek girl over the edge. She quickly stood up from her chair and gave Margret the most furious glare no classmate or adult has ever seen in their lifetime. Even the spunky Ava found herself stepping back to such a rare display of fury from her best friend and roommate.
"Shut the hell up!" Eleanor shouted angrily. "You have no right to say that to me. You weren't there for me when you should have! You weren't there when he was treating me like a slave. You weren't fucking there when I was beaten like a mule!"
The teenager took a shaky breath and continued on, albeit at a steady pace. Her hands were still clenched together shaky from the adrenaline rush of emotions coursing through Eleanor's veins.
"Ever since I've moved to the dorms, I felt better for the first time in years. I was...actually happy for once. I was happy, healthy, and safe. I felt human and free. I was finally starting to feel like myself again until you showed up!"
Margret was at a loss for words in that moment.
"Sis, I..."
"What? You were too busy saving your own skin, right?! You couldn't stand him either, so, you left home without telling me. Without ever asking me to come with you?"
Just then, the enraged golden blonde gripped at her white sleeves from her angel costume. She clawed her nails at the fabric, revealing the damaged skin. The bruises she hid from Ava. The bruises that were a dark reminder of her father.
"Look at these bruises, Margret. LOOK AT THEM! This is what Pete did to me. These are the reasons why I'm living here instead! And not only that...!"
"All of verbal, physical abuse I've been put through...is what made me slip rat poison in his beer in the first place!"
Just then, everything was deadly silent. Margret and Ava stood there in frozen shock.
"You did what?" Ava asked, backing away from her roommate.
Suddenly, Eleanor held her mouth with both hands. Her eyes grew wide with horror over what she confessed.
"No..."
"E-Eleanor, did you-?"
The girl in the angel costume slapped her sister's outreached hand away from her.
"Don't touch me! Why did you come here, Margret?! You've ruined everything! All I wanted was to live peacefully, away from the pain and fighting, and now this...!"
Like a mad bull, Eleanor ran out of the room and the girl's dorm before her friend and sister could stop her. Even in her angel costume and the emotional turbulence that was disrupting her mentality, she was still a fast runner.
The older sister tearfully called out to her,
"ELEANOR, WAIT! COME BACK!"
It was no use. She was already far away from the building. Grey clouds began to gather around in the sky. Heavy raindrops began to pour down on the town streets. Dozens of folks were going into stores and any kind of shelter to keep themselves dry. Eleanor just kept running. And running. And running. She had to escape the school dorm, her sister, and her messed up life. This unfair, unforgiving reality.
Why did this happen? How could she have been so blind? If only she deposed of her father's body sooner instead of just leaving the house. If only she moved away from him sooner instead of killing indirectly. If only she was smart enough to do anything about her situation at all, none of this would have happened. Stopping by the bridge, Eleanor panted heavily, exhausted from all of the running she did. Her angel costume was drenched to the bone. Her Golden locks were soaked. Her heart was aching.
"Where am I suppose to go now?"
She looked over at the stream under the bridge. Water flowing under her. Even after things have gotten better, nothing will ever truly be the same. Her father was gone and she was guilty of her fatal mistake. Her own mother would never look at her again. Her best friend would shun her. Eleanor would be all alone again.
Automatically, she climbed up on the bridge and looked down. She stood there with emptiness in her eyes. The sorrowful expression on her face was the same one staring back at her from the large lake below. As Eleanor stared down at her reflection, dressed in her now drenched angel costume, she contemplated throwing herself into the clear watery depths and casting herself into a world of oblivion.
"Eleanor...?" A girl's voice called out to her.
The golden haired girl snapped her eyes open and looked up. She turned her head to the left to see who had addressed her. It was a teenage girl no younger than herself, with black hair, crimson eyes and a dark dress. Standing there at the end of the bridge was a woman of grey skin and crimson eyes.
"Yumi?"
Inside Yumi's mansion, Eleanor replaced her costume with more suitable clothing. The golden blonde had on a dark green long sleeved shirt and black pants. She was warming herself by the fireplace when Yumi re-emerged with some bowl of soup.
"How did you know I was hungry?" Eleanor asked.
Yumi shrugged and said,
"I didn't know. I hoped."
The blue eyed girl smiled in gratitude as the bowl was placed down on the coffee table.
"I appreciate it."
While her guest was eating the soup quietly, Yumi wondered what to do next. It was quite clear to her that her acquaintance was in a delicate place. She was about to jump off a bridge! Was she serious in taking her own life? Perhaps it was best not to bring it up.
"I'm so glad to be here right now," Eleanor admitted. "I've lost my interest in going to that party at school."
"Sounds like you must've had a bad day."
The other girl nodded slowly.
"Indeed."
"So...back at that bridge," Yumi asked. "What were you thinking?"
Eleanor's blue orbs turned to Yumi's dark red ones. She had pretty much knew that she would be questioned once things had settled down. In all honesty, she didn't know why herself. All the golden haired girl knew was that she'd had enough of what she was going through in her life.
"I just couldn't...stand it anymore. There have been people in my life trying to control me. First my father, and now my sister..."
"What happened?"
Feeling a sense of solace and trust for the raven haired transfer student, Eleanor told her what had transpired an hour ago. It had pained the golden haired teen to even recall such painful moments. The news of her father's death, Margret's indifference of her feelings, the argument that followed, and her confession to essentially murdering her own father. It was happening all to fast and she had to get away from the dorm. Escape somehow.
"I see. What a complex situation. I wouldn't know what I'd do."
"Oh, Yumi," Eleanor lamented. "I want to run away from here! I don't want to be here anymore. I feel like the whole world is against me."
"What do you mean?"
The golden haired teenager placed her hands on Yumi's shoulders, startling the other girl a little.
"I want a world that's magical and adventurous. I want a world where there's freedom and beauty. There has to be something like that!"
"Have you been reading too many fairytales lately or something?" Yumi asked, jokingly.
"I'm serious!"
The pale skinned beauty furrowed her eyebrows, skeptical of her acquaintance's idealistic view of a better life. She never had anything to live for that made her happy. What was the point to think about it now?
"You're wishing for something impossible."
Eleanor bit her lower lip in light frustration.
"Maybe I am...but it's a lot better than this! You asked me if I would want to change my life around, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did say that."
"We can make that happen." Eleanor insisted. "The two of us can look for that world. Together, we can live better, happier lives."
The black haired teen shook her head in protest.
"It's too risky. You might not get exactly what you want."
"I'll take a chance. It's the only way to know."
Yumi, seeing the intensity of Eleanor's blue eyes, and the desperate tone of her voice, felt guilty. For the first time, she felt guilty for leading this poor, broken girl into a false hope. In her grief and despair, Eleanor wanted Yumi to help her escape her fate. Then again, a human world can be quite cruel and harsh. Nothing but violence and hatred to spread around. Maybe it is possible for Eleanor to live better and healthier, if Yukio would allow that. To be in a world where freedom was an actual option.
With a deep breath, the red eyed girl opened her mouth, wanting to confess something to Eleanor.
"Eleanor...I'm..."
Suddenly, another voice interjected.
"So, you want to go to the new world with us, do you?"
Yumi and Eleanor looked behind them and saw Yukio behind the couch. He had an unusually wicked smirk spread across his face. Eleanor felt small chills down her spine at the sight of such an uncharacteristic smirk.
"Student counselor?"
"Do not worry, Eleanor. Your world will soon come into fruition. We have big plans for you."