83. Glad I’m Free

Inter oves locum præsta.
Et ab hædis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

📝

Glimmerbrook. Calo walked on, determined. It wasn’t exactly where he was hoping to end up, but if this was what it took to prove his siblings how wrong they were, he’d do it without complaining. All of his research led to only this one place, and as he walked through it, he knew with a certainty he could be entirely sure of that there was no way their Tori would ever set foot in here. It wasn’t her place.

🦇

The child had grown up. Tori watched as she approached the graveyard, wearing what seemed like a funeral dress code. Although the setting was still grim as it always was, it wasn’t quite as dark this time. In fact, one could almost call it all quite pretty. Tori wouldn’t, of course. All she saw was the sorrow.

She approached the girl again, fully expecting her to cuss her out and turn away like she always had.

“Are you finally going to tell me why we’re here?”

The girl just looked at her, her bottom lip trembling. Seconds passed, before she turned around and stared at the grave closest to them. Curious, Tori approached it.

“See for yourself,” the girl finally spoke, nodding to the gravestone.

Tori turned her eyes to the epigraph. Felt her heartbeat in her throat as she tried to calm her nerves and focus on the words that were written on the stone. She almost managed, when…

“Tori?”

Tori shook awake. For a moment, she felt disoriented. Then her gaze went to Amanita and she realized where she was—and that she was not, in fact, in a graveyard.

“I’m sorry,” Amanita spoke. “You told me to wake you when you were getting…”

She had. And normally, she would’ve been happy too—but this time, she’d really wanted to stick around just a few seconds more. Just to read the text on that gravestone, and see who it belonged to. She was 99% sure it would be Remi’s anyway, but there was a small part of her that wasn’t entirely convinced.

Tori forced her lips into a smile. “Yeah… thank you.”

Amanita sat down next to her. “Any day,” she smiled at her.

“I’m so lucky to have you.”

🦇

Confutatis maledictis,
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictis.

📝

Finally, as the sun broke through the clouds—it was sparse moments like these that made Calo feel happy to not be a vampire anymore—he arrived at the house his research had led him to.

He looked around. A scoff escaped his lips as he did. There was absolutely no way in hell she’d be here. For a brief moment, his lips actually curled into a smile. This would be the proof he needed—the Tori they thought was their mother, was nothing but a fake. And he was about to show them.

Hiding behind the bushes, he waited.

🦇

Tori watched as Amanita walked up to her. A rush of warmth flowed through her as she did, and she couldn’t suppress a sudden urge to pull her into an embrace.

“Thank you.”

Amanita pulled back to shoot her a confused look, and so Tori went on.

“For believing me. You know, back in FH…”

Amanita chuckled. Raised her hand to caress Tori’s cheek with. “Of course. I’d believe you over some stranger any day, baby.”

“You know,” Amanita went on as she looked through the door windows. “It’s a beautiful day today.”

“Yeah, great,” Tori muttered in response. She didn’t really see what the point was of mentioning such a thing when she knew Tori wouldn’t be able to experience it for herself at any rate.

“Oh, come on, Gloomy,” Amanita teased. “We’ve got umbrellas, don’t we?”

Without awaiting Tori’s response she opened the door for herself and walked out, marveling at the sound of her feet touching untouched snow. She raised her hand and, opening her palm, felt the snowdrops fall on it.

“Come on, Tori!” she called once again. “It’s our first snow of the year!”

She struggled to make out a muffled “ugh, fine,” from the other end of the door. Finally, it opened and Tori walked out, into the daylight.

“Okay, fine,” she admitted when she reached Amanita, holding the umbrella firmly over her head. She tried to stop her lips from smiling, but couldn’t. “It’s pretty.”

“Right?” Amanita beamed.

“You know what else is pretty? That bird over there.”

As Amanita turned around to look, Tori quickly grabbed a handful of snow and molded it into a ball. The one good thing about being a vampire in the context of weather was that the cold never reached them, so it couldn’t bother them either.

Just as Amanita turned back, Tori pushed the snow in her face, laughing as she did. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed this genuinely—or, at the very least, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed like this in situations that didn’t have anything to do with great (emphasis on great) levels of schadenfreude.

“Tori!!” Amanita screeched, trying to get the cold snow off her face. “Oh, you’re so dead,” she smiled after she’d wiped the offending smut off her face.

“Oh, yeah?” Tori’s voice took on a more suggestive tone as she leaned in closer. “And how are you gonna do that?”

Amanita’s smile became more seductive with Tori’s words. When she suddenly reached for a potion, Tori shot her a surprised look.

“I actually have a surprise for you,” she started. “I know how… bummed you were about not getting the sunlight cure just yet, so I took to working, and I found something. It won’t be a permanent solution, but this…” she looked at the potion in her hand. “This is supposed to protect you against all evils. I’m pretty sure that, for vampires at least, those ‘evils’ includes the sun.”

Tori wasn’t immediately convinced. Shot the potion a suspicious look. “Was that a skull I just saw coming from there?”

“Oh,” Amanita rushed to respond. “No, that’s just the ingredients I used. It wasn’t the easiest thing to make, you know.”

“And you’re sure you made it right?” Tori pressed.

Amanita shot her a look. “You think I would be offering it you if it wasn’t?”

Slowly, Tori’s eyes moved back into their normal size. A short moment of pondering later, she reached out to take the potion.

“It’ll protect me from the sun?”

“Yes. For a while, at least. Long enough for us to enjoy this day together.”

It was enough to convince her. She took the potion, brought it to her lips and drank greedily, managing somehow to ignore its abhorrent taste as she downed it in one go…

…And came to regret it almost immediately as the potion’s immediate effects took her over.

She was still reeling from the potion’s effects so heavily that she barely managed to focus on Amanita’s words as she yelled at her.

“Just how stupid do you think I am, Tori?! I can’t believe I let you string me along for that long without…” she scoffed. “Fuck you… and choke on it.”

“I…” She was going to defend herself, but another wave of nausea left this impossible. She brought her hand to her mouth, wobbled on her feet and, bringing her hand to her very upset stomach, she finally collapsed.

🦇

The last warmth of the sun had gone, and with it, the twilight skies around Tori were making way for darkness. It made it harder for her to make out the words on the gravestone, but she still managed.

Tori Hoyt.

Well… that sure wasn’t what she was expecting. All this time… it seemed like her subconsciousness had known all along. Should she have listened to it? Should she have heeded the warnings she’d been given? Had they been warnings at all? Or had it been her subconsciousness that had actually made her weak enough to lead to her downfall? Had it been her subconsciousness, that had made her feel again… and so made her susceptible to this betrayal she should have seen coming? Tori closed her eyes. Or had it…

Tori’s thoughts were disrupted by a sudden sound of someone laughing. confused—and quite offended—she looked up.

“To answer all of your questions: not exactly.”

“What?” Tori didn’t think she’d ever been more puzzled before in her life. This whole thing was just too strange.

The teen before her was still laughing… and Tori struggled not to fall into a rage. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

“You see, the thing is…”

The teen suddenly morphed back into the child of her previous dreams right before Tori’s eyes. She blinked them, shocked. “It was a lot more easy than I was expecting. I placed some people here, some there… Tell me, have you ever heard of the butterfly effect, Tori?”

Tori was going to answer, but the… being in front of her didn’t let her. “Allow me to explain.”

With that, it turned into the form of James. “Have you ever heard how one tiny factor can change the course of the future in a most consequential manner? It didn’t take much. Again, it was really just a matter of placing the right people at the right place at the right time.

Threatening Abel Nadeau…

…Ensuring the wrath of his detrimentally powerful, hot-tempered wife… You may remember her poorly, but her contribution to your destruction was pivotal.

Of course, since you were brought back, this was only the beginning. Your subsequent fear of the sun led you to make a dangerous decision, and brought you to Glimmerbrook…

…Right in the path of another quick-tempered, passionate spellcaster.

A convenient stroke of lightning, followed by a not-so-coincidental breaking of the clouds to allow the sun to burn your skin yet again—one would think you’d eventually learn to just stay out of it…

Allowing your children, who just so happened to be in the mood for coffee that afternoon, to find out about you…

…Their feeling of betrayal ensuring they will no longer want to bring you back.

Of course, it took some a bit more to come to this realization than others…

And finally…” The being’s lips curled into a complacent grin.

“Of course, Lilith had to be out in Forgotten Hollow right as you and Amanita ventured through it.”

“You…” Tori started, but as she did, the being changed forms yet again. It was the form Tori had least wanted to see. Another ping of guilt stabbed through her as she took in Calo’s sorry form.

“Are evil? Cruel? I don’t soon bother myself with Earthly business, Tori… though I find I should do this more often, as it’s just so much fun… Anyway. Your actions, the hurt you caused upon people, the way you have cheated the game of life before… It was only a matter of time, Tori. You no longer deserve to be here. You shouldn’t be. Not after the way you hurt me.” Suddenly, it seemed to speak in Calo’s voice. “I loved you, Mom… but you betrayed us all.”

Tori couldn’t help herself; she couldn’t keep her eyes off Calo’s belly. “Oh, yeah,” Calo went on, following her gaze. He placed his hand on his belly.

“That. Yeah… guess what, you’ll be a grandmother again, Mom. Another child you wouldn’t have cared to meet even if you could’ve. But you can’t. This child will never know you. Will never know anything about you. This is your end, Tori.”

The setting changed. Tori found herself in the dungeons of what used to be her mansion. She looked around dejectedly… feeling suddenly very alone.

“Nobody cares about you anymore…” Tori brought her hands to her ears. She didn’t want to hear anymore.

“And all it took…

…Was just a few people in the right place… at the right time.”

---

Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis,
Gere curam mei finis.

📝

Are you afraid of me baby;
A little girl like me baby?
Why can’t you talk straight, and tell the truth?
Can’t you take some sorrow
If I’ll be gone tomorrow?

🎶

You lie to me about what’s been goin’ down
I’m westward bound–
I’m westward bound

🎶

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Remi spoke through clenched teeth. “He’s my own damn son.”

“No as in no, Remi. I don’t want you in here anymore.”

“You’re kidding, right now, right? You’re not really saying that you’re gonna forbid me from seeing my own son?”

“I don’t want to see you.”

Remi let out an angry huff. Couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Who cares? This is not about us. This is about our children.”

“They’ll understand.”

At this point, Remi couldn’t even speak anymore. Just stared at her, incredulous.

“I mean, it’s not like Havana and Vered would miss me, anyway. You know, since they have that new bitch of yours now to cuddle up with. What was her name? Gigi?”

“So that’s what this is about. You’re jealous that I may have found a new girlfriend…. and this is your way of punishing me.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would I ever be jealous? She’s pathetic.”

Another huff from Remi. Decided to let that remark go. There were more important things for him to argue about. “You know it’s not just me you’re punishing with this, right?”

Tori shrugged indifferently. “If Havana and Vered want to visit me, they can go ahead. Long as I don’t have to see you.”

Remi shook his head, biting his cheek angrily. “God, you’re such a bitch.”

“Thank you,” Tori spoke, her voice still so absolutely indifferent. Remi couldn’t stand it. Started to walk away.

“And what about the baby?! I don’t even know his name!”

“His name is Calo.”

So Calo had Caden… which was good, because whenever she had to interact with him, she could feel herself growing annoyed with him within seconds. She didn’t even know why. She just had no patience for him.

“Momma?”

Tori heaved a long sigh. “Yes, sweetie?”

“Where is daddy?”

Another long sigh. Shit. She should been prepared for this question, and yet she wasn’t. “Daddy is gone.”

“So where is he?”

“Well, not here, is he?!” she snapped. Saw Calo’s eyes starting to glisten. “Daddy was busy screwing the girl next-door, and so mommy is here to take care of you. Don’t worry about him. You’ve got me, don’t you?”

Calo slowly nodded.

A short moment of silence followed – until Calo broke it again. “What’s ‘screwing’?”

Dear lord. “Nothing,” she quickly said.

Vered was definitely Tori’s favorite. She wasn’t afraid to admit that. Was entirely sure every parent had a favorite child, as much as they would not want to admit it. She had no problem admitting it. After all, Vered had actually, actively chosen to be with her. He wasn’t like Calo, who kept asking for his father and only demanded attention every day. Wasn’t like Havana, who was all up in Remi’s new girl and would no longer even give Tori the light of day… betraying her own mother. No, Vered wasn’t like them. He was really hers. Could see her own face in him the most; Calo may have inherited her blond locks, but it was Vered whom she could really see herself in. Calo… whenever she looked at him, all she could see was Remi. He may have inherited her eyes, too…. but for the rest, he was all Remi.

***

I’m walkin’ down the road with the sunshine on my hair
Life is really something I can feel it everywhere
Well, I guess it’s been sometime since I got high on breathin’ air
Without a care– without a care

🎶

I don’t know where I’m goin’ I’m just heading toward the sun
I feel so good it seems as if my life has just begun
I don’t know why I took so long to do what must be done;
It’s Goodbye John–

🎶

Brought back to what he’d really come from, Remi tried to join in only for Calo to pull every block he grabbed out of his hands immediately.

Remi sighed. “Hey, I’m sorry, kiddo,” he tried.

Calo shot him an angry look. “I play alone.”

“Alright. That’s alright.”

Backed off and watched Calo play for a while, realizing that he really didn’t know this kid at all – he was his own son, his flesh and blood, and he barely knew him. A rush of guilt went through his body.

“Hey,” he started again after a while, trying to catch Calo’s attention. Calo reluctantly looked up at his father. “Want me to read you a story? I’ve been told that I’m a very good reader.”

Calo looked at him, face unreadable. Then he finally gave in. “Fine,” he all but snapped.

And so Remi took him to his old bedroom and sat down on his old bed to read his son a story.

Remi had his fair share of struggles with Calo just as well; he had tried so hard to gain a connection with his youngest son, but it proved more than difficult. Even when he was still younger, Calo had already grown to be aloof. But for a moment there, once Calo finally realized Remi was coming back for him, they actually managed to grow closer – and Remi had hope.

***

I guess that I’ve been hurt and yet I’m making out okay
I feel a little wiser for the price I had to pay
And I never cared for obligations anyway

🎶

Remi wasn’t blind to the fact that Calo was becoming more distant; that he wasn’t fitting in well with his siblings, that he left home at the slightest chance he got. The problem was, he wasn’t sure how to deal with it. When it came to his youngest son, he wasn’t really sure of anything: it was an embarrassing fact for a father to admit, but Calo was a mystery to him. No matter how hard he tried to get closer to the boy—and believe him, he had tried—he just couldn’t crack him. Couldn’t even really got much closer, either. There had been moments, earlier, when Calo accepted his father’s affection wholeheartedly… sought it out, even.

But those moments seemed to have gone; ironically, ever since his son came to live with him, he felt him moving further and further away from the rest of the household.

“You know what they say—all those shitty kids who grow up to be these failures, it’s always the parents that are to blame. It’s all about that upbringing, dad. So any shortcomings I might have… they’re your fucking fault.”

It was Remi’s turn to point his finger at Calo. “You know what, I’m tired of you. I’m done trying to show you that it’s YOU that’s robbing yourself of any affection. You’re blaming the wrong person here, son, and I’m tired of trying to tell you that.”

“Oh, yeah? Then who should I blame instead? Myself? I was just a boy, dad! And you just… forsook me!”

“You know who you should blame,” Remi said coldly – and he walked away.

***

Well, is it too much to ask someone to level honestly?
Is it like a friend to lie to you as if you cannot see?
Well, now that’s not my idea of what love should really be;

🎶

I’m glad I’m free
So glad I’m free
I still have me

🎶

And Lord, I’m so glad I’m free.

🎶

Lacrimosa dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favilla,
Judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus:

Pie Jesu Domine,
Dona eis requiem. Amen.

---

A/N: 1) Yes, I am in fact still alive, and 2) ding dong, the witch is dead!

Finally, Tori’s life of evil has caught up with her and she is officially defeated. I gotta say: it did make me a little sad. She may have been evil, but man was she fun to play.

Only two more chapters to go! I just officially completed my master’s and started a new job and have been super busy, but am hoping to get these final chapters out as soon as possible and finally conclude this story.

Hopefully, you’ll hear from me again very soon…