Vanessa

This story contains child maltreatment.

VIVIAN

I love snow, it makes the world look better, quieter in its blanket of white. It fell like slow ash and often brought a gentle hush over the city I lived in and watched over. I love looking out my window with hot chocolate in one hand and a sketchpad in the other waiting to capture the warm soft feelings it often stirred in me. It was a reminder of the past I had buried behind.

“Vivian! I need your help with the finger food for tonight. We both know you are the better cook, and I can’t remember if Josiah has a fish allergy or is a vegetarian!” “Coming”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, Sophie could remember every face of every villain she punched in the face and the entire FNAF lore, but when it came down to important facts about people she struggled even for herself. One time she forgot she was allergic to penicillin when she had to treat her throat strep, luckily, I was there with her at the hospital. I got down to the kitchen quickly

“Josiah does have a fish allergy but none of the finger foods we are preparing have any fish.”

“Well, that’s good. You know what why don’t you start with this and I’ll decorate the living room”

“That sounds good.”

I got started on making the appetizers, the infamous Pretzel pigs in a basket, caramelized onion and goat cheese bites, then for the entrée we all agreed to order pizza and for dessert I was going to bake chocolate croissants and we would all have some ice cream on the side and I think Kaylie was bringing a cake as well hopefully she won’t forget. Today was looking promising already, everyone would come then we would play some games, do a series marathon and leave early to see the firework display at the tallest building in our city. Hopefully villains were planning their new year resolutions to be better instead of trying to destroy the city today.

The party was to start at 6. Zach was the first to arrive by coming at exactly 6 on the dot. He was always very punctual. He said something about being in the union for a year had made him that way. Now he spends his time as a game developer, he plays games and reads, takes care of his cat Nova and we often have brunch on Sundays together at our local bakery. He had a drink and a bag of what seemed to be cookies. “You’re on time.”

“Were you expecting me to be late?”

“Not at all. Let me take your coat, your hands seem to be full.”

“Don’t worry I will do it.” With a shift in gaze the drink and bag just whizzed past me and landed on the table and hung his coat on the rack. I should get used to him doing that, as he was a part of the union “I got a blueberry milkshake for you and the bag has shortbread cookies for everyone else to share.”

“Thank you so much how are you and Nova?”

“We are both doing great and…” he sniffed the air. “Is that chocolate I smell?”

“Yeah, should be. I baked some chocolate croissants today, I know how much you love chocolate and everyone else is just going to devour the rest of the food as soon as they set eyes on it. I had to chase Sophie out when I was done with the Pretzel pigs in a basket.”

“You made Pretzel pigs in a basket! You really went all out. Surprises me you still left that bakery.”

“Well, you know why I left.”

Sophie walked in just then “Vivian who is at…Oh, it’s you.” Her smile immediately dropped to a frown.

“Someone seems grouchy today.”

“Maybe it’s because she knows when we play the games, she has serious competition now and might end up breaking her 5-win streak.” Every meet up where we played games Sophie always won and it was occasionally that someone won a game. She sometimes brushed off those wins to luck until I started bringing Zach to games. He often defeated her a lot of times and broke a lot of her winning streaks in games. I, Josiah and Kaylie, often watched because it was so fun to see Sophie who was formerly sweating bullets and Zach acting like the entire game had not phased him

“I am right here Vivian and no I won’t lose to that ghost hander today or ever in the new year!”

“You say that and then I’ll beat you.”

“You won’t today!”

The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” It was Josiah and Kaylie and Kaylie had the cake box!

“Hey, Vivian hope we’re not late, someone decided to wake up just at 6 this evening.” Kaylie shot him with a disapproving side long glance.

“Hey that’s not fair. I’m still mentally recovering from that weird villain I had to fight last week.” He shuddered. “I can still see all those jars with the eyeballs in them.”

Kaylie rolled her eyes as she dropped the cake box on the table. “It was all candy you know stop being so dramatic.”

“You were not there. Even as all those jars were filled with candy, it was like a million eyes were staring at you. Very creepy you know.”

“Whatever. Vivian were you able to finish everything?”

“Yeah. I’ll serve some of the food in a bit and I think I’ll place the pizza order around an hour or a bit more into the night.”

“That sounds great.”

The living room in the little while I had gone was now filled with all the games we had agreed to play today.

“Wow! Sophie, were you the one who decorated the living room? It looks great!”

“Of course, it was me Josiah” as she pointed to herself “or you think this ghost hander was the one who did?” She said while pointing to Zach.

Zach rolled his eyes. “For that I am going to make sure you lose your game streak today.”

“Are you trying to threaten me ghost hander?”

“Maybe? Do you feel threatened?”

Josiah took a seat and said, “This is going to be a good New Year’s Eve.”

We were well underway in our games. Josiah had won one game. Kaylie and I just watched and commented. While Sophie and Zach were tied with 4 wins each. Sophie, Zach and Josiah were now playing UNO show ‘em no mercy. It was intense now. Sophie had like 15 cards, Josiah had 10 and Zach only had 2. Sophie was dropping a card when the doorbell rang. It was a quarter to 8. “Maybe it’s the pizza? I’ll go check you guys continue playing.”

“Ms. Hill, right?” It was not the food delivery driver but a mail man.

“Yes. Do you still have to deliver packages at this time?” I took the package from him. It was light. I wonder what was inside and who was sending me this. It also had a note with my full name written on it. I somehow felt I recognized that handwriting. This didn’t feel good.

“We were closing for the day when we randomly found this package in the office. Since my home’s close I just decided to drop it off as I go home.”

“Thank you. Happy New Year.”

“You too Ms. Hill. “He then got in his car and left.

Why was I feeling scared. It is just a package and a note that says it’s for me. Nothing to worry about. “It’s not pizza guys just this package.”

Sophie raised her head from her cards. “Who is it addressed to?”

“Me. Says my name right here on this note.” I think I recognize that handwriting I’m not just sure who. The pit in my stomach seemed to grow. This has to all be in my head, there is nothing to be afraid of Vivian.

“Are you going to open it?” Josiah asked. “Who knows it could be from a secret admirer?”

I probably should, to prove to myself that there was nothing to fear. I sat down while everyone watched. I put the note to the side and opened the box. Inside the box were a lot of lilies, white lilies to be exact. A photo of 2 children and a knife. A bloodied knife.

That…knife. Oh… please no. I had to look at the photo to make sure. “Who would send such a thing?” That was Sophie. She… the photo. I picked it up and looked at it was of me when I was 7 with B. I let the box fall, all the lilies scattered everywhere on the floor

I could feel my heart racing. She was meant to be away for good, how could she have… My throat was choking up. I didn’t know when I put my hands to cover my ears and put my elbows to my knees. SHE CAN’T BE OUT!! Vivian, you need to calm down. Need to… My fingers are freezing that must mean… everything is going out of control before I…

I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. It felt like I was running in that blizzard again. Like I was there when I saw B, with… No, we can’t think about that it will only… seeing B in that pile of lilies with that knife… and she was just standing there!

She was smiling, she wanted me to see, I should have come out sooner, I should have… Was someone talking to me everything is so muffled. I can’t concentrate She knows where I live! If she knows that then… No, we can’t think about that. She said she’d find me…gosh I’m so dumb to think that… No, no thoughts like that, Vivian just inhale Vivian and count to four, right? That’s what I learned, right? Nothing feels right. Breathe Vivian, PLEASE BREATHE!!

A.

Some children love to tell their parents all about their day when they were now being put to bed. This mother seemed to love it. I hated it.

Being able to turn invisible you get to do a lot of things like sneaking into children’s bedrooms at night and wait for the perfect moment to-

“Good night sweetie. I love you.”

“I love you too mummy.”

“See you tomorrow morning sweetie.”

She spoke like there would be a tomorrow for her. She didn’t know what was going to hit her or stab her for better use of words. Finally, she left, I waited a few moments to make sure the mum was downstairs then slowly revealed myself. I personally wore a ‘pretty pink’ outfit for this girl. It was a special occasion my first since I left prison. She went to sleep quickly.

“Who are you? Your dress is very pretty.”

Or so I thought. It doesn’t matter anyway. “I’m a princess fairy Kelsie. I heard you in the park today you wanted to go to fairyland.”

“Really! You heard! My brother said they weren’t real and you are here. But wait where are your wings.

“My wings are too small to fit into this room. When we go you’ll see how big they are.”

“OK. But what is that line on your face?”

She meant my scar. Vanessa, wait she’d changed her name to Vivian now. She had probably seen my present for her. I would have loved to see her face, it would have been something beautiful to behold. Her in immense fear, it would have been lovely.

“It’s a gift from someone from a longtime ago.”

"Really? A gift?"

“Yes really”

“Kelsie what was that noise in your room?”

“Mum….” I put the napkin on her face quickly. She fell asleep.

“Kelsie! Kelsie!! I’m coming upstairs sweetie.”

But you see the thing is by the time her mom gets to her room there would be no Kelsie. She would be somewhere close to the house with pretty ribbon in her hair, in a pile of sunflowers she would have stained in her own red and they would see my knife. They would always see my knife

This time I’ll be there to see. As for Vanessa well it will be fun playing with her.

It was a beautiful night. It would have been a beautiful night if not for the fact that it was snowing. I hate the snow.