CHAPTER ELEVEN:

"i'm so proud of you, birdie"

(she was wearing a long sleeve black and gray shirt that had cut outs on the shoulder, a vertical striped black and grey button up vest shirt overtop, with a matching skirt, and a pair of i'd calf boots with black and grey striped socks that peeked out the top)

"dad, we're not dogs. i don't feel well and esme caught it from me. just leave us here." violet exclaimed, "i don't trust you girls anymore, and i don't trust those boys." ben said angrily dragging both of the girls by their arms.

"the boys? we haven't seen them in weeks." esme tried to reason. "no more, violet. your moms coming home, and you girls are coming with me to get her." ben said getting even more furious with the resisting girls.

"please, we don't feel well." violet begged, "you guys can lay down in the car. when we get home, pack up your things." ben stated still dragging the girls. "we're leaving the house for good."

"what? you guys are back together?" esme asked looking at him confused. "i don't know yet. your mom wants to go to aunt jo's to give birth, and i'm supporting it." ben said to violet. "no, you don't want this." violet pleaded, "violet, your mothers been locked up in a psych ward for weeks. i won't let her stay there for another minute. are you gonna get in the car, or do i have to make you guys?" ben asked looking between the two. esme and violet stood their ground. "my god. what is wrong with you guys? get in the car. vivien wants to see you guys." he said opening up one side pushing violet in the car closing the door behind her, and walking to the other side shoving esme in as well.

"i'm gonna throw up." violet stated angrily. "fine. we'll lay down." violet stated pushing esme down. the two girls looked out the window to the house. and when ben pulled out the two girls appeared in the upstairs window. "what's gonna happen when they get back?" esme asked the two teen boys sitting on the bed. "what do we say?" violet asked as well. esme inched closer to violets bed, she sat down by tate. "it's not utube with a u. it's youtube. y-o-u." esme explained to tate.

"oh." he said looking from her with a cheeky smile. "dumbass." harry said hitting the back of tates head. "ay! keep your hands to yourself." violet shouted. harry sighed before leaning back into the chair. "if they find out we killed ourselves, they'll go insane. literally. for real this time." violet continued.

"i mean, they can't know." esme replied, "well, you can't control it forever. i mean, it is what it is." tate explained to the two. "one of these days, this computer will be obsolete. people will have microchips implanted in their brains or something. we won't be able to watch youtube or anything. we'll be like all the others here. prisoners in a windowless cell." esme explained looking between the other three.

"whose gonna show us the new ways of the world?" violet asked the two boys. "nobody here is happy." violet continued. "yeah, but they're not like us. they're lonely. we have each other." harry explained, "we'll never have kids. any of us." esme also said looking again between the other three.

the four of them heard a music box coming from another room. violet opened the door, looking around. two men were in the room. esme looked around with a scoff as she entered the room both harry and tate followed behind the two girls. "who asked you to decorate the nursery?" esme asked with a chuckle.

"let me break it down for you, sweethearts. this is our house, we're having twins." the brunette man said, violet looked at him with a smirk, "whose your surrogate? one of those nurses in the basement?" violet asked sarcastically, "no. no. a very, very human surrogate, elvira. your lovely mother." he said looking violet directly in eyes. "you think you're gonna steal those twins?" tate asked firmly, "you pathetic homos couldn't steal the shit out of your own ass." he continued.

the two mend chuckled at him, "you know what? it doesn't matter. as soon as her parents get back here, we're leaving here. they're leaving." esme explained just to receive a raised eyebrow, "so knock yourselves out."

"honey, her parents aren't going anywhere as long as you're stuck here."

"and you get all snotty, little sister. you'll be begging to babysit. as big as this place is, it does get very, very lonely."

"it could get ugly though. we're you a c-section?" the brunette asked violet, "is there an existing zipper we might use?"

"watch it, you goddamn queen." harry spoke up, "oh, i am quaking in my loafers. what are you gonna do? murder me?" the brunette asked before climbing back on the ladder. violet walked out, esme sighed before following her.

both esme and violet were sitting at the island in the kitchen as they waited for constance. "my brown betty turns to black betty in twenty minutes. so tell me what this is all about." constance said as she walked through the door.

"we need help. do you remember those two guys that lived here before us?" esme asked as constance took a cigarette with a chuckle, "frick and frack? how could i forget?" constance said while putting a cigarette to her lips.

"well, they're upstairs, and they're planning to kidnap my mothers babies and raise them themselves." violet spoke up, constance looked at her, "well, let me assure you. that is never going to happen."

"my moms on her way back from the hospital today. and i don't trust them. i called 'cause i want to talk to that woman. the craigslist psychic." violet explained, esme got up and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard to fill up a glass of water. "billie dean? about what?" constance asked looking between the two girls.

"getting rid of ghosts. there must be a way." esme said as she leaned against the counter. constance sighed, "don't worry. i'll take care of it." constance said before walking away.

after a little while of waiting billie was finally there at the house, she held her hand out to the steps, "so much pain in here. so much longing and regret. fear. sadness." she said before stopping to look at the harmon girls, "guilt." billie continued.

"and perversion. now, can you ferret out the fairies for us? i mean, that's our main concern at the moment." constance stated as billie moved closer to the girls. "targeting a particular spirit is going to be difficult. this is a very crowded house." billie stated before talking to the two girls through her mind, "you both were so young. i'm so sorry."

"oh, god." esme said back nervously, "please don't tell. they can't know." violet spoke up too. "so what can we do?" constance spoke up again. "somehow, we have to try and dislodge them from the paramagnetic grip of this place."  billie explained turning around, "the what?" violet asked standing up with esme.

"the evil. it's the force just like any other. pure physics. real and powerful. created by events. events that unleash psychic energy into the environment, where it's absorbed. like the way a battery stores energy. you'll see it all the time in places like prisons or asylums. negative energy feeds on trauma and pain. it draws those things to it." billie stated, esme looked around with her eyes, "the force here in this house is larger than the many individual traumas. and it has a need. it wants to break through. it wants to move in on our world. it's using those trapped between this world and the next as conduits." she continued.

constance sighed, "that's very interesting. but what do we do about the gays? how do we get rid of them?" constance asked. "oh, there might be a way. i can't promise." she then stopped, "they can't be here." she said sternly. "tate. harry." esme said looking at the two boys.

"billie dean, that's my boy and one of his close friends." constance said, "that's tate and harry." she continued as billie turned around slightly and slowly. "we want to help." tate spoke up, "you've helped enough." billie said with slight venom. "not now, boys." constance whispered, "go on." she shewed them.

when billie fully turned around both of them were walking away. "what was that about?" esme asked her, constance chuckled, "it's just that, sometimes when a medium meets a spirit so directly, it has a powerful effect— that's all. it's nothing to concern yourselves about." constance said as the two girls looked at the doorway. "okay, so what can we do?"

the three sat down at the dinner table, billie took a swig of wine, "it's difficult to banish a spirit but not impossible. the most successful attempt that i know of happened when america was know. as the new world." billie stated, "are you kidding? that's, like, five-hundred years ago." violet said with furrow eyebrows.

"spirits do not follow our physical laws.nor are they affected by time. about the only thing they have in common with the living is their suffering. regret. pain. loneliness. in 1590, on the coast of what we now know as north carolina, the entire colony of roanoke— all 117 men, women and children— died inexplicably. it became known as the ghost colony because the spirits remained. they haunted the native tribes living in the surrounding area. killing indiscriminately." billie said before pausing and sliding the empty glass to constance, "the elder knew he had to act. he cast a banishment curse." she said while constance filled the glass with alcoholic beverage, "first, he collected the personal belongings of all the dead colonists. then they burned them. the ghosts appeared, summoned by their talismans, but before the spirits could cause them any more harm, the elder completed the curse that would banish the ghosts forever." she continued.

"how?" esme asked curiously, "by uttering a single word. the same word found carved on a past at the abandoned colony. croatoan." billie stated calmly. "so now you know what you have to do." constance stated.

esme looked at violet, the two finally went upstairs. they found tate pacing around and harry sitting on the bed picking at his nails. "what'd she say?" tate asked nervously. "we have to get sometime of his. something important." esme stated looking between the two blonde boys. "an heirloom or a ring. like a talisman. if we have the talisman and we do this special ritual, he'll be gone." esme conintued.

"that's sounds like bullshit." harry said standing up, "billie deans for real. she studies this stuff." violet said sternly to harry. "the bigger guy wears, like, a wedding ring, but we can't remember which hand it's on." esme stated looking between the two. "i don't trust her. and why'd she say all that stuff about us?" tate asked, "we did something bad, didn't we?" harry also asked nervously.

esme looked at violet, "let's just get the ring." violet said sternly.

🪞

after a while of waiting esme and violet walked into her room to see tate and harry on her floor. "what'd you get?" tate asked, "he took it off to paint. why does a ghost need a watch?" she asked confused. "girls." ben said knocking on the door. "girls!" esme looked at violet nervously. "you disappeared on me. what the hell happened?" he asked before pounding on her door. "girls, vivien is waiting in the car. we have a plane to catch." he said.

violet opened the door, "good. go far away. just don't bring mom in the house." she said looking behind him, "what are you talking about? you guys are coming with us." he said trying to grab the girls. "no!" esme shouted, ben looked at her confused she never yelled. "we can take care of ourselves. if you want, you can come back for us later. right now, you have to trust us and get the hell out of here. and tell mom we love her and good luck with the babies." violet ranted as he backed the two up.

"what's the matter with you guys? are you high or something?" he asked looking between the two. "we wish." esme said nervously, "i stopped at a red light, and you guys were gone. where did you girls go?" he asked, "nowhere. we were right here. we wanted to come. i swear. we couldn't leave the house." esme said with tears in her eyes, "stop it! you're lying." he said gripping his hand on her arm roughly, "you're on drugs, i can tell. i should've listened to vivien. i shouldn't have taken you in, now you have my daughter acting up too. tell me what kind right now. tell me!" he shouted in her face.

"we're dead! don't you get it? once you die in this house, you don't get to leave. that's why you need to take vivien somewhere safe." esme stated a tear rolling down her cheek, the horn honked. outside "ben!" vivien shouted, "you guys are coming with me." ben said dragging the two by their arms.

"you never cared about me! so leave me! and violet, you don't even care for her! i took some pills, and she hung herself. i know i didn't mean to kill myself." esme said causing him to stop. "ben!" vivien screamed before constance and her came through the door.

the three ran downstairs, "what's wrong?" ben asked, "the babies are coming." vivien answered in pain. "no. no." vivien screamed as they took her in the living room.

esme and violet went down to the basement to throw the ring and watch in a fire. "what exactly do you think you're doing, young ladies?" the brunette guy asked, "is that my $12,000 watch that you're putting into the furnace?" he asked, "croatoan!" both girls shouted at the same time, "croatoan! croatoan!" they shouted again, he dropped the red crib legs and started gagging and making this weird possessed pose before he started laughing.

"just kidding." he said before standing up, "ahh. so where you get that one? that press-on nail psychic who was here earlier? i mean really? the roanoke spell? please, tell me you'll be splitting the throat of a chicken next because i've always found that very dramatic. i also quite enjoy the burning of the safe to rid the house of spirits." he said with a smirk, "it didn't work." violet said quietly, "of course it didn't work. it's bullshit. it's all bullshit. people make up these spells and chants in order to feel like they're in control. well, guess what? they're not. never have been." he said before breaking the crib piece in half before throwing it in the furnace.

"what are you doing?" violet asked curiously. "my own bullshit ritual. there's not gonna be any nursery." he said picking up the other pieces with a sigh, "we're not gonna be parents. your mothers babies are safe." he said to violet throwing another broken leg in, "from us, at least. i'm doomed to spend eternity with a man who doesn't love me. of course, it could be worse." he said looking between the too, "your men do love you, but they'll always be monsters." he said looking at the girls with a slight smirk.

"you're wrong. they've changed." esme stated firmly, "they don't even remember what they did." she continued, "oh. when did they change? when harry murdered me? when tate murdered my boyfriend?" he asked, "or did they change when harry raped your mom? and tate killed your family and didn't tell you, he forced them not to show themselves? oh and that nightmare was real, he manipulated you into thinking otherwise." he said looking between the two.

"what?" esme asked with tears in her eyes confused, violet looked at him in disbelief "no, those are lies." violet said in a quiet tone. "is it? i think you're both about to find out." he said as they heard vivien screaming.

when esme and violet went upstairs, esme seen her dad who was a doctor helping vivien give birth. eli and her mother stood near by as they seen vivien dying.

esme couldn't believe what she was seeing. her eyes stung as tears prickled in her eyes. "bub?" she said quietly walking up to him. "essie!" he exclaimed, esme crouched down as she hugged him tightly she couldn't believe tate would keep this from her. this was all she wanted for so long. but was it true he killed them.

"oh my god." she said letting go of her brother and walked over to her mom hugging her tightly, "who did this to you guys?" she asked with a sob holding onto her mom tightly, "how did you get stuck here?" she asked yet another question, "tate and harry." is all collie could get out as she sobbed hugging her daughter.

esmes mouth gaped open. but when she looked over vivien was dead. she started to cry watching someone she learned to live like a second mother had to spend eternity in this living hell hole. "i have to go do something." esme whispered pulling away. wiping her tears away she looked down at her brother. "i'll be back okay." she said softly before walking up to her room.

she was at the bottom of her bed looking at tate as he laid down. "vivien is dead." esme said with an unreadable expression as tate rose up with a smile but quickly his smile fell. "i'm so sorry. i knew you were close." he said grabbing her hand, she pulled it away. "yeah. we were. now my uncles down there all alone." tate stood up in-front of her.

"that's makes me sad. i like your uncle. he was nice to me." he said sadly, "he's nice to all his patients. even ones who lie to him." she said coldly. "what?" tate asked, "when did you start seeing him in the first place? constance thought you needed help." esme said with tears pricking in her eyes again.

"i did. i do." tate said walking closer. "you knew you were dead." she stated, "yeah." he replied tears coming in his eyes himself, "do you know why?" esme asked sternly, "the cops shot me. right here in this room." he admitted. "why? why did they shoot you?" she asked yet another question in a cold tone.

"i don't know." he said looking around, "you murdered people, tate. kids. like us. the kids that came to us on halloween." she said sternly, a couple of tears rolled down tates cheeks, "why would i do that? why would i do that?" he asked with a sob, "why would i do that? no. why would i do that?" he asked repeatedly but raising his voice each time.

"i don't know. why'd you kill those guys who lived here before us? why would you kill my entire family and keep it from me? why would you hide them from me? and why'd you comfort me when you knew it wasn't a nightmare?" esme asked a single tear rolling down her cheek. "i'm sorry. i was different then." he tried to reason, "i used to think you were like me. you were attracted to the darkness. but, tate, you are the darkness." she said trying not to cry.

"no. before you, that's all there was." he said inching closer to her, "you're the only light i've ever known. you've changed me, esme." tate said looking into her eyes, "i believe that." she said caressing his cheek, he smiled softly at her. "i love you, tate. but i can't forgive you." she said pulling her hand away, "you have to pay for what you did. all the pain you caused. all the sorrow. you murdered my entire family, and forced them to hide from me." she said on the verge of a breakdown.

"no!" tate shouted, "you did!" esme shouted back, "you killed them. all of them, and all i wanted for the past almost two years was to talk to them. hug them. one more time. and you kept that from me!" she said more tears forming in her eyes, tate looked at her sadly, "i can't be with you. i won't be with you." she said backing up slowly. "what are you saying?" he asked walking towards her. "i'm saying go away." she said coldly.

"what? no, don't do this." tate begged, "go away, tate." esme said sternly, "you're all i want! you're all i have!" he screamed out tears staining his face as they poured out. "go away!" she screamed in a shaky voice. when she opened her eyes he was gone. esme started sobbing, her dads arm slipped around her shoulder pulling her into a hug.

she started sobbing harder. he pressed a light kiss on her forehead. "that was very brave. i'm so proud of you, birdie." he said his grip light but slightly tighter, "pa.." she cried softly. "i'm so sorry, papa." she said quietly, "i'm sorry you had to die." she cried, "shh." chris shushed his daughter softly. "i'm so sorry i didn't know. i shouldn't have trusted him." esme said quietly tears falling down her face.

he pulled back holding his daughters face lightly. "you didn't know. that's what trauma does. it causes you to forget." he said softly, she looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "your mom and i will explain." he said pulling her back in.

OUTFITS:

only outfit: