'can'er'

Perhaps, I shall name you 'haten' to signify as a reminder of my past and a warning for my future. No word is called like that, but I believe there should be, it describes my life better than the numerous words left for me in the dictionary.

entry #1

Dear Haten,

I wish we would have a happier ending. Alas, fate gave way for the Can'er, and thus, I must leave this world and go to the heavens and beyond. You were a faithful listener. Tell Alex I say thank you for covering my real intentions.

entry #2

Dear Haten,

I said goodbye to Lilac today. She cried and sobbed and I left her with tears streaming down her cheeks. She told me not to. She told me to let the future unfolds like it is. Even horoscopes cannot keep me from this mess.

entry #3

Dear Haten,

Can'er continues to hit me. I tell myself it will all be over soon. Alex says I should try my best and persevere until he obtains the object.

entry #4

Dear Haten,

I do not have the will to live anymore. What shall I do? I forgive you and Alex, I do.

entry #5

Dear Haten,

Thank you. And goodbye. Perhaps, I'll see you in the Underworld, and we'll explore Greece as ghosts, longing for a better fate.

❖

Valerie couldn't take her eyes off the diary entries. They filled her with questions that had no answers—why? why? why?

She clenched her teeth and hurled the diary at the wall. It slid down to the floor as her anger boiled over.

"WHY?" she screamed. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE SO CRYPTIC? WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME THE TRUTH? BUT NO, YOU HAD TO MAKE EVERYTHING SO DAMN COMPLEX!"

Ada's dead, Ada's dead, Ada's dead, the sane part in her voice explained.

"WHY DID YOU DIE? WHO HIT YOU? WHY DIDN'T YOU GO THE AUTHORITIES? WHAT DOES ALEX GOT TO DO WITH THIS? WHAT ABOUT THAT GHOST, LILAC'S SISTER?"

Shut up, shut up, shut up.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU FOR BEING SO SECRETIVE. YOU DON'T WANT JUSTICE. YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING! BUT I HAVE TO HELP YOU TO HELP ME! I'VE ALREADY STARTED TOO MUCH. SCREW YOU, ADA PARKER. SCREW YOU!"

"Valerie?" a timid voice asked. Valerie turned, taking fast breaths. Elara Diggory stood at the door, looking very scared. Valerie felt a bit ashamed that she was yelling at a wall.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

Elara waved her off. "I get like that too sometimes."

"Why?" Elara looked up and the shame hit her again. "Sorry, it's not my business."

Elara sighed and crossed the room to sit on her bed. "It doesn't matter. You might as well hear it from me first."

"Hear what?"

"That I had an older brother. He was in a big competition last year and he actually won it but..."

"Because of Harry Potter."

"Right," Elara nodded. "The Dark Lord had rigged the prize to be a trap–"

"Who's the Dark Lord? And a trap how?"

Lara shivered. "The Dark Lord is the most evil sorcerer in history. He's the one who tried to kill Harry Potter when he was a baby. A trap is something that lures you in and then hurts you."

She stopped. "Didn't you read that in the fourth-year Magic and Mayhem textbook?"

Valerie decided not to admit that she hadn't even finished the third-year one.

"Uh, yeah. I guess I forgot. Go on."

"So, the prize was a trap that my brother and the Chosen One fell for because they wanted to share the glory. They ended up in the Dark Lord's lair...and--" Lara's voice cracked. "The Dark Lord said, 'Kill the spare.'"

"That's horrible." Valerie said, her voice soft with sympathy.

"My brother didn't die a noble death. He wasn't even a hero. His death meant nothing and that's so wrong." Lara's eyes burned with anger. "Ada's death means something. You can help her cause, Valerie. You can make a difference."

Valerie felt defeated. She confessed to Lara about how cryptic the journal was. How Ada had, with a high probability, taken her own life.

"There's still a chance."

"It's hopeless! Really, this changes nothing."

"It changes everything. Think about Can'er."

"He's a jerk."

"Ada loves anagrams. Can'er..." Lara pondered.

Valerie's brain clicked. "What if the apostrophe...means a missing letter.?"

Lara raised an eyebrow.

"Conner...Canner...Cancer."

"There you have it." Lara grinned. She gave Valerie a hug and walked away.

❖

Valerie literally kicked down Lilac's door.

Lilac smiled at her. "Valerie!" She looked around her, and then noticed how Harry was missing.

"Oh dear. Have you two broken up?"

"I don't care anymore. Ada had cancer."

"What?" Lilac blinked. The motherly facade faded.

"Ada had cancer." 

"How did you-"

Valerie felt a chill run down her spine. "You had a sister. Alexa Derrens."

Lilac's eyes darkened. "She's dead."

"But she's a ghost. A vengeful one."

Lilac nodded grimly. "She sided with Ada. Ada's boyfriend betrayed her, you see. Alexa knew that pain too well."

"Ethan?"

"Yes. But Ada didn't let him go easily. She cursed him for his infidelity."

Valerie swallowed hard, processing the new information. "How did Alexa die?"

"Maybe that should be your next murder case." Lilac smiled hopefully.

"Ada killed herself."

Lilac shook her head seriously. "Ada never told me much, but she was a coward. She could have killed herself but not the way you think. She's dramatic. She would want other people involved."

"You had  a birthday party the night she died."

"Yes, I did. I couldn't tell you, since we had sneaked in Firewhiskey to the party. Underage drinking. Not many people would approve."

Valerie shook her head in disbelief. "Don't tell me Ada was there too."

Lilac shrugged nonchalantly. "She might have been. She might have not. I lost count of the drinks I had."

"You're hopeless." Valerie snapped, regretting it instantly.

Lilac gave a bitter laugh. "That's what Ada used to say to me, among other things."

Valerie felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry."

Lilac looked at her with sad eyes. "Ada was no angel, Valerie. You should know that."

❖

madi speaks !

i think this act will finish with three more chapters...not much left now

who do you think killed ada??