Bambi and the Duke

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Vivian looked at the ghoul who stood in front of her. Everest looked just the way she had last remembered it in the forest near Valeria. She was glad to see it hereafter so many years, how many was it since the time she had told it goodbye?

It was a surprise to see it and like her, Leo was surprised to see it lurking in the shadows. All these years they hadn’t seen or felt it’s presence.

Instead of talking to the ghoul, Leo spoke to Vivian, ”How good are your interactions when it comes to the ghoul, Vivi?” Vivian tore her gaze away from Everest to look at Leo,

”Decent I guess.”

”He hasn’t been here until now, what is he doing here? Everest,” Leo looked at the ghoul, even though he hadn’t spoken to the ghoul many times, he hoped that his wife could decipher and get the answers. He found it strange that the ghoul had appeared the same time when the news in the newsletter was showcasing something that was not happening in their world. For it to be here was a sign that there was a way out of this place to where they have been living in this world.

The ghoul which was usually quick to garble words this time didn’t answer to them, ”Mr. Everest, how did you come here?” Vivian herself was confused and wanted answers. Seeing the ghoul was nothing less to hope. If Nicholas had made way to the newsletter it was obvious that the ghouls would come to be part of this world.

Though they had interacted with each other in the past, Vivian hadn’t come to learn what the ghoul spoke of. Sure it understood what she said but the same didn’t apply the other way round. As they were Nicholas’ personal ghouls, he was the only one who understood their words, every garble that came out of the two ghouls’ non-existent mouth.

When Everest didn’t speak, Vivian wondered if it was the same ghoul she had met and they had known for long. What if this ghoul wasn’t the same one? What if like others, the ghoul was another image reflection of what resided in the real world and not this factual place.

As it was the time of night, the maids and servants along with the family members weren’t up to walking in this part of the mansion.

Slightly worried, she took one step towards it and maybe in the history of the ghoul, it was the first time the ghoul had moved back.

”Does he not recognize us?” asked Vivian to Leonard where he stared at the dark creature which was behaving rather oddly.

”He sure is acting off. Do you think he’s part of this or the other...” the Duke trailed when he found a flake of snow that was lying on the ghoul’s shoulder, ”I think he belongs to the other world and is still the same one.”

”I think there’s one way to find out,” said Vivian her eyes still on the ghoul so that it wouldn’t run away if she were to look away from it.

She tried recollecting one of the memories she had tried to dissect from her past memory while she was trying to find her parents before they had disowned her and sent her to the Carmichael’s mansion. Though she didn’t have the ability to heal people which she didn’t mind as there was nothing she had done with it even before her death but the ability to touch had not been lost. Initially, she thought it didn’t exist but in years that had gone to pass by slowly, she had finally found it. Learning to harness the energy with her faint touch where she was able to get the sweet as well as sad memories from her mind.

From there to her surprise, she had found something which she wouldn’t have imagined.

’You hurt?’ had asked the little girl, ’I hurt my knee too’.

”I came to realize some time back that we met before I came to visit Lord Nicholas’ mansion. You were lurking by hurt. What happened to you, Everest? The first time we met,” she asked remembering the time when was too young for her to remember the events. She wondered how did she even forget it’s existence to only meet Everest again, ”It was you, right? Not your brother?”

Leonard didn’t know what Vivian was speaking of in the beginning before coming to realize she was speaking about her meeting the ghoul for the very first time. His wife had made an acquaintance of the ghoul before he had the chance which she had told him after discovering the memory. He had been curious himself as to what the ghoul was doing especially in his family mansion with the people full in the house.

Vivian after asking the question, moved her hand closer to finally hover her hand over its own but she never made an effort to hold it. She wanted the ghoul to reach out for her to make sure so that it was the same ghoul she was looking at and not a copy.

The news had spoken about Lady of Bonelake which definitely meant Lord Nicholas had married a woman. The very thought brought butterflies in her stomach in anticipation that the person who was single since she first had finally married. But who knew how much was the truth. What if the news was only a fabrication of imagination as any other event that had taken place in their world?

She waited until she felt the bones on her fingers. They were as cold as the time when he had pierced his hand through her chest. And when finally the ghoul allowed her to touch him by bringing its own hand close to her touch, the air around her started to turn into a foggy smoke which she saw it change. The foggy ink of darkness was dark at first, enveloping and cocooning her before taking her to the time of the recent events where she had learned to pick memories just like Sister Isabelle, the white witch of their time had told her when she had gone to learn to manipulate it. It was similar to standing in front of a rack of books where she pulled out the one which she wanted to read. In years here she had mastered the art of looking into any and every memory.

She saw the ghoul visit them in this world, the time when she had forgotten that she had a date with Leonard. And she didn’t know why but it seemed and felt like their life had started from there as receiving back their memory from where they came had erased most of what was part of this world.

She saw the ghoul standing in the corner of the tower bell, staring at them before starting to walk. Wanting to see where Everest was going, she followed it

Though it rained, not a drop of water-drenched Vivian. It was as if she had an invisible umbrella following her as she herself followed the ghoul until she came to look at it standing near a tree in the forest. The ghoul raised it’s hand, moving it round and round which made her confused. What was it trying to do?

Staring at it for a while she wondered if the ghoul was alright until she finally saw a black smoke appear in thin air. The further she looked into it, she realized that this wasn’t any mere fog but a portal to the other side of the world where they had come from. She couldn’t help thinking if the ghoul was the one who had moved them to this world. But why and how? How was that possible? Until now all she knew was that the two ghouls were invincible and no one could ever kill them. Though only a few knew about their existence, the truth was that they were one of the most powerful creatures of their times. Creatures that could not be erased but could kill anyone without having anyone know about it.

Still trying to grasp the situation, she followed the ghoul. Unfortunately, the ghoul was fast as it didn’t have to walk but floated in the air due to which she had to run to keep up with it. She was taken to an inn. Coming to stand in front of the inn with the weather that was snowing, she stepped inside the inn. Thankful that it didn’t go through the walls but was taking her through the corridors.

Finally coming upon the door, she stepped inside the room to see Nicholas. And how glad she was to see him. But the Lord of Bonelake looked sad, his eyes having no light and the smile that was usually put upon his face had faded where he drank the liquor which was made for the pureblooded vampires.

When Nicholas spoke to the ghoul, Vivian understood that it was the same time when Leonard and she had passed away. They had died this night. She followed the ghoul, walking with it as the memory seem to elongate before she came to look with her eyes wide in horror at what the ghoul was doing.

Everest dug the ground in the cemetery with their names that was put on the headstone.

Somewhere her heart was touched at the thought that Nicholas had actually buried both Leonard and her in one single coffin. To have Leo, next to her had always been a dream and though she didn’t have the dream about their death being like this she was happy that Leonard had requested something like this from the Lord. Vivian saw herself where she looked like she was asleep but her face had turned slightly different around her eyes. Like the nerves that had raised itself. She wondered if it was because of the corruption of the heart that was trying to change the body as she herself hadn’t let the process complete before turning to a completely corrupted pureblooded vampire.

She went closer to look at herself, failing to notice the ghoul who had taken a second before lifting up Leonard’s body from the grave. There were traces of blood on her dress and on the side of her lips.

She touched her heart as if her heart suddenly ached by remembering the pain that she had gone through that night. It had been painful and terrible. Having the constant headache along with the blackouts where she was losing herself. She had also coughed a good amount of blood as if the blood in her body was affecting her entire system.

As if wanting to wipe the blood from the side of her lips which bothered her slightly, she raised her hand but failing to be able to touch her. When Leo was placed next on the ground, her attention was shifted to her husband who had given up his own life knowing he wouldn’t be able to live without her. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve a man like him as her lover. Her eyes moistened at his quick sacrifice where the ghoul appeared to pick both the bodies away from the grave and to somewhere like a cave which seemed like a secret hideout somewhere deep in the forest.

The time-shifted, the memory switching next where the ghoul sat with a light burning in the cave at the time of night. There were a number of instruments that were laid on the ground along with potions which she didn’t understand what the ghoul was trying to do. Was he trying to resurrect them? But it wouldn’t work, thought Vivian to herself. Even if they did come back alive, Vivian’s condition would still be the same and like a broken clock she would again die due to her current condition.

Curious on what Everest was trying to do, she went and sat next to the bodies as Everest played doctor. She was not only surprised and shocked but also impressed that a ghoul-like itself who only garbled was trying something without anyone’s knowing. Which also made her wonder what would Nicholas say if he were to know what his naughty ghoul had done.

As if wanting to move the days, she swiped her hands from right to left to flip the pages of the days where she finally came to notice the changes that were taking place, not in Leonard’s body but hers.

At first, Vivian noticed the veins that had begun to increase like wanting to complete the process but the same started to reverse where her face started to get back to the way it was. Like the one, she had now, and maybe better. She didn’t have the time to look at what the ghoul had used but she understood that the ghoul had been trying to fix her corrupted heart with the bottle of potions as if in desperation which somewhere broke her heart for the ghoul. Days and nights came by faster than the blink of an eye and when the time stopped she wondered if it was the current day.

Soon her surroundings started to dissolve to go back where she was with the ghoul and Leonard.

”He fixed our bodies,” she said to Leonard, her eyes still fixated on the ghoul in disbelief.

Leonard upon hearing this, furrowed his eyebrows, ”That’s not possible.”

”I think he found the right potions to resurrect people back especially with so many years,” answered Vivian still trying to reel on what she saw and understood, ”Am I right, Mr. Everest?” the ghoul garbled as if to agree with her.

”And the body survived so many years without decomposing? Nicholas should give you a cookie,” and when Leonard said this, the ghoul in panic garbled a series of voices, ”Of course, stealing bodies from the graves will be one of the crime he will punish you for. Especially when he finds out the bodies belong to us both,” when the ghoul continued to garble, Vivian soothed the ghoul,

”I am sure Leo won’t tell on what you did, Mr. Everest,” but the truth would come out. She then turned to look at Leonard, ”He is the reason why we are here, Leo. This is where he’s come from and it is his world. This is the very day in the real world where he has got the bodies fixed. Maybe that is why he let part of the truth slip up here,” it did make sense as they could have never been able to get back with the way they were years ago. Right now with the bodies that looked brand new which were not damaged, there was a possibility of hope of getting back home to where they belonged.

”And how do we get back? If the ghoul has been able to get in here, he should also know the way out of here,” stated Leonard to hear the ghoul garble.

”He does,” answered Vivian with a smile but there was something sad in there.

She was happy yet sad at the same time at the thought of her wanting to leave this world they had lived in. Longer than the real world. Leaving here meant there were a lot of people she wouldn’t be able to see anymore. But then, they were only memories in this world and not real.

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