WARNING THIS CHAPTER MENTIONS CHILD DEATH, FRIGHTENING IMAGES AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

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By the time Tobias reached his old house, things had gone deathly quiet. He parked the car and got out, slowly walking over to the Donovan's, who were clustered around their car.

They hadn't went back inside the house and Tobias didn't blame them. If Violet was starting to lose sight of who she once was, it was probably a good thing that they stayed outside until he arrived.

Tobias motioned for them to follow him as he limped up the front steps and headed inside.

"I don't think I want to go back inside," Everett said.

"I'll protect you should something happen," Tobias said. "Please."

Everyone trooped back inside. The place was a mess. There was broken glass and splintered wood lying everywhere. And a few light bulbs had burst from the impact of Violet's temper tantrum.

They cleared off the chairs in the dining room. Even the dining room table was split in half. Kyle was amazed at how strong ghosts could become.

"Three years ago, I lost both of my daughter's," Tobias began, his voice raw with emotion and tears started to well up in his eyes.

"I was playing hide and seek with them. One of their favorite hiding places was in the secret room behind the wall."

Tobias reached into his pocket and fumbled for a tissue. He blew his nose, but didn't bother to wipe the tears streaming down his weathered face.

"Lily, my youngest daughter, was hiding in the secret room when the floor started to collapse. Violet was close by and raced to try and save her little sister."

Tobias had to stop speaking for a few minutes before returning to the story.

"She was already too late. Lily had fallen through the floor and fell a good fifteen feet. She-she hit her head on a pile of bricks under the house. I arrived just in time to see Violet fall as well. I...I tried to grab her, but my leg got caught on a large plank of wood and dug into my thigh, tearing it open."

Tobias blew his nose again. He was crying heavily now and his voice shook with a deep grief.

"Valentina found me and called for an ambulance. She was screaming at me the entire time that it was my fault about the girls. We...we never said anything to anyone about what happened. After I recovered, I went under the house and buried their bodies right near where they.... died."

"Why didn't you just tell the police what happened?" Kyle asked. "It was an accident. It's not like you killed them yourself."

"Because, Kyle, I was a coward. I just couldn't admit what I'd done. To anyone. I blamed myself for what happened. I shouldn't have ever let the girls play in the secret room. I knew how unsafe it was."

Tobias blew his nose one more time and finally wiped his eyes. He looked as though he'd aged ten years in the last few minutes.

"That's why the police never found the girls," Dahlia said. "Because they were buried under the house and the police didn't know about the secret room, did they?"

"No, they didn't know about any of that. I've kept this secret for three years and it's eaten away at my body and soul."

He stood up and walked over to a little table with a little drawer in it and pulled it open. He pulled out the locket that Kyle had found up in the attic and disappeared.

He held it tightly in his hand and gave everyone a bleak smile.

"I'm going to burn this house down," he informed them. "Then I'm going away, far away from here, with my wife. Hopefully, we can both find peace, away from this place."

"You can't just burn this place down!" Kyle exclaimed. "What about Violet?"

Tobias stepped closer to Kyle and lay a gentle hand in his shoulder and tried to smile as well.

"Violet is gone, my dear boy. She will finally be put to rest if I burn her remains."

"You don't have to burn the entire house down!"

"Ah, but I do. I don't want anyone else to be harmed because of my awful mistake. I think it's for the best."

Kyle started to cry and his parents moved to him and hugged him tightly.

Why did people have to die? Good people. Like Violet and Lily. And...Nora. It wasn't fair. It really wasn't.

"Let's go pack," Everett said quietly as he gently guided his wife and son towards the upstairs.

The stairs were cluttered with crap and they had to pick their way carefully up the steps.

Tobias looked over. Violet was standing there. She looked like the girl he remembered. His beautiful and kind daughter.

He reached out to touch her cheek, tears streaming down his face once again.

"I'm so sorry for what happened. I never meant for any if this to happen. Please forgive me."

Violet moved, wrapped her arms around Tobias' neck and hugged him tightly.

"I forgive you, Daddy. I need to go. Lily is waiting for me."

Tobias nodded as he heard a high pitched giggle. Lily was standing there, holding out her hand towards Violet and Violet moved to take it.

A bright light shone down on the and in an instant, they both disappeared.

.................

A year and a half later:

"Mom, I'm home!"

Kyle raced invite kitchen, where his mother and six month old sister, Violet, was sitting in her high chair as Dahlia fixed Kyle an after school snack of chocolate chip cookies and milk and some apple slices.

"I joined band today," Kyle announced, holding up a trumpet.

"Oh, boy! I better make sure I stock up on Tylenol and cotton balls!"

Kyle just laughed and reached over to gently tickle his baby sister's bare feet. She giggled and kicked her feet.

Everett joined them a few minutes later and exclaimed over Kyle's trumpet.

"I look forward to hearing you play that thing." Everett leaned over and lifted Violet out of her high chair.

After they'd left Fairview Manor and returned home, things slowly went back to, well not exactly normal, but life went on.

A month after that, Dahlia discovered that she was pregnant again and everyone was excited about the news.

Dahlia was apprehensive about having another baby so soon after Nora's death, but he as soon the baby was placed into her arms, she knew that everything was going to be okay.

Kyle stopped hiding out in his bedroom so much and started hanging out with his friends again.

Everett stopped hiding behind his bottles of whiskey and started paying more attention to his wife and son and focusing on work.

Once Violet was born, Everett felt like a new man. He was happy to have a another baby around the place.

Kyle was happy having another little sister, too. He spent a lot of time playing with her or just holding her.

Tobias Wright indeed ended up burning down the old manor house. He told the local police that he had tried to light a fire in the fireplace and it got out of control.

Tobias wasn't sure if they fully believed him or not, but they didn't question it. Tobias sold the property to the city, using the money to move him and Valentina to a new town in a new place.

Valentina ended up pregnant as well and they had a little boy, Tobias Wright Junior. Or Toby, for short

After Toby was born, Valentina seemed more like her old self, although Tobias still made sure that she took her medicine and he hired a young woman to help out with Valentina and around the house

Kyle never forgot about Violet. Sometimes, he'd awaken in the middle of the night and he could swear that Violet was standing close by.

It didn't frighten him anymore. Kyle liked to think that maybe now instead of being a ghost, Violet was finally an angel and maybe she was looking after him.

Kind of like a guardian angel.

Chapter 8

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