She is gone. Not again. I wail in agony. I just realized I had her back… and I lost her. Doc, who was spectating with all of the others, comes up and drapes his lab coat on me, since my clothes are tattered from Creator-Violet cutting my uniform earlier. I have to finish the story for Violet/Zoe. She believed in me. She put her faith in me. She thinks I can make a difference with this story for some reason, so... I believe in her, too. She thinks my writing has the power to save the world… somehow.
Actually doing it is another thing entirely. How do you go on when you lose the love of your life? I feel like I can't even breathe. When you need someone like you need air, and they just.. disappear. Everything else becomes.. suffocating. A part of myself is now missing and I feel hollow. Eventually, I started to slowly put the memories from my dreams together after she showed me those pictures of cars several months ago. That sparked something in me and I started having those dreams showing me memories of my past life. She told me a lot about her "wife" during our talks, but what we talked about and what I remembered were different memories and she didn't mention our fur-children. Memories shown to me were like when she would just pop into the room where I would play video games to kiss me just because she got up and was thinking about me. Or seeing her napping in her recliner with our one-eyed cat, him snoozing right along with her. They were so adorably attached to each other.
I also remember moments with a small dog, and how most mornings when I start to stir awake, she loved to help me wake up with a 'bath' and a sweet cuddle. Sometimes, it was annoying. I am not going to lie, but she was my baby. I also remember moments of our one-eyed cat picking on our grey cat and our dog policing the conflict when she heard hissing. Or how Zoe and our grey tabby would have conversations, reowing back and forth. I would join in and we would all just reow throughout the house. I remember how our dog would shake like a leaf in anticipation for our nightly whipped cream ritual. Have you ever seen a tiny creature vibrate with such excitement? It was hilarious. I also remember our grey cat would love to be at the foot of the bed while Zoe and I would be getting intimate. She just wanted to be in the same room as us. She wasn't much of a cuddler like her brother, but she hated to be without a human in the room. If only I put the pieces together sooner that Violet's wife was in fact.. me.
Violet told me to read the letter she wrote to me after she died if I hadn't already. I could never bring myself to read it before.. but, now it's all I can think about. I look at the envelope where she wrote 'To Rose' thinking back at the confusion I felt in that moment. "Why is she hurting herself? Why did she write her note to me? This girl doesn't even know me and yet she wrote her suicide note to me." All of those things were running through my head as I worked with Mia and Heather to get her down. I got a letter opener and put it carefully behind her house wax seal to protect it since she wrote this to me. I pull the letter out and read:
"Rose Remington,
Firstly, I deeply want to apologize for shoving you and talking to you that way. I don't think you are less than me in any way. Something took control of my body against my will and said and did those things to you. In fact, I look up to you. I am cursed to mistreat you in my presence as it was foretold in a prophecy that was shared with me in my previous life. I know saying I have memories of a previous life may sound wild, but I promise everything I say is true. I would rather die here than cause you pain in the future. If you are reading this before you brought me down I request that you leave me up here for you. I know that is deeply against your nature, but please grant me this one selfish request. Part of me just knows that you are probably going to find a way to save me regardless because that is how you were in the prophecy. Amazing. Strong. Resilient. Passionate. All of these words describe you as a person and don't let any person, noble or otherwise, make you feel less than. I wish things could have been different between us and that I could have been friends with an amazing woman like you. All of the possessions I own in this world I am leaving to you. I am placing my seal on this letter in ink so it can't be refuted by my family. They will not like that I am leaving everything to you and I know they would have tried to prevent you from taking my things otherwise. Go to the Justice Law Firm. I sent a letter along with payment during lunch today and paid the lawyers their fees anticipating my death to make sure you are taken care of so you won't have to worry about fighting my family. You deserve all of the nice things in life. I hope you have a wonderful future full of love and happiness.
Sincerely,
Violet Treece"
When I can move once again, I take the letter with me to the Justice Law Firm, tear stains and all.
A perky assistant greets me. "Welcome to the Justice Law Firm. Would you like to request our services?"
I pull out the letter with shaky, nervous hands as I approach her. "I was told by Violet Treece to come here in the event of her death."
The receptionist's face changes to a more serious one instead of the chipper demeanor I was initially greeted with, "Yes, certainly. Please follow me Miss Remington." She leads me to a lawyer's office just down the hall, introducing me. "Sir, this is Rose Remington."
He turns to me, giving me an apologetic smile. "If you are here.. then that must mean that my benefactor is dead. I will get started on property acquisition at once with our resources. You won't have to worry about anything during this process. The only thing you have to worry about is where to put everything." He says a he reaches in his files pulling out Violet's paperwork.
I swallow thickly. "How much is everything?"
"A lot. For someone like you that is. I mean no offense."
I wave my hand in dismissal, "None taken."
He continues while looking through the papers that have all of Violet's information, "All of her wealth and wardrobe, which are both extensive. All of her jewelry (I lightly chuckle inside my head hearing this because she hated wearing jewelry). Including any other miscellaneous possessions as well. It will probably seem overwhelming, but we will try to help as much as we can. If it is too much for you, we can even auction off the things you don't desire and you can keep the profits."
With an uneasy feeling, I ask, "Wouldn't you guys need some of the cut? Surely there needs to be a payment of some sort."
He shakes his head and smiles. "I don't think you understand just how much Miss Treece paid us that day. We have already been compensated for these services in advance. So.. you needn't worry about that. Miss Treece explicitly requested that you be completely taken care of."
I break down into sobs. Of course she would. But, as incredible as it feels.. nothing means anything without her by my side.
A few days later, we hold the funeral service for Violet. All of her friends are here, Mia, Heather, Yasmina, Francois, Beatrice, Doctor Grant, Nurse Joy, Ren and a lot of random people coming to show concern for house Treece. I'm.. an absolute wreck. I don't even feel like a person. Sobbing uncontrollably in bursts, my face constantly buried in a handkerchief, my eyes puffy from the tears that never seem to cease. At some point, to freshen up, I walk to the washroom and stumble upon the duke, Ren's father. It appears he is talking to some really strong, young looking guy who looks like he could be Violet's brother having a serious conversation. I keep my handkerchief over my mouth as I eavesdrop on their conversation while switching to mouth breathing to make sure my sniffling nose doesn't give away my position.
Duke Demetrius: I still can't believe you actually performed the ritual on your own daughter. Do you feel the payout was worth it?
Strong man: Absolutely. This youthful appearance is all thanks to her and that commoner suffering. Part of me wanted to keep her alive and keep using those boys under our control to torment her more. I felt so rejuvenated at her pain.
Duke Demetrius: After seeing your results, I want to try it too. If only that daughter of yours didn't try to ruin our plans.
Strong Man: I realized she was going to be a problem when that commoner fell in love with her weakening the original curse. If she wasn't changing so much, I could have used her as a vitality bank the rest of her life, but that second curse was also necessary because of her meddling. We should have accelerated it before she was able to change as much as she did. It will be hard to recover from this particular class. Those girls seem to not be terrified like they usually are around this time of year.
Duke Demetrius: I agree, she definitely had to go. I hear the girls at the academy are all exercising now all because of her influence. They have even been challenging authority, too. Women should know their place. They don't deserve an education. If only that daughter of yours didn't ruin everything. She probably set back our efforts years with just this one class, but we may be able to save it by targeting the girls again and making the dark magic amplifying those boys' lust and rage stronger. We just need a few orphans that no one will miss.
Strong Man whom I assume is Count Treece: That's fine. Just be discreet about it.
Duke Demetrius: So when exactly did you curse your daughter the first time?
Count Treece: I placed the curse on her years ago, planning for her enrollment into the academy with the help of the headmaster of the academy letting me use their basement. This was after you expressed interest in the commoner while we were having tea that one time.
Duke Demetrius: Oh, yes. I remember that well that was many years ago. She healed a wound I received from a hunt and I just needed that kind of power in my bloodline.
Count Treece: Well that curse was the only reason I was able to find her when she ran away from me before she started at the academy. She used some interesting tactics when she ran away. I would not have been able to find her if not for the dark magic tether from our devices. She even said she saw the future and the more she kept ruining things the more I believed her.
Duke Demetrius: You never told me she claimed to have seen the future. That makes so much sense now.
Count Treece: We can still recover from this to realize our dream to make women our property.
Duke Demetrius: So how are you going to explain (he motions to the count's body)?
Count Treece: I will just say that I have found the spring of vitality. Nobody has to know that my spring was my own daughter and a lowly commoner. I figured we could even make this into a business venture. Using the girls who drop out of the academy as 'springs' for customers. Men will live so much longer. I know people who would give us their entire wealth if it meant we could give them a few hundred more years of life.
Duke Demetrius: It seems you really thought this through. Oh, the things I would do if we can pull this off. At first I was planning on my son to father the saint's children, but now that things have turned out this way maybe she can have mine instead if we can get things back on track. (He says with a perverted laugh while adjusting himself in his pants)
Count Treece: I have plenty of things as well. Now that I have more than 100 years added to my lifespan, a long time to do all of the things I desire. Changing our man's world to a man's paradise can still be realized. Let me get back to my daughter's service before they realize I am not actually mourning. That and it wouldn't be good if someone eavesdropped on our conversation.
I need to leave NOW. I move quickly and quietly and as Violet's father is turning the corner I get near a door and I just open it as a cover saying while choosing now to loudly sniffle, "Nope, not this room either." Violet's father says, "Are you lost, Miss Remington?" I nod, "Yes. I am terribly sorry, young sir (It is probably best if I pretend I don't recognize him). I was just trying to find the washroom, but this estate is so large I seemed to have gotten turned around." He apparently is the mastermind behind everything. The one she thought was the Creator was actually just her father. It is so disgusting to think about when you take into account how she felt when the curse took over. He made her feel like she was being molested and apparently that disgust and her negative emotions fed his vitality. I don't let my disgust show and keep my 'mask' on.
He responds, "You are almost in the vicinity. You will need to continue down this hallway and then turn left and it will be right there." I replied with a curtsy and another loud sniffle for insurance, "Thank you, young sir." He looks at me with a look of disgust (probably over Violet's property he was desperately trying to take from me but can't), but waves me off in a shoo manner like I am a pest. I walk to the washroom to wash up passing the duke who looks at me with perverted eyes. I get in the washroom and I shiver immediately. After hearing his conversation and that look on his face, there is no question what was going on through his mind.
After hearing that conversation, I know exactly what to write. Violet wanted me to write a story about a fanfiction of our love, but I now know what will change this world. I need to tell her story. A work of fiction can't beat 'The story of the cursed girl who wanted to change the world: Violet Treece'. I will expose everything in this story. We will get her justice. This world will know her name and what she went through. What we went through and will show all women who read it that they are people. That they are fierce. That they are beautiful. That they're many things. That they are women.
I worked on this story for 3 weeks making sure it was perfect and everything was perfect. I finished writing the guts of the story in 3 days and spent the remaining time proofreading and editing. Making sure that this book is a masterpiece that Violet believed it would be. I bared my soul in this story. Diving into both mine and Violet's emotions and states of mind and her hopes and dreams for not only our future, but the future of this world. A world where women are treated as people and not second-class citizens. A world where it doesn't take months for a woman with cancer to get permission to see a doctor. Not like it would have helped Violet, since she was cursed with dark magic. Most women aren't cursed with dark magic though and could be healed if medical intervention is taken in a timely manner. This current state of women's rights is similar to the suffragettes. Now is the time to fight to make that change.
When the book of Violet's story was done, I took it to the publishing house that has a printing press with all of the money I got from the lawyer to include the profits from auctioning off her things. On the way there I could have sworn I felt eyes on me, but when I turned there was no one to be seen. I walk in and I say, "Excuse me, I have a book here that I would like to publish." The receptionist says, "Do you have money for the materials for publishing? We can publish as many books as you can afford. If you can't afford much, it will affect how many we can print." I drop all of the money on the counter. The receptionist then says, "We can print a lot with this. Who should the royalties be paid after sale?" I responded, "Doctor Grant from the academy." The receptionist says, "Ok, be sure to fill out this form and sign it at the bottom." She says as she hands me a form and a pen. I know Violet would have wanted to keep supporting Doc's research and this will ensure that decades down the line.
It has been about a week since I took the book to the publisher and it has already sold a decent amount of copies. I feel eyes on me a lot like someone is watching me, but every time I turn there is no one there. Today I am going to the publisher's because they summoned me. Apparently somebody was trying to bully them into stopping the distribution of the book. Today though to escape the eyes watching me I thought it would be best to escape in an alley and blend in with the crowd on the other side to lose whoever is following me. Once I turn into the alley, I start running full speed. I hear footsteps behind me and I turn to see them and they are cloaked hiding their faces. I turned back in front of me and there was another cloaked figure that I ran straight into. He chuckles, "Where do you think you are going?" I turn back around and the other two cloaked individuals are there and I see a carriage pull up to the alley and open its door. Before I could see who was inside of the carriage I got hit in the head and knocked out.
I wake up and I am bound with rope with my arms behind me. My feet aren't currently bound which I guess is a silver lining. It could be worse. I can still fight back whoever took me with my legs and I can run. I look around the room I am in and I see a bed and that is all and a balcony. It is a very empty room. I walk over to the balcony and we are currently very high up. I turn back to the room and inspect the bed since that is the only thing in the room. The posts to the bed have an angle on them so I sit with my back facing the post and start sawing at the rope binding my wrists. I feel like I am most of the way through the rope when the door opens and Duke Demetrius walks in. I freeze in terror in realizing my current situation and I don't want him to realize I was cutting the rope.
He approaches me and squats down to my level and brushes my hair out of my face, "Fear is such a good look on you, commoner." He drops my hair and grabs my face forcefully, "I read that book of yours. You said some very harsh things about me from a conversation you were not supposed to hear. I need you to stop your publication of your book immediately. I have written a letter on your behalf here ready to send to the publisher. All I need is your signature. If you do, I will let you go." He shows me the paper in front of my face while still gripping it tightly. He lets go of my face and he grabs me by my chest, "If you don't, I will just have to run away with you and make you my plaything for the rest of your days."
He sticks out his tongue to lick my face. I tilt my head away from his invasion, but he licks my face regardless. After licking my face, I look at him with even more disgust. I tell him with lots of contempt, "You are a disgusting man." I then spit at him and he slaps me hard in my face and I yelp in pain. He then says fuming with anger, "Is that your answer?" I scowl at him, "Go fuck yourself!" He then says, "No, I would rather fuck you." He rips my dress in the front showing my cleavage and I squirm against my binds trying to break free.
He picks me up and is about to throw me on the bed when I finally break free from my now weak binds and I remember what Violet told me. Go for the soft spots. I use the palm strike Jennifer taught me and strike him as hard as I can in his nose. He starts bleeding profusely and he drops me on the bed while he reaches for his nose. I then kick him as hard as I can in his groin making him double over. I run to the door and it is locked from the outside which I am guessing by his own order to his retainers.
There is nowhere for me to run.
Violet, I am sorry. You told me to live a long life and be happy, but it seems I don't have that option. I hope you can forgive me. I run to the balcony and open the door hearing the duke yell while still doubled over on the floor, "Get back here you whore!" I yell back, "The only one allowed to touch this body is dead and you killed her! Given your choices, I choose the third option! Joining my lover!" I run to the edge of the balcony and climb over and jump to my death. The fall is longer than I anticipated.
When I die, I am put in a baby with light brown hair and blue eyes and my mother's touch is very cold and my fathers hand on my face is warm. Who am I again? I feel like I am forgetting something important. My chest feels tight for some reason. My father is wearing a crown and fancy clothes and we are in a very fancy and comfortable looking room. Am I a princess? Wait, how do I know that word? My head hurts from thinking too hard. I start crying and they are speaking some weird language I can't understand while holding their chests as if they know my chest hurts.