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Due to a delightfully hectic schedule, the next Pajama Shorts' story will be featured on or around January 15, 2009. Please look for us then, as we look forward to sharing "The Wish" with you.

Cera Dark

Full Circle - Day 18

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Day 18

Viola was startled awake. Rolling onto her side, she watched as Ivan thrashed about in the bed. Sighing, she reached for the lamp and turned the light on. “Ivan,” she called out, shaking him gently. Nothing. Shaking him a little harder now, she continued to call out his name. This was the fifth time this month that he had had a nightmare. All he would ever tell her was that each dream was exactly the same every time.
“Ivan,” she said, giving him one final nudge. “wake up.”
Ivan tossed and turned for a moment before sitting straight up in the bed. “Oh thank God,” he whispered, sweat pouring from his face. He looked over at Viola and said nothing as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
Viola held him quietly for a moment. This time he seemed to be really shaken up. She had never seen him react quite this way before. “Ivan,” she began, hesitantly. “I think maybe it would help if you talked about it. If not with me, then with someone… anyone.”
Ivan shook his head as he lovingly rubbed her tummy that was stretched to capacity with their twin daughters. Leaning over her, he kissed the babies that were to be born in just two weeks. “Hello, Victoria,” he whispered. “Hello, Camille. Daddy loves you both so very much.”
Viola felt her heart do a leap. This was new to her. In the entire thirty-six weeks she had carried the babies, he had never once showed an ounce of emotion, good or bad, toward the babies or the pregnancy. She had even been convinced that he viewed them as nothing more than a sizeable tax deduction. “Ivan, this is wonderful, but I have to ask… what’s gotten into you?”
Ivan laughed as he lovingly gave her tummy another kiss. “Viola, I don’t know if I could ever explain it all to you. Let’s just say, I’m awake… I’m alive… and I love my family- perfect or otherwise. I’m so sorry that I didn’t make this experience as special for you as it should have been. I can’t change that. But I promise that things are going to be different now. And it starts with this… I too, want our babies to be born in the hospital.”
Viola gasped. “Oh Ivan, are you sure?” She could hardly believe what she was hearing. From the moment they had shared with Ivan’s mother the fact that they were having twins, everything changed. She had somehow become in charge of all of their prenatal visits and had strictly advised them to tell no one that there were actually two babies instead of just one. Viola had asked repeatedly why Ivan had gone along with his mother and insisted that they do exactly as she instructed. But he never took the time to answer her. So now to see him make such a huge decision without first consulting his mother, was tremendous.
Ivan laughed at the shocked look on her face. “I am beyond sure. And I know it’s quite late in the game, but in the morning, I am going to make some calls and get the best obstetrician in this state to care for you and the babies. And after breakfast, we are going to take a tour of the best hospital and get you all registered in. I want everything to be perfect… for you,” he added softly.
Viola beamed. “Thank you so much, Ivan. I’m not sure why, but I feel like this is going to be really good… for all of us.”
“More than you know,” Ivan whispered into her neck as he held her in his arms. “More than you’ll ever know.”
THE END
We hope you have enjoyed this PAJAMA SHORT, ‘Full Circle’ in its entirety. Please share your comments and thoughts with us about this story.
And be sure to look for the next PAJAMA SHORT to be featured on approximately December 1,2008.
Our next selected story is ‘THE WISH’
If you have ever wished you could change one thing that has happened in your life, this story is for you.

Happy reading and we look forward to hearing from you!!!

Full Circle - Day 17

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Day 17

The room, if possible, became even quieter… still. It was as if no one even dared to breathe. Victoria gasped. “No,” she whispered, “you said she died because I had turned up the thermostat. You said the heat caused her organs to shut down. Didn’t you just tell me that?” Her eyes pleaded with him for some sort of explanation.

Ivan shook his head. He couldn’t imagine that his heart could hold any more pain or guilt than it did at this exact moment. “Yes, Victoria, I did tell you that. That’s what I told all of you. But I can’t… I can’t let you continue to be the one that everyone hates and fears. I turned the thermostat up. I told your mother and sister that you had done it.”

“But why?” Victoria asked, tears falling freely down her cheeks. ‘‘Camille was already dead.’’

Ivan looked away now. “I… I knew how attached you all were to Camille. I knew her death would be difficult on all of you. But especially you, Victoria. I realized you were not going to be able to cope with her death rationally. At that time, you became a liability to me. I… I was afraid.” He paused. “Afraid you would maybe tell someone. There was too much at stake. I couldn’t let that happen. You have no idea how messy that would have been. Not just for me, for all of us. Camille was the secret we all kept.”

“Because you made us keep her a secret, Father,” Alexandria snapped.

Ivan shook his head. “The reasons why were never important. Things were on the verge of becoming very complicated. Very, very messy. I had to do something. I had to find a way to get Victoria out of the picture. She was emotionally unstable and potentially a threat to this family. So I had to present her to both of you as an actual threat to this family. I had to make you look at her differently. I had to,” he added, grimly.

This news took everyone by complete surprise. Viola had always believed she knew all the details of that night. Although she had never personally viewed the tapes, Ivan had insisted it would be far too painful for her, he had given her a brief and very believable explanation of what happened that night.

This new revelation from Ivan was almost as heartbreaking as Camille’s passing. How dare he do this to the family? How dare he use them as pawns in his very own game of life. She glared at him now. “You did this for your own selfish reasons? You tore our family apart. We had just lost one daughter and you had to take Victoria away from me too? How could you?” Viola turned away. She couldn’t bare to look at him now. No one could. So no one noticed when he slipped his foot under the bed and slid the gun out.

Reaching between his legs, Ivan picked it up and held it.

All the movement caused Viola to turn to him again. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the gun in his hand. “Oh God, Ivan!” she screamed, jumping up and rushing over to her daughters. “Would you really kill your own daughter?” Protectively she wrapped her arms around both of them.

Ivan laughed. But it was a laugh filled with contemplation and weariness. He looked across the room at the three of them huddled together, frightened of him. At that moment, he knew his heart had just made room for the last bit of pain it was able to hold.

Looking down at the gun, he traced his finger along the length of it. “I would never do that,” he said, still looking at the gun and not at his family. “I’m really not the monster that you all now believe me to be. I’m just tired. I don’t know how to do things any other way. I am who I am. I am a Van Cort… Only the strong can survive.”

And with that, he placed the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger…

Think it’s over? Not quite. Catch the final installment of THIS story in three days. You don’t want to miss the ending!!!

Full Circle - Day 16

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Day 16

By now Viola was crying too. She remembered the lengthy conversations they had had with the doctor who cared for the babies after their birth. He had asked so many questions about their family history and neither she nor Ivan had given him any information that would indicate why Camille would have been born with such a debilitating condition. But why had the doctor not known? After all, Ivan’s own mother had sent him to them. Had her own sister’s birth been their family secret? And where was she now? No one had ever seen nor heard of her until now. Perhaps Olivia had a few secrets of her own. Now so many things were beginning to make sense. But it was all far too late… for Camille anyway. Viola wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. “You should have told me,” she said, her words cutting him like a knife. “Maybe there was something…”
“No,” Ivan said, cutting her off. “It would not have made a difference. I’m so sorry,” he added softly. “I wish…” He didn’t bother to finish the sentence. What difference would it make now anyway?
Viola shook her head. “But how do you know it wouldn’t have made a difference? You didn’t even try.”
Ivan took a deep breath. “I just know, Viola. Please trust me.”
“I’ve always trusted you, Ivan. Now I wonder just how wise that decision was.”
The words ripped Ivan’s heart into pieces. “I don’t know how to fix this. Tell me what you want me to do.”
Viola shrugged her shoulders sadly. “Do? There’s really nothing you can do except fill us in on all the other things that you have so skillfully kept from us for so long.”
So with words filled with great pain, Ivan continued to tell them all the agonizing details from the night Camille died and the days following. He also told them how Sophia, his mother’s twin sister, had been born with exactly the same heartbreaking disabilities as Camille. He told them how his grandfather had always told his own daughters ‘only the strong can survive.’ He told them how Olivia had loved Sophia and how devastated she had been when her twin had died. Ivan went on. He knew they all wanted to know how Sophia had died and what happened after her death. But no one asked and Ivan felt it wasn’t really that important to them right now anyway. What they all wanted… needed, was closure for Camille. So he reluctantly went on to tell them how it had been Olivia, his mother, who had been the one to decide that Victoria, though stronger than Camille both physically and emotionally, did not really have the true Van Cort strength. She, in Olivia’s opinion, did not have the steel nerves to maneuver in such a powerful empire that her own grandfather had built up on reputation alone.
Ivan paused now. As much as all that he had already told them had been difficult to say, the worst of it all was still yet to come. He looked at his family. And now for the first time, he felt that he could truly see. All along, he had thought his mother had been the driving force in his life. He had always believed that he drew his strength from her. But now looking at his family, he knew that they had really been what kept him going. They were beautiful and wonderful and had quietly walked behind him in traditional Van Cort fashion. They were really all that he had. He only hoped they were also forgiving.
With pain staking detail, Ivan continued to free himself from the past that had haunted him… all of them. No one dared to move. Night changed to morning and then to night again as he continued to draw them deeper and deeper into the past with each word.
Finally, he sighed and took a deep breath. He actually felt more alive than he had in years.
“Victoria, “ he said, slowly, a sad heaviness still lingering in his voice. “Camille died when you took the chain from around her neck. It was an accident, though. The chain strangled her as you tried to release the clasp.”
Countdown to the exciting conclusion.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 15

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Day 15

No one seemed to notice that the sun was beginning to rise. No one thought of anything . other than the events that took place four years ago. Ivan did not allow himself to succumb to the exhaustion he now felt nor to the nagging ache in the back of his throat He had to bring closure for his family… for Camille.

Viola too, ignored her own fatigue but was unable to watch Ivan try to go on as exhausted as he was. He had been standing for hours now, deep in thought, lost somewhere in that tragic night. “Ivan,” she said softly, grasping his hand in her own, “sit down. I’ll make us some tea. We really don’t have to do all of this right now, you know. You need to get some rest. We all do.”

Ivan smiled weakly and shook his head. “Viola, it’s been long enough. I don’t want to carry this secret to bed with me another night. I want it finished.”

Viola nodded. She knew her husband would not be persuaded to do otherwise. Giving in, she gently led him over to the bed. “At least sit,” she encouraged.

Ivan gave her hand a gentle squeeze and sat down on the bed. Viola sat next to him. He looked across the room at his daughters. He could see that they were both extremely exhausted but equally determined to know all that had taken place that night. “Well,” he began slowly, allowing himself to again be transported back in time, “that locket was very old and very, very special. The locket used to be yours Victoria.”

Victoria looked astonished, but remained silent.

“Your grandmother Olivia, my mother gave it to you when you were just about a month old,” Ivan said, remembering the beautiful silver locket that was etched in gold. It had meant a lot to his mother when she was just a child and it had meant so much to him when she had decided to pass it on to one of his daughters. He smiled. He had been so proud; the locket held such a very powerful symbolic meaning. “You simply adored that locket,” he said, looking directly at Victoria now. “When you were about four years old, you absolutely refused to take it off. You wore it everywhere and showed it to everyone.”

Victoria laughed softly, for a moment forgetting what this whole forum was really about. “The locket,” she said, dragging out each syllable as if hearing the word for the first time. “That means there was probably something inside of it. What was it, Father?” She wasn’t sure if she had simply forgotten, or that she had ever even known the contents of the locket. But no one other than Ivan had ever known. They had been unable to open it and had just assumed that it was due to the age of the locket.

Ivan thought for a moment. But he didn’t really need to. He could never forget what was inside of that locket… nor the inscription it held. “A picture,” he said, finally. “There was a picture inside.” Would that be enough for them? He knew it wouldn’t be.

A picture of whom, Father?” Victoria asked solemnly.

Ivan frowned. Now things would certainly begin to get complicated. “The picture,” he paused, “the picture was of your grandmother… and her twin sister.”

The revelation of this was so dramatic, it was almost tangible. The girls had no idea that their grandmother had had a twin sister.

Viola had not even been aware of this. Her eyes widened with disbelief and betrayal. “Ivan,” she said, her words thick with raw emotion. “I… we had no idea. Who was she? Why was this such a secret to be kept from your very own family? From me?” she added, her throat suddenly tight with pain.

Ivan could not face her. Until now he had not allowed himself to feel any degree of guilt for keeping any of this from his wife.

“Ivan.” Viola whispered, her eyes pleading with him to finally grant her entrance into his secret world. “Please tell me why you would have to keep your aunt’s existence a secret from us… from me?”

Ivan looked at her, eyes filled with tears. “I couldn’t tell you. Mother wouldn’t allow it. I couldn’t tell you for a million other reasons as well. But I wanted to. So many times I tried to find the right words, despite the consequences. But then when Camille was born…” he paused. “just like her…” his words trailed off. What else could he say?

Countdown to the exciting conclusion.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 14

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Day 14

Everyone silently braced themselves for the next phase of the past they would have to confront. Ivan’s eyes brimmed with fresh tears as he silently opened himself to remember and reveal more and more of the night that had tormented him for so long. “For awhile,” he began, slowly. “I just sat there in the car.” Instantly, the image became all too real to him. He could actually feel the cold leather of the steering wheel in his hands again. “I really had no idea what to do,” he continued. “Part of me wanted to call someone… anyone and beg for help. But who could I have called? No one else even knew Camille existed. I could not even trust to call the doctor that mother had appointed to care for Viola and the babies after the birth. Could I have told him that she was dead? Could I have trusted him to keep a secret of that magnitude? There were no options. I had to handle this alone. So I just started to drive. I drove around for awhile, just trying to gather my thoughts. I didn’t have a plan. I had never expected anything like this to happen. Eventually, I went to the rail yards… And that’s where I buried her,” he whispered, his voice filled with the anguish that had been in his heart for so long.

Victoria stood and walked over to her parents. “I don’t understand. You still haven’t told me how or why I would have killed my sister… my twin… someone I loved so very much.”

Ivan looked into his daughter’s eyes. He saw her desperate need for closure from all of this. “At first we didn’t have an answer for any of it,” he said slowly. “When I got back to the house, I cleared out all of Camille’s things from her suite. I had to get rid of everything. The next day I gave Nanny a very large sum of money and put her on a plane back to her country.” He paused, reflectively. “By this time, you had begun to withdraw completely from reality. You were still clutching something tightly in your hand. At that time, we had no idea what it was. But what we had found out was that you had turned up the thermostat in Camille’s suite. At the time no one had notice, but as we began to clear the room out, I realized the temperature in the room was almost eighty degrees.” Ivan watched as tears began to fall down Victoria’s cheeks as she took in all that he had just said. She could feel her heart ripping in half as she accepted the fact that she had actually been the one who had killed Camille. For so long she had hated her parents and even Alexandria, blaming them all for not loving Camille enough and then ultimately, for her death.

Ivan looked into his wife’s eyes. They both knew things would never be the same again. But perhaps that would be a good thing…. Somehow. For awhile, no one spoke..

Viola silently watched her family, carefully contemplating everyone’s ability to handle all that still remained hidden behind the dark doors of the past. She gave Ivan’s hand a gentle squeeze, encouraging him to continue.

“For several days,” he began slowly, “we tried to get you to open up. But nothing we did seemed to do any good. So we decided to just give you some space, let you work through your grief in your own way. We were all really just trying to deal with it on our own. It actually seemed to be working, for awhile. But we knew we had to do something when… “ Ivan struggled with the words. “when you started to take things down to the rail yards, things that had belonged to Camille… things I had locked away.”

Victoria squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying hopelessly to lock out the haunting images of those trips to the rail yards that were rapidly appearing. “The locket,” Victoria whispered in horror. “The locket.”

Ivan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The locket,” he repeated. “Do you remember what you were doing with it?” he asked. Victoria shook her head slowly, unable to speak. “You were trying to give the locket back to Camille.” he said softly. “The one you took from her the night… “ he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

Victoria gasped. “But why? It was my locket.”

Ivan dropped his gaze and let his shoulders droop. “I don’t know. I still can’t even figure out how you knew where she was. But somehow you did,” he added softly, still not looking up at her. “The fact that you kept going there was enough of a problem.” he continued, “But the night you tried to dig her up… “ Ivan found himself again choking back tears. “You kept saying she needed the locket so… so she could come back home.”

Victoria felt a chill crawl up her spine. She shuddered at very thought of all of this. “What was so special about that locket?” she whispered, unable to remember.

What would have compelled her to go to such great and unimaginable lengths as to try and unearth her sister’s body.

Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 13

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Day 13

Ivan nodded reflectively. “Alexandria had screamed, your mother panicked and suddenly all hell seemed to break loose. I had to think quickly. I had to do something to commandeer the situation that was rapidly spinning out of control. Your mother tried to call 911. I stopped her. I had to. We argued. She pleaded with me to do something… something to save Camille.” He paused. He felt as though he was again transported back to that horrible night. He could feel all of the same fear and grief he had felt then. His heart began to race and his breathing became labored.
Viola could see that this was beginning to take its toll on him. ‘Ivan, I think maybe we have all had as much of this as we can take right now. Why don’t we just…”
“No,” Victoria said quickly. “We need to…”
“She’s right,” Ivan said, cutting her off. “We need to finish this now. I can’t keep going back there. I can’t.”
“So what happened, Father?” Victoria asked, her words filled with an undeniable urgency.
Ivan sighed. “Well, your mother refused to believe that it was already too late to save Camille. I sent Nanny out of the room with Alexandria. They were both too hysterical to be of any use.” He stopped, realizing just how cold and harsh his words must sound to them all. But it had happened that way, and he had to tell it that way.
No one dared to speak. Ivan went on. “With them out of the room, I was able to get your mother reasonably calmed down. I tried to get her to leave the room, but she refused. I didn’t have time to fuss with her. I had to…” his voice broke as tears steadily began to fall from his eyes. “I had to get rid of the body. Oh dear God,” he sobbed openly now. “I had to get rid of Camille.”
Viola cried too now . She saw how much this was tearing her husband apart. She also knew he would still be determined to go on. Her heart ached for him as she walked over to him and let her hand rest lightly on his arm. Ivan looked up at her, his eyes no longer able to mask the raw pain he felt inside. As he pulled her into his arms, tears streaming down his cheeks, he clung to her like a small child. Viola knew she could continue to unravel the past for him, she knew all the details of that awful night. But she also knew that this was something that Ivan needed to do himself.
No one moved. No one said a word as they watched Ivan transform from the powerful, threatening figure he had always appeared to be, to the crumpled heap that now lay in his wife’s arms.
Everyone remained silent, lost in their own painful thoughts. No one knew how much time had passed before Ivan began to silently attempt to regain his composure. By now, he was exhausted and rather embarrassed by his emotional display. He still felt torn between the two worlds… Ivan the Mighty Vs Ivan the father and husband, the man. Mechanically, he pulled a crisp white handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his eyes, “I apologize for my… for my,” he paused, searching for the words, but finding none appropriate.
“For what, Father?” Alexandria asked. “For finally allowing yourself to be human? For showing some degree of pain or guilt or whatever it is that you’re feeling?”
Ivan nodded. Her words were spoken in anger, but they were true nonetheless. His life motto had always been that ‘any show of emotion, good or bad, was a sign of a weakened animal- ready for the kill.’ He had shared this belief with his children from a very early age.
Viola gave Ivan’s arm a gentle squeeze. “Yes,” he said softly. “where was I?”
“You were getting rid of Camille. Don’t you remember, Father?” Victoria asked, darkly.
“Victoria, we are not going to do it this way.” Viola spoke up quickly. “Did you want your father to be honest, no matter how awful the truth really is? Or did you want him to give you a watered down version of what happened? You choose. But don’t hate him for honoring your request.”
Ivan looked at his wife, silently thanking her with his eyes. “Well,” he said softly, hesitantly. “Camille was already lying on your mother’s favorite Oriental rug, so I… I rolled her up in it… And I carried her out to my car,” he added, his words barely audible.
“And then…” he paused, he didn’t know if they actually wanted to hear every detail, but he needed to tell them. Maybe then he could actually be free, if that was even possible.
“I followed you out to the car,” Viola offered, her words spoken slowly and filled with great pain..
Ivan nodded. “Yes, you followed me out and tried to stop me when I told you I was going to take her to the rail yard and bury her there.” The words were more difficult for Ivan to say than he actually let on. He squared his shoulders and prepared himself to just make his way through the rest of it, unaware of Victoria’s reaction to what he had just said.
Victoria gasped. Covering her mouth with her hands, she now understood why she had been drawn to the rail yards when she had first arrived back in Windsor. At this point, she had no earlier recollections of going there, but something told her she had definitely made more than just the one trip. This revelation left her speechless, but she said nothing as she waited for her father to continue.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 12

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Day 12

Ivan nervously cleared his throat. “The night that Camile died,” he continued. “started out no differently than any other night. You raced off to her suite in the basement just as you did each day.”
“Suite?” Victoria asked incredulously, “Suite, Father? Now who’s having delusions of grandeur? I remember the room; It was sparsely furnished and it was always very cold in there.”
Viola started to speak up but was quickly cut off, this time by Alexandria. “Oh, Victoria, no. That was an image you built up in your mind. Camille had everything in her suite that you and I had in here. And then some,” she added.
“But the cold, I remember the cold, Alex,” Victoria said weakly.
“Yes,” Ivan said, softly. “her suite was cold. It had to be kept at a certain temperature because if the room ever became too warm, she…” he paused, tears filling his eyes again. “Camille would have had difficulty breathing,”
Viola reached out and touched his arm reassuring him that they had to do this. There was no turning back now.
Ivan continued, finding the courage to continue down this dark road to the past, in the strength of his wife. “You and Camille played while the nanny sat nearby. You girls were eight at the time, so we knew you knew how to play gently with Camille. Although she could not talk or move about much on her own, her eyes always seemed to light up at the very sight of you.” He smiled sadly, remembering Camille’s angelic face that was always framed by large black waves of curls that fell over her shoulders and midway down her back. She was so beautiful, he often thought she reminded him of the most perfect porcelain doll. ”She adored you, Victoria. And you adored her,” he whispered.
Victoria stared at him now. Her entire face was red and swollen from what felt like hours of crying. “Yes, Father, that’s true. I remember that. All of it. So how then can you even attempt to convince me that I would have done any harm to Camille? How could you dare blame her death on me? How do any of us know that you would even tell us the truth? Nanny’s not here and only Camille and I were the other two people in the room In fact,” she added, slowly. “You weren’t even in the room. None of you were. You just said this minutes ago.”
Now the room became eerily quiet. Ivan cleared his throat, breaking through the silence of the room. “I did say that,” he agreed, “You see, after I finally convinced your mother that Camille had to have her own suite in a private part of the house…”
“The basement.” Camille interjected.
“The basement,” Ivan repeated weakly, his voice seemingly fading with each word. “She insisted on installing cameras in the suite. She loved Camille deeply, and never wanted to feel as if she were ever very far from her, even when she could not physically be in the room with her.”
He looked now into Victoria’s eyes. He saw such a desperate hopelessness there, something he had never seen before in her. Or perhaps, he had never taken the time to look. “So,” he continued. “about two hours or so after dinner, Nanny came rushing upstairs, crying hysterically. But because she spoke virtually no English, we could only piece together that something had happened and that Camille was hurt. That’s when we rushed down there to find you sitting in the corner, your arms wrapped around your legs, face on your knees and you were simply rocking yourself back and forth. We looked across the room and there was… there was Camille lying on her back on the floor.” He paused. Pushing his fingers through his hair, he walked over to the window again. But what he was trying to escape from, would not release him. The horrible images of that night had often haunted him, but he had never shared this painful memory with anyone. No one who knew, ever dared to speak of it. “We tried to get you to tell us what happened,” he said, finally summoning the strength to continue. “But you just sat there rocking and humming. We saw that you were holding something in your left hand, something you absolutely refused to release. We tried to speak with Nanny, but it was just no use. We couldn’t really understand her and she didn’t understand us.” He paused. His throat was beginning to feel the effects of hours of soul cleansing confession. It felt as though it was extremely dry and perhaps even inflamed. Mindlessly, he rubbed his hand up the length of his throat as he continued to stare out of the window.
“But what about the screams I heard?” Victoria asked, finding all of this very hard to hear, yet she was compelled to listen. “Why did I hear Camille scream?”
“You did hear someone scream,” Ivan said, hoarsely. “But it wasn’t Camille. It was Alexandria. She had made something in school for Camille and had come in to give it to her when she saw her lying there on the floor like that.
“I remember that,” Alexandria said, recalling that moment with haunting detail.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 11

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Day 11

Suddenly the room seemed to begin spinning. Victoria felt as if she could no longer control her own breathing. “No! That’s a lie, Father!” she screamed, struggling through each breath. “I… I remember. I heard screaming. I heard you and Mother arguing. Mother was pleading with you not to do it. I heard this. You know it’s true,” she pleaded. “You know it is.” Victoria collapsed into her sister’s arms. “It’s not true… Tell him it’s not true.” she sobbed.

Viola’s heart ached for her daughter. For all of them. Walking over to her daughters, she wrapped her arms her arms protectively around both of them. She gave Victoria a gentle squeeze. “Yes,” she whispered sadly, her face pressed close to Victoria’s. “it is true, Victoria. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she repeated, wishing she could somehow change all of this.

Victoria took a deep breath, trying to compose herself enough to make sense of what she was hearing. “But why? Why would I want to kill Camille… my own sister? My twin? I loved her so much. Much more than any of you ever did. Father,” she said, now glaring across the room. “he resented her. She had no place in his perfect world.”

No one said anything as Viola held the girls close and silently wept. Not because of the painful sting from what Victoria had just said. But because she knew that they could each share their own version of what happened that night in an attempt to free themselves from the past that had haunted them all since Camille’s death, but nothing anyone could say or do could change anything that happened that night. And nothing could bring Camille back.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, Ivan slowly turned from the window and walked over to the three of them. He could see the gun lying unnoticed on the floor.. He knew he now had a way to end this all. Victoria was no longer holding the trump card. He froze in his tracks, contemplating his next move. Then quickly, he pushed the gun with his foot and watched as it went spinning, then sliding across the room until it was safely out of sight under the bed. He didn’t have it in his hands, but at least he knew where it was. In case he should need it. For now, he would just let this whole thing continue to play out and see where it took them.

Now he moved closer to his wife and daughters. They all looked so small and fragile as he stared down at them. They looked weak and frightened. And this did not please him. He simply wanted their lives to return to normal, but he had great doubts that that could ever happen. “Victoria,” he said, sighing at the very thought of what their lives may now be like. The prospect was quite grim when he added it all up. “you have gone to great lengths to get our attention.” he continued. “I have tried to protect you… we all have. You left home angry and confused.”

“You mean she was sent from home angry and confused, don’t you, Father?” Alexandria asked, not bothering to mask the anger she was feeling at his desperate attempt to alter the truth so as not to portray himself in a bad light.

“Went away, sent away, that makes very little difference now, Alexandria.” Ivan barked, quite annoyed by her attempts to make him out to be a heartless monster. “The point is you were far too young, Victoria, to deal with the fantasy you had created in your own mind. I wish I had done something about it then. I wish…” he stopped, letting his words trail off. Ivan shook his head sadly. He had almost as many regrets as he did bank accounts. And at this point in his life, he was a very, very wealthy man. Would things have been any differently, he wondered, if the world had known about Camille? Would he still have been the mighty Ivan Baron Van Cort?. The man that men both admired and feared? He shook his head again, not really wanting to contemplate the answer. It was all too painful to consider now and for Camille, it was far too late.

Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 10

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Day 10

Alexandria, with tears streaming down her face, stood and walked over to her sister. Viola, who had been standing there silently, eyes pleading with Victoria to leave the past in the past, stepped back now. Wiping tears from her own eyes, she walked back over to where Ivan sat, his head in his hands. Memories of the past slowly tearing him apart.
“There’s just so much you don’t know, “ Alexandria whispered to her, staring deep into her eyes. “So much you really don’t want to know.”
Victoria shook her head. “Maybe, but I need to know, Alex. I need to know.”
“But at what cost?” Alexandria asked wearily. “Why is this so important to you now?”
Victoria shrugged. “I don’t know really. Something that Grandmother said, mostly.” She paused. “Grandmother is sick… I think it’s just the flu, she thinks she’s dying.” For a moment, she laughed through her tears, remembering how they had spent hours debating the state of her condition, which even the doctor had said was nothing more than an overly aggressive cold. “Anyway, she said she didn’t want to leave me thinking that I’m all alone in the world when she’s gone. She said I had to come back to Windsor and face the past. She said something about the real truth.” A sad smile crossed her face as she reached up to wipe her nose with her hand. “Guess Grandmother’s icy heart is finally thawing out.”
Alexandria managed to smile. She understood her grandmother’s message, but she wasn’t so sure that it was really a good idea.
And as if reading her thoughts, Victoria reached out and took her sister’s hands in her own. “Please, Alex… I really need to know. Why did Father kill Camille? Why did she have to die?”
“I…” Alexandria turned and looked to her parents now. Were they really going to do this? Were they really ready to tell Victoria the truth?
Ivan nodded. He was tired. Tired of trying to keep the truth buried. He was tired of having to fight his own monsters from the past. He stood and pushed his hands deep into his pockets now. Walking over to the huge bay window that was the expanse of the entire wall, he stood silently looking out. After several long, silent moments, he sighed. It was snowing again. A fresh blanket of snow now covered everything. It was all so breathtakingly beautiful. It had been such a very long time since he had even allowed himself a luxury so simple as watching the snow fall. In his quest to rule the world and create the perfect life for himself and his family, he had forgotten how to even enjoy the simple, beautiful things in life.
“Where do I start?” he asked, really more to himself than to anyone else in the room.
“Daddy,” Victoria paused, startled by her own use of the word. He had always insisted that his children referred to Viola and himself as Mother and Father. Using the term daddy, in his own opinion, was common and a definite sign of weakness. But somehow now saying it, felt right to her. “I just really need to know the truth that Grandmother referred to.”
Ivan smiled sadly. But no one saw. He never took his focus off of the softly falling snow. “The truth,” he said, as if trying the words on for size. “The truth is, Victoria, I didn’t kill Camille… you did.”
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 9

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Day 9

Ivan grimaced as he remembered how Viola had pleaded with him to take her to the hospital. She had had a home birth with no medical staff other than a private nurse that he had hired. “Something’s wrong, Ivan!” she had cried as she held Camille. But he had said nothing as he quietly instructed the nurse to take Camille from her and from the room. Soon, he too left, leaving her there alone holding Alexandria and crying over the uncertainty of Camille’s fate.
Everyone remained silent as they were held captive by Ivan’s haunting words. As he continued, Ivan trembled, remembering now in more detail than he cared to. He told them how he had paid the nurse a nice sum of money to keep Camille’s birth a secret that she would take to her grave. With cash and an unmistakable threat, she had quickly disappeared, never to be seen by the family again. Within hours of the birth, Ivan had summoned for their own private doctor to come out to the house to check on Viola and Alexandria. By this time, he had moved the crib that was to be Camille’s, to a private part of the house in the basement. With great pain in his voice, he explained to them that he didn’t just toss Camille down there. He had decorated it to be an exact replica of the room that Alexandria would now be sharing with Victoria. Tears continued to fall from his eyes as he pleaded with them to believe that he did love Camille. But that he just felt as though he could not let the world in on that part of his life. He told them of his many visits to see Camille. He told them how he would just sit and hold her and wish that things could have been different for her… for all of them. He reminded them of the special bond Victoria had formed with her twin sister. How she would often cry, demanding to be allowed to sleep with her. His heart ached as he recalled how he had never allowed that to happen. He had hired a nanny for Camille. She spoke almost no English, he couldn’t take any chances, and she had no family at all in the States. He made sure of all this because Camille had to remain the Van Cort secret.
Family and friends had never even known Viola was carrying twins, other than Ivan’s mother. She had been the first person that they had eagerly shared their wonderful news with when they found out about the pregnancy. From that moment, everything changed. She had instructed Ivan to change obstetricians, giving him the name of one she knew personally. And she had been fierce in her determination that no one knows that Viola was carrying twins. Because the doctor was one sent by his mother, Ivan knew he would never tell of Camille. Besides that, he was a very powerful man in Windsor. Crossing Ivan Van Cort would be an extremely dangerous move to make. It was because of this power Ivan knew he could never show any signs of weakness. Not even in his family.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 8

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Day 8

Ivan walked across the room now, and sat protectively between his wife and daughter. Victoria stood a few feet in front of them, much like a teacher before her class.
“Well, well.” She said, resting against the small marble table that stood regally in the center of the room. Placing the small handgun on her lap, she continued. “Finally, we can bury the dead. So to speak,” she added, with a hollow look in her eyes.
Viola felt her heart began to race. And even though Ivan’s face was stone, she saw his jaw clench and tighten. She didn’t even have to look at Alexandria, she could feel the warm tears pool on her arm as they fell from her daughter’s eyes. She had to do something… to say something. “Victoria,” she said, her words pleading. “leave it be. Please.”
Victoria laughed- but it was a dark, dangerous laugh. “Why, Mother? So we won’t disgrace Father? Should we pretend forever that Camille never existed?”
Her words seemed to freeze time. The air in the room grew thick with tension. No one dared to move. Suddenly, they were all transported back to the past. A past that no one spoke of and was only reminded of in their nightmares. No one spoke. No one wanted to remember. Except Victoria.
“She was real, wasn’t she, Mother?… Father?” she asked, breaking the silence.
Ivan quickly regained his composure. “I’ll not have this!” he demanded. Angry now, he started to stand but was quickly reminded by Victoria that she was running the show… at least for now.
“Oh yes, Father. We are going to do this, and we’re doing it now. Today… finally.” She said, with deadly determination. “Today we are going to talk about Camille Sophia Van Cort. You remember her don’t you? Let me see, I think she was probably silently referred to as the Van Cort blemish. Isn’t that right, Father?” she asked, staring desperately into his eyes.
Viola summoned the courage to stand and walk over to Victoria. All the while, her eyes pleaded with her not to disturb the past. “Victoria, you were only eight years old. You were so young. Please, just let it go.” She said, desperately trying to reach her.
Victoria kept one hand on the gun still on her lap, with her other hand, she brushed away a tear that had begun to fall from her eyes. “I can’t, Mother,” she whispered. “I can’t. I’m haunted by this… by the past. There are so many missing pieces and I feel so tormented by all of this.”
Viola stood before her, silently, wishing that she could hold her and make all of her pain, all of their pains go away. But she didn’t even know how to do that. Feeling helpless, she looked over her shoulder at her husband.
Ivan seemed to look right through her. Clearing his throat, he spoke now. “Victoria, I’ve done all that I could do to keep this family together. To give us all the best life imaginable. Sure, I’ve done things that I’m not very proud of. But I did it for all of you. Most men wouldn’t dream of going to the lengths that I have, but I did…”
“But for who?” Victoria asked, cutting him off. “Who did you do it all for? You did nothing for Camille, Father. Nothing. She was completely disposable to you, wasn’t she? I don’t even think you want to remember her. To you, she was just a blemish. To all of you.” She sobbed. Victoria covered her face with her hands. The gun fell from her lap and landed with a soft thump onto the crimson Persian rug. But no one seemed to notice.
Ivan’s deep voice sounded like thunder in the room. “I did the best for Cam… “ his words caught in throat. “I did,” he said, softer this time, with tears in his eyes. “I made some mistakes,” he struggled to continue. “But everything I did… everything, was so that you, all of you could have and be the best.” Ivan’s breath quickened as images of the past began to crowd his thoughts. “I did love her,” he sobbed. Images of Camille, Victoria’s identical twin sister, becoming more and more vivid. Her small body so frail and weak. He remembered the day Victoria and Camille were born. Victoria had been the larger and much healthier of the two. And then there was Camille. She looked nothing at all like Victoria. It was immediately clear that something was definitely wrong with her.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 7

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Day 7

Knowing it was Victoria, didn’t give Viola any comfort. She now found herself gripped with fear. The room felt as though it was spinning and she silently willed herself not to faint. “Victoria… ” she managed to whisper.
“Yes, Mother, it’s me. I just wanted to spend some time alone with my dear sister. Not to worry though, I wasn’t going to forget about you and Father.” She laughed, her eyes easily reading the fear on her mothers face.
Viola saw something very dark in her daughter’s eyes now. “Oh my God!” she screamed. Running across the room, she felt along the wall until she found the light switch. Frantically, she turned on the lights. “Alexandria!” she screamed. For a moment, she stood frozen in her tracks, fearing the very worst. “Alexandria!”
“Poor Alexandria,” Victoria mocked. “Oh please, Mother, she’s fine.” Getting up from the bed now, she walked slowly towards her mother.
Viola looked past Victoria to where Alexandria lay motionless in the bed. Her breathing quickened as she wondered why Alexandria had said nothing during all of this. It was at that moment that she was able to see that Alexandria had not been asleep at all. Victoria had somehow managed to place tape over her mouth and had even bound her hands and feet with a cord. Viola could imagine no greater evil… until she turned to face her youngest daughter. Covering her mouth with her hands, a scream froze on her lips as she realized Victoria was holding a gun.
Victoria let out a deep throaty laugh, amused by the look of sheer fear on her mother’s face. “What’s wrong, Mother? I thought you would be happy to have the family… well most of us anyway, all here together for the holidays.” Slowly, as if enjoying every moment she could torment her mother, she moved closer to her.
Viola fell back against the bed as she desperately tried to keep distance between her daughter and herself.
This too, amused Victoria. “What’s wrong, Mother? I just wanted to talk… catch up. It has been awhile you know.” She added, quickly closing the distance between the two of them.
Viola screamed as Victoria lunged toward her. Almost instantly, Ivan appeared in the doorway. Though startled by what he saw taking place in the room, he didn’t let on. “Victoria,” he commanded, “leave them. I think your problem is with me, not them.”
Turning, she faced her father. “Not exactly, Father,” she said flatly, “my problem is with all of you.”
Viola took advantage of the distraction Ivan’s presence brought, and struggled to free Alexandria. Untying the last bit of cord, she wrapped her arms protectively around her daughter. But Alexandria had other plans. She needed to confront her sister. Freeing herself from her mother’s embrace, she stood. Staring now, deep into her sister’s eyes, she seemed to be searching for something. “Victoria,” she said softly, calmly, “we all agree it’s time to talk this out. But is this really how you want to do it?”
Ivan silently watched the exchange between the two sisters. With most of his focus on Victoria, he soon found the moment of weakness he had been anticipating. Her eyes gave it away. Slowly, stealthily, he moved toward her. But Victoria knew her father all too well. “No, Father,” she said, quickly recomposing herself, “I will not be the blemish that you get rid of this time.”
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 6

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Day 6

A chill crept up viola’s spine as she readied herself for bed. Though she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Quickly slipping into her robe, she glanced over at Ivan. He was quite obviously losing no sleep over this whole situation with Victoria, as he slept soundly on his side of the king sized bed. She smiled sadly. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. He looked young and happy and as if he didn’t have a care in the world. She only wished that was actually his reality. But was that even possible? She wondered as she left the room to check on Alexandria. After a lengthy debate, she had finally convinced her to stay the night. No one knew what Victoria was capable of. So at least for tonight, Viola felt some degree of peace just knowing that they were all in the same place together.

Viola pulled the door closed behind her, being careful not to let it click. Ivan was a pretty light sleeper and he never approved of having his few precious hours of sleep disrupted.

Quickly, she made her way down the hallway. The professionally hung holiday lights provided a soft glow, giving her just enough light to make her way safely to the room where Alexandria was. Reaching the bedroom door, she paused allowing her hand to rest lightly on the doorknob. She stood there as memories of much happier times began to race through her mind. This room… this was the room that she had spent weeks

preparing for the girls. The cribs and the bed. The stuffed animals… pink ballerina pictures that hung on each wall. Cotton candy pink lace curtains. The room had had to be absolutely perfect for her girls. A room for them all to share and grow and live a happy carefree life. A look of nostalgia rested itself on her face as she remembered how eager Alexandria had been to become a big sister. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized that those memories now seemed to have been a lifetime ago. Life at that time had seemed so simple and so perfect.

Viola sighed. The past was the past. Her reality was what was going on in her world right now and nothing seemed quite so simple and perfect anymore. So many things had changed because of just one night.

Viola tapped lightly on the door before opening it and stepping inside. She knew Alexandria was exhausted and that she was certain to be asleep. This visit was really more for her than Alexandria anyway. The room was dark, just the way Alexandria had liked to sleep every since she was twelve.

Carefully, Viola made her way through the darkened room. After years of doing this, she remembered exactly where each piece of furniture was, so she didn’t need to bother turning on the light. Quietly she made her way over to the bed where her daughter was sleeping. She knew Alexandria was curled up in the fetal position, her most favorite way to sleep. Viola stroked her long, dark hair before kissing the top of her head. She loved having her in the house again, she only wished it were a much happier visit. After giving her another kiss on the top of her head, Viola turned to leave the room. She really didn’t want to awaken her.

“What, no kiss for me, Mother?” someone called out from across the room, startling her.

Viola turned, even in the darkness of the room, she could make out Victoria’s form as she lay stretched out across the bed that used to be her own.

Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 5

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Day 5

Ivan rushed home to find his wife and daughter huddled together in their beautifully decorated sitting room. “Viola, Alexandria… What is this, this nonsense about Victoria?

Viola started to speak but was quickly cut off by her daughter. “It’s called full circle, Father,” she answered, her words dripping with sarcasm and anger. She didn’t hate her father, she couldn’t. But she did hate the iron-fisted way he dealt with everything concerning the family. She hated what he had allowed the family to become. She hated what he had made them all do. She never spoke these words, but the message was always very clear in her eyes… especially now.

Ivan put his hand up. He loved his daughter but he had not just rushed out of a very important business meeting simply to have to deal with another of Alexandria’s very over-the-top melodramatic episodes. “Not now, Alexandria,” he said swiftly, sending a very clear message. Moving closer to his wife now, he took Viola gently, but firmly by the arm. “Viola, why didn’t you tell me last night about Victoria?” he questioned. The veins in his neck were becoming more prominent now and Viola could see that he was clenching his jaw. This was a very clear indication that he was more than just a little annoyed.

Diverting her gaze away from him, she shrugged her shoulders like a child. This is often how she felt whenever he would begin to turn into hurricane Ivan. “I… I don’t really know, Ivan,” she said softly, searching for something, anything that would defuse the situation before it got any worse. “I’m still a little confused about last night myself. I…” “You what?” Ivan angrily asked, cutting her off. He stared at her for a moment. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his salt and pepper mane. ”Okay,” he said, softer now, “Okay, let’s just see where we are here. You found out last night that Victoria is back in Windsor, I didn’t.” he added sarcastically. “So where is she now and what does she want?” Not getting an immediate answer from anyone, Ivan turned and walked over to stand near the window. He really needed a moment to clear his head and calm down. No problem was ever solved by irrational thinking.

Viola walked over and stood beside him. “Ivan, I really don’t know anything more than what we’ve already told you… here and on the phone. And the things that happened last night, I’ve told you, I thought it was really all just part of some bad dream. Until,” she added hesitantly, “until Alexandria showed up here today and told me about the phone call.”

Ivan turned to look at her now. “Phone call? What phone call?”

Viola took note of his posture now and felt that he seemed more panicked at this point, than simply annoyed. “It was nothing really.” she answered. “She said something to Alexandria about coming over here.” There were those veins in his neck again that were becoming all too familiar.

“Okay, so now what?” Ivan asked, looking first at Viola and then Alexandria. “Do we just sit here and wait? And wait for what?”

Alexandria shifted in her seat. “Well why don’t you tell us what we should do, Father? After all, you always know just the right way to solve every problem. Doesn’t he, Mother?” she added.

“Not now Alexandria,” Viola said sternly. She knew how much Alexandria liked to instigate ugly situations with her father, especially after Victoria left home. “Ivan,” she said softly, turning her attention back to him. “What choice do we have other than to wait? We don’t know where she is and we have absolutely no idea what she wants with us. What else can we do?”

Ivan frowned at her words. He refused to allow Victoria to have the element of surprise over them. He had to do something. He had to deal with Victoria once and for all. Otherwise, things could get messy… very messy. He had to put an end to it all now. It was time.

Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 4

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Day 4

Victoria laughed again. “Hello, dear sister,” she said with deadly calmness.
Alexandria struggled to compose herself. “Victoria, where are you? Where is Mother?” she asked, determined not to show any sign of fear. She knew her sister would only feed on that.
Victoria laughed. “Well, unfortunately I have not been over to see Mother yet. I’m sure I will see her soon enough though.”
Alexandria let out a small sigh of relief. At least she knew that she would get to her mother first since she was only two blocks away now. “Listen, Victoria,” she said softly, hoping to reason with her or at the very least just keep her on the line until she arrived. “I know how you feel about Mother for allowing Father to send you away. I know how you feel about Father and me as well. But I don’t think…” she stopped mid-sentence, knowing the exact moment when her sister hung up the phone. No one had known, but she had tried several times to reach out to her sister, to heal the relationship, but nothing had worked. Alexandria had never been interested in reconciliation, only revenge.
As she pulled into the driveway of her parents’ home, Alexandria tried to shake the images of that night almost four years ago, that were beginning to resurface. That was the night that had changed all of their lives forever. The images were clear and rapid now, as though she was flipping through the pages of an old photo album. The long hallway… the basement… These images were so vivid, so real now that she could feel the damp, dark coldness of that very night. She could remember the shrill crying… the panicked, raised voices.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she shook her head, trying to erase the voices and images of that night from her mind. But she couldn’t. It was all too real and overwhelming. Suddenly, she was seventeen again and helpless as the pictures played out in her head. “No!” she cried as she raced from the car, trying desperately to escape the past that haunted her. Sobbing uncontrollably, she collapsed against the front doors of the house. She was so completely lost in the haunting pain of that night, she never saw the car that pulled into the driveway and parked behind her own.
Viola pulled into the driveway and parked behind her daughter’s car. Although happy to have the company, she wondered what her oldest daughter was doing here in the middle of a work day. As a surgical nurse, Alexandria had always taken great pride in her work and very rarely allowed herself to put anything before it.
As she continued to contemplate the reason for her daughter’s visit, Viola slung her oversized Louis Vuitton over her shoulder and slid out of the car. She made a mental note, reminding herself to tell her husband, Ivan about the small scratch she had gotten in the door of the car today. Of course, to him it would be considered a blemish… and that would never do. A blemish- she cringed. It was a word that he used often to describe anything undesirable. Anything less than absolute perfection. Oh yes, Ivan demanded perfection. Perfect house…mini mansion. Perfect cars… his and hers Mercedes. Perfect wife, and of course, perfect children. Not so much as a hair out of place was acceptable to Ivan. Anything less… any blemish would have to be removed.
Viola shook her head sadly. They had made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of perfection. Too many. Tears began to fill her eyes as she fumbled through her bag for her keys. Because of this, she was unaware of the crumpled heap that lay just a few feet away from her, until she heard sobbing like that of a lost child. One swift move of the hand and the tears were gone, leaving no evidence that she had even been the least bit upset. Clearing her throat, she smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her black, sleeveless Donna Karen dress. It would never do to have someone see her disheveled. Now holding her head up high, she quickened her pace as she made her way to the front door. As she got closer, she soon realized that the person lying there was in fact not a child at all.
Quickly reaching into her bag, she grabbed her cell phone. With one finger on the speed-dial for 911, she cautiously stepped closer for a better look. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she realized it was her daughter, Alexandria. “Alexandria!” she said firmly.
At the sound of her voice, the crumpled heap shifted, enabling Viola to see that Alexandria’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. How long had she been here? Viola wondered as she began to gently help her up to her feet. “Let’s get you inside,” she said in a hushed tone, “before… “ Her words trailed off. Ivan had them so conditioned for absolute perfection, that her first thought was to simply get her inside so that no one would see them in any sort of uncomplimentary light. It pained her that her immediate reaction had not been to cradle her daughter in her arms and just hold her there until she felt well enough to talk about whatever it was that had upset her so greatly. But that simply was not the Van Cort way.
Upon entering the house, Viola helped Alexandria to the antique chaise in the sitting room. She left her there briefly while she went to make her a cup of tea. When she returned, she found Alexandria standing, staring out of the window. She must be feeling better now, Viola thought to herself as she handed her a beautiful gold-trimmed tea cup. “Would you like to talk now?” she asked softly. As she waited for a response, she walked across the room and took a seat in one of the two oversized arm chairs near the fireplace.
Alexandria waited for her mother to be seated. Without ever taking her eyes off of the window, she whispered, “she’s here.”
Viola sat silently, waiting for her to continue.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Alexandria spoke the words again. “She’s here. Victoria is here, Mother.”
Viola felt a knot rise from the pit of her stomach and move steadily upward until it formed a lump in her throat… swelling…. Preventing her from speaking.
In the silence, Alexandria turned slowly now from the window to face her mother. “I think you know why she’s here. I think it’s time… “
“No!” Viola shouted, rising quickly from the chair. “I’m going to call your father. He will handle this.”
Alexandria laughed, mocking her mothers words. “Yes, Mother, he will. Father takes care of everything, doesn’t he? How do you think he will handle it this time?” she asked, sarcastically.
Viola stopped dialing the number and held the phone in her hand.. Looking directly at her daughter, she said, “You don’t know what you’re saying, Alexandria. You have absolutely no idea how big this really is. You have no idea,” she repeated as tears began to fall down her cheeks.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in about 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 3

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Day 3

News travels fast in small towns. Windsor Maine was no exception. Within a couple of hours of Victoria arriving at the precinct, Alexandria, her oldest sister had already heard the news. Quickly she packed a small bag as she prepared to travel the eleven miles it would take her to reach her parents home. Her heart raced as she thought of her mother having to face Victoria alone. Victoria was dark and dangerous and she blamed her family for everything that she felt was wrong with her life. Most of all, her mother and that’s why Alexandria knew that she would be headed straight over there as soon as she got the opportunity. Quickly, she rushed out of the house, knowing that she needed to be there first. No one really knew what Victoria was capable of doing.
The normal half hour drive through town would take much longer today. Although it was still quite early in the morning, the roads were crowded with eager holiday shoppers. Alexandria loved this time of year most of all. As she watched the tourists mingle through the streets and into the shops amongst the locals, she tried to calm down and not allow herself to think of what might happen if Victoria arrived at their parents home first.
Though she desperately tried, as she was faced with stop lights and stop signs as she made her way through the city, Alexandria found it very difficult to remain calm. She had been trying to reach her mother all morning and had still not gotten an answer. She had even tried to reach her father in his office but was told he would be in meetings all day and was not to be disturbed.
While stopped at another light, Alexandria frantically tried dialing her mother’s number again. With the phone on speaker, she listened as it continued to ring, all along she prayed that at any moment she would hear her mother’s voice on the other end. Still no answer. She hung up. Wanting desperately to shake the negative thoughts that were beginning to envelop her with fear, she tried again to enjoy the winter wonderland that was all around her. She tried to lose herself in the beautifully decorated shop windows, the beautiful lights that hung on windows and trees and especially the fluffy white blankets of snow that covered trees and rooftops and sidewalks. A smile crept across her face as she watched the children happily skipping through the snow. She knew they were looking forward to all the fun the holidays brought… gifts, sledding and snowball fights. The most spectacular sight of all for Alexandria though, was the sight of a beautiful deer prancing across someone’s lawn with eyes bright as though it too, loved the joyfulness that this time of year seemed to bring to everyone.
Alexandria sighed. She began to feel a lot better as she was now able to move quickly along the roads, having finally gotten out of the city. But her newfound state of calmness was soon disrupted by the sounds of Jingle Bells playing on her cell phone. “Hello, Mother?” she said quickly, not taking the time to check the Call ID. There was a deafening silence on the other end of the phone. As she was about to move the phone from her ear to see who had placed the call, she heard the most menacing, mocking laugh she had ever heard. But it was one that she easily recognized. “Victoria!” she gasped. In that instance, she could actually feel her blood turning cold.
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in 3 days.

Full Circle - Day 2

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and post your comments. As promised, Day 2...

Day 2

Viola could feel someone tugging her and pulling on her robe. She tried to open her eyes and sit up but her body felt too weak to cooperate and her head was throbbing. As she lay there unable to move, she realized she could hear voices and rushed footsteps all around her. Her heart raced. She had no idea what had happened. Maybe I had a heart attack, she thought, panic quickly setting in. “Oh God, please don’t let me die,” she silently prayed.
Mrs. Van Cort? Ma’am, can you hear me?” Someone was leaning over her, very close to her face. So close, she could feel his warm breath on her cheek..
Viola tried to speak. Her words were inaudible. “Uhhhhh,” was all she managed to get out.
“Mrs. Van Cort, do you remember what happened to you? I need you to open your eyes for me..” the unfamiliar voice gently commanded.
Viola managed to open her eyes. The room and everyone in it were a blur. She willed herself to sit up but couldn’t. “What… what happened? Why are all of these people here?” she asked as she slowly regained her focus.
“She’s conscious now, guys” She heard someone call out. It was then that she began to hear the chirps and beeps of the walkie talkies and medical equipment.
“Did I have a heart attack?” she whispered.
“No Ma’am,” the paramedic assured her. “You seem to have fainted and it looks like you probably bumped your head here on the nightstand. You have a pretty nasty little bump here.”
Viola felt herself breathe a little easier. A bump. Nothing serious she thought to herself.
She still had no idea why she would have fainted. Her head still throbbed and her thoughts felt muddled.
“Okay, Mrs. Van Cort, we are going to get you ready for transport,” the paramedic informed her. He said something to the guy on the other side of her, who had been standing there with an oxygen mask in his hand. Viola had not even noticed him. But after a quick exchange between the two men, he packed his equipment away and left the room.
Viola called out weakly to the paramedic who had been leaning over her when she came to. “How did you get here? Who called you?” She knew her husband was not in from the office yet and there was no one else in the house.
“The call came in over the radio. 911 response,” he added, as he moved about gathering up his things. Viola watched, slowly feeling strength begin to return to her body.
“We’re ready here, Jess,” someone called out as he entered the room. It was the paramedic who had left just moments ago.
“Ready for what?” Viola asked, watching him maneuver a stretcher in her direction.
“We have to get you to the hospital to have that bump checked out, Mrs. Van Cort,” the paramedic reminded her.
Viola quickly shook her head. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m fine. My husband will be home soon.”
“Well, Ma’am, I told you that you have a pretty nasty bump there. You could possibly even have a concussion. We think you were out for several minutes before we arrived,” he said, trying to reason with her.
“I’m fine, really,” Viola insisted.
“Okay, Ma’am it’s your call. But you should have your doctor check that out in the morning,” he cautioned, waving the other paramedic away with the stretcher.
Gently he eased Viola up, helping as she struggled to rise from the floor. Other then the dull ache in the back of her head, she felt fine now.
Silently she followed him to the door. “Thank you,” she called out behind them, her voice still a little shaky. As she closed and locked the door, she noticed that her hands were trembling. That’s odd, she thought to herself. Her hands were normally as steady as the most skilled surgeon.
Viola turned the lights off and made her way back to her bedroom. As she walked through the house though, she could feel a chill crawl up her spine and spread throughout her entire body. She knew something was wrong, very wrong. But what?
Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in 3 days.

Full Circle a short story - Day 1

Day 1

Viola knew something was wrong the instant she heard the phone ring. Her hand trembled as she reached out to answer it. “Hello?” she said, nervously, perhaps a little too softly since there was no answer on the other end. “Hello?” she repeated, commanding strength to return to her voice.

“Um… Mrs. Van Cort?” the unfamiliar voice asked.

“Yes. Yes, who is this?”

“I’m sorry to call so late, Ma’am. My name is Lieutenant Davis, I’m calling from the 22 precinct.”

“Yes?” Viola asked, willing him to quickly get to the point.

“The reason I’m calling tonight, Ma’am is because we have a young lady here that one of our officers picked up wandering around the rail yards. She says her name is Tori and that she is your daughter. Would you be able to verify this information and come down to the station to pick her up since she is still a minor?”

Viola didn’t respond. The last thing she had heard was ‘she says her name is Tori.’ Oh my God… No. Victoria… But it couldn’t be, she thought in disbelief. She had not seen her in almost four years. She had not even heard from her. Not even so much as mentioned her name. There had been no word from, or contact with Victoria… until now. But why? Why would she return now? She wondered. Victoria had left home, a difficult and troubled child at the age of fourteen. She had gone to live with her grandmother, who was more like Victoria than anyone would ever admit. So now, at almost eighteen years of age, why would she come back to a town that she despised… and a family she hated even more?

“Ma’am,” Lt. Davis continued, unaware that Viola was somewhere else, deep in thought. “We really don’t want to have to hold her here at the station for this. She can be released to you as soon as you can get here.”

Viola was only faintly aware of what he was saying. Something about all of this made her very uneasy. She felt frozen, gripped with fear. She really wanted nothing to do with Victoria . Nothing at all. Not after what she had done. Viola shivered as she involuntarily began to recall that awful, awful night that, until now, seemed like a lifetime ago. She gripped the phone so tightly that the color drained from her knuckles. Suddenly, she heard someone let out a horrifying scream. It wasn’t until she heard Lt. Davis repeatedly calling her name, that she realized it had actually been her who had been the one screaming... Be sure to look for the continuation of this story in 3 days.