A Horrific Fantasy

Chapter 33

Three days went by and still no one had been able to find Vaggie or any clues to where she was or what could have happened to her. The cops managed to track down her father but he claimed that he hadn't seen or heard from her since the divorce, and no evidence was found in his apartment to indicate her presence so they had to let him go. Charlie kept trying to call Vaggie but she never picked up and she kept trying to see Angel for answers but he started to avoid her. After three days of this, she became convinced that Mystique Hollow had something to do with this. She wondered why she didn't suspect it from the start. After all Levana had attempted to try to get Charlie to stay there, why wouldn't she give Vaggie the same offer?

On the fourth day of Vaggie's disappearance, Charlie made plans to look for her in Mystique Hollow after dark but unfortunately, Stolas had another late night meeting with his ex. He insisted that she stay home and watched Octavia that night.

"Why can't you just get Gina to watch her? You've done it several times." She complained to him.

"That poor woman has her own issues to deal with right now. Apparently your friend Angel is having some sort of a break down." Stolas said. "Nothing serious, he's just a little spooked and need some time."

"But Stolas this is an emergency. I have to find Vaggie."

"I understand the situation, I truly do. But the police and her mother and all of our other neighbors are looking for her tonight. You not being there won't make much a disappearance."

"But Stolas-"

"Not buts, now I promise you can look for tomorrow night and maybe every other night after but tonight I need you to stay home and watch Via. This meeting is very important, Stella believes she's found evidence pointing to whoever has stolen her money."

"Does it point to you?"

"If it's legitimate evidence? No. If it's evidence she falsified to frame me? Then yes. And that's why I'm going down there, to make sure she's not trying to set me up."

"You really think she would do that? I mean I know she hates your gutts and all but she knows that if she ever put you away on false charges, Octavia would never forgive her and she wouldn't want that."

"Maybe not but when it comes to that woman, I'm taking no chances."

"You know this all could have been avoided if you had gotten a prenup."

"Oh no, that would have made things worse. If we had gotten a prenup, she would have never agreed to the divorce. In fact she probably would have poisoned me for the money." He said.

"IS she really that evil?"

"She's a woman with a lot of demons and she absolutely refuses to get any help, so that makes her very dangerous, and I have to be very careful." Stolas said. "That's why meetings like these can't be avoided. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Good. I'll be home late, there are leftovers you can heat up for dinner, keep all the doors and windows locked. It's a school night so make sure Octavia is in bed at eight-thirty. And the emergency numbers are hanging on the fridge door."

"I know, I know, I know."

"See you in the morning."

After Stolas left, Charlie played a few board games with Octavia, she fixed their dinner, ran Octavia a bath, and the two watched some television until eight-thirty. Then she tucked Octavia into bed and went on to her own room to do a little reading.

Once again she chose to read the book Gina had given her and curiously, she found a marked page that led to more words and illustrations that she had missed from the last time she had read from it.