A Horrific Fantasy

Chapter 49

Vaggie was sitting alone in the dark. Curled up in a nearby corner, her face buried into her knees, her cheeks tear-stained, and her mind constantly asking her the same question. How did she end up here? How could she let this happen? How could she be so stupid?

It all started that night about four or five days ago, when she ran off to Mystique Hollow for one last night of fun and pleasure before she would run away to see her father. But when she told Levana of her plan, the crafty woman told her that she could contact her father right now and have him come see her. But at a price. She wanted two things from Vaggie in exchange for arranging the meeting. First her eye.

"My eyes?!" Vaggie had said. "You can't have my eyes! I need them! I can't see without them! What are you thinking?!"

"Oh but it's only one eye that I want." Levana had replied sweetly. "And I need your eye, in order to find your father. I need to know what he looks like which I can only obtain from your memories of him. Memories connected to your eyes."

"But that sounds crazy."

"It is unorthodox but when it comes to magic, certain fees are in order. A price has to be paid."

"Can't I pay with money? Or a credit card?"

Levana chuckled.

"Please, compared to magic, money is completely worthless. Spells and potions require a more permanent means of payment. Of course if you really don't want to see your father again, then by all means keep both your eyes and go back to a mother who constantly blames you for her mistakes."

"I'm not going back there. I'll just go to my dad the old fashioned way. I'll take a bus."

"But how will you find him? For all you know he could be out of the country and finding someone is expensive, and you don't have a lot of money with you. It could take you years to locate him. Or worse, you may never find him at all. But I could find him in mere seconds and you could finally live with him, away from a mother who never wanted you. I mean that is why you are leaving her, yes?"

That's what Vaggie had thought. She thought that her mother never wanted her or her father and just wanted them both out of here her for good. Sometimes Vaggie would get so mad at her, that she'd be more than happy to grant that wish. But other times, she couldn't help but wonder, why doesn't my mother like me? Why did she even have me if I just ruined her life? Why couldn't she just leave me with my father?

"You know Vaggie, you remind me so much of my daughter Abigail." Levana said. "She was so headstrong and mature, and so very much just wanted to be loved and accepted by her family. Oh I loved her dearly, but I was a single mother and I had to support my family by working two jobs every night. Leaving her to be looked after by my cruel brother who would always insult and belittle her. Make her feel like she didn't belong in our town, because unlike most girls her age she was outspoken, bold, and daring, she didn't care about boys or getting married or having a family. In fact she rather hated men and who could blame her? She wanted to have a career and help me take care of her brothers and sisters. Despite her strong-will, she was always loyal to me."

"You said she died right?"

"All my children died. Four of them killed by my wretched brother and one, my oldest, killed by that disgusting Ludlow boy. Abigail and I told her to stay away from him. We both told her that he wasn't any good but she insisted that they were in love and she kept seeing him. And then one night he raped and murdered her, and that gave my brother and the courts reason to take my remaining children away. I was a bad mother they said cause I had no husband, no money, and children by different fathers, as opposed to well off and well-regarded brother. But in the end he killed my children, burned them to death cause they were bastards of a whore according to him."