Professor Layton: Love In All Adversities

24. Everything Is In Order

“Garlic bread!” Flora exclaimed, her high pitched laughter bouncing around the luxurious cabin.

“Yes,” Anton smiled, holding his hand in front of his mouth as if he could smell the garlic lofting against his palm after all these years. “It was such an extraordinary moment and I was almost lost for words. I found myself laughing at that. Laughing! I hadn’t laughed, truly laughed for years. All other laughter was the shrill sound of content as I scared another victim away… The feeling was unforgettable and I will never forget meeting Oliver. He became my only friend in the echoing darkness of my life and it fills me with such sorrow and anguish knowing that he has lost his way…”

Hershel found himself thinking about Clive. Such similar circumstances. They lost their way, when once they were a wonderful person. Hershel wondered what it would have been like to know Clive when he was just a boy. The trouble he got into, the jokes and childish charm. Was he like Luke?

How many others lost their way too? Don Paolo, Randall, Bronev and Descole…

They were all once people, and then for such darkness to fill their hearts and lead them astray from the right path was almost too painful for Hershel to think about.

They had managed to find the light again, but it seemed Clive hadn’t really changed. He found that darkness again. It seemed almost impossible to help Clive and Oliver find their way. He didn’t know how much hope he had left for the two. What was this greed that filled Oliver’s heart?

He was certain that Oliver would reveal all that in the next few pages of his diary. This feeling of regret over being distant from Claire not shielding the true virtues of this man. He was caring, logical and above all, a loving father. He had no evil in his heart, only sorrow at not allowing his love to shine through more often. Certainly these next pages would show where the shadows infested and took over the mind of a weakening man.

Anton cleared his throat, once more signalling the chattering cabin to fall into silence instantly. They had seen how to two had met. Now to see what went wrong.

Entry 7

I could not get my head over the other day… A man claiming to be a vampire!

It was preposterous, and yet was it truly so far-fetched? Such wonders inhabit our world that we are yet to discover, to dream of, and yet they remain hidden to one day be discovered. Hopefully for the betterment of mankind. How unfortunate it would be to awaken an army of killing machines from some secret civilisation, laying in their wake a path of destruction that could destroy the world!

Of course, the vampire idea was almost too silly to be true, and yet I have to admit that I did harbour those feelings all throughout my stay.

There were indeed the signs, from the liquid I was unsure of and the whole setup was strange. Why go to all that length to pretend to be a vampire? It just wouldn’t make sense. His reason, however, is understandable if maybe a bit extreme. Not many who lose that much would go to those lengths. To scare away thieves, or to call the police…

Anyway, I am letting my mind linger on this topic for much too long. My train is set to depart in half an hour and I am barely ready, my face and hair just as much a wreck as when I was greeted by that mysterious butler, Nigel after the crash.

I just thought I would update as I fear I have grown rather tired of documenting all my pains. The long years of regret and self-pity over her death, the feeling so betrayal and guilt over Claire... It doesn't help me, despite what my therapist said. I only feel more pain as I look over my words and bring forth old, unwanted memories.