Negotiations With The Dead; New Acquaintances

Negotiations With The Dead; New Acquaintances
"Mother, how have you been? I hope you havent been too lonely," Julia smiled gently as she approached. Not that the smile was genuine. Hopefully her dead mother couldn't tell the difference.

"I do not wish for your feeble attempts at civil chatter. Tell me why you brought that foolish girl back or you will all suffer my wrath," Vivian's voice was icy as she watched Julia's approach. She wasn't in the mood for idle chatter. If she didn't know better she'd think Julia was trying to stall her. Although Julia was far too selfish for that. She knew better than to think otherwise.

"Well it wasn't like she asked nicely. She had a gun. What was I supposed to let her do? Shoot me?" Julia attempted to keep her tone even. She hadn't done any of this of her own free will. She woul rather have stayed far, far away at home. It was far safer there.

"I trusted you to keep any potential threats away from this house. You violated that trust. Explain to me why you shouldn'tremain stuck here with the others until your final days," Vivian held a hand out to grab at the collar of Julia's sweater. She knew Julia's usual tactics of keeping her calm. Trying to placate her as if she were a beast to be caged. She wasn't about to herself be played like that again. She was no fool.

"I can help you get rid of those kids," Julia rushed to say. She didn't take too keenly to the idea of dying in this old manor. She hadn't wanted to live there. She wasn't going to die there.

"Oh really? You couldn't even deal with one of them. What makes you think you can handle 6?" Vivian's hand paused before it could grab Julia or harm her as she'd intended. She might be angry but she wasn't unreasonable.

"I have you to help me. If we get rid of Eliza we should be able to trap the other 5," Julia continued to suggest. It wasn't an entire lie. She wasn't entirely sure they'd be able to trap the others though. She did, however, wish to get rid of Eliza for good.

"I suppose we have a deal. Though you may not leave until the other 5 are mine forever," Vivian was tired of being played and made a fool of. Someone close to her had murdered her when she was alive even after all she'd done for them. Now in her afterlife no one got to mess with her.

"Thank you," Julia conceded. She was just glad her mother wasn't going to kill her right then and there. Though there was still time for that to change, which worried her.

Pov Change

Alex didn't fully trust Eliza but she was probably their best chance of getting out of there. So he decided to take her back with him. He just hoped that Tracy and Sam had stayed put. He'd hate for them to get separated and potentially lost. Especially with 2 potential threats. One of which could be very lethal.

They'd decided to take the long way back instead of going straight through the foyer. There was a corridor on the other side of the kitchen that looped back to Beatrice's room. It wasn't the fastest way. But it was the furthest away from any direct pathways. Which was probably why Sam and Tracy were no longer there.

It wasn't all that bad though. All the evidence had been packed up and the bags they'd had for it were gone too. Plus there were no signs of a fight therefore they were most likely okay. Which was a relief to Alex really. He'd hate to lose his newfound friends. Even if this was just trauma bonding or whatever. He genuinely hoped they'd continue talking outside of this house... if they ever made it out.