Chapter 44: Bravery

Susan looked around at everyone. Many of them trembling in fear of who was next.

Serenity and Thomas were both silently crying, though Thomas had people comforting him, Serenity was alone and left to think by herself.

"Come on now, we don't have all day. The sun will go bye-bye and the Temptress will surely lure another one of you into her den. So, who's next?"

I couldn't believe how unserious Susan was being about this. Nothing felt right about her being her, what she knew, and her getting this information out of people.

"Evangeline, this doesn't feel right." Lily tugged on my sleeve and whispered to me.

"I know, she is doing a bit too much for my liking. You don't think she has something to do with the Temptress, do you? How, if her grandparents lived in this town, did they not know, or did no one know, how to defeat it? It isn't adding up. Sure, it screams every time someone reveals something, but what if it's the reverse of what she is saying?"

Lily's eyes almost bulged out of her head as I spoke. The color drained from her face and she looked as if she was going to be sick.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you. Regardless of what is happening, or what Susan is, we will get out of here and you back to a normal life, like I promised. Okay?"

She bobbed her head up and down, saying nothing.

"Have you thought hard enough about your own secret, Evangeline? You seem to be having a nice conversation over there, care to share?" Susan leaned back casually on her arms and extended her legs.

"You seem to be sitting so casually over there, yet I know you know something. Something you're not telling us. That or you're lying about this whole thing."

I copied her movements. Maybe the less I seemed to care, the more I could rile her up and get her to show every color she had stowed away.

Her face faltered slightly from the smirk she was wearing. I could cut the tension between us with a knife.

"And why would I lie? I told you, it only fuels that thing more. So we can sit here and let it consume you one by one, or we can get this over quickly and go about our day."

I glared at her. I still didn't buy it. Sooner or later, Susan would crack, and whatever she was hiding would come to light. I would make sure of it. For now, I guess I would continue along with her plan.

"Whatever."

"Wonderful. Glad we can move on. Why don't you go next? You've had plenty of time to think on it."

She shot my glare right back at me. I rolled my eyes.

"I still can't think of anything else you want me to share, Susan."

"I'll go." A voice to my right piped up.

Dr. Richards lifted his head and gave me a subtle nod. He turned to Susan and drew in a big breath before blowing it out. Susan made eye contact and smiled at him, yet it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I was going to marry Jennifer. I still have the ring. But we argued the day that she went into the forest. I told her that if she went, I would never forgive her because I knew something was out there. I was so scared she wouldn't come back, so I gave her an ultimatum. If she walked into the forest, we would be over. She cried, but told me it was a part of her destiny. She had to do something to save the children who kept disappearing. Only to disappear herself. I loved her so much, more than I could ever love anyone ever again. I didn't get to tell her goodbye or give her the ring. I was furious with her, so I let it ruin my final moment with her and I'll never forgive myself. I wish I could tell her I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Everyone was quiet. Dr. Richards' tears fell onto his shirt, leaving small wet spots as it soaked them up. Beside me, Lily sniffled. I looked over to her as her own tears were falling down her cheeks. I rubbed her back and gave her a small smile.

Susan began to clap slowly, breaking the silence among everyone.

"Beautiful story. Truly. The thing in the woods loved it. That screech was positively dreadful, wasn't it?"

No one responded to her. It wasn't even worth it. I began to replay Dr. Richards' story in my head. It was similar to mine, but I fortunately found my parents. In this moment, I really appreciated Dr. Richards; he gave me a bit of confidence that I could tell my truth and wouldn't be isolated for it.

"No time to lose on mourning, who's next!"

I took a deep breath. Everyone around me hardly knew who I was. And this thing that I've kept in my heart for a long time was the rawest thing about me. I wished Janet were here. She knew everything about me. She would hold my hand while I said it, but currently, I had no one who compared to her.

I can hear her in my mind, "do it Evangeline, be brave", and that's all I can be in this moment. Brave for her, for Lily, and for Finley, because I'll be damned if after this we don't finish what we started that night in the dorms.

"I'll go."

Susan whipped her head and gave me a sly smile and sat up, crossing her legs together and resting her elbows on the sides of her knees. She sat her chin on top of her hands and cocked her eyebrow.

"Go on." She insisted.

I sucked in one more breath and closed my eyes. Images of my parents laughing and playing with me as a child clouded my brain. I could already feel the tears starting to burn my eyes.

"My parents died because of me."