Chapter 39 Chapter 39
“ Some smiles are only pauses in the story because the real horror waits for the door to close ”
The mall was loud in the way only places meant for joy could be.. ....laughter echoing off tiled floors, music humming through hidden speakers, children darting between aisles clutching balloons and plastic bags. Halloween displays were everywhere. Fake cobwebs clung to storefronts, animatronic skeletons cackled on cue, and shelves overflowed with orange and black everything.
Clara tried to match the energy, she laughed when Trinity joked about a grotesque witch decoration. She commented animatedly on costume ideas.
She even twirled once in front of a mirror while holding up a cheap plastic mask, pretending to scare Trinity but it was forced.
Trinity saw it in the tightness of Clara’s smile, the way her laughter never quite reached her eyes and after the third aisle, Trinity stopped pushing the cart.
“Clara,” she said gently. “We don’t have to do this today.”
Clara blinked. “Do what?”
“This,” Trinity replied, gesturing vaguely around them. “Shopping and pretending. You know we can come back another time, when you’re feeling better.”
Clara’s hands tightened around the edge of the cart. “No,” she said quickly. “I need this. I just… I need something to distract my mind.”
Trinity studied her for a moment before speaking again, softer this time. “Running away from the problem won’t make it disappear.”
The words hit harder than Clara expected, her eyes glossed over instantly.
She turned her face away, inhaling deeply..once, twice.. fighting the sting behind her eyes. “I know,” she whispered. “I just… I don’t want to lose my father.”
Her voice trembled on the last word.
The thought of it.. of him slipping further away, of becoming a stranger to her made her stomach twist violently. It felt like grief already settling into her bones, heavy and premature.
Trinity stepped closer, lowering her voice so it wouldn’t carry. “You’re not going to lose him, I promise"
Clara shook her head weakly. “It already feels like I am. He doesn’t remember me anymore. He looked at me like I was a lie.”
“That’s the medication,” Trinity said firmly. “The nurse said so. Temporary memory loss, he’ll get better.”
Clara’s lips parted, her composure finally cracking. “And what if he doesn’t?” she asked, her voice breaking. “What if he never remembers me?”
Trinity sighed softly, resting her forehead against Clara’s for a brief moment. “You can’t live inside ‘what ifs,’ Clara, they’ll eat you alive. You have to do something.”
“Like what?” Clara asked bitterly. “He doesn’t even know who I am and it hurts.”
“This isn’t about you,” Trinity said honestly "Your father thinks he’s lost his entire family. That kind of grief… it can drown someone. He doesn’t need you to force him to remember. He needs someone who’s there. Someone who talks to him, makes him smile, takes it one step at a time.”
Clara swallowed hard
“If you keep showing up,” Trinity continued, “maybe the memories will follow. And even if they don’t right away, at least he won’t be alone.”
Clara nodded slowly, tears slipping free despite her efforts. “I just feel guilty,” she murmured. “Spending time with him means less time celebrating Halloween with you and i know how much you wanted to have fun this halloween.”
Trinity snorted. “I’ll ditch Halloween without blinking. Your father matters more than plastic pumpkins and fake blood.”
That earned Clara a small, genuine smile.
They moved on, slower now, more deliberate. Clara’s shoulders loosened slightly as they browsed, picking out simple decorations, nothing extravagant, just enough to make their apartment feel warm and alive.
They were debating between two string lights when someone collided lightly with Trinity.
“Oh! I’m so sorry,” Marilyn said immediately. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
Trinity turned, already shaking her head. “It’s fine, really.”
Marilyn smiled easily. She was dressed in soft neutrals that somehow made her stand out more than louder colors ever could.
“Mistakes happen,” she said with a light laugh. “I was distracted.”
She glanced between them. “I’m Marilyn. What are your names?”
“Trinity,” Trinity replied.
“Clara Voss"
“Pretty names,” Marilyn said, genuinely. “So....late Halloween decorations or early Christmas denial?”
Trinity laughed. “Late Halloween. We’re in denial.”
That was how it started before they knew it, they were standing together, debating the merits of gothic versus playful Halloween setups.
Marilyn had strong opinions, she liked drama, intensity, bold visuals. Clara found herself laughing more than she had in days, the conversation pulling her briefly out of her spiraling thoughts. For a moment, the world felt… normal.
Mayor Brattfield froze in the doorway, his breath catching as his eyes took in the scene before him. Blood splattered the walls, soaked into the carpet, streaked across the once pristine hotel white sheets.
The girl lay crumpled near the bed, lifeless.
“Marilyn,” he snapped, fury and panic tangling in his chest. “What the hell did you do? "
Marilyn lounged in a chair by the window, legs crossed, unbothered. She didn’t even look at the body.
“She was annoying,” Marilyn said lazily. “ Always crying and whining like a baby "
“You acted impulsively,” he barked. “We could’ve replaced her "
Marilyn sighed, stretching as though bored. “ I know but I didn’t feel like waiting anymore.”
He ran a hand through his hair, groaning. “Now I have to explain this to Bryant. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble this brings? ”
Marilyn stood slowly, her movements deliberate, sensual. She walked toward him, closing the distance until she was pressed against his chest. Her arms slid around his neck, her lips brushing his jaw.
“Calm down, ” she murmured, kissing him slowly.
His body betrayed him, tension easing despite his anger.
She smiled against his skin. “Besides,” she whispered, “I already have someone new in mind. I know who I want the replacement to be”
And just like that, his worry melted replaced by dread. He knew the kind of trouble Marilyn caused when she acted impulsive besides Bryant already got the replacement for her already