Some Memories Are Unforgettable

I woke up due to the smell of fresh baked cherry pie; my favorite kind of pie in the whole world. It was probably coming from the kitchen...a breakfast dessert perhaps? Chef must've been in a good mood today.

As I changed into my dress, I walked downstairs to the dining room, where Lydia was already waiting for me with a schedule for the day in her hand. She helped me into my seat and then started reading off the schedule while I munched on my breakfast.

"Miss Alice, most of today will consist of meeting with Mr. Teebo. I assume that you remember you have to travel to London and meet with the head of the poem committee."

I nodded. The Fimlim had been publishing all kinds of books for many years now. Children's books, art books, poetry, novels of all kinds. You could publish almost anything at Fimlim Publishing. Yesterday, the head of the poetry committee, Mr. Teebo, said that we were having some problems with the management of editing and requested a meeting. I didn't ask for too much information, but I wrote back that I would be visiting soon. I guess Lydia read that letter and decided to go visit today.

Lydia continued, "After that, we will stay in London till tomorrow's assembly, where you'll give a speech to the Fimlim Publishing Corporation and explain how you will run things after your grandfather."

"Thank you," I mumbled, wiping the juice off of my mouth with a napkin. "But Lydia, is that speech really required?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, because I hear many people are doubting your skills. Mainly because, well, you are a woman. But also because of your age."

I sighed. "I understand. I'll think up of a speech tonight, or on the way to London. Are we taking the train or carriage?" I asked.

"Train. A carriage would take too long."

***

"Take care of the house Ada!" I yelled.

Ada bid us farewell with a wave before going back into the house. Ada was the head of the maids, and she had been with the Fimlims for many years now, since before I was born.

The ride to the train station was fairly short. While Lydia was taking care of our tickets, I wandered around the station, trying to find something interesting to do. Luckily, nobody here today seemed to recognize me.

"Alice!"

Ugh. Of course.

I turned around and jumped over to Jack.

"Hello Jack!" I said happily, hopping onto his feet extra harshly.

"Ah! Ouch!" he screamed. He jumped away from me. "What was that for?"

"For almost killing me last night. Isn't that obvious?" I asked with a false grin. Jack suddenly frowned, like a lost puppy dog wandering around the streets of London. Jack lowered his head.

"I'm sorry," he said, glancing up at me with his...sad puppy dog face. The puppy dog face didn't help. It didn't help the pile of grudges I held over him, which built over over the years into a giant mountain.

"I still hate you."

With those words said, I walked away from Jack to find Lydia.

Those words were necessary. Although they were rude, and extremely mean, they expressed how I truly felt towards Jack. Towards Death. There was nothing he could do that would ever make me forget the tragic incident from five years ago.

"Wait! Alice!" Jack yelled.

I turned around impatiently, glaring at him.

"What?"

He hesitated for a second before shaking his head frantically in frustration.

"Look, I know you still hate me for what happened five years ago, but it couldn't be helped! It wasn't a situation like Lucille's!" he pleaded desperately. "Lucille has a sickness which I can cure! Your family had another mortal trying to kill them!"

I turned my back to him, ignoring his words.

"Alice! You ready to go?" Lydia asked, waving her arm at the entrance of a train carriage. I nodded and ran over to her.

_______

"W-What? What do you mean?"

"It's almost time for your parents...and Katherine...to go."

"G-Go where? I d-don't want them to g-go," I stammered.

"I can't help it. It's another mortal. I don't have control over what other mortals want to do," he said sadly.

Jack swung his scythe over his shoulder. It was the first time I'd ever seen him look sad. A sad face instead of a smiling one. A guilty one.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice cracking at the last word.

I was confused. What was going on? Where were my parents going? There were no trips or business plans for the whole week. It was the week of Katherine's birthday. They weren't going to go anywhere for that.

My eyes widened. Could it be that they planned a surprise trip?

Jack had already disappeared, so I ran out of my room, down the hallway to my parent's suite. Yes. That must've been what Jack was talking about. A surprise trip! For Katherine's birthday! She'd be thrilled to hear that we were going somewhere for her birthday!

I loved my little sister.

I loved my parents.

It was supposed to be a fun week.

But when I ran into my parent's suite, all that was left was three corpses...and a thick pool of blood lapping at my feet.

Dad's eyes were open, blanking staring towards the door...no...towards me. The sparkling blueness to them were gone. Instead, they were pale and blank.

Mom's eyes were closed, but her hair was filled with blood. Red liquid. They stained her brown hair black. Red-black.

And Katherine...Katherine's neck was twisted at an odd angle. One of her eyes were open and the other was closed. Her arms were also placed at a strange angle. Katherine wasn't shot like mom or dad. She was strangled.

I collapsed onto the ground, the blood soaking through my clothes. It wasn't until another ten minutes that the servants found us.

________

"Alice! Miss Alice!"

I woke up, startled.

Lydia was watching me, her eyes sad with concern.

"Was it...that nightmare again?" she asked hesitantly.

I rubbed my head but nodded. "Yeah. Exactly the same one."

Before Lydia could get another word of comfort in, I extended my hand and held it in front of her as a stop.

"I'm fine now," I said with a smile. "I'm fine. It's just some bad memories from five years ago. I'm fine now."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "You said 'I'm fine' three times in one sentence."

"Emphasizing just how fine I am," I replied with a confident nod.

That's right. I won't let the past stop me. I won't let it stop me from doing what I've been working towards for the last five years of my life. Time heals wounds, but those wounds don't always disappear.

Jack was a main reason I never forgot.

I know it wasn't his fault my family was murdered. But if I had traded my life for theirs. Or if I had gone on different demon hunting trips with him...would they have had a different ending awaiting them? Or would Jack continue to carry out his job?

An hour later, we arrived in London-the headquarters of the Fimlim Publishing Corporation.

Also the capitol of Great Britain, home to Queen Victoria.

Lydia guided me through the crowded streets of London. Small shops were open, all of them getting a lot of customers constantly going in and out. Business was good here, but very expensive for some people.

"Lydia?" I asked.

"Yes Miss Alice?"

"I was just wondering," I licked my lips, "Do you think we could stop by that sweets shop before we go to our headquarters?" I asked, pointing to a sweets shop labeled, "Fun and Laughter". Many children were looking through the glass panel, admiring the skillfully crafted candy art.

Lydia smiled. "Of course. Shall we go there now?"

I nodded. "Yes!"