Chapter Text
In the late 1880's, there lived a young woman named Emily. She was the daughter of a wealthy family in a small village near a forest. They moved from the United Kingdom to the United States after the father met another man in charge of a rich family who promised a better future for Emily's family.
Emily herself was said to be a kind, generous, caring and loving person who would easily win the hearts of others, even if it was simply saying 'hello'. One day, she met a plenty good-looking stranger who was not from town and had very little money. Having fallen in love and feeling sorrow for the guy, she offered him marriage and her family's fortune but her father heavily disapproved. That didn't stop the two to plan an secret elope.
Emily took her mother's wedding dress, wore a few family jewels and a satchel of gold for her soon-to-be husband. The secret wedding was planned in the forest near the old graveyard and by an old oak tree. She arrived at the location and eagerly awaited for what felt more than an hour.
Emily was reported missing the next morning with her jewels and gold stolen. The authorities searched everywhere for her, including the woods but she was nowhere to be found. The stranger had also coincidentally disappeared from town the next morning but many believe that it was not.
================🖤================
A century later…
Within a dimly lit bedroom, a young woman, around the age of 24, was writing in her diary. She was wearing a dark black long sleeve shirt and matching pants. Black was the only color that mattered to her. Her shoulder length hair was jet black with a streak of light purple. She looked relatively young despite being in her mid twenties, her white skin being a sharp contrast to her dark clothing and style.
The inside of her room was dark. The black painted walls covered in posters from movies and bands she was very fond. Her bed in the left corner of the room, which was covered in black pillows and blankets, had was next to a window that had its blind down, allowing very little sunlight inside her room. In between the exit door and closet was a TV set with a collection of movies underneath. In the right side was her desk with a typewriter and a stack of books.
The goth girl, named Lily, was typing away on her typewriter, a gift from her father on her 16th birthday.
"Dear Diary: September 23rd. I've had another rough night of very little sleep. No matter…" Lily read out loud before pausing for a moment. She let out a soft whimper.
"…how many times times I close my eyes, I could still see him." She resumed. "All those loving memories of us together, father and daughter… before everything went to…"
Lily tooked a deep inhale before letting out a frustrating yell. She slammed a hand onto her desk before breaking down crying. This was every day for the past three years. Her life has been nothing but sadness, loneliness, grief and emptiness. It wasn't always like this.
Lily was once a happy, bright, loving and adorable little girl with bright blonde hair. She was very close with her father, who we're two peas in a pod. They would do everything together from watching movies, going to theme parks or concerts and family vacations. She had a good relationship with her mom but she was more closer with her dad.
But then a day after Lily's 21th birthday, tragedy struck. Lily's mom, June, called her that George, her husband, was in a horrible car accident and taken to the hospital only to sadly die shortly after. Lily still remembers the moment every single piece inside of her shatter into a million pieces. Her eyes unleashed rivers of tears and still continued to cry when no more tears came out.
The funeral went horribly for Lily as she had a mental breakdown during her speech. She looked at her father one last time before they closed the casket and buried him.
Since that day, Lily became who she is now. A lonely, empty, cynical goth girl who spends most of her days in her room either crying, reading books by authors like Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft or Bram Stoker, watching movies directed by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, John Carpenter or Wes Craven, listening to music by Pink Floyd or Rolling Stones or writing her own stories on her typewriter.
June likewise was broken by the death of her husband but her poor daughter still hasn't recovered from it. She tried everything to make Lily feel better but her efforts would end in vain. Lily would say that nothing or no one will make her feel better. She still loved her mom but the two we're not as close as mentioned earlier.
Lily continued to sob in her chair until a knock on her door occurred. She lifted her head up and cleaned her eyes before asking who it was.
"Lily, sweetheart? Are you available to talk?" A soft voice answered back. It was her mother.
"Y-Yeah, come in." Lily sniffled.
June stepped inside. She was in her mid 40s with short blonde curly hair and was wearing a generic white shirt and blue jeans. She looked upset and concerned. Even from behind the door she could hear her daughter crying. She took an extra chair nearby the door and sat down next to Lily.
"Good morning my little flower, you didn't sleep well last night again didn't you?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood but her daughter responded with an annoyed groan. She hated being called 'little flower'.
"Look Lily, you can't just stay in your room all day, every day. You need to go outside and experience the world again. And no, only going outside for work and the backyard doesn't count." June explained with a rather serious yet helpful tone in her voice.
Lily looked at her mom with her blue eyes, the same that her dad had. Whenever June would look into them she could picture her husband who she still missed.
"What's the point? The only person who made me happy was dad… but he's dead now. I will never be happy again." Lily answered harshly before getting up from her chair and crashing down into her bed.
June was at a lost for words. She was used to hearing Lily's sarcastic comments and quicks but this one really crossed the line. She was about to tell her off but decided not to. She got up from her chair and walked to the door.
"Fine. I guess I'm a horrible mother who doesn't deserve a child." She said while holding back tears and leaving.
Lily quickly felt guilt wash over her. She didn't realize what she had said was horrible. She lifted herself up but her mom was already gone. The tears came back.
================🖤================
15 minutes later…
Lily exited out of her bedroom. She held a book in hand. It was in fact a working process she herself was writing.
Downstairs in the living room was June sitting on the couch, watching TV. Her facial makeup was ruined from all the crying she had done. Just by looking at her made Lily's feel even more guilty.
"Hey mom." Lily said before sitting down next to the older woman. "I'm sorry for what I said. I was being an idiot for hurting your feelings."
Her mom looked over at her before pulling her daughter into a warm, forgiving hug. She held onto her baby so tightly. She didn't care that Lily was grown up, she was still the girl she had loved and cared for since birth.
Lily gave into it, her body warming up from her mother's embrace. One of the few things that made Lily feel a sense of happiness and comfort where hugs from another person.
"Thank you for apologizing. I'm also sorry for saying that I don't deserve to have a daughter like you. I was just… I feel like that no matter how hard I try to make you happy, I feel like I'm not trying hard enough." June explained. Her hand reached up to pet Lily's head.
"No, you are trying if not doing your best." Lily replied while looking up at her mom. "It's ME who is the problem. I have become so depressed and ungrateful that from now on, I'll do exactly what you said. I will go out and experience the world again." She then announced.
June smiled happily. Her daughter was finally going to get out of her room and enjoy life before it lasts. The two finally broke the hug before the older woman noticed the book in Lily's hands.
"Oh, is that your working process book I've heard you talking about?" She asked.
"Yes it is. It's still not finished but I want to tell you about."
Lily explained the plot involves an arranged marriage between two characters named Victor and Victoria. At first, they aren't fond of each other but begin to find love. The characters themselves are actually based off of Lily's own parents of a source of inspiration. She also believed that once she finished the book, she could try to get it published for the world to see.
"Oh that sounds amazing. You would make a great book author, you know?" June said with support. She was loving the idea of the book but asked if she could add her own touches.
Lily welcomed it. She figured that this could be a great bonding experience between her and her mother.
However, June then got a call from her workplace. She was in need to not only work for tonight but all of tomorrow until that night.
"Sorry Lily but I need to go. I can trust you to be alone for the rest of the night and tomorrow but if you ever need me, call me." She said before getting ready.
Lily was disappointed but she was used to be alone and knew that once her mom came back, they would watch a movie together. In the meantime, she would work more on her novel.
================🖤================
That night…
Outside behind Lily's house and neighborhood was a large forest. The trees were as tall as the eye could see and very dense. Deep within these woods was an old abandoned graveyard that supposedly dated back to the 17th century.
Lily was strolling her way through these woods. It was a hobby of her. Being goth and into dark and twisted stuff, she found being surrounded by trees with a dark sky above her to be soothing and relaxing.
She was busy brainstorming dialogue for her story. She was at the part where Victor says his vows to Victoria. She stopped at an old oak near the graveyard before acting out the scene.
"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine." She began before grabbing a twig off the ground. "With this candle, I will light your way in darkness."
She pretended to light a candle by placing the twig on a fallen tree branch before dropping it. She then pulled out something she carried with her out of her pocket. It was her dad's wedding ring. Years ago at his funeral, George was placed in his casket with his wedding ring on. But when no one was looking, Lily took it and hid it in her pocket before the casket was closed. Lily held onto it since then.
She stared at it for a bit before finishing her vows.
"With this ring, I ask you to be mine." She then noticed a branch sticking out of the ground before placing the ring through the smaller branch attached to it, pretending that it was a hand.
Lily noticed that upon closer inspection, the branch resembled that of a hand. A gust of wind blew by, causing her to shiver before the branch started to twitch slowly. Then it moved.
It grabbed onto Lily arm and pulled her towards the ground. The young woman screamed. She tried to pull away while the "branch" kept pulling. After a small tussle, Lily broke free and fell on her back. She sighed in relief before looking at her arm.
The "branch" was still holding onto it with its grip tighten. Now it was no longer a branch but in fact another arm, but skeleton with the ring still on.
"What the hell?!" Lily yelled in confusion and horror before taking the hand off.
Then the ground where the hand was started to rumble as something busted out. Another hand, but this one covered in flesh, crawled out as a figure stood up on its feet. Dirt and tree roots fell off as Lily gazed in horror.
The figure was about as tall as June and was wearing a wedding dress that was old and ruined. Its right hand was missing and its dark blue hair was long and messy.
It moved the white veil covering its face, revealing it to be a woman. Her skin was a pale, grayish blue, her lips were hot pink and her large eyes had black pupils with eyelashes and dark blue eye makeup.
"…I do…"