The Dead Travel Fast

Chapter 5

5

“So, Victoria, I know you look forward to Christmas vacation,” said my dad. “What did you do today?”

The four members of my family—my mom, my dad, my sister, and I—were all sitting at the big wooden dinner table. Until now, my parents had been having an animated conversation that I hadn’t been listening to. My dad was a doctor who did complicated medical research, and my mom used to run a real estate business, so they had a lot of loud conversations about subjects that Tori and I neither understood nor found interesting. While these conversations went on, Tori and I rarely bothered to talk to each other. Tori usually found it more entertaining to make faces at her phone than to socialize with me, and I had a tendency to get wrapped up in my own world.

Now that Dad had asked her a question, Tori launched into an excited explanation of everything that she and her friends had done this afternoon. Someone’s parents had taken them to a movie theater to see the newest Disney movie, and then they had eaten at some burger place and gone shopping. When she finished, my parents nodded indulgently, and my dad said, “Very interesting.”

“Yeah, you did what every other fifth grader in the country did today,” I said sarcastically. “So interesting.”

“Well, what did you do today?” demanded Tori.

Hmm, let’s see, what happened today? I thought bitterly. I had heard voices in my head on multiple occasions. I had made Gigi cry at school. I had met some very odd people. Oh, and let’s not forget that I witnessed some kind of gang meeting and a murder. That’s the best part.

So perhaps I could be forgiven if I paused for a moment, unsure of what to say.

“Answer the question!” my dad snapped.

Mom spoke for me. “She came home from school late,” she said, “and then she went into her room and stayed there all day.”

This was true. I had locked myself in my room as soon as I had gotten home. What could I say? I was terrified. Tori snorted in a smug sort of way, which annoyed me, so I cried defensively, “I bought Christmas presents and I had to wrap them!”

“They better be good presents, then,” said my dad.

Whoops. I made a mental note to myself to get them extra nice presents this year.

“I hope you took some time to do homework,” said my dad. “I don’t want to see any more B minuses.”

I sighed. “We’ve already talked about this, Dad. I’m trying.”

“Tori only ever gets As.”

I didn’t even want to answer this. “Good for her.”

My parents being the people that they were, Tori seemed to see that this was not a good topic to linger on. She changed the subject. “I saw all of your friends hanging out at the mall today.”

I felt my face turn red.

“Well, they asked me if I could hang out with them, obviously,” I lied. They had done no such thing. “I said no because I wanted to buy Christmas presents.”

Tori looked a little doubtful. “Couldn’t you have done that while you were with them?”

I shrugged, silently willing Tori to shut up. I didn’t need her to rub it in that I needed to lie to her and my parents to give off the impression that my social life wasn’t pathetic. In truth, my “friends” would not have cared if I was alive or dead, but my family didn’t need to know that. I wanted them to think that I was popular and happy, not sad and clingy. I suppose, even as I was jealous of Tori, even as my mom yelled at me, and even as my dad bored me to death, I was always trying to impress them. Too bad I was probably the lamest daughter and older sister that anyone could have.

Tori went on about her fun day and her fun friends. I zoned out. I had this strange frantic feeling. It was almost as if I were running out of time, and I should be trying to preserve this moment in some way, because I would never have a moment like this again. Every minute that slipped by made me feel more and more upset. I knew it didn’t make any sense. This evening was like any other evening, after all. There was no need to save it. But at the same time, I could feel fear rising in my chest. Deep down, I knew that I was about to lose something forever.

You’re right, Abbie.

I jumped in my seat. My family didn’t notice; they just kept on talking.

If you don’t leave this house soon and bring your family with you, you will lose something forever.

Celeste’s voice cackled.

Unless, of course, your family doesn’t matter to you. If they don’t, I understand. Blood families aren’t always the best families. I would know. Many of my sisters would have understood that, too.

I gritted my teeth and looked around at my family. They were still talking about who knows what. They couldn’t hear the voice.

Celeste kept talking in my head.

I don’t see you getting up. I don’t see you telling them to leave this house, to run away while they still can. I suppose you don’t care about your family, then. That’s all right, Abbie. I felt the same way about my blood family. They abandoned me when I needed them. I hope joining the witches and getting a new family will mean to you what it meant to me all those years ago.

“Just—SHUT UP!” I slammed the table.

Tori stopped talking. My parents looked at me incredulously. “Abbie, apologize to your sister!” my mom said, after a long moment of stunned silence.

“Not you!” I cried. I hadn’t even known that Tori was speaking. I just wanted to get that voice out of my head, to make it go away… I buried my face in my hands, feeling tears come to my eyes. “I just—I just need…”

“What is wrong with you?” Tori demanded.

“I’m sorry. I’m just tired. And I don’t feel well.” I stood up, shoved away my chair, and ran up the big staircase to my room. I stormed into my room, slamming the door behind me. Celeste was laughing and laughing and laughing in my head.

What a pathetic person you are, she howled. It’s hard to believe that you’re the one who has the power to defeat Goldie.

“Stop, stop, stop,” I whispered under my breath, covering my ears uselessly and rocking back and forth.

You’re such a child. A child throwing a tantrum. Master yourself already! And then get out of that house!

I didn’t know what to do. Should I go downstairs and tell my family to leave? It sounded utterly ridiculous, and I would make a complete fool out of myself, but perhaps it would make that dratted voice go away. I was still thinking about this when I heard a loud knock on my bedroom door.

“Come in,” I said.

My mom was in the doorway. She came over and sat next to me on my bed. “What’s wrong, Abbie?” she began abruptly. “You’ve been acting weird all day.”

“Nothing,” I mumbled.

“What did you actually do after school today?” my mom continued. “I don’t see any Christmas presents. Or wrapping paper.”

“I hid them.”

“Hmm.”

I avoided her gaze, gazing blankly at the wall.

“Abbie.”

“What?”

“I’m waiting for an answer. What. Is. Wrong?”

I could have told her about the voice. I could have told her about Cynthia and Goldie. Heck, I could even have told her about how all of my friends sucked. I opened my mouth to speak and closed it again.

“There’s nothing wrong, Mom.”

My mom stood up, rising to her full height. She towered above me, her eyes cast in shadow. “If you don’t tell me what’s really going on, you’re grounded.”

I wasn’t going to tell her about Celeste. I wasn’t going to ask if we could leave this house, at least for one night. “Fine.”

“And I’m taking your phone away.”

“Fine. You do that.”

A fleeting expression of sadness passed over my mom’s face as she studied my lack of reaction. “You don’t have any friends, do you?” she said.

I looked up at her. She was actually concerned. She was finally starting to realize how lonely her daughter was. I knew she was right, but her words still hurt.

“Good night,” I said.

That was her cue to leave. She walked out of my room, her usually upright, confident shoulders sagging. I watched her go.

And that was the last time I ever saw her.