Book of the Hidden

by Annalynne Thorne

  Across the field Vivian pitched the keys to Jean.

  "What are these?"

  "They're keys, you use them to drive," Vivian said sarcastically.

  "I knew that! Why are you handing them to me?"

  "I don't feel like driving," and she ended the conversation at that while they threw their bags in the backseat. They didn't bother talking on the way out of town. Vivian kept her eyes on the blur of trees and houses, the wind howling in her ear. On some occasions she heard mumblings from Jean that she was cold, but Vivian did not pay any attention. For right now she loved the cold. It numbed her senses, though not her mind. No, her mind was reeling ever so fast with images of Seth, Jean, Astrid, Aunt June, Aunt Karen, and Joan.

  When they reached the hotel, they went to drag out their suitcases from the backseat of the jeep.

  "WHAT THE ---!?" Jean jumped. Her hand to her chest.

  "What?" Vivian peered onto the floor, all curled up there seemed to be some sort of lump of blankets. They stirred slightly when Jean yelled, but did not move anymore.

  "What do you think it is?" Jean leaned forward cautiously.

  Vivian put her palm out in front of her blowing the blankets off of a tiny boy with blond hair. "Jake," she said to Jean.

  "What's he doing here?"

  Vivian shrugged, and opened the door kneeling down on the floorboard. "Jake, Jake wake up," she shook his shoulder gently.

  "Hmmm?" Jake opened his eyes slowly rubbing them with the heel of his palms, and looked clearly at Vivian. "Oh, hi Vivian."

  "Jake, what are you doing here?"

  "You have a room you know."

  Vivian shot a dirty look at Jean, and turned again to Jake. "What are you doing here," she repeated.

  He yawned tiredly before speaking. "Seth told me to keep an eye on you."

  "Okay, that's it! I don't care if we miss the funeral - the rascal is going back." Jean went to get back into the drivers seat when Vivian raised her palm once more and the door shut before she could reach it.

  "He stays Jean. We're not going to drive him all the way back."

  "Fine," she snapped.

  "C'mon, we're sneaking you in." Vivian picked Jake up in her arms slamming the door with her foot.

  She was very careful to not drop him while Jean opened the hotel room window for her to crawl through. Before she had even laid him down on one of the beds, he was fast asleep, his eyes closed and fluttering with dreams, his breath deep and even.

  “You want me to mail Seth?” Jean whispered beside her.

  “No, let him sleep,” she pulled down a blanket from the back of a recliner and covered the small boy up to his chin.

  “So much has changed,” Jean said as though she had lost some kind of battle.

  “What?” Vivian looked over to see her sister sitting on the edge of the bed next to Jake.

  “We were not to get close to humans, we were not to bring anyone that had family into the Underground. We’re changing them even, which is strictly forbidden. Feels like we failed Maeve….”

  Vivian’s heart felt like it dropped somewhere on the floor, and someone had stomped on it. “Maeve didn’t write the book Jean, and she never agreed to not change someone back if that is what they desired. I don’t think that I failed her, and you shouldn’t think that way either.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Don’t get used to me saying that,” Jean laughed.

  “Of course not.” Vivian climbed in bed next to her.

  It seemed they had not slept at all when they woke the next day. Vivian wondered if she had slept at all. They had no need to set the alarm clock anyway for Jake had bounced onto their bed an hour before they had to get up.

  “Vivian! Jean! Wake up, it’s morning!”

  Jean had outstretched her arm, and grabbed the boy by his shirt tugging him down. She leaned over him with her finger to her lips to indicate silence. “Shhhh. You have to be quiet.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, if you don’t I will be forced to send you outside to sleep with the bugs.”

  Jake smiled humorously, and jumped back down. “When we going?”

  "It's 'when are we going', not 'when we going,'" Jean corrected. “And we? What's we?” She raised her brows. “No no no,” she changed her voice to a sweet cooing sound. “You are not coming with us. You are going to stay in this room, and keep out of trouble. You keep the door and window locked. You stay in bed.”

  “Oh c’mon.” Jake looked over at Vivian who had her back still turned to him. She could feel his eyes on her, and she stirred pulling the blankets around her tighter.

  “No, despite Jean’s lack of comprehending that you are older than the age of six, she’s right. You can’t come with us.”

  “But Seth – “

  Vivian had sat upright and looked at him seriously. “Seth may be your brother - your guardian, but while you are here with us, you do as we say. We are responsible for you now. So don’t argue.” She swung her feet onto the floor rubbing her tired eyes.

  “Ugh. We have an hour to waste.”

  The red luminous numbers on the clock were right. They had a full hour until they had to leave for the funeral. Vivian stood up reaching her fingertips to the ceiling, but they did not reach, and then splashed her face with cold water in the bathroom.

  “How does breakfast sound?” Vivian turned to lean on the wall separating the bathroom from the rest of the room. She pointed the question at Jake who was sulking on his bed.

  “Fruit Loops with m&m’s?” jake asked?

  “What?!” Jean stopped brushing her.

  Jake shrugged, not surprised at her yelling. “Seth and I used to eat them with mom and dad.”

  The corners of Vivian’s mouth curled in a smile. It was the first time Jake had mentioned anything of his and Seth’s past. Seth didn’t even mention it.

  “Okay, Fruit Loops with m&m’s it is.”

  They dressed for the funeral hoping they wouldn’t spill any food on themselves. She didn’t know about Jean, but Vivian really wanted to make a good impression, to let them know she is perfectly well without them. She brushed her hair pulling it neatly back into a ponytail, something she hasn’t done since she was human. She wore a silver silk skirt draping to her knees, and a silver silk top, the neckline cutting into a ‘v’. A smile looked back at her from the mirror. If only she had the silver hair, and lighter eyes, she could pass off as an elf.

  “Jean, you ready?” Vivian emerged from the bathroom seeing her sister with straight hair let down over her shoulders. A long black skirt covered her legs to her ankles, and a long sleeved cream colored button down blouse.

  “What do you think?” She held out her arms to her sides, giving a slight pose with no humor.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “I’m dressed okay am I?” Jake had stood up, looking over his wrinkled jeans and shirt.

  Vivian laughed, kneeling in front of him running her hand an inch from his body from neck to ankles. Standing back she looked over her work. She couldn’t see one crease.

  “Good job, it’s an improvement,” Jean nodded.

  They walked to the buffet on the first floor of the hotel. A line of heated food, and at the very end, a see-through refrigerator with an array of cold foods. Jake made a straight line to those while Vivian and Jean loaded their plates with eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes. It was only when they chose a small round table with linen cloth they heard a high pitched voice squealed over by the fridge.

  "Oh my! It's you! Oh, they showed your picture on the news with the mysterious claw marks. Tell me son, what made those?" A woman in her forties with short curly gray hair wearing a flowered dress had stopped Jake when he reached for a bowl. She smiled wide with her yellow teeth showing.

  "Uhhh...."

  "Well spit it out. All my friends would love to know what happened." The woman suddenly frowned, and gave a look as if something stunk under her nose. "Where is your terrible brother dear."

  Jake
pulled his hand away from the bowl with such a fierce look on his face, nothing like Vivian had witnessed in such a small child. "He's not terrible!"

  "Oh, you poor thing, he must have brainwashed you."

  Vivian slammed down her knife with a clatter, and marched over standing between them. Her face was close to the woman’s, and she could see all the fine wrinkles lining her face. "Get your nose out of his business."

  The woman crossed her arms, and stared at her with unsurprised interest. "And who may I ask are you?"

  "You may not ask. Just go away."

  "I do not see that useless boy Seth around here, so I must take him," and Vivian watched as the woman reached her hand out to grab Jake, but Vivian was too quick, and snatched her wrist twisting it painfully around her back watching as the woman’s knees began to buckle.

  "Do - not - touch - him," she could feel her temper rise in her dangerously.

  "I could have you arrested," she squeaked and turned only causing her more pain.

  "Vivian!" Jean had appeared at her side.

  Vivian had suddenly became aware of the servers behind the buffet tables, and other curious breakfast eaters watching her. She let go of the woman’s wrist, not bothering to help her as she stumbled.

  "I should call the police!"

  "No, no that is not necessary," Jean stood close to her sister's side.

  "Who are you?" The woman sneered at Jean.

  Jake had suddenly wedged a space between them standing there smirking. "She," Jake pointed at Vivian, "is Seth's wife. She is taking me on vacation! We're going to the zoo. And she," he pointed at Jean, "is her sister. She came along."

  The woman straightened up with some difficulty placing her hand on her back. Her bones were obviously not in the greatest shape. "Where is your brother then?"

  "Oh, he has to work. He wished he could have come, but we're going to bring him back a t-shirt!"

  The woman huffed in indignation, and stomped away. No one paid attention to that scene, and Vivian found that she wasn't worried. The woman wouldn't call the police... She appeared to be a bit senile.

  Just then Vivian was struck with how well known the two brothers must be now. It was amazing how many humans were interested in the unknown, but none of them paid the least bit attention when it was right in front of their eyes. They truly were blind to the magical world that so closely collides with theirs.

  "Come on, we're going to eat in the room," Jean lead Jake and Vivian away, taking their plates, and Jake's fresh bowl of Fruit Loops and m&m's with them.

  When the door closed behind them, and they sat everything down, Vivian turned to the boy who happily ate his breakfast. "Seth's wife?"

  Jake smiled. "Someday."

  Vivian opened her mouth to protest, but shut it not sure of what to say.

  "Viv, we should get going."

  "Oh I want to come..." Jake whined again.

  Vivian sighed, and looked over to Jean for help, but she only shrugged her shoulders turning her back to them. Vivian looked down at Jake's anxious face.

  "Fine, you can come."

  "Viv?" Jean asked cautiously.

  "We can keep a better eye on him when he's with us," she whispered when she walked over to her. "It's best that we know exactly what he's doing. I don't trust that someone won’t knock on this door, and it being someone like Astrid."

  Jean looked up, worried etched on her face, and in her voice. "You think she will be after revenge."

  "No doubt. Come on Jake." She headed towards the window opening it to the full parking lot. There was no need to attract anymore attention than necessary. So they all climbed through, and piled in the car, Jake curling into a tiny ball in the backseat like he had when they found him in the jeep yesterday.

  The Church was ordinary, small, with a steeple cross reaching high for the heavens. The light gray stone made it look odd as though it had not always been a Church, but a few renovations changed that for the time being. Beyond it you could see a graveyard with a metal fence running around the gravestones protruding from the ground. There was a fresh new one, not stained yet from bird droppings and bad weather. At the foot of it, a six foot hole was dug into the ground. Vivian had the image of her aunt being lowered into it, but it caused her eyes to sting from tears, and she diverted her thoughts.

  Familiar cars filled the parking lot, all of them Vivian recognized as her families. It was all becoming real to her now, as since she found out about her aunt, it had all felt like a dream, and she was just now being woken up rudely. If only she could go back into her dream state, then maybe she could handle her family better than she thinks she could.

  “Viv, lets go.” Jean prodded her shoulder, and Vivian like a statue, had come to life.

  The funeral home smelled appropriately like a mix of flowers and tears. The walls were draped in dark blue with tiny flowers all connected through a stem making curly designs never to be broken.

  “Oh, I hate this place. Always smells like the vampires rooms.”

  Vivian shot her a warning look as a man in a clean pressed black suite came up to them with a friendly, isn’t-it-sad-to-be-you, smile.

  “Hello ladies, and young gentlemen,” he bowed sweetly to Jake. “May I ask who you are with?”

  “Karen Jones.”

  The man nodded, and pointed down the hallway they were facing. “Make the first right.”

  The three of them walked uncommonly slow. When it came to seeing their family, they were in no hurry, not even Jean.

  Somber whispers reached them from around the corner to the room, and when they saw inside it made Vivian’s stomach lunge forward. It wasn’t a shocking sight, she knew her family would be here, but now there was no turning back, they had seen them.

  Whispers died down when they walked through the opened double doors. The room was painted in off-white, the black coffin trimmed in gold laid at the bottom of the wooden pulpit. Fold out chairs lined up in front of it.

  “Vivie! Jean!” A small girl with fair hair in a flowered dress and shiny black shoes and stockings came running towards them. Vivian and Jean knelt down to hug her.

  “They said you wouldn’t have the guts to come, that you didn’t care enough, but you did!” Joan smiled through thick tears running down her cheeks.

  “Said that did they?” Vivian looked up at the staring faces surrounding her. “Proved them wrong didn’t we?”

  Joan nodded vigorously looking over at the new face. “Who’s he?”

  “This is Jake, he’s a friend of ours,” Jean said.

  “Is he like you two?”

  "What do you mean?"

  "Cousin Ike told me the truth, that you're both witches."

  Cousin Ike was a tall, lanky, dumb-witted teenager. He didn't understand the concept of a secret especially within family. It was amazing that Joan didn't find out long before now.

  Vivian gave a wide smile. It was a comfort, probably the only comfort she will have all day because Joan was not afraid of who they were, and not afraid to say it. "No, he's not like us."

  Joan nodded, understanding. “It’s nice to meet you,” she smiled sweetly to Jake.

  “Joan, sweetie, you shouldn’t be talking with them,” a lady laid a hand on Joan’s shoulder. Her voice was fake, and forceful were her eyes over a long hooked nose that looked disapprovingly over at Jean and Vivian.

  “Courtney, how nice, you are looking after Joan,” Jean smirked sarcastically.

  “Yes, but she is family after all. Family sticks together. Isn’t that right?”

  Vivian felt every vein in her body turn boiling hot, and her heart pounded in her chest. She lurched forward, but Jean gently pressed a hand on her shoulder forcing her backwards.

  “Your right cousin Courtney. That is exactly what family does. Obviously your family doesn’t look too well after each other.”

  A silence filled with hatred pushed against them hoping to drown them, but Vivian hardly took notice. She looked at her sister with curiosity
and a hint of anger. How could she say that? Even their kind died, but it didn’t make it their fault as it was here. It wasn’t anyone’s fault in this room that Aunt Karen died.

  Jean must have realized what she said, because her cheeks reddened.

  Vivian patted Joan on her head, and walked to stand over casket, but when she was there, she wished she hadn’t moved because the sight took her breath away. Inside the casket laid her Aunt Karen, but it wasn’t her. Her face, and hands were too white, her hair was not pulled into a bun, but laid dead over her shoulders. This wasn’t her Aunt Karen at all.

  She felt a presence beside her, and saw Jean looking down at their aunt with tear-filled eyes. Jean pulled Vivian closer to her, and she clung to her arm.

  The rest was a blur. Through the service the sisters sat together with Jake between them, in the back of the church by themselves. Joan had made an attempt to sit with them, but Courtney yanked on her arm directing her towards the family.

  The service was long and drawn out, but nobody seemed to notice, and Vivian got the odd feeling that no one was paying attention. It was only when everyone stood up that she had moved.

  The line went slowly by the casket, people kissing, touching, and whispering in the ear of the corpse. Who were they kidding? It wasn’t Aunt Karen, it would never be Aunt Karen until she sat up and nagged Vivian like she always had.

  When it was their turn, Vivian could barely look inside the casket, but she did, gently touching the casket. And she walked away. She could feel Jean's and Jake's eyes on her retreating back, but she did not look back at them.

  The warmth of the sun hit her face making the chills Vivian felt inside melt away. To her right, she could see everyone gathering inside the gates of the cemetery, around the six-foot hole in the ground. With legs that felt like concrete, she joined the others, but from a distance. While they were gathered close around, shoulder to shoulder, she stood alone at the side of the grave until Jean and Jake came to stand beside her.

  The preacher started with another prayer, and how such a wonderful person Karen was. None of it was noticed by Vivian, she kept her eyes at the grave where Aunt Karen's coffin was perched upon some boards. Tonight they were to lower her there, and cover her up with pounds of dirt. It seemed so disrespectful to her at that moment, to put her in the ground, to act as if she never existed. The only proof she was there was a headstone. And then came the tears she promised herself that she wouldn't shed on this day, but they came anyway. She felt Jean put her arm around her, resting her head on hers. At the top of Vivian's head she could feel the warm wetness of Jean's tears.