The Black Book

The scent of lavender permeated the air, making Abby suck in a deep breath. She had always loved this garden, or she had before she was ever born. She was still trying to get used to the idea that she had lived a whole other life she barely remembered. Not that, she had really all that much of a good life now. Not compared to Caroline and her suspicious inheritance. She stood on the bridge looking down at the water that was a bright violet color, everything around was bright purple making Caroline's blonde hair stand out all the more.

"What are we doing here?" Abby asked as she walked up the bridge. Caroline whipped around holding the tight black book she now carried everywhere. "There's only one item left on the list. And then the inheritance is mine." Caroline said triumphantly. Abby smiled. "How would Mr. Reese even know you would complete all the items on the list?" Abby asked curiously. She wasn't sure how this whole thing worked. "Because every time that I complete something on the list, I write it down in the notebook, I've even attached photos and tickets," Caroline said matter of factly.

"Fine," Abby said pressing her hands together. "What's next?" She asked looking around the garden. "What are we even doing here?" Abby asked looking around.

"We are here so I can ask your forgiveness," Caroline said softly. Abby turned to her in surprise. "My forgiveness?" she asked surprised. "What do I have to do with your inheritance?" Abby asked scrunching her eyebrows.

"You have been a good friend to me. I know I haven't always made that easy. You know how much Uncle Jacob loved that we were so close growing up and now leading into adulthood." Caroline said somberly.

Abby straightened. "Why do I have a feeling this is really bad?" She asked looking at Caroline carefully. "You need to forgive me." Caroline said. "Forgive what I'm about to tell you." She said taking a deep breath.

"Your mother. She didn't leave out of her own free will." Caroline said, making Abby startle. "What do you mean?" She asked her eyes filling with tears. Her mother leaving had always been a sore spot to her. "You know how much I have always loved going to visit you at night in our hiding place. As I was leaving one night, I heard them." Caroline said.

"Your father was screaming at your mother about some notebook, I don't know why it was so important," Caroline said. "She said it belonged to you. That it was your destiny. Your truth." She said.

"Did you see what the notebook looked like?" Abby asked quietly. "I never forgot it. It was silver with some sort of purple inlay on top. I always wondered what was so important." Caroline said.

"Words are always important," Abby said repeating the words that Jason had told her so long ago. "Your father told your mother that either she left the book alone, or that she would have to leave," Caroline said. "I didn't think anything of it, because days later she was still there, and your parents seemed the same happy go lucky couple I had always loved. I thought that maybe I had dreamed it." Caroline said. "Then a year ago today. Your mother died so horribly." She said. Abby closed her eyes feeling the tears leave her face.

"It was an accident," Abby said carefully, even knowing that it wasn't. Her mother's death had been orchestrated by a warlock who had decided it was time for Abby to take her rightful place as the Oracle. Not that Caroline could ever know that.

"What if it wasn't?" Caroline asked softly. "What if she brought up the notebook again and your father--"

"What, Killed her?" Abby said. "Caroline, my father was too sick to harm anyone, let alone my mother." She said. Caroline sighed. "I was worried, that you would hate me for not telling you," Caroline said. "Which is why I've kept it secret for so long."

"My mother's death was an accident," Abby said, pulling Caroline into a hug. "But thank you for telling me. You don't have to worry. Everything will be fine."

TWO DAYS LATER

Abby burst into the double doors of the library and stormed through it, making people scramble away. She walked up to the office and pulled the door shut closed behind her, and whirled to look at the man in the oval-shaped glasses who looked up owlishly at her.

"What's with the ruckus." He asked raising an eyebrow.

"You tell me, Hermes," Abby said furiously.

"What did you do with my mother?"