The Autumn Effect (Read 13,744 times)

[MrsM]

It's getting good!!

[fluffysmom]

I wonder if Cassie is the only one Andre is controlling.

[sportsgirl]

Oh no... I just hate that Johnny had turned out so evil.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 16

OUTSIDE ST. LUKE'S
CERI: So, what does it mean?
SYDNEY: I don't know. It's been a while since I saw a purple phoenix.
CERI: But, you have seen it before?
SYDNEY: Yeah. It's been a few years, though.
CERI: When was the last time you saw it?
SYDNEY: Around the time that Johnny permanently moved out of Mom and Lucas' house. Johnny had this weird obsession with the phoenix. I suppose its because of our grandfather, Stefano. Everyone kept saying that Stefano was always able to cheat death. He would die and then a few years later come back, stronger than ever before. Just like a phoenix. Johnny became obsessed with them after daddy died. And his favorite color was purple.
CERI: So, what are you saying?
SYDNEY: I think that Johnny's trying to mess with me.
CERI: Sweetie, you know that Johnny's in England, right?
SYDNEY: Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where any of the DiMera family is. They can still mess with you. I mean, look at my daddy. He's been dead for five years and, up until a few months ago, he'd been messing with me my entire life.

DIMERA MANSION
André is on the phone. Johnny is watching him.
ANDRE: It has happened, then?
Pause.
ANDRE: Excellent. Well done.
André hung up.
JOHNNY: News?
ANDRE: The best.

OUTSIDE ST. LUKE'S
Meanwhile, everyone else was leaving St. Luke's. Belle, Shawn-D, and Claire were just walking up to their car when they stopped.
SHAWN-D: Oh god!
Claire hid her face in Belle's shoulder. Belle wrapped her arms around her daughter. Shawn-D raced over to Bo and Hope's car.
BO: Whoa! Where are you going in such a hurry?
SHAWN-D: Dad, Mom, you need to come and see this.
HOPE: What's going on?
SHAWN-D: I don't know. I don't know how this could have happened. But, if Eric, Rex, and Cassie haven't left yet, I need you to get them.
Shawn-D ran back to his car. Within minutes, Bo, Hope, Eric, Cassie, and Rex were also standing in front of Shawn-D's car. Their expressions went from sadness to fear to outrage.
BO: What the hell is this?
Shawn-D had parked under a large tree. Hanging from one of the branches of the tree, her fingernails scraping the roof of the car, was the lifeless, scarred almost beyond recognition body of Carrie Reed.

[MrsM]

Eek.

[sportsgirl]

OMG!!

[fluffysmom]

That's terrifying and for it to happen the day of her father's funeral.

[gapeach]

Man oh man! That Andre' is one sick puppy!!

[André DiMera]

Chapter 17

DIMERA MANSION
ANDRE: So I take it, then, that you're not going?
JOHNNY: Why would I?
ANDRE: Very good point. Why would you want to go to the church just to stand around and watch all the Bradys be so upset that their dear Roman and poor Carrie are dead?
JOHNNY: Precisely. I don't. Mainly because I don't care. Carrie never had anything to do with me or any of my brother and sisters. And Grandpa Roman is a Brady. Besides, I figure that it wouldn't be appropriate, since I'm the one who helped you plan his death.
ANDRE: Cassie still went. She had more to do with it than you did.
JOHNNY: In the sense that she did the dirty work, yes. But Cassie was brainwashed. I'm doing this of my own free will. So, who's our next target?
ANDRE: Who do you think? Roman was planned. Carrie was done because she's Roman's oldest daughter. So, who's next?
Johnny smiled.
JOHNNY: I like it.

ST. LUKE'S
As yesterday was the wake, today was the funeral. Although, to be truthful, nobody in Salem was ready for it, especially after what Shawn-D had found last night after the wake. Nonetheless, everybody was there for the wake. In the front row sat Marlena, John, Bo, Hope, Shane, Kayla, Patch, Max, Chelsea, and Frankie. Behind them sat Eric, a young woman, who everyone assumed was Eric's girlfriend/wife, as they had not yet had time to be introduced, Cassie, Rex, and Mimi. Behind them was Lucas, Will, Sonny, Allie, and Sydney.
ALLIE: Where is she? She should be here by now.
WILL: She'll come.
SONNY: So, they are actually letting her come?
WILL: Yeah. They figure that with her family around, there'd be enough witnesses if she tried anything. Which she won't. I've talked to her about it several times. The only reason she did what she did was self-defense and defense of her children. She did what she had to do to protect us.
Lucas' phone buzzed. He looked at it.
LUCAS: Come with me.
Lucas, Will, Allie, and Sydney started walking towards the back of the church. The door opened and Sami walked in, handcuffed and flanked by two policemen. They stopped in front of Lucas.
LUCAS: Sami.
SAMI: Lucas.
LUCAS: I see they let you out of the jumpsuit.
SAMI: They thought this occasion asked for something more formal.
Lucas and Sami kissed. After they finished, Sydney ran up to Sami, put her arms around her, and started to cry.
SYDNEY: Mommy...
SAMI: It's okay, Sydney. It's okay. Mommy's here.
LUCAS: Guys, let her out of the handcuffs. It's a funeral. She's not gonna try anything.
One of the officer's nodded and uncuffed Sami. Sami put her arms around her daughter. She then motioned to Will and Allie to come closer. Soon, all four of them were locked in a big group hug.
SAMI: So, I see all my brothers and one of my sisters. But, where's the other one? Where's Carrie?

[sportsgirl]

They didn't tell Sami ahead of time? And I wonder about Anna? I know she did love Carrie.

[MrsM]

Wow. Sami is in big trouble. I think Johnny is coming for her.

[fluffysmom]

Watch out Sami and Lucas and Allie and Sydney.

[gapeach]

Can't wait to see who is next.

[sportsgirl]

I wonder if Rafe may also be in trouble.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 18

Note from the author: This chapter is the funeral for Roman Brady. Most of the funeral will be told in highlights. Jumps in time will be proceeded by 3 *. If there is a jump in time while someone is speaking, it will be proceeded by ...

ST. LUKE'S
SAMI: Lucas, where's my sister? Where's Carrie?
LUCAS: We'll...um, we'll talk about that another time.
SAMI: No, I wanna know right now. Where is Carrie? Why isn't she at our father's funeral?
LUCAS: It's a complicated story.
SAMI: We've got time.
LUCAS: No, we don't, Sami. The priest is about to come up the aisle. We need to go sit down in our seats. I'll explain everything after the funeral.
Lucas and Sami sat down next to Will. The Priest walked up the aisle. He stopped in front of the cross and bowed. He then turned to face the congregation.
PRIEST: Good morning.
CONGREGATION: Good morning.
PRIEST: We are gathered together to celebrate the life of our dear brother in Christ, Roman Augustus Brady...
***
Hope is standing at the lectern.
HOPE: “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance...”
***
The Priest stands at the lectern.
PRIEST: “Then he said 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom'. Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'.”
***
Marlena stands at the lectern.
MARLENA: When I first met Roman, I was fearing for my life. In a safe house. And he was the police officer assigned to protect me...he already had one daughter, who for reasons beyond our control is not with us today. And then we had twins. Eric Roman and Samantha Gene...
***
Bo stood at the lectern.
BO: He was my brother. The best older brother a guy could ask for. He taught me everything I know about being a cop. And he also taught me quite a bit about being a man. He was one heck of a guy...
***
Rex stands at the lectern.
REX: My twin sister Cassie, and I didn't get to know Roman until we were well into our early twenties. And even then, we didn't learn he was our father until a few years after we met him. But, no matter how long it took for us to find out, he always made us feel like we were part of the family. He did that to everyone...he was the greatest man I've ever known...
***
A large group of Roman's family and friends, including the Priest, went up to his casket and put their hands on it.
PRIEST: We will reconvene at the cemetery. You will find directions on the back cover of your bulletin.