by Nicole Smith
“Did you fall?” he asked smiling.
“No, I’m fine. Are you okay?” I asked him, he seemed distracted.
“No not really Natalie. I have to go out soon. Clive has sent out a distress call. I really don’t want to leave you but I still don’t think it’s safe for you to go out.” I stopped him from continuing. I placed my finger on his lips.
“I’ll be fine here tonight. I know what you have to do and who you are looking for. I trust you. Don’t worry about me,” I didn’t want him to be thinking about me when he’s out there. He nodded as he grabbed his coat. He looked back at me with his beautiful tired eyes as he tried to force a smile. I began to think he wasn’t just worried about me but about us.
“Hayden, I love you,” I said before he had a chance to leave. His face relaxed and he quickly held me in his arms again. He kissed me deeply.
“I love you too,” he whispered, then turned and walked out. As the door closed and I heard the elevator rise and fall, I knew the time had come to call Carlos and make my plans.
“Hi Carlos,” I breathed heavily in to the phone, feeling nervous.
“Hi Nat, I need you to meet me at the coffee shop on your block. I am down here now. I just saw Hayden’s car go by. He will be late tonight, I’m sure. I’ll tell you more when I see you,” he said, then hung up.
I quickly grabbed my keys and jacket. I locked up and headed for the elevator. I’m so nervous after hearing from Carlos. He seemed too serious, not like his usual self. I had hoped that when he arrived we would be able to just have fun like we did in Argentina. I knew that that wouldn’t happen anytime soon now.
I didn’t know exactly what parts of this nightmare I haven’t been told yet, but Carlos would fill me in soon. Although I couldn’t help but wonder what more he possibly had to tell me? I nodded as I quickly walked past the doorman. I was in no mood to chitchat with him. I heard him shout something about having a good evening. I just waved and kept going.
The evening air washed over me, feeling warmer than I thought it would be. I felt embraced by the mugginess. I walked quickly, not looking too far ahead. I tried to keep my head down. I haven’t been in the city alone at night in a long time and now that I know what’s out here looking for me, I felt even more vulnerable than before. I didn’t need a confrontation yet, I had to talk to Carlos first. I needed his support and encouragement. I needed his advice.
I opened the door of the coffee shop and walked in. I glanced from empty table to empty table till I came across someone, but it turned out to be just an older man reading a newspaper. I scanned the tables again until I saw a man with a fedora sitting by the window. He had his back to me but I assumed it had to be him. There didn’t seem to be anyone else here. Why is he hiding from the door when he knows I’m coming to meet him? I slowly walked towards him. Just as I reached the table he turned to look up at me.
“Hi Natalie, please sit,” he ordered, his expression seemed grim.
“Carlos. I am so happy to see you, but you’re making me nervous. What’s going on?” I asked as I sat down opposite him.
“I’m sorry but I don’t feel safe in the city. I can’t be recognized. I have made a few enemies here a few years ago with some spirits that didn’t agree with my capturing methods. I am also concerned about you being out. I know you are strong and have been trained well but I don’t think you know exactly what’s going on. Hayden refuses to tell you everything,” he sighed as he reached across the table and grabbed my hands.
“What else is going on?” I demanded.
“Tell me what you know so far?”
“I know that my mother was captured mistakenly and that my brother visited me at the beach house. I have recently been informed that my father is still out there evading Hayden and the other Seekers he has been hunting with. I also know that my father is looking for me and that it is up to me to catch him. Is there more?” I really didn’t think there possibly could be as I sat there staring at him.
“Yes,” he answered, a little too quickly. He stared back at me. Carlos seemed different, he has changed somehow. I hoped it wasn’t entirely my fault.
“Tell me what is going on?” I demanded, losing my patience.
“There seems to be a resurgence of spirits, it’s like more of them have learned how to stay here after their death and they are learning how to evade us. I don’t know if it is just a phase and things will go back to normal or if it will continue. If it does then we will have no choice but to recruit more Seekers. You have been the first recruit in many years. Believe me, we were very happy to have you but recruiting more always puts us in danger of being discovered. Hayden knew you, but having to recruit strangers is frightening, but here, in this city there is an uprising and we may have no choice. Natalie, there’s more,” he sighed as he stared into my eyes. I nodded for him to continue, not breaking his gaze from me.
“Your father has put together a team, similar to what Adam had done. They have been sent out at night to look for you. Hayden has been desperately trying to keep you home, in the safety of his apartment. As you know, spirits are not allowed to enter his building. Some of them have been spotted in the parking garage though. I wanted to take you out tonight to go hunting but I am afraid to now Nat. I know you were looking forward to having some fun but I can’t do it. I can’t put you in so much danger. I am sorry Natalie, I really am. I have to go. I’ll walk you back to your building.” He stood and held his hand out for mine.
“No thank you. I can manage myself. You have no idea how disappointed I am Carlos. I really didn’t think you would start talking like Hayden. I can capture him and you know it. I can end this insanity. I am not weak,” I almost shouted.
“I know you’re not weak Natalie but we don’t know exactly what we are dealing with. Clive doesn’t want you out there either. I am sorry Natalie, but please try and understand. You are still naïve to the power of these spirits. They can and will hurt you. You are too special to us, to me, to put you in so much danger,” he said, trying to reason with me.
“That is sweet, really, but I am not going to go home and hide under the bed. I won’t. I know that he will not stop until he finds me, so why not end this?” I stood up and walked toward the front door. Carlos grabbed my hand and swung me back towards him. He covered my head with his arms. I struggled to get away.
“Please stop. Don’t go outside. They’re out there, a lot of them have gathered. They are going to report back to him. We’ll have to wait here. Please, Natalie this is not a training lesson.”
“Thank you Carlos, I am well aware of that. Do you think I care if they report back to him? I actually want them too. I need to have him come to me. I will capture him here if I have to. He will find me. He has too. He is tormented everyday by what he has done. He wants it to end. He wants me to release him from this world and he wants his pain to end. I am the only one that can do that. Don’t you understand this? There is no way I’m going to back down from this tonight,” I told him. Carlos continued to stare at me, not saying a word. I could see the fear in his eyes. But I could also see the resolve. He understood that everything I said was true.
“Natalie, I will not put you in danger. The first sign of it, I swear I will pick you up and carry you home myself. Kicking and screaming if I have too,” he tried to sound serious. I smiled and kissed his cheek.
I walked out of the empty coffee shop, back into the muggy and dense air. I looked around the shops for signs of them. I sensed a few of them a few blocks down. I took a deep breath and walked towards them. As I drew closer I saw them turn slowly. I believe I startled them.
“Go ahead and tell him where I am. I will be waiting,” I whispered, as I stared at them. They didn’t blink. They seemed shocked by my boldness. I waved them off and turned to go. I could hear the air swirl as they disappeared down the street. I didn’t have much time. He would be here soon. I paced the sidewalk. Carlos waited just a block away. I told him it would be better this way. He didn’t like
it but he obeyed. After a few minutes I stopped pacing. I heard the wind change again, louder this time. There were more than just the two of them now. I just didn’t know how many until I turned around. I heard Carlos shouting my name. I remained calm and unaffected by my father’s show of power. He had intimidated people into doing what he wanted when he lived. Why wouldn’t he do that to the dead as well? I stood tall and unblinking, unsmiling and emotionless. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared.
“Hello father. What do you want with me?” I asked.
“Natalie, I need to tell you that I am very sorry. I need to apologize to you and John for the accident. I hope you can forgive me someday,” he explained. I wanted to laugh, as if I would ever forgive him for the accident.
“Why are you here? I live here. I need you to go away!” I demanded.
“I can’t. I have to stay here, besides these people need me. I need you too. Luke is after me. You need to talk to him. I know you are a Seeker now. You can get rid of Luke for me. Once you do that I will move on. I will disappear out of your life, but until then you will have to stay with us,” as he said this I felt cold hands grab a hold of me. I tried to scream but one of the hands covered my mouth. I could feel my body being lifted and carried away.
I looked around the streets but they were empty, not a single living soul appeared before me. With impressive speed they flew down allies and around buildings. Carlos must have gone to tell Hayden and the others what happened. He would not have been able to help me alone, there were too many of them. I grimaced at the thought of how upset Hayden will be with me once he finds out. I had a feeling he may not too far away though. I think he knew somehow that I would need him tonight. I remembered the look he gave me as he left, like he didn’t want to leave me. That’s when it hit me. I am the bait. Carlos and Hayden were working together tonight. They both knew I would be the only one that could get him to come out of hiding. When are they going to ambush him? “I’m ready now, anytime would be great guys,” I whispered. I wanted to shout their names but I had a cloth wrapped tightly around my mouth now.
Hayden will sense my distress and he will find me. I felt like I floated through the air as they carried me. Where are they taking me? I closed my eyes and wished for this to be over. I opened my eyes again and saw a number of spirits around me. They were young and strong. I wouldn’t be able to escape from them on my own. I couldn’t even reach my Kris because my hands were bound. I couldn’t think of how else to defend myself. I certainly didn’t expect any help from my father if they turned on me. I closed my eyes again. I considered making eye contact with them, but I knew the light would only work with one of them at a time. I decided to avoid eye contact with any of them. I didn’t want them to know just how much they were hurting me.
When we finally stopped moving, they put me down on the ground. I had no idea where we were. I quickly glanced around, trying to see anything that might give me a clue. It appeared to be a park. I believe I saw benches and a playground in the distance, but the darkness played tricks on me, shadows fluttered everywhere I looked. Someone has destroyed the park lamps, which didn’t help.
I began to think that maybe I thought wrong. Maybe I wasn’t the bait. Maybe Hayden and Carlos didn’t have any idea where to look for me. The thought of being alone with these ghosts frightened me. They were holding my hands behind my back. My father wasn’t anywhere in the crowd. All these strange faces surrounded me. I could feel tears in my eyes but I fought to keep them in.
The air continued to swirl and my head became dizzy with the motion. I tried to focus on just one of them but they kept moving. My head fell back and I felt one of them grab it and push me back up. Their laughter shocked me. They were enjoying their power over me. They liked the fact that they could control me. Most living people would only have been able to feel a slight change in temperature or goose bumps on their arms. Sometimes an older ghost would be able to actually move a living person, but they wouldn’t be able to see or feel his presence. Some spirits have become frustrated by not being acknowledged and will usually start to throw objects and open doors and windows, just to create a bigger fright, but with me they knew they could hurt me. I could feel their power over me. If there had been only one or two of them I could have fought back but there were too many. I felt consumed with helplessness.
Again my head fell back. This time no one lifted it back up. A circle was formed around my body. I tried to get up but my legs were tied. How did they do that? I couldn’t hold the tears back now. I cried and begged them to let me go. The circle parted and a woman appeared in front of me.
“Natalie. I hoped we would meet. I have heard so much about you. My name is Stella and I am going to keep you here with me for a while,” she said smiling. Suddenly my world went black. I couldn’t see anyone. The sounds started to fade around me. I fought to stay alert but it seemed futile. I diminished so quickly. I could not fight her power over me any longer.
I awoke in the woods. Someone had carried me up to the middle of a tree and tied me to a large branch. I wanted to scream but I quickly realized it would be futile. Someone wrapped a scarf tightly around my mouth I couldn’t make a sound because they tied the scarf too tight. I tried to shake my hands out of the ropes but I couldn’t. I cried again, mostly out of frustration at the fact that I had been so easy for him to catch. How did this happen? I couldn’t hear any voices. I couldn’t sense anyone close by. I couldn’t even feel the air swirl around me anymore. Where are they? What are they going to do with me? It’s early in the morning now, the sun started to rise over the woods as I lay there, trapped.
Just as I felt the desperation of my situation begin to set in I heard someone screaming. It sounded far off in the distance but it still sent shivers through me when I realized the screams were not coming from a living human. One followed by another. There must be a confrontation going on. Hayden and Carlos must be close. I tried to make myself believe they were close. I listened for more sounds but all I could hear is the wretched screaming and breaking of branches. The breeze began to pick up. The warm air swirled around me. I could sense a spirit getting close to me.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
“Don’t say a word,” the familiar voice immediately made me smile.
“How did you find me?” I asked as soon as she removed the scarf from around my mouth. She didn’t answer as she went to work on my feet and hands. As soon as the ropes fell from my limbs we jumped down, out of the tree.
I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction of the screaming. Beth stayed with me as I ran. I began to speak to her but she quickly raised her hand and placed her finger on my lips. I continued to run until I saw the city lights ahead. I ran towards the first alley I saw and then slowed my pace. I didn’t want to attract any attention from the living or the dead. I had no idea where in the city we were. Beth walked beside me. I grabbed her hand as I scanned the streets.
“What is going on?” I gasped.
“Your captives have been ambushed. Your brother made a deal with your friends, the Seekers. They used you Natalie. They dangled you up there in that tree. You were unconscious, thank God, but you were just hanging there, from your feet. The trees were full of us. I can’t believe how many ghosts there really are in this city. I was so afraid for your life Natalie. Stella sent out some kind of calling we were all capable of leaving the school grounds. I flew in the direction of the call with the others when all of a sudden a huge breeze swept us up and into the woods. That’s when I saw you. I didn’t know how I could possibly save you with all of the spirits surrounding us,” she said as squeezed my hand then released it.
“What deal did my brother and the Seekers make Beth? Are they still out there?” I stopped. I wanted to go back if Hayden and Carlos were still out there. They would be looking for me. Hayden needs me.
“From what I could gather, Luke knew that you were going to be taken by your father and his crew as soon as you stepped out o
f your apartment last night. He heard about it from some of the others. Luke told Hayden about this plan when he captured him shortly after your appearance outside became known to them,” Beth paused as she waited for me to take this in. I nodded, wanting her to continue quickly.
“Luke told Hayden he would help him find you if he promised to release him. Hayden knew that Carlos arrived and that you would eventually seek him out. So Hayden went to him and told him the only way he could catch your father is to have you come out into the open, but he needed help to protect you. Hayden hadn’t realized just how many spirits followed your father. He also didn’t know about Stella and that she is the leader. He didn’t know that your father and all of his so called followers are under Stella’s control.”
“Wait. How do you know all this?” I asked skeptically, for Beth is a ghost that has only ever haunted a school.
“I hid in the trees when another one of your Seeker friends arrived, Clive I believe. Hayden told him everything,” she smirked.
“So go back, what happened after they dangled me from the tree? Why did they do that?”
“Stella told them to dangle you there, to attract the Seekers. She wanted to know how many of you there were and if you protect each other or not. Stella is ancient. She’s been growing her faction for years. She apparently doesn’t like it when the Seekers take her favorites, which Hayden has done repeatedly. When she heard his only weakness was within her grasp, she acted swiftly, she had to have you.”
“Then why did she leave me alone in the tree and who is screaming in the woods?” Beth ignored my questions and continued on.
“I don’t think your friend Carlos trusts Luke very much. I also heard Carlos tell Hayden that he is too focused on just catching your father and not about taking down the whole faction. I’m not sure they trust each other either. Once they found out you were in the woods, captured by Stella, Carlos called in all the Seekers that could get to you. Amazingly there are quite a few Seekers in the city, a number of them showed up in the woods. It didn’t take them long to figure out where they took you. The onslaught caught Stella by surprise. She quickly turned to run, with all her followers closely behind. The Seekers showed no mercy in their attack. I know a great many from my school were not spared from this massacre,” Beth sighed.
