by Nicole Smith
The painting in my room is of you, it was done many years ago, when we hunted together, in Europe actually. So it feels like we continue to play this game, over and over again until we get it right. That is why the urge to go is so strong. It is your fate, your destiny, but I believe you are stronger this time. You have been through too much to succumb now to an early death. I realize that when I come to look for you in Europe that is how you will appear to me,” he pointed to the tattoo on his arm.
“I don’t know where you will be but I will find you Natalie,” he said smiling as he walked over to me. He placed his arms around me and kissed me sweetly. Is this good bye? I know it is. It is my destiny to go.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I met with John for lunch the day before I’m scheduled to leave for London. I couldn’t hide my excitement. I giggled all through it. John seemed very happy for me. It felt nice to still have at least one member of my family to share this moment with. I could tell he didn’t really like Hayden when he said he was happy I decided to give the relationship some space. He thought I was too young to be so serious. I didn’t tell him that I have no choice in the matter, that Hayden will eventually come to Europe and find me. That sounded a little creepy, even to me but I knew it to be true. I also know that Luke is still here but he hasn’t appeared to me since I woke up. Hayden said that he disappeared. He stopped lingering outside the hospital asking how you were. He didn’t know where he went he just stopped showing up. I will see him again, when he is ready.
After my lunch with John, I managed to sneak off to the school to look for Beth. I didn’t want to see her with Hayden. It wouldn’t be the same, that she would be guarded. I needed to see her alone. I walked up the steps, the doors were locked. I looked up at the windows but there didn’t seem to be as many faces looking down as there were that first day I arrived here. It seemed so long ago now. I held back tears as the thought of graduating now seemed so far away.
I walked around the school and went towards the basement window we escaped from before I fell into my coma. I felt along the bottom of the window for a thin metal handle. I pulled it and the window slowly opened. I took a deep breath and climbed in. I jumped down to the basement floor and walked towards the stairs. Just as I placed my foot on the first step I heard a muffled laugh coming from Beth’s secret room. I really didn’t want to crawl through that entrance but I knew I had no choice. That’s obviously where she wanted to meet me.
“Hi Beth,” I said as I opened the door and walked towards the tunnel I’ve crawled through before. I heard her laugh again. What did she find so funny? I started to wonder if maybe this might be a bad idea. Maybe it’s a trap of some sort.
“Beth, will you come here. I want to talk to you,” I said seriously. I backed towards the door. It slammed shut before I could get to it.
“Come into my room if you want to talk,” she ordered.
“I don’t think so and just so you know your scare tactics won’t work on me,” I informed her.
“Oh come on, not just a little bit,” she laughed again as I heard windows breaking from above. What is wrong with her?
“Beth, just come out here and talk to me,” I shouted, trying to control my anger. I walked toward the basement window and thought about leaving.
“Hi Natalie, I have missed you,” Beth whispered from behind me. I quickly turned and saw her smile turn to anger.
“What did you do to my sister? What did you do to Stella?” she asked angrily. I should have expected this.
“I’ll tell you after you tell me what happened that day we crawled out the window and ran towards the trees. Who really chased us Beth? No wait, I know, Stella. So why did you leave me alone in the woods and how did I get to that other realm that left me trapped for more than seven months? How about you do some explaining Beth?” I replied matching her anger.
“Oh Natalie, haven’t your boyfriends filled you in yet? You know all about Stella wanting your life. She wouldn’t stop. I had no choice. I know we were friends but blood is thicker right. I can’t explain how you made it into our realm. I know she drained your energy, which is why you couldn’t escape from her. We believed that somehow she drained so much of your energy that you crossed a line, you came as close as one can get to death without really dying. At least that is what we determined when Stella began to drain Hayden of his energy too. He didn’t fight it though because he wanted to enter the other realm. He was curious, actually he was curious about more than just entering new realms,” she smirked. I ignored this last comment. She is just trying to hurt me more.
“I tried to tell him that his realm would be different from yours but he didn’t want to believe that. There may have been a crossover at some point but the chances of meeting each other would be slim. Everyone has a different afterlife, a different limbo. We all have our own special demons to run from, don’t we Natalie?” Beth turned from me.
“So tell me Natalie, is Stella really gone?” she asked calmly. How could I lie to her, she already knew the answer to this.
“Beth, she came for Hayden. Do you really think I would have let him go without a fight?” I wanted to leave now. There’s nothing new Beth can tell me. It is obvious Stella held all the power. I climbed up to the window and crawled out.
“Good bye Beth,” I whispered as I stood outside. A blood curdling scream rang out from the school. I wondered if maybe I should end her torment. Maybe I’ll send another seeker here to do it. I walked slowly around the school and jumped when Beth stood towering over me. I quickly without thought reached my hand into my coat pocket and wrapped my fingers around my Kris.
Beth stared at me with pained eyes. She wanted it. I moved with unfathomable speed and sunk my blade into her ribs. She let out a moan. Hayden’s car pulled up just as I wrapped my hands around her light. I stared at him as he opened his trunk and waited for me. I began to walk quickly over to him. I placed her in gently then closed the lid. I stood back from Hayden.
“How did you know?” I asked shocked.
“I knew you were coming to see her. Remember we have changed Natalie, I can get glimpses into your mind and I know how you’re feeling. Just as you can do the same if you think about it,” he smiled as he opened the car door for me. I smiled back and got in.
After we dropped off Beth at the dock I reached for Hayden’s hand as we drove home.
“Can we stop at the place with the dancing ghosts?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why but I wanted to see them again. I think maybe I wanted to see happy ghosts again. The ones that didn’t want to hurt me. Hayden nodded and drove quickly, as he always did. I felt the pain of knowing I wasn’t going to have him with me soon, but I also felt relieved, knowing that he knew this without me having to say it.
When the car stopped I jumped out and ran to the window. I looked in and at first thought maybe they weren’t here anymore. That’s when I turned to see Hayden standing in the middle of the road beside them. The car came for them.
“Hayden, run!” I shouted. The car hit them all. I closed my eyes at the impact. I couldn’t watch, but it didn’t matter how tight I closed my eyes. The whole scene ran quickly through my head. The driver jumped out and saw the couple lying in front of his car. They both were thrown ten feet ahead. Their legs and arms were positioned in an unnatural way and they were looking straight ahead as though in deep thought. They were killed instantly. I wondered if they had both drawn their last breaths at the same moment. I heard laughing. I spun around and saw the beautiful young couple heading into the restaurant. They will be dancing soon. Where is Hayden?
“Hayden,” I called. As I turned around I saw him holding open the door to the abandoned restaurant, gesturing for me to enter. I quickly looked ran to him and walked in. He closed the door and reached his hand out for mine. I placed it in his. He pulled me close to him, resting his other hand on the small of my back.
“May I have this dance?” he asked sweetly.
“Yes you may,” I replied. He twirled me
around the dance floor. At times I could see my ghost couple and at other moments they were gone. Just like the music, I could hear it when I saw them then it would go quiet when they disappeared from me.
I loved being with Hayden again but I know it isn’t in our destiny to stay together right now. A tear fell down my cheek as Hayden kissed me.
“It will all work out in the end my love, I promise I will not let you go forever,” he whispered as he led me out into the darkness.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After dinner that night we sat up and chatted about so many things I needed answers to. I thought back to the time I met Hayden at a party. I remembered thinking he might be a Satanist or a drug dealer. I laughed to myself.
“What is so funny?” he asked, surprised by my laughter. Something he hasn’t heard enough of from me, I thought.
“You are,” I told him.
“Well, if I make you laugh than I’m happy, but what exactly is so funny about me?” he asked, seeming a little self-conscious, which is strange to see in my confident, strikingly handsome Hayden. I savored his squirming then laughed again.
“Did you know that when I met you at that party I thought you and your friends may have been drug dealers?”
“Um, wow, no I didn’t and what friends are you referring too?” he asked as he took a sip of his red wine.
“You know, those guys in the room with us at that party, when you had to drive me home because Jeremy passed out,” I said, taking a sip myself.
“They were not my friends Natalie. You thought they were real didn’t you?” he asked, like he hadn’t thought of that before. I stood up, wondering who else in my past wasn’t living either. I raced through that night, trying to remember everyone in that room.
“You knew I couldn’t tell, you were testing me,” I said before I sat back down beside him.
“I was actually shocked by your vision, but I promise, I wasn’t testing you. They were there to protect Adam from me. He still had friends from the other side that wanted him back. They followed me there, so I just let it go, not wanting to scare you. Just to clear the table, I have never been a drug dealer. Jeremy was the younger brother of a good friend of mine that passed away. I promised him that I would watch over him for a while, which I tried, but as you know he is a little difficult,” he informed me.
I brought out the old picture of Hayden with a familiar looking woman from his den. He smiled as he looked at it then back to me. I believe Clive took this picture. I had only just met you that day. I remember being so taken by you. I didn’t want you to go. You were leaving for Europe that evening,” he sighed as I stared at him, trying not to tremble at the idea of us living different lives.
“It is just one of many times I have met you but you continue to leave me, but don’t worry, I always find you again. This time it’s different, I have made you a Seeker. I know that when I find you again we will still have many years together,” he said kissing me. I pressed my body against his. I needed to have him one more time. I needed to remember the way he made me feel. I needed to remember that I belonged to him.
In the early morning I woke up and quietly rolled out of bed, trying not to wake him. I put on my robe and walked out to the living room. I glanced at my phone, noticing it lit up. I picked it up off the table and listened to the message.
“Natalie, it’s me, Carlos. I just wanted to tell you that I have arrived here in London. I will be here for a week before I begin my tour. I really hope you’re still considering joining me. I’ve already met with a few other seekers here that plan to show me around all the hot spots if you know what I mean. Hope to chat soon darling.” I knew what he meant. He’s going on a tour of all the secret, underground haunted places for some serious ‘light’ harvesting. I have to go. I placed the phone down and went back to bed, falling into a deep sleep.
Later that morning I awoke to find Hayden already up. He came walking in with a cup of coffee for me. He set it down on my night table and sat on the bed beside me. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and placed it in my hands.
“What is this?” I asked.
“It’s your itinerary. You are all set to leave for London this evening. He smiled as he stood and reached for my robe.
“Come, I’ve made you breakfast,” he said, passing it to me. I stood, still trying to absorb the fact that I’m going to London tonight. I excitedly wrapped my arms around him and jumped up and down.
“Really Hayden, are you sure?” I asked.
“Of course I’m sure. I will miss you terribly but I want you to go. Now, come eat,” he grabbed me and turned to go. I followed him quickly.
He had a large breakfast laid out on the table. How long has he been up I wondered. I sat down and began to fill my plate with pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. I poured maple syrup over everything. Hayden sat in front of me and began to laugh.
“I guess you like syrup,” he joked.
“Thank you Hayden, this is really good,” I said feasting. I still couldn’t believe how much I could eat since I woke. I watched as Hayden placed some food on his plate, noticeably a smaller portion.
“Are you feeling ok?” I asked, knowing he wouldn’t tell me if he wasn’t.
“I’m fine Natalie, I nibbled while I cooked, don’t worry about me,” he insisted.
“Hayden, are you sure you can’t come with me?” I asked. I know he hasn’t shown any interest in wanting to go to Europe now.
“I can’t Natalie. I have work to do here. I have a few mistakes to correct before I can leave. It has been too long since there has been a decent seeker cleaning up the city. I have taken enough time off for a while. I want you to experience this alone anyway, not having to worry about pleasing me. Besides, I have told you when the time is right I will see you again. If you don’t return I will come get you,” he said smiling.
“Do you promise,” I asked seriously. He stood and walked over to me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and kissed my neck.
“Nothing in this world or the next could stop me,” he whispered in my ear, sending chills through me. I sighed, remembering just how much I still loved him but I had to go. I just prayed he would keep his promise.
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