Remembrance Series, Book 2
By
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Amazon Edition
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Loving You
Copyright © 2013 by Cynthia P. O’Neill
All rights reserved.
Edited By: Kim Swain, Red Line Editing
Cover Design By: Once Upon A Time Covers
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Acknowledgments
About the Author
This book is dedicated to the memory of my father,
C.W. “Bud” Pritchett
I will never lose the wonder of you.
I will forever enjoy the beauty of you.
I will always treasure the memory of you.
You are my love, my gift!
– Roy Lessin
July 15, 20--
It had been two weeks since the car accident that was supposed to take my life and I was healing at a steady pace at my mom’s house. Gregory had finally given into the needs of his family’s company and returned to work. He sleeps beside me every night to give my mom a break from my care and to just spend time, together.
It is still hard to believe that I have such a wonderful man in my life. It has only been a little over three months since we first started talking online, after I placed a “looking for friendship” ad. The connection between us was powerful from the start, like the draw of a strong magnet, pulling two souls together. I don’t recall the actual day I fell in love with him; but I know it happened fast for both of us. Now we are engaged and, if luck is with us, this time (long story), we will make it to the altar.
The medical office I work at has me on short-term disability, but they have set me up with this laptop, in hopes that I might be able to run some reports from home for a few upcoming meetings and the semi-annual Board of Directors meeting. I miss the activity of my office; but I can’t say that I miss being around the negativity our Director of Marketing, Pamela, causes within the building. I still can’t fathom how she went from being such a wonderful individual to such a nasty piece of work in such a short span of time. Every time she gets near me, I detect an evil aura surrounding her and her touch feels like hot coals against my skin. Something is definitely off with her, but at least I won’t be going back to work and dealing with her for several more weeks; doctor’s orders.
I’m really not a fan of writing down all my thoughts; but finding my, or rather Angeline’s cousin, Charlotte’s, journal, helped bring back memories and insight to what happened to Gregory and I as Angeline and Daniel, in Virginia, back in 1884. Apparently this is not the first time Gregory and I have been together, in love. However, it seems that forces larger than ourselves are always at work, throughout history, to keep us apart. Ramiel, a.k.a. “Ray”, our angelic visionary, and Gregory agreed with me about writing down everything we have encountered about the past. The dark spirits had easily destroyed the evidence of Charlotte’s journal, along with any clues that could have lead us to discovering what happened in our past life or, I should say lives. My hope is that if we fail, these notes will help guide our future selves to complete our mission and fulfill the prophecy.
It seems that Gregory and I are part of a prophecy where we are born, time and time again, whenever the darkness starts to garner enough strength to unleash madness upon the world. We are destined to find one another, bearing the markings of half-hearts on the inside of our arms, that when connected form a whole heart, which is exactly how we feel toward one another. We are each the half to the other’s soul. Without each other we are lost and weak to the darkness.
Ray sent me a USB stick, along with a special box, to store the items and information we have uncovered to date, that relates to our past. We are to put the items in a special hiding place, and, because Ray has put some sort of spell on them, only the pure of heart will be able to see them.
To date, we have discovered that during the Victorian era, our names were Angeline Olivia Carlson and Daniel Anthony Whitfield. We were in love and set to be married, but disappeared the night before our Wedding, courtesy of the dark witch and her minions. They set a trap to lure us to our special meeting place, by the train station along a river, near the woods. Once there, we were bound and thrown on a train, that was purposefully derailed, causing many travelers to lose their lives, ours included.
Our Victorian families never knew what happened to us. A false note was left, telling everyone we had eloped, but those close to us never believed it. We were declared missing and search parties gathered to inspect the woods and nearby towns. Daniel’s sister in-law disappeared shortly after us, while involved in the search. Some of her clothing was found shredded and bloodied.
Our only solace was learning that each time the dark spirits and witch attempted to harm us -- even if it wasn’t through direct contact, their powers were severely weakened. We also found out that, thanks to my father’s sacrificing his own life for mine, that if the evil ones harmed any of our family members, they lost almost all of their powers for a short time.
After my father’s death, I found a book of Ancient Prophecies that Gregory later bought for me. Supposedly it contains the prophecy that we are supposed to fulfill. Unfortunately, we haven’t had time to decipher the ancient dialect; although, Gregory has been searching for a linguist to translate it for us. The only thing that we really know about the prophesy, and our parts in fulfilling it, is what Ray let me see in a vision. Apparently, each time we are re-born, we are on a quest to find one another and, once we have found the other, our powers will grow. What are those powers? I have no idea. I suspect that my severe cases of déjà vu as well as the ability to see people’s auras and determine whether they are good or bad, through their touch against my skin, are a part of it. Then again, lately I have been able to hear even a minute whisper from across the room or even across the house. So, that might also be considered a power.
Gregory has elicited more helpful powers. He, somehow, manages to find me in my dreams, easier than I find him. Yes, we have the ability to encroach on one another’s dreams. We’ve been doing this since the first time we talked on the computer; maybe even before then. Plus, he has shown healing powers. We aren’t quite sure how he does it, but when his kiss touched wounds on my skin, caused by the accident orchestrated by the dark spirits, they healed, either completely, or nearly so. Truly, if it weren’t for his power, I would still be in the hospit
al, rather than at home. My doctor’s are scratching their heads at how quickly most of my injuries are healing, with exception of my ribs and recent issues with vertigo.
Mom just came in to check on me and let me know Gregory’s home. She’s not exactly happy that I’m not resting; so I will end this entry, for now, and ask Gregory to put this storage device in a safe place. I can add to it later. I just hope that these entries are not for nothing and that our journey, this time, will be successful. I’ve started getting glimpses into another of our past lives, during the Revolutionary War period, and I can already sense our demise was not a pleasant one. I have to go…
I watched as two people fell into the river from the overturned train car. Daniel and Angeline stayed below the waterline for what seemed like an eternity before bobbing up to the surface.
“Angeline, use your legs to kick hard. Keep your head above water,” Daniel yelled in a panicked voice.
I watched helplessly as Daniel, his arms bound in front of him and his legs bound, kicked hard to reach her. Both looked exhausted from their struggle with the water.
Angeline started to go under but Daniel finally reached her, lifting her bound arms with his. “Stay with me, Angeline. We need to put all of our energy into reaching the shore.”
“I’m too tired, Daniel. I cannot fight, anymore.” Her voice was weak and her eyes were barely open, exhausted from trying to stay afloat.
“I cannot and will not live without you, my love,” he shouted.
I soon found myself transformed into Angeline in the water, struggling to keep my breath, watching Daniel’s face morph into Aarons.
“Hannah, my dearest, hold your breath. We must not give in. We have to make them listen.” Aaron insisted.
I saw the water coming toward me, but was unable to take the much needed breath Aaron encouraged. My lungs ached as they filled with water. I fought and struggled as darkness surrounded me.
I want to live! My mind shouted as the edges of darkness began to recede and I found myself bolting upright in bed, instantly regretting the movement as my ribs protested with pain. I stifled a moan of pain to keep from waking Gregory, who was still fast asleep by my side.
I curled a pillow around my ribs, trying to comfort them, as I moved back a bit to lean against the headboard. I attempted to slow my breathing. I wished Gregory’s ability to heal extended to my ribs; they still hurt like heck. Any sudden movement or sharp intake of breath caused them to protest and sent my body into pain.
This same dream had haunted me for several days, now. It usually comes during the day, when I’m sleeping as an effect of my pain medication, and Gregory is unable to comfort me because he’s at work. But tonight, he must have been exhausted; because he didn’t meet me like he usually does in our dreams, nor had he awoken with my movements in bed. I can’t blame him; he has been working long hours, trying to catch up from the work he missed, while staying by my side after the accident. Then, when he’s here, I depend on his assistance to and from the bathroom, unable to get around, thanks to my disapproving ribs and residual dizziness from the concussion. It’s a wonder that he’s been able to do as much as he has—working, the long drive to and from work, and then helping me. I would’ve been down for the count, by now.
My breathing finally slowed and the pain was subsiding when I had a sudden urge to use the bathroom. I didn’t have the heart to wake Gregory, so I decided to see if I could manage for myself. My strength had slowly been coming back and I was sure I could make it, as long as the vertigo stayed away.
I pulled the pillow tight to my chest and slowly swung my legs over the side of the bed. So far, so good. My feet touched the floor and I rocked slightly, giving my body a little bit of momentum, before rising into a standing position.
I stood, slightly swaying, as Gregory mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and turned toward me, his eyes parting slightly before closing again.
I dropped the pillow back onto the bed and took a step toward the bathroom. I was feeling happy with myself until the third step, when the dizziness took over and I began to sway. I reached out, but there was nothing to stop me from falling. I looked back at Gregory, his eyes wide open in horror, his arms reaching for me.
I closed my eyes, preparing for my body to hit the floor and hoping I didn’t reinjure myself, when I fell into his arms. “What?” I looked up into his face as he pulled me close to his chest. “How did you? You were over there!”
“Thank. Goodness. I got to you!” He stated between panicked breaths.
My head shook trying to understand how one second he was in the bed and the next he was catching me, mid-air. No one could move that fast.
Before I could ask anything else, he began to get on to me. “Why didn’t you wake me? You could have hurt yourself. Do you need to go to the bathroom?” I was still so dumbfounded by his sudden appearance that I only nodded in reply. He quickly carried me to the bathroom, standing me near the counter where I could manage the rest. “Let me know when you’re done. I’ll be right outside the door, waiting.”
When I was finished, he carried me back to bed. “Thank you for always being there for me, Gregory.”
He kissed me gently on the lips as he tucked me back into bed, before climbing back in on the other side. “You know I would do anything for you.”
“Anything?” I asked.
“Sure, you name it.”
“Tell me how you got to me so quickly.” I needed to know if I was losing my mind, because his speed was impossible.
He turned to me, one elbow propping himself up, and began to explain. “I don’t know how I do it; but sometimes, when I am thinking really hard about you or where I would like to be, I find myself there.”
I was still perplexed, trying to understand his strange explanation. “What do you mean?”
“It’s hard to explain, Jordan. I think it’s best if I show you.” I watched as he suddenly vanished before my eyes and I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder on my side of the bed. I turned my head to see him standing by my bedside.
“You were just…How did you get? What?” I shook my head trying to understand what my eyes had seen.
“I don’t know how I do it, I just do. It’s like I transport to where my mind wants me to be.” He tried to clarify.
Next thing I knew, he vanished again and was back in bed at my side, wrapping his arms gently around me.
“A new power? When?”
“You’re probably going to be mad at me for telling you this, Jordan. But, remember when you fell asleep on the sofa, after your dad died and you were so cold and needed a cover?”
I could feel my eyes widen as the realization of what he was telling me began to hit. “So, I wasn’t dreaming about you; you were really here?!”
“I couldn’t sleep and felt that something was off. I kept wishing that I could see your face and be there for you. The next thing I knew, I was standing beside the sofa, watching you shiver and went in search of a blanket for you. I didn’t know how I got there or how I was going to get back, but I was happy to see you.” He paused for a moment, letting me take everything in, before continuing. “I covered you up and you seemed to settle back down, only opening your eyes for a moment to look at me, before going back to sleep. The next thing I thought about was being home, and I suddenly found myself back in my bed. I had thought it was all a dream until we had talked about our dreams.”
“But, why didn’t you tell me when you discovered it?” I accused, Was his withholding information from me becoming a trend? Despite the fact that I loved him, I still had trust issues. He had withheld his true identity when we first met—that his last name was actually Worthington, not Riley, and would eventually be CEO at his dad’s company, Teleco Wireless, a subsidiary, while his dad would inherit the CEO title of the main company, the very successful Worthington Enterprises, once his grandfather retired. I could understand the reasoning behind keeping his name a secret, because people used him for his name and what it co
uld provide, but this? Just another secret.
Sensing my distrust, he replied, “I didn’t know if it was a onetime thing or if I would be able to do it, again. I’ve tried to repeat it, but have only been successful a couple of times at the beginning, when I held you as you slept. I haven’t been able to reproduce again, it until tonight; otherwise I would have told you. I know Ray said our powers would develop over time, but I wasn’t sure if this was one of them or just some freak accident.”
Okay, so maybe I overreacted a little. His reasoning made sense. If I discovered something new, I would want to know that it wasn’t a fluke.
“Could you get me some water to drink?” My throat was parched and I needed to change the subject.
A smile spread across his face, knowing that I’d forgiven him, “Would you like me to try to flash out and get it or do it the old fashioned way?” His eye brows made a little suggestive wiggle.
“You can transport something with you?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know, never tried.” He stuck his head out the door to see if there was any movement in the house. He turned back toward me, closed his eyes and then vanished. A couple of minutes later, he reappeared with a glass of water.
I reached for the water with shaky hands, still not believing that he could actually do that and wishing I could have some unique power like that. He sat down beside me as I drank. “Maybe, when you are better, we can see if I can transport with you.”
“Why not try it now?” I was very enthusiastic about testing it.
Concerned, he replied, “I can’t guarantee your safety and don’t want to drop you.” He looked over to the clock and sighed “It’s late and I have a busy day, tomorrow. Can I just hold you in my dreams, instead?” He shot me his quirky little half smile, knowing I couldn’t resist him when he did that.
“Okay,” I was disappointed, but understood’ and who knows where we might have ended up.
Loving You (Remembrance Series, Book 2) Page 1
