World of Danger, a Young Adult fanfic

ZOMJ!!!! PART FOUR!!!! wanting to know more I see xD well you wont be disapointed, more caracters, definantly alot more romance, ooooh! its getting awesome... the end is near

Slipping Away

IT WAS DARK. I COULDN’T SEE ANYTHING but the thick darkness that was consuming me. I felt as if I was getting sucked in. I couldn’t feel anything. I tried to scream but nothing came out. It was like I wasn’t even myself anymore.

It was suddenly light. I was in someone’s arms. I looked up at their face. It was father, but he was young, and I was a baby. This was seventeen years ago. Had I gone back in time? That explains why I couldn’t scream.

I tried to cry, as I knew that babies did that very well. I didn’t. I only looked around having no control over my tiny body. This had already happened. A memory that was long forgotten, but why was I here now?

I looked up at my father’s young face; he couldn’t have been more then twenty-seven. This had been going on for this long! It was unbelievable that my father had been involved in all this so long ago.

My memories of him were preserved as the father I thought I had, the father that went on business trips and came back with all the love in the world for us kids.

That’s when I realized this was my fathers doing. He was the one giving me this vision. I was sure he didn’t want to give me a happy vision of us walking through the forest. I knew something horrible had to be coming.

It was hard not to relax. It had been hours of father walking with me in his arms. Along the distance I heard a sound of a large crowd.

“We’re home.” Father whispered in my ear. I looked up curiously at him. He continued to walk. The crowds grew louder, until I could see them.

There were hundreds, no thousands of people, protesters yelling at my father. They started to charge us! Father made a smug face. All of a sudden everyone in the crowds turned against each other. The people, who knew each other, started a huge war against themselves. They battled what looked to be friend against friend. Husband against wife, possibly even Father against son. I realized this had to be my father with his visions. This was the way Elle had been killed.

I tried not to watch, to close my eyes, to look away but no matter what I did the picture still stayed in my mind. I tried to scream, over and over again. Nothing seemed to be working. Why wasn’t someone saving me? I yelled out every name I knew to come and help me, but nothing came out of my mouth.

I tried to relax, but I couldn’t innocent people were getting killed out there, thousands! Despite my father holding me I could feel movement. I was slowly being rocked back and forth, and my father wasn’t doing it! I wondered who was.

I saw the very last person. He was beaten badly, but at least he survived the war. He then took his pocket knife and stabbed himself. Why? How could he? He was the last to live out of thousands sprawled across the grounds, and he chose to die instead of run.

All I could keep asking myself was questions until father called Richard outside. A young Richard, maybe about three years old stuck his frightened head out from behind a tree. His face was full of fear, of innocence. He had not chosen this life but had rather been forced into it. I could tell in that moment that he does not want to be where he is with father any more than I do. I could tell then and there that he was my brother and not some possessed person trying to kill me and we were once on the same side.

Father ordered Richard to move all of the bodies into the river. Richard deliberately started to clean up, and the river soon became clouded in red. Red River. I recognized it now. I never realized why they called it that but now it all made sense. I would have done anything to go over there and save Richard but I was trapped seventeen years in the past, I was stuck where I was useless and couldn’t do anything to help.

That was when I woke up screaming and crying in Seth’s arms. He was holding me by his side trying to comfort me. I knew not even he could comfort me now. Everything that I saw, everything that I never wanted to see again was still in the front of my mind. Richards face and that last man committing suicide. It was too much to take in a few hours.

“Elizabeth, you need to tell us what’s wrong, we can try to help.” Alyssa told me. I tried to hold my self together to answer her question.

“Father… hallucination… people… dead… Richard.” I managed to say through the tears. Seth held me closer rocking his body so mine would be rocked as well. He always did this when I was scared. It was oddly comforting to me. I opened my eyes to see everyone’s expressions.

Seth was looking down on me with that horrible look of his fixed on his face. I was bringing back bad memories. Seeing me passed out, he might have thought the worst. I hoped he didn’t blame Alyssa for any of it.

Alyssa’s face was calm but stressed. I could tell she was trying to comfort Seth as he was trying to comfort me. But she also looked extremely worried behind the smile she put on.

Isabella was scared, horrified. She was sitting as close as possible to me without getting too close. He face scared me. I wanted desperately to hug her and tell her it was okay. That it was going to be okay, but I didn’t know if that was the case. I hated seeing Isabella in pain.

Cody was behind Isabella with his arms around her trying to comfort her as much as possible whispering answers to her thoughts in her ear so that only Seth could possibly know what he was saying. By the looks of things, Cody was aware that Seth was listening to every word so he kept it light.

Cody’s face was surprising all together. The person I expected to be least affected by this was him but his face looked like he was in just as much pain as I was. He was looking over me as if I had done something horrible to him, as if he had seen the visions himself.

I had calmed down enough to answer everyone’s questions, but there was one that I promised myself I wouldn’t tell any one. I promised I would never tell anyone what happened. I wasn’t going to bring them all with me, especially Isabella and Seth.

“What happened?” Alyssa demanded.

“My father gave me a hallucination.” I stuttered. “It was horrible.” I shook my head and then buried it in Seth’s chest to stop from crying again. Seth again tried as best he could to comfort me.

I lifted my head up. Alyssa and Seth were exchanging worried glances. Alyssa’s smooth face now looked terrified. They knew something about this and they weren’t telling me.

“What is it?” I asked, trying not to scream.

“It will happen again.” Seth whispered in my ear. “You were right it is your father doing this to you. He will show you this every ten minutes or so. It is his form of torture, but it will be okay.”

I started to panic. Every ten minutes! I was out for hours at a time. I couldn’t handle every ten minutes. “But I was out for hours.” I gasped.

“Elizabeth you were only out for five minutes.” Isabella corrected. She then looked to Alyssa as if to ask what was going on.

“It only seemed that long to you Eliza.” Seth explained.

“She told you?” I questioned looking over at Alyssa.

“Yes quite an interesting concept isn’t it?” Seth asked and then forced a smile.

“There are some things that you can do to help. One, remember that this was a memory that happened a long time ago. Two remember what ever it is you have no say in it you are merely a witness, and number three you must remember that you will never be stuck there; you will always come back to us. We will do all we can to make it stop.” Alyssa assured.

I nodded again. I was scared to go back there, and the scariest was that no one could do anything about it. I would be passed out for a third of my life, and I knew that if this was a form of torture it wouldn’t take much for me to start going crazy.

I was scared, no scared didn’t even explain it… terrified that one time I won’t wake back up. Seth would go back into his depression, and Isabella would probably join him. I know I would if I lost any one of them. Alyssa would try and pick up the pieces, and I knew I couldn’t let her do that again.

Everyone’s face looked like they were just as scared as I was. Seth looked even more so. Alyssa was carefully reading Seth’s every expression. Looking out for him. I guess she was so used to it; it was a custom to her now. Old habits that never did go away. It must have been like taking care of a child. You could never take your eye off him or you would risk never seeing him again.

I couldn’t let Seth fall into that pattern I wouldn’t allow it! But before I had any more say on the matter I passed out again.

Days went by in the same pattern. Passing out every ten minutes or so. Seth kept by my side constantly. Neither one of us could sleep with me waking up screaming every few minutes. I told him over and over to go and sleep with Alyssa, Cody and Isabella, but he refused every time. He told me that he could handle a few days without sleep.

Cody stayed away when ever possible. He seemed disturbed every time he was near me. I asked Isabella is she noticed anything but she only told me that he wasn’t talking that much and he couldn’t sleep well. I didn’t understand why this was bothering Cody so much, but I couldn’t concern myself with it.

Isabella spent her time between Cody and I. Cody’s strange behavior was also bothering her as well. I never saw Isabella smile anymore and everyone else’s behavior wasn’t making this any better.

Alyssa strayed in and out of the forest. Always keeping an eye on Seth, but also watching me for something. I asked Seth but he only told me that she was concerned about something. I hated everyone being so discreet. Everyone knew something that I didn’t!

Seth was the worst out of them all. He was going back to what he was like when he was depressed, I could tell what Alyssa meant. Seth did everything he would normally do, but there was no life at all. He plastered on a fake smile when ever I looked up, but his eyes didn’t smile along with the rest of him, and the crookedness of his smile had turned straight. He was lifeless.

Seth was always rocking me, whether I was awake or not. It was comforting. I told myself if I could still feel the rocking I would always wake up, and so far I did.

I woke up with a jolt. The first time I hadn’t screamed. I was glad I didn’t wake up Seth. He needed his sleep, just as much as I did. The last I remembered the sun was starting to come up so that gave us both a few hours of sleep. I could have used about twelve more but I take what I can get.

Seth was holding me close so I had no chance of getting up. Maybe it was a good thing, I couldn’t get up. I didn’t want to be walking and then pass out.

Seth looked so peaceful in his sleep. It was like before. Before all of this, father stuff, when I wasn’t passing out every ten minutes. For once I wanted it to be like before and when I wake up from this mess, I don’t want everyone to worry about me.

Seth opened his eyes.

“Hey.” He whispered with another fake smile, and then he kissed me quickly.

“Hey.” I replied.

“No screaming.” Seth stated. “Is it getting easier?”

“No, I didn’t want to wake you so I tried my best…” I ran off.

Seth frowned again, “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I don’t want you go through sleep depravation.” I argued.

“This has nothing to do with sleep deprivation, does it?” Seth questioned. I looked at him for a minute.

“Seth, I just don’t want this thing to bring you down, I can tell something about this is bothering you, but when I wake up I don’t want to be reminded of what I just saw. I can’t let this get to me that way. I need to continue on with my life! I will just need someone with me at all times, I can’t see your face like that any more it is nearly worse then what my father is showing me, because I know that it is happening now and I am the cause for everyone acting strange.” I started to cry. “And everyone has enough to worry about with out all of this.”

“Shhhhh, Eliza this is just bringing back some bad memories for me. I went through it too about ten years ago. Your father tested this on the five. I’m sorry my pain is showing through to you. I am going to try to ignore everything that’s going on and I will get you through this we will find a way we will stop this.” Seth promised.

“Ten years ago!” I shrieked. “But… you would have only been nine years old!”

“Shhh…” Seth said again. “Elizabeth it is over and done with I will tell you everything but not now, besides I thought you said that you didn’t want us to talk about it when you woke up.”

Seth smiled and moved his body so that he was hovering on top of mine. I couldn’t feel any of his weight. He started to kiss me. It felt so nice to close my eyes and kiss him. I couldn’t see the pain on his face that way, only his lips moving with mine. We kissed until we were forced to stop.

I descended back into the darkness… my nightmare where once again, I would wake up screaming. I thought that every time I went back here it would get easier, the vision never changes, it is the same thing over and over again, but it mattered not. Every time I went back there I saw another couple separated from each other because of death. I saw one more person die. I saw one more drop of blood and one more person’s reaction to what was happening. It was unbearable to watch.

The only people who understood what I was going through was Alyssa and Seth, and even they didn’t know how to stop it. They told me it just stopped for them and they didn’t know why.

Alyssa was always there when I woke up, but then wondered away. I wanted to tell Alyssa to go back to the five, but I knew that would bother her even more. She felt protective of Seth and was used to taking care of him. It bothered me that I couldn’t do the same. Alyssa was the youngest here and she was the one taking care of the rest of us. And so when I woke up I promised myself that I couldn’t let this get to me. If it got to me I knew I would get to everyone else. Alyssa can’t pick up the pieces, not again.

“Hey!” I said to Alyssa, trying to sound enthusiastic.

“How are you holding up?” She asked. Her face was fixed in the same fake smile. Alyssa somehow made it look natural.

“I’m not, hardly at all.” I admitted. Then I remembered my promise so I said “I’m trying, there is no need to worry yet.” I tried on a smile but it didn’t work.

Seth’s arms were tight around me. I was once again sitting on his lap he was rocking me. His arms were fixed around my waist.

“We aren’t worried.” Seth whispered in my ear. Alyssa immediately shot him a look. It was hard to read whether it was shock or anger on her face.

“What is it?” I demanded.

“We can’t know if it will be okay if you don’t tell us what’s happening in your head.” Alyssa explained.

“No, why should it matter?” I challenged. I was still determined not to tell them. I cringed at the thought of reliving that experience with them.

“It might help us we need to know all of the facts. Caitlyn, San and Lillian are trying to deal with this right now; so far they haven’t found anything to make it stop.” Seth explained.

“The rest of them are in this?” I asked shocked. I never expected them to help me.

“Sam convinced them, you most likely don’t want to hear the argument he used.” Seth said. I wanted to know but I knew it wouldn’t make things any better. What can stop this other than kill the person who is doing this?

“It won’t help. I will not tell either of you anything I’m sorry but… I don’t think I could relive it again.” I explained.

Alyssa stood up and started pacing back and forth. She seemed frustrated. “There needs to be something, something we are missing, and something that made it all stop the last time.” Neither one of us knew anything. Alyssa soon gave up and walked away.

It seemed my life ahead become a frustrating mess. There was nothing to do but sit and dread what’s about to happen. I was miserable and was taking everybody down with me.

Again I didn’t have time to think because without notice I was out to suffer again. When I woke up Seth told me that we had to move farther east.

“East?” I questioned last time I checked we were going west.

“Yes well we think there may be a storm coming in so we want to get out of the middle of it.” Seth explained. “Are you ready to be my backpack?” I starred at him.

“No, I can walk; I am going to get fat if I never walk anywhere.” I insisted.

Seth started to laugh. “We can’t afford for you to be walking and then pass out and hit your head.” He stuck out his hand to help me up. “Besides I’d rather have you as a backpack.” Seth smiled. I sighed but hopped on.

Seth was right to make me ride on him. I would have probably smacked my head on a rock or something. When I passed out I always feared that Seth would drop me but when I woke up he was always there trying to comfort me as best as we could.

“Where exactly are we going?” I asked. All I could see was forest all around me.

“To the town of Basil. Cody, Alyssa and I are going to get a hotel room there. You would get one to except for your screaming… they wouldn’t allow it.” Isabella said.

“Oh right.” I said quietly. I was happy they could get away, but I was sad that Seth refused to leave my side.

“The storm will still hit here, but not as hard. It will get cold tonight.” Seth warned me.

“That’s okay, I can make fire.” I said jokingly but no one thought it was funny. Basil wasn’t that far away but the skies had darkened and the wind picked up by the time we got there. We said our goodbyes to Alyssa, Isabella, and Cody, and started to put up our tent. We huddled inside the first chance we got. Seth got the bed up just in time for the storm to come and rattle our tent like nothing I had ever experienced before.

We both wrapped our selves in the blankets and huddled against each other for warmth.

“How cold do you think it is?” I asked after we turned the lights out. Everything in the tent was pitch black, I could no longer see my hand in front of my face.

“Cold, very cold.” Seth answered.

“Seth, everyone is mad with me, or mad with what’s happening with me right?” I asked.

Seth hesitated for a minute. “Everyone is mad with Michael, your father for making you suffer like this.” Seth corrected. “No one is mad with you.” He assured.

“I don’t care how selfish it is, I am glad you are here.” I said.

“Selfish? No not at all, I would much rather be here half asleep with you then worrying in that hotel room all night.” Seth assured.

“Sorry.” I muttered. “We should both be getting some rest.”

“I don’t mind, what ever is on your mind we can talk about.” Seth said, but then yawned. “Sorry I am not making my case am I?”

“No I’d rather know if you were tired or not, try and get some rest, I’ll try my best to keep quiet.” I said.

“Mhmm.” Seth mumbled.

“One more thing.” I insisted. I kissed his neck and his chin all in search for his lips. When I finally found them he kissed me back. He slowly rolled me on top of him, and then him on top of me. Seth finally rolled over back to his side. It was amazing and the softness the slowness, the intensity that he gave was something new entirely. I was left breathless.

“Some good night kiss.” He teased. My heavy breathing was the only sound in the tent. Seth’s was even.

“Yeah… so if that was a good night kiss, does that mean every night?” I asked teasing.

“Yes, I suppose it does,” he said, but there was something behind his voice that scared me. I rolled over and tried to sleep.

It wasn’t long before my visions caught up with me. I was happy I didn’t wake Seth by screaming but I always woke up in tears. I was up most of the night wondering about the intensity in Seth’s kiss. Why now to reveal that side of him. Was he worried about something?

“Seth.” I called.

“Mhmm.” Seth said.

“Do you think I am going to die?” I asked.

“No not now, why do you ask?” He turned all of the questions on me but this time I would not let him.

“Then why was your… kiss so… it was like you were going to leave and never see me again. Seth, am I going to die?” I asked again.

“No.” his voice was set. “You are not going to die.” Seth confirmed. “I just, know that dying is a possibility for any of us and I don’t want to, be stuck in the past with you. I need to stay in the moment.”

“Oh.” That was the last answer I was expecting, but that was an understandable answer. “What do you mean stuck in the past?” I asked.

“I mean, I was always holding back so to speak with, Lillian and Alyssa and I guess it was the same with you as well. I guess somehow I always knew they weren’t right. But with you I don’t need to so I can do this.” He kissed me like he had just before, which again made me breathless. “And not be worried that something will go wrong… although I might want to do it less often, you seem to be breathless so to speak.” Seth chose all of his words carefully.

“Breathless… yes that is correct, but don’t stop that’s the way I like it.” I said. I stared into the darkness where I knew he was. He was able to see me just as clearly as in the day time. I hugged him. “Thank-you, for staying with me when no one else would.” I whispered in his ear.

“Thanks are not needed.” Seth assured. “I gladly volunteered.” Seth reminded me.

“Right.” I smiled knowing he could see it.

“Try and get some sleep.” Seth encouraged.

I nodded and closed my eyes. Soon after Seth had fallen asleep I did too. My night mares and my dreams collided together. So that they made something that could only be described as one thing – life.

Rocking

AFTER A FULL NIGHT OF RESISTING THE urgeto scream I couldn’t hold my pain in any longer. My scream came out naturally along with my tears. I expected just like every other time for Seth to hold me and rock me like he would normally but he wasn’t there! He wasn’t even in the tent.

I could still hear the storm ragging outside and it was still as dark as ever inside our little tent. I lit as many candles as I could without burning the tent down. I got up out of the bed. My legs were stiff from the lack of exercise I had been getting lately.

I opened the door of the tent. Seth was just around the corner he startled me as he pushed me back into the tent. He quickly turned and closed the front.

“What were you doing out there?” I demanded.

“Seeing if the storm was letting up, listening actually. Nothing but storm for at least two miles.” He reported.

“No way to get to the rest of them.” I whispered.

“They’re fine. They are in the city remember?” Seth assured me. I nodded shyly.

“And Alyssa’s with them?” I confirmed.

“Ahhh… is that what this is all about?” Seth asked me.

“What?” I asked playing dumb of course.

“Cody and Isabella won’t do anything that we wouldn’t do.” Seth said taking my hand in his and leading me to the bed. I sat down deliberately.

I shook my head again. Of course they would! Cody is unusually immature for what he grew up with and Isabella is just as willing as he is, and he knows it!

“Cody has no plans to…” Seth trailed of as I shot him a weird look.

“These usually aren’t things you plan.” I said. Seth knew exactly what I meant by that.

“They have only been going out for four months Elizabeth think rationally here!” Seth encouraged. “Besides, that’s the last thing that should be on your mind right now. Alyssa will take care of them; she is tiny but very persuasive.” Seth smiled at that. I felt like I was missing an inside joke but I decided not to bring it up.

I leaned to put my head on his shoulder. I jumped up. I never realized how cold and wet he was. I took the nearest blanket of the bed and wrapped around him.

“You should have warned me.” I scolded.

“Never knew you would be so sensitive to the cold.” Seth said. I sat down back beside him.

“I’d kiss you now, but I feel dizzy again. I think I’m going to pass out any minute.” I whispered. I was disappointed.

“I hope this makes it go a little faster.” Seth said as he leaned in to kiss me. The second our lips touched I was out. It might have been the shock of the coldness of them that might have triggered it off, or it might have its time. All I know is that I felt him finish that kiss even though I had no control over kissing him back.

The walk with father was as peaceful as ever but the crowds stopped all joy and I went back into my trance, where everything that’s bad in this world shows its self. Sadly it didn’t matter in that moment how much anyone in this world loves me. The hate in this was too much for one person to handle.

No person should see this. It needed to stop. With out that faint feeling of the rocking I don’t know what condition I would be in now.

I woke up screaming and crying like every other time. I didn’t know what hit me but I somehow knew in a way how Seth had felt when he got depressed. You were disconnected most of the time, and when you let your self come back the pain sets in. I may not know what it feels like to loose someone like Elle, a sister but I do know what pain feels like. If Seth felt in any way like I do now, I can’t imagine surviving it for a year.

I felt so bad so when I opened my eyes the last person I wanted to see was Cody. He was sitting across the bed from us. His face still hadn’t changed from that stricken horror look.

His blond hair was wet and messy. It matched his wet clothing.

“Cody… what are you…” I began I was confused and a little annoyed. At least Isabella and he were separated.

“Alyssa needed to tell Isabella something.” Cody whispered. I could tell that wasn’t it that wouldn’t make Cody come here, especially through a storm.

With him starring at me it was a little uncomfortable to have Seth still holding me firmly in his arms. I had learned to ignore it by now. “How’s it going?” Cody asked.

“You can read my mind, you probably know more then I do.” I whispered a little annoyed. You know more then I do echoed in my mind like an epiphany. What is the only logical reason why Cody would be acting weird when this started? He wasn’t himself just like I was. He was upset just like I was.

He could read my mind, see my thoughts. He could see everything that my father had been putting into my mind. He was seeing the same things I had been seeing for the past nine days. He was accidentally being tortured by my father.

I broke from Seth’s grasp and wrapped my arms around Cody and started crying.

“You know.” I whispered.

“Yes.” Cody said.

“And you didn’t tell me! I would have sent you away, you could have left until this was all over, I could have…” I said as I pulled away.

“Shhh… you cry way too much! I didn’t want to leave. I knew I could somehow help and I’ve been trying to find a loop hole in your mind, but it all goes by so fast and then its over. It is the most horrifying and interesting thing I have ever experienced. To you it feels like hours but experiencing it from the outside, it’s like watching something in super sonic speed.” Cody explained.

“Have you told Alyssa?” Seth asked.

“Not yet.” Cody answered and shrugged his shoulders.

“No, please don’t then” I shrieked. “You can’t tell anyone what I… we are seeing. Don’t make them suffer with us Cody! It is bad enough that you know.”

“Well isn’t this a pleasure calling me by my first name. Is bribery a sin?” Cody asked me. Seth started to laugh something I scarcely heard anymore.

“Very funny mountain boy, just promise me you won’t tell him.” I pleaded.

“I’m not promising you anything, and besides you will pass out any minute.” Cody smiled at that.

“Great, you can suffer along with me.” I stated. Cody made a face.

“And I thought this might make you guys a little closer.” Seth joked. Both of our eyes went to his.

“Boy do you have a knack at making enemies.” Cody whispered.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Lillian, Caitlyn, Richard, your father, me…”

“Stop it! It isn’t my fault that these people had all planned to kill me. Except you of course but that might change.” I smiled.

“Stop it.” Seth said. He didn’t need to say any more. I was out again. For once in my life I was glad that he was the one that had to suffer along with me.

When father and I got to the crowds my eyes fixated on a little boy with his parents. He could have only been three years old. His parents looked up at us. The next thing I knew the child was running towards the outskirts of the crowd. He stopped at a tree right by the lake.

The vision my father gave the rest didn’t affect him but he watched in horror as his parents turned on each other. Once it was all done he turned and ran away.

It was Seth. Seth was the boy. It made scene that Seth should hate my father. I knew he had killed his parents but I had no idea it was like that right in front of him. No idea.

When I woke up I wasn’t screaming, though I was crying.

“Seth I never knew.” I kept on repeating.

Seth looked over to Cody for an explanation.

“She saw you there.” Cody explained. I knew he had told him everything. I thought I would be angry but I wasn’t. I got up and started to pace out of frustration.

“I hate him, I hate him, I hate him I HATE my father! How could he do that to all those people to you! How could he let them die right in front of you! You keep on telling me how horrible my father is but I always denied it. You can’t deny anything when you see it in person. I am so sorry, so, so, so, so, so, sorry.”

Seth got up and stood in front of me. He blocked my pacing. “That was a long time ago.” He whispered.

“But you will never forgive him.”

“No.”

“But can’t you see that’s why I have trouble killing my father. No matter how many people he killed, even if it was yours truly you must understand the connection I still have with him!” I said. Seth seemed to think about that for a minute. Cody shook his head.

“What?” I snapped at him.

“Does everything need to be so dramatic with you?” He asked as he stood up. The tent was getting much too crowded.

“Dramatic! Dramatic as in passing out every ten minutes? Dramatic as in having your father trying to kill you?” I asked. “I guess my whole life is dramatic, so I adapted.”

“Wow so sorry, I will be glad when this is over.” Cody smiled at that. “I’m out. Have fun with your handful Seth.” Cody was laughing as he got out of the tent.

“See you soon.” Seth called out. I turned back to Seth.

“I hate both of them.” I muttered and sat down on the bed.

Seth sat down beside me. And I started laughing.

“I am a handful lately. Cody was right.”

“See, see that right there you only call him mountain boy to his face. You are trying to be just as annoying as he is. He brings out a different side in you. That is why I asked him to come here.”

“You asked him to come!” I yelled

“Yes he will, in his own way make you laugh at one point. Besides I had my suspicions about Cody knowing something about your visions. Seth smiled. I did too surprisingly.

“Do you… not tell me things a lot?”

“Like this sort of stuff?’ He asked.

“Yes.”

“Not this stuff.”

“Other stuff?”

“Yes.”

Yes? What wasn’t he telling me?

“What kind of other stuff?’ I asked carefully.

“Some thing’s don’t fall into place like you think they do, they take… work.” Seth whispered.

“Examples?” I asked.

“Look you are lucky that I told you that. Don’t push it.” Seth smiled. I didn’t.

What had he done that he played it off as a surprise. I couldn’t think of anything. I think that was the point.

Seth saw the frown on my face. “You love me right?” He asked.

“You know I do.” I answered automatically.

Seth leaned forward and said “Then trust me when I say you don’t want to know anymore.”

He left it at that. I figured it would come up again so I didn’t push him. In a way I knew how fragile Seth could be and I didn’t want to push him to his limits, partly for his sake and partly for mine. I didn’t want to see his face twist into that horrible look of his. Not ever again.

It was strange I always thought of Seth as some protector of everything. Like a police officer but so much better. He was always looking out for everyone- living in the moment. He never went to the past, which a lot of people consider a good thing, but if taken too far it could be a very bad thing - especially with a past like Seth’s, so fragile yet so original.

“Feeling dizzy?” Seth asked.

“Not yet. Should I be?” I responded.

“Maybe, I don’t have a watch. The others are coming now, and the storm has died down to a dribble… this is the only tent we have…” Seth trailed off. I knew what that meant. We needed to take down the bed and make room for every body.

“Yeah, we can take down the bed.” I answered. He started and I helped where I could. The bed was almost down when I passed out. I was expecting to hit the ground with a thud, but Seth caught me just in time.

It was dark for longer then usual, like father wasn’t getting his vision to me properly.

Suddenly it was light. I was no longer a baby, or anything for that matter. I was nearly a witness. Mother was cooking over the stove. Richard came in behind her. NO! Not her, not mother, anyone but her!

Gracie came running in. “Richard?” She asked, clearly startled.

Mother turned around fast. I was glad that Richard didn’t have his power but that didn’t change the fact that Richard was much bigger then she was.

“Richard, what are you doing here?” She asked. So she knew that they were alive, but how much did she know?

“Mom.” He whispered. He seemed genially sad. I think he might have wanted to stay with her, maybe lead a normal life, but it was too late for that now.

Richard took her into a hug. While in a hug he slowly reached his arm into the cutlery drawer. No. I thought. She is our mother you cannot kill her!

“Richard please no! I yelled. I could hear myself screaming those words over again but no one else could. My feet were stuck firmly where I was standing, merely a witness to what has already happened.

Tears were streaming down my face. This was my entire fault, no! I could not, would not blame myself even though they were only doing this to mess with me.

I stopped my self before this got too far, this was the last thing that I wanted Seth dealing with. The one thing that I knew would push him too far.

I could tell that this was out of Richard’s hands now. Father had taken over his mind with his visions.

“What are you doing?’ Gracie asked in her high pitched voice.

Richard turned his head, something I was surprised he did at all. He seemed to be trying to fight the visions in his mind. He didn’t want to kill mother, but rather being forced to kill her.

I knew it was the last thing I should have been thinking about but I was worried about Gracie, standing there all alone unaware of what was happening right now across the line that bordered my world and hers. I had no idea how seeing this would effect her. She was similar to me in so many ways, and was witnessing it just like I am now. I knew how this was going to affect me, and her being so much younger I could only imagine how this would affect her.

I knew what was coming next but I wouldn’t accept it until I saw it. Richard dug the knife into mother’s back. She collapsed dead at once.

Gracie started screaming. I did as well. Richard woke up from his trance and starred at what he had done.

Anthony and Charles came running upstairs. Gracie was crying, and Anthony was whimpering.

“Anthony, take Gracie out of the house.” Charles ordered in a loud voice. They followed his orders.

“Charles, I.” Richard stuttered.

“I should have known something like this was coming, if you want a war I’ll give you a war, I will join Elizabeth in a heart beat.” Charles threatened.

What did Charles know? As far as I knew he didn’t know anything about the magical world. Clearly he knew much more then I gave him credit for. But would have he found out, if not from me then it must have been from either Richard, or mother. I knew Father wouldn’t give him the time of day.

“Words.” Richard hissed threw his teeth.

“Which one? War? Elizabeth? How could you.” Charles left it at that, he knew the answer. Father.

Charles’s breathing got heavier. “Michael.” He gasped as realization struck.

I was surprised that Charles called father Michael. I always thought he would always see him as our father like I do.

Richard nodded his head slowly.

“I am doing everything I can, but you know I have no control, over what happens. I’m doing the best I can. “Bye… Charlie.” Richard said. He walked past Charles in a hurry.

Charles stayed frozen in place for a minute before moving to mother body. I was crying. I tried screaming so that someone would hear me. I could feel myself zoning out and the picture was getting blurry. Before I knew it I was screaming and crying in Seth’s arms again.

He was rocking me as usual but this time everyone was on the ground around us. The bed was gone so blankets were sprawled around everywhere.

“Seth said you were getting better.” Isabella whispered.

Isabella. I lump formed in my throat. How was I going to tell her that our mother just died before my eyes?

“I saw something else.” I choked.

Cody grimaced. He saw what I was leading up to. He could see the thoughts swirling in my mind; he knew how hard this was going to be to tell Isabella.

“What?” Alyssa asked.

Seth’s arms wrapped around my waist tightened subconsciously.

My head turned to Isabella. Her face looked so calm and I was about to ruin it all. She was going to flip. “It’s mother…” I started but waited to see Isabella’s expression. Her face went from a frown to a bigger frown and her bottom lip was almost quivering. “She is dead.”

The tears emerged from her face, but she continued to wipe them away. Isabella never liked to show “weakness” as she puts it.

Seth started to rock me again. He must know exactly how I feel. I wanted to cry, I needed to cry, but this was too sad for tears, tears were what I used all the time, this needed something more.

Cody moved so that his hands were on Isabella’s shoulders. He was rubbing them slowly.

“But how?” Isabella stuttered.

“Richard, and father, but mostly father.” I said. I didn’t want to explain everything to her. Not now, someday but in this case details weren’t important.

“Father and… and… and Richard! But we’re family, I mean they still love her right… they… she…” Isabella tried to say through her gasps for breath.

“Richard still loves us but father, he is the one who did this to her, to all of us. Richard is only being used by him, being forced evil, a slave.” I liked using Richards exact words it felt more personal.

“That wasn’t all though.” I started. “Charles knows, a lot. He knows about us and father and that we are at war so to speak.” Isabella’s gasps quieted down. “He is on our side.” I quickly added.

I could feel Seth nod behind me.

“Then we need to get you two back to middle class.” Alyssa said. She startled me. I had forgotten that she was here.

“Thank-you.” Isabella whispered.

“How far are we?” I asked.

“We aren’t far from high class; we could take the train from there.” Seth replied. It was the first time he had talked since this whole thing started.

I nodded. Cody’s head jerked up to look at Seth. They exchanged a glance for a minute, an exchange of secret words. I hated how they could use their powers to communicate with each other, but this was something different then what they normally do. Seth knew exactly what Cody was talking about with out Cody mumbling something under his breath.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed, Alyssa was looking at Seth strangely, concerned.

Suddenly Alyssa’s eyes closed tight, like something was annoying her. Her hand shot up to her right ear. Alyssa took out a small black circle from her bag and started to mumble some words into it. I had no idea what she was doing but it was obvious it was only Isabella and I who didn’t.

Seth moaned and then grumbled something under his breath. He seemed very annoyed.

“What?” I finally asked. Did they honestly expect me not to notice everyone exchanging glances?

“Umm… well you aren’t going to like this but…” Seth began but of course that of all moments was when I passed out. About five minutes later the explanation showed it self.

“Lillian?” I asked. There she was drenching wet and still drop dead beautiful standing in our tent.

“Hey Lizzie how’s it going?” Lillian asked with a slight cock to her head. Then she playfully smiled at Seth.

“Elizabeth.” I mumbled knowing that that nickname was going to get annoying really fast.

“Oh right your like some legacy now, Eliza, pretty cool stuff there, but to me you will always be Lizzie, sorry about your luck.” Lillian smiled again.

“You’re in a pretty good mood considering.” I stopped there hoping she would know I was talking about our mother. I still hate that she was my sister.

“Yeah well I didn’t really know her; she will always be the mom that gave me up.” Lillian shrugged.

I stood up slowly. I could feel my hands flaming up. She was her mother too and it was my father that wanted to give her up, it wasn’t like mother had any choice in the matter.

Seth came up behind me and put his arms around my waist trying to calm me down.

“A temper like your sisters I would really like to see that flame up.” Lillian laughed at her weak pun. “But I think I may have just the trick up my sleeves. I need to take Seth and Alyssa away with me. I got a mission and I need some major help.” Lillian put on a pout face.

“Can’t you get Sam and Caitlyn to help?” Seth asked.

“All tied up! You two are the only ones left that aren’t on a mission.” Lillian said sweetly, like she says everything.

“Isn’t making sure Elizabeth doesn’t die enough of a mission?” Isabella spoke up.

Lillian ignored her and turned to Alyssa. “I need both of your help; and you know you can’t refuse. We don’t have much time.” Lillian said.

Alyssa’s head turned to Seth. Her eyes were wide but I knew they both had to go if they were told to.

Seth seemed to be mouthing some words to Alyssa, but then Alyssa mouthed something back about authority. Only Cody seemed to know what was going on.

“And Caitlyn ordered this?” Seth asked. What did it matter other then the fact that she was clearly the leader I knew they weren’t going to refuse her, well at least Alyssa wouldn’t.

“Why? Are you going to pull the authority card on me?” Lillian asked.

Authority? Did Seth have more seniority over Lillian? Did this have something to do with age? Like a dog was there a chain in command?

“Seth we are going, Cody and Isabella can take care of Eliza for a little bit, and I am sure she is quite capable of taking care of her self.” Alyssa reasoned but the way she said it, it sounded more like an order. Was Alyssa above Seth?

Seth turned me around. “I need to go, now, but I will come back as soon as possible.” I nodded; with out the rocking I didn’t know what he was going to come back to.

He kissed me quickly but like just before. Intense. “I love you I will be back soon.” He promised. “Just don’t give up.” He added.

“Love you.” I whispered. I feared that it may be the last time but I tried to remember what Seth had told me ‘you are not going to die.’ or at least what I think he said. What I remember from our many conversations.

Alyssa and Lillian left first, and then Seth followed behind. He didn’t like this, not any more then I did. I knew this wasn’t going to be a good thing but I don’t think he had a choice.

I wanted to watch him fly off but I didn’t get the chance. I was stuck having another nightmare while I’m wide awake… but I wouldn’t forget this one by morning.

Seizures

WHEN I WOKE UP SETH WAS GONE. I WAS right without the constant rocking the vision seemed more real, like I would never come out of it. I could always ask Isabella to rock me… or Cody (shudder) but it would be a little strange.

So instead I woke up screaming and crying rocking myself. Isabella was hesitant but then came over to come and calm me down.

Cody was still standing up but then knelt down in front of us. He was closer to Isabella but still in the middle.

“The same vision?” Isabella asked.

“Mother died again.” I confirmed. I stopped and turned to Cody once I was calmed down. “What was all that with Lillian?” I asked. Reading minds had all of a sudden become useful and this would keep my mind off everything I didn’t want it to wander to.

“I don’t know if I should tell you… Seth didn’t want me too.” Cody said.

“Cody.” Isabella whispered sadly.

Cody’s eyes widened as he listened in on Isabella’s thoughts. Was Isabella bribing him?

“If you want me to stay sane you can’t do that,” I warned them. Cody looked from Isabella to me.

“Fine.” Cody grunted. “But you need to tell Seth to lay it easy on me.” Cody said.

“Sure I will make sure Seth doesn’t hurt you too much.” I promised satisfied with my play on words.

Cody bit his lip quickly but then started. “You see the five is” Cody’s eyes wandered trying to find the right word. “…complex.” He finally said. “They have a system, so that people don’t get bossy they have… like a line of command. Mind you they don’t need to listen but they find it easier to. It helps them to eliminate as much conflict as possible.” Cody stopped. I could tell he didn’t like telling me things out of other people’s minds.

“So it all depends on who your parents are, not age, not build, and not gender just who you are related to. For them you can boss around whoever is below you, to an extent. They could bump you down, or bump you up for that matter. They control it them selves.”

“But they don’t need to do what they are told.” I confirmed.

“No but they find it easier to… why don’t we save questions till the end shall we?” Cody asked and smirked.

I zipped my lips and threw the key away. Isabella smirked beside me.

“Well anyways Caitlyn’s parents were both in the five so she is the leader. “Sam is next because only one of his parents were in the five, and because he is older then Alyssa. This makes Alyssa number three. Sam is on top because he was in the five longer so I guess it is sort of on age.

“Seth is next; none of his parents were in the five. He won over Lillian only because she is related to Michael. Then that leaves Lillian for last. She doesn’t seem to like it too much from what I could tell but she is stuck.

“And I also heard that because of that little torture stunt Caitlyn preformed she almost got kicked out of her spot. Luckily for her Sam didn’t want to be top dog.” Cody stopped.

I tried to make sense of everything that Cody said. Caitlyn could boss around everyone in the group but they all had their free will to do what they please? It sounded like they liked having bosses; I guess it would make things easier. I couldn’t imagine Alyssa at five years old bossing around Seth at eight.

“I’m done.” Cody said after we didn’t say anything.

“But why was Alyssa clutching her ear?” I asked him.

Cody shook his head. “You don’t want to know.” He told me. That was code for; ‘I don’t want to tell you’.

Isabella turned to Cody impatiently. She was using her thoughts to talk to him as usual. Cody studied Isabella’s face. His was hard. Isabella’s face seemed relatively soft. Cody then sighed.

“What?” I asked.

“Private conversation.” Isabella said quietly.

I shook my head. I missed Seth, more then I should. He had only been gone for ten minutes but it seemed like hours to me. Stupid visions.

Cody turned to face me again. It seemed like they’re ‘private conversation’ had ended for now.

“So…” I started.

Cody laughed, and Isabella smiled.

I fell back on the blankets giving up. I starred up at the top of the tent. There were five metal bars meeting up in the center. They made the tent into a tipi shape. They seemed strong enough, but I felt myself wondering what would happen if one of the poles snapped. Would the tent fall down or would those four poles be able to hold the tent up? What if two of the poles snapped? That only left us with three poles. The tent couldn’t possibly hold up with only three poles? And even if the other poles came back soon, the damage would already be done and it wouldn’t matter if there were five poles if the tent had already toppled over. Three poles could never do a five-pole job.

Okay now I was loosing it. The first sign of going crazy was relating your self to poles. I would have to tell Isabella that one but not now.

I closed my eyes. I heard the quiet patter of the rain against the tent and I heard the quiet whispers of Cody and his seemingly one-way conversation. Soon those sounds are what drifted me to sleep.

I don’t know how long I was out for but it must have been a while. My hallucinations had gotten blurrier during the night, or day, or how ever long I had slept for.

I felt different but I didn’t know how so. Somehow in my sleep things had changed. I was now seeing both of the tragedies at random times. I could never prepare myself for what was going to be next. I was suddenly so warm and then cold in a flash during the period I was sleeping for.

The rain had stopped. I heard the muted whispers of both Isabella and Cody now. I guess they had nothing to hide when I was asleep.

I tried not to listen their conversation but I couldn’t help myself when I heard my name.

“Is Elizabeth going to be okay?” Isabella asked.

“From what I heard from Seth she is doing better then they were which is saying something.” Cody explained.

“But she is also quite a bit older then they were when they had these visions.” Isabella said.

“Which is a good thing.” Cody assured her.

“How much worse can it get?”

“A fever comes first, and then seeing hallucinations both when she is here and when she is meant to. Then it is said that they either beg to get killed or kill them selves. Sometimes also they die from the fever if it gets too high.” Cody whispered quieter then before.

Isabella shuddered. “Elizabeth can overcome this right?” She asked.

“If it stops soon, do you really want her to live like this forever?” Cody asked her trying to reason with the possibilities.

“I’m not saying anything until I am forced to.” Isabella said.

That was enough to scare me. I didn’t know what was happening but there was no way I was getting better unless it just stopped like it did with the five.

I drifted away again. This time I saw mother die again, the worst out of my two visions. When I woke up I was crying. Isabella was by my side fast. I sat up beside her. I was gasping for air, never able to get enough.

“Elizabeth lay back down.” Isabella instructed.

I did. Isabella started to stroke my hair, like our mother did when we were sick. “Not this quick.” She kept on muttering to herself.

“What is it?” I murmured.

“A fever, they aren’t supposed to come on this quickly. One moment you are fine and the next you look… horrible.” Isabella stuttered as she looked impatiently towards the door. “Cody went out to town to go get us some food.” Isabella explained the unanswered question.

I had a fever? Already? I defiantly wasn’t ready to die, not yet. Not without everyone I love there beside me, not without growing old, not without living my life.

“I’m going to die.” I whispered.

Isabella looked from the tent to me. “Not yet, I’ll keep you alive.” Isabella promised.

“But Isabella you can’t do anything.” I said.

“Do you want to die?” Isabella asked me.

“No.” I said firmly that was the last thing I wanted.

“Then stop asking.” She said.

“What day is it?” I asked.

“I don’t know, it has been about a day you have been sleeping.” Isabella answered.

“Well if there is the option I am going to die I need you to tell a few people a few things for me.” I whispered.

“Elizabeth, you are hallucinating you are not going to die.” Isabella said firmly.

“I’d do the same for you.” I said.

“I’m not taking your dying messages! You are not going to die Elizabeth so stop thinking that you are!” Isabella yelled.

From then on it was quiet. I tried to make conversation but the words wouldn’t come out right I could never make them make sense in my head, so we laid there like that for a few hours as I drifted in and out of consciousness. We starred up at those poles. I figured three would hold… until the wind blew.

---

“Cody might stay in town.” Isabella said, as I got in from outside, a person still needs to go to the washroom no matter how sick they are.

I went and lay back down on the bed. “So I need to go get us some food okay?” Isabella asked me.

“I can make food.” I said.

“You can for yourself, but I might get sick if I eat it.” Isabella laughed. I nodded. Isabella left me alone in the tent.

I had never been alone in this state. I was afraid that something would happen and no one would be here to see it.

I made myself a mini banana tree and ate the mini bananas. It would have to do for now.

I sighed and lay back down. I fell asleep again… or I passed out. I wasn’t sure which.

I counted the visions that passed so I could keep track of time. Fifty-four, which meant thirteen and a half hours, had passed. I could tell it wasn’t normal to sleep this much but I didn’t have enough energy to do anything else.

I had a fever and had lost most of my strength. I could feel the visions having a greater toll on me. Nothing was working, nothing. I tried to close my eyes, to scream, to cry, and to beg for them to go away… nothing.

So I shouldn’t have been surprised with what happened on my fifty-fifth vision since I had been half asleep.

I started to rock. Seth I immediately thought he must have come back after all! But no these rocks were much more violent and they were happening all over. My body was moving in different directions. I didn’t know what was happening; I didn’t know what to do.

This was defiantly not Seth; no one person could rock me this way. ‘Seizures.’ Cody had said that seizures were one of the bad signs and now I had gotten that as well.

I stopped a second before Richard came out and moved the bodies, it was vision one.

When I woke up Isabella was standing beside me horror struck. Cody was behind her holding her back it seemed.

“Seizure.” I whispered. Isabella nodded, as she came and sat beside me.

I struggled to sit up and then drank some water from my hand. I didn’t care how weird sucking my hand looked any more.

“But why am I getting a seizure? It isn’t like these visions are causing me to be sick… is it?” I asked Cody. Isabella looked up at him too.

“Well you don’t like these visions, your brain thinks of them as a virus. So your body has a fever to fight the virus off, but you don’t have a virus so now your body created the fever.” Cody explained.

“And the seizures?” I asked.

“Your body is making you sick.” Cody whispered.

“So I have control over this?” asked willing to do anything to get my strength back. I hated to lay here day and night struggling to get up. \

“No.” Cody said. “Well you do, in a way, but your father has most of the control.” Cody explained. I sheepishly nodded my head.

Isabella gulped down hard. I knew it as hard for her to see me like this. It would be hard for me to see her as well. Some food was in the corner of the tent, but I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t even sure I was going to keep down the bananas.

Cody came to sit down beside Isabella and took her hand. Isabella squeezed it tight. Again another silent one way conversation started. For once I didn’t mind.

I closed my eyes and listened to Cody whispering in Isabella’s ear. It was nonstop. Comforting her it seemed because her stressed expression was calming.

I started coughing for the first time, but no one was surprised when I did. The coughing created a dull ache in my throat. I drank some more water from my hand, little bits that was the key.

I looked around. It was so dull. There were pillows and blankets sprawled across the ground everywhere. Our shoes were at the door. The bed was bunched up in the corner. I wish there were less people here, or a bigger tent so that way we could set the bed back up. But sadly if we did it would take up all of our room.

Looking around helped me to forget everything else. It always looks the same no matter how every one else changed. It never frowns at me or makes me sad, it is just there.

Cody reached behind him and got out a loaf of bread. He tore off three pieces – enough for all of us. When Cody held out mine I declined. Somehow I was full.

I watched Isabella and Cody nibble on their bread waiting for me to pass out again. They didn’t need to wait long, I was gone.

Three more days passed in the same pattern. We slept when we could, ate when we were hungry and watched out for signs of me getting worse. Sure sometimes we would talk but it was only words, no emotion behind them, we were using them for something to do.

I was getting worse, relatively faster each day. There was now a seizure every time I passed out and my fever got higher quickly. This couldn’t be good for me, and even if the visions stopped I would still need to recover.

Each day I would hope for Seth and Alyssa to come back and then every night I would fall asleep disappointed.

“What if something happened to them?” I asked Isabella and Cody one night.

“Nothing happened.” Isabella whispered as she had for the past few nights.

“Just another mission.” said Cody.

I looked over to see their sure faces. Both of them were set.

I sighed and watched as Isabella blew the last candle out. It was time to sleep, but I wasn’t tired.

I heard Cody and Isabella quickly kiss good night. I listened until their breathing became consistent and deep, until I knew they were asleep.

Then, I slowly stood up with a blanket clutched in my hand. It took a moment to get my balance. Once I did I walked out of the tent. I sat down by the closest tree not wanting to risk getting too much farther. I wanted to see something better then the inside of the tent.

I breathed in the smell of pine. It smelled so good, like before everything happened. The sky was cloudy and was a dull blue.

To make sure I wasn’t going to hit my head when I passed out, I decided that laying down was my best option. I wrapped the blanket around my self. I was cold. I closed my eyes and listened to the wind whip around me. I knew this wasn’t a good idea but I was at the point where I would do anything to get out of that tent.

After passing out about twice, exhaustion caught up with me. I fell asleep. It wasn’t a deep sleep it was one of those kind where you are aware of everything around you. It was relaxing, and peaceful… to a point.

I was seeing mother die again and preparing myself for when I woke up, when I felt the gentle rocking, a sensation familiar to me. His hands were around my waist holding me tightly, trying to stop me from shaking violently. I must have been hurting him I know, but he stayed, he stayed for me.

I couldn’t wait to see him to see his face again. I waited until the vision was over, but it seemed much longer then it should have been.

Finally I woke up, I wasn’t screaming, or crying, I was happy. He was looking down on me, somehow smiling. It wasn’t the best time to be happy but it didn’t matter.

“Seth.” I whispered.

“It’s okay I’m here.” He said as he continued to rock me.

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled. “I’m not doing very well.”

Seth laughed. “Well trying to stop you from seizing was fun.” I some how laughed to.

“I got sick of the tent.” I said.

“I would too.” Seth agreed.

“It has gotten worse.” I said hardly talking at all.

“I can see that.” He whispered and shook his head.

I didn’t understand why he was so understanding all of a sudden. The worried look was gone. He seemed happy, happy to see me, or he knew something I didn’t. Or maybe he found a way to act better. Whatever the reason he instantly made me happy as well.

I turned around so that I was facing him. Although he was no longer rocking me seeing him there was comforting. He leaned in to kiss me but I stopped him.

“I’m sick.” I protested.

“Well luckily I don’t get sick then.” He laughed. I frowned but had to believe him, something to do with the five no doubt. I would know all of their secrets over time.

Seth started to lean in again. When I lips met it was like something had been put off for so long and then finally having the strength to get over that. It was wonderful something I had forgot that I had forgotten, an old memory coming back.

Even though he had only been gone for a few days it seemed like weeks to me, long hard weeks. Still it felt like he felt that way to.

Our kiss didn’t last long, a few short seconds was all, because that was all the time we had.

I started to shiver. Seth turned me around so that my back was facing him. He wrapped the blanket around me and then sat me down in his lap like a child. He hugged me, putting his arms around my waist and rocked me like before. I quickly warmed up and the hot spell started, but I didn’t dare tell him.

We stayed like that in and out of hallucinations. He ignored the seizing and never mentioned it again. We talked about what had happened in the past before any of this. The fun times, and even the bad. I had no doubt that one day we would be talking about tonight in some conversation.

Exhaustion soon took its toll on me, no matter how much I fought back. I fell asleep and it was the first time in days that I was unhappy that I did.

Stopping

WHEN I WOKE UP IT TOOK A MOMENT TO remember where I was. I was back in the tent sleeping beside Seth. His arms were around me tightly, trying to stop the seizing I was guessing. I should have told him that he would only hurt him self trying but I didn’t, I don’t think he would have cared.

He seemed strangely exhausted, now that I thought about it he was last night as well. I didn’t know why, Lillian must have flown him over, unless she couldn’t. Seth would tell me if anything happened, I know he would tell me.

I closed my eyes and tried to bring up the foggy memories of him last night. I don’t think I was all there because I didn’t remember anything we talked about.

The best I could get was a faded memory, where Seth looked tired but was smiling, smiling through what ever he had been through. His hair was in disarray, and his clothes were slightly dirty. No surprise there, they almost always were. All of our clothes were.

The smell of smoke made my nose burn. It was coming from outside so Isabella and Cody must have woken up.

I could hear them walking around, but I didn’t know what they were doing.

The sun was half way up. Seth never slept when the sun came up. He claimed he couldn’t. What ever that mission put him through must have been excruciating.

I didn’t dare move to wake him so I stayed as still as I could. I didn’t move a little bit, of course I wouldn’t have any choice in the matter once the hallucination started. It was a wonder how he slept through the night at all.

Luckily I didn’t need to worry. Seth woke up beside me with about three minutes to spare. He instantly loosened his grip on me with out letting go.

He didn’t know if I was awake or not, so I decided to keep my eyes closed to keep him guessing.

Seth sighed and held me closer like before. He kissed me on my forehead. I then hugged him glad to have him here.

“Hey.” He whispered.

“Hey.” I mumbled back.

“Any better?” He asked.

I shook my head. “Would it be weird to say that I don’t really know?” I asked knowing how strange it sounded.

“No it’s understandable.” Seth said. “You look; well you look about the same.”

I frowned, but the same was always better then worse.

I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry like a bad hangover. I couldn’t focus on anything. It was strange. I couldn’t see Seth’s amazing face or anything else.

“Seth.” I said feeling more panic rish through me.

Seth sat me up and he sat up as well. “Elizabeth.” He said just as panicky.

“I… I can’t see properly, everything is, blurry.” I whispered.

Seth exhaled hard. “Look at me.” He instructed. I did the best I could.

Seth started to mumble some things I couldn’t understand. I only heard one name… Lillian.

“What about Lillian?” I asked.

“Oh umm… well she is trained in first aid she might be able to help, I know a lot but I have no idea what going on with your eye.”

“Cody!” I called.

“What is he going to do?” Seth whispered a little harshly.

Cody came running in with Isabella following close behind him.

“For your information I know this stuff.” Cody gloated.

Seth mumbled something that I couldn’t quite get but Cody knew and laughed. “I might take you up on that.” he said. I turned my head to Isabella, or the blob that was in her spot.

She was up by the door of the tent wondering if she should come in probably.

Cody came up right in front of me blocking me view of her. He looked straight into my eyes, which was kind of awkward.

“Nothing is wrong with her eyes.” Cody said very efficiently.

“Then why can’t I see?” I asked.

“It’s your mind playing tricks on you again.” Cody explained as he got up and went back by Isabella.

Seth looked up from me to him. “What?” He asked shaking his head as if this was all nonsense.

“Well her mind is trying to get rid of the visions, her body is repelling them as it will so it got sick and then it gave her seizures and now it seems to have blurred your vision so that you won’t see them.” Cody said.

“And will it work?” I asked hopeful.

“No.” Cody said. “The visions are on the inside like a dream so it won’t do you any good.”

I nodded. My body was turning against me! It was horrible thing to go through. I couldn’t stop it, and I couldn’t do anything about it so my only choice was to learn with it. I could hardly get out of bed as it is, I couldn’t possibly live like this for much longer and they all knew that.

“Of course nothing is fixable.” Seth muttered.

I turned around to face him. “Don’t say that.” I pleaded.

Seth only shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

I smiled the best I could, and then passed out in his arms in which Seth rocked me through it. It was my first vision which was as bad as ever. I fought through it the best I could. I still woke up shaky and crying.

Isabella had moved beside Seth and me.

“No.” Seth said and then looked up to Cody.

Cody shrugged and said “It couldn’t hurt to try.”

“Actually it could.” Seth said with an edge to his voice. Isabella frowned at that.

“Any worse then she is now?” Isabella asked.

“What is it? Is there is a possibility of curing me?” I asked. Seth ignored me.

“Dying is defiantly worse.” Seth argued.

I found it best to listen to this argument, and figure out what was going on. But I was all for trying anything even f there was a risk to dying. It was hard to concentrate on their conversation though. Without being able to see their faces easily and also the chills that went through my body every minute their words were faint and I couldn’t comprehend them.

“Yet again don’t you think I have a little more control then that?” Isabella asked raising her voice.

“Not when it comes to Elizabeth, or tough circumstances.” Seth accused.

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Isabella yelled.

“You didn’t see Caitlyn after your fight.” Seth said quieter this time.

“As I recall neither did you.” Isabella contradicted.

“Actually I did.”

“Good, I shook her up then.” Isabella said smugly as she smiled.

“Yes you did.” Seth said even quieter. “And you aren’t taking that risk with Elizabeth. If you shake her up even a little bit she will die and then you will have her death on your shoulders.”

Isabella took a deep breath and then released it. “I’d rather try to help her then watch her die.” Isabella said.

“No.” Seth said.

“Look I can do whatever I like; I don’t exactly need your permission to do this.” Isabella said.

“Yes but if you kill her I will come and get you.” Seth threatened.

“Stop.” I choked. Everyone looked to me; I don’t think they knew if I was awake. “Seth if I die you do not kill my sister even if it is her fault, Isabella stop arguing with Seth you aren’t going to get anywhere he is very stubborn when it comes to these things.” I instructed.

Seth leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “Sorry.” he whispered.

“Sorry.” Isabella repeated annoyed.

“I am not going to die.” I repeated Seth’s words out loud.

I saw Isabella mutter something that I couldn’t quite get but Cody started to laugh, Seth didn’t seem amused.

“It’s the two most stubborn people I know are in a fight, this is great.” Cody laughed.

Now Isabella and Seth shot him a look. “Touchy.” Cody said and sounded out each syllable. I had to laugh. Cody instantly smiled, and Seth forced one out as well. It felt good to laugh over nothing at all.

“Fine.” Isabella said quietly.

I closed my eyes shut tight, trying to drowned out their arguments. It was hard knowing that they were all about me.

Cody seemed to be cooping well. The visions didn’t seem to bother him as much anymore, I think I over heard him tell Isabella once that he concentrate on her mind to drown out my mind but I couldn’t be sure.

I passed out.

Richard was hugging mother. I was on my knees begging to not see this again, to see Gracie’s face again and again was horrible! Then it stopped, nothing was there only darkness that soon consumed me.

Was this death? Seth must be going nuts with me dead in his arms. Isabella would be screaming I didn’t know what Cody would be dong. I would never get to see anyone I ever loved ever again, to touch Seth’s skin, to see Isabella’s smile, to frown at Cody’s sense of humor.

I would never feel pain, but then again I wouldn’t feel anything at all. I thought there was an after life but all I did was lay in the darkness.

I could faintly hear shouting in the distance, and then I felt hands pressing down on my chest. I started to cough and then to take heavy breaths in. I sat up in the bed. I was taken by surprise when Seth pulled me into his arms and held me tight. I was so glad to see him again, to see light. Where ever I was I was no longer there anymore.

“The hallucinations… they stopped.” I stuttered. “How did you do it?” I asked Seth.

“Why do you always think it is him, I stopped your heart and it worked.” Isabella bragged.

“And almost killed her in the process.” Seth muttered.

I turned around to face Isabella and Cody who was behind her comforting her. “Thank-you.” I whispered, and started to cry. “I am not going to die.” I repeated over and over again. I must have for at least five minutes until I finally stopped.

All I needed to do now was recover. Which would be easy as it was my own body making me sick to begin with. I wanted to go outside and jump for joy but I knew I couldn’t.

I then started to laugh to really laugh, I didn’t even know why. Coming back from being that close to death is thrilling, exciting even. Embracing life, lucky to be alive.

My vision was already getting sharper again. I counted down the seconds until ten minutes was up. I held my breath when exactly ten minutes was up. Nothing happened.

“We did it.” I whispered. Isabella smiled, she was proud of herself and showing off in front of Seth.

“You were so strong.” Seth whispered in my ear.

“Still am.” I teased.

“Love you.” Seth said

I smiled again. No matter how many times he said it now I could never, ever get sick of it.

“I love you.” I repeated.

Cody gagged at that and Isabella started to laugh which was the nicest thing to hear yet.

I took a pillow and threw it at him. We all ended up laughing that day, it was something long forgotten.

---

The next few days were strictly for recovering. I was stuck in my bed for those days only getting up when needed. My vision was back, and so was my appetite. I still had a slight fever but not nearly as high as it was before.

Someone was always in the tent with me. Mostly it was Seth, but Isabella came in and out, Cody even came in once or twice.

Everything around here was so much better. Seth promised me that once I got better we were on a one way trip back home. I was excited to see Charles, Anthony and Gracie again but I was also was worried about them. I hoped everything would fall into place once we got there.

It was late the sun had been down for hours I was asleep when I woke up from Seth kissing me. He grabbed my hand and helped me up. Seth got me out of the tent and into the darkness of the forest.

With out speaking he pulled out a candle and I lit it. We sat down across from each other in the middle of the forest with the candle in between us.

“Hey.” Seth said.

“Hi.” I smiled.

“Thought I would save you from tent arrest.” he said. “You seem fine, a little cold maybe.”

“Yeah… cold.” I said. The spring chill was as cold as ever at night even when I was wearing my jacket. Seth came over beside me and put his arm around me.

We sat there for a few minutes not saying anything, listening to the forest, to each others steady breathing, and we watched the flame of the fire.

“You want to set this off?” I asked.

“Do I want to what?” Seth asked, confused. I was glad he didn’t know.

I blew out the candle and ran off towards the river with it. I loved the feeling of running, a feeling I had forgotten. We ran all of the way to the river. I was out of breath and still as cold as when I started but I felt better then before.

I grabbed a flat piece of wood of the ground and placed the candle on top of it. I ran my fingers across the top of the water, I loved the sensation it gave me. I watched the ripples wade away.

The river was adorable, a little shallow and stones were in the river every where. It was beautiful, a kind of beautiful that I could only now appreciate.

Seth crouched down beside me watching me be amazed by the smallest things. I felt like such a child but I didn’t care.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“Yes.” Seth said never taking his eyes away from mine.

I lit the candle again. I placed the driftwood into the river with the candle on it. And watched as it floated away. I loved the reflection of the orange flame in the clear water, I found myself wondering why people thought that water was blue, that’s what people always painted it as.

The candle never once hit a stone like mother said it wouldn’t.

I watched until the light was a faint glow on the horizon. “My mother said that father and she used to do this all the time when they got together.” I said, still facing the river. “She said it was one of her few good memories of them happy together. I wanted to see what she was stressing about.

“I did this once with Richard, Charles and Isabella but it was day time. We weren’t allowed to go out at night.

“Richard and father were only back for a week, the last week. Richard snuck a candle out of the house and ran to meet us at the lake, and we set it off. I never thought it could ever be like this though.” I said. Seth kept quiet so I turned away from the candle.

“I just thought you should know.” I whispered.

“Was it everything you hoped it would be?” Seth asked.

“And more.” I said.

“You would have been happy if it wasn’t for your father, you would have had a good life.” Seth whispered.

“No better then it is now.” I objected. Seth seemed to accept that answer.

I kissed him and he held on to be tight. We were both kneeling. I wrapped my arms around him just as tight. Seth lowered himself down to the ground with me still clung to him. He slowly rolled me over beside him, still kissing like no other time before. It was incredible, incredibly magnificent.

When Seth finally pulled away I didn’t know how much time had passed by.

We laid there beside each other.

“How do you handle life without her?” I asked in hardly more then a whisper.

“Mom?”

“Yeah.”

It was silent for a long time. “I never knew them.” He muttered. I was about to let it go when he spoke again. “But I used you to get over Elle, maybe you just concentrate on another kind of love and soon enough you can move on.”

I moved so my head was on his chest and I was hugging him tight. “Then I will need your help to get through this.”

“Anything I can do.”

“I… I just can’t imagine life without her.” I said as tears emerged from my eyes, I hated to cry so much but in times like these it couldn’t be helped. My mother deserved tears. Elle deserved tears, Seth’s parents deserved tears.

“I know, I couldn’t either.”

We stayed there like that without speaking until the dark sky started to turn pink and my tears had dried.

“So now we head back?” I asked.

“Yes, I guess that’s what we will have to do.” Seth sighed. He stood up and helped me up. We started to walk back hand in hand the slowest we could go. “How far did we run?” I asked him.

“A long while, I think you got us lost.” Seth laughed. I did as well. It seemed like everything was so new to me again.

“Seth, how long was I having those visions for?” I asked.

“Abut a month.” Seth answered.

A month? It seemed much, much longer then that! I guess with the hallucinations it would, it messes up your time.

“What did you do when you left?” I asked.

“I… I can’t tell anybody.” Seth whispered.

“Okay.” I said. “It didn’t seem like much fun, was it far away.”

“About four days walk.” Seth said.

I nodded. “Cody told me about the whole chain of command thing.” I said. “He told me to tell you to not kill him for it, but it might have clued in that I might one day need to know this stuff.”

“Of course he did, we need to rearrange some agreements then.” Seth said a little rudely.

I stopped walking. “If you don’t tell me these things, then I will get people to tell me for you.” I threatened.

“Like who?” He asked clearly annoyed at this but trying not to have his words come out harsh.

“Alyssa, and Cody have served well in the past.” I said.

“What did Alyssa say to you?” Seth demanded.

I knew I had already said too much but I wasn’t about to tell him that now.

“Look what ever it was it doesn’t concern you now, we are friends as well and you will have to deal with that.” I said trying to sound convincing.

I was frustrated; I had to turn the perfect start to the day into a fight.

I sat down on the closest log and closed my eyes and imagined that candle drifting down the water. I remembered the last time our family was together – never again will we ever be.

“Seth really it was nothing it was just I can’t stand any secrets. I already have enough to worry about; I just don’t want to worry about you too.” I whispered. “I always ruin the moment.” I muttered hoping he wouldn’t hear.

“No you don’t.” he objected most likely hearing everything as clear as a bell. Seth came and sat beside me.

“I will tell you as much as possible but there are some things you aren’t allowed to know, not until…” Seth stopped and looked at me.

“What?” I mouthed.

“I could tell you if, we were married.” Seth whispered so that it seemed like he was mouthing the words. I smiled; it was an awkward moment because we had never thought about it before.

“One day then.” I said.

“One day.” Seth agreed and gave a little smile too.

There we were sitting beside each other looking into the forest neither one of us wanting to get up. I imagined we were both tired and could probably fall asleep here.

From the sun I could tell that it was around five o’clock in the morning, about an hour from when Isabella and Cody would wake up. The sky was slowly turning a bright orange, the same colour as the flame on the candle.

I slowly leaned my head against Seth’s shoulder. I remembered his words and mine, one day. We both knew it was going to happen, I couldn’t see anything breaking us up, but it was a different thing to say it all together.

I could see us older sitting on this log again, thinking back on the last time we were here. We could be peaceful, have no more battles, maybe have a family, but it was much too soon for that, much, much too soon. But I could see it, it will happen one day, always one day.

“Let’s head back.” I finally said and got up.

Seth got up with me and we walked back tired but happy. We sneaked into the tent. I was relieved to hear the steady breathing of Isabella and Cody. Cody’s arm around Isabella as she slept. I had to remind myself that they were only one year younger then us. One year.

I don’t think it would have bothered me as much if it wasn’t Cody, but that was who Isabella loves right now, but I secretly hoped it wouldn’t last long.

I lay down beside Seth and he wrapped the blankets around both of us. It wasn’t long before sleep found me. I dreamt good dreams something that was now a rare occasion. Something I learned to love.

Pay Back

WHEN I WOKE UP SETH WASN’T BESIDE ME, Isabella and I were the only ones in the tent. Isabella was lying on her stomach flipping through a book. It was so worn I couldn’t tell the title. When she saw me awake she threw the book aside and started to kick her legs like a child behind her.

“So, did you have fun last night?” Isabella asked and smiled.

I shook my head. “How do you know these things?” I asked.

“I woke up, both you and Seth were gone, I’m curious… now talk.” Isabella explained.

I sat up beside her. “He saved me from my sentence to bed.” I said.

“So now he is your knight in shinning armor.” Isabella teased.

I laughed. “Is he here?”

“Nope he and Cody have both gone to town at least a mile away now.” Isabella said happily, I was pleased too. I rolled over on to my stomach so that I was face to face with Isabella.

“We set of a candle on the river.” I whispered.

Isabella gave a little giggle, I missed this, this is what we would have done back home.

“Was it romantic?” She asked.

I shook my head again at the things coming out of her mouth. “Very. Much better in the darkness, just like mother said.”

Isabella only smiled that time, the mention of mother.

“But that isn’t all.” Isabella encouraged. “When you came into the tent it seemed like something big happened.” I could tell she was trying to distract herself from thinking of her. If it made her feel better I would gladly help her, I didn’t want to think of that just now. I had only just escaped.

“You were awake?” I asked surprised.

“It isn’t hard to fake sleep you know.” Isabella said. “There is something else, something big.”

I laughed. “There is but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to tell you.” I teased.

Isabella put on a pout face. “Seth mentioned marriage.” I whispered so quietly I doubted she could hear me.

“He said what?” Isabella squealed. “How did he mention that?”

“He said that he couldn’t tell me stuff about the five unless we were married.” I said. Isabella’s face instantly went to a frown.

“That is saying a fact Eliza, nothing more.”

“And then I said some day, and he repeated it back.” I continued ignoring Isabella’s comment.

“Awe.” Isabella said loudly. I started laughing. “Anything else about last night?” Isabella asked.

“Nothing I am telling you about.” I said, Isabella smiled again.

“I know what that means.” Isabella taunted. I hid my face into a pillow. “So is he a good kisser?” Isabella asked.

Not taking my face from the pillow I grabbed another one and smacked her with it. Isabella laughed. “Tell me, or else.” She threatened.

“Or what?” I asked.

Isabella thought about it for a minute and then said. “Or else next time he enters this tent I will go up and kiss him for my self.” My jaw dropped, I had no doubt that she would.

“Yes.” I said. My voice was muffled from the pillow.

“What was that?” Isabella teased.

I lifted up my head “Yes.”

Isabella laughed.

“On a scale of one to ten.”

“Isabella, drop the subject.” I warned.

“Okay, okay.” She said backing down. “Well Cody is pretty darn good too.”

I started gagging. Isabella laughed. “There is more to him then you might think.”

“He is feeding you what ever you want to hear.” I said. Isabella pushed me over onto my back.

“He is not.” She objected. I let it go, knowing I couldn’t change the outcome of this.

“This boyfriend of mine happened to tell me something about Seth and Lillian, I could tell you, or maybe I shouldn’t because you don’t like the source.”

“Isabella tell me.”

“Well to make you hate our sister even more Lillian didn’t need either Alyssa or Seth on her little mission, she took him a way to torment you. She hoped that he wouldn’t be there to see you die.

“When Seth found out it was all some big lie he walked back, Lillian refused to fly him over.”

I could feel the anger building up inside me, and my hands were flaming up like they do when I get angry.

“Do you know where she is now?” I asked through my teeth.

“An hour east of here, wait you are going to go yell at her aren’t you? Can I come with you?”

“No.” I said as I got up. “And don’t tell Seth where I am.”

I walked out side of the tent before I could make up my mind. I walked in to the east hoping I would be able to find Lillian.

What the hell was she thinking? Who would do that? I was there dying, she saw me and yet she was able to take Seth away from me. She must be incredibly jealous, or out of her mind at the time.

What was even worse is that she has already been through it; she knows how much it matters to have people there to snap you out of it when you wake up. Cody and Isabella she knew weren’t the best at that.

This wasn’t like me. I wasn’t the type of person to let my anger get the batter of me and go off to find revenge. I knew this wasn’t me, yet I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want a fight. I guess I just wanted the cold hard truth. Something I knew only she would give me.

I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got there, I didn’t want to go into something like Caitlyn and Isabella had but I did want to tell her that she can’t ever do that to me again.

I felt like I was in one of those plays where everything always goes all wrong before it comes around.

It had been about a mile, I stopped and looked around.

“Lillian!” I called.

Lillian came out from behind a tree. “Lizzie! I see you are back on your feet, so you found away to stop your little hallucinations did you?” Lillian gave on of her little smiles that made me want to drench her in water right here.

“Why?” Was all I managed to choke out.

“Why take Seth away?” She guessed. “Well that simple, I thought I needed him for the mission but by the time we got there it had pretty much resolved it self.”

“We both know that isn’t true.” I whispered.

“You don’t know that. For all you know Seth and I could have our little moment while we were out and I flew him back, what ever he told you could all be lies.

“You don’t really know anything you are only getting it second-hand from Cody, aren’t you? Seth would never spill a word of what’s really going on to you, you are so fragile as it is, you couldn’t handle what we do.” Lillian said as she stepped toward me so that we were face to face.

“He has told me more then you think he has.” I said.

“Like what, I’m sure he didn’t tell you about the last mission, that wouldn’t have been nice, I’m sure you got this whole story off of Isabella. You don’t even know the half of it.” Isabella accused.

“I know enough to know what you did.” I responded my voice raised a little.

“Alright, did you know that Seth kissed me to shut me up while we were there, did you know that? How about that after he kissed me he left with out another word.” Seeing the look on my face she started to laugh. “What? Cody didn’t catch that in Seth’s mind, or maybe he chose not to tell you. This is rich, just rich. Caitlyn will love to hear this one!”

“Lillian you had no right to take him away from me while I was dying.” I stuttered, she was winning and I knew it, but I would not let myself believe that Seth kissed her for any reason at all.

“I had every right, nothing in the law says that you need to stay with your boyfriend when you are dying anyways, did you ever think he might want to get out of that stuffy tent?” Lillian asked with a slight tilt of the head.

“I offered he said no, it isn’t my fault that he is unbelievably stubborn.” I contradicted.

“Of course he wouldn’t leave, you don’t even know him! He would have never wanted you to die and said he will do anything to stop it. You don’t deserve him, not at all.”

“You are no better.”

“But I am, a lot better, at least I knew what I had before I lost it to him to his little misguided sister. Right, you don’t know that part either, he doesn’t love you he loves your ability to no know anything in the past, clueless Lizzie, you don’t even notice the most obvious things.”

I could have told her off right here, I knew exactly what happened, I could tell her about Seth calling me Elle, I could tell her that I knew all about Seth’s depression. I could tell her that Seth had told me about Elle the moment we started to date. I could, but I wouldn’t. Lillian would find a way to turn it back on Seth and I don’t want that.

My hands were burning up, I didn’t want to hurt Lillian, well I did, I really did, but I knew I would regret it after wards.

“Well if you are over your little rampage I have places to be.” Lillian said as I clenched my teeth together. “Bye Lizzie.” She said as she flew off laughing.

I took a few deep breaths and threw a few fire balls up into the air. It helped a little bit, I knew Seth would be here soon, he would see the fire, think there was danger and I would need to convince him other wise. I then would ask him if he kissed Lillian, and he would deny it, that was how it would happen I knew it would but I wanted something more, I didn’t know what, but I did.

I closed my eyes and took a few more deep breaths, I would need to see Lillian at the funeral, make it even more of an unpleasant day.

Seth came running up about five minutes later, his face was red and he had his sword with him. I walked up and kissed him, I knew his lips were all mine.

“What is it?” He asked a little out of breath.

“Sorry, I got frustrated, threw some fire into the air. Lillian was here.” I explained.

Seth nodded and sat down on the ground. I sat down beside him.

“Next time grow a tree.” He muttered, still out of breath.

I laughed. “I’ll consider it.”

“So what did she say?” Seth asked me.

“Lots of insults of course.” I whispered. Seth put his arm around me.

“None of which was true.” He assured me.

“No it wasn’t that, she said that she kissed you, and I know that I shouldn’t believe such things but, Seth you didn’t did you?” I asked.

“That is a very complicated question.” Seth whispered.

I stood up. “You did kiss her didn’t you?” I yelled.

Seth stood up with me. “I did not kiss her.” Seth said. I stood there waiting for him to continue knowing that there would be more. “But she did kiss me.” Seth whispered.

“But your lips did touch?”

“Yes.”

I turned around. This was all a bad idea, Lillian knew how to fight, how to fight so that she would get somewhere, I was mad at myself for going to Lillian in the first place. If only my anger wouldn’t have gotten out of control. I was just as mad at Seth for not telling me in the first place, not even a hint.

“How?” I stuttered.

“I was outside, telling her off, demanding I get a ride with her back. Lillian said she wouldn’t, so I said I would walk. She said okay. I told her that that Caitlyn was going to hear about this, but Lillian said she already knew. I was about to leave with out another word when she stood up tall and kissed me, I didn’t kiss her back, I swear I didn’t, actually I threw her off of me, maybe a little too hard because she slammed into a tree.”

Seth paused. His voice got sadder. “And I left her there. She was laughing as if nothing happened.” Seth finished.

I gulped. Of course it was all Lillian but I still found myself incredibly mad at Seth, but it wasn’t like he could have helped the cause. He was just the victim that I should feel sorry for, but I couldn’t.

I guess it would be different if they didn’t date for two years. Maybe it was the fact that Lillian was my sister, but I think it was just the fact that Seth’s lips touched someone else’s.

It felt like I didn’t comprehend what happened properly, my mind was spinning. I knew I should be blaming Lillian but I found myself angry with Seth. Seth, being mine, and not Lillian’s.

I took a deep breath, frustrated with my indecision on who to blame. Lillian, I decided. I will always blame Lillian, after all Seth is my knight in shinning armor as Isabella said it.

Seth came up behind me cautiously, slowly, I could turn around any minute and we would be close enough to kiss, but I didn’t I would play with him a bit. Keep my anger for as long as possible.

Seth wrapped his arms around me just above my waist and pulled me closer to him. He started to rock me back and forth, bring up memories both good and bad.

His breathing was warm against my neck. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing with him. He grabbed my hair which was put up in my usual loose ponytail and pushed it to the side so that his lips were just beside my ear.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. His lips moved from my ear to my neck as he kissed it. Seth then pushed the ponytail back over. His lips moved to my other ear. “Forgive me.” Was all he said as he kissed my neck again.

I smiled; he seemed so innocent at that moment. “Yes.” I whispered.

I screamed as Seth tightened his arms which were wrapped still wrapped in a hug around my waist and lifted me up. He spun around a few times and then put me on a small stump, that way we were about the same size, I still felt very child like standing there.

I turned around to face Seth. He was smiling and to his surprise I was too. “I truly am sorry.” Seth said again. I frowned, just for the fact that he brought it up again.

I leaned in to kiss him; he couldn’t talk when his lips were busy. I pressed my lips against his, tangling my hand in his hair, which now I noted needed to be cut.

Seth hands were still around my waist pulling me closer to him, I knew in that moment that he was only for me and he truly was sorry.

The blackened clouds over head started to give way with rain coming showering over us hard.

I started laughing. Seth picked me up again and spun me around like a child again smiling the whole time as I was laughing at the mere fun of it.

I landed in front of Seth. I pulled the ribbon out of my hair so it was hanging loose.

Seth looked amazing as he stood there with his hand held out drenching wet. I took it as he spun me around laughing the whole time.

I started shivering no matter how hard I tried not to. I hoped he would forget I was getting over a bad fever.

Seth pulled me closer but we never stopped dancing in the warm rain. I wrapped my arms around his neck; his were already around me. Our eyes never moved from each other as the rain came pouring down.

It was one of those perfect moments that I swore I would remember forever. Seth stopped after a while and dragged me under a tree. He sat down with me beside him.

We were both soaking wet, but neither of us minded. I started laughing.

I leaned my head against his wet shoulder and closed my eyes. I listened to the rain coming down on the trees and down on us. “Tell me more about Elle.” I whispered.

Seth looked down on me. I expected him to say some other time, or not now, or just act like I hadn’t spoken but he started spoiling me with stories of their childhood. Not everything, but a lot of the happy things. Elle sounded a lot like Alyssa, maybe a little less optimistic. But the thing that stood out most from his stories, as always, was Seth. When he said the stupid things he was always doing, they way he let himself go when telling revealed the personality that he was when he was younger. I wished I could have witnessed that, even for a minute.

“Come on.” I said after a long while. “Isabella will be getting worried; she still thinks I’m with Lillian.”

Seth got up and stood beside me. I coughed a little bit, and Seth gave me a nervous look. “We should have never stayed in the rain.” He said.

I shook my head. “I wanted to stay in the rain.” I protested.” I started to walk away.

Seth ran up beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. I was smiling as we walked back to the tent not saying a word. There was nothing to say.

The trees shielded us from the rain, so we didn’t get to wet on the way back, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways.

It only took about fifteen minutes to get back to the tent. From the outside I noted it looked a lot bigger then what it was. The brown blended in with its surroundings.

Isabella was inside lying beside Cody talking as we came in drenching wet. It was obvious they weren’t talking but I took a deep breath and let it go.

They looked over at us with surprised looks. Cody started out right laughing, and Isabella covered her mouth to stop from laughing.

I started laughing from their facial expressions, and then Seth started laughing, probably because of me.

“Umm, can the guys get out for a second, so that I can… change?” I laughed. Seth nodded, and took his arm off of my shoulder. Cody got up and left with Seth. Isabella and I both started laughing.

I took out a pair of pants that had been sitting in my bag for a while; they were cargo style as they called them, with pockets all the way down. I didn’t like pants too much, even skirts I got fed up with but I knew I would be walking so I put them on. The pants were loose enough that I wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but they felt weird rubbing against my leg.

I took out a light blue shirt to match and slipped it on. Isabella started laughing again as I pulled on a black sweater over top.

“What?” I asked.

“You look cute.” She said. “But I never imagined you in pants in my life.”

“What’s wrong with me and pants?” I asked pretending to be offended.

“Not for you.” She said as she shrugged, as she said that Seth came in and shoved us out the door so that he could change quickly.

He was faster then I was, Isabella and I hardly said a word to each other before Cody called us back in.

Seth was wearing his usual jeans but he changed from a red shirt to a blue one. His hair was still wet and tangled in a casual way that only Seth could pull off while still being sexy.

I smiled as I wrapped my hair into a tight bun. Seth frowned as I did, he always said I should keep my hair down. I laughed at our private joke.

Isabella smiled as well, I didn’t know if she caught that, she often did, Cody didn’t find it funny. He was packing things into several bags.

“We’re leaving?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Cody said.

“If you want to get to high class in time for the funeral.” Seth said a little too casually. I gave a small wince. “Sorry.” Seth whispered. I nodded, he meant no harm.

It was silent from all of us after that; we all knew what to do, where to pack things, and what to leave behind. It was routine just like everything else that we did now.

About an hour later we were standing in an empty tent with only seven bags in the corner. We only needed to put the tent down; we were all resenting it as it was still drizzling.

We put on our rain coats all a dingy brown and headed out with our bags.

We all had our own bag and four mutual bags, one for food which I usually took, one for the bed and bedding which Cody took, and one for the tent which Seth took. Isabella took the swords which all, except for Seth’s, were safely in one holder. Seth took his separately; there was some significance to it that I didn’t know about. He always kept it on his hip while travelling.

Cody, Isabella, and I huddled under a tree as Seth took down the tent, Cody offered to help several times but Seth denied every one, routine, the same as always.

After about five minutes Seth joined us with his backpack on his back and the tent in his hand. We set off in the direction that Seth led us in; we all had no choice but to trust him. For all I knew we could have been lost several times. Cody sometimes knew where we were but rarely.

Seth took us through the forest instead of taking the trail. He said ‘this may be harder but it will be much quicker to get to high class from here.’ Any way that was faster was fine with me.

Isabella went off to Cody about some of her days in high class and how this would bring up such good memories, but I wasn’t listening.

I concentrated on firstly, keeping stable on my feet because I was sure that I hadn’t gotten all my strength back. Secondly, I concentrated on Seth who was telling me about some times when he was younger. Little stories that made me see how much of a family the five are, they grew up together, like my family. Some parts are broken, and some parts are stronger then ever, only no matter what they do they will always be forced together by a greater force, Isabella and I left without a problem.

The few stories Seth shared were years apart from each other, were all the other parts of his life training or working?

I found myself wondering what it would be like to grow up like Seth did. I would have been taken away from my family, and trained and worked from the day I was born, I couldn’t imagine.

Seth told me that they have been out on their own since Alyssa turned eight, he had of course then been eleven when he was set off to live on his own.

I didn’t want any of it for myself, not the child hood anyways but the growing up together made them so much stronger. I wanted what they had now. I knew there was a way for me to join them, I knew that was what I wanted, and I knew that I could some how get in.

Recruits

NIGHT FELL AND WE STILL WEREN’T TO highclass. All Seth had to say about the situation was ‘We were farther away then he thought.’ He would have never admitted that we were lost even if we were. We encountered a small town, Seth said that we would need to stay here for the night and that he new the town, we weren’t far away now.

We went straight to the hotel. It was a large brick building with at least three floors, it seemed pretty full.

As we walked in the large doors people were surrounding the front desk asking for rooms. The receptionist at the front desk seemed flustered. She had a dull red hair and big brown eyes that looked like she could cry any minute.

Seth dropped his stuff near me and joined the cluster of people asking for a room. I saw him cringe at all of the noise. Sensitive ears, I thought.

I heard him request a room. The worker at the front desk simply laughed at all of them and stood up on a chair. ‘We have no more rooms.” The receptionist announced.

The men that were at the front desk started complaining all accept Seth who came back to us with a disturbed look on his face.

I looked in the corner of the room. A hall way led to the rooms in the back. A girl came out of her room at the end of the hall and started towards the front desk.

Her features were Mexican. Her dark brown hair was kept in a tight bun in the back of her head. She held a certain authority to her, although she was small. She looked no older then fifteen.

In her hand she clutched a small tennis ball. I wondered why. She stopped near the front desk, and motioned for the receptionist to get down of her chair. She followed orders.

Seth started pulling on my arm to leave. “Hold on.” I hissed without meaning to. He did. I noticed Isabella and Cody were starring at her like I was, wondering what she was going to do.

The girl stood behind the desk and cleared her throat. “Leave at once!” She yelled. The men looked at each other and laughed. She held out the ball in front of her and it froze entirely, then with a little squeeze shattered into millions of little pieces.

It was amazing. Ice, what a useful power especially when it is trained like that. I turned and started towards the door, every one followed me.

“Not you four.” She called out. We turned. She was looking at us! “You can share my room if you would like.”

“Thank-you.” I said. She led us down the hall to the very last room with out speaking.

We walked in to what seemed like a living area, there were two small couches and a chair, both of them a light blue. On the far wall there was a large window over looking the far side of town. It reminded me of my old cottage.

The girl continued walking. We entered a small hallway. She again took us to the very end and opened the door.

“I hope you don’t mind.” She said in a quiet voice. “I only have one spare bedroom.”

“No, we don’t mind.” Seth said looking at her strangely “Thank-you.” Inside there were two beds, both of them rather small but they were better them the tent again.

“I suppose you want to get freshened up for the night. The bathroom is through those doors there.” She said as she motioned towards the door beside ours. “Then if you want you can join me in the sitting room.” She said as she turned. She started to walk away when she stopped and turned. “I’m Jamie by the way.” She said starring straight at Seth, and then slipped into what I guessed was her room.

I turned to Seth, he knew what was going on and as far as I knew he wasn’t planning on telling us yet. I hoped it wasn’t another ex-girlfriend, I didn’t know if I could handle anymore.

Seth seemed pretty neutral; I would ask him tonight when everyone was asleep so that no one could hear.

With a weird look on her face Isabella went to the shower first, she would get hot water that way. Did she know something? I didn’t see Cody whisper to her.

While waiting for our turns none of us talked in fear that Jamie would hear something that she wasn’t suppose to.

Seth and Cody were staring at each other in a non obvious way, Seth was obviously telling him something, but I didn’t know what. Cody’s face was a flicker of many emotions, confusion, anger, happiness and finally understanding. I was sadly still stuck on confusion.

Isabella finished fast, and I went in next. The warm water hitting me felt so good I could have stayed in there all day, but I wanted to save the guys some hot water, I only took about five minutes. I dressed in an old dress and motioned for Cody to go next.

I pulled on an old black sweater of mine, this together used to be one of my favourite outfits back in middle class.

Seth and Cody showered faster then Isabella and I did. They got dressed quickly, both of them in old jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

We all made our way into the sitting room where Jamie was sitting fiddling with a marble she had frozen.

“You look better.” Jamie smiled as she looked up.

“Yes thank-you.” I said as I sat down. Seth came and sat beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders. Isabella and Cody went to go sit on the other couch. Jamie was in the small chair

Jamie got up out of her place and grabbed three candles. She set them on a small table. “A little help.” she said and turned to me. I was startled, how could she know? I lit the candles with caution. Seth was also starring at Jamie suspiciously.

She then turned to me. “So you are Elizabeth?” She asked. “I had my suspicions, but I never imagined Seth to be travelling with you, much less together with you.” She then turned to Seth. “The last time I saw you, you were with that Lillian girl. I am glad that didn’t work out.”

Jamie sounded so much older then she looked. The way she talked it sounded like she was at least thirty years old. She would fit in so much better in high class.

“Then you must be Cody and young Isabella.” Jamie said. Isabella looked incredibly annoyed about her using young in front of her name. Cody simply smiled and nodded. “I have heard so much about all of you, I have been following your stories very carefully. You are very famous out here.” Jamie said.

Famous? How would word get around, we have hardly encountered anyone on our journeys.

“You tend to keep a close eye on me.” Seth said. I looked over to him. What was that supposed to mean?

Jamie gave a small giggle. “Yes I suppose I do, but that is only because it has been three years without a word, honestly do you expect me to wait forever!”

“No, a lot has happened, I had all means to come and get you but…” Seth trailed off.

“I can see a lot happened.” Jamie assured.

“More then you can ever know.” Seth shook his head and held me closer. I looked up at him, he seemed slightly disturbed. As much as I loved to learn more about Seth’s past I hated seeing his face when someone did, it was like someone came up to him and showed him something dreadfully horrible. It was hard to watch.

“So now that you are here, you have decided to take me up on my offer, you have seen what I can do now and no doubt I will be help to your new group.”

“I still associate my self with the five don’t think that I have left them all together, and Jamie incase you haven’t noticed the decision isn’t exactly up to only me anymore.” Seth said. Jamie seemed startled by the answer.

“I wasn’t implying that you did leave the five, but I was wondering, but of course you have left for something much better for you I see.” Jamie said looking at me. “If you want this to be the decision of your groups that is very mature of you, I will leave you to explain and discuss, I will be in my room. I encourage you to whisper as the walls are very thin.” At that Jamie got up and closed the door of her bedroom, all of us turned to Seth.

“She is an old friend of mine.” Seth whispered softly.

“Yes I caught that, why has she been waiting for you, and who is she?” I asked. I needed answers and Seth was going to give them to me.

“Her name is Jamie Sapphire, our parents knew each other. I had seen her almost five times a year for every year, we were good friends. When we were younger, I told her that someday, if she developed her power enough she could join me and she could help defeat Michael. As you can see she still remembers every word. It was all she had to go on. Her parents also died the protest.” Seth whispered. I reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

“I don’t know Seth.” I whispered.

“I don’t like it.” Cody said. I looked up to him, or course I was thinking the same thing, but I would never be so up front about it.

“Okay let’s take a vote then. Elizabeth?” Seth said.

“I’m sorry but I don’t think it will be a good idea so no.” I said after careful thinking. Another person in an already crowded tent would be very uncomfortable, and I didn’t know Jamie. Also I didn’t much like her power it scared me.

“Cody?” Seth asked.

“No.”

“Isabella?”

“Yes.” Cody looked at Isabella half surprised, I think we all did.

“It’s just that, all of us here have lost at least one of our parents, and to go threw loosing both of them at such a young age would be horrible. And to have one thing to look forward to in life, I don’t want to be the one too take that away.” Isabella was looking at me. I found tears come to my eyes. I couldn’t believe that this was coming out of Isabella’s mouth; she wasn’t usually the one to think so deeply into things.

“She is right.” I said. “I change my vote to yes.” Seth smiled at that.

“How old is she anyways?” Isabella asked.

“Nineteen.” Seth answered and shrugged.

All of our eyes widened in disbelief. She looked no where near as old as Seth

“In that case I change my vote to yes. Cody said while smiling. “I was thinking that we would be having another sixteen year old hanging around.” Cody started laughing.

Isabella gasped and punched him playfully in the shoulder. Cody then grabbed Isabella’s fist and pulled her in his lap, then he gave her a kiss.

I cleared my throat loud enough so they could all hear. Isabella went to pull away but to taunt me Cody tangled his hand in Isabella’s hair and kept her face against his. With his other hand he held out one finger signaling a minute.

Seth started laughing; I crossed my arms across my chest. “Cody!” I yelled.

Cody pulled away, and Isabella turned around with a smile on her face.

“Lighten up.” She said to me. “Like you two haven’t kissed.”

I frowned but I knew she was right. “Maybe if you didn’t have a little mountain boy glued to your face I’d be fine with it.” I muttered so low that only Seth could hear, he burst out laughing. Cody obviously caught the joke in Seth’s mind and shook his head while still smiling.

“You know we could kiss again or maybe more often.” Cody smiled. I thought I saw a hint of a smile on Isabella too who was still to my disliking sitting on Cody.

“I’ll go get Jamie.” I said as I got up.

“Seth grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a kiss. I normally would have stopped him seeing as Isabella was right there. But seeing as she kind of deserved it I let him.

I finally pulled away and laughed. I pointed towards Jamie’s door. Seth nodded.

I walked down the hall and knocked three times on her door. Jamie opened it with a creak. “So?” she asked with anticipation on her face.

“Yes.” I said. Jamie’s face instantly lit up. She hugged me, and made my hair freeze a bit.

“Sorry!” She yelled. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

I grabbed my frozen hair and melted the ice; I only hoped that my hair didn’t burn. “No harm done.” I assured.

Jamie smiled. “Right… I forgot you can do… that.”

I laughed. “My power is a lot to take in at once, but I have to say your power is very intimidating.”

Jamie smiled. “That is only because I was showing off for Seth. I thought for a while he would never come for me. The Seth I knew was caught up in his own life. That clearly isn’t the man he is now. What ever you are doing, continue.”

I shook my head. “I’m not doing anything,” I denied. “This one is all Seth.”

Jamie looked down. “You are very admirable Elizabeth. After all you been through you are too modest. I would think after everything you have done you would brag at least a little bit.”

Jamie was so much like my friends from high class it made this whole experience feel like home. The way she spoke and the way she always hid things in her voice was who I used to be. It made me realize how much I loved it here. I never had to hide what I was thinking, but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

I knew I was giving up a lot being here, and I was getting so much more in return, but I truly did miss high class.

“Jamie, I’m not exactly proud of all the things I have done here, and I’m not really the type to brag anyways.” I whispered.

Jamie nodded and took my hand. “I need to say thank- you to everyone else.” She led me back into the sitting room and we sat down.

“Thank you all. I am forever grateful. I need to go tell the assistant manager that she is promoted! It is getting late if we are going to get a good start to tomorrow you better get to bed. I will be back.” She said as she ran out.

Cody got up. “I think you just made the girl’s day.” He said and then he went back to the bed room. Isabella followed with out a word. I think she might have been regretting her actions now.

I stood up. “Seth, are you coming?” I asked in a little more then a whisper. Seth smiled.

“I need to talk to Jamie first, explain. Do you mind if I tell her about, everything?” Seth asked. It was sweet of him to ask. I nodded.

“Go ahead.” I whispered. I didn’t want him to but it was better she knew everything now then finding out later at a bad time. “Just don’t tell her everything” I said as I quickly wished him good night and rushed off to our room. Isabella was waiting on my bed for me.

“I made a mistake didn’t I?” she asked.

I looked down. “No you didn’t Isabella, Seth was right it would be a good asset to have her.” I said. “Seth is just catching up with her, he will be back soon.” I said as I pushed Isabella off my bed.

“You aren’t going to listen to the conversation?”

“No.”

“Come on Elizabeth, it is your boy friend and his old friend.” I hated how she said old friend with air quotes. She had seen some ten year old in the last town we were in and she had been doing it ever since. Sarcasm was noted with out them.

“He can probably hear you right now.” I said just stating a fact, he could hear me too. I didn’t want to get in any kind of fights, not that he would start one. He knew my discomfort to his friends. If I asked he would have let me sit out there with him.

“All the more reason to listen in.” Isabella said. I knew that she was looking for an excuse to listen in. I wouldn’t give her that joy.

“Go to bed Isabella.” I said.

Isabella rolled her eyes. “Okay but if your boy friend starts making out with her in the middle of the night and you don’t know about it, don’t blame me.” She said as she got into bed and pulled up the covers.

I heard laughing coming from the sitting room and then suddenly Seth was in the door way. “Isabella, I thought you had more confidence in me then that.” Seth said.

Isabella blew out the light. “Good night Seth!” she called out. I couldn’t help but also give a little laugh.

“Elizabeth, would you like me to keep the door open so you can listen in our conversation?” Seth asked ignoring Isabella’s muffled giggles.

“Close it.” I said. “I trust you completely.”

“Good.” Seth said as he closed the door. Cody was about to say something but I stopped him before he said something stupid. I struggled not to fall asleep before Seth came in but it had been a long day. I didn’t even last five minutes.

“Good morning sunshine!” Someone called out. I opened my eyes to Cody in my face. I screamed. Cody got a good laugh out of that and backed away.

Seth came rushing into the room. “What?” he asked.

“Cody is an idiot.” I said as I threw a pillow at him. Isabella rolled her eyes.

“Are you ready to go to middle class darling?” Seth asked. I smiled as he tried to use darling. He should really stick to Eliza or Elizabeth. He didn’t do well with pet names. Seth handed me one of my newer dresses. “We need to fit in.” he said. He himself had on black trousers and a blue dress shirt. “It is Sunday.” He said.

I smiled. “Very handsome.” I complimented. Seth smiled. Although he looked like he was playing dress up, it did make us seem more real in a way. Like my fantasy world was coming to an end.

I cleaned myself up in the bath room and pulled on my satin blue dress with the white ribbon on. Seth said it was his favourite, he said it matched my eyes. I couldn’t deny him that. Isabella came in with my white ribbon in which I put my hair half up.

“Cody said they are planning the funeral for tomorrow.” Isabella whispered. I nodded. I walked out quickly eager to leave here. I was afraid I had been too rude to Isabella by walking out but there wasn’t anytime to waste.

Cody was in the hall way. If I had thought that Seth looked weird in a suit I was wrong. Cody looked weird in a suit. It didn’t seem like my world and theirs belonged together. I took Seth’s hand as we headed out. We would be using Jamie’s horses so we didn’t need to carry anything. She didn’t own a carriage so we would be riding them which I preferred more.

We followed Seth and were at the train station in high class in no time at all. Everything was like I remembered it, but we wouldn’t stay here, we needed to get back to middle class where the rest of our family was. The train ride was filled with anticipation and sadness. All of which was erased when I saw that train station pull into the station, the station where everything began one and half years ago.

Funeral

I HELD SETH’D HAND AS WE CLIMBED OUT of the train. Cody and Seth went around the back to get all of our things. Just like before, people were starring at us but I think that was because we were going around carrying around a tent.

The train station was much the same as before. The same white walls and the same wooden benches were in the exact same places. The only thing that had changed was the buggies waiting out side to take people into town.

We loaded our bags onto one of the open buggies and paid the driver five dollars. He would take us into town.

The fields passed and a leap of excitement came when town came. Partly because it was our own home, partly because the noise drowned out Cody’s complaining about loosing his power.

Seth told the driver to pull aside at the edge of town. Fitting horses in the streets were one thing; a full buggy was bound to run some one over.

We all took our bags and pushed our ways through the busy streets of down town Middletown. Seth hand was clasped in mine pulling me threw the streets. Once we were through the down town area our house came fast.

The house looked so empty, there were no more horses out back and the store was empty. We walked up the steps slowly and opened the door. No one was at the front desk. The store looked as if I had never left. The supplies looked like no one had touched them. So much for a general store. At least the counters were still gleaming.

I rang the bell at the front desk. “Coming!” Charles yelled from up stairs. Hearing his voice sounded so good, it had been a year… a year.

Charles ran down the stair way explaining how he wasn’t expecting people on a Sunday. I smiled. He was still the same Charles. He froze wide eyed when he saw us.

I gave a small smile. “We heard what happened. I rushed home as fast as I could.” I whispered.

“I hope you have room.” Isabella added.

Charles smiled. “Always room for family… and friends.” Isabella and I both hugged him. I dropped my bags that I was carrying in the store and ran up stairs to find Anthony and Gracie. I could hear Isabella close behind me.

Gracie and Anthony were sitting at the kitchen table. I came around the corner and lifted Gracie up out of her chair. She squealed and Anthony came up and grabbed my legs.

If I ever thought that time passed quickly in the magical world. I was wrong. Gracie must have grown at least three inches, and Anthony even more then that. Their lives were passing before my eyes, and I wasn’t here to see that.

“Elizabeth is back!” Gracie yelled.

Isabella grabbed Gracie out of my arms. “And Isabella is too.” She laughed. I laughed at the sight. Every one was back together here, everything except mother.

I forced myself not to think of her until I had too. I couldn’t break down here in front of Gracie and Anthony.

Everyone followed in behind us upstairs. I caught Seth out of the corner of my eye smiling at me. He had only once ever seen me with my family, and Gracie, Anthony, and Charles all weren’t there.

“We better get all of these things into our rooms.” I said as I picked up one of the bags.

“Umm… sure right. Gracie give the girls your room. You can bunk with Anthony for a bit. You guys can take my room. I will go in mother’s room.” Charles said.

“Charlie you don’t have to.” I insisted.

Charles looked down. “I don’t mind really. There is plenty of room in her room. It would be stupid to crowd all of us guys in.”

I nodded even though I really didn’t want to. Cody or Seth would be fine in her room but some how I didn’t think that Charles would be okay with that.

I walked into our old room. It was the same as ever. The small beds and the small closet were all there. Nothing had changed since I had left. I put my bag down near my bed and sat down. I could hear Seth and Cody getting settled in the other room.

Isabella was talking to Gracie on her bed. I decided to go check on Anthony while Gracie was tied up. He was in his room listening to Seth and Cody against the wall.

“Elizabeth.” He said and jumped back. I laughed.

“It’s okay.” I whispered. “I listen in on the boys all the time.” I sat down on his bed and he came and sat beside me. “How are you holding up?” I asked.

Anthony frowned. “I miss mom.” He whispered. Tears came to his eyes but he wiped them away. He was too young to be worried about being a man but here he was afraid to cry.

“I know we all miss her.” I assured. “She is a much better place.”

“I missed you and Isabella too.” Anthony said. I wanted to cry… and I would have if I hadn’t felt the need to stay strong for Anthony.

“I missed you too Anthony.” I assured. “But I am doing something good. The minute I am done I will come home to you.” I promised. “Maybe I will even show you where Isabella and I have been staying.” I said. I didn’t think that was going to happen. I didn’t want Anthony developing his powers.

“Really?” Anthony asked his spirits instantly lifted.

I nodded my head. “But it is a secret. You can’t tell any body, not Gracie, or Charles either.” I said.

“I promise I won’t tell nobody.” Anthony said as he sniffled. I smiled and looked up. Seth was standing in the door way. I smiled at him.

“You don’t know every one yet do you Anthony?” I asked. He shook his head. I waved for Seth to come in. He did. “This is Seth.” I whispered in his ear.

He smiled and held out his hand. Seth looked over to me and then back to him. “Very nice to meet you Anthony.” He said as he shook his hand. Anthony went to let go but Seth didn’t he held on to that hand until Anthony laughed. I laughed too.

“Why don’t you go find Cody.” I whispered. “He is the guy you don’t know.”

Anthony ran off and Seth took his place beside me. “You looked like you were losing it there.” Seth whispered.

“Thank-you.”

“You are very welcome.” Seth said.

I got up. “I need to go talk to Charles.” I said and ran out of the room.” I felt like I was running out much too often, but something about kissing Seth in that moment on my brother’s bed seemed weird.

“Charles.” I whispered. Charles came out of mother’s room. “Come take a walk with me. I need to clear some things up.”

Charles looked behind him. “There are three people capable of taking care of them so come on.” I said as I took his hand and led him down stairs.

I only then realized there was really no where to walk to. We were in the city. We didn’t have the forest in front of me any more. Then I knew where I was going to take him.

I took him down that dark ally way into that huge open field where the noise of the city faded away. “I used to go here all the time with Sara-Lyn.” I whispered.

“Alyssa.” He corrected.

I looked over to him surprised. “How did you know that?” I demanded.

Charles smiled. “I know a lot more then you think I do.” He simply said.

“I know that, but how do you know?” I asked a little nicer this time.

“Well ever since I have known about the magical world I have been sneaking away and developing my power out in the wild.” Charles explained.

“For how long?”

“Ever since I was thirteen.” Charles whispered. I was surprised. We had still lived in high class then.

“And I am guessing that father never knew.” I said.

Charles nodded. “Mother taught me how to use my power. She took me away when father wasn’t home at night. She knew about everything.”

“But how.” I stuttered. I knew that absolutely no one knew about this.

“Mother grew up in the magical world. She loved father but she wanted him to stop. When he took away Richard, mother told him to never come back. She was on the good side. She would have gone out there and saved the magical world her self if she had a decent fighting power and if she could have bared to kill father.” Charles explained. I was breathing heavily. This couldn’t be happening. Every one was in on this since the day I was born. Everyone was trying to stop father, and no one had yet to succeed. Why did everyone think I was so strong?

“So what is your power?” I asked.

“It is basically useless.” Charles said. “I can tap into family member’s senses, no matter where they are in the world.”

“Charles that is amazing.”

“Not as amazing as yours, I saw what you can do.” Charles said as he took my hand. I tried to give a week smile. It seemed like everyone’s power involved getting inside my head lately.

“But only family.” I whispered.

Charles nodded. “I guess that is all you need to get all of the sides of this story.” I said and laughed a bit.

“Is Lillian coming tomorrow?” Charles asked me sincerely.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why.”

“She didn’t like our mother. In fact she doesn’t like her family.” I explained and laughed. “Aren’t we the classic twins, we hate each other.”

“But you still like it in the magical world better then you ever liked it here.” Charles stated. I knew he was right. Of course he was he knew what had been through my head.

“I am happier there. I feel so bad leaving you here with Anthony and Gracie though.” I whispered. I missed them like crazy when I was gone. The most I could ever get back home is once or twice a year. We were just too far away most of the time.

“Don’t, I wouldn’t trade our lives even if I had the chance. I could never be as strong as you have been.” He said automatically looking to my neck. “Thank you for taking care of Isabella for me. I don’t think she was cut out for life out there. She is too sensitive. The only reason she is still out there is because you are.”

I looked down. I never thought of Isabella being out there only for me. I guess she had no other reason too. She had already told me that she didn’t care much to for the magical world. She also said to me that as much as she wanted father and Richard back there was nothing that I could do to change who they have become. She said she wanted the old them back, and not what they have become. She didn’t feel as connected to the magical world as I did.

“I only learned what protecting her meant from you. What you are doing for Gracie and Anthony is amazing. They love you like you are their father you know?” I assured.

Charles looked down. “Their father wouldn’t do anything for them, someone has to.”

“I can’t think of anyone better.”

Charles forced out a smile. “We have been through a hell of a lot lately.”

“Yeah, but I think in the end of this it will be worth it.” I whisper.

“Maybe.” Charles said as he looked back towards town.

“You can trust Seth with the kids.” I promised.

“Right you and Seth are together right?”

“Mhmm.” I mumbled as I nodded.

“Is he the blond one?” Charles asked. I laughed and shook my head viciously.

“No, defiantly not. Maybe in his dreams. Seth is the one with the jet black hair and those dreamy green eyes.” I said as I smiled. Charles pushed me playfully.

“So how is it going with you two?” Charles asked.

“I am not talking about Seth with you.” I told him.

Charles once again looked back toward town. I sighed. “We can go back.” I said.

“Yes please.” Charles agreed. We walked back home in silence. Charles seemed like he was okay, but I wasn’t sure he would tell me if he wasn’t.

As soon as we walked up stairs I could smell dinner cooking and see everyone waiting in the living room. “See I told you everything would be fine.” I whispered.

Charles laughed. “More then fine. It has been a while since we had a cooked meal.”

“You don’t know how to cook?” I asked.

“No, but as bad as it sounds Gracie is teaching me everything she knows.” Charles said. Gracie’s head perked up at the sound of her name.

I laughed and sat down beside Gracie. Isabella was over by the stove, Cody behind her doing anything he could to help. I could have laughed at the sight. I never would have imagined Cody and Isabella cooking over a stove together.

Gracie hopped onto my lap. “I missed you Elizabeth.” She whispered in my ear.

“I did too Gracie.” I said. “Since when have you grown so big?” I asked looking into her big blue eyes.

“I’m seven now,” she said holding her fingers out to show me. I laughed and I heard Seth laugh as well under his breath across from us.

“Can I show you my new dress?” Gracie asked as she jumped onto the floor. She grabbed my hand and dragged me into her room. She took out the cutest little black dress. “It is for tomorrow.” She whispered. “Charles said I needed a nice dress.” It was black of course and the skirt was incredibly poofy. Gracie would look adorable.

“Charles was right, it is beautiful Gracie.” I whispered. Leave it to Charles to get Gracie excited about tomorrow.

Gracie stood up on her bed so that she was the same height as I was. She wiped a tear out of my eye. “Don’t be sad Lizibeth, Charles said that mother is in a better place. He said that she wouldn’t want us to be sad.”

What she said was heart breaking. I was surprised to even hear such a thing to come out of her mouth. “Charles is right Gracie, sometimes I just… forget.” I whispered. Gracie smiled and I couldn’t help but to smile too. She was so small, but she new more then I did.

I grabbed her and spun her around. “Dinner time.” I whispered. I put her down and she ran into the dinning room. Seth once again appeared in the door way. “Are you following me?” I asked. Seth came into the room.

“Only coming to take you to dinner.” Seth explained grabbing my hand and leading me into the dinning room. I sat down. The smell of chicken and mashed potatoes filled the room. We said our prayers and ate dinner.

That night was relatively quiet. We had small talk and everyone slowly went to their rooms for bed until only Seth and I were left in the living room. I was about to get up to go to bed when Seth spoke.

“You belong here.” He whispered.

“I never would have liked it here, you know that.” I denied.

“Not here, here. Here as in with your family.” Seth explained. “You missed them.”

“Of course I missed them but I can’t see myself ever coming back here.” I whispered. “I love the magical world too much, I love you too much.”

“We should visit more then.” Seth insisted.

“We visit when we can, when we are in the area. Seth I don’t mind leaving home. Maybe I was a little young when I did but who said there was a fixed age?” I asked. I knew we did our best to get back home but it was hard. I didn’t need Seth feeling guilty anymore.

“I like your family.” He said. “They seem like really good people.”

“They are.” I agreed. They were the best.

I looked down. “Seth I need you to promise me something.” I whispered.

“Anything.”

“I need you to stop me any time I look like I am going to cry tomorrow.”

“Elizabeth, you have every right to cry at your mother’s funeral.” Seth disagreed.

“If I start crying Anthony and Gracie will too. I need to stay strong for them.” I explained. I cried too much anyways. They didn’t need to know that. You would think I would have cried myself dry by now.

“Eliza you know you don’t need to stay strong for anyone…”

“I wasn’t asking what you thought about it. I only need to know that you will.” I said acting strong. Seth nodded in defeat. I kissed him and started to walk away.

“Elizabeth.” I turned around. “I know tomorrow is going to be hard for you. Believe me I have been through it all. But just know whatever you want me to do I will.” Seth promised.

No one should have to go through; no one should have had to see what I did. Seth had. He is one of the only ones in the world that could possibly relate. So I knew what he said he meant. “Thank you Seth. Just… keep me from breaking down.” I turned around and went to bed for the night. Tomorrow was going to be one hard, long day, one I had been dreading for a while.

---

After an uneventful day dusk came fast. I didn’t want to go outside, I wanted to stay inside and never have to go out there and be brave, but Seth took my hand and led me out. Everything was quiet, the skies were a dull orange and the sun was going down. Regularly it would have been a perfect night, but not today.

The casket was already in the grave yard and her tomb stone was already in place. The hole was waiting in the ground just waiting for mother to get put in. Tears were already coming from my eyes. Seth brushed them away lightly.

I was surprised to see the five there waiting for us. I would have never expected for them to show up. No one said anything about it though. They stood off to the side. Lillian didn’t seem like she wanted to be here. She didn’t seem like she cared. She was looking over at Gracie and Anthony each holding one of Charles’ hands. It must be hard to have your family in front of you and to not know who half of them are.

I took Gracie and Anthony from Charles. He was going to lead the funeral. We had all agreed on a closed casket. We thought it would be easier on everyone.

Charles walked up in front of everyone. He was breathing heavily. “We have come together today to remember Sandra Ann Parker.” Charles began. Even those first words hurt. Seth’s arms moved around my shoulders so my hands would be free to hold Gracie’s and Anthony’s. Isabella and Cody were directly beside us. I could hear her trying to stop herself from crying.

I looked once more over to the five. Alyssa’s eyes were fixed on Seth and I. She offered a small smile when I looked at her. I couldn’t bring it in myself to return it.

Lillian was the one I was most surprised at. Sam was holding both of her arms. Her cold blue eyes were staring at that casket. She had never met our mother. I never thought she cared to, but she might. Maybe she did care.

“She was many things to all of us. None of us would have been here if it weren’t for her. She was amazing, and strong. To have had the courage to have seven children is something so few can handle. And to keep them safe for so long from Michael, proves what she was capable of.” Charles’ voice faded into the back round. The wind picked up sending some leaves into the sky. I watched as they floated back down to the ground. Anything to distract me from the words being said.

“Does any one else care to speak?” Charles asked. No one stepped forward. I didn’t imagine any one would. She deserved more then one person to speak so with out a speech prepared I let go of Gracie and Anthony’s hands and stepped forward.

I took Charles’s place up front. I didn’t know what I was going to say but I needed to say something, anything.

I looked around to everyone here. They were all here for her. They all cared. They all loved here. Somehow I knew something was missing though. Richard and father should both be here. I knew things wouldn’t turn out well if they did come.

“Mother was always there for me. She was there when I had my first steps, and on my first day of school.” I started. I looked to the ground so I wouldn’t have to meet any one’s eyes. “Even though she had another life that I only just recently found out about, she did her best to make everything okay for us kids. It isn’t easy to take care of us all. And even though she made mistakes, she protected us all from this world. She did her best to care for everyone. Considering who she married I’d say she did a pretty good job. And even though she had to give one of us up, I think she was the best mother a child could ask for.” I said. My sight was getting blurry from tears. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry but it couldn’t be helped now.

“Now we are going to put her in the ground. Can we have all family up here please. There is a rope to put her down for all of us. For all of us to let go.” I choked.

Everyone came forward. Charles. Anthony. Gracie. Isabella. “Come on Lillian.” I whispered. Lillian looked up at me surprised but she did come forward and took a rope. We all lowered her into the ground and dropped our ropes down with her. Charles started filling in the hole as we all watched from the side lines. That was it. I knew it was over.

We all headed back home. Everyone except the five (not including Seth of course.) They insisted that they needed to get back to the magical world.

That night was another quiet one. No one said much. There were some tears from nearly every one and we all went to bed early that night.

We stayed in Middle Class for a week before making our way back to the magical world. We would have stayed longer if it wasn’t for Cody complaining every five minutes about loosing his power. I could tell that Seth hated being with out his power also, even though he would never admit to it.

When we felt our powers come back we knew we were back in the magical world. I finally got to cry without worrying who would see. As much as I loved going back home, I knew it would never be the same without mother.

Epilogue

Anniversary

“COME ON.” SETH URGED AS HE PULLED MY hand. He led me deeper into the forest. It seemed like the only thing that was stopping him from running there was me. I decided to take him out of his misery and started to run. Seth smiled and pulled me along as he ran. He stopped in front of a row of trees.

“Now will I need to get you a blind fold or can I trust you to close your eyes?” Seth asked me.

“I will close my eyes, but Seth…” I started. He kissed me before I could finish. “Fine… I trust you.” I finished.

Seth stared at me impatiently. I rolled my eyes and then closed them. Seth took my hand and led me farther into the forest.

“When you first met me you said you didn’t like surprises, but you didn’t like things that are obvious either. Well I think I’ve come up with something you will really love and don’t say anything until I finish, now remember I have never done this before and I don’t know…” Seth stumbled.

I laughed. “Seth stop.”

“Okay then you can open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes. Seth was standing beside a blanket with a small basket on top. We were right on the lake. It was something that no words can describe, a breath taking, beautiful moment.

“Happy Anniversary.” Seth whispered. I smiled back at him.

“You are the only one that could have figured me out.” I gulped running out of air.

“When I thought of no surprises and nothing obvious, I went to Cody to see what you meant by that, and then I came up with this.” Seth explained.

I laughed. “Mountain Boy did all of this.”

“In a way.” Seth smiled.

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around him. We stayed without moving for what seemed like hours. In reality it was only munities.

“Picnic.” I whispered. Seth laughed.

“Do you like it?” Seth asked.

I nodded my head. I loved it. I was glad he didn’t go too far on this one. We sat down on the blanket and Seth pulled out sandwiches and a bottle of white wine. I laughed at the sight. I never thought I would see the day I would be having white wine and sandwiches.

“Charles said you liked white over red.” Seth explained.

“I do.” I agreed. Seth smiled and pulled out two glasses. He poured the wine and we clinked our glassed together.

“To one year.” He said and we both took a sip. I took a bite into the sandwich.

“Peanut butter and jelly.” I said and smiled.

“Classy huh?” Seth asked as I laughed.

We ate and laughed and talked until all the food, and most of the wine was gone.

I lay down on the blanket, my head resting on Seth’s chest. I looked up at the orange sky. Everything seemed to always happen at sunset. It was my favourite time of day.

I looked up to Seth. I knew I needed to ask him. I wouldn’t feel right until I did. I knew this might not have been the best time but it was the only chance I have had in months.

“You over heard me and Alyssa talking after that fight didn’t you?” I asked, figuring he couldn’t say no to answer my questions now.

“No, I should have stayed in range but I didn’t.” Seth muttered.

“She told me about what happened with your sister.” I prompted, hoping that this would go well.

“Did she tell you everything?” Seth asked. His face was the same one he made before. His painful face. But I knew that one way or another I needed to get the truth out of him.

“Yes, I think so but I still want to hear your story, I want to get this right.” Seth looked away. “Look you know everything about my screwed up past and I think I have every right to know yours! Now I have this story second hand from Alyssa but that was only one perspective, I want to know yours; I want to know what really happened that day, please Seth.” I pleaded.

Seth never looked back at me but he started to explain. “I don’t remember everything. A lot of it is hazy. That was the one memory that I asked them to get rid of, they fogged it instead. Alyssa probably knows more but from what I remember. The Five and Elle, we were all staying in this town. I was sitting on a bench outside. I was a little grumpy that day. I had broke it off with Lillian and gotten into a fight with Elle. We rarely fought so this was… different.

“I heard Elle coming toward me. I also smelt the scent of steal, so I turned my head. Elle was coming at me. I asked Elle what she was doing. She didn’t answer and only continued on. I was scared I didn’t know what was happening. So when she lunged I pushed her away. As soon as my arm hit her, it seemed like everything went in slow motion. I saw her snap out of what ever your dad put her under. I saw the look on her face as she slammed into the wall. I felt the force your brother put on my arm, and the knife crashing on the ground was the loudest sound echoing in my head.

“As Elle was flying in the air, I couldn’t reach her, I couldn’t save her. She looked horrified, she thought I had killed her.” Seth looked up at me. His eyes were intense, hurtful, sorry. “Alyssa started screaming and ran to Elle. She looked at me, so horribly. I wanted to go see her but I couldn’t move, I couldn’t do anything. A constant screaming was in my ear and it took me a long time to figure out it was mine.

“Sam pulled me away, and then I hardly remember anything after that. I remember that I blamed myself for a long time, and I stopped travelling with everyone else. I could feel myself living but I wasn’t making any of the decisions, my mind was always somewhere else.

“I remember Alyssa staying with me throughout it all. I remember Caitlyn coming and slapping me once a week, trying to snap me out of it. I remember Sam trying to have a conversation with me, I remember the notes Lillian used to send me, and I remember the previous five trying to talk sense into me. But nothing anyone ever did helped me. They all in their little ways reminded me of Elle, and it is weird to react this way, but she was my constant. No matter what happened in the five none of it ever happened to her, she was always there when I needed her. When that constant was gone… something snapped. Something wasn’t right.

“Alyssa was the only one who ever helped me. She was the only one who really made an effort, and I think if she hadn’t been there to stop me I would have been dead with in the first few months.”

I cringed at the thought. I owed Alyssa more then she could ever imagine. She saved Seth.

“And so I couldn’t blame her when she backed out.” Seth continued. “I could tell I was taking a toll on Alyssa so I let her go.

“I was put on a mission right away, and that mission was you. The strange thing is that you remind me of everything that should make me snap again. You are like Elle in so many ways, and you have Parker blood running through your veins, I can smell it every day. At first I couldn’t understand why you of all people were snapping me back into reality, but then that first time I saw you pass out from your father it all clicked, you were my constant, my way to get away from all of it. Without a constant I have nothing but the five to live for, and if you are living for a job that you are forced to do, you really have nothing to live for anymore.

“And that’s why I reacted the way I did when you said you wanted to join the five. Not because I thought you would get hurt, but because I need you the way you are. I can’t bring it all back again. I can’t bring myself to go through that ever again, and the thought of you possibly going through that. I can’t let you be part of the five, I can’t.”

I stared at him. Tears welled up in my eyes. Alyssa had spared me so much out of the story, everything I wanted to know. “I’m you constant.” I confirmed through the sobs.

“Yes that is what I think.”

“Thank-you.” I whispered. “This was something I needed to know.” Seth tried to smile, but it didn’t come out right. “Boy do I have bad timing.” I said.

“You could have chosen a less important time like, well even Christmas would have been better.” Seth agreed. I laughed.

“This really is beautiful though.” I whispered. I sat up and pulled my legs in so I could hold them. I looked across the river to the other side. Seth sat up and came and sat beside me. He put his arm around me and I leaned into him.

Thy sky was orange, and pink. The water reflected those colours. Across the river the forest was slowly turning black as the sun went down. The clouds were casting purple shadows over everything.

I finally relaxed enough to release my legs from my grasp. As I did Seth pulled me closer to him I placed my head on his shoulder.

“What are you thinking?” I asked hoping it wasn’t about something bad.

“A lot of things, number one, the past, number two the present, and number three the future.” Seth whispered in my ear. Always a profound answer.

“What is in your future?” I asked.

“I can’t be sure, that’s my main problem, I have no control over it although I’m hoping to take a few people with me.”

“Oh yeah who?” I asked playfully.

“Five people to be exact, five – Isabella, four – Cody, three – Alyssa, two – Sam, and one – Elizabeth.” Seth responded. I smiled when he saved my name for last. Seth leaned over to kiss me. Of course I let him. Seth slowly put his hand on my back and lowered me so that I was lying down on the blanket. I tangled my right hand in his hair. The feeling when our lips met never went away. It was like an electric jolt, that didn’t sting. Something I could never forget. Seth eventually pulled away, and rolled over beside me.

The sun was almost down, and the sky was turning a navy blue. The first star could be seen over by the horizon. I sighed.

“We don’t need to leave; we can stay here all night if you want to.” Seth promised.

“What do you have Cody giving you live feed of my mind?” I asked sarcastically.

Seth smiled. “After one full year I know you pretty well, well enough to know that if you do want to stay here, you do not want me to get us a tent, and you would want me to show you something really cool at midnight.”

I looked at him puzzled. We were in the middle of the forest, and he had something he wanted to show me.

“Fine, we are defiantly staying here then.” I decided. Seth’s smile widened clearly pleased.

We talked about everything for the longest time, until Seth told me it was almost time. He took my hand and helped me up. He took me to a tall tree with low branches.

“That is a beautiful tree Seth.” I laughed.

“We need to climb it if we are going to get a good view.” Seth explained.

I frowned, and started climbing. Seth always stayed one branch below me. As I got near the top it was like the whole sky opened up above me. I sat down on the sturdiest branch I could see. Seth sat down across from me.

“It is beautiful.” I whispered, “What would you have done if it was cloudy?” I asked.

“What I’m about to show you doesn’t have anything to do with the stars.” Seth said. I looked at him confused, so he continued. “We found these things that the people in the censored world invented. We tried them out a few years ago and Alyssa thought, well she said they were the most beautiful things in the world. Elle said the same thing so Alyssa hoped that you would love them as much as she did. Alyssa said she owed you a favor, so she volunteered to set some off.” Seth laughed. “She was set on it and no one could convince her out of it, so if you don’t like them say you do, it will spare some hurt feelings okay?”

“Okay.” I promised. I wondered what Seth meant when he said fire them up, but then I saw it. Colours of all sorts shooting into the air and exploding, they were fireworks. “Seth.” I whispered. “I agree with everyone else in the world, fireworks are beautiful.” I smiled.

Seth looked up into the sky. “There is one thing I want to do before our anniversary is officially over.” Seth said as he leaned over to kiss me one more time. That same jolt of electricity came over me. “One year.” He whispered as he pulled away. “It’s midnight.” Seth said as he looked down at his watch.

I sighed but then looked up again. “August eleventh.” I mumbled wishing I could go back a day. I leaned in to kiss Seth again almost forgetting we were in a tree. Seth held me steady. “One year and one day.” I whispered. “And we’ve survived.”

WHAT DID YA THINK I WANT TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS!

Return to Top