Here is the first chapter of my new story! It's really more of a preface or prelude to the story. Hope you all like it! I promise it won't all be dark!
These characters belong to Charlaine Harris.
It has been nearly a month since I arrived back in Bon Temps from Las Vegas. If I thought a lot changed in my life during my trip to Vegas, I was wrong. The changes that occurred upon my arrival home were so much more.
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I got on the plane in preparation to leave Las Vegas and return home with my husband Eric. We were going to begin our life together not only as husband and wife, but as the King and Queen of Louisiana.
I was on my own on the trip home. It was daytime and Eric was stowed away with the luggage in his travel coffin. I decided to lay back and take a nap. I was so tired from the previous night. I'd only had a couple of hours sleep before having to get up and get on the plane. I was exhausted and I didn't have Eric to keep me company, so I figured a nap was the way to go.
When I woke up I was in a bed. I couldn't tell where I was, but Sam and Pam were both standing over me. Sam had that look he gets when he's really, really worried about me and Pam was crying. I was pretty out of it and before I could ask where I was or what was going on, I drifted back off.
About two days later, so they tell me, I woke up again. This time, I knew where I was. I was in my bed. Amelia had joined Pam and Sam. My head hurt really bad, but this time I was stronger. I was not going to let anything stop me from finding out what was going on. "Where's Eric," was the first thing out of my mouth. When I said it Pam started crying and ran out of the room. I didn't know what was going on, but judging by Pam's reaction I knew it wasn't anything good.
Sam came over to me and said, "Chere, there's been an accident. Do you remember anything?" "Sam, an accident? What do you mean? What am I supposed to remember?" I was hysterical and crying, yet I didn't know exactly why yet. Sam pulled me into his arms and held me. "Sookie, it's going to be okay. We should wait until you are stronger to get into this."
"Sam, please, I can't lay here wondering and worrying. Please tell me what happened." "Oh Chere, I am so sorry. Eric's gone," he said with a solemn look on his face. I lost it. I began screaming and crying even more than I was before. I was like a crazy person. I couldn't control it. Sam had just said Eric was gone. "Sam, what do you mean Eric's gone?" "When you were flying back from Nevada the pilot had to fly further south due to weather conditions. He took a route flying through Texas to the Gulf and then up into Louisiana. While you were over the Gulf of Mexico your plane went down."
When he said those words, I knew it was bad. Eric was in the plane in his coffin. It was the middle of the day and the sun was out. He was dead and even though I did not feel he was gone, I knew they were going to tell me he was dead.
"Eric's dead isn't he," I asked as I cried. "Chere, I wish I could answer that question. We just don't know. When Jason was contacted as your next of kin, he told the police you were travelling with a vampire. They sent divers down, but there was no trace of Eric. They said the water was just too deep to tell and they'd continue the search. So far there's been no word. Pam has her people on it too. If he's out there, I promise we will find him."
I was now crying completely uncontrollably. I had just been told that my husband was missing and had been missing for several days. He could be dead and nobody even knows we were married. I couldn't take it. I just needed time to myself. I said, "Sam, can I please be alone for a while." He left the room and I was left to think about what he had told me.
First I screamed and yelled. I threw things. Nothing I could break would make me feel any better. Finally stopped crying and decided to really think about this. Eric and I were bonded by his blood. If he was dead, then I would be the first to know. I didn't feel any different and until I did, I was going to keep looking for my husband. Nothing was going to stop me from finding him.
I tried to get out of the bed and then realized I couldn't. I apparently had a broken leg. I started yelling for someone to come into my room to help. Pam and Amelia came running. "Sookie, what's wrong," Pam asked. "Pam, I have to get out of here and go find Eric. He is still alive. If he weren't I would know. I would feel it."
"Sookie, there is nothing you can do. The divers looked for him. They couldn't find him. My people are on it. We need to keep this really quiet. We cannot have the wrong vampires finding out the King of Louisiana is missing. I know you are scared for him. I am too. If he is still out there we will find him."
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Luckily Sam was very understanding when I asked for more time off. I was supposed to ask him to cut my hours when I got home a month ago, but instead, I had to ask for an indefinite leave of absence. Pam and I have been running the state. We are hoping that nobody notices Eric's absence. We have gone as far as using his email and getting a new cell phone with his number to keep up the charade.
Pam has all the Area 5 vamps on alert. They have all been involved in the search. They have also been told that the fact Eric is missing, is top secret information. Nobody is to know but them.
Pam and I have become inseparable. She has been staying at my house and even sleeping in my bed with me. Every night we stay up until dawn talking about Eric. Each evening we both leave shortly after dark for Fangtasia. We work the whole time the club is open and then we come back to Bon Temps and work some more. We are just hoping that between the work we are doing and the work the other Vampires are doing we will find Eric.
So basically for the past month, I've been without my husband, hobbling around on one good leg working my butt off to find him and trying to keep it all secret. I haven't even told anyone we were married. I just don't have the heart to do it. I guess it's just easier to let everyone think it is, as it was before.