My mind owns only Sayde, Papi, Tear, the whacky neighbors, Naima, Deb, Isis, Ryan, Taylor, and the dogs.
Notes: Heya Peeps! I've missed you all. Hope you all had a great Easter and Mother's Day. I didn't, but it's a loooong story, lol.
I'm not a fan of the way this chapter turned out, but I guess it'll do. It's probably gonna get confusing, but it'll all be explained in the upcoming chapters.
Ashley, happy belated birthday :) & Rabbit, where are you?
Thank you for reading. I hope you all enjoy the chapter & don't forget to review :)
Emalf
Ch. 26: She Must Seek, No Matter How It Hurts
"Check your phone, what's the number she called from?" Taker asked me. Whoa, I was so worked up, I didn't even think of that. Common sense, Sayde. Common sense. I got the phone out of my pocket and handed it to him.
"817. That's a Texan area code." He closed the phone and handed it back to me. "Fort Worth. That's where the number's from. My sister had a friend in Fort Worth. I went there with her before and the chick was borderline crazy." Confusing as hell. I mean, the chick was loon, but she's not supernatural.. Or is she?
"You remember her name? We can get the address from the phone book." Jericho jumped up, excitedly. I had to think for a few seconds. "I think her name's Isis Andrews." That was almost five years ago, so I'm hoping that my memory lasted. "Book's in my office, Irvine." Taker said, those eyes of his never looking away from me.
"You have something of Taylor's, like a brush or something?" He asked me, after a minute or two of silence. "Uh, I'm sure all of her brushes are in her room. I left everything as it was when she died." I couldn't bring myself to throw any of her things away. I still can't now.
"We need some of her hair, or something." He was devoid of any emotion as he spoke. I sighed. "Okay. I guess we have to go to my house then." Taylor stayed with me. On account of the house being too big for just me and my dogs.
"Got the address." Jericho yelled from Taker's office. "Write it down. We'll be back, ya'll." Taker said to Kane and Sheamus as he helped me up. They nodded silently, still deep in thought. Luckily, he wasn't swaying from side to side. Unluckily, I was. I figured that out without Sheamus, ha.
The ride to my house was really quiet. I tried to think of happy things, but I've seen and heard too much to even believe that 'happy' exists. "Calm down, darlin'. We're gonna save your sister's soul." Taker assured me as he pulled into my empty driveway. No one was outside today, lucky me. Cause I'm definitely not in the mood for Mrs. Dawson.
"Gross. The grass needs to be cut, pronto." I mumbled to myself as I opened the door. "You know you can sell this house now, right?" Taker said from behind me. "What do you mean?" I questioned as we walked up the stairs. Ugh, this place is getting dusty.
"After we're married, what use would you have for this house?" Hmm, good point. "Uh, that's another problem for another day. Right now, we've got a friendly ghost to save." He sighed and followed me into the last room door on the right. Speaking of marriage, I forgot that my ring was in my pocket. I took it out and put it back on it's rightful finger. "Taylor was a bit eccentric." I warned him as I cut the light on.
"What the hell?" That made me chuckle for the first time all day. I turned to look and see what he was so appalled by. He was looking at a little figurine on her dresser. It was a bloody, naked girl on her knees and a bloody, naked guy that looks to be in agonizing pain standing in font of her. The bloody, naked girl had bitten his goods off.
"Of all the things to notice in here, and you focus on that?" I shook my head at him. There's knights armor and a sword by her bed. She has a shelf of mannequin heads with Jason, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Hannibal Lector, and Pinhead masks on. And she made a sculpture out of different color dildos. "It's the most disturbing." He frowned as he continued to stare.
"You know there's a sculpture of molten dicks beside you, right?" I chuckled at his expression when he turned his head to see it. "Oh, what the hell, man? And your dad said that she was the normal one?" He frowned as he took a few steps back toward the door. "I don't see how she's the normal one, either. I don't collect phallic paraphernalia." I said as I went into her bathroom. He didn't follow me in there. I guess TT is a little too much for him.
I grabbed a ziplock bag that was in the cabinet and left out of the bathroom. "Is this enough?" I asked, holding the bag up so he could see. "We only needed a few strands, but the more the better, I guess." He shook his head at me and led the way out of Taylor's room. "When she started losing hair and she cut the rest off, she saved it. I don't know why, she just did." I told him. He nodded.
I would've liked to stay at my house a little longer, but of course, I couldn't. I have too much to do to relax. When I was locking the front door, I heard Taker groan.
"What is it?" I lowly asked, expecting some kind of news about Sunny. "That Dawson lady's on her way over here." He lowly said back. Just as soon as I turned around, she was on my lawn.
"Good morning, Mrs. Dawson." I gave her a very forced smile. She didn't bother being nice. "Have you heard from Tear?" She asked me. She was worried and concerned. My empathy let me sense a little of it. "Uh, no. I haven't. Why?" I hate lying about something like this, but I can't tell Mrs. Dawson anything without her asking twenty-one and a half questions. And she would want to know about the funeral arrangements and things of that nature. That, I have absolutely no clue about.
"I haven't heard from her in a month or so. That's not like her." Mrs. Dawson shook her head in disbelief. "You know how Tear gets when she has a new boy toy. Give her a few weeks to get tired of him." I faked another smile. At least I calmed her nerves. She sighed and her worried expression went away. "You're right. I just get so worrisome sometimes." She giggled as she began to walk away.
I looked at Taker and he had a big smile on his face. "What?" I whispered to him. "You'll see." He replied. "Speaking of boy toys." That was Mrs. Dawson. I thought she was walking back to her house. "Mrs. Dawson, I really don't have time for this. Got a plane to catch in a few." I said to her grinning face as she continued to make her way to my front door.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name's Tracie. And you are?" Mrs. Dawson smirked at Taker as she held out her hand for him to shake. He looked down at her hand and back up to her face. "I'm Taker." He emotionlessly responded as he folded his arms over his chest. Mrs. Dawson awkwardly put her hand down.
"So, you're one of those wrestlers?" She took a piece of her straggly dirty blonde hair and twirled it around her finger. "Yes." Taker curtly answered. He looked bored out of his mind. "What does one have to do to become a wrestler?" She asked me. I frowned at her. "Look, Mrs. Dawson, I don't have time to explain. I have somewhere to go." She frowned at my tone of voice.
"Oh, am I interrupting your orgy with him and the two other drunks that were here before?" She asked with a smirk. So that's what Taker was laughing about. He was reading her idiotic thoughts. "I would normally play around and go along with your whore theory, but not today, okay. Today's just not the day." I could feel my fingers tingling, and that was not a good thing. I looked at Taker with a frown on my face. He winked at me.
"Mrs. Dawson, do you remember her sister Taylor?" Taker asked her. She scoffed. "Why of course I remember Taylor. I knew her all of her life. We were very close." She said with major attitude. "If you were so close to her, you'd know that today's the third anniversary of her death." My voice had that edge to it again and I needed to get out a dodge before I end up hurting her again.
"Oh, sweetie. I didn't know that was today. I'm so sorry." Mrs. Dawson apologetically exclaimed. I had snatched Taker's keys and was already halfway to the truck. Luckily, Taker was right behind me. Mrs. Dawson was still exclaiming how sorry she was when I started up his truck. "You better be glad you're you. I don't let anyone behind the wheel of my vehicles." Taker grumbled as he buckled his seatbelt in the passengers seat.
Once we got back to his house, we immediately loaded our luggage and left for the airport. We had to be in Arkansas for Raw, which bothered me to no end. I'm not gonna be able to concentrate on my first show as Women's Champ because I'm so worried about my sister's soul.
On the plane and our car ride to the arena, neither of us said a word to each other. It was like being trapped in my own hell. I'm not good with silence. It leaves me with my thoughts. And right about now, my thoughts are pretty frazzled.
My mind's still doing that anger vs. sadness dominance thing, so that's not helping me. Actually, it's gotten worse. To say that that stupid pregnancy test was negative, I'm sure acting like a hormonal bitch. One minute, I'm okay. The next minute, I'm sad. Then the minute after that, I'm pissed because I was sad.
Of course, with three empathetic guys and one 'honorary' supernatural in the car with you, it's hard to keep the mind-war to yourself. I know they all sensed my inner struggle. And from the looks of it, Kane understands what I'm going through. Every once in a while, he'd glance at me from the passengers seat. Whenever we'd make eye contact, he'd give me a soft smile, which is not like him at all.
Once we were there, I had to explain why my hand was wrapped. I made up something. Hell, I'm so out of it, I don't even remember what I said. Whatever I said, they worked it into me and Shea's storyline.
He acted as my manager tonight in my rematch against Trish. She invoked her right to challenge me at the beginning of the show. She didn't notice how out of it I was. She was just glad to have me talking to her again. I can't say that I remember anything that she said, either.
After our match, I showered in the B.o.D.'s locker room and changed into some comfortable clothes. I found Trish in catering and she convinced me to come with her to the women's locker room.
Molly ran over to me and gave me a hug as soon as I got through the door. At least someone was glad to see me. Stacy and Amy looked a little annoyed that I was back. Who cares? My mind wasn't on them anyway. I took a seat beside Trish on one of the couches and Molly sat on the other side of me.
I chatted aimlessly with Molly and Trish about random nothingness for all of ten minutes. Apparently, they had gotten tired of giving me the cold shoulder, cause Amy and Stacy were apologizing to me seconds later.
I forgave them and they joined the random chat. I lifted my good hand up to my face to rub my hot cheek.
"Oh. My. God. Tell me that isn't what I think it is." Trish's mouth was agape. I forgot that I had put that ring back on. I've gotten used to it in a matter of two days.
"That depends, Trish. What do you think it is?" I grinned at her. She frowned at me. "It's a promise ring, right?" Amy asked me. "Amy, promise rings are so high school." Stacy giggled. "No they're not. They're cute." Molly smiled at me.
"Chill out guys, it's not that serious." I said to them all. Again, I hate lying. But I can't help this either. There'd be too many questions and lots of drama that my mind and body can't take right now.
"So what is it for, then? Cause if I'm gonna be a bridesmaid soon, I'm gonna need to know in advance." Trish grinned. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"You'd be cool with me marrying Taker? Are you serious?" I questioned her with shock. "If he's what makes you happy, I'm all for it, chica. I know that you'd do it for me, too." Trish said as she gave me a quick hug. The other three girls agreed.
"Thank you for saying that. Now if that day does come where I accept his marriage proposal, I'm gonna remember this." I eyed all four of them suspiciously as they grinned at me.
"So it is an engagement ring!" Stacy exclaimed. "No Stace. Amy was right. It's a promise ring." Okay, I really need to get out of this conversation. That war between sadness and anger is gonna have another combatant in guilt if I keep this lying up.
"Ha. What's the promise? You're not gonna use his eyeliner when you're out?" Trish snickered. I shot her look and she gave me an apologetic one back. "I'm sorry. You know me. I've been dying to crack a joke or two on him." I shook my head at her and smiled. "It's cool. I have my share of jokes for him, too."
We talked a little more, conveniently avoiding bringing up Adam and, no matter how hard it might have been for Stacy, Jay. I really don't remember much about what we were talking about. For the most part, I blankly watched as the show continued on the screen.
"Hey love. You about ready to go?" Sheamus asked through mind-phone. "Yeah. The sooner, the better." I thought back as I abruptly stood up. The girls all had that 'what the hell' look on their faces. "Guys, I gotta go. I'll call you." I quickly said as I made my way to the door.
Silence. Nothing but silence, as we drove down the deserted road to Bearer's mortuary and funeral parlor/house. Watching the trees speed by made my eyes hurt, so I looked down at my hands that were resting on my lap. I didn't notice before, that my hands were frantically shaking. I couldn't focus on my hands, so I decided to bear the growing headache of watching blurry green trees swishing by as we rode.
Taker took a left on the deserted road, and as the trees started to disappear, a big wooden black painted house appeared. It looked old and deserted. The paint was chipped. The two windows and front door were positioned in a way that made the house look as if it had a face. This looks like a place ghosts would frequent.
As Taker pulled into the long driveway, I instantly got a shiver. Maybe it was just my nerves, because this is not the greatest of circumstances. I started to take a few deep breaths in and out as he parked behind a black hearse. Great. A hearse. I didn't even notice that at first.
I know he doesn't drive that thing around everywhere. "Yeah he does. Come on." Taker said, answering my thought as he, Kane, and Chris nonchalantly got out of the car. Sheamus and I, on the other hand, were very hesitant. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." I grumbled as we headed up the driveway.
We weren't going to the big wooden house. We were headed to the not so big house behind it. The big one is nothing compared to this when it comes to creepiness. I'm guessing that it's the funeral parlor.
As we got closer, the fumes from what I'm guessing is embalming fluid filled my nose. Once we were at the door, everyone came to a halt. "Bearer. You in here?" Taker calmly yelled. A second or two after he spoke, the door opened.
Now, I'm used to Taker telekinetically opening doors, but this time, it wasn't him. Sheamus and I cut some nervous glances at each other as Taker and Kane led us into the candle lit brick room. That putrid smell of embalming fluid got even stronger. Another smell hit my nose, though. A burning smell. My eyes had started to water.
"I've been waiting for you all. Welcome." That weird voice came from behind the closed door directly across from us. I took a quick look around the room we were in to check my surroundings and I wasn't impressed. This room looks like something out of a movie. One of those witchy horror films.
From the ancient walls. To the shelves filled with odd things. There's even the odd smell of musk and mildew mixed in with that horrendous smell of embalming fluid and what I'm guessing is burning flesh. Ugh, this is nauseating.
"Come on in, everybody." That voice spoke again. I really didn't want to go in there, but I had no other choice. I wanted to grab hold to Taker, but I decided against my cowardice. Instead, I sucked it up and walked slowly behind he and Kane. Shea and Jericho were right behind me as Taker opened the door and headed in.
Well, at least this room has lighting. Too bad though. I yelped when I saw what was in the middle of that room. That voice, who I now know was Bearer, chuckled at my reaction. He's a lot smaller than I thought. And his voice is much deeper in person. I'm guessing that annoying voice was just for the show.
He was sitting on a little stool next to a dead body, which was on a metal table. He was draining blood from it. The others seemed unaffected by the sight, though. I know this is the norm for Taker and Kane, since they grew up around it, but really? Shea and Jericho are starting to creep me out.
"Oh, she's even more beautiful than I imagined." Paul Bearer said with a weird smile once he looked up at us. He got up off of his stool and took his gloves off. "It's an honor to meet you, Sayde." He grinned once he made his way in front of me with an outstretched hand. I looked down at his hand and back up to his grinning face.
"No offense, but I'm not touching you after you've been handling a dead guy. I don't care how many gloves you had on." Jericho chuckled at me. "Oh, you're right. I apologize, Lady Emalf." He said, that grin still intact as he backed away from me.
"So, I take it you're not here to discuss the wedding ceremony. What brings you all here?" He asked, looking at all five of us individually, before keeping his gaze on Taker. "We need the texts about spirits and soul chambers." Taker spoke, emotionlessly. They're in the front room." Bearer replied. He seems a little too giddy and that's really creeping me out.
We turned around and headed out the same way we entered the room with a real light and ended up back in the candle lit room. "You know where they are." Bearer said to Taker and Kane. They nodded and they each grabbed a candle to look for the books. I didn't even notice the big bookshelf that took up the whole wall on the left side of the room. It kinda reminds me of Taker's mini library at his house.
"So, what's the problem?" Bearer asked Jericho as the Brothers skimmed through the books on the wall. "Someone's got her sister's soul." Chris answered him. Bearer just nodded. "And how do you know this?" He asked, glancing at me. "She called me." I answered, not making eye contact with him. He chuckled.
"Spirits can't use phones." His chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. "I figured that." Taker grumbled as he continued to look for those books. "So how in the hell did she call me?" I questioned. That anger in me starting to seep out.
"You tell me, Queen. Are you sure your sister's really dead?" Bearer asked me. I wanted to beat that goofy grin off of his face. Taker must've felt my anger because he was behind me in a matter of seconds. "What the hell kind of question is that?" I growled.
"She's feisty. That's a good quality to have." Bearer chuckled. "No bullshit today, Paul. She'll have this house, and you, in flames if you keep it up." Kane spoke. I had to look over by the bookshelf to see where he was. He was standing there, watching Bearer and I. I'm guessing that they had found the books already.
"Okay. I'll be good." Bearer chuckled. "What do you mean is she sure, Bearer?" Taker asked. "I meant just that. Despite popular belief, even ghosts who haunt can't pick up objects. And they damn sure can't use the phone. The only way a ghost can use a phone is when they possess a human. And they'd speak with that human's voice. Are you sure it wasn't one of Sunny's tricks?" He asked, turning his attention to me.
"It was Taylor. No doubt about it. And she is dead. I saw her. She was as dead as that guy in the other room getting the blood drained out of his body." I rolled my eyes at him.
"Okay, you've gotten your answer. Time for you to use your powers." Kane said to Bearer. "Bearer's powers are spiritual. He has the power to sense spirits and summon the dead. That's why we needed the hair." Taker explained to me. I nodded, still glaring at Bearer.
"Okay, but if she's in a soul chamber, how in the hell can he sense or summon her?" Kane reminded him. "Dammit. I forgot about that." Taker growled. "If she's in a soul chamber, there's no way she could've contacted contact you. What's going on here?" Bearer asked us, finally getting serious.
"Sunny's back, as you already know. And she's working with someone. Sir paleness here had a great theory that whoever has Sayde's sister's soul is using it to get to Sayde." Jericho explained. Bearer looked at Sheamus and that smile came back.
"So, you're the knight." He chuckled at him. Sheamus raised an eyebrow at him and slowly nodded.
"Well, knight. Your theory is quite brilliant. And I believe that it's true." He smiled at Shea. "First thing's first. We have to see if she's really dead. No offense to you, my Queen. But I highly doubt that your sister's dead. How exactly did she die?" Bearer said to me with a smile.
I frowned. "She had cancer. I watched her suffer for two years. And I watched her die. Anything else you need to know?" I growled at him. He seemed amused. "No. That's quite enough. I know you came prepared." He held his hand out toward Taker. He nodded and handed him the bag of my sister's hair.
We all watched as he opened the ziplock bag and pulled out a patch of black hair. He handed the bag back to Taker and silently caressed the patch of hair that was in his hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out.
He continued to do that for what felt like hours. It really was for about five minutes. After those five minutes were up, he opened his eyes and smiled. "Your sister's alive. Just as I thought."