Chapter 28:

Kaitlyn woke up in a strange darkness, her life flashed before her. Kaitlyn knew that this is a dream as she watched fondly her 15 years of life flashed past her. There was an empty slot in between her life that made her wonder.

Kaitlyn heard someone sobbing. She turned in the darkness using her life memories as the light for her to see. A blonde girl around the age of five to six was sobbing so hard that her shoulders shook violently.

"Mommy!" The girl sobbed real badly that Kaitlyn felt sympathy for her. It was around the same age when Kaitlyn's mother passed away.

"Little girl…?" Kaitlyn called out very softly lest she frighten the poor girl, however, the girl does not seems to hear her.

"Bwendon!" The little girl sobbed even louder. "Waye! Kwaus!" Those names finally made Kaitlyn realized something. That little girl is her, Kaitlyn Swift.

Kaitlyn don't remember having any memories of her sobbing that badly for her mom back then, and she did not remember knowing Raye and Brendon as a young child. So what is this image she seeing here.

"That is your lost memories." The little girl disappeared, a younger version of the current Kaitlyn was speaking now. "Think, other than what Klaus, Aunt Pamela told you that your mom died shortly after finding out your father's affair, do you remember anything else?"

Kaitlyn paused. True enough, all these years since her mom's death, Klaus had been blaming Aunt Pamela for the death, yet how come, she had no memories of even visiting her mom in the hospital or even attending her funeral? Not to mention the fact, as far as Kaitlyn can remember, that her mom is healthy and had no sign of having a heart failure.

"No," Kaitlyn admitted, "So what? I believe what Klaus told me, and what will he gain by lying?"

"Your safety." The younger Kaitlyn said sadly.

"Safety?" A thousand questions flooded her mind.

"Let's bring you back into the memories you lost, you'll find your answers there." As soon as the young Kaitlyn said that, the present Kaitlyn started falling and falling into a dark endless pit.

Kaitlyn groaned loudly as her ass came in contact with the hard ground. She looked around her surroundings and she found out that the place was the old ice-skating rink near her school.

Kaitlyn had only came here once and she could barely remember the rink. However, she knew that the old rink was simple and plain. The rink she saw now is new and beautifully decorated with Christmas ornaments.

It didn't took Kaitlyn long to find herself, a petite five-year-old girl, holding onto a woman's hand nervously. The woman had shoulder-length navy blue hair and warm green eyes. Could this be the missing memories?

"Auntie Evelyn, please do not let go!" Kaitlyn gripped tightly onto the woman's hands.

The woman, Aunt Evelyn, smiled warmly yet did not let go.

A young boy around young Kaitlyn's age skated past. He had just the green eyes as the lady although different hair color, remind very much of someone Kaitlyn knew.

"Kaitlyn, you coward!" He teased and skated away.

There's something about this boy that got Kaitlyn curious. Right after him, another boy around the same age with navy blue hair and brown eyes skated towards him.

"Raye!" Young Kaitlyn yelled out, her face filled with comfort and pleasure.

At that time, it occurred to Kaitlyn that they were the Armstrong brothers. She had totally no recollection of them in the past, so why are they in this Memory?

"They were your memories." A twinkling version of Kaitlyn's voice spoke from the back of her mind. "Let's return our attention to the memory, there are more important parts than this."

Aunt Evelyn continued leading and guiding Kaitlyn as she teaches her the basics.

"I am going to let go, Kaitlyn." She warned and her hands slowly loosen her grip; Kaitlyn tensed up.

"Relax." And Kaitlyn relaxes.

Everything was going on fine and boosts Kaitlyn's confidence, which does not last long when a rude woman banged hard into young Kaitlyn who stumbled upon contact and fell. Aunt Evelyn rushed forward to help her up.

"You…!" Aunt Evelyn gritted her teeth.

Kaitlyn stopped paying any attention to Aunt Evelyn as her focus was took along with the beauty of the rude woman. She was sliding so beautifully that Kaitlyn was captivated. The woman's hair was long and black, tied up into a ponytail, dances with her as she slides across the rink. Her hair was so black that it seemed almost evil. Her blood red dress went well with her hair and a smirk play along her lips.

"Hera?" Aunt Evelyn muttered a word so powerful that it snapped Kaitlyn out of her trance. The word itself was a curse; Kaitlyn felt it.

"Yes, Evelyn, Hera." A beautiful voice that belongs to a man answered a question that is not meant to be answered. Kaitlyn knew that this wasn't just some normal conversation, but the telepathic waves in the air.

Kaitlyn shot Aunt Evelyn a look, whose face expression was almost unreadable: A mixture of fear, anger, and panic. Her hands were holding onto young Kaitlyn who squirmed. Kaitlyn followed her eyes to where Aunt Evelyn was making contact with, and she saw, a beautiful blonde man with blue eyes that reflected the ocean, holding onto a different lady wearing a silver outfit and long beautiful hair that is dark.

The man nodded sadly at Aunt Evelyn. It was a signal, Kaitlyn recognized it unknowingly.

"Kaitlyn," her hands gripped on tightly, her eyes are distant, "We're leaving."

She left before giving any explanations, leaving young Kaitlyn in a state of confusion. She skated, clumsily, towards a cute man in his mid thirties who waved kindly at her arrival. Aunt Evelyn's face was grim as whispered into his ears. The man's face had the same expression Aunt Evelyn wore just now.

"I got it. See you at the car, Evelyn, I will get the boys." He nodded.

"Thanks, Aaron." She skated back to where Kaitlyn is, struggling to take off the skates. After a long panicky five minutes, they headed towards the car park where a silver car was located. The three kids, sullenly yet obediently got into the car.

"Mommy, why must we leave that early? Didn't we say we are going to stay there for 2 hours? You're going back on your promise, how could you do that?" The younger of the siblings, Brendon pouted.

There was silence, no one bother to answer him. "DADDY!" He screamed.

"BRENDON!" His father yelled, Brendon got a fright, "enough."

Brendon does not need second telling.

"Aaron." Aunt Evelyn spoke, "Please." She begged.

There was a weird and awkward atmosphere around them as the kids sulked, oblivious to the grim aura surrounding the adults. It was not until they were around the corner of their neighborhood that Uncle Aaron had to break the ice.

"Stop sulking, kids." He paused. "We'll go some other time."

"Except there's no 'some other time'." The voice at the back of Kaitlyn's head mumbles again.

"Promise?" Brendon face lit up.

"No promises made, but we'll try." Aunt Evelyn smiled but there was no happiness reflected upon her eyes.

"Yay!" The boys cheered.

Kaitlyn glanced at her young self who was staring out the window of the car dazedly. No one noticed her silence as the boys joked and the adults continue their grim thinking.

It was so sudden when young Kaitlyn's head jerked up as they get nearer to her house. Kaitlyn felt it not long after, a sickly nauseas feeling, her stomach churned and tears automatically formed in her eyes: A death aura surrounds her house.

With weak resistance, Young Kaitlyn broke down, sobbing 'mommy' and choked on her words.

"Kaitlyn! Oh no, what's wrong? Mommy, Kaitlyn, she's…" Raye panic.

Aunt Evelyn made no sound, neither was shock registered on her face. She already knew. That explains everything.

"Mommy!" Kaitlyn wailed louder.

"Kaitlyn…" Uncle Aaron took his eyes of the windscreen and tried comforting Kaitlyn. Like Aunt Evelyn, he was not shocked. He, too, knew. They knew.

"Mommy…" Raye hesitantly murmured. "I… can't see anything."

Kaitlyn stopped her wailing and paid attention to her friends. Brendon proved that he couldn't see by waving frantically.

"No, chilled, don't panic. Ermm…" Aunt Evelyn's confused face was giving away the fact that she was panicking.

Kaitlyn felt like laughing in spite of the serious atmosphere. Aunt Evelyn told her boys not to panic, yet she herself was panicking. How irony. But Kaitlyn can't blame her for that, who wouldn't panic when there are three problematic kids at the back?

Uncle Aaron turned his attention back to the windscreen and exclaimed loudly.

"What?" snapped Aunt Evelyn. "Aaron, I had enough on my hands and do not need yo…! Oh my god!" She swore silently.

Kaitlyn turned her attention in front too, Standing in front of the car was an old haggard lady, grabbing onto a walking stick. There is something queer about this old woman. Despite having a car sped forward at her, she show no signs of surprise and shock. Then, at the same time, Kaitlyn's younger self noticed it too.

"No, don't stop." She shouted hysterically. "Drive right into her, it's a trap!"

"What are you talking about?" Aunt Evelyn yelled, and then it finally occurred to her. "Oh. Hera…" It was already too late. Those were probably her last words, a curse that bound the car.

The car swerved right, heading towards the house that was burnt in the present. Kaitlyn felt herself flung out of her seat into the darkness.

"Those were not her last words, you know." The twinkling voice again.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see."

Kaitlyn smell something burning, and felt something burning around her. She was surrounded by heat, and she felt smoke stinging her eyes.

"Kaitlyn, wake up…" She heard Aunt Evelyn. "Please, please wake up, Kaitlyn… KAITLYN!"

Kaitlyn forced open her eyes and realized that her eyes do not sting as she thought they would. The scene before her was horrifying, a scene she never thought she would ever forget. The house was in flames, so was the car. It was an explosion, the evidence was displayed openly in front of her.

A few inches away from the flames lay five familiar bodies, only one was moving. Aunt Evelyn, shaking young Kaitlyn desperately.

"How did she manage to move so many people at one time? When she's injured?" Kaitlyn asked to no one specifically.

"She teleports them." The twinkling voice.

"Teleports?" There were no more replies.

A loud spark was heard, out of nowhere, and the blonde man landed on the ground beautifully. "Evelyn! Aaron…!" He then saw the mess and the bodies. "Damn," He swore. "Am I too late?" He muttered to himself, thinking that no one survived.

"Kaitlyn!" He heard, Aunt Evelyn was still calling for Kaitlyn, to the extent of coughing and dying.

"Evelyn?"

Aunt Evelyn turned, her face was dirty from the smoke. "Felix! Kaitlyn, she had…!" She broke into big sobs. "I can't believe this. Anne sacrificed herself for Kaitlyn and I ruined it. I failed to protect her. I've let Anne down."

Felix knelt beside Kaitlyn, feeling for her pulse. The grief on his face was undeniable.

Then it finally occurs to Aunt Evelyn. "My boys? Raye? Brendon?" She had to literally drag herself towards their limp body. Felix tried feeling for their pulse too, but he only shook his head in failure.

Her sobs getting louder. "I've also failed as a friend, a mother," She glanced at Uncle Aaron who was barely breathing. "And a wife…"

Felix kept silent. Aunt Evelyn suddenly stopped crying and faced Felix. "Felix, you think you can…?"

"I can what?" He asked innocently and only realizing it after a while. "Oh no, impossible, I don't have the necessary powers. I can't."

"Yes, you can, Felix." Aunt Evelyn was trying to boost Felix's confidence, although it was obvious that it wasn't confidence that he was so worried about. "Take mine. Power, life energy, whatever! Whatever it takes for them to survive. You can take Aaron's too, he wouldn't mind, for the kids' sake!"

Felix looked away. "No, it's impossible, I really can't, Evelyn." He refused her flatly.

"Yes, Felix. Think about it this way. We need Kaitlyn to survive, we must not let her, let Hera succeeds! Please!" Aunt Evelyn was pleading.

Many things were going through Felix's brain. He hesitated for a long time and finally nodded. "But I can't save ALL of them, even after taking yours and Aaron, there will not be enough."

"No, it's okay!" Aunt Evelyn was happy. "As long as Kaitlyn survive, and my sons survive, I don't care less! Even if my sons are in a coma, just save Kaitlyn." To Kaitlyn's horror, Felix agreed.

"I'm sorry, Evelyn." He apologizes and placed his hands on Uncle Aaron's and Aunt Evelyn's forehead. A tear fell from his face.

With a thud, Aunt Evelyn fell to the floor, but still alive and breathing. Kaitlyn heaved a sigh of relief. "Felix, ALL."

"Ssh." Felix shushed her quiet, "Watch."

Amazingly, a silver bubble surrounds Kaitlyn, and the boys. Kaitlyn felt it, the powers and life energy the bubble is transferring to the kids, it was the bliss of life. Felix was reviving them! When they were placed gently on the floor, Kaitlyn saw that they were all breathing deeply.

"Thank goodness!" Aunt Evelyn smiled happily; true happiness was reflected upon the green eyes. Summoning her last energy, she managed a "Mommy will always love you, boys, no matter where I am." And a barely audible, "Live for all of us, Kaitlyn…" Breathing her last breath, she lay on the cool, rough hard road, lifeless. She is gone, in peace, in sacrifice for her friend's daughter, and her boys.

Felix fell to his knees, tears flowing non-stop from his blue eyes. Feelings of grief and sadness were overflowing from him before he disappeared with exhaustion. Loud sirens were heard afar and a crowd was gathering soon, pointing at the bodies and the messy explosion. An old lady holding onto a walking stick was amidst them. She smiled cunningly before turning away, transforming into a tall lady in a red dress, hair as dark as Evil.

{A/N: SORRY!}