Chapter Thirty-Four



For the rest of the day, Annabel had been missing; Clear was beginning to fear the worst. However, Nicolas refused to believe that anything had happened to Annabel.
"I'm going to go look for her." Nicolas said finally as the sun was beginning to set behind the cabin, painting the sky blood red with its hues.
"Good luck." Clear muttered as Nicolas slipped outside of the cabin.

Annabel stared blankly at the sunset in front of her; the colors washed over her face and made her hair shine with an unusual luster. Annabel, however, didn't see the sunset for its beauty; it seemed to be mocking her with its blood color. She had seen tons of sunsets and never once had she seen a sunset with a red color like the one that painted across the sky at that moment. She had been away from the cabin all day, trying to avoid what could not be avoided. Annabel, however, refused to give in to the thought that there was no way she could win. She had lost everyone she cared about but she wasn't about to give up; her losses seemed to make her stronger. However, Annabel was finding herself not stronger but weaker and number. It was as though nothing matter anymore and nothing could hurt her. Annabel didn't care that she had 'changed', she didn't care.

Once Nicolas had left the cabin and was headed toward the town, he began to regret leaving Clear alone. If Clear right -and she probably was due to recent events- about the whole Death's Plan thing then what if she was next. What if leaving her alone triggered her death? Annabel was the only one who could see Death in the future and she was missing. Nicolas had to find her before he could let himself worry about Clear.

Annabel clamored to feet and stretched her tight limbs. She had to go back to the cabin, she didn't know why but she had to. Annabel looked back over at the sky, back toward the fading sunset. The moon was beginning to show in the light purple colored sky, washing out a few stars. Annabel looked up at the moon, which looked unusually clear at the moment. It looked so clear that Annabel almost believed that if she were to look at it closer, she would see her reflection. A clear moon, Annabel thought, I've never seen one before.
Before Annabel could think anymore on the clear moon, the moon's whiteness was washed out by the red of the sunset. The sunset washing out that moon was also something Annabel had never seen before. The redness of the sunset seemed to drip onto the clear moon like blood. Annabel stared at the sky, wide eyed with surprise.
She gasped, suddenly realizing that she had just had another vision -despite the fact that she tried to ignore her vision. The moon was clear but was now covered with a blood red light. Clear was next.
Without another thought, Annabel turned and ran in the direction of the cabin.