"Raven," Alison said softly, holding her daughter's tearstained face
in her hands. She wiped the tears away with her thumbs, and Raven looked
into her eyes, her anguished countenance burning a hole in Alison's heart.
"I know it might sound scary now, but you're a slayer, and your ability is natural, and you can do this. Sweetie, I know you can."
Raven sat up, and took a deep breath. "Is that what everyone said about Dad, too? I mean, look what happened to him. He was a slayer, too, and Caleb killed him!"
Alison bit her lip to keep from crying. That was the one thing she hated to think of. She didn't know what to say to Raven to make her feel better. She didn't have to say anything, though. She didn't have time before there was a panicked series of knocks on the door.
Alison got up and answered the door. It was Livvie, and she was hysterical. "Livvie!" Alison said, alarmed, as she showed Livvie into the living room. "They're gone, Alison! They're gone!" she whimpered. Alison put her arm around her friend's shoulders. Livvie was trembling.
"What do you mean? Who's gone?" Alison asks. "Jack and Eli! They're gone!" Livvie cried. Raven's breath caught in her throat. "Gone? Livvie, are you sure? I mean, it could just be a mistake," Alison protested. "No, Alison! They're gone! I can feel it! Caleb's gotten to them, I know it. Oh......" Livvie covered her face with her hands.
"Well, did you try their cell phones?" Alison asked. Livvie nodded. "They were both dead." Alison's stomach went cold. It's happening all over again.
*
"Christina," Frank said softly as he gently jostled the girl's shoudler. She had curled up and fallen asleep in the backseat on the way to the Devlin's, a destination they had now reached. Christina's eyes fluttered open and looked around. She appeared momentarily disoriented, and then remembered where she was.
"Are we there?" she asked, sitting up and raking a hand through her hair. Chris nodded and turned the ignition off. He looked first at Frank, then at Christina. "Ready?" he asked. Christina's head screamed No! , but she smiled and nodded. The three took deep breaths, and got out of the car. They ambled up to the front door at a snail's pace, all anxious and apprehensive at the same time. When they finally approached the door, the stopped dead in their tracks and stood awkwardly as if unsure how to proceed. At last, Chris spoke. "So who's ringing the bell?"
*
Sascha had woken early from a fitful night's sleep, and thought bitterly about how her little dilemma was interfering with the sleeping in that was her occupation of the summer. But she wasted little time dwelling on that, she had more important issues to deal with, her paternity being at the top of the list. She had to confront her mother, she had to get some answers - today.
Throwing on a pair of navy blue shorts and a lace up turquoise tank, she went downstairs. Today was Karen's day off, and she was currently at the PC bus station, delivering Anastasia to orchestral camp. Once she got back, she ought to have plenty of time to discuss this. Sascha wasn't going to let her excuse herself this time.
Just as Sascha had leapt from the second stair to the floor, the envelope and photographs concealed behind her back, Karen opened the door. "Ah, perfect timing, Mom!" she chirped energetically, flashing her mother a big smile. "Perfect timing for what?" Karen asked as she hung her handbag on the coat rack.
"I really need to talk to you, remember? You've been ignoring me for the past couple of days. And I figure now that Ana's at camp and Dad's off doing whatever the heck he's doing, and it happens to be your day off, today would be the perfect day for us to have a little disussion," Sascha said, clasping her hands.
"Okay....what do you need to talk about, honey?" Karen asked. "These." Sascha unveiled what she'd been hiding, fanning out the photos in one had and holding out the envelope in the other. She took minor satisfaction in the look of shock that slowly formed on Karen's face as her eyes widened and her mouth became a slack, gaping O.
"I know it might sound scary now, but you're a slayer, and your ability is natural, and you can do this. Sweetie, I know you can."
Raven sat up, and took a deep breath. "Is that what everyone said about Dad, too? I mean, look what happened to him. He was a slayer, too, and Caleb killed him!"
Alison bit her lip to keep from crying. That was the one thing she hated to think of. She didn't know what to say to Raven to make her feel better. She didn't have to say anything, though. She didn't have time before there was a panicked series of knocks on the door.
Alison got up and answered the door. It was Livvie, and she was hysterical. "Livvie!" Alison said, alarmed, as she showed Livvie into the living room. "They're gone, Alison! They're gone!" she whimpered. Alison put her arm around her friend's shoulders. Livvie was trembling.
"What do you mean? Who's gone?" Alison asks. "Jack and Eli! They're gone!" Livvie cried. Raven's breath caught in her throat. "Gone? Livvie, are you sure? I mean, it could just be a mistake," Alison protested. "No, Alison! They're gone! I can feel it! Caleb's gotten to them, I know it. Oh......" Livvie covered her face with her hands.
"Well, did you try their cell phones?" Alison asked. Livvie nodded. "They were both dead." Alison's stomach went cold. It's happening all over again.
*
"Christina," Frank said softly as he gently jostled the girl's shoudler. She had curled up and fallen asleep in the backseat on the way to the Devlin's, a destination they had now reached. Christina's eyes fluttered open and looked around. She appeared momentarily disoriented, and then remembered where she was.
"Are we there?" she asked, sitting up and raking a hand through her hair. Chris nodded and turned the ignition off. He looked first at Frank, then at Christina. "Ready?" he asked. Christina's head screamed No! , but she smiled and nodded. The three took deep breaths, and got out of the car. They ambled up to the front door at a snail's pace, all anxious and apprehensive at the same time. When they finally approached the door, the stopped dead in their tracks and stood awkwardly as if unsure how to proceed. At last, Chris spoke. "So who's ringing the bell?"
*
Sascha had woken early from a fitful night's sleep, and thought bitterly about how her little dilemma was interfering with the sleeping in that was her occupation of the summer. But she wasted little time dwelling on that, she had more important issues to deal with, her paternity being at the top of the list. She had to confront her mother, she had to get some answers - today.
Throwing on a pair of navy blue shorts and a lace up turquoise tank, she went downstairs. Today was Karen's day off, and she was currently at the PC bus station, delivering Anastasia to orchestral camp. Once she got back, she ought to have plenty of time to discuss this. Sascha wasn't going to let her excuse herself this time.
Just as Sascha had leapt from the second stair to the floor, the envelope and photographs concealed behind her back, Karen opened the door. "Ah, perfect timing, Mom!" she chirped energetically, flashing her mother a big smile. "Perfect timing for what?" Karen asked as she hung her handbag on the coat rack.
"I really need to talk to you, remember? You've been ignoring me for the past couple of days. And I figure now that Ana's at camp and Dad's off doing whatever the heck he's doing, and it happens to be your day off, today would be the perfect day for us to have a little disussion," Sascha said, clasping her hands.
"Okay....what do you need to talk about, honey?" Karen asked. "These." Sascha unveiled what she'd been hiding, fanning out the photos in one had and holding out the envelope in the other. She took minor satisfaction in the look of shock that slowly formed on Karen's face as her eyes widened and her mouth became a slack, gaping O.