Chapter Thirty-nine
Abby paced. She could sense someone was coming. Caleb had left her alone, the invisible force field in place again. She shook her head. Unbelievable. What the hell had she gotten herself into? If you told her she'd would be getting visits from her dead boyfriend, fighting vampires, keeping them from rings that grant wishes, well. She'd have told said you were as crazy as people always accused her of being.
She knew what it was like to be different. She'd been stared at, talked about, the object of hushed conversations her whole life. When she was little, kids teased her, mothers kept their kids from playing with her at times. She was too different.
Thank God she'd had Cameron.
He must be going crazy, wanting to be down here, knowing she was in trouble. She could almost see him. She smiled at the thought.
She hugged her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold. She was tired, she was hungry. She wanted to go home.
She was wondering if she ever would be home again as she continued to walk back and forth.
Her vision got cloudy, a picture flashed. Oh my God. No. Alison!! What was going on? Suddenly, she felt someone in the cave with her.
"You might as well sit down." Livvie said, her voice venomous. "You're going to be here for a while."
***************
Reaching a clearing in the woods, Rafe stopped suddenly.
Cameron realized he could only hear one set of feet running. He stopped and glanced back at Rafe.
"Something's not right." Rafe said, softly.
Cameron sighed. "Yeah - I know. Some guy with fangs has my girlfriend hostage. Let's get a move on."
"No. Alison." Rafe replied, his voice filled with worry.
Cameron was losing his patience. "She's OK. Your cousin is there with her - right?"
"I don't - I'm not so sure. She was alone when we left." Rafe's brow wrinkled, and he shook his head. Something was wrong. He could feel it. "I'm going back."
"What? Wait!" Cameron grabbed Rafe's arm. "You can't go. We have to find Abby."
Rafe looked at Cameron, recognizing the look in his eyes. He was feeling the exact same way at the moment. "I know. If Alison's right, she's being held just through that group of trees over there. I'm sorry. I would go with you - you have to know that I would. But - something.I can't explain it - I'm sorry. I need to get to Alison."
"Rafe, c'mon." Cameron pleaded.
"Cam. I'll be back as soon as I can. I have to get back there. Go ahead. You'll find her through there. I figure you've got a few people watching out for you anyway."
Cameron realized he was asking Rafe to put Alison in danger to save Abby. Rafe was too nice a guy. If the tables were turned, Cameron was almost sure he'd have been gone already. "OK."
Silently wishing the other good luck - they ran off in opposite directions, each on a mission to save the women they loved.
*************
It seemed like midnight, but was actually quite early. She'd coaxed Rafe into bed in the late afternoon. Alison called Lucy's but got no answer. That was odd, since it was just about bedtime for Christina. Worried, she tried her cell phone. No luck there either. Leaving messages both places, she glanced around the room again. She thought about calling Jamal or Jack. Rafe would be furious if he knew she was here alone. She decided to give Lucy some time to call her back. She might have taken the kids to dinner - who knows?
She couldn't sit still. Wanting to keep busy, she glanced at the closet. She'd wanted to tackle it for a while now. Rafe was really good about helping her keep things neat, but he had a habit of putting things in the closet when he didn't know where they went. She opened the door. Taking out a little footstool, she reached to the top shelf. Smiling, she pulled down a bowl. A bowl, Rafe? She thought to herself, laughing. Try the kitchen, next time.
She eyes fell on a box. She first was going to just push it aside but then decided to take it down, wanting to see what was inside. She couldn't remember.
Placing it next to her on the bed she pried it open and sighed. It was her wedding veil, from their "first" real wedding. Nestled in the tulle were two envelopes. One held the letter she had written to their first child, the one she carried now. A tear ran down her cheek as she remembered a time that she was afraid she'd never see the day that he or she would ever read it. Her eyes fell on the second envelope. That one held a letter she wrote during that time - when Joshua held her. It was the one Jamal gave back to her, the day she finally met Abby. It seemed so long ago. She picked it up, running her fingers over it. She knew she wouldn't even have to open it to remember the words.
She heard a knock at the door. Lucy. Thank goodness. She took a few steps towards the door, then suddenly felt a bit nervous. She stopped and called out, "Who is it?"
There was no answer, just another knock.
"Who's there?" she asked again, her voice beginning to shake.
She didn't need to open the door. The person knocking was suddenly standing right in front of her.
"Your sister's being a bit uncooperative." Caleb said. "Perhaps you can persuade her."
Abby paced. She could sense someone was coming. Caleb had left her alone, the invisible force field in place again. She shook her head. Unbelievable. What the hell had she gotten herself into? If you told her she'd would be getting visits from her dead boyfriend, fighting vampires, keeping them from rings that grant wishes, well. She'd have told said you were as crazy as people always accused her of being.
She knew what it was like to be different. She'd been stared at, talked about, the object of hushed conversations her whole life. When she was little, kids teased her, mothers kept their kids from playing with her at times. She was too different.
Thank God she'd had Cameron.
He must be going crazy, wanting to be down here, knowing she was in trouble. She could almost see him. She smiled at the thought.
She hugged her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold. She was tired, she was hungry. She wanted to go home.
She was wondering if she ever would be home again as she continued to walk back and forth.
Her vision got cloudy, a picture flashed. Oh my God. No. Alison!! What was going on? Suddenly, she felt someone in the cave with her.
"You might as well sit down." Livvie said, her voice venomous. "You're going to be here for a while."
***************
Reaching a clearing in the woods, Rafe stopped suddenly.
Cameron realized he could only hear one set of feet running. He stopped and glanced back at Rafe.
"Something's not right." Rafe said, softly.
Cameron sighed. "Yeah - I know. Some guy with fangs has my girlfriend hostage. Let's get a move on."
"No. Alison." Rafe replied, his voice filled with worry.
Cameron was losing his patience. "She's OK. Your cousin is there with her - right?"
"I don't - I'm not so sure. She was alone when we left." Rafe's brow wrinkled, and he shook his head. Something was wrong. He could feel it. "I'm going back."
"What? Wait!" Cameron grabbed Rafe's arm. "You can't go. We have to find Abby."
Rafe looked at Cameron, recognizing the look in his eyes. He was feeling the exact same way at the moment. "I know. If Alison's right, she's being held just through that group of trees over there. I'm sorry. I would go with you - you have to know that I would. But - something.I can't explain it - I'm sorry. I need to get to Alison."
"Rafe, c'mon." Cameron pleaded.
"Cam. I'll be back as soon as I can. I have to get back there. Go ahead. You'll find her through there. I figure you've got a few people watching out for you anyway."
Cameron realized he was asking Rafe to put Alison in danger to save Abby. Rafe was too nice a guy. If the tables were turned, Cameron was almost sure he'd have been gone already. "OK."
Silently wishing the other good luck - they ran off in opposite directions, each on a mission to save the women they loved.
*************
It seemed like midnight, but was actually quite early. She'd coaxed Rafe into bed in the late afternoon. Alison called Lucy's but got no answer. That was odd, since it was just about bedtime for Christina. Worried, she tried her cell phone. No luck there either. Leaving messages both places, she glanced around the room again. She thought about calling Jamal or Jack. Rafe would be furious if he knew she was here alone. She decided to give Lucy some time to call her back. She might have taken the kids to dinner - who knows?
She couldn't sit still. Wanting to keep busy, she glanced at the closet. She'd wanted to tackle it for a while now. Rafe was really good about helping her keep things neat, but he had a habit of putting things in the closet when he didn't know where they went. She opened the door. Taking out a little footstool, she reached to the top shelf. Smiling, she pulled down a bowl. A bowl, Rafe? She thought to herself, laughing. Try the kitchen, next time.
She eyes fell on a box. She first was going to just push it aside but then decided to take it down, wanting to see what was inside. She couldn't remember.
Placing it next to her on the bed she pried it open and sighed. It was her wedding veil, from their "first" real wedding. Nestled in the tulle were two envelopes. One held the letter she had written to their first child, the one she carried now. A tear ran down her cheek as she remembered a time that she was afraid she'd never see the day that he or she would ever read it. Her eyes fell on the second envelope. That one held a letter she wrote during that time - when Joshua held her. It was the one Jamal gave back to her, the day she finally met Abby. It seemed so long ago. She picked it up, running her fingers over it. She knew she wouldn't even have to open it to remember the words.
She heard a knock at the door. Lucy. Thank goodness. She took a few steps towards the door, then suddenly felt a bit nervous. She stopped and called out, "Who is it?"
There was no answer, just another knock.
"Who's there?" she asked again, her voice beginning to shake.
She didn't need to open the door. The person knocking was suddenly standing right in front of her.
"Your sister's being a bit uncooperative." Caleb said. "Perhaps you can persuade her."