Shivering as he felt a cold snap of wind, Leo looked at the snow and mountains that surrounded him. Gasping, he realized that both of his legs and his arm were perfectly fine once again. His brown eyes surveyed the scene in front of him. From the dress of the people and the activity swarming around him, Leo figured out that he was at a ski resort of some sort. But, why was he here? The crowd bustling around him suddenly vanished, but one figure remained. It was a brown-haired, brown-eyed young boy who was wearing a blue snowsuit. With a smile, Leo watched at the kid laughed and played in the snow. As he watched, a shocking realization occurred to him.
"That's me." Leo gasped, watching the kid frolic around the ski resort. As he remembered the only time he had visited this particular place, his face fell. "Oh, no. Not this."
"Having fun, darling?" an older woman asked as she and the rest of the crowd reappeared. The older Leo recognized her instantly as his mother, Vanessa, and felt sick when he saw his younger self run over to the woman and hug her tightly.
"Yeah." the younger Leo nodded as Vanessa smiled down at him, "Can we go skiing, Mom? I want to go skiing now."
"Just a moment, sweetheart." Vanessa assured, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you see that man over there, Leo? Sitting with the boy on the deck of the ski lodge? They're both eating ice cream?"
"Yeah." younger Leo replied curiously, "What about him?"
Wincing, the modern day Leo turned his back on the scene. He knew what was coming and he didn't care to see it, or experience it again. However, the scenery seemed to move, so that it was right in front of him once more.
"That's your father, the Count du Pres." Vanessa informed as the younger Leo gasped in surprise.
Without warning, Leo felt himself become one with the younger version of himself. The emotions, as he watched Guy and the little boy happily eating ice cream, were exactly how he remembered them. Leo could feel the throbbing pain that seemed to encircle his heart as he realized that his voice wouldn't work. He felt his lips move, but nothing was coming out! Anger at himself, and hopelessness engulfed him as he watched Guy and the child silently walk away. Leo could also feel himself trying to run, but he could only take a few steps forward.
"Come along now, Leo." Vanessa said, as the older Leo once again split from his younger self. As he was gently led away by Vanessa, the younger Leo stared back at the table, which Guy and the child had been sitting at. His face was a study in dejection, and a few tears poured from his brown eyes. Watching on, the older Leo wanted to run to his younger self and assure him that everything would be all right. However, when he took a step forward, the ski lodge seemed to vanish and Leo found himself tumbling into a black abyss!
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Wondering why he was shaking, Leo opened his eyes slowly to see Guy standing over him. The older man had been shaking his shoulder, trying to wake him. Upon seeing that Leo was awake, the Count slowly sat down in the chair beside the bed.
"Are you all right, Leo?" the Count inquired worried, "You were tossing and turning violently in your sleep."
"I'm fine." Leo said, wiping sweat off of his brow, "It was just a bad memory that I'd like to forget."
"Would you like the news from Pine Valley?" Guy asked, deciding it was best to switch subjects.
"Yeah!" Leo said enthusiastically, sitting up.
"You may not be so overjoyed when you hear it." Guy said seriously, "Greenlee is reported to be in a really bad state mentally, but you expected that."
"Yeah." Leo sighed, wincing. He wished he could cross the miles in a flash, and be with her, "Did they find Vanessa?"
"Not yet." Guy replied, shaking his head, "The only thing that they have recovered from the river is your jacket. Vanessa's diamonds were reportedly also recovered by your brother, Trey."
"Figures he'd go for the diamonds." Leo chuckled, thinking about his younger brother fondly, "That's so typical of Trey."
"Hmm." Guy smiled, "You miss your brothers as well as Greenlee."
"Yeah." Leo nodded with a yawn, "Not as much so, though."
"I didn't think so." Guy replied, standing up, "You need some more rest. We will continue our conversation later."
"Okay." Leo agreed, laying back in bed.
With a smile, Guy turned out the light and left the room silently.
To be continued....
"That's me." Leo gasped, watching the kid frolic around the ski resort. As he remembered the only time he had visited this particular place, his face fell. "Oh, no. Not this."
"Having fun, darling?" an older woman asked as she and the rest of the crowd reappeared. The older Leo recognized her instantly as his mother, Vanessa, and felt sick when he saw his younger self run over to the woman and hug her tightly.
"Yeah." the younger Leo nodded as Vanessa smiled down at him, "Can we go skiing, Mom? I want to go skiing now."
"Just a moment, sweetheart." Vanessa assured, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you see that man over there, Leo? Sitting with the boy on the deck of the ski lodge? They're both eating ice cream?"
"Yeah." younger Leo replied curiously, "What about him?"
Wincing, the modern day Leo turned his back on the scene. He knew what was coming and he didn't care to see it, or experience it again. However, the scenery seemed to move, so that it was right in front of him once more.
"That's your father, the Count du Pres." Vanessa informed as the younger Leo gasped in surprise.
Without warning, Leo felt himself become one with the younger version of himself. The emotions, as he watched Guy and the little boy happily eating ice cream, were exactly how he remembered them. Leo could feel the throbbing pain that seemed to encircle his heart as he realized that his voice wouldn't work. He felt his lips move, but nothing was coming out! Anger at himself, and hopelessness engulfed him as he watched Guy and the child silently walk away. Leo could also feel himself trying to run, but he could only take a few steps forward.
"Come along now, Leo." Vanessa said, as the older Leo once again split from his younger self. As he was gently led away by Vanessa, the younger Leo stared back at the table, which Guy and the child had been sitting at. His face was a study in dejection, and a few tears poured from his brown eyes. Watching on, the older Leo wanted to run to his younger self and assure him that everything would be all right. However, when he took a step forward, the ski lodge seemed to vanish and Leo found himself tumbling into a black abyss!
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Wondering why he was shaking, Leo opened his eyes slowly to see Guy standing over him. The older man had been shaking his shoulder, trying to wake him. Upon seeing that Leo was awake, the Count slowly sat down in the chair beside the bed.
"Are you all right, Leo?" the Count inquired worried, "You were tossing and turning violently in your sleep."
"I'm fine." Leo said, wiping sweat off of his brow, "It was just a bad memory that I'd like to forget."
"Would you like the news from Pine Valley?" Guy asked, deciding it was best to switch subjects.
"Yeah!" Leo said enthusiastically, sitting up.
"You may not be so overjoyed when you hear it." Guy said seriously, "Greenlee is reported to be in a really bad state mentally, but you expected that."
"Yeah." Leo sighed, wincing. He wished he could cross the miles in a flash, and be with her, "Did they find Vanessa?"
"Not yet." Guy replied, shaking his head, "The only thing that they have recovered from the river is your jacket. Vanessa's diamonds were reportedly also recovered by your brother, Trey."
"Figures he'd go for the diamonds." Leo chuckled, thinking about his younger brother fondly, "That's so typical of Trey."
"Hmm." Guy smiled, "You miss your brothers as well as Greenlee."
"Yeah." Leo nodded with a yawn, "Not as much so, though."
"I didn't think so." Guy replied, standing up, "You need some more rest. We will continue our conversation later."
"Okay." Leo agreed, laying back in bed.
With a smile, Guy turned out the light and left the room silently.
To be continued....