Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It's always really encouraging to start off with good reviews! I'd like to thank:
Sawyer's girl: LOVE the name. You said something about a Sawyer look-a-like… Are you OK with having the real one instead? Hee hee! Don't worry, I'm not going to go into all that 'Ohmigoodness… a Time Machine?' storyline. I can't really explain very much now but I hope you like where this is going. Thank you so much for you review!
Sweet A.K: Thanks so much for your review! I wonder who's behind Laura? Lol! I love the quotes on your profile by the way!
Chapter One
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"I think I can answer that for you."
Laura froze, not quite sure if she'd imagined the voice behind her. Slowly, she turned around, coming face to face with an old man.
"Who are you?" She asked, staring goggle eyed at the stranger.
He was tall, probably early sixties, heavily built and exuding a powerful aura. His presence made Laura uncomfortable, although she suspected that her uneasiness stemmed from the fact that he was dressed like someone who had an unhealthy fixation on Indiana Jones.
"My name is Allan. I know this must seem very strange to you, but don't worry," He spoke in a heavy Scottish accent and moved with a confidant swagger. He seated himself at the base of the Cherry blossom tree and looked at Laura "I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then what are you here for?"
"I'm here to explain your reason for being."
Laura shifted on the swing, getting ready to get up and leave, "What are you talking about?"
"You belong to The League."
By this time Laura's eyebrows were taking up permanent residence in her hairline. Making a snap decision she decided to humor this guy who was obviously a few fries short of a Happy Meal until she could get as far away from him as possible "Oh riiiight. The League. I see."
This man who called himself Allan frowned, obviously irritated "I am serious you know. You have no idea how powerful a heritage you wield, Laura."
"How do you know my name?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Laura slipped off the swing and began to walk back toward the house quickly, feeling more and more threatened by this odd presence with each passing minute, "Look, I'm not very comfortable talking to people who just appear in my back garden, OK?"
"You don't belong here." The statement made Laura freeze in her tracks. Again, she slowly turned to face Allan "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Allan stood and began to move toward her. Laura jerked backwards so he stopped, holding out his hands in an appeasement gesture "The feelings you have… they're not wrong. You've always felt like you didn't belong here, like you weren't safe. Well you don't… And you're not."
Laura took a few seconds to digest this information. Finally she looked at Allan and said "Alright, let's say for one second, just one second that I believe you. What do you mean I'm not safe here?"
Allan sighed "Before I tell you this, you must believe that I'm telling the truth. It's a strange story and to be honest, I have a hard time believing it, but it's all true and if you value your life, you must believe that what I'm telling you is real."
Laura studied the look in Allan's eyes. There was a sadness there, accompanied by a real longing to be believed.
"I can't believe you until you tell me." She said finally. If she was being honest, she wanted to believe him.
Allan was silent for a while, and finally he began.
"My name is Allan Quatermain-"
"That's my name!" Laura's eyes were already as wide as saucers. Allan smiled a little "Yes. We are related. Your mother is my Great-great- great Granddaughter."
For the first time the question pulled at Laura's lips "Are you a ghost?"
"I suppose you could call me that, although I'm very real to touch."
Out of instinct, Laura reached out and prodded Allan's arm.
"But… I've studied the family tree and you're not in it."
Allan looked away "No, I'm not lass. My second wife divorced me before I knew she was pregnant and died during childbirth. I was in Costa Rica and the baby boy had been given away before I could claim him."
"That's so sad." Laura stated quietly.
"Aye, but that's not why I'm here. In 1899 I was approached by a character called M, asking me to join a group of people with unique abilities to help bring down a Monster calling himself the Fantom. We had a Vampiress, a Pirate, and an invisible man among other things. Shortly after we had been recruited we discovered it was all a ruse and the very man who brought us all together, M-also known as Professor James Moriarty-was really the Fantom. He had set a wolf among us-an immortal man named Dorian Grey- to collect parts of us and take them back to M, who had kidnapped some of the world's most intelligent scientists in the hope that they could replicate us into a sort of Super Army that could help take over the world for him. We beat him, but I was killed. I had formerly been blessed by an African witch doctor who promised Africa would never allow me to die. I made the mistake of assuming he meant me as a physical being, but what he meant was that the Quatermain line would never die out. M also promised me that even if he died, there would be others like him to carry on what he started."
It took Laura a while to absorb all the information that had been revealed to her "But… What has this got to do with me?" She finally managed to choke out.
"Throughout the years, the Quatermain bloodline has carried on, just like the Witch Doctor said it would. I believe that our bloodline is waiting for the promise that M made to come to light once more."
"You mean… more people like M will try and take over the world?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, that promise, after lying dormant for over a hundred years, has been woken. And it wants revenge."
"Revenge on what?" Laura already knew the answer, but she hardly dared believe it.
"Revenge on the Quatermain bloodline. That's why you aren't safe here."
"But what about my Mother and Harrison? Surely it's not safe for them either?"
"None of you are safe from this evil. You, however, have a power all your own inside you and that is what makes it unsafe for your mother and brother. You have drawn a lot of attention from the Underworld. You do not know it Laura, but you are destined for things that you are not even aware of, and this makes you an easy target to pursue."
Laura was silent for a while, and then "What Power? What are you talking about?"
Allan fixed a steady gaze on the shaken young woman before him "In all Quatermains' there is a latent power. That power is triggered by the rise of M's Promise. You are the one chosen to defeat M's descendents with the help of the original League. Together, you and I must lure the evil back to where the League can fight it."
"But… I'm nobody. Surely it would have been better to choose Harrison or someone else? Anyone else?" Laura's voice rose to a high pitched squeak. This couldn't be real. It just couldn't.
"The power is only strong within you, Laura. You are someone, just not here. You can be someone, you can help us. I need you to help me lure M's descendent back to the league."
"And where exactly is the league?"
"They are back in 1899."
Laura stood up "OK, this is too weird. I'm sorry but I just can't believe what you're saying. Even if it was true-which I'm not saying it is-how would you and I get back to the year 1899? Time travel, it-we…there's no such thing."
Allan stared her straight in the face "You would just have to trust me, lass. I have my sources."
"Also, aren't you dead?" Laura's brain was getting too overcrowded with conflicting thoughts.
"Now listen." Allan's voice was sharp and commanding and Laura found herself slightly shocked by it, "When I say you and I would be luring him back, I mean you with me as a spirit guide-"
"No, NO!" This was getting absurd. Turning away from Allan, Laura sprinted into the house and locked the door, ignoring his shouts from behind her. Breathing hard she paused for a minute. Should she call the police? And say what? 'My Great-great-great-great grandfather is in the Garden and he wants me to go on an adventure with him.'
Laura decided against the option that would get her carted away, instead deciding to slip upstairs. Her mother was in the front room unpacking boxes with music blaring away and Harrison was either in his room or out with his newfound friends.
Closing her bedroom door and leaning against it, Laura brought her hand up to wipe her brow, which was suddenly pouring sweat. Pulling her hand away, she noticed it was shaking. Walking to her bed, she collapsed in a heap on top of the duvet, her lungs struggling for air.
Laura's head was swimming, and her vision began to go blurry. Shutting her eyes, she fell asleep feeling shaky and feverish.
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OK, So I've set the wheels in motion. I'd desperately like to know what you think so please review!