Chapter 4: Possible Hope

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"Paul is loose."


"I'm sorry?"


David sat down on the chair beside daughter. The machines in the room beeped, monitoring Dakota's heart beat. The temperature of the room sent shivers down even David's spine. "When we left, Karma stayed behind in the meeting room and in the confusion she morphed into a guard and she and Paul escaped. I slipped up." He explained. His face sagged and a heavy breath escaped his lips.


"You had a lot on your mind dad," Riley said. "It's OK, we'll figure something out." She shivered and rubbed her arms.


"Alex moved into Darkwood to day, along with Danny and Brandy, and the family that helped Dakota when Xander attacked him in the woods," David said. "Do you remember them? Scott and Sharla?"


Riley nodded, but seemed a bit distracted. She glanced at Dakota's white face and took his hand. Her small fingers disappeared beneath it. Half frozen. Tears filled her eyes "He looks so..." She stopped short.


David put and arm around her shoulders. "How 'bout you go home. You need your rest. Ariel took a lot out of you."


"H- how is she?" Riley swallowed dreading the answer.


David looked down. "She uh..." He could not finish.


"Oh my gosh...oh my gosh." Riley melted into her father's large shoulder the tears pouring down her face. A never ending rain. "I didn't mean to...I didn't want to..."


David took her by the arms and made her look at him. "Listen to me." His black eyes forced her to lock with his. "You had no choice."


"Why does everyone have to die? Dakota...anyone, why does anyone..."


She stood, her fingers curling tightly around her thumbs, the knuckles white. She let out a breath of air and talked to herself. "Nothing I could have done-" a sob stopped her. "Nothing...Dakota's still alive, she would have killed him and... Oh, God help me." Riley walked out of the room.


David shook his head and eased back into his chair.

God do help us.

He forced his eyes back to Dakota. As soon as they reached David's car his body had given out. The light rise and fall of his chest and the wheezing sound that came from his throat were the only indications of life.

Oh boy, David thought. Did all his suffering come to this?


Soft footsteps echoed in the doorway, but he did not look up. "David?"


"Yes?"


"There is still hope."


David looked up at an empty doorway.