As promised, the next chapter!
No rambling this time, I can do that after I have given you guys the Epilogue.
Which means that this is the last official chapter.
The drive back through town was quiet. Neither Stephen nor I thought it was comfortable enough to talk, especially concerning our missing librarian.
"What I don't get…" he began and I turned to him.
"Why call us? I mean, there was still a chance we might've just said no, right? He didn't help us that one time and even if we did go home, we're back again…so, what's the point?" he asked.
"I don't know, maybe he thought we might do it out of the kindness of our hearts." I mumbled.
He snorted at that, reverting back to silence.
"I was serious, you know." He said.
I sighed.
"I know, and I seriously don't know, Stephen, maybe it's something about our worlds." I said. "Makes no sense but ok, and you're sure that we don't need to talk to this Jenks fellow," he said.
I nodded. It was his turn to sigh.
"This is the address?" Stephen asked, undoing his seatbelt as he pulled into the cropped grass driveway.
"Yep," I opened the door, slipping out, opening the address book.
Stephen walked around the nose of the car to peer over my shoulder.
"We're in the right place." I murmured, looking up at him. "Maybe we should call someone? I don't know, this doesn't feel right," he said, rolling his large shoulders.
I frowned at him.
"Please, T, we can't just go scampering upon someone else's place, we'll get caught and sued!" he hissed.
"He asked for our help!"
"Doesn't matter," he said stubbornly.
"Fine, stay out here, keep a look out, I'll be ten minutes," I said. His eyes widened and his nose flared as he stared me down, trying to give me the concerned best friend look he'd perfect in just three weeks of our time back home. I was impressed at that look. I still hadn't managed to get it down. Maybe because I never thought anything he did was stupid, except the fair occasional things.
"You cannot be serious!" he said. I stuck my tongue out at him then whirled around, rushing off up the grass before he could try to grab me. I heard him heave a sigh before following me.
The door swung open when I tried to jingle the doorknob.
I stood there for a while, staring at the crack of the inside as Stephen caught up, scoffing at the door. "Sure, that is always a good sign," he leered. "Stop it, already," I snapped at him and he shrugged, giving the house another baleful look as he kicked the door further. "Ladies first," he muttered.
The inside was light and tastefully furnished, creams and peaches on the walls and furniture but it felt off, like it was carefully put into place by someone who wanted to hide something bad underneath.
I moved carefully across the plush white carpet with Stephen close on my heels.
I stopped, staring at the walls, bearing a couple frames of photos, biting my lip.
"T…?" Stephen asked.
"Something's wrong." I mumbled.
"You think…? I've been trying to tell you that for ages -," he began but I cut him off. "I mean, with this place, it feels like something's bad here." I said.
"Oh," he glanced around for a while before looking at me.
"I'll take the front." He offered.
"I'll go look in the back." I agreed.
He shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched me head down the hallway.
I walked along the yellow hallway until it ended at two doors opposing each other.
I opened the one on the left to find a small bathroom. Backing out, I opened the right door.
It was an office, a bright, airy office with the window still open; I pushed the door open further, latching the chain on the wall.
The space was wood and marigold yellow.
Yellow seems to be the color for Sorenson, I thought, as I moved behind the desk, noting the scattered bits of writing papers and scrunched up post its.
He wouldn't have left these all over his desk if he knew he was going to run away.
I opened up some papers and the jotted pages, sitting in his swivel chair as I delved myself invasively in Roosevelt Sorenson's life.
"Hey," I jumped, putting the journal I'd been reading down to see Stephen peering at me through the open door.
"Hey," I said back, standing up from desk chair.
"You find anything here? The living room and kitchen's both clean." He said, coming inside, frowning at me. I snorted. "I found lots, Steph." I said.
I shifted through the pile I'd made according to importance and handed him the journal I was holding. "Sorenson didn't just research the dimensional phenomena, Steph. He lived it." I pointed at him to open the book. He flipped it open to the first page with the face of a woman on it. "That was his wife, Marigold Sorenson. She disappeared a couple years ago."
He stared at me for a bit. "So…?" he asked finally.
"So," I huffed, "He thinks that she might've latched onto some other string. She got herself transported there," I flicked the pages to the end, "He's been trying to find ways to contact other dimensions." I said.
"Hang on; he said that he didn't know how to send us back when we asked him to." He said slowly.
"He might not know at that time." I said.
He pursed his lips, giving the journal a disdainful look.
"I don't know, T, seems kind of farfetched." He said.
I gave him a horrified look. "No, it's not! It makes perfect sense! He found out how to touch other strings! That's why he must've gotten himself in trouble!" I said.
"Ok…um, I'm going to go check upstairs." He said, backing up as he handed me the journal back.
Giving me one last look, he disappeared out the door.
"Idiot," I mumbled to myself when there was a large thud from overhead.
I jerked up, looking at the ceiling as fast, loud footsteps echoed through the hallways.
"Tulika," Stephen flew in again, looking scared out of his mind.
"What," I yelled, standing up, the book flying out of my hands as he grabbed my wrists, pulling at them roughly. "We need to get out of here…like now! Move it!" He choked out, dragging me to the door.
"What happened?" I said, anchoring myself against the door.
"Blood, the entire top floor…the bedroom, Jesus, let's just go…if they're still here…" we both froze when we heard the low creak upstairs.
"That wasn't a door." I whispered.
"We need to leave…now." Stephen said, angling himself towards the hallway. It wasn't until we heard the distinct sound of marching footsteps that we decided to actually beat it.
Grabbing each other's elbows, we shoved and pulled our way, nearly tripping on our feet once as we ran to the front door and yanked it open, throwing ourselves onto the porch.
Stephen didn't stop there.
Large hand clamped on mine, he raced us right off the porch stairs towards the car.
I didn't look back as we rounded the gates and ran straight into someone's arms.
I shrieked; making Stephen yell out as well as I began to thrash without looking at the guy whose grip was tightening on me.
"Tulika, calm down, it's just me!"
Stephen and I both stopped screaming and I swore I heard Stephen curse under his breath.
I looked up carefully at the amused and annoyed face of my vampire boyfriend. My vampire boyfriend whom I'd avoided for nearly a month…great, this was going to be just fantastic.
I tried to push myself off of him but his arm snaked past my waist, holding me tight against his chest, giving me a warning glare. I huffed in response but was ignored as he turned his gaze to my best friend.
"What happened?" he asked, looking tense and thoughtful as Stephen began to tell him everything.
I took a moment to stare up at him.
His eyes were narrowed, his lips a straight line but he didn't look like he had been taking my avoidance as hard as he had taken my so called death. His eyes were still alive and his hair had a bit of shine to it which meant he had at least shampooed it.
He glanced down at me when he felt my gaze on him and kept his eyes on me as Stephen finished what he had been saying. We kept up the intense stare down for a moment as Stephen cleared his throat awkwardly.
"And…you didn't see who it was…?" Edward asked suddenly, making me jolt back to reality, turning an ashamed look at Stephen.
He shrugged, inching his way towards his car. He got to the door before looking back at me.
"Go ahead; she'll meet you at her house." Edward said smoothly.
Edward and I both looked at each other, a mental conversation was the last thing that happened, let me tell you. It was more like I was going 'hell no' while he was just shaking his head at a disobedient puppy. I hated when he did that.
"Shall we?" he asked, undoing his arm around me and walking to his silver Volvo without another word. I stayed where I was as he opened the passenger door, looking business-like.
Knowing he could stand there all day, I sighed, walking towards him and flopping down in the seat. He shut the door gently.
"You reek of judgment," I said.
"Do I…?" he murmured softly, sparing a glance at the rearview mirror.
I turned to give him a look. "You want to scold me or not, Edward?" I asked finally. "Why would I want to scold you?" he asked, still in the tone that a parent uses when they know their child did something wrong but they want their kid to say it first. Well, I wasn't going to be the kid.
For, at least seven seconds.
"So, you're not mad that we didn't talk for at least a month and in that time I managed to get acquainted with the wolf pack, got attacked by Victoria – again – and nearly drowned?" I asked, stunned.
"Did you have fun while doing it?" he asked, shrugging.
I gaped at him, opening and closing my mouth like a fish before muttering a curse to myself which would likely get me grounded if Charlie ever heard it. I turned to the window, looking at the dim stars that were beginning to show up in the sky.
He stopped the car outside the Swan house before turning to me.
"Will you keep your window open tonight?" he asked seriously. I peered suspiciously at him. "Are you planning on sneaking into my room?" I asked. He shook his head. "I want to sneak you out." He said.
"What…?" I laughed.
Yeah, right, Edward Cullen, clone of chivalry was going to sneak a girl out, I could die –
"Are you serious?" I asked.
He nodded.
Well, damn…
"Fine," I said, opening the door and slipping out.
"Are you awake?"
I nodded, turning over in the bed and throwing the covers off, pulling my shirt straight. I'd been expecting him around midnight but he'd shown up a few minutes late. I pulled on my boots and walked over to the window, looking hesitantly at him. "Are you sure it'll be fine? I mean, if Charlie wakes up…" I said.
"It'll be fine. We won't be long, maybe an hour or so." He whispered, nodding at me to step onto the small ledge out the window. He was joking, right? Regardless, I did as he wanted and he joined me, placing only one foot on the concrete, the other on the window sill. He pulled me against him even as he jumped and I closed my eyes tight, feeling the air whistle in my ears for a split second as he landed, my feet just brushing the grass, due to my height.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, just falling is going to take me some time." I said.
He made a low sound in his throat before slipping me onto his back. I tightened my arms and legs around his neck and waist. "Where are we going?" I asked.
"You wanted to go to the meadow, didn't you?" he asked softly as he took off.
It looked smaller at night.
The circular meadow was scattered with cold flowers, red and bloodlike in the unrealistic moonlight. Edward sat about a foot away from me, watching as I weaved a braid from some weeds.
"Did you investigate?" I asked.
He nodded. "It was Sorenson's blood all over the place, Tulika…I don't think he survived that."
I paled.
Edward studied my face carefully before scooting over closer, placing a tentative hand on my shoulder.
"What were you doing there?" he asked.
"He called Stephen. He said we were the only ones who could help him so we tried but now…" I quieted, looking away towards the sound of the stream.
"I don't know if you want to hear this right now. I'm sure this is also not the best time to talk about us but I didn't like the whole time you didn't talk to me." He scratched his neck.
My eyes flashed to him. "You made no motion to change that." I said.
"I didn't think it would come across as acceptable at that time." He confessed. I snorted at that, his face showing some of the resignation that he should've shown that day.
"I know you think I don't care about your opinion but I do. Very much," he said.
I squinted at him. "Are you going to let me see Jacob?" I asked flatly. His lips pursed for a second before he nodded curtly. "Thank you," I said. "I was worried, you know. When you fell in the water, but Esme told me you might not want to see me. I take her advice seriously." He said, shrugging.
"Well, that's all very nice but it's been an hour and I need to head home." I said, standing up and dusting off my jeans.
He just stared up at me when I looked back. "Do you really think he's dead?" I asked.
"No way was he alive from all the blood on the floor; I'd know." He said before peering at me suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"
I stared at him.
The moonlight was directly over us, something not usually attained in Forks. His hair glowed a honey gold while his pale skin looked like snow. Shadows cast from the fringe of his hair made his face mysterious and serious.
I smiled up at him, wiping all thoughts from my mind as I reached up on my tip toes to kiss his cheek.
"No reason."
Do Not Throw Things At Me!
To anyone who thinks I just made T forget Edward of all his past sins I just want you to know that is not it.
Consider this, Edward always used manipulation on Bella to make her see things his way in the books. Well, if he can do it, why can't Tulika? She has got far better a grip on her skills than whiney wimpy Bella. (No offense to my character)
So, before you get ideas that I'm making Tulika a Bella, think about that.
This was Officially the Last Chapter of Return to the Beyond.
Epilogue soon to follow.
PLEASE REVIEW!