Chapter 16
(Hey guys it me. I'm sorry for my lengthy absence. Working two jobs will do that to you. Anyway I just want to let you guys know that I'm back. Thank you for continuing to read my stories and put up with me! It's been a while so you might want to read back a chapter or two to find out what's going on. Anyway enjoy the chapter and let me know what you guys think! Xoxoxo)
"Doesn't seem like he's coming back". Declan says, staring at the door. "I must've said too much." His eyes flick to Bonnie.
"What did I tell you about him, Alaric has been through much worst."
Before he can form the sentence, she replies,
"He will, just give it time Declan, he has to come home at some point."
"But if he doesn't?"
"He'll be back," she closes her eyes, "I know it."
"How can you be so sure, I know your physic-"
"Shhhhh." She points to a sleeping Abby.
He nods. "Right, I'm sorry Ms Bennett. I know your the physic but I just don't see him coming back he was so adamant about not helping us."
"He needs time to cool off Declan, we all do."
"You're right. I just hope another innocent person doesn't die while we're all cooling off."
His eyes flicker up to the muted t.v.
The captions read, AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR MAYOR ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HELENA WALTERS.
"Unmute that."
"What?" Bonnie asked, confused.
"Matt, he's on the television."
She quickly umutes it, as both of their attention falls onto the screen.
He starts by patting eyes with his handkerchief, he clears his throat.
"It is with sad, sad news that I tell you, Helena Baker is has still not been found. Her parents are asking…..no, begging for any willing participants and volunteers to help aid them in the search for their missing daughter. She's described as five foot two, long brown hair, with dark blue eyes. She was last seen leaving her job, a place we all know and love, the grill. If you have any information, you are strongly encouraged to call the local authorities.
Thank you.
Lights and cameras flash, as they try to get one more question in. Matt lifts his palms toward the media and his security team gently pushes them back creating more distance.
He gives Helena's father a stern handshake and crushes her mother with a warm, generous hug.
He pulls her back holding onto her shoulders, nodding his head, perhaps reassuring her.
She nods back momentarily, and in seconds later she jumps back into his arms, crying again. He willfully embraces her, soothingly rubbing her back.
Declan almost throws up, the man had no soul at all. Just yesterday he killed a girl, this girl. Murdered her in the street and today he was holding a press conference about her very disappearance? How could he look them in the eye like that? It was almost sociopathic.
If only her parents knew they were hugging and taking solace in the arms of her murderer. The same arms they ran to for comfort were the same ones who took their daughters life a few hours ago.
Declan's fist comes down hard on the table.
He curses under his breath.
"Declan." Bonnie says, she points to Abby again, who was now stretched half way out on the couch.
The t.v flickers again.
THIS JUST IN THE MAYOR HAS ANOTHER STATEMENT READY, LET'S TUNE IN NOW.
"We will find Helena, I promise you. She's one of us. One on D. Landings people, an innocent person and we don't give up on our people. Your children are my children and mine are yours. We have to look out for one another. So for the time being I must institute a policy. With the unusual occurrence at my home a few nights ago and the recent disappearance of Helena Baker, it is with great disappointment that I announce a curfew."
You could hear more cameras flashing and protesting and groaning voices from below.
"Please, please, I want to keep us and our children safe. Something's out there hurting our town. I'll do whatever it takes to keep D. landing safe. No one but emergency vehicles and personnel are allowed on the street. Any one who violates this curfew will take it up with local law enforcement and me, the curfew will start tonight, grab everything you need now. D.L.P.D and myself thank you for your time and cooperation. That is all."
"He can't do that, can he?" Declan asked her.
"He's the mayor Declan, it's his town we're just living in it."
"I have to go." He gets up grabbing his jacket.
"Where are you going?"
"Out, I have to figure some stuff out."
"You heard what he just said."
"I know Ms. Bennett, I'll be back before curfew. Promise."
"Hurry back before… I", her sentence abruptly ended.
"Huh?"
"Nothing just hurry back, be safe."
"I will."
His eyes shift to Abby.
Bonnie slowly follows his line of sight. "She'll be okay. I promise."
He sighs,heading out the door.
He throws his hood on, quickly making his way back to town.
He goes straight to the town's center. He needed answers to multiple questions. With any Hope maybe they were related. He couldn't, he wouldn't just sit back and wait for Alaric. He'd do it on his own.
There were a few people in the town's center but not many. He had about an hour and half until curfew started, hopefully he could get the answers he needed by then.
He approached the tower, surprised to find a red velvet rope positioned at the entrance. A tour guide named Samantha was there, who just happened to be letting her tour out.
She checked her watch casually.
"Bye, come again." She waved.
Declan approaches, greeting her with a warm smile.
"Hello there. " She Cheerfully responds.
"Hello, how much for a tour."
"Oh no dear, they're free."
"Well I'd like to tour."
She holds out her arm,halting him.
"Unfortunately we're was my last tour for today," she apologetically shrugs, "also curfew starts pretty soon."
"Please?"
"No can do. Hey Hank," she signals for a heavyset guy a few feet away, "can you escort this guy off the premises?"
"Sure can Sam." He puts his heavy hands on Declan's shoulders.
"What did I tell you about calling me Sam?"
"Right my apologies boss lady."
"Anyways, after you throw him out I need you to take a look at the memorial floor. It needs to be-"
"You have a memorial floor?"
"Yes, what's it to you?"
"My mother and father died in that fire, I've never got to see the memorial."
"Are you kidding me?" She deadpans.
"Nope."
She and the man eye each other.
She sighs, "okay fine but hurry up. You get ten minutes."
Declan nods going further up the tower going
until he sees the memorial room.
He takes a deep breath and enters, walking over to the medium sized monument in middle the room.
He runs his hands over the engraved names. Surprised not to see his parents.
Samantha opens up the door, "Five minutes butter cup."
"Okay."
He continues to look around for more clues, every corner and every wall.
He still couldn't find anything, which pretty much told him, this was a waste of time.
He leaves out of the room, beginning to travel down the spiral staircase.
He stops briefly as something glowing catches his eye.
There was a smaller room there, a streak of light peeked from within the cracked door.
When he steps in he can see the caution tape, the room was obviously under construction.
He glances around before ducking under the yellow tape and gently pulling back the clear curtains. He walks closer, fixating his eyes on the opposite side of the room, and before he knew it he was falling, the ground beneath him shifted and was suddenly gone.
"Ugh". He falls with a loud thud. It was dark and cold. As almost if he was in the forest again.
He winces when he tries to stand upright, he could feel his right ankle beginning to swell.
He slows his breathing down just enough to look up. He could see the hole that he fell through. It was too high up to climb back up to.
He could hear voices from above, barely. It sounded like Samantha and her employee.
"Who left this door open?!" She questions.
"I don't know Sam."
She sighs. "I don't know who did, but when the mayor gets his hands on them, it won't be pretty. This level is off limits until construction is completed. Let's leave it shut, maybe he won't notice on his next visit."
"What about the kid?" Hank asked.
Declan smiles, thank God for Hank. He just wanted to get out of here.
"He probably left. I told him five minutes, besides curfews getting close. Lock it up, let's go, he's not in here."
"No, No,No, I'm down here! Please help me!"
Declan begs them, until he hears the metal door slam and lock back into place, the lights shortly follow after.
"No," he says to himself once more.
He pulls out his phone, illuminating the small area around him. He can see doors on the opposite sides of the narrow hall, they each have thin slots near the bottom.
Am I in prison? He asked himself.
This was getting weirder by the second.
He can hear heavy footsteps coming from around the corner. Mens voices could be heard.
"I'm telling you I heard something, could just be nothing but we need to check."
"Matt will deal with whatever it is."
With that Declan slowly rises up, he uses the wall behind him for support, stepping his left ankle to balance. He pushes on the door to the nearest room, laying all his weight on top until it burst open and he falls flat on the floor.
He couldn't see, but he could hear.
A vicious growl rumbled in his left ear.
He flips over. "Who's there?"
All he could hear was shuffling across the dirt floor.
His shaking hands quickly grab his phone, shedding a small light on what stood before him.
It's pupils were bloodshot red, the veins beneath his eyes pulsated with with each breath.
Declan was sure of it. This was with a vampire, and was locked in a room with it.