Chapter 4

A/N: So I wont post the next chapter till I get at least two reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Alex sat down on the couch. His favourite TV show, C.S.I was on. His family all sat around him, except Ren, who had gone out to the shops for some takeaway and to get a movie. He looked around the dark room. It was raining heavily outside, so the fire was on and the curtains were closed. His brothers were spread out amongst the armchairs and the floor. His parents sat beside him on the couch, and the recliner was left empty for Ren.

Leo barked from beside Lucas. Alex's eyes briefly left the screen to check the watch . Ren had been gone for almost an hour. He glanced over to the window, concern etched on his face. Ren should have been back a half an hour ago. Jake noticed his concern. "Don't worry about her. She probably met someone and will be there talking to them for at least another ten minutes," he yawned.

Alex nodded, but took out his phone and dialled Ren's number. He grew anxious as the phone rang on and on. As he was about to hang up, She answered. "What?" Alex sighed in relief. "Your ok." She laughed at him. "Of course I am. I'm just stuck on the back roads." He grinned. "That's all I needed to know."

She laughed again before hanging up. Eamon crunched his packet of crips loudly. "You worry too much. She's Ren. Nothin' will happen to her." Alex nodded, and turned his attention back to the screen. His attention didn't flicker back to Ren until a news interruption came up in the middle of the program. Will and the twins shouted. "Aw, come on!" their father looked at his watch. "What could be so urgent at this time?" Just as he said that ,the phone rang, ironically. Their mother left to get it as the phone rang.

Alex got a bad gut feeling as the news reporter flashed up on screen. It was on the scene of a car crash. It was closed off, and Alex could see a red car's side destroyed, and a man in it wailing in slurred words that he wanted to get out. Blood was trickling from his nose.

Alex listened to the reporter tell them that one person was dead and the one in the car was seriously injured. "It is believed that the man driving the car behind me is drunk, and suddenly pulled out of the forest, in front of the silver jeep, where the jeep collided with it and went flying and crashing into those trees……….."

Alex gasped and grabbed his father's arm. "what is it Alex?" asked Lucas. "Ren-Ren was driving back along the back roads……and her jeep's silver…." Eamon laughed. "Yeah, right. Come on man, its not her……" They were interrupted by their mother coming in, as pale as a sheet. "Get in the car. Now, " she whispered.

At that moment they all realised what had happened, and ran out to the car. It seemed like the longest journey of Alex's life as he shook with tears trailing down his face in the silent car. Eamon and Adam placed a hand on either of his shoulders, and he heard his parents muttering something inaudible.

They drove to the accident and without a word ran out of the car. Alex felt tears run down his face as he saw the destroyed jeep. The rain was lashing down hard on him. A policeman walked over to them. "where is she? Is she ok?" he and is brothers all shouted at different times.

The policeman shook his head, lost for words. "We were too late. If you go talk to the paramedics-" But Alex had ran out under the barrier to the jeep. He walked to the window and gave a cry at the sight. There was his sister, eyes wide open, a large wound on her head, with blood covering her face. Under the red mask , was a deathly white. Alex saw the ghost of a smile on her face. Her head rested against the steering wheel, and the lower half of her body was crushed by the jeep.

His mother ran over to him, and wrapped her arms around him, restraining him. He heard her cry at the sight of her daughter. His brothers and father were held back. The paramedics ran over and dragged them away from the heartbreaking wreck.

Alex saw the man in the car being dragged out. Jake, who seemed to have taken it the hardest, roared at the man. "YOU KILLED HER! You, you….I'll kill you!" But he just cried harder. The only one who seemed affected the least was Will, who merely turned pale.

Alex was taken with his brothers to a small tent while the police spoke to his parents. Alex looked up inside the tent and saw the strange man he had seen in the airport staring at him sorrowfully. The man nodded to him and walked out.

Alex stood up and followed him, despite how weak and horrible he felt. "Alex.." muttered Will. "I need to go for a walk. Alone," he sobbed, running out.

The man stood at the edge of the forest, In his old fashioned clothes and his sword at his hip. Alex walked over. "Why are you here? Did you have something to do with my sister's death WHO are you?" The man lowered his head. "I had nay to do with the death of the girl. But I happened to see a man who might have had…….and I am Eragon Shadeslayer. " Alex gulped. "Alex." he muttered, not perturbed by his lack of knowledge of the man.

Eragon nodded. "What is this place?" Alex laughed harshly. "Still think your from another world? This is a place called Ireland, and its in Europe, on planet Earth." Eragon looked intrigued. Alex remembered his past words. "What did you mean about a man might have had something to do with Ren's death" He asked, having stopped crying.

Eragon hesitated. "When I awoke here, I saw a hooded man throwing that man into that………iron cart, and yelling at him to drive out when he said so. The man was drinking a lot of mead at the time, and was begging the hooded man not to hurt his family. Then I saw …." Alex studied Eragon. He was identical to his father.

"Are you sure? I know of no one who would want to kill my sister?" Eragon nodded. Alex gulped. "What else did the man say?" Eragon looked thoughtful. "He said something about a brother to the girl………" Alex froze. He or one of his brothers. "What about a name? There are six of us." Eragon shook his head. "I heard no name."

Alex looked at his feet, fearing the worst. Eragon looked around him. "This area is strange……" Alex looked up again to tell him he was crazy, but saw him fading away from where he was standing. "What-What the hell's happening to y-you?" Eragon said "barzuln. I am returning to Algaesia. Farewell, Alex no name…….." And he was gone. Alex stood there blinking when Adam came searching for him.

"Come on Alex. We're leaving." he said bitterly, leading him away.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing but the O/c's and the plot….

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