Author's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but there was a lot going on and I really couldn't find the time to update (much less sleep, but I digress). I'm gunna try to keep this a/n as short as possible, but it's been a while, so…
Add me on twitter for teasers, updates, and outtakes: (sch _ 94) . If you don't have twitter, you can just keep checking my LJ ( www . sch-94 . livejournal. com) although I only post there sporadically.
To everyone who reviewed last chapter: I couldn't do this without you guys. I was gunna give up on this thing ten minutes after I posted the first chapter, but you guys convinced me to keep going. I'm so thankful to all of you, I'd send you all cookies if I could! :)
As you know, The Reckoning comes out April 6th. I WILL be continuing this story even after that (this story has nothing to do with the DP storyline) so don't get stressed if I don't update for a while after that - I'll probably be rereading The Reckoning 32950954.8 times (plus there's a bunch of stuff going on in April for me).
Also, if anyone needs a beta, I'm free - but only for stories with chapters less than 3000 words long :)
Who's seen Alice in Wonderland? Comments, opinions? I wanna hear em! :P
I'm stopping now, I swear!
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Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are watching Alice in Wonderland, and the guys behind them are a little too into the movie…
Steph: *Confused*
So that blue caterpillar that's smokin' up… is he supposed to be like, Buddha or something?
Christina: Um… I think so?
Random Guy: *Talking loud enough to be heard by the entire theatre*
WOAH MAN! Is that dragon like, real?!
*Steph and Christina laugh*
Steph: Did he actually just say that? He must be high or something!
Christina: Not really… you tend to believe that you own DP, don't you? And you don't do any of that stuff!
Steph: *Crosses arms and pouts*
You don't always have to kill the mood, you know! This is probably why the Red Queen has so many issues!
Christina: *Smiles*
Steph: *Muttering under breath*
I'm sooooo haunting you when I die.
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Ultimatum
We often don't acknowledge the ultimatums we present each other with everyday – they're a part of us, a part of the way we live – but it is often these that fail. We fall short of each other's demands, and then when we are standing alone, unhappy with ourselves and our lives, we return to these disguised ultimatums and wonder where we could have possibly went wrong.
-Anonymous
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I hugged him as tightly as I could, pressing my face into his shirt and breathing in the distinct scent of home. I pulled away and tilted my head upwards to meet his lips; I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine minutes after he'd pulled away.
I wiped the last remnants of my tears away and waited for him to say something – hoping that this time it would be that he'd changed his mind, that he'd decided to take me with him after all – even though I knew he wouldn't.
He never did.
"I know this is the worst possible time, and I know you don't want to hear it, but I need you to know, Chloe, just in case I don't come back. I need you to know that I lo-"
"NO!" I catapulted awake, pulling myself out of the dream. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from the corners of my eyes, tying my hair back when I was able to open them again. I took a minute to collect myself, as I did every time I forced myself out of the dream.
This stupid dream is gunna kill me! I thought. Damned subconscious mind can't concentrate on anything else, can it? I threw the covers off my legs and ran my fingers up and down them, trying to calm myself down. Derek had been gone for four days, but he was still haunting me in my dreams.
It wasn't a scary dream or anything – it was actually quite pleasant by my standards – but I knew if I allowed myself to think about him saying those words to me, even dream about it… I'd never be able to honour the two-week deadline I'd set for him.
"Chloe?"
My head shot up and I screamed - both fear and surprise. "Mom? Where the hell have you been?!" She was sitting in the chair across from my bed, looking anxious and worried.
"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I tried to get a message to you, but it's been so difficult… it took all of my strength just to break through," she said, her eyes squinted in concentration.
"'Break through'? Break through what, exactly? It's been almost 2 years!"
"Someone's cast some sort of shielding spell," she explained. "I couldn't get anywhere near you, Chloe… I don't have much time left, either."
"I missed you so much," I told her, sitting on the ground next to her. "So much has happened lately, and I couldn't talk to you about any of it… I felt so alone," I admitted.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I tried as hard as I could, but it's practically impossible to break through the barrier. Whoever cast this spell was amazingly powerful… you need to watch out."
Finally her words began registering in my sleep-clouded mind. "There's someone…after me, isn't there?" I whispered, scanning the room nervously.
"More than one," she said gravely. "I don't know what you know, Chloe, but there are people-"
I cut her off, remembering what she'd said about not having a lot of time left. "I already know about the Edison Group, mom. They have my friend Simon and his Dad, and Derek went to go rescue them…" I trailed off, stopping myself before I started thinking about Derek again. "What should I do, mom?"
"They're not really looking committedly now, but at the first sign of trouble, you need to get as far away from Buffalo as you can, okay?" I nodded, expecting this.
"But my friends… what about them? I can't just disappear! They'd never be able to find me again!" I said, forgetting to whisper.
"Chloe, calm down! I'll send someone – a friend of mine, she's a poltergeist – to help you. She can get a message to your friends, but you have to leave if something happens. Do. You. Understand. Me?"
"Yes."
Her tone was softer when she spoke again. "Chloe… I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."
"Fighting the spell?"
"No, sweetheart – invading your life."
What?!
She swallowed noisily before speaking again, and her voice shook with almost every word. "This isn't normal, Chloe, and it's definitely not doing you any good to be constantly badgered by the past. Not to mention how dangerous it is – everytime you try to contact me, your aura swells up like a homing beacon. That makes it easier for whatever's out there to find you, baby."
I had no idea what to say to that. I knew she was right – this wasn't normal, and from what she was telling me, it wasn't helping me remain inconspicuous… no matter how hard I tried to convince myself of this, I still couldn't get myself to see the good in any of it.
This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't-
"I think it's time we said goodbye now, sweetheart. It's for the best."
I finally found my voice. "Mom, no! You can't just leave me! Simon left, and then Derek… you're all I have left! I don't care about being normal or staying hidden or-" I watched as transparent tears began making their way down her cheek, and felt the sting of the real tears making their way down mine. She held out her hand, and I reached up to grab it, forgetting that she was a ghost. My fingers never met with anything solid, but I could swear I felt her fingers there, brushing against mine.
"I have to go, baby… it's time."
"Mom-"
"I love you."
And then she was gone. No dramatic speeches, no last requests. She was just…
Gone.
***
The waiting room was eerily silent save for the annoying ticking sound coming from the cuckoo-clock on the wall.
I fidgeted in my chair, hoping the nurse hadn't forgotten about me or assumed I was someone else's kid. I was the only person in the waiting room after all, and I'd been waiting for almost half an hour… And they say privatized healthcare cuts down on time spent in the waiting room. I glanced at the nurse again, then the clock – she hadn't acknowledged my presence in any way, and I was pretty sure she wouldn't unless I said something.
I cleared my throat loudly. "Um… excuse me, b-but I'm wa-waiting to see-"
"Dr. Davidoff will be with you in a moment," she snapped impatiently, like someone who's used to saying that sort of thing to patients a thousand times a day. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable over there…" she pointed to a chair on the other side of the room "…and read a magazine or something while you wait?"
It was one of those moments where you can picture yourself doing things you know you'd never really do - in this case, I was thinking about flipping her off and leaving. Instead, I nodded, smiled, and walked over to the chair, rolling my eyes once my back was turned. Someone put a little too much bitch in their coffee this morning…
I pulled out my Ipod – no way was I forcing myself to read Chatalaine – and clicked the app for 'classics', figuring that I might as well get through a few chapters of Jane Eyre while I was stuck in that hellhole.
A few minutes later a door opened somewhere and I heard the snarky nurse calling my name. "Chloe Saunders?" she bellowed. I didn't know why she bothered, seeing as I was the only person there…
"That's me," I confirmed, standing.
"The doctor will see you now." She turned and entered the office, leading me to the room with the couches and Dr. Davidoff's desk. "Wait here, and don't touch anything," she commanded fiercely before slamming the door behind her.
Bitch.
I tried to make myself comfortable in one of the over-stuffed leather armchairs, but it was no use; being in this room always made me feel uneasy, like the fear of every patient to ever sit in this chair was manifesting itself in my mind. Don't you dare let your guard down, my subconscious warned. You have to be ready for anything and everything.
Fifteen minutes later there was still no sign of the good doctor. What could he be doing? I wondered, looking around the tiny room. His computer's in here, so it can't be something work-related…
It was true. His laptop – a sleek new MacBook, by the looks of it – was open on the desk.
Are you mentally challeneged? You should be investigating! What if this creep wants to have you committed?!
That was all it took to convince me. I got off the armchair as quickly as possible and raced over to the desk where the laptop stood open. I shook the mouse and the greeting screen popped open, prompting me for the password. Dammit, I thought. How am I supposed to get in now? I searched the desk for clues, peeking underneath the tabletop incase he was the kind of person who taped their password there, but apparently the Fates weren't on my side that day.
All of a sudden there was a warm breeze tickling the back of my neck. I straightened up and looked around, shocked – the air had been as hot as what rushed out when I opened the oven at home!
Then, as if it'd been one of my own thoughts, I heard a voice inside my head.
And no, it wasn't the schizo kind.
The password's Jacinda. J-A-C-I-N-D-A.
I didn't scream, but my hands shook – violently – as I typed in the name. For a moment nothing happened, and I scolded myself mentally for listening to… I didn't even know what it was. A few seconds later, however, the computer welcomed "Marcel" back to his desktop, and the voice returned.
And you doubted me! Dear girl, would I ever steer you wrong?
I gulped, forcing down the bile that had risen in my throat. "W-who are y-you?" I whispered to the empty room, cursing my stutter for revealing just how nervous I really was. "Are you a g-ghost?
Whatever it was responded inside my head.
A ghost? HA! You're a funny little thing, aren't you? You know nothing about your abilities, and yet your power exceeds that of any necromancer that I've ever seen…
"So you're not a ghost?"
No, child, I'm not some lowly spirit; I'm something much darker. No ordinary ghost could communicate with you in this way.
"Then… wh-what are you?" I asked, feeling cold all of a sudden.
Most people - not to mention religious leaders – refer to me as 'the embodiment of all things evil', but you can call me… on second thought, maybe it's best you didn't know my true name yet…
It just wasn't my day.
"A d-demon?" I guessed, trying to appear more confident.
Yesssss child, she purred, dragging out the 's' like some sort of snake. She laughed, and it was sickly-sweet and horrifying all at once. A demi-demon, if you wanna get technical... Are you afraid? You are, I can tell; you shouldn't be. I'm really very peaceful, you know…
"Get out of my head!" I commanded, squeezing my eyes shut and grabbing my head. "Get out of my head, you evil son-of-a-"
"Chloe?"
I dropped my hands, opened my eyes, and came face-to-face with a wide-eyed , the demon's laughter still ringing in my ears.
***
Thirty minutes and a few thousand worried glances later, Dr. Davidoff finally got to the point.
"Chloe…" he sighed melodramatically. "The fact is, sweetheart, you need help. There's no getting away from that."
I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time that day, but somewhere in the very back of my mind I heard the demon's laughter echoing , repeating… could it really have been a demon, or…?
He's right. I'm crazy. I hear voices, for God's sakes! I need-
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. Stop it! We've been through this already, haven't we? You. Are. Not. Crazy!
Dr. Davidoff cleared his throat obnoxiously. "Chloe, sweetie… you're not well, and I feel it's best that you continue your treatments…"
Excuse me? If anyone's not well, it's you, bucko.
His cellphone started to ring – one of those annoyingly techno-fied versions of 'Ode to Joy' – and he glanced down at the screen anxiously. "I need to take this, Chloe. Please excuse me…" He got up, strode over to the door but paused before opening it. "Maybe while I'm gone, you'll think this over, yes?"
He opened the door, stepped out, and let it swing shut behind him.
What a creep!
I dug my nails into the faux-leather armrest of the chair, trying to get rid of the unsteady feeling in the pit of my stomach. Remember Derek, I chanted mentally. I'm doing this for Derek.
And I was. It had been almost two weeks already - twelve days to be exact – since Derek had gone after Simon and his dad. He hadn't called once, but I tried not to overthink that. He could be busy, or in hiding, or…
Dead?
Stop that!
Either way, I knew I'd be going after him soon… or at least sending someone to check on him.
The door opened again, and Dr. Davidoff walked in, smiling like a kid in a candy store.
"We're almost out of time here Chloe, but I'd like to discuss a few things with you before you go, if you don't mind." He paused to smile at me, and something about it sent shivers down my spine – it felt wrong somehow… "As your doctor," he continued, "I'd highly recommend you continue with your treatments…"
I nodded slowly, not really paying much attention to what he was saying.
"…but then again, now that we have Kit, Simon, and Derek back, there really isn't any point to this charade anymore, is there?"
I swear my blood froze in my veins.
He smiled again, a horrible, evil grin that made my skin crawl and forced bile into my mouth. I could hear the sound of my heart pounding in my ears… This can't be happening! There's no way-
"Yes, Chloe, we knew all about your little friends. We've been keeping an eye on you, on all of you, actually – we couldn't let our greatest successes escape, you see…"
We? How long have 'they' been watching me? And who are these 'great successes' he's talking about?!
Then it hit me.
The Edison Group.
"What have you and your delusional group done to them?" I bellowed, standing up.
He chuckled. "Us? Nothing yet, I can assure you," he said, feigning innocence. "You know, you shouldn't be so quick to judge, little Chloe. We know all about your relationships with both boys, and from what I've been told, you're the one who lead them on - turned them against each other… in fact, I should be thanking you! You practically hand-delivered them back to us!"
The truth in his words hit me like a slap in the face. He's right. I'm responsible for this – all of it. It's all my fault. Derek and Simon could be dead by now, and it's all be my-
"Come to think of it, we could use someone like you, Chloe – someone with your potential. I have big plans for you, and I think-"
"Never," I spat, saturating my tone with all the hatred I felt towards him.
"Oh now, don't be so rash! Wouldn't you like the chance to see your friends again? Apologize, maybe? That's the only way you'll ever see them again, Chloe – you'll all be reunited again! Otherwise, we're going to make them-" he made some sort of irratic gesture with his hands – something commonly referred to as 'spirit fingers', "-disappear!"
If that had been in one of my scripts, I'd have had the protagonist utter a sarcastic remark – something along the lines of "dude, that was lame," but this was real life, and no matter how lame his attempts to scare me were, they were still working.
Think, Chloe. What would Derek do?
"I… okay," I whispered. If accepting his offer was going to get me into his good graces, (and possibly in to see Derek and Simon) I was going to accept.
"Splendid! Now you can go home!" He leaned in close to my ear and continued in a whisper, "Just don't get too comfortable, alright? We'll be back to pick you up tonight… it's less suspicious that way, you see… you being 'troubled' and such."
He raised his voice a few octaves. "Poor little Chloe, out of her mind and alone, wandering through the forest… where could she be?!" He laughed maniacally, and I swear I expected lightning and thunder to start going off behind him.
What an asshole!
I turned to leave, done with his little 'show'.
"We'll see you later, Chloe!" he called. "You're making the right choice, sweetheart. Your parents would be proud!"
I froze, my hand resting in the door knob.
Behind all the cheesy endearments, I knew what he was telling me.
***
I took a taxi home.
I kept looking over my shoulder as I scrambled to unlock the front door, but I couldn't see anyone sneaking around in the bushes, no matter how hard I looked.
Once inside, I made sure to shut all the blinds and lock all the windows and doors. There was no way in hell anyone was getting inside without breaking down the door.
I took off, grabbing things from every room: first-aid kit, clothes, water bottles, money, food, journal… I made a mental checklist in my head while I went. Grab necessary supplies, remember to leave through front door instead of back… I was leaving, deadline be damned. There was no way I was going to wait around and let them take me!
Ten minutes later I was ready to go, but there was something I still needed to do. I ripped a blank page out of my journal and scribbled a quick goodbye to Lauren and Andrew, telling them that I couldn't pretend for them anymore, that I was sorry for everything I'd put them through, and that no matter what, I'd always love them. I placed the note on the table when I was done, wiping away the tears that had collected in my eyes while I'd been writing.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and looked back on the house I'd been living in for the past six years. Somewhere deep down, I knew I wouldn't be coming back.
I turned off all of the lights and unlocked the door, stalling at the door by turning the knob as slowly as I could.
This is it…
I flung the door open-
And was greeted with the sight of Dr. Davidoff standing on the doormat, surrounded by a few armed guards.
"Trying to escape, Chloe? Did you really think it would be that easy? Didn't I tell you we were always watching?" I backed up into the house as he spoke, trying to escape, but it was no use – someone grabbed me from behind. I felt something sting my neck, and then there was ice in my veins, spreading throughout my body…
"Goodnight, little Chloe. I really wish it didn't have to be this way…"
The whole world had faded to nothing before he even finished speaking.
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A/N: There it is! Hope you enjoyed it… and for the love of all things Derek, REVIEW!!!
I'll leave you with a true story that'll probably creep you out: A few years ago, a kid from my city was diagnosed with schizophrenia and sent to a 'Group Home' a few hours away. Then, after 2 weeks at the home, the kid came back to visit his parents. Apparently, he suffered from a psychotic break while home with his father and ended up stabbing his dad 117 times.
When my teacher told me about this (she's also a psychologist) I seriously got chills.
Comments? Questions? Leave 'em with your reviews, and I'll be sure to answer 'em! (Honestly, I will! I reply to every review I receive.)
And, um… just in case you forgot:
REVIEWWW!!!