Chapter Two

Chapter Two

            The next day, I woke up two hours early for school. Abby had stayed the night after we finally finished talking about my flashbacks. She took it so well and even tried to put herself in my shoes and understand exactly what I have been going through.

            “It is almost like I am in a dream, but I have no control over what happens. It is like I am an audience inside my own head. That is why they feel like memories.” I sat in the window seat watching as the sun began to set.

            “Have you spoke to a professional about all of this?” Abby said as she stuffed her mouth full of candy my mom had brought up for us.

            “Yea, but she thought I was just having reoccurring nightmares from stress.” I laughed vaguely and stood to face Abby.

            “Hey it is getting really late. Do you just want to stay here tonight?” Abby looked up at me and smiled.

            “That would be great!” She had the brightest smile and she had a way of really making someone feel safe.

            I did not wake up early because of any nightmares. I actually did not have any nightmares with Abby here. I wondered if having someone sleep in the room with me had anything to do with keeping the nightmares at bay.

            Of course, the memories do not strike me only when I am asleep. They take over my mind even when I am wide awake. Just like what happened at school. Who was the boy? The memory from yesterday was not the only memory I had of him. Who was he?

                                    *                                 *   *

                     Abby                              

            Carter was starting to remember her past lives before I ever found her. Maybe this is a sign that this is the last life she will live. She is still the same person she was in her previous life, but there is something different about her aura. It seems brighter.

            I sat up to find Carter’s bed empty. She was sitting in the window seat on the other side of her room. She was still the same person I had watched die over and over again, throughout the course of two hundred years. She was still my best friend and the girl I spent my life protecting.

Roland said we could never tell her who she really is. She had to discover it for herself. If we told her of her past lives, it would surely traumatize her. It would be too overwhelming to have every memory she has had over the past two hundred years come rushing back all at once.

“Did you sleep okay?” Carter turned to me and I saw the huge bags under her eyes. Did she sleep at all?

“Yeah. I just woke up a little while ago.”  She used her smile to try to cover the pain and lack of sleep she was suffering from. Living your life afraid of random flashbacks that took over your entire being, and not knowing what they are, is mortifying.

“You want to stop by the coffee shop and grab some donuts on the way to school?” I stood and walked over to sit in the window seat beside her.

“I am actually not going to school today.” Carter looked away from me and drew her arms closer to fold around her body. She looked frightened and exhausted.

“Carter? Are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?” I reached out to put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her but she swatted my hand away from her.

“What is that mark on your hand from?” I looked at her eyes and felt sad for her as tears built up and her face started to scrunch together. “And don’t lie. In one of the memories I had a couple of months ago, I saw that mark on someone’s hand. I didn’t see their face, but I know that mark is exactly the same.” She paced across the room and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

“It is a symbol of my family.” I stood and met her confused gaze.

“Your family? I am not stupid Abby. You know something about what has been happening to me. Tell me what is going on. I deserve to know.” Carter stared at the floor and began to cry. “I am tired of not understanding. You have no idea what it’s like.” I walked over to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.

This was always the hard part about finding Carter before any of the other Protectors. Everything she has gone through in this life has been confusing and there have been no answers for her. Now, here I am and I can’t give her any of the answers she seeks. I can only be here for her. Be the friend she needs. I think I do a better job than Liam and Mason. Those two are always in a constant battle over her.

*                           *                        *                         *

 

Mason

 

I looked out over the pier and stared into the wide open sky. The sunset was reflected in the blue ocean water, and the waves began to die as the darkness began to swallow the light. It was my favorite time of day. Both the Sun and the Moon dwelled in the sky. Such beauty resided in opposites being capable of peace. Why is it that opposites attract, yet when they come in contact all that results is destruction?

If only life could be more simple. There are those who believe that God put us here, but for what? There are also those who believe, that spirituality resides in us. We are all pieces of the world and we are the ones who decide what happens. How do you choose what to believe? I suppose you could just believe whatever beliefs your parents bestow on you. However, what if you’re an orphan in this world? What fi you were created, not born?

“Hello?” A voice from behind brought me back from my cloud of thoughts. I turned around to find a girl standing at the other end of the pier.

“Yes?” My voice was rough from the long period of silence. I had not spoken to another being in over a month.

“Have you seen a gray purse lying around here anywhere? My friends and I were here earlier today and I think I might have left it here.” She nervously rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself up.

“No. I’m sorry.” She smiled politely and walked away. She seemed nervous.

I turned back to the water to find a figure standing in front of me. He stood at six feet and three inches, his hands were deep in his pockets, and his eyes glowed red. I sighed heavily before breaking the silence. “What do you want?”

“Still as rude as ever, Mason. I must say, you will never be able to get over that little tiff we had in Paris those so many years ago. Will you?” His bright smile shown in the darkness as he took a step toward me.

“You tried to burn me alive. Forgive me if I don’t find that easily forgettable.” I turned and walked away from him. I had to get away before he started playing with my emotions.

“They found Carter.” Too late. “She is in America.” I turned back to him and put only inches between us.

“This is no time to play with my head you vermin. Where is she exactly? Does she remember? Who found her?” He took a couple steps back and smiled.

“She is in America. In Crescent City, Florida. I do not believe she remembers anything yet. It was Abby that found her.” He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and offered it to me.

I stared at the paper momentarily, and then swiped it from his hands. As I unfolded the page, I realized it was a printed out picture, a picture of Carter with her family from Florida, in front of their home. Tears built up in my eyes as I stared at how beautiful she still was. No matter how many times she left me. She always came back more gorgeous than before.

Her dark hair cascaded down her body and her deep blue eyes still reminded me of the ocean underneath, with so many secrets swimming around inside. She was five feet and 8 inches tall of perfection.

            When I looked up from the photo, Marcus was gone. He always did this when Carter was found. He used her reincarnation to toy with my mind. His powers had poisoned his mind. Ever since the incident in France, he had changed for the worst. He never did anything for the good of someone else. Everything he did was to benefit him.

*                       *                    *                       *

Carter

            Abby had told me she couldn’t give me answers because I had to figure it out on my own. None of it made any sense to me. All of the flashbacks and the intense memories taking over my mind never made one ounce of sense. I had never believed in reincarnation before, but now it seemed to be the only likely answer to all of this. What about the memory of the boy? Who was he? Was he a past boyfriend? Surely not. He killed me!

            I walked to my locker and searched for my English book. It had been two weeks since my talk with Abby and she had not come back to school since then. I asked the secretary if I needed to take Abby her homework and she said there was no girl by the name of Abby that attended Crescent City High.

            My mind whirled as I tried to comprehend what was happening to me. The flashbacks had stopped for now, but now Abby suddenly did not exist? Everything was becoming overwhelming. I did not know how much longer I could take it.

            I closed my locker and started down the hall, but as I passed the front office I noticed a boy talking to the secretary. I had never seen him before but for some reason I felt like I knew him. I stood outside the office staring at the back of his head and as he turned around I gasped and dropped my books on the floor.

            “Hey. Are you okay?” I stared at him in shock as he knelt down to pick up my stack of books from the floor.

            “Umm. Yeah. I am just a klutz. Thank you for picking those up.” He handed my books to me and our hands touched briefly.

            “It’s no problem. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but notice your name is Carter?” He pointed at the scribble on the front of my notebook.

            “Yeah. And your name?” He smiled and did a slight bow.

            “I’m Mason.” At that moment, everything around me stopped. My stomach began to turn and the walls begin to melt. Another flashback was coming.

 

            I was sitting on the edge of a large beautiful fountain. The statue in the middle of the fountain was a woman. The statue portrayed her as strong, graceful and powerful. Her name was unknown to me, but somehow I felt close to her.

            “Here you are.” Startled, I turned to find Mason jogging towards me.

            “I needed a quiet place to think.” My palms were sweaty, and there was a slight cute on my wrist.

“You don’t have to do this Carter. We can run away and you will never have to deal with any of this ever again. I can keep you safe.” He took my hands within his and held them tight. His eyes were full of honesty and love. He loved me. I never doubted that, but no matter how powerful his love was for me, I could never escape the tragic ending of my life.

“Yes Mason. I do have to do this. To keep everyone safe, I have to die tomorrow. One day, I will live to be older than eighteen and we can run away together, but not until whatever evil we were brought here to kill is gone.” He gently touched my cheek with his hand and kissed my lips softly.

“I love you Carter.” I felt the warmth of tears welling up in my eyes.

“I love you too Mason. Can you make me a promise?” The tears were running down my cheeks now.

“Yes, anything.” I ran my hands through his hair and touched all of the defining features of his face; the color, the structure and his eyes. his gorgeous deep blue eyes always caught me off guard.

“No matter where I am or … who I am. You have to be the one to do it.” The tears were flowing so fast that Mason’s face began to blur.

“Do what Carter?” His eyed searched my face for an answer, but he knew exactly what I meant.

“You have to be the one to kill me. Please. No one else.” I couldn’t look at him anymore. Everything was blurry. A rapid dizziness began to overcome my overall being.

 

“Carter?” I opened my eyes to find Mason staring down at me. There were people gathered around me as I lay on the floor in the middle of the hallway. My eyes were wet, just as they had been in the flashback. I sat up and looked Mason in the eyes. Those deep blue eyes.

“We need to talk, Mason.”

Author's Note

Please leave comments! I want honest opinions! :)

Reviews

[Silent Wolf]

Wow. This is coming a little fast, but I like it. :3

[funflirting]

Okay, so I might have been wrong about Abby. Now I don't like Marcus. lol Love how the story is unfolding now. I'm intrigued as to why she has to keep dying and the big ancient book in the prologue.

[ChikHaley64]

I am so glad that your enjoying it! Comments like this truly make my day! :D

[Dan Hiland]

I need to go back and read the preceding chapter. Then I'll read this one and give you my opinion. What I have seen so far, though, looks good.

[Calibaster]

This is great! Thanks for sending the request! ;) I love the name Carter!!!! (mostly because of Hogan's Heroes) But I'm used to it on a guy. ;) :)

I do love it! great Imagery, and character development! :) Can't wait to read more!

[SquinklaPsyOps]

Magnificently crafted and brilliantly rendered with significant figurative language.

[Zachary_James]

This is perfection I love it...