TO BE CONTINUED...
"Second floor, Rehab and Recovery, how may I help you?" "Yes, may I please speak with Audrey, thank you?" "One moment please." Music plays while Pierre waits and he becomes annoyed. His paranoia has been right the majority of the time, so he cannot help but double check. Vladimir and Gretchen also sense something is off, but they stay silent. Vladimir anxiously fills the awkwardness in the room. "I wonder where our food is, it's been over an hour?" Pierre clenches his jaw and covers the phone. "If you used all that energy for thinking, I would entrust you with more, but no, all you think about is food." He mumbles under his breath, "When I get the fireman, I will have no need for you Vladi." Pierre mimics Vlad with a dopey voice, "It's been an hour, I wonder..." "Thank you for holding, Audrey is unavailable at this time. Would you like to leave a message for her?" "No, that won't be necessary." Stephen gets a headache because his mind tries to translate this extraordinary discovery through finite rationale and reasoning. He lies on the bed thinking and thinking, and remembers something... When he was a little boy, his family was poor, so instead of taking Stephen to the zoo, circus, carnival, or amusement parks, his father would take him to a huge hotel where he worked. They would ride the glass elevator all the way to the top, but Stephen found his favorite part was the spinning door! Anyone wanting to get in had a short window of opportunity to hop inside before someone else came through and the door shut. He jumps up and looks at the pictures again. "What if the photograph inside the photograph is the same as a revolving door? What if Gloria is trapped inside waiting for someone to push the door so she has a small portal to get back here to me?! I wonder where it leads to?" Stephen never felt more alive! He feels like a child playing with his father again, and this thought makes him hopeful!
TO BE CONTINUED...
0 Comments
Luca's grandfather dips his hand in the stream. Luca marvels as the water changes into colors never seen and is suspended above his hand before he even brings it to his lips."I learned a very sacred word while watching the ancient beings in this garden. It always puts me in a state of awe. Everything about this garden awakens and enlightens the soul. It is living and breathing! They explained to me that every time we drink from the glassy stream, a barakat is commanded to come to us... A barakat is sent to us, because we live together in unity. We receive power and healing, and gain wondrous gifts; these glorious beings meditate endlessly and become trees planted by living streams that bear fruit! This is the kingdom... We are the kingdom! It has been said, this kingdom will come to earth. Everything is different here. There is peace, mercy, restoration, and men are reconciled to each other. Healing is intricately woven into every piece of this magnificient garden. That is why I told you whatever the labyrinth shows you is significant... It is the sound of a train's sirens; we can hear it before we can see it, but we know it is coming... It is near! It is approaching! All creation eagerly waits for it to be revealed!" Luca's eyes are mesmerized by this land and the wind softly whispers mysteries to him, walks with them in the cool of the day, and shows them why they were made. It is all overwhelming and surreal. Abigail hands the phone back to her sister, who pulls out a piece of paper with another phone number. When Sean pulls up to Lexington Lane, his phone begins to vibrate. Rebekah notices a gentleman in the vehicle with Isabella and Wilton."Hey this is Sean." "Hello Sean, my name is Audrey." "Sorry, I believe you have the wrong number." No, I am calling specifically for you and Rebekah." "What is it that you are calling about? How did you get this number?"
TO BE CONTINUED!!! Rebekah apprehensively jumps in the front seat, looks out the window and tears turn her eyes into diamonds. She knows Jill and Rachel wouldn't want her to stay trapped indoors because of her fear of the great, big unknown. Rebekah whispers, "I love you guys and I miss you both so much. Look at me... I'm trying... ...trying to live." Sean tosses duffle bags into the catering van and closes the sliding door. He hops into the front seat next to Rebekah and squeezes her hand tightly. She loves that he gets her. She doesn't have to explain anything; he knows when to speak and when to just be present. No words. No judgment. He looks into Bek's eyes and puts his forehead on hers. "God I pray you would direct our steps. We are clueless. We are fearful at times and need your perfect love to drive out fear. Please be with us..." He shuts the front door, raises his eyebrows and smiles. The randomness and uncertainty is bearable because they are together. Isabella braces her arm against the back of the driver's seat and listens intently to every word Abigail is saying. Wilton turns to see her face because he doesn't know how to take everything. He wonders what is true and what is a lie, but from the sobering look on Mercy's face, he knows they have opened Pandora's Box."I know there is no reason for you to trust us, let alone believe us, but listen to me very carefully. My brother Pierre gave Antonio a strong sedative, but he should be waking soon." "Why would he sedate him? What does any of this have to do with Antonio?" Abigail pauses and looks at Audrey with fear. "Your brother doesn't remember what I am about to tell you because he has been through a lot, and I don't mean the accident or the fire! He is centuries old and has the ability to shift, move things with his mind. He can become anything he has ever seen!" "What, my big brother? What are y'all trying to pull?" "I know this sounds crazy but let me finish." Isabella grabs his hand and he feels her shaking as if an earthquake was in her. "He is powerful and dangerous... He is unaware of who he is." "That's because he was in a coma Abigail!" "No Wilton, he can stop fires and create them! He can breathe fire and water can surge from his hands!" "What?" Mercy grabs Wilton's arm to stop him from interrupting them because she is more afraid of sitting in the car with Antonio over the ancient family! "Our brother Pierre recognized Antonio right away which is not good! He has always been destructive, but he was a thousand times worse when Antonio was his ally! We have always done what Pierre said and it only brought us trouble! We have been looking for a way of escape for centuries, but he would find out and it was devasting for us. We know what he is capable of! We've been afraid to cross him, but Audrey and I came up with a plan, and actually got away, for now! Please listen to what we have to say Wilton, because we do not want anyone else to be hurt again; we can no longer be a part of his plan!" "What do you want me to say? How can you expect me to believe this isn't a trap?" "We are coming to you with nothing, hoping you will be our ally! Why would we risk crossing Pierre and warning you about Antonio?! We need you to talk to him before Pierre finds him! You must tell him that Pierre set the fire at the school and then..." Abigail hesitates because she knows exposing Pierre's secret could backfire. "...Tell him that the witches in Ireland thought he burned down their homes and families! They put a curse on him, but Pierre never knew there was one little catch. They said that if he did this heinous deed he will drown in the depths of the sea, but if he did not harm innocent blood, he will come back stronger than a vehement flood. The witches said the only way he can live is to vindicate their families, so we assumed he was dead, but it meant worse; he would not remember his power or any of his past." "Well, if all of this is true, what good is it to involve him now, if he doesn't remember anyway?""Centuries ago, Audrey overheard the warlocks say that if any of the ancient family touch the center of his forehead between his brows and call his name, he will wake from his wake! Pierre wants to get to him first to lie, trick, and manipulate Antonio!" "I don't understand ..." "Your brother's real name is Ramah!" Isabella and Wilton get chills because no one should know that about Antonio, no one! "Wait, but my mother gave birth to him! How can this be?!" "The warlocks vowed that if he is innocent, he will come back as a seed, and a woman will accidentally drink this seed centuries later. Don't you ever wonder why you look different than your brother? Don't you recall being little and your father punching walls because Antonio looks nothing like him..." Wilton is silent but whirring memories blare like sirens and everything seems to make sense; ironically, every detail about his past become extremely clear via this outlandish, far-fetched truth revealed! Wilton weeps uncontrollably and Isabella kisses his tears. Abigail doesn't want to interrupt, but she says, "Wilton, I am sorry but there is one more thing... We have Annabelle! Why would we put ourselves in so much danger with Pierre if we weren't telling the truth?" Audrey snatches the phone. "Oh and we never told Pierre you are married to Isabella! We knew but didn't say a word! He wants to rip her limb from limb and destroy everything in her life because she took that journal from us!" Isabella gasps and Audrey hears her, "Isabella, I hated you for so long because our brother did everything to hurt us. He killed our families that we started and the new lives we tried to create because of that book!" Mercy didn't realize the repercussions of her actions and knew an apology would be inappropriate and meaningless after what she just heard."I am only working with you Isabella because I want to go back to the labyrinth. Pierre messed it up for us long ago, so I consider your debt his debt because he is responsible! Don't worry I won't hurt you but don't expect me to be cordial with you, understood?" Abigail takes the phone back and hopes Audrey didn't ruin everything with her harsh tongue. Isabella weeps and says, "I have no words that can fix what I have damaged, but know my alliance with you will be the way I try to repay what I've destroyed." Abigail tells Wilton that they are heading to Lexington Lane with Annabelle. Wilton agrees but panics because he wonders what Sean will say! Antonio stirs! Wilton always feared, respected his older brother, but this time he is horrified...
TO BE CONTINUED!!! Sean smiles as Rebekah kisses his face. She leans over him and wraps her arms around his neck and sighs. It feels as if she is breathing for the first time! A new name, a new start, a new life, Rebekah didn't realize this is exactly what she needs to hold her haunting past at bay. "I've always been introspective and had Jill and Rachel there to snap me out of it... I'm sorry for all the times I pushed you away. I've just been afraid of losing you too. I didn't notice you were trying to fix it and rescue me. It means so much to me. ...you mean so much to me!" Rebekah hesitates but knows she should tell Sean. "Last night, I had a dream about you..." "Really, what happened?" "All these children and people from all over the world came to look at your hands. A little boy from Mumbai asked you if you could fix him." "What?" "You knew exactly what was wrong with him and he ran off jumping and laughing." Rebekah gets choked up because the dream was so vivid and real. "It made me feel like you could fix me..." "Awe Bek!" "It was like the crowd wasn't even there. You were in a trance. Your hands looked like they were tatooed with blood or henna; they dripped but never smudged! You healed people! It was so weird... The ancient, sacred writing on your hands glowed! You became stronger every time you helped someone, and you were just as amazed as everyone else. You kept trying to convince everyone that you were an ordinary guy just like them. You kept saying they could do this too... Your strength and hope grew because you knew you didn't start or create it. This power kinda just fell into your lap." Rebekah's eyes seemed to glow when she told Sean about this dream! "Three ladies came up to you speaking different languages! One was from Israel, another was from Africa, and one was from Pakistan! They wept and kissed your hands and you could tell they were begging you for something in their native language. You stopped them from kneeling and kissing your hands and kept saying, you're just a messenger! You spoke in their languages! Their weeping was as jarring as sirens, but your healing hands also had the ability to bring peace, a quiet wind! You understood their every word! They dreamt you would come! You had a bow and a quiver full of arrows, but each child was an arrow! You bent a bow of bronze and wherever you shot the arrow, that land would flourish and be restored! There were so many people I had never seen before. Beautiful people, hungry and thirsty for something..." Sean listened amazed and didn't interrupt Rebekah, but he remembered being seven years old and staying at his grandmother's home and she fell down the stairs and twisted her neck! Sean touched her and she got up as if it never happened. All these childhood memories flood his mind as Rebekah speaks. Sean marvels because he never acknowledged that something was different about him. Wilton awakened this sleeping giant in Sean when he told him what Isabella said about him... "I knew it was a bit strange so I didn't want to startle you Sean. It was breathtaking and mesmerizing!" He kisses Rebekah, holds her face in the palm of his hands, and looks straight into her piercing eyes, "We are going to have so many adventures and stories together aren't we? Babe, that dream is inspired. You awaken me!" Sean's reassuring smile and eyes of acceptance make Rebekah melt. "Bek, I will protect you and listen to you. You have so much to share and I want you to feel like you can. You intrigue me..." Wilton pulls up and Mercy peeks out the window, but he stays in the car because the call he received is so eerie. "Wilton, I know there is no reason you should trust my sister and I, but we are trying to warn you! You will be much safer if you listen to us! Wilton is overwhelmed and more petrefied and confused than before! He wants to be angry and defensive, but all the recent unexpected situations make him question everything he knows! Everything seems uncertain. "Wilton are you still there?" "Uh, yeah..." Audrey gives Abby a look of concern, so she takes the phone. "Wilton this is Abigail. I know my sister just gave you a lot of information and news that is ridiculously unbelieveable, but this is urgent! She did not mean to threaten or alarm you. Audrey just knows what you are up against. I am about to tell you something else that I need you to brace yourself. Do you think you can handle it?" Isabella stands outside of the car confused and Wilton gestures for her to get in. He turns up the volume and puts the speaker on. "Yes, I'm just trying to process all of this!"
TO BE CONTINUED... Unearthing these captured moments makes Stephen feel alone, captive to existence. He rolls over and falls asleep on scattered photos, wishing he could disappear. In the silence, the screen door opens and someone stealthy enters the room. Moving like the soothing motion of the tide, this silhouette slowly slides each duplicate photo from underneath Stephen. He stirs a little and this stranger stays still like prey. She breathes on him and memories lull him back into a deep sleep. Quietly, she walks away, toting a mystery Stephen almost discovered too soon! She slips through the sliding screen door, turns back and blows a kiss, which fills the room with deja vu, like a cloud of perfume. To Stephen, waking is like sirens outside of the front door of his dreams, knocking, only to bring him bad news. He sits up, disoriented and irritable. He rubs his beard and looks down at the photos. Stephen shuffles through the scattered pile! He riffles through the box and again through the ones on the bed. He rubs his head in confusion, kneels down and looks under the bed. Nothing! Nothing... He sits on the floor and looks out the screen door. Stephen feels insane and knows he needs to get help, but then he sees something... Stuck in the edge of the screen door like an Autumn leaf blown by the wind, one photograph rattles between the two doors like a fly. Stephen's body aches and pops as he rushes over to get the picture. He grabs it and his eyes move back and forth over every detail. Like the missing photographs, Gloria is in this picture with one of the patients. Stephen remembers she usually would never do that! He turns it over and reads, To Tyne's Family. Stephen flips it back to the front and remembers why he was in shock and horror! A photo is on Tyne's lampstand where Gloria is bracing her hand, and if you look closely, it is the same picture Stephen is holding! The more haunting discovery is not just the photo within the photo; like a looking glass, Gloria's fingers and hand accidentally slid through the photo on Tyne's lampstand, and that is why she kept these photographs hidden!
TO BE CONTINUED... Audrey changes in the bathroom in Abigail's office as Vladimir orders food for the others. Pierre sits and reads a magazine and Gretchen rests on the couch because she's exhausted from her shift. Abigail steps into the bathroom and shuts the door. She helps Audrey finish getting ready and asks her if she remembers the "real" plan they came up with. Audrey looks in the mirror and smiles in agreement. Abigail turns the handle to find Pierre standing in the doorway. "Pierre let Abigail pass and stop acting so strange, it's annoying!" He rolls up the magazine, tucks it under his arm, and turns halfway around; "Remember we are only stronger together." "Stop being paranoid Pierre, you really need to get some rest because you are getting grumpy and delirious." Pierre does an about-face and gently helps Audrey tuck in her shirt but threatens her; "I know the plans, ideas, and schemes you tend to come up with, and they always seem to crumble because I find out about them." He leans in closer to her ear. "... I always find out about them, so I suggest you do as you are told or else..." Vladimir interrupts Pierre and asks Audrey if she would like any food as well. "No thank you my sweet brother, but thank you for thinking of me, at least one of you does." She cuts her eye at Pierre and steps out of the bathroom. Abigail winks at her as she leaves and Pierre shuts the bathroom door. He glances in the mirror and braces his hands against the wall. He despises the fact that his siblings don't respect and appreciate everything he does. His rage builds but he breathes in deeply, picks up the magazine he dropped, and goes to the foyer. He looks out the window and wonders if he still has a chance to find Antonio. He quickly gets on the elevator and heads to the second floor front desk. Audrey is listening to one of the nurse's update her on the number of patients she will have, when she sees her brother step off the elevator. Pierre is not only charming, he is very handsome. He leans over the desk and asks one of the nurses if there is any possible way he could get in touch with the firefighter who saved his brother's life, because he didn't get to thank him. She never looks up but tells him that patient has been discharged. When she sees Pierre's face, she gets nervous and quickly changes her tone. She apologizes and says she is not allowed to give out that information. Pierre tells her not to worry and asks her if she'd be free to get coffee a little later. Audrey rolls her eyes at Pierre and wishes he would go away. The nurse secretly writes her number on a piece of an envelope and discreetly slides it onto the desk. Pierre smiles and heads towards the elevator. His smile quickly changes to disgust and anger. He gets to the eighth floor and Vladimir knows that face well and stays out of Pierre's way. "Get up Gretchen!" Alarmed, she sits straight up still half asleep. "Did you sedate Antonio like I told you to?" "Yes." "Good because there is going to be a change in plan." Abigail gives Pierre a frustrated stare, but it only fuels his animosity towards she and Audrey's secretive behavior and Vladimir and Gretchen's laziness and apathy. "While Audrey is working, the four of us will search for Antonio. He is a key factor in our plan." "Since when?" "If you paid attention, you would know Abby!" Abigail storms out of her office and Vladimir quickly glances at Pierre to see what to do. "Let her go, she will get over it and come right back." None of them notice that she took her pocketbook and her keycard which locks the office. She and Audrey feel bad about not letting Gretchen and Vladimir in on their plan, but they always seem to warn Pierre and ruin everything. Abigail goes to the second floor, shows the nurse a release form and says she's there to transfer Annabelle to the fifth floor. She asks if there is a nurse available to assist her. Audrey deliberately passes by, looking at her clipboard, as if she didn't see Abigail. "Audrey, I need you to work with Abigail tonight. I will leave a note saying I reassigned you to the fifth floor." Audrey pretends to look irritated and heads to Room 211. Neither of them break a smile because they know every second is crucial! The elevator door opens and a delivery man waits for them to get off before entering, so Abigail quickly pushes Annabelle's wheelchair out of his way. They begin to rush to find their car in the garage when Audrey suddenly runs back to stop the elevator from closing! Heavily breathing she says, "Sorry sir, I forgot I ordered that." Abigail looks back puzzled and the delivery guy waits for them to figure everything out. "I thought a gentleman ordered this, no?" "Yes, my assistant." "Okay, $35.93." Abigail gestures that they have to hurry! The delivery man says, "You know what? You are some pretty ladies." Abigail quickly throws her pocketbook to Audrey. "Dat'll be 35.93. Thanks, hope to see ya 'gain. Nice doing business witcha." They rush to the car, get Annabelle in, and push the wheelchair in the trunk. "Did you get the number Audrey?" "Yes and you will be impressed because I got one other number that will come in handy!" "How did you remember the delivery guy?" "I don't know but my heart was racing when I thought of him going to the eighth floor!" "Sorry Audrey! I forgot to tell you that I have a keycard that locks the foyer at night, so they won't realize what is going on for a little bit, and it will give us some time." Audrey opens a piece of paper and dials the number. The phone begins to ring, "Hello this is Wilton..."
TO BE CONTINUED! Antonio falls asleep on the drive home because Gretchen gave him a sedative like Pierre told her to. Wilton is relieved Ramah is exhausted because he isn't ready to delve into the inexplicable with his big brother who would end up doing what he always does, take over and save the day; this is the first time Isabella and Antonio have ever needed help. Wilton feels like the hero for a change, but he is clueless where to begin and what he is actually dealing with! The only idea he can possibly think of may ruin everything, but he's willing to do anything, and fast. "Hey this is Sean, please leave me a message and I will return your call as soon as possible." *Beep* "Hey uh Sean, this is Wilton it's strange that I'm calling you and I know everything Isabella did was messed up, but please give me a call as soon as you get this. I really need your help man!" Stephen sits under Gloria's tree upset about not being able to do something that she loved, photographing patients. He decides to head inside and look at a few albums she made. He plops a box full of negatives and albums on the bed. Stephen looks through the pictures and sighs because it brings back so many memories. He stops and quickly flips back to another page. There is a strange pattern going on with the photographs Gloria took. Every third picture has an extra photo behind it, but Stephen knows that Gloria had a reason for everything she did, and his curiousity makes his heart pound. He quickly turns back to the beginning of the album and pulls out every orignal that has a double and stacks them in order. Stephen scoots the box over and vertically places each photograph in two piles, one row for originals and the other for doubles. Stephen's hands begin to shake and he turns pale. He wildly scrambles the pictures in shock and hides his face in his quivering hands, as his body trembles in horror! Sean listens to his voicemail and is frustrated at first, but is inquistive, so he calls Wilton right away. "Sean, thanks for calling me back! Look there is a lot of strange, creepy stuff going on and you were the only person I could trust right now. Is Rebekah doing alright too?" "Yeah, yeah, she's fine, just a bit upset with me, but she is working through some deep, intense, personal things. She's been through a lot ...a lot! What's going on Wilton?" "I know this is gonna sound crazy, but could you and Rebekah pack some clothes and hop in your catering van right away, and meet me at 2519 Lexington Lane. Please dude, please! It really is an emergency!" Wilton begins to spout out some outlandish things Isabella told him about Sean, and Sean is amazed! "Dude are you a psychic or a prophet. Man that's crazy! No one knows those things about me Wilton and I've dreamt of what you're telling me. Oooo, this is freaky. Yeah man, why not, stranger things have happened to Bek and I! She will be surprised she gets to see Mercy again, and that I am allowing it. We'll head over there in the next thirty minutes!" "Awe, thanks man, it means a lot Sean! Hey and uh thanks for not thinking I'm crazy." "Whatcha talkin' 'bout Wilton, I never said all that, ha!" Sean and Wilton laugh as they hang up the phone; neither of them have laughed in a while and they both endured similar situations. Sean runs upstairs to tell Rebekah the news and finds her sitting on the edge of the bed, holding the crumpled papers. "Honey, hey, look at me. I'm sorry for being an idiot and for trying to control everything. After your sisters passed away I felt horrible and guilty because I wasn't there to stop it from happening to you and that eats me up inside. I never want anything or anyone to hurt you, but I know being like this is hurting you. I want to listen to you more and just burn your face into my memory! I just want to protect you, and believe it or not, I get scared and I worry. We have so many memories together, good, bad, and ugly, but that is the beauty of it!" Rebekah smiles even though her face is red and covered in tears and fears. "See what I mean, when you smile, joke, laugh, and cry, it makes me want to be what you've always wanted..." Sean never thought this would be how he proposed, because he always waited for an opportune time, but those chances never seemed to come; everything is like the Twilight Zone in his life, so he decides to jump into the madness. "Rebekah, will you marry me?"
TO BE CONTINUED!!! The wind wildly whirls through the garden. Streams that cleanse the souls and consciences of men, leave all speechless, in awe of its intoxicating peace... Fruit that restores youth astounds the masses... Trees with leaves that heal, bear a new fruit each month; their roots deeply connect to every intricacy of the labyrinth. The path in this garden leads men into all truth. Things that normally wouldn't speak, speak in this garden. When words are spoken, they take form and become a seed, then a tree appears right before one's eyes, that is why Luca and his grandfather marveled. Many have wished this kingdom would come to earth, because it makes all things new; Isabella desperately yearned for this! The labyrinth has a radiantly shining light at its center and its brilliance can be seen throughout the entire garden, but even men who have scaled the highest mountains cannot fathom this wonder. Tyne saw all of these mysteries simultaneously when he was running towards the labyrinth, that is why he felt mad, but the rushing, powerful wind calmed and guided him. When the maze appeared to shake in the distant, it was a voice pounding, resounding from within the heart of the labyrinth. The memories and images that flashed before Tyne's soul, were coming from illuminated clouds of smoke at the peak of the labyrinth. It vaguely reminded him of his dream with Rebekah and the ambiguous cloud that relentlessly pulled him towards his destination. Luca told his grandfather about the day he looked at his reflection in the stream. His grandfather explained to him that everything about this place is different than what they once knew. "Everything about this land liberates, restores, and reconcils, so whatever it shows you is significant." Just as the outside of the labyrinth is guarded by an engraved gate with a sacred enigma, so the center of this maze is protected by creatures never seen, horrifyingly beautiful! A cloud of smoke encompasses the center of the garden and banishes anything, anyone who steps into it unprepared and uninvited, becauses it knows the motives of men! This glory, this cloud causes the sun to become as soot and the moon as blood and the stars of heaven fall, like a fig tree shaken by a mighty wind releasing its figs before its time. The heavens depart as a scroll when it is rolled together. Every mountain and island are moved out of its place! And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and every mighty man, bondman, and free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and say to the mountains and the rocks, fall on us and hide our face from him... The creatures and wonders are set outside the center of the labyrinth to seal off this sacred place, warding off intruders. Wings cover their faces and feet and with two they fly all day and night; they surround this hidden glory which has eyes like flames of fire, brighter than the noonday sun, with a voice like raging waters, thunderous! One thing is certain, everyone who hears about this kingdom without and end, unravel at the seams like tapestry.
TO BE CONTINUED! *Exerpts from the book of Revelation are included in this short story* Wilton puts Antonio in a wheelchair and tells Ramah that he is just taking him to get a breath of fresh air because he's been choked up in that room for so long. "Willie, why won't you tell me how I got in here. I don't remember a dang thing, I just have this splitting headache." Wilton speaks so quietly Ramah asks him what's wrong. The nurses at the front desk are so preoccupied with charts and switching shifts, they are too distracted to worry about the brothers. Wilton pushes Antonio onto the elevator and misses Pierre by a few seconds; Pierre pushes the button to go up and as he waits he looks around. He smirks at how disorganized everyone is because it will make it easier for this family to get around unsuspected. The elevator opens and Pierre heads to the eighth floor. Wilton steps off the elevator and Ramah hates being ignored. "Listen, if you don't answer me we're gonna fight and you know I always win. Antonio laughs but he sees that Wil doesn't find it funny. He notices Wilton is taking him to the car and begins to get concerned. "Dude, am I in trouble? Are you in trouble? What's going on Willie?" "I will tell you once we get out of here Ramah!" Pierre reaches the eighth floor and looks out the window. He is outraged because he sees Wilton frantically putting a wheelchair in his trunk! He knows he can't catch them in time, so he storms into Abigail's office. Vladimir and Gretchen give each other a quick glance of agreement. "I just looked out the window and do you want to know what I saw? Wilton! Antonio was with him! We are slipping up here when it's so easy! We have been doing this for thousands of centuries and now you want to get slothful because a few things didn't go our way! These people are imbeciles! All we needed was that darn journal but now we will have to take Annabelle to the sacred grounds instead if we want a chance to get back into the labyrinth." "Hello Pierre, it is great to see you haven't changed a bit." Audrey snickers and looks over at Abigail who is doing her best not to laugh. She knows that will just make Pierre more vex. Audrey always had a way of making the serious things light and eases the tension between siblings, but today nothing could calm Pierre. "Did any of you know?!" Vladimir and Gretchen look straight at Pierre like deer in headlights. "No, of course you didn't notice because you were too busy fiddling around with that annoying photographer!" Gretchen never glances at Vlad in fear they will get caught, but she is relieved Pierre doesn't suspect them. Audrey fearlessly turns to Pierre and says, "Why does it matter? We still have the doppelganger of that bloody Isabella and Annabelle will eventually lead us right to her; it's inevitable?" "Audrey the point is that we should have never allowed it to happen! We could have stopped Isabella years ago; Annabelle will have to suffice! We will need to take her out of here near the end of Audrey's shift in the morning. We must leave this office at a quarter past three, no later! Vladimir you stay outside and we will meet you. Damn, I wanted to hold onto that firefighter because he has qualities that are beyond natural. I watched his every move the day of the fire and he reminds me of someone we used to know..." Each of them get quiet and the room is silent because they recollect that Pierre had an ally that terrified them. "Ha, he could not only walk on fire, he could breathe it!" They let Pierre reminisce, but never dare interrupt him. Abigail looks up at Audrey and Vladimir stares at Gretcthen. Because Pierre is the eldest, he feels he is more mature than the others; the fear he created brought a chasm between he and his siblings. "Yes, Yes! Hmm, that firefighter is still alive after all that I did; there must be a correlation! It is such a pity that witch put a curse on him which made his body as heavy as an anchor. She and her brothers pushed him over that cliff in Ireland centuries ago with the mere will of their minds. I do suppose they thought he was the one burning down their homes and children, but we couldn't be exposed now could we? He vowed to me that he would never reveal our family's secret and he was a man of his word... Even in the depths of his watery grave, his vow lives on. I truly do miss him more than I've ever admitted before; Ramah was a loyal, powerful, stubborn fellow..."
TO BE CONTINUED! "I forewarned Abigail to be careful! We cannot move too hastily, otherwise people will begin to suspect us." Irritated, Pierre peers at Gretchen from behind his coffee cup."What do you suggest we do, wait around for days, months even? I think we need a..." "No Gretchen, we've done it your way before and..." "Enough! Fine, we will do it your way, always your way Pierre." Gretchen hides her frustration behind a smirk. "In the next fifteen minutes we all have to figure out a way to make it up to the eighth floor inconspicuously. We don't want anyone meddling with our plan like that fireman tried to do. Ha, everyone thought he tried to kill himself but we know what really happens to those who get in our way. He almost stopped that fire but we needed to be able to dig underneath there. It used to be our land anyway." Vladimir peeks his head around the corner to let them know Abigail is waiting for them. "Audrey's shift isn't until later, how can she be in the meeting too?" "Leave the planning to me, don't worry so much Gretchen. She is going to change into her work clothes in Abigail's office because Gail doesn't have any clients today." Pierre and Gretchen look up suddenly and are startled by a middle-aged man with a dark, reddish brown beard. "I apologize for interrupting you. You both look like you can help me; my name is Stephen and my wife was given permission to photograph patients so their loved ones could keep memories of them, but I do not know if that form applies to me, or if I need to fill out another one?" Gretchen subtly rolls her eyes, smiles and says, "Come with me. Right this way sir." She looks over at Pierre and Vladimir and Pierre taps his watch, looks away, and calmly finishes off his coffee. Vladimir anxiously plops down in the chair in front of Pierre. Their temperament is like night and day. Pierre never looks at him but sternly says, "I thought I told you! You and I are never to be seen together at the same time. We all must follow the rules so we don't ever need a Plan B!" Vladimir quickly gets up like a scolded puppy. He heads around the corner and sees Wilton step off of the elevator. Vladimir nods at him but quickly looks back as he passes. Wilton enters Antonio's room, but never forgets Isabella's warning. He wonders how he can get Ramah out of there without anyone seeing. Gretchen and Vladimir have the same concerned look; if Ramah's memory comes back too soon, he may recognize one of them, because they were in the crowd on the day of the fire. Gretchen grabs her purse and tells Stephen to leave his form on the desk and the night shift nurse will verify his information. "Hey, uh, excuse me. Well I was hoping to take some pictures today." "Sir, we have to follow protocol. I am very sorry but you will have to come back tomorrow." Gretchen constantly looks into Antonio's room and rushes past Stephen. Vladimir holds the elevator for his sister; they both sigh and agree not to tell Pierre that they saw Wilton return even though he demanded it. The elevator door closes and Stephen stands confused at the disorder and rudeness in this section of the facility. "It was different here when Gloria was alive."
TO BE CONTINUED... |
“I am the most curious of all to see what will be the next thing that I will do.”
|