OMG! UPDATE!
Sorry I haven't updated! I've been so busy. I start school next Thursday. But I have Chapter 5 ready and I'm going to post it!
Lea walked down stairs the next morning, obviously tired. After Pagan and her father went back to bed she refused to go back to sleep. She sat in her room, with the light on listening to the storm as it raged on. After the lightening and thunder stopped, she laid in her bed listening to the rain tapping hard on her window.
Everyone was seated at the large dinner table, eating breakfast when Lea entered the kitchen.
“Lea,” her father stated, “Come eat some breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry,” she replied. She was standing at the fridge and took at a Sobe life water and walked outside. She walked into the woods and disappeared behind the trees. She wandered through the woods until she reached a clearing surrounded by trees.
She walked to the middle and sat down in the grass. Her eyes turned emerald and she listened closely. From where she was she could hear Caleb and the others coming through the woods to find her. She stood up and started running in the opposite direction of them, towards a large stream that led to a hidden spring in the woods. She ran all the way and when she reached the spring she jumped in. The coolness of the water on her skin calmed her and she felt extremely relieved by it. When she broke the surface she breathed the cool autumn air, filling her lungs. She heard someone laugh and look up to see the others looking down at her and smiling. She went back under the water swimming to the embankment and got out.
“You okay?” Caleb asked, as she stood beside him.
“Yeah,” she smiled, “I’m fine. Better than last night for sure.”
“Didn’t you hear us calling,” Tyler asked, playing with the hem of his jacket.
“No,” she lied, looking at Pagan and Taylor, “I have very bad hearing.”
Pogue looked at her then shrugged, “Well you dad told us they would be coming back with us.”
“That’s the plan now,” she replied accepting Riann’s jacket.
Lea looked back at the spring. In the bottom she could see a the fish swimming around where she had been. She looked at the others and smiled, “Last one back, is the rotten egg.”
She took of sprinting and was a good fifty or sixty feet ahead of them before they even started to run.
Lea made it the clearing and stopped as she felt a cold air rush around her. She dropped to her knees as a chilling voices rang through her ears.
“You’ll die like you mother. Unable to protect what she was sent to protect,” it laughed as Lea was on her knees.
“I won’t!” she yelled as the voice kept laughing.
“We’ll kill you and all your precious friends,” it said before subsiding and leaving her alone. She let the rest of her body hit the ground, heaving up and down with sobs and gasps of pain, before her eyes flashed amber and she disappeared.
Pagan reached the clearing before the others and just as Lea disappeared. She stopped and waited on the others.
“Where’s Lea?” Reid asked, slowing down and putting his hands above his head.
“I don’t know,” she replied, before giving Taylor and Riann a look.
“We should go though. Just in case she’s already back.”
They all agreed and started back.
‘Pagan’
Pagan looked at Taylor and Riann but both of them were in conversation with Tyler and Reid.
‘Pagan, it’s me Criss’
‘Oh hey. How are you. Wait, where are you?’
“Home at the manor. Listen, something’s wrong with Lea. I felt it and came here.’
“I know, I saw her disappear.’
“Yeah, she showed up here, in her room. Uncle Leo’s here. But Pagan, she’s not waking up. Something’s wrong, bad wrong. I can feel it. Look when you get let know one come upstairs. I’ll come down and meet you. Uncle Leo and dad are trying to wake her up.’
‘Okay, Criss’
They made their way back to the manor and inside to the kitchen. They found Mr. Danforth heating water at the stove.
“What’s that for?” Riann asked.
“Lea,” he replied, “She came in with a headache.”
“No doubt from the running,” Pogue said, matter-o-factly.
Mr. Danforth nodded and placed the water in a pitcher, “Pagan, take this upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute.
Pagan took the pitcher and walked up the stairs to Lea’s room. She knocked on the door which was answered by Criss.
“Hi,” he said quietly, “Come in.”
Pagan walked in past Criss and poured the pitcher of water in the old washing bowl that was beside Leo. Leo was placing warm wash cloths on Lea’s forehead. Pagan sat down on the other side of Lea and took her hand. When she did Lea shot up gasping for air.
“Easy,” Leo said,” trying to ease her back down on her bed, “Lea, it’s okay.”
“Lea it’s us,” Pagan said, “Your friends.”
When Lea had calmed down a bit she noticed Criss. She looked at him and smiled, “Nice to see you little brother.”
Criss laughed, “ Nice to see you too. Hey, Pagan and I’ll will leave and you can explain what happened to Uncle Leo.
Lea nodded as Pagan got up and went with Criss to the door.
“So what happened,” Leo asked Lea.
“I was running back from the spring with the others and I was a good sixty feet ahead of them. When I came to the clearing, my head started to hurt and it was like they were there. Invading my mind. They said we’d all die, like mom.”
“They are obviously trying to see if you can hold you defenses. Lea, the time is coming to tell them. Don’t wait to much longer or it’ll be far worse.”
Lea nodded her head.
“Now you get dressed and go down stairs with the others.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pagan and Criss walked into the living room, receiving odd looks from everyone.
“Criss!” Taylor explained, “ Jumping out of her chair and into a hug with Criss, “Why aren’t you back in England.”
“Break, Tay,” he replied laughing, “Ri, god you look the same. What have you been doing? And who are these people?”
“Our friends,” Taylor replied, sitting down beside Tyler and taking his hand, “This is Tyler Sims.”
“Reid, Garwin,” Riann added.
“Pogue Parry,” Pagan finished, “And Caleb Danvers.”
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Criss. I’m Lea‘s alter ego. Which we don’t look anything alike,” Criss said, acting like he was thinking, “But if you think about it, she did chew me out for showing Riley that thing.”
“He’s her twin,” Pagan said, looking at the confused boys’, “He got a scholarship to a kick-ass boarding school in the U.K.’
“Yeah,” he said, “But I’m moving back here.”
“Why?” Caleb asked.
“That school won’t get me into Yale.”
“Following your dad?”
“How’d you?”
“Lea told me,” Caleb explained.
Criss shook his head, “Oh so you’re the dude who’s ass I’ve gotta kick. Nice. Should be a nice fight. What’d you think Ri?”
“It’d be a fair match,” Riann laughed as she watched the shock on Caleb’s face.
(Criss was about Caleb’s height with dark brown hair, that was almost a shade of black, that was shoulder length. They could all tell he worked out, like Lea, because his abs were visible through his shirt. He had nice brown eyes, which he always amped up with onyx eyeliner. He wore a pentagram necklace and a thumb ring. The sight of him would make any boy dating Lea, be careful with her.)
“No, man,” Criss laughed, “I’m just messing with you. Don’t worry. I’m not a threat unless my sister gets hurt. Then you need to worry.”
“Good then,” Caleb laughed, “I don’t think I could hurt her if I wanted too. She kicked the school’s biggest prick in the balls. Her first day. I have to say I’m impressed.”
Criss laughed, “Yeah that’s my big sister for you. Always sticking up for herself. She’s always had a knack for being a leader.”
“Yeah,” she’s the oldest out of us and kick’s butt at soccer,” Taylor said, smiling at Tyler.
Leo came down into the sitting room and smiled, “Nice to see the Sons of Ipswich and Daughters of Salem together. Makes a nice picture.”
“Hey,” Criss said, “Un…, Leo, I’m a guy. So actually it’s the Daughters and Son of Salem.”
“No,” Leo objected, “It’s the Daughters of Salem and always will be.”
“Daughters of Salem,” Caleb questioned., looking at the girls.
“We’re the descendents of five families that originally settled Salem,” Lea said standing in the door way.
“Feeling better are we now?” Caleb asked.
“Much,” she replied walking over and setting down beside him. She kissed his cheek and looked at Criss.
“What happened to England?” she asked.
“Won’t get me into Yale. That’s were I want to go,” Criss replied.
“Okay, did you get my email?” she asked him, taking Caleb’s hand.
“Yeah,” he replied, “And I’ve already told Caleb if he hurts you, I’m kicking his ass.”
She looked at Criss and then Caleb.
“Don’t worry,” Caleb reassured her, “I told him how you kicked Aaron in the balls.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” Lea said, “Oh and Caleb.”
“Yes?” he asked.
“Criss is the swimmer in the family.”
Everyone looked at Criss. “What?” he asked throwing his hands up in the air.
“The boys and I are on Spencer’s swim team,” Pogue said.
“Cool,” Criss replied excitedly.
“Hey Criss,’ Taylor said, “You’re freestyle right?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“And so are you Caleb, right?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Girls,” Taylor smiled, “I smell a race.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reid was stationed at one end of the pool, as Tyler, Pouge and the girls were and the other. Caleb and Criss were on the starting platforms waiting for Tyler to say go. When he did they dived into the pool and took off. On the other end of the pool Reid was watching to see who pushed off first. When the bots reached the other side, Reid couldn’t tell. When they made it back to the starting side, no one said anything. Tyler and Pogue looked at each other as Lea and Pagan gave the boys a towel each to dry off with.
“So who won?” Caleb asked, drying his face while Lea was by his side.
Tyler looked at Pogue and then at Reid who had just joined them. He looked at Criss who was talking with Riann while he was drying his hair.
“Caleb,” Tyler started, “You guys tied. He’s good.”
“Yeah,” Reid added, “You guys pushed off the same time too.”
Caleb looked at Criss who was now with the group. Criss gave him a smile and said, “Dude, your good, I usually smoke my opponents.”
“Yeah, I usually beat everyone I swim against.”
“Well, it looks like you two have met you match.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the house, Lea was with Caleb in his room. She was sitting on his bed while he was in the bathroom putting moose in his hair.
“My dad informed me that the others would be going back with us.”
“Okay,” Caleb replied. He looked in the mirror one last time before sitting down on the bed in front of her. He looked at her as she was looking out the window.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, catching her chin to shift her gaze to him.
She sighed, “ Nothing.”
“You seem kind of off,” he replied not satisfied with her answer.
“It’s nothing,” she said, “This year has just gotten crazy. First Audrey and Chase, then you, and now Criss.”
“Who are Audrey and Chase?” he asked, looking her in the eye.
“Friends,” she said, trying hard not to grind her teeth at the thought of those two being her friends, “ From school. They were in an accident.”
“Well are they okay?” Caleb asked.
“No, they, umm, they passed.”
Caleb took her hand, “Well, everything works out in the end right. Everyone has their happy ending.”
She smiled and kissed him on his cheek, “We need to get ready to leave tomorrow.”
Lea walked down stairs the next morning, obviously tired. After Pagan and her father went back to bed she refused to go back to sleep. She sat in her room, with the light on listening to the storm as it raged on. After the lightening and thunder stopped, she laid in her bed listening to the rain tapping hard on her window.
Everyone was seated at the large dinner table, eating breakfast when Lea entered the kitchen.
“Lea,” her father stated, “Come eat some breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry,” she replied. She was standing at the fridge and took at a Sobe life water and walked outside. She walked into the woods and disappeared behind the trees. She wandered through the woods until she reached a clearing surrounded by trees.
She walked to the middle and sat down in the grass. Her eyes turned emerald and she listened closely. From where she was she could hear Caleb and the others coming through the woods to find her. She stood up and started running in the opposite direction of them, towards a large stream that led to a hidden spring in the woods. She ran all the way and when she reached the spring she jumped in. The coolness of the water on her skin calmed her and she felt extremely relieved by it. When she broke the surface she breathed the cool autumn air, filling her lungs. She heard someone laugh and look up to see the others looking down at her and smiling. She went back under the water swimming to the embankment and got out.
“You okay?” Caleb asked, as she stood beside him.
“Yeah,” she smiled, “I’m fine. Better than last night for sure.”
“Didn’t you hear us calling,” Tyler asked, playing with the hem of his jacket.
“No,” she lied, looking at Pagan and Taylor, “I have very bad hearing.”
Pogue looked at her then shrugged, “Well you dad told us they would be coming back with us.”
“That’s the plan now,” she replied accepting Riann’s jacket.
Lea looked back at the spring. In the bottom she could see a the fish swimming around where she had been. She looked at the others and smiled, “Last one back, is the rotten egg.”
She took of sprinting and was a good fifty or sixty feet ahead of them before they even started to run.
Lea made it the clearing and stopped as she felt a cold air rush around her. She dropped to her knees as a chilling voices rang through her ears.
“You’ll die like you mother. Unable to protect what she was sent to protect,” it laughed as Lea was on her knees.
“I won’t!” she yelled as the voice kept laughing.
“We’ll kill you and all your precious friends,” it said before subsiding and leaving her alone. She let the rest of her body hit the ground, heaving up and down with sobs and gasps of pain, before her eyes flashed amber and she disappeared.
Pagan reached the clearing before the others and just as Lea disappeared. She stopped and waited on the others.
“Where’s Lea?” Reid asked, slowing down and putting his hands above his head.
“I don’t know,” she replied, before giving Taylor and Riann a look.
“We should go though. Just in case she’s already back.”
They all agreed and started back.
‘Pagan’
Pagan looked at Taylor and Riann but both of them were in conversation with Tyler and Reid.
‘Pagan, it’s me Criss’
‘Oh hey. How are you. Wait, where are you?’
“Home at the manor. Listen, something’s wrong with Lea. I felt it and came here.’
“I know, I saw her disappear.’
“Yeah, she showed up here, in her room. Uncle Leo’s here. But Pagan, she’s not waking up. Something’s wrong, bad wrong. I can feel it. Look when you get let know one come upstairs. I’ll come down and meet you. Uncle Leo and dad are trying to wake her up.’
‘Okay, Criss’
They made their way back to the manor and inside to the kitchen. They found Mr. Danforth heating water at the stove.
“What’s that for?” Riann asked.
“Lea,” he replied, “She came in with a headache.”
“No doubt from the running,” Pogue said, matter-o-factly.
Mr. Danforth nodded and placed the water in a pitcher, “Pagan, take this upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute.
Pagan took the pitcher and walked up the stairs to Lea’s room. She knocked on the door which was answered by Criss.
“Hi,” he said quietly, “Come in.”
Pagan walked in past Criss and poured the pitcher of water in the old washing bowl that was beside Leo. Leo was placing warm wash cloths on Lea’s forehead. Pagan sat down on the other side of Lea and took her hand. When she did Lea shot up gasping for air.
“Easy,” Leo said,” trying to ease her back down on her bed, “Lea, it’s okay.”
“Lea it’s us,” Pagan said, “Your friends.”
When Lea had calmed down a bit she noticed Criss. She looked at him and smiled, “Nice to see you little brother.”
Criss laughed, “ Nice to see you too. Hey, Pagan and I’ll will leave and you can explain what happened to Uncle Leo.
Lea nodded as Pagan got up and went with Criss to the door.
“So what happened,” Leo asked Lea.
“I was running back from the spring with the others and I was a good sixty feet ahead of them. When I came to the clearing, my head started to hurt and it was like they were there. Invading my mind. They said we’d all die, like mom.”
“They are obviously trying to see if you can hold you defenses. Lea, the time is coming to tell them. Don’t wait to much longer or it’ll be far worse.”
Lea nodded her head.
“Now you get dressed and go down stairs with the others.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pagan and Criss walked into the living room, receiving odd looks from everyone.
“Criss!” Taylor explained, “ Jumping out of her chair and into a hug with Criss, “Why aren’t you back in England.”
“Break, Tay,” he replied laughing, “Ri, god you look the same. What have you been doing? And who are these people?”
“Our friends,” Taylor replied, sitting down beside Tyler and taking his hand, “This is Tyler Sims.”
“Reid, Garwin,” Riann added.
“Pogue Parry,” Pagan finished, “And Caleb Danvers.”
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Criss. I’m Lea‘s alter ego. Which we don’t look anything alike,” Criss said, acting like he was thinking, “But if you think about it, she did chew me out for showing Riley that thing.”
“He’s her twin,” Pagan said, looking at the confused boys’, “He got a scholarship to a kick-ass boarding school in the U.K.’
“Yeah,” he said, “But I’m moving back here.”
“Why?” Caleb asked.
“That school won’t get me into Yale.”
“Following your dad?”
“How’d you?”
“Lea told me,” Caleb explained.
Criss shook his head, “Oh so you’re the dude who’s ass I’ve gotta kick. Nice. Should be a nice fight. What’d you think Ri?”
“It’d be a fair match,” Riann laughed as she watched the shock on Caleb’s face.
(Criss was about Caleb’s height with dark brown hair, that was almost a shade of black, that was shoulder length. They could all tell he worked out, like Lea, because his abs were visible through his shirt. He had nice brown eyes, which he always amped up with onyx eyeliner. He wore a pentagram necklace and a thumb ring. The sight of him would make any boy dating Lea, be careful with her.)
“No, man,” Criss laughed, “I’m just messing with you. Don’t worry. I’m not a threat unless my sister gets hurt. Then you need to worry.”
“Good then,” Caleb laughed, “I don’t think I could hurt her if I wanted too. She kicked the school’s biggest prick in the balls. Her first day. I have to say I’m impressed.”
Criss laughed, “Yeah that’s my big sister for you. Always sticking up for herself. She’s always had a knack for being a leader.”
“Yeah,” she’s the oldest out of us and kick’s butt at soccer,” Taylor said, smiling at Tyler.
Leo came down into the sitting room and smiled, “Nice to see the Sons of Ipswich and Daughters of Salem together. Makes a nice picture.”
“Hey,” Criss said, “Un…, Leo, I’m a guy. So actually it’s the Daughters and Son of Salem.”
“No,” Leo objected, “It’s the Daughters of Salem and always will be.”
“Daughters of Salem,” Caleb questioned., looking at the girls.
“We’re the descendents of five families that originally settled Salem,” Lea said standing in the door way.
“Feeling better are we now?” Caleb asked.
“Much,” she replied walking over and setting down beside him. She kissed his cheek and looked at Criss.
“What happened to England?” she asked.
“Won’t get me into Yale. That’s were I want to go,” Criss replied.
“Okay, did you get my email?” she asked him, taking Caleb’s hand.
“Yeah,” he replied, “And I’ve already told Caleb if he hurts you, I’m kicking his ass.”
She looked at Criss and then Caleb.
“Don’t worry,” Caleb reassured her, “I told him how you kicked Aaron in the balls.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” Lea said, “Oh and Caleb.”
“Yes?” he asked.
“Criss is the swimmer in the family.”
Everyone looked at Criss. “What?” he asked throwing his hands up in the air.
“The boys and I are on Spencer’s swim team,” Pogue said.
“Cool,” Criss replied excitedly.
“Hey Criss,’ Taylor said, “You’re freestyle right?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
“And so are you Caleb, right?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Girls,” Taylor smiled, “I smell a race.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reid was stationed at one end of the pool, as Tyler, Pouge and the girls were and the other. Caleb and Criss were on the starting platforms waiting for Tyler to say go. When he did they dived into the pool and took off. On the other end of the pool Reid was watching to see who pushed off first. When the bots reached the other side, Reid couldn’t tell. When they made it back to the starting side, no one said anything. Tyler and Pogue looked at each other as Lea and Pagan gave the boys a towel each to dry off with.
“So who won?” Caleb asked, drying his face while Lea was by his side.
Tyler looked at Pogue and then at Reid who had just joined them. He looked at Criss who was talking with Riann while he was drying his hair.
“Caleb,” Tyler started, “You guys tied. He’s good.”
“Yeah,” Reid added, “You guys pushed off the same time too.”
Caleb looked at Criss who was now with the group. Criss gave him a smile and said, “Dude, your good, I usually smoke my opponents.”
“Yeah, I usually beat everyone I swim against.”
“Well, it looks like you two have met you match.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the house, Lea was with Caleb in his room. She was sitting on his bed while he was in the bathroom putting moose in his hair.
“My dad informed me that the others would be going back with us.”
“Okay,” Caleb replied. He looked in the mirror one last time before sitting down on the bed in front of her. He looked at her as she was looking out the window.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, catching her chin to shift her gaze to him.
She sighed, “ Nothing.”
“You seem kind of off,” he replied not satisfied with her answer.
“It’s nothing,” she said, “This year has just gotten crazy. First Audrey and Chase, then you, and now Criss.”
“Who are Audrey and Chase?” he asked, looking her in the eye.
“Friends,” she said, trying hard not to grind her teeth at the thought of those two being her friends, “ From school. They were in an accident.”
“Well are they okay?” Caleb asked.
“No, they, umm, they passed.”
Caleb took her hand, “Well, everything works out in the end right. Everyone has their happy ending.”
She smiled and kissed him on his cheek, “We need to get ready to leave tomorrow.”