Fan Fiction ❯ Caitlin ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

::Chapter 4::

 

I woke up the next morning safe and sound in my own bed. Had it only been a dream? It had felt so real to me that I questioned myself as I sat up in my bed. I slid my feet out from under the blankets, laying them to rest on the cool hardwood floor of my bedroom. I couldn't remember even climbing into bed, much less coming home.

 

I stretched out, catlike, as I made my way out to the living room, stealing a glance toward my balcony door as I did. I had to rub the sleep out of my eyes to make sure I was seeing things clearly because there, sitting atop the island that I had gazed upon every night was the mansion that I could never see from this spot before. “Maybe it wasn't a dream,” I muttered to myself, staring hard at that ominous presence.

 

A loud pounding at my front door stirred me from my reverie. I briefly wondered who it could have been as I made my way to answer it, the loud pounding sounding once again before I threw open the door.

 

“Lucas, what the-“

”Where the hell have you been? We've been so worried about you.” He quickly stepped inside, enveloping me in a warm hug.

 

I awkwardly hugged him back, saying, “What are you talking about? I'm fine, Luc.”

 

He briefly informed me about what had happened last night after I apparently disappeared. My mother called me when she got off from work, and I didn't answer. She called me again, later that night, and once again I didn't answer. She ended up calling Luc, wondering if he knew where I was, which he didn't. He stopped by, noticed my car still in the parking lot. But I was not to be found.

 

“Your mother was almost hysterical. We couldn't find you and you weren't answering our calls. Your mother kept saying something like, `they've found us' over and over again…where were you?”

 

“I was…out.” I decided it was best not to mention what I had thought had happened.

 

His eyes darkened dangerously with something akin to jealousy and he asked, “…on a date?”

 

“What? No…Just…out…” I was deep in thought about everything that I was completely unsure of that happened.

 

“Just out,” he repeated, almost sarcastically.

 

His manner was completely lost on me as I just jumped into my next question. “Luc, can I ask you something?” I wandered back over to my balcony. “What do you see out there,” I asked, pointing to the island, more specifically, the mansion.

 

He looked confused as he stood behind me, gazing out the windowed doors. “The same thing I've always seen, Cate. Nothing. There's the island and that's it.”

 

“You don't see the mansion?”

 

“No, you know that I've never seen it. Nobody that I know of has.”

 

“Then where do the stories come from?”

 

“Who knows? That place was burned down just like the stories say. Its not there anymore.”

 

Why had I been able to see it after my visit, when Lucas could not? It was a mystery to me, but gave me the impression that none of it had been a dream. I had really met a strange “magic user,” I supposed I could have called him since he clearly stated that he was no sorcerer. Had it also been me who had shattered the windows? I wasn't sure I believed that my father had been what he said. My mother had no reason to lie about something like that.

 

Just then my phone rang, and as if a light bulb suddenly lit over my head, I remembered that I was supposed to be at work that morning. “Oh, my goodness! Luc, what time is it?”

 

He casually glanced at his silver watch that I had given him as a birthday present and replied, “It's nine o'clock.”

 

I was late. I was supposed to be at work at eight and I had been so lost in thought I had completely forgotten. I hurriedly picked up the phone, knowing that it would be my boss, Kim.

 

“I know, Kim, I'm on my way already, I woke up late…Yeah, I know I should have called…Okay…Alright, I'll talk to you when I get there.”

 

Thing haven't been going very well for me lately. I felt as if my world was falling apart at the hinges and the only keeping it together was a small screw. I rushed about my apartment trying to find my things, not even bothering with a shower.

 

“Sorry to cut things short, Luc, but I'm already late.” I gave him a peck on the cheek as we stood in the doorway, signaling my goodbye to him. “We'll talk later, okay?”

 

He nodded mutely. I could only imagine the hundred and one things that were going through his mind at that moment. His eyebrows were furrowed together in consternation, hands shoved deeply in his pocket as he made his way down the stairs that led up to my apartment. He looked so cute when he was confused, that I couldn't help but smile to myself before running to my car and heading off to work.

 

--

 

I was no good at work that day. My mind kept wandering and I couldn't concentrate on my duties. I kept thinking about that strange man and his even stranger words. He was a liar. That's what my head kept telling me anyway. My father had nothing to do with magic…

 

But…what if it was the truth? What then? I needed to talk to my mother, for sure. She would sort everything out.

 

Despite the fact that I didn't believe a word that that man had said to me, I still felt the urge to see him again. I could barely even remember his face, I didn't know his name, but I knew that I had to see him again, even if it was only to tell him once more that he spoke nothing but non-truths.

 

After work, I set out for my mother's house, knowing that she would set things straight. She looked more than pleasantly surprised to see me as I walked in her door. She wrapped me in an overly protective bear hug and squeezed so tight that I almost couldn't breath.

 

“Thank god,” she whispered into my hair. My mother was an all-American beauty. Her blonde hair fell leisurely over her slight shoulders, and her blue eyes held the tiniest bit of troubles within them. “Are you okay,” she asked me, worry etched all over her face.

 

“I'm fine, mom,” I replied casually. “You don't have to get all worked up about this. I'm grown up, I can take care of myself.” I smiled lightly at her, trying to ease her discomfort. Her eyes flicked about my face, looking as if she wanted to tell me something, but something was holding her back.

 

“I just worry about you sometimes,” she said, letting loose of my arms.

 

“I know,” I replied. “But you don't have to all the time.”

 

She backed away from me, dropping her gaze. She looked like she was hiding something. There had to have been a reason that she was so afraid of losing me. Whatever it was, she didn't say. I had to pull it out of her by slow tortuous means.

 

“Mom,” I started. She looked back up at me, fear clouding her gaze as if she knew what I was about to ask. “Tell me about my father.”

 

The smile she had on her face faltered a moment before she regained her composure and replied, “I've told you many times, Cate. Your father worked in sales, he traveled a lot for his job, and-“

 

“-Mom!” I interrupted her, my voice breaking slightly. I would not cry, I told myself. I had to be strong and get the truth from her. “The truth. Please!”

 

“That is the truth, sweetie.” Her false kindness was not lost on me.

 

“I nearly blew up a house and you expect me to believe that cock and bull story?!” Okay, so I exaggerated a little. “I need to know the truth about my heritage.”

 

Her eyes narrowed at me, and her breath came in short gasps. “Who have you been talking to,” she asked in a low voice that I had never heard before.

 

“What does it matter? I just need to know the truth…from you.”

 

She cleared her throat, placed a hand across her pearl-clad neck and began. “I never meant to deceive you…I just wanted to keep you safe.”

 

“From what?”

 

She stayed silent for a long time. “Your father was a sorcerer. And…he just disappeared one day.”

 

“Disappeared?”

 

“I had hoped that you wouldn't find out about this, Cate…”

 

I shook my head. “It doesn't matter now. I just need the facts.”

 

“I suppose I should start at the beginning…”

 

--

 

“I met your father on a summer vacation to visit my cousin. He was well mannered, polite, charming, a gentleman, and absolutely handsome. We took to each other immediately, and during that whole summer there wasn't a moment that we didn't share with each other. It was the most magical time of my life.

 

“He didn't tell me right away what he was, and I don't blame him. Not many were very accepting of people who had dealings in magic. He told me about his parents and his entire family, actually, about their powers, and…about himself.

 

“That was at the end of my vacation. We still kept in contact after that, of course, and he would visit me here in Northwest Crossing. A year later we were married. And a year after that you were born.

 

“You were the light of his life. He never wanted to let you out of his sight that he hardly even paid me any mind anymore. We still had our moments, of course, but it seemed that all his attention went towards you. I'll admit, I was a bit jealous. Who wouldn't be, after all?

 

“We knew from the start what kind of power you yielded. From the moment you were born, you were able to do things that any normal child wouldn't have been able to do. It worried me.

 

“It worried me even more when your father let me in on what was happening in his world. There was something going on, something that he didn't want to tell me…and one night…he just disappeared. And it took me a while to realize that he wasn't coming back.”

 

--

 

Tears touched my mother's eyes as she finished her story. I was quiet for a moment before finally gathering the courage to speak. “So…it's true, then.” She wouldn't meet my gaze. “How could you keep this from me?”

 

“You were a child!”

 

“And you thought I wouldn't find out? What if he came back? What would you have told me then?”

 

“I was trying to keep you safe!”

 

“I need to go.” I turned to make my way to the door, pausing at the door. “Is there any possibility that he's still alive?”

 

“Cate…it's been almost fifteen years. He's dead.”

 

“I need some time to think.” And I left her house. I'm sure she was crying when I left, but I had some things that I had to figure out, and once again I found myself at the, now familiar, cobblestone bridge.

 

This time, without hesitation, I crossed, knowing that I needed to talk to my mysterious stranger. I needed to find out what he knew and what he could teach me.

 

I found my way quite easily back to the mansion. It amazed me at how I remembered the way when I had only been there once, and in a rush at that. The house was dark and foreboding just like the first time I had visited, but this time, I had come with a purpose.

 

I felt as if I were being watched as I stood inside the foyer, the shadows of the rotunda at the top of the stairs, creating a perfect hiding place for anything or anyone that didn't want to be seen.

 

“You're back,” called an ominous voice, seeming detached from anything, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. His intonation held the same enigmatic tone that it had held for me the night before; the deep rumbling of his voice making my heart pound loudly against my chest. He stepped out of the shadows that I had been so wary about, staring down at me face on. It was only then that I noticed how truly handsome this man was, despite one major flaw. His dark hair was once again tied back, showcasing his wonderful features: his strong jawbone, his elongated nose that put every feature on his face into place, his blue eyes framed by dark black eyelashes…well, one blue eye anyway. This was his major flaw. His other eye was closed shut by a deep, disturbing scar that started right above his eyebrow, ending just below his cheekbone. It didn't take from his beauty, of course, but all the same, made me wonder why I hadn't noticed it before.

 

“Let's say I do believe you…”