© ItalRT4u, 2012

    Realizing I was completely naked, I curled up closer to Cane as he pulled up on the sheets to cover us up from a panicked Patrick who’s serious face turned into one with a full on blush and a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

     “Patrick!”  Cane snapped after his younger brother hadn’t said a word and his gaze now seemed fused on the sight of us.  Blending into a deeper crimson, he nodded to his brother and quickly averted his eyes from us; he cleared his throat – a sign I’ve now managed to observe to be a nervous tick all the Nottingham men seemed to possess.

     “Right.”  Patrick began.  “Uh…  Why don’t you guys get dressed and then we’ll talk.”  He quickly exited and closed the door behind him.

     My worst nightmare was coming true.  I was the unofficial Queen of the Fae and I had found myself without a clue on how to lead them.  Sure, I had most of the knowledge on how our world works but I had the theory and none of the practical experience at this point.  In all fairness, I felt that perhaps my jumping into this role of mine might have been rash – yes, I actually felt some regret with regards to my decision now.  As proud as I was to be stepping up to my destiny and attempting to fulfill my responsibilities, I simply couldn’t get past the feeling that someone else would have been much better suited to assume my role as leader of the Fae world; even if it were someone of non-royal descent.  After all, Will and Sandra knew more about it all than I ever have – problem was that Will and Sandra were nowhere to be found at the moment.  We were flying blind.

     I couldn’t believe my ears when Patrick had explained to us that he had headed out last night to look into a few leads that seemed suspicious at Will’s request. 

     So that’s what they were all up to?  Checking out leads? 

     He had said something about a family being murdered the previous night and a few random violent crimes along with a riot that had taken place at my former place of work, Slick’s.  I felt like the world around us was beginning to crumble beneath our feet.  Patrick had laid down two papers dated with today’s date.

Chatham Falls Chronicle                                                                    Sunday, May 19, 2012

Woman Found Battered Within an Inch of her Life

            It has been said that Chatham Falls was a renowned place for young families to move to and for retirement living.  That is, until the multitude of events of the past week; this has most residents standing on guard, in fear or simply uprooting their families elsewhere.

            The most recent event that has left a battered woman (who remains nameless for her own protection) within inches of her death have definitely proven that something is amiss in this once peaceful town of Chatham Falls.

            It is unknown if she will pull through at this time.  Authorities have said, in a press conference late yesterday evening that they have yet to find the person/s responsible.  In a plea to bring peace back, the authorities have notified everyone to stay in after dark, be vigilant, and to notify them should anything seem out of the ordinary.  Captain Withers of the CFPD has advised all residents to refuse entry to any unknown person, into the confines of their homes and that ‘trying’ to be a hero is not the way to go…

     I couldn’t read any more of that one…

The Falls Herald                                                                                 Sunday, May 19, 2012

Riots, Break-ins, Battery…  Oh My!  A Letter to the Editor

            One would think that Chatham Falls had fallen into the pits of hell what with the events of the past week.  We have been held hostage with an incline in criminal and delinquent activity.

            A spokesperson from the CFPD has done nothing but tell us how to live our lives but nothing about what they were doing to resolve these issues.  How long will it take before Captain Withers and his team of valiant officers does something to put this horror to rest?  How many disappearances, incidents of battery, and murders will we have to endure before this once peaceful town and its residents are able to rest again?

            No one knows who’s at play here and it’s safe to say that we aren’t the only town suffering through this.  I’ve witnessed the riot firsthand at Slick’s and I can’t help but ask myself if this is ever going to end?  There’s an invisible clash that divides us in this town, just like the others remotely surrounding Chatham Falls and this divide will either destroy this wonderful community or will make it stronger.  I ask you, citizens of Chatham Falls: Which one will it be?

-Anonymous, Chatham Falls

     Upon looking at every page, there were stories, letters and comments like these scattered throughout both papers.  My stomach was churning; my appetite completely gone.  I couldn’t believe that Will and Sandra were now missing in action.

     “What of Andy?”  Cane asked Patrick after we had pushed the newspapers out of the way.

     “I haven’t heard from him since earlier this morning when I told him to meet back here so we could re-group.  He doesn’t know that I haven’t been able to get in touch with Mom and Dad unless he’s tried them himself.”  He explained as he grabbed a hold of Kristie’s hand as she had sat there in complete silence the whole time.

     Getting up and pacing away my stress; well, attempting to do so anyway, I grabbed my cell and began to dial Carly’s number.  Cane looked at me with a puzzled look.  I mouthed Carly to him as he nodded in understanding.  Will and Sandy going missing and those articles I had read were enough to freak me into giving my one and only relative a call to make sure she was still safe; especially with the chaos going on in Chatham Falls.

     The front door slammed and in walked Andy, fury in his eyes, stomping about like a man on a mission.

     “Everything is turning to shit!”  He shouted.

     “Where were you?”  Cane asked him.

     “You should have been back an hour ago!”  Patrick added.  Andy gave him a look of annoyance.

     “Where are Mom and Dad?”  Andy asked.  I couldn’t stop pacing my worry away as I let the brothers have their little discussion.  If something had happened to Will and Sandra, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself.  I’m hoping, that with all of this, that they had to remain silent and out of contact for their own safety and that that was the reason why no one had heard from them.

     “We don’t know where they are.”  Patrick told him.  Andrew stiffened up and his gaze filled with a look that expressed worry – I couldn’t help the sensation of guilt that I was now feeling as it exuded from him. 

     Why was that? 

     I looked at Cane and he confirmed that he seemed to have read into things exactly as I had, only seconds before.

     Andrew, Patrick, and Kristie had managed to fill Cane and I in on the goings-on in the towns that surrounded Chatham Falls.  I knew, that with all this chaos, something had to give and soon.  It was imperative that the humans not know of the Fae world – crucial that the balance of things be maintained. 

     How do I do that though?  People are being murdered, beaten, kidnapped and I’m sitting here in a mansion, hidden from most of the Fae world let alone the world generally in its entirety. 

     A plan needed to be devised quickly and I had no clue where to begin.  This is where Will would have been handy; he was always so great with advising.

     A few hours later, I heard the front door open and close softly.  Kristie and I were sitting with the boys who were working on some kind of plan to figure out what we should be doing next.  I mean, if it was a full out war and no need to keep the Fae world from being exposed and so on, then it would have been much simpler – attack; there would be one winner, one loser and it’s said and done.  Sure, easier said than done in reality but the humans do it all the time and they were living proof that things weren’t always clean cut and easy; just look at the World Wars or even the most recent issues in Afghanistan. 

     Carly stood there, a bag in hand as I jumped up to run and greet her.  We held on to each other for a few seconds before I felt her stiffen.  I turned to the rest of the gang who were all sitting there at ease, all but one – Andy stood rigid on his feet.

     “W-what are you doing here?”  He asked.  I couldn’t read the look on his face or in his eyes, but my empathic abilities were telling me that he felt a mixture of relief, grief, and pain. 

     What’s this all about? 

     I seriously had to have a sit-down with him, when the time was right and find out what it was exactly that he was hiding – one being why he seemed so hostile with Carly and the other about that guilty feeling he was having towards his parents’ disappearance.

     “Hello to you too, Andrew.”  Carly said sharply, her eyes narrowed in his direction.  She walked past me and went straight to Patrick and Cane and gave them tight hugs, her smile forced but nonetheless present.  “And who’s this?”  She stopped to look at Kristie who smiled shyly back at her as Patrick went to stand behind her.

     Introductions finally made and finalized, we were trying to make sense of what could be happening with Will and Sandra; we could really use them to let us know that this plan of ours was going to work or if it was simply a waste of time.  Cane had assumed post in his father’s study and had begun to riffle through the various books, notes, and his father’s laptop that had been left behind.

     “There’s got to be something here to help us out.”  I caught him whispering to himself as I entered the room.  He appeared to be looking for something that didn’t exist.

     “Are you okay?”  I asked him, sneaking my arms around his shoulders for a hug from behind.  He grabbed my hands and brought me down so I sat on his lap.  My man looked overwhelmed and tired; I wished that there was something I could do to make this horrific reality of ours simply disappear and let it be forgotten but I couldn’t.

     “I don’t know what to do without them.”  He said as our foreheads touched, looking into my eyes.  “What if they don’t come back?”

     “Then we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”  I held his face in the palms of my hands.  “If it comes.”  I said softly, trying to appease the feeling of defeat that emanated from him.

     The front door came crashing in while we were all congregated in the dining room for dinner.  I knew that something was wrong instantly; I didn’t need the smell of blood, the surge of fear, and despair to fill the air and invade my every senses.  Cane and I looked at one another and were the first to immediately get up and make a dash for the entrance hallway.  What we found broke my heart into pieces and I didn’t know if those tiny pieces could ever be put back together for any of us, but especially for him.

     “Andy!”  Cane screamed out.  “Call Lilah!  Now!” 

     Who’s Lilah?  I wondered internally.

     Cane rushed to his father’s side, ridding him of the dead weight he was holding in his arms; Sandy was bloodied and unconscious.  I stood there stupefied and unable to move for the life of me at the horrific sight that I beheld.  There was so much blood that I couldn’t tell where it was all coming from; where the injuries were exactly.  To be honest, I thought it a miracle in it of itself that Will was still standing himself – he might have lacked the bloody coating but he was far from looking healthy.  Judging by the cuts, the bruises and welts on him, he should have been on the floor, writhing in pain or worse; more like his dear wife – unconscious.  He looked like the perfect picture of the walking dead.

                                          *************************************

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