“I take it, you guys have had a chance to chat...”
“Well, sort of ... but that's no never-mind...”
“So, you didn't tell her?” Court asked for confirmation, though he already knew the answer.
“Not exactly, we had not yet gotten to that part yet, and she got upset and left the house...”
“Unbelievable –”Court said, disgruntled.
“Court, please set your hard feelings for me aside. We are very worried about her. Do you have any idea of where she may have gone?”
Court swallowed his anger. “Yes, Sir – and I will bring her back safely...” Court said, hanging up the phone after his last word. He knew just where to find her.
“Thank you, Courtland –” Cal started to say, but Court was already gone.
* * * * *
Coralie fell hard against a tree trunk. Her body ached. She looked up to see the dark figure coming toward her again. She jumped up swiftly from the ground, landing on her feet.
It was dark. But the silhouette coming toward her was in plain sight. She struck her approaching attacker, knocking him to the ground. She saw the silhouette return to his feet, but she swept her leg underneath his feet, knocking him back down.
She watched as he remained on the ground, barely moving. Her chest was rising and falling with the quickness of her breath. She turned and started to walk away.
Suddenly, she felt a hand grabbed her ankle.
Coralie expeditiously rotated toward him. Before he could pull her down, she jerked her ankle out from the strength of his hand.
Coralie took her stance for a final bout.
Her eyes met the wildness of his. Dark, hollow, and empty.
No, wait ... not empty at all ...
There was something almost familiar in them.
She tilted her head, studying him. There was something oddly familiar about this person that lay on the ground beneath where she stood. “Who are you? Why are you trying to hurt me?” she sneered at her obvious enemy.
“You really haven't the slightest idea of who you really are, do you?” the voice said, beginning to move into a sitting position from his place on the ground, taking advantage of Coralie's clear curiosity.
“No ... So, why don't you just save us both a lot of trouble and let me in on the little secret … I mean, if not, I guess I could just go ahead and finish this ... I tend to frown upon unfinished business...”
Sounding as if it were rising up from the pits of hell, he let a loud, rumbling, sickening sound of bawling laughter escape him. Coralie had heard the same sickening laughter before.
She saw the silhouette easy himself from the ground into a standing position with such gracefulness.
“You're laughing? Why?” Coralie demanded.
“Finish this...” he mocked, slowly beginning to walk toward her, “... tend to frown upon unfinished business...” He had now, casually, backed her into a large tree trunk. “You sound so much like your father...”
“How do you know my father?” Coralie began surveying her surroundings.
“The infamous Callus Collier ... oh, come on, who doesn’t?”
“What do you know about my father? Nothing! You know nothing about him, you know nothing about me.” Coralie said, as she turned slightly, realizing that she had been backed into the trunk of a tree.
“I know enough,” the man said, slowly approaching her, “but he’s not important to me ... you are the one that I’m after...”
“My father ... he’ll find you...”
“No doubt ... and I’ll be waiting ... for as for now, I must tend to some...” he paused for a mere instant, eyeing her, then continued, “light weight business...”
Coralie glanced at her surroundings. She had nowhere else to go. Coralie heard the smile spread across his face when he said the words, “... this will be fun...”
“What exactly?” Coralie questioned, sounding confident, but stalling the inevitable attack.
He allowed a slight laugh to escape before his words, “... ending your life...”
Before the panic set in, which she was expecting, something else swept over her. Something that began to wash over her like a high tide. Coralie felt this something rush through her body like it was in her blood, like it was a part of her. Then, without a trace of the anticipated panic, a swift smile spread across her lips. “I'd like ... to see ... you ... try...”
Coralie gave him a taunting wave, beckoning him to charge her.
* * * * *
Cal watched his wife pace back and forth. Katelyn mumbled to herself nervously, searching for some sense of comfort. This was comfort that should have been coming from Cal, but he almost felt that he couldn't allow it. Couldn't allow himself to show the weakness.
When comfort seemed to be lost within herself indefinitely, Katelyn stopped pacing and turned to look at Cal. Where words should have been, there was mere silence and tearful eyes.
“Kate, she'll be fine...”
Katelyn shook her head, allowing tears to stream down her face. “What if she’s not, Cal? What if –”
“Kate, listen to me – I know Cor ... She'll be just fine.”
“But, Cal, she doesn't even – she does not have the training nor does she have the know-how to be scurrying off on her own, especially now ... especially since –” She paused and swallowed hard. “Clearly, you know the reasons why...”
Cal looked away from her glare. He knew exactly what she meant. And he knew that she was right.
“She's starting to figure it out on her own...”
“How do you know?”
“Cal, you didn't see the look on her face ... The look of recognition. The recognition of betrayal. Hurt. Anger. We should have told her. We shouldn't have kept any of this from her. How will she ever trust us again?”
“Kate, she will … Coralie has a very trusting, forgiving, and understanding heart.”
“And we, as her parents, have taken advantage of that … and for that, we are wrong! We are so wrong! We don't deserve her forgiveness!”
“She will be fine...”
“But without training, without preparation...”
“Even without training and preparations, dear … Cor will be fine. Besides Courtland is looking for her as we speak...”
“If anything happens to her –”
“Nothing will...”
“You can’t be sure of something like that...”
“Yes, I can … I have faith...”
“Cal, this is all our fault...”
“We've been through this...”
“No, we should have told her. We should not have kept this life from her.”
“But, we agreed, it was for her protection...”
“Talking to her ... telling her the truth - that should have been our way of protecting her. The truth - not lies and deception...”
“Kate, it came from a good place, remember. We said that we didn't want to expose her to the dangers of this life ... especially since we knew what sort of perils lie for her out there...”
“I know, but we could have better equipped her for the emergencies...”
“Kate, we don't even know what she's capable of yet...”
“You know that she will need training...”
“Look, first things first, let's get her home, safe and sound. When she calms down a bit, we will talk to her and explain everything.”
Katelyn looked at her husband, with wide hopeful, yet fearful, eyes. “Everything?”
“Yes, everything … then, we will start penciling in training, okay?”
Katelyn turned around and looked back through the window into the night. Cal came up behind her, standing about a head taller than her, and gently put his arms around her, resting them on her shoulders.
She took a deep breath inward, allowing air to fill her chest, and then reached up to hugged his arms with hers. “I just hope that she's okay out there all alone...”
“She's always protected ... and she
's never alone ... always remember what sort of blood runs through her veins …
* * * * *
Coralie ran.
Faster and faster...
Pushing her way through trees, branches, and brush.
It was dark ...The blackest of all nights.
She ran as fast as could. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the dark figure that had attacked her as humanly possible.
She continued to run, faster and faster, knocking limbs and brush way from her path as she ran.
Coralie began to recall the recent scene from which she had just left behind. She recalled her attacker's limp, lifeless body lying on the ground. She remembered the last powerful blow given to her approaching enemy by her own hand. She could almost feel his bones cracking beneath her hands and feet as she replayed the events, again, in her head.
Running faster and faster, dodging trees and hanging brush away as she ran.
She pushed herself forward. But not because she was afraid. It wasn't fear that pushed her forward. It was something else ... something indescribable. It felt like pure adrenaline being injected into her veins. She felt alive.
Memories started to fill her mind ... Real memories.
Memories started to rush through her mind like roving waters. Shadowed alleys, dark figures, hooded attackers, monster canines ... more memories flowed in as if someone had opened up the flood gates.
Something about this night. Something about her life. It was all falling - yes, falling - falling into place. Piece by piece, locking into place, creating a bigger picture.
Suddenly, Coralie became more aware of her surroundings. She had absentmindedly and hurriedly pushed her way into the city park.
Lynn Park …
Coralie slowed her pace to a brisk walk. She looked around and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself from the continuing flow of adrenaline coursing through her body.
She scanned her surroundings as she walked toward the fountain in the middle of the park. She had always loved the way the park pathways wound around to one meeting point – the fountain.
Coralie had always felt comfort in the flowing water. The sounds, the sight, even the smell – the constant flowing fountain water had an almost drawing power to her. It seemed to pull her in and hold her in its grasp.
Much like that of the lake … Empyreal Lake.
With her eyes set on but one destination, she continued her stride until she was startled by an abrupt sound. She spun around in the direction of the sound. It had come from just beyond the trees.
“Who's there?” Coralie asked, anxiously and fearfully.
Coralie held her breath as a dark figure stepped out of the shadows, and moved toward her.
Chapter 23
“Hello?”
Coralie looked toward the rustling sound coming from the tree line. “Hello, is anybody there?”
Coralie’s eyes widened as she watched a dark figure emerge from the trees.
When the figure stepped forward into the light, it illuminated his body. The young man seemed to be around her age, a teenage boy.
Coralie peered intently at the half-shadowed person. Shadows were cast upon his face. “Hello?” she said again, not knowing if she really wished the person to answer.
The boy looked her direction and stepped further into the light pathway of the park. He was wearing faded jeans and a worn, dark gray t-shirt that read of some band's name that she didn't recognize in black letters across the front. A backpack rested on his back and he was holding a large piece of paper in his hands. Coralie noticed that he looked as if he were looking for something or someone ... then suddenly his expression changed.
“Hey – I mean, Hello...” The boy said, walking slowly in her direction.
Skeptical of her approacher, Coralie began to back away. The boy casually raised his hand up, letting her know that he came peacefully and meant her no harm. “I'm sorry if I startled you...”
She shook her head to acknowledge him, but she did not allow words to leave her mouth.
The boy continued, “I know this may sound crazy – probably looks even crazier ... but I must have gotten turned around...”
The boy waited for some sort of response, but Coralie still said nothing, remaining distrustful. “You see, I went for a hike this afternoon –”
“By yourself???” Coralie blurted out.
“Oh, she speaks – sorry ... sarcasm – and for the record … yes, by myself...” “Don't you know Hiking 101? Rule number one – never hike alone!” Coralie said, pointing out the obvious.
“I told it would sound crazy ... I'm just glad you weren't a bear...”the boy said, laughing. “So, I know by the park benches, I must be in the park, but where exactly will this take me … I mean, if I follow this path,” he pointed, continuing his logic questioning, “... where will I end up?”
Answering a question with a question, Coralie said, “Well, I guess the better question would be, where are you trying to get to?” Coralie paused, studying him. The boy looked innocent enough, pure almost. “Obviously, you must be new to the city...”
The boy grinned, shyly. “What makes you think that?”
“Well, anyone who can get lost on a nature hike in a small town like Thessla, must be a newbie.”
“Oh, so I take it that you've lived here a while?”
“Yeah, most all of my life, so I know my way around ... plus, I've traveled a lot with my parents, so I’m good with directions, I think...” Coralie said, then paused, deciding to offer her help, “I could help you get turned in the right direction, if you would like … but only if you can give me an idea of where you’re trying to get to.”
The boy stared at her for a moment. Almost as if he was studying her, trying to place her from somewhere. Somewhere from which he would know her. The boy continued to study her for a moment, then he said, “Yeah, right - sorry...” he continued to struggle to find words, “...Umm, Indian River...”
“Okay, we’re making progress ... North or South End?”
“South...” the boy said, still studying the girl that stood before him.
“Well, you're in luck...”Coralie said with a friendly smile, “... if you take this path here,” she continued as she pointed in the direction of the park path, “... it will wrap you around to the south side of the park. You should see a road directly facing the front of the entry hedge, Elk Avenue. Take Elk Avenue to South Rose, then take a left. This will put you on South Rose. South Rose will lead you right to the south end of Indian River.”
“Wow! What a tour guide ... You sure you don't do this for a living?”
“Yes, I'm sure...” Coralie answered with a smile.
“Hey, thanks …,” the boy said, stepping closer to her, with an outstretched hand for what looked like preparation for a friendly grasp.
Coralie was reluctant at first, but when the boy continued to speak, her reluctances eased. “I don't think I caught your name...”
Coralie noticed as his eyes caught a flicker of light from the park path light. His eyes sparkled a brilliant, bright, almost translucent blue. “Coralie,” she answered.
“Well, it is certainly nice to meet you, Coralie ... I'm Alex.” He shook her hand with slowed ease, his eyes never leaving hers. “If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be wandering aimlessly out here ... by the way, what were you doing out here all by yourself, anyway?”
“Just taking a walk, clearing my head...” Coralie answered, shyly, thinking of her parents and how they must be worried. She suddenly felt a wave of guilt for leaving her parents to worry about her safety.
“Alone???” Alex asked, lightheartedly.
“Yes, hypocritically speaking...” Coralie said, admittedly.
“Not very safe, out here all alone, you know ... What if I'd been a bear?” Alex said smiling.
“Thankfully, neither of us are of a bear heritage...”Coralie said, matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, that could have been an awk
ward encounter ... aren't bears territorial?”
She shrugged with a smile crossing her lips. “Most, or maybe some, I think ... I don’t know...”
Returning her smile, Alex said, “Well, I must be on my way ... thanks again...”
“Glad I could help...”
Alex turned in the direction of the right path, but without taking the first step, swiftly turned around. “Hey, Coralie?”
“Yes, Alex?”
“Be safe out there ... alone. You never know who may be out there, watching you...”
“Okay, thanks. I will. Take care, Alex.” She said, taking a seat at the fountain, as she watched him take the winding path leading through the park and then disappear over the hill.
“Coralie???” She heard her name called out from behind her. She turned to the sound of her name.
“Court?” Coralie answered his familiar voice.
He rushed up to her, took her hands, and pulled her from her seat. He lifted her straight up into his embrace. “Are you okay?” he asked, as he studied her, looking her over and then into her eyes.
“Yes, I'm fine. How did you know where to find me?”
“When you took off, your parents called me...” he paused, “And I believe, I recall you saying something about this place being your thinking place...”
“You were listening...”
“Of course I was listening...”
“I still like yours better...” she said, admittingly.
He smiled, then said, “I think it's time we get you home ... your parents –”
“My parents - oh my gosh – my parents … I know they must be furious with me...”
“Worried, yes … but I think furious is highly unlikely...” he said, reaching for her hand. “Come on, my bike's this way...”
“Your bike? Is this some sort of punishment?” she asked, causing Court to smile. “There are lighter punishments, you know ... have you ever heard of a warning for first time offenders, a slap on the wrist, even...”
Empyreal: Awaken - Book One Page 13