“I remember.”
Revelations
Approximately 20 years ago
It was mid-day on a particularly sunny spring afternoon. Birds were chirping in the nearby trees and flowers were in bloom. A gentle breeze blew by swaying the long grass and a red scarf which belonged to an auburn haired woman with green eyes, Bridgette Noble. Bridgette was dressed in a long cream colored summer dress with floral patterns across the bottom half of it. Once the breeze stopped blowing she made her way forward continuing along the path back home. She and her two sons lived away from everyone else. There wasn’t a particular reason for this just that Bridgette happened to be quite fond of where her house was even if it meant long walks to and from the market, it was good exercise she thought. Just as another gust of wind blew, this one was much stronger than the last.
Bridgette was forced to hold her position while the wind blew, her scarf fluttered in the wind like a piece of string. So she held it fast with her free hand while firmly gripping her basket with the other. Bridgette strode forward not caring if the wind let up or not. Fortunately for her it did which made the trip home that much easier. It wasn’t too far now she could see the path where the grass split and formed a sort of makeshift walkway. Bridgette walked along it while looking around at the world around her, she looked at the flowers which were especially fragrant this time of the year, Bridgette watched the butterflies that flew passed. And then suddenly she felt dizzy and stumbled forward quickly catching herself before she fell, she took a deep breath held it then exhaled. Another deep breath, held it and Aaaaheha aaaaaheha…
Bridgette coughed, once she started she couldn’t make herself stop. She was so close to home too. After what seemed like hours, but was really only a couple of minutes Bridgette managed to stop coughing. She felt woozy and weak but refused to show it on the outside so she put on a brave face then soldiered on and headed home. The way Bridgette rallied would make one assume everything was fine and at times it was and other times such as this there would be fresh blood on the leaves from Bridgette’s coughing.
Bridgette Noble’s house was two stories white and had a teal finish. The walkway was wide and thinned out a little as it got further from the house. Bridgette was currently reaching the thinnest part of the walkway which really wasn’t that thin compared to the path she had just walked through. In front of the house sitting on the porch steps was Bridgette’s eldest child Carter who was thirteen years old. He sat there kicking his feet about while his right hand held onto the bottom of the railing. Bridgette looked around for a moment but she couldn’t spot her other son Alexander.
“Carter, where’s your brother you’re suppose to look after him when I’m gone remember.”
“I am looking after him.”
“Then where is he?”
“You gotta find him. His words.” Carter stated with a smile. Just before stifling back a giggle.
Bridgette smirked then looked up for a moment and said. “Oh really. Now where could my little Alexander be huh? There’s so many places he could be hiding.” Bridgette set down her basket and began looking around.
She had already figured where her youngest was hiding but like any good parent she intended to drag it out a little pretending not to know his location. While Bridgette pretended to search, the grass not too far away from where she was standing started to rustle then stopped suddenly. She turned toward the direction of the rustling put a hand over her eyes as if she was shielding them from the sun.
“Where could my great little Alexander be? I think I’m gonna have to call it quits our little general beat me…unless.”
With cat like speed Bridgette ran toward the grass that had been rustling bent down for just a moment with her arms out in front of her and scooped up her seven year old son Alexander. She held him up and spun around.
“I found you.”
“Hehehe. Yeaaaaah.”
Bridgette spun around and around laughing with her child. Carter was smiling while watching them from the porch steps. Until his mother suddenly started coughing she stopped just as soon as she started and continued to spin Alexander around like nothing happen only Carter wasn’t smiling anymore. He was concerned but didn’t know what to do, feeling powerless to do anything. That’s when his mother put his brother down and asked for help with her basket which Alexander gleefully volunteered to carry which put a light smile on Carter’s face. Bridgette and Alexander walked toward the porch with Alexander still giggling. Bridgette was smiling as if it was the best day of her life. She almost always had a smile on her face.
“Hey Alex, you’re getting better at hiding. Mom took a lot longer to find you this time.”
“Yeah. Hey Carter wanna hang out with me and Adam tomorrow?”
Carter put on a sour face. “Of course not.” He said bluntly.
“Waaah really?”
“No, I’m just kidding how about we hangout. Just the two of us?” Carter said the words with a big grin on his face.
“Ok. What should we do then?”
By now Bridgette and Alexander were walking by Carter on the porch, Carter didn’t get up immediately not until after his mother ruffled his hair and opened the door to the house. Carter took the basket from Alexander telling him he’d carried it far enough, then he headed inside too. Outside on the porch by where Carter was sitting the bottom rail had been warped. Unknowingly Carter had squeezed it the moment he saw his mother start coughing.
Inside the house Carter had placed the basket on the wooden table in the kitchen. Bridgette was busy fishing out an apron from a nearby closest while Alexander waited by the kitchen doorway. Once Bridgette had found the apron she started setting out a number of vegetables from her basket. Alexander walked in and took a number of them from the kitchen table and brought them to the sink, which was located directly in front of the kitchen table. He turned on the facet and began washing the vegetables which his mother would use for soup. Carter had brought out a cutting board and began gutting the fish his mother had purchased. Bridgette pulled out a frying pan and oil from a nearby cabinet and walked to the stove while Alexander started to hum. It wasn’t long after Alexander started humming that Carter joined in. The two of them hummed while their mother began to sing.
Time seemed to fly as the house filled with music eventually, the Noble family had finished making and eating their food. The sun had set hours ago and Carter and Alexander were off to bed. Carter’s room was directly across from his brother’s room while Bridgette’s room was around the corner. Bridgette had already tucked her eldest son in, even at his insistence that she really didn’t need to anymore. Alexander was in bed when his mother entered the room pulling the covers up for him while he yawned. Bridgette kissed him on the forehead and said.
“Goodnight my little Alexander. See you when you wake.”
“Goodnight mom. See you in the morning no matter how long the night my take.”
Bridgette smiled and kissed Alexander’s forehead a second time and left.
The Next Morning.
Alexander woke with a yawn, his vison slowly adjusting as he blinked the sleep away. From where he was positioned on his bed he could see a figure leaning against the frame of his door way.
“Rise and shine. Hey get up already I’ve got an idea about what we can do today.”
“Really?” Alexander responded groggily.
“Yeah. Now hurry up and get ready. We’ve gotta leave before mom wakes up.”
Alexander hopped out of bed and got ready while Carter waited downstairs. After about fifteen minutes Alex headed downstairs and left with Carter.
“So where we headed?”
“There’s a flower not too far from here. We’re gonna go get it for mom.”
Alex titled his head to the side and looked at Carter for a moment. “That doesn’t sound like fun.”
“Oh yeah. Just wait until you see how we’re going to get there.” Carter replied.
The two boys walked through the tal
l grass and made their way toward the back of their house. Carter led the way heading toward a set of trees in front of them. Once they reached the trees, Carter walked diagonally for a while until him and his brother reached a hilly area.
“Be carefully. It’s steep.”
“Really, not like I’ve never been he…never mind.”
“Did you say something?” Carter asked while looking back at his brother who shook his head suspiciously.
Carter and Alexander made their way downward until they reached a stream from there they followed the stream to its end. Which led to a pool of water that happened to be approximately fourteen feet in diameter. Carter waved Alex over while pointing at the pool of water in front of them.
“If we go in through here we can swim to a cave. The flower we’re looking for is in there. Oh I forget to mention the flowers’ pretty rare it’s white with pink smudges on the petals and in the dark it sparkles like starlight.”
Alex beamed as Carter explained what they were going to do, it sounded like a treasure hunt. Alex nodded at each word not fully paying attention to Carter’s explanation, he just wanted to see the flower. Carter asked his brother if he was ready to go, Alex nodded then the two of them jumped into the pool of water. The water was warm and had a swift current that help push them forward as they swam because of the current it didn’t take the brothers that long to get to their destination.
Carter grabbed Alex’s wrist while he swam to the surface, the two of them emerged gasping for air for just a moment before heading toward land. They were in a cave which was dim, there was a bit of light from holes in the ceiling of the cave. Carter instructed Alex to stay behind him as they carefully explored. The two brothers explored and explored getting deeper and deeper, it was hard to see but they kept moving forward. Carter was holding his brother’s wrist with one hand while the other was placed against the cave wall.
As they made their way deeper into the cave Carter began wondering if they were making the journey in vain, the flower didn’t seem to be here.
“I think we should head back. I don’t think it’s here.”
Alex pouted but didn’t make any more of a fuss about it than that. So Carter and Alex headed back, once they turned around Carter managed to spot something glittery in the corner of his eye. He told Alex to wait for a moment while he headed toward it as he got closer and closer the glittering grew, Carter was certain of what it was. A white flower which had pink smudges on its petals and glittered like it was touched by stardust. Carter smiled, picked up the flower carefully and held it high like a trophy. Alex cheered as if they had just won something, that’s when a tiny sliver of sunlight hit the flower and the stardust like glitter shined illuminating the cave for just a second. In that moment Carter felt a breeze once the cave dimmed again. He took Alex’s hand and headed toward the direction he felt the breeze from.
“Come on. I think I found a quicker way out of here.”
Alex didn’t say anything instead he followed his older brother’s lead, the two continued forward until the breeze became stronger and light started to pour in. A matter of moments later and they were outside again. Carter and Alex looked around the area they were in, it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to them so getting home wouldn’t be a problem.
“Carter, that flower’s like magic. Mom’s going to love it.”
“You bet. Let’s get home so we can show her.”
Carter and Alex made their way home after about twenty minutes or so their house was in sight. They were currently making their way through the walkway to their house when Carter instructed Alex to wait outside while he got their mother. Carter handed the flower to Alex while he ran inside to find their mother.
“Mom, where are you? We’ve got something to show you. Mom?”
Carter looked around searching for his mother. He searched everywhere downstairs so he decided to head upstairs to his mother’s room. The door was closed so he opened it slowly once he did he saw that his mother was still in bed.
“Mom, why are you still asleep? Anyway we’ve got something to show you.” Carter approached his mother’s bed as he spoke. “Mom what’s going on? Are you mad that we left without telling you it was for a good reason you’ll…”
Carter stopped speaking once he was standing right next to his mother he reached for her hand which was still warm but something was wrong he shook her for a moment. Then just stood there while a sinking feeling started to build inside him. He shook his head side to side twice while his eyes started to water. He didn’t want to believe what he was seeing so he just ran out of the room heading outside in a matter of seconds. Alex was still waiting outside holding the flower when he saw Carter who looked spooked. Alex asked Carter what was wrong while Carter walked passed him and continued walking for a bit before finally stopping. It was subtle at first but Carter started sobbing.
“What’s wrong, what’s wrong Carter are you ok?”
Carter just stood there just shaking which only made Alex’s concern grow.
“Carter what’s wrong, I don’t understand what’s wrong?” Alex began approaching Carter, who continued to tremble while he did electricity began to surge around his body. A half a second after the electricity appeared Carter started screaming in pain. Alex moved forward trying to see if he could help. Lighting flashed in the sky for a split second but it went unnoticed by Carter and Alex.
“Stay back! Don’t come any closer I don’t want you to get hurt! I can’t… I just can’t. Aaaaaaah….aaaaaaaah.”
Electricity coiled around Carter’s body in a frenzy while the world around shook as lightning flashed again in the sky. The shaking and lightning was only in Alex’s head but the pain Carter was in was real. Alex continued to approach his brother while his heart beat like crazy from anxiety. A warmth went to Alex’s eyes causing them to glow green while Carter suddenly turned toward Alex. His eyes were glowing blue while he yelled.
“Just stay baaaaaaccckk!”
Electricity jumped from Carter’s body striking Alex’s chest, he was knocked back instantly. The second the electricity hit the whole world shook and flashed from a third lightning strike. Alex awoke taking in a deep breath, he could see his brother and his friends in front of him.
“I remember.”
Chapter 22
Everyone was looking at me as if they had just seen a ghost especially Carter. For one it could have to do with the fact that after the explosion I was for all intents and purposes dead. It was that and Carter’s electricity that finally snapped that last memory into place. Things made more sense to me now, I even sort of understood why Carter thinks I would blame him. The truth is I don’t, he didn’t do anything intentionally he just…
“I thought I told you not to die.”
I grinned for a moment while making my way off the car. Pain rippled across my back once I did. I was planning on responding to Tessa’s comment immediately but my back had other plans. I closed my eyes for a moment then took a deep breath choosing to speak through the pain.
“Yeah. I got better though.”
That got me an eye roll from Tessa and Alastor and chuckles from both Mathew and William while AJ seemed like AJ. Carter still stared at me with a blank expression so I put my hand on his shoulder and nodded.
“It wasn’t your fault ok.”
“Huh…or course it’s not I was trying to think of a better comment you could have made.”
Carter smiled once he finished speaking, I knew he was just playing it cool and that a burden he had been holding in for years had finally been lifted. Buzz, buzz, buzz, my eyes darted around looking for the source of whatever was causing that buzzing sound when Mathew pointed out something.
“Looks like the Saint’s airship is leaving.”
BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ. Even though the Saint’s ship was leaving the buzzing sound was growing louder. It wasn’t until a large shadow was cast over us that I realize what it was. The seven of us turned to see a large airship making its way to the
center of the city. I almost looked back at the Saint’s airship to make sure it wasn’t the same one. Upon closer inspection this airship was much larger and kind of looked like the head of a monster or more accurately a demon’s head. It was black with splashes of sliver and gray. If that airship belonged to who I thought it did then I was willing to bet they were the ones who hacked the Saint’s systems.
“So is there another squad that’s going to attempt to kill us or are these guys going to drop a bomb on us too.” Mathew complained.
“Attention Carter Noble, Alexander Noble, it seems like you guys have stayed alive so far but that ends right now. You see Prometheus knew you might be able to stop a bomb so we let you tire yourself out. Because we know you couldn’t stop this one.”
A cold feeling ran down my spine as the bottom of the airship opened up. I shook my head side to side as the airship lowered a large grey orb. It had two large rings around it making it look like a strange atom. The orb hung from wires on the bottom of the ship while whoever was piloting it spoke.
“I am personally impressed by your tenacity all of you. That’s why what comes next is going to be spectacular. Oh and before I forget Adam wanted me to deliver a message. At the very least when the bomb hits you should at least try to run.”
I glared at the airship as its operator delivered Adam’s message. I stopped one bomb could I stop two?
“Seriously, I wasn’t serious about the bomb, this is nuts.” Mathew stated.
“How do we stop this one?” AJ asked.
I moved forward which only cause pain to ripple across my back. I wasn’t in any shape to be attempting to take down that bomb and they knew it planning their attack in this way yet something struck me as strange. It didn’t matter if there plan didn’t make sense because the wires holding the bomb started releasing it. The moment it did, the rings around the bomb started rotating around it, I figured it was some sort of defense mechanism to prevent anyone of us from trying to grab onto the bomb and do something similar to what I did earlier.
“We need to move!” yelled Alastor.
Noble Revelations (Noble Series Book 3) Page 13