Ultimate Secret Chapter 3

Chapter 3



The reported death of Chase Riggins hit Sarah like a thousand bricks smashing into her body at once. Her body was weak and her stomach was sick as she wondered into the backyard around mid-night. She silently opened the pool gate and slipped inside, holding the latch up as the door closed. She slid out of her slippers and touched the cool water with her toes. She looked up longingly at her sister’s dark bedroom window before stepping into the deepest end of the pool and sinking to the bottom. She sat on the bottom of the pool and slowly let the air out from her lungs.



She wasn’t ready to accept life without Chase. She had grown up with him, she had been best friends with him and she had fallen in love with him. And now he was gone. Her first lungful of water burned as her mind went numb. The water rushed to her lungs and brain, numbing her senses and thoughts. Her second lungful of water sent numbness throughout her entire body as everything slowly blackened and her mind went blank.



Anna surfaced the pool, gasping for breath as she pulled her limp sister to the edge and lifted her onto the tile. She climbed out and checked for a pulse. She didn’t find one. Frantic by now, Anna opened Sarah’s mouth, tilted her head up and blew air into her lungs before pressing down on her diaphragm thirty times. Nothing happened. Anna tried again. Still nothing. Now beyond scared for her sister’s life, Anna performed CPR one more time. On the 25th time she pumped her diaphragm; Sarah suddenly coughed and spit up the water in her lungs. She rolled onto her side and continued to cough up water.



“What the *&^% is wrong with you?” Anna demanded when Sarah was finished coughing up water.

Sarah climbed into Anna’s lap and continued coughing. Anna ran her fingers through Sarah’s soaking wet hair and slowly rocked back and forth.



“Oh Annie,” Sarah sobbed, wrapping her arms around Anna and squeezed. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” Anna soothed as she rubbed Sarah’s back. “You’re all right. Nothing can hurt you now. I’m here.”



“I can’t live without him!” said Sarah into Anna’s chest. “I love him!”



“I know, baby, I know,” said Anna, kissing her forehead. She started humming Brahms’ Lullaby to her and the sobbing slowly stopped and Sarah’s breathing became normal. Sarah slowly pulled back and looked at Anna with red and swollen cheeks.



“As long as you’re near,” said Anna, putting her hands on Sarah’s cheeks. “The first time we met, I could see, that you and I were meant to be. Your eyes were so gentle, your smile so true, when you first held my hand, I just knew.”

Sarah slowly smiled as she recited the next verse.



“Now the time has gone by, through laughter and tears, these days I shall cherish, for years upon years. Those memories we have, shall never fade, for those are the steps that we have made.”



“That was the past, the future is near, I anxiously wait, for what will appear. New homes, more laughter, and children so dear, everything will be wonderful, as long as you're near,” Anna finished, wiping the tears from Sarah’s cheeks.



“Cristy Smith,” said Sarah as they stood up, still holding on to each other.



Anna smiled. “You remembered.”



“How could I forget?” Sarah asked as they walked out into the yard. “Mom told us that poem every night until you were 16.”



“It was our special poem,” said Anna with a nod as she quietly led the way tip-toeing up the stairs and into her room before closing the door. “Come on; let’s get out of these wet clothes before we catch something.”



Sarah nodded. Anna was about to put dry clothes on when Sarah had an idea.



“Shouldn’t we rinse off first?” she asked. “Mom and Dad will be able to smell the chlorine to-morrow.”



Anna nodded and they took turns rinsing in the shower. When they were dried off, they put clean and warm clothes on and sat on the bed together. The door suddenly creaked as it slowly opened and Sarah whipped her head around to see their mother slowly walk into the room.



“Hi Mom,” said Anna with a small smile as Natalie slowly made her way into the room and onto the side of the bed, facing her daughters. She took both of their hands in her own.



“What’s keeping my babies awake at this hour?” she asked, placing their hands on her large baby bump of a stomach. Anna closed her eyes for a moment and smiled, so did Sarah.



“An extreme craving for chocolate pudding,” said Anna with a laugh.



Sarah giggled while Natalie only managed a small smile as she looked at Sarah with a penetrating look. Anna’s smile disappeared as she read her mother’s thoughts about Sarah. Natalie sighed and took Sarah in her arms and held her tightly against her body.



“Why didn’t you tell me that Chase’s death impacted you so hard?” Natalie whispered against Sarah’s head. “Why didn’t you let me or your father know that your life was in potential danger?”



“I’m sorry,” Sarah sobbed into her mother’s chest. “I’m so sorry.”



“It’s all right, Sarah,” Natalie whispered.



“No it’s not all right!” said Sarah, pulling away from her mother. “Chase is dead! He was at-tacked by a &*^%ing Cadejo!”



“What?” Natalie breathed in disbelief and wonder as Sarah’s indigo eyes filled with tears of rage and sadness. Natalie shook her head. “No, that’s not possible.”



“Why isn’t it possible, Mother?” Sarah demanded furiously. “Huh? Is it because you think that the only Cadejos in the world are me, Anna, and Dad? Well, I hate to break it to you; we’re not the only ones!”



“Sarah, calm down,” Anna urged, gripping Sarah’s forearm. Sarah glared fiercely at her sister for a few seconds before sliding her hand on to hers and gripping it.



The door slowly creaked open and the three women turned. Anthony looked tired and sad as he slowly entered the room. He was holding a thick leather bound book in his right hand and Natalie didn’t like his expression as he pulled up the desk chair and sat on it next to the bed. He held out the book for Anna, who was hesitant to take it from him. The instant her fingers wrapped around the leather binding, Anna felt herself being pulled away from her family and into oblivion. The rush of wind and color reminded her of when she traveled with Charlie. Except, this was different, way different.



When her feet finally hit the ground, she knew she was somewhere she shouldn’t be. Her knees buckled under the sudden weight and she hit the ground face first. She grunted as she opened her eyes and found herself looking at several pairs of feet. As she straightened herself up, Anna found herself looking at her great grandfather, Jeremy Vicks Sr. and his fiancée, Michelle O’Connor. Then she understood that in order to understand what was happening in her time, she must first understand what happened in his.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

(the following is supposed to be in italics but i dont know how to do that on this. Sorry)



As I gazed at the woman I loved with all my heart, the only thing I could think about was how much I was hurting her. I had lied to her about my secret for three years so I could protect her from the dangers that came with it. Only one other person knew my secret and he was my father, Dominic Vicks. My fiancée, Michelle O’Connor, noticed my troubled expression and took my hand in both of hers. She brought it to her lips and kissed my fingers.

“Tell me what’s wrong, love,” she said softly.

I smiled.

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” I asked.

“You have that pained look on your face,” she said, touching my cheek. “So spit it out.”

I had wanted to tell her my secret for many months now, but haven’t had the time or place to do it. I was going to tell her, right here and right now.

“Michelle, I have to tell you something,” I said, holding my hand out for hers.

“I thought so,” she said, placing her hand in mine. “So tell me.”

As I tried to conjure up the right words, I was distracted by thick black smoke. Sirens filled the air and I stood up in a panic. Michelle stood up too and followed my gaze. She gasped in shock.

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

I took off running toward the burning building. Once I was across the street, it was a madhouse. People were gathering in mobs to watch the heroic firefighters run in and out of the inferno, carrying people this way and that. Without thinking for one instant that what I was about to do was dangerous, I ran into the burning building. Michelle’s scream was all I heard before a beam nearly collapsed on top of me on my way in.

Beams, debris and flames were crashing down all around me, my lungs were burning and I could no longer see where I was going. I coughed deeply before kicking down a door. The bang was followed by another noise. The sound of sobbing filled my ears and I searched for the source. I opened a closet door and found a child holding a bundle.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

The child shook her head and squeezed the bundle. The bundle let out a cry and I immediately knew it was a baby. I took the child and baby in my arms and carried the out of the room just as the closet was engulfed in flames.

I tried to remember the way I took to get in so I could get out, but the smoke was making me dizzy.

“Turn left,” a voice said in my ear.

It took me a few seconds to realize that it was the child and not God who had whispered in my ear. I turned left and saw the door and ran for it.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

(italics end)

Anna felt like her body slammed into the mattress of her queen size bed and soon found herself feeling sick. Her hand flew to her mouth as she ran to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. She flushed and rinsed her mouth with Listerine before walking back into the room. Anthony was running his fingers along the cover of the book.

“Tell me, does he make it?” Anna demanded of him.

He looked at her with an amused grin.

“I’m sitting here, aren’t I?” he asked casually.

“The child,” said Anna desperately. “What about the child?”

“Child?” Sarah asked, looking from her sister to her father and back. “What child?”

“Your sister will tell you all about it, I’m sure,” said Anthony coolly as he stood up, book in hand. He held out his hand for Natalie and led her out of the room. Anna could have sworn that she heard her father whisper, “Now, let’s get you that chocolate pudding.”

Sarah looked desperately at her older sister. Anna didn’t have to read her mind to know what she was thinking. Her expression said it all. Don’t leave me in the dust on this one, Annie. Anna held out her hand and Sarah was hesitant to take it and when their fingers touched, Sarah was thrown into the world of the past.



“Anna?” Jake’s voice broke her thoughts. Ann blinked and looked at him.

He was leaning against the fence with his tanned muscular arms shiny with sweat and his blue sleeveless shirt was dark in several places. She smiled up at him through her reflector sunglasses and he returned it.

“Hey Jake,” she said, putting her legs over the edge of the chair and standing up. The hot tile burned the bottom of her feet as she jumped over to the mulch in front of the fence. She placed her hands on the top of the fence and Jake put his hand on one of hers and looked at her.

“I’m not even sure why I’m asking you this,” he began, rubbing his hand through his sweaty hair, “because you’re probably say no and if you don’t, then your dad probably will.”

Anna smiled and touched his sweaty cheek.

“Just ask me,” she said.

“Even though the first date sort of went berserk,” he began, “I was sort of hoping that we could give it another try.”

Anna smiled.

“I was hoping you’d suggest that,” she said, lifting her sunglasses off her face and placing them on top of her head.

His expression looked relieved as he let out a sigh. She smiled and he returned it. She was reaching for his hand when Sarah’s arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Sarah rested her chin on Anna’s shoulder and sighed heavily. Anna looked at her and smiled.

“What’s the matter, baby?” she asked playfully, wrapping an arm around her.

“Can we go somewhere?” Sarah asked.

“Anywhere,” said Anna, kissing the side of Sarah’s head. “Just give me a few minutes.”

Sarah nodded and pulled away from Anna. She ran her hand through Jayden’s hair as she past him and went into the house. Anna turned back to Jake and listened to the awkward silence.

“I guess you gotta go,” he said.

Anna nodded. “She’s been through a rough time since Chase died. She loved him.”

“I’m sure she did,” he said with a nod. “And about our re-try, we can do it some other time if you want.”

Anna smiled. “That sounds like you want to get rid of me.”

Jake laughed and Anna’s smile grew.

“I never want to get rid of you,” he told her. “You’re too unique to get rid of.”

“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said with a slight laugh. He grinned.

“So I guess I’ll see you tonight?” he asked hopefully.

“I’ll call you,” Anna teased, running her fingers up his shiny chest and flicking his chin.

He smiled and nodded and watched as she watched toward the house. Once inside, Jayden got out of the pool and walked over to the fence. He motioned Jake down to his level and Jake squatted.

“My sister likes you,” Jayden told him.

“She does, huh?” Jake asked playing, reaching through the bars and gently poking Jayden’s stomach. Jayden giggled and grabbed Jake’s hand. He squeezed it and Jake laughed.

“You’ve got quite a grip, kid,” he said, pulling his hand away from the boy.

“Doesn’t he?” Charlie asked as he walked up to them and put his hand on Jayden’s back. Jayden hugged his brother’s leg and Charlie smiled.

“Well, I guess that I had better get back to work,” said Jake, standing up.

“Bye bye!” said Jayden happily, waving.

Jake laughed as he waved back before turning and walking across the yard.



“What’s the matter, Sarah?” Anna asked as she put down her lunch menu to look at her sister.

“You should know,” Sarah said darkly without looking up at her older sister.

Anna frowned.

“Your thoughts aren’t always the easiest to read,” she said. “It’s like trying to decode Morse Code, French, and Russian all at the same time. It can get complicated sometimes, especially when I have other people to concentrate on.”

“Well, since you know all three, then it should be easy for you,” Sarah retorted. “You have no idea what it feels like to be hurt in ways you never knew possible.”

“You’re right,” Anna sighed, reaching across the small table. “But maybe you can show me.”

Sarah reluctantly took Anna’s hand and gently gripped it. Images of Chase flew through Anna’s mind. He was a small, three year old boy running around the backyard. The image faded and was re-placed by a six year old Chase on the swings after kindergarten. The images continued to fade and form as Chase’s life flashed through her mind. When Chase was a teenager, Anna let go of Sarah’s hand gasped.

“I can’t look at that right now,” she said, picking up her menu.

“How do you think I feel?” Sarah demanded angrily.

Several people in the diner looked at them. Anna, very well aware of the strange glances they were receiving and tried to calm Sarah down.

“Look, Sarah, I’m sorry about Chase,” said Anna honestly as Sarah reached into her jeans pocket. She laid her fist on the table and half smiled.

“You know what?” she asked, staring at her fist.

“What?”

“He loved me so much, he asked me to marry him,” said Sarah, “even though I’m not old enough yet.”

“What’d you say?” Anna asked.

“Yes.”