Post by StoryGirl83 on Mar 13, 2010 23:45:24 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen – Race You
Chris orbed into the manor attic and looked around. It took less than a second to decide no one was there, so he headed out the attic door, closing it behind him as he headed down the stairs. He reached the second floor and opened the first door he came to.
He stood there a moment letting memories flood over him, memories of another time and in a way of another man. The sound of footsteps on the stairs ended the moment and he closed the door to the empty bed room and walked toward the stairs.
Chris was met by his brother as Wyatt ascended the stairs. “Anyone down there?”
“I’m not sure,” Wyatt admitted. “I hadn’t looked very long when I heard a noise up here. You, I guess?”
Chris nodded.
“I didn’t search much, but I don’t think they’re here.”
“Are me actually looking for them?” Chris asked, curious. “Or did we just leave so Emily couldn’t ask about where she first met you?”
“Do you think I want Seth knowing that I switched bodies with my mother?” Wyatt asked back. “You let her ask that, and he would know.”
“But it that the only reason we are here?”
Wyatt shook his head. “No, Melinda really had a point about Dad. If there is a chance he knows something that can help us prepare or maybe even prevent, we owe it to those ‘as yet a vague concept’ innocents to learn what he knows.”
Chris glared at him for throwing his earlier words back at him. “Ha ha. Funny guy.”
“I’m serious,” Wyatt glared back. “I’m not sure what’s up with you, but you did not want to stick around earlier. Seth is your friend, too, so why are you wanting to avoid him?”
Chris leaned against the wall and sighed. “He tried to kill Seth.”
Wyatt looked at his brother confused. “Who tried to kill Seth?”
“It’s not as if he knew he was Seth, but he was and he tried to kill him.”
“Who, Chris? Who tried to kill him?”
“The other me,” Chris replied softly. “All he knew was that this baby was a demon and he wanted him dead in case he was somehow the one who . . .” Chris trailed off and shook his head. “If it weren’t for Mom and Aunt Paige both Seth and his dad would be dead. Or maybe Derek would be dead and Seth would have been raised by the manticores.”
Wyatt shuddered at the thought of his best friend raised as a demon. The thought of maybe one day having to vanquish Seth because no one had cared enough to get him and his dad back together was hard to face and he was very glad that he didn’t have to.
“I guess I feel embarrassed,” Chris admitted. “I almost killed my friend.”
“I see.” Wyatt was quiet for several seconds and then he looked at him, again. “I think you need to explain this to Seth, because he’s wondering what’s wrong.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Chris acquiesced, “but that doesn’t make it easy.”
“No,” Wyatt agreed. “That’s not something that’s easy, but there’s something that you have to remember.”
Chris looked at him.
“It wasn’t you.”
“But it was someone that I could have been, that I was under other circumstances.”
Wyatt looked at him. “He’s also the reason I’m not whatever it is you won’t tell me I was, at least I think he is, since no one will tell me anything about that part of it.”
Chris looked over at him and smiled. “I guess that’s true.”
“And what would you do if something happened to me, something similar to whatever happened in that other time line?”
“I’d like to think I wouldn’t lie to Mom,” Chris mumbled.
Wyatt looked at him surprised. “Lie? You? Lying isn’t exactly something I think of when I think of you.”
Chris sighed. “I think that’s because I lied to them one time too many. I think Mom felt obligated to make sure I never got that particular character trait.”
Wyatt chuckled. “Yeah, that’s sounds like Mom.” He glanced downstairs and commented, “I don’t think anyone’s home. Want to check The Manor or maybe one of our aunt’s houses?”
“She won’t be at the Manor,” Chris assured him. “Remember I was there working tonight. I wouldn’t have left Drinka in charge if Mom was there.”
“Not The Manor then.” Wyatt considered this. “Aunt Paige’s or Aunt Phoebe’s?”
“Aunt Paige’s,” Chris replied without hesitation. “We still don’t know where Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Coop are, so I doubt she’s over there. And Dad said he teaches Hank, so he very well could be there, too.”
Wyatt nodded. “Race you.” And then he orbed out.
Chris laughed as he orbed out after him.
This time both brothers orbed in at the same time and in the same room, too. They looked around Paige and Henry’s living room. Wyatt looked at one of the cushions that had ice damage from when Janice had gone berserk trying to get rid of a spider like demon. He smiled at the memory. That day hadn’t been a good one, but by that point it had been improving drastically.
“You want to check upstairs or downstairs?” Chris asked looking through the doorway into the hall.
“I don’t think anyone’s here either,” Wyatt informed him.
Chris turned around to look at him. “Really? Why’s that?”
“I don’t sense anyone in the house.”
Chris looked at him surprised. “I thought you didn’t know how to use that power.”
“A week at the hospital followed by a week and a half of mandatory sick leave and a person gets bored,” Wyatt informed his brother. “I spent a lot of time learning that power. Besides, don’t you have a sensing ability, too.”
Chris nodded. “Not that long in range though. What’s next then? Aunt Phoebe’s?”
Wyatt shook his head and dug his head into his pocket. “We are doing what we should have done ten minutes ago . . . call Mom on the phone.” He pulled out his cell and, flipping it open, said, “Mom,” before putting it to his ear. After several seconds he sighed and flipped it closed. “Busy. At least I know she’s fine.”
“You thought she might not be?”
Wyatt shrugged. “With our family? It’s always possible.”
Chris inclined his head in acknowledgement. “True. Call Dad’s cell then?”
Wyatt snorted. “He’s kind of like you there, forgets that he has one. We can try, but I doubt he’ll answer.”
Chris frowned. “We might as well try Aunt Phoebe’s, just in case.”
Wyatt flipped open his phone. “Phoebe and Coop.” He waited and after several rings listened to the beginning of a message on the answering machine. He flipped it closed and shook his head. “No one answered.”
“Let’s get back to the apartment then,” Chris said with a sigh. “We don’t know who this demon is. He’s not in the Book. And out family has disappeared.”
“I’m sure they’re around, “Wyatt announced, “but let’s go ahead and go home. Maybe Seth or Melinda has an idea.”
Chris looked his brother in the eye and a grin grew on his face as he said,” Race you,” and orbed out.
Wyatt laughed and orbed out after him.