some incarnation. They never remember, but I always do. I find myself waiting for the moment when I recognize how I’ve known them before. And then it comes, and it all makes sense.”
Caitlin was afraid to ask the next question. She hesitated.
“So…what about us?”
Caitlin’s brow furrowed, as he stared into the fire. He waited a long time before he responded.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever met where everything is…obscured. I know, somewhere, that I have known you. But I still don’t know how. Something is being held back from me, and I don’t understand why. I can only assume that there is something about you—about us—that I’m not supposed to know.”
Caitlin didn’t know what to say. She felt overwhelmed with emotion for him, and she didn’t trust herself to say anything. She knew that whatever she said would come out wrong.
She stood up and grabbed a log, and with a trembling hand, reached out to throw it on the fire. But she was so nervous, that the log slipped, landing on the floor with a thud.
Caitlin and Caleb both stopped and stared at each other. The thud of the wood: it was hollow. The floorboards. There was something beneath them.
At the same moment, they both hurried to the spot on the floor where the log landed, as Caleb smoothed it over with his hand. Centuries of dust were wiped away, revealing the bare wood. He rapped hard on it with his knuckles, and there was, again, a hollow sound.
“Stand back,” he said, and she leaned back against the wall.
As she did, he pulled his arm back and punched the floorboard. There was cracking wood, as he punched a hole right through it, and reached in and tore up several floorboards.
Caitlin grabbed a candle, and put it inside the hole. There was not much space, and they could see the dirt on the ground. Caitlin moved the candle. At first, it revealed nothing. But as she moved the candle to the corner, she suddenly saw something. “There.”
Caitlin reached in and slowly extracted it. She held it up, and wiped away an inch of dust.
It was a small, red satin pouch. Tied shut by a string.
She handed Caleb the candle, and began opening it. She wondered what on earth it could be. A coin? A piece of jewelry? Her heart pounded with excitement as she finally got it open. She reached in delicately, and felt something cold and metal.
She held it up and they both stared.
It was a small key.
She looked back in the pouch, to make sure there was nothing else. This was it. Just this key.
She handed it to Caleb. He too, held it up, getting closer to the fire, examining it every which way.
“Do you recognize it?” Caitlin asked.
He shook his head.
Caitlin came over, getting close to him, as they both sat by the fire and touched the key. As she turned it over, she noticed something. She licked her finger, and rubbed it alongside the metal. A final layer of dust evaporated, and there was visible a small inscription, written in a delicate script.
The Vincent House .
She looked to Caleb. “Do you know it?”
He leaned back, shook his head and sighed.
“I guess our search isn’t over,” he finally said.
She could hear the disappointment in his voice. He had clearly expected to find the sword here. She was sorry, and felt somehow to blame. She, too, was frustrated by all the clues. She leaned back herself, settling in for what she assumed might be a long search. At least this place had yielded a clue. At least it wasn’t a dead end. Now, at least, they held a key. But to what?
Before she could finish the thought, Caitlin suddenly keeled over in pain. She was struck by a hunger pang, worse than any she’d ever had. She could barely catch her breath.
She felt the hand on her shoulder. “Caitlin?”
He didn’t wait for her to respond. She felt a strong hand beneath her arm, then felt herself being picked up, and carried, as he sprinted with her out of the cottage, through the thicket of branches, and into the forest.
As the pains
Caitlin was afraid to ask the next question. She hesitated.
“So…what about us?”
Caitlin’s brow furrowed, as he stared into the fire. He waited a long time before he responded.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever met where everything is…obscured. I know, somewhere, that I have known you. But I still don’t know how. Something is being held back from me, and I don’t understand why. I can only assume that there is something about you—about us—that I’m not supposed to know.”
Caitlin didn’t know what to say. She felt overwhelmed with emotion for him, and she didn’t trust herself to say anything. She knew that whatever she said would come out wrong.
She stood up and grabbed a log, and with a trembling hand, reached out to throw it on the fire. But she was so nervous, that the log slipped, landing on the floor with a thud.
Caitlin and Caleb both stopped and stared at each other. The thud of the wood: it was hollow. The floorboards. There was something beneath them.
At the same moment, they both hurried to the spot on the floor where the log landed, as Caleb smoothed it over with his hand. Centuries of dust were wiped away, revealing the bare wood. He rapped hard on it with his knuckles, and there was, again, a hollow sound.
“Stand back,” he said, and she leaned back against the wall.
As she did, he pulled his arm back and punched the floorboard. There was cracking wood, as he punched a hole right through it, and reached in and tore up several floorboards.
Caitlin grabbed a candle, and put it inside the hole. There was not much space, and they could see the dirt on the ground. Caitlin moved the candle. At first, it revealed nothing. But as she moved the candle to the corner, she suddenly saw something. “There.”
Caitlin reached in and slowly extracted it. She held it up, and wiped away an inch of dust.
It was a small, red satin pouch. Tied shut by a string.
She handed Caleb the candle, and began opening it. She wondered what on earth it could be. A coin? A piece of jewelry? Her heart pounded with excitement as she finally got it open. She reached in delicately, and felt something cold and metal.
She held it up and they both stared.
It was a small key.
She looked back in the pouch, to make sure there was nothing else. This was it. Just this key.
She handed it to Caleb. He too, held it up, getting closer to the fire, examining it every which way.
“Do you recognize it?” Caitlin asked.
He shook his head.
Caitlin came over, getting close to him, as they both sat by the fire and touched the key. As she turned it over, she noticed something. She licked her finger, and rubbed it alongside the metal. A final layer of dust evaporated, and there was visible a small inscription, written in a delicate script.
The Vincent House .
She looked to Caleb. “Do you know it?”
He leaned back, shook his head and sighed.
“I guess our search isn’t over,” he finally said.
She could hear the disappointment in his voice. He had clearly expected to find the sword here. She was sorry, and felt somehow to blame. She, too, was frustrated by all the clues. She leaned back herself, settling in for what she assumed might be a long search. At least this place had yielded a clue. At least it wasn’t a dead end. Now, at least, they held a key. But to what?
Before she could finish the thought, Caitlin suddenly keeled over in pain. She was struck by a hunger pang, worse than any she’d ever had. She could barely catch her breath.
She felt the hand on her shoulder. “Caitlin?”
He didn’t wait for her to respond. She felt a strong hand beneath her arm, then felt herself being picked up, and carried, as he sprinted with her out of the cottage, through the thicket of branches, and into the forest.
As the pains
Similar Books
