Chapter 14

The sky was calm that night. The stars shined brightly, the full moon at its peak. For anyone else, it would have been beautiful, for anyone else, it would have been a good night to just gaze up at the stars and be wrapped in the peace and calm that they provided. But for Shane Wolfe, the stars only brought despair.

He had the power to save the child, he had the ability to keep him from jumping, but he had not been quick enough. And now, a child was lost to the night due to his lack of response. He had failed another soul, and another family.

Forlornly, Shane stumbled down the stairs and back into the warehouse. Paramedics were attending to the injured twins as the police asked them insignificant questions. Slowly he walked towards them, not wanting to be the bearer of the news. They could tell from his eyes though.

"I couldn't save him."

"Riley didn't want to be saved, Shane. There was nothing you could have done." Shane simply nodded, dumbfounded.

"What happened?" One of the insignificant police officers asked.

"Riley Drake, the one who kidnapped Seth, committed suicide just a couple of minutes ago." The police officer, which no one would remember in a few days, turned to one of his companions and whispered a few commands. The other officer simply nodded and took off, presumably to search the grounds for Riley Drake.

"How are you two holding up?" Shane knew it was a dumb question, but he had to say something, anything to keep his mind from replaying the horrible scene on the roof, to keep the guilt at bay.

"We're fine Shane. Seth has a cracked rib, and I may have to wear a cast, but all wounds shall heal with time, even those that we can't see." Shane just nodded his head, knowing what the girl meant, knowing that the youngster was right, but unable to believe her. Silence lapsed between the trio again. It began to slowly suffocate Shane, until the police officer pulled him aside.

"Are you sure that Riley Drake jumped?" Shane was puzzled by the comment.

"I'm hundred percent positive. I saw and heard his body hit the ground." Shane just barely managed to keep his voice straight. The boy was too young to die, it wasn't his time. "Why, what's wrong?"

"We searched the entire area three times, Mr. Wolfe. There was no body. What we did find was this note, though." Shane, horrified, stared at the words written on the paper in shock. And these are the words that terrified Shane:

Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you.
But you look right at me and don't see me.
I'll be here in the end as I was in the past.
You're only prolonging you're death.
You saw me once, you'll see me again.
I am your shadow, I am your ghost.
And there's nothing you can do to stop me.
So say goodbye, to all you know and all you love.
Because in the end, you can't save them all.
And in the end I'll be there,
To relish in your misery,
And deliver what is long overdue.
To sweet, sweet revenge,
May it prosper as I have,
And destroy you as I wish.

Shane was shocked. This wasn't what he had expected, wasn't what he wanted to happen. He just wanted the Plummer family to be safe and all his hopes had been smashed against a wall with this one small note. But who was the note for? Who was meant to read the note? Perhaps it had nothing to do with them. Shane wanted to believe that, he really did, but the Plummers attracted danger like candy attracted children. It was inevitable. He thought briefly of telling the twins, but opted against it. This wasn't something he should share with the teenagers; they had already been through enough. He would tell Julie when the time was right.

Shane vowed to protect the Plummers. That note meant danger and he would not let the Plummers be put in further danger. Officially, he may not be their bodyguard, but he loved those kids and he would protect them to end if need be. There is no place for fear.

"So are you two ready to go to the hospital." Shane asked refusing to let the twins know what he had discovered.

"I don't want to go to the hospital again. It's not nice there." Seth whined.

"Ohh, but you have to go, or do you want me to patch you up again?"

"No!"

"Maybe, after we get all patched up, we can finally get on with our lives. Maybe we can be normal." Lillian said.

"Till the next adventure."

"Shut up Seth, that isn't even funny."

"What?"

"There will be no 'next adventure.' We are going to be normal from now on."

"Yeah, until the next weird thing just happens to stumble across us." Shane just shook his head at the arguing twins. Perhaps everything would be okay, but despair coiled deep within him and he knew, he just knew, that this was not the end. They were still traveling down a murderous path. Happy ever after would have to wait just a little bit longer.

The End