Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Chapter three.

Six days have passed, being occupied with packing Steph's belongings and mine. Today is the last day before Steph leaves town to Seattle, or so I think she had informed me — where the werewolf acting thing will be taking place.

My consultant, Olivia Buchanan, and I have been talking much more lately than usual. I've learnt many things, and improved on the selectee approval program. From the conversation — through phone, and emailing. I have improved to the stage of having an employee. And today is the day of which the employee will be coming, and that explains why I have been packing to go home.

In those six days, I didn't go to Thomp's, and he never calls me. His pride is that much if I'm to rate. He must be very angry at me.

I roll off the bed, feeling energize and go to the bathroom. I perform my morning routine, and walk back out to the closet; pick a thigh-length, oversize, emerald shirt, and black, fitting leggings. I don't bother brushing my hair since I might still have to do some chores which will only not help, but messy the strands abruptly.

I look at myself in the mirror, and see the same girl stare back at me. On a small range, I'm surprised that I didn't look any different than my six-days-ago-self, even after all the parking.

The door creaks, opening lightly. Steph stays at the entrance, her position is as though she's peeping in. Odd of her not to just walk in.

"There's a someone outside."

"Who?" I ask, not leaving seconds in between. She gives me a don't-be-stupid-look.

"I don't know. Why didn't you tell me you have a boyfriend?" She teases, wearing her lips into thin line.

Boyfriend.

"Oh, my God. It's a man. Shit, I think it's the employee." I practically yell. I pick the hairbrush and start to brush the upper part of my hair that's straight, and leave the downwards part that's wavy.

"The who?" Steph is confused.

"The employee — Triplets stuff. The thing I told you about." Realization dawns on Steph as she pulls her mouth into an 'o' shape.

When I'm hurriedly done, I check myself too fast, only seeing an upgraded version of the word glimpse. Trailing after Steph till we get to the living area, she gesture with her index finger to the kitchen's door, meaning she'd be in there.

I nod at her, whispering words that are incoherent on the outside, but meaningful in thoughts. When I'm sure Steph has entered the kitchen, I twist the knob, opening it after adjusting my dressing, beating myself mentally.

A man appears at the door, professional-looking from the way he's dressed. He has a clear grey eyes, showing lucidly at the close proximity. His head is oblivion of hair, but I can still see the baldness on it when I stare at it. Realizing I'm taking too long, I greet.

"Morning."

"Hi." He looks down to a small paper in his hand which I had not noticed, earlier. "Is this Miss Claire, a to-be official selectee of the Triplets company? Specifically, the Louis company. In need of an employee to help in arranging her needs, concerning the Triplets."

Wow. That's a lot of information in that small, like a tinkle paper.

"Yes, that's me. And who's asking, please?" My voice is low.

"I'm Ned. Your to-be employee once you sign the non-disclosure, and loyalty contract. I am here to make things that the email hasn't made clear for you. However, I cannot be able to explain everything. But the essential parts shall be explained." He says. His expression which I had taken as stoic soften into a ghost of a smile. His accent is pure, fluent British.

"O-okay." I brace myself. Forgive my manners. "Please come in."

"Thank you."

He enters, and make him comfortable on the one-seater couch, watching the interior decor briefly. He releases a smile, much to himself.

"What can I get you?"

"A glass of water."

"There's juice, if you'd want." I press. He smiles, but shake his head.

"I'm fine with water. Thanks."

"I'll be back in a jiffy."

Sharply, I gait to the kitchen. Steph is sitting on one of the kitchen island's chair.

"How was it?" She ask in a muffled tone. Her mouth is full of food.

"We haven't talked." I notice the pop in her eyes.

"Why?"

"Water?" I tell her as I take the glass cup from the cupboard, and open the faucet, filling it up. When it's almost full, I close the faucet and walk back.

"Good luck." Steph says after me in a hushed tone.

Getting back to the living room, I pass Ned the glass cup of water, and sit next to him, on another one-seater couch. I notice his skin is tanned, looking sandy. He's wearing a midnight-blue suit, white shirt beneath, and a slacks of the suit's colour. His shoe are matching colour of his outer outfit, a wrist watch of black leather, and luxuriously-looking.

Dropping the cup after a sip, he says. "Why don't we go into business already, Miss Claire? The faster we talk, the quicker we can finish this."

"Okay, then."

He takes a folded brown, paper folder out of his inside pocket and outstretch it to me."Here."

I collect it with a nervousness I'm exiling in hiding. "Okay."

As I take the file out of the embedding brown folder, Ned talks in the background.

"The file contains all the duties of which I'll be serving you — shipping of your belongings with care, taking care of things concerning the Triplets for you, making sure that you work for the Triplets from time to time, making sure that your rights, and all that the Triplets has promised to be in your favour will not be ignored." He drawl, stops to accumulate what I'm thinking, and doesn't continue afterwards. Perhaps he's waiting for me to say something... anything?

I'm lost of words rather. The file shows the Triplets signing on a half size of the paper, and on the other half is where I'll be providing my name, contact, place, and other essentials, including the signing space. There is nothing much except the same words from the message which I mostly understand to be diverted to my advantages.

More so, I need the job, and I hadn't seen any reason from the rules or protocol that would make me reject their offer. I take the pen inside the folder paper, and sign the contract of Ned to be my employee — one to make me comfortable at the Triplets work stuff.

"But, how are we going to ship my belongings since they aren't here?" I ask. Ned face lightens up as if he's been waiting a hundred and one years for me to talk.

"They aren't here?" He mirrors my words.

"Yeah. At my dad's. That's where I'll be spending the remaining weeks before traveling to, you know, Paris " I state.

"Yeah. Don't worry. Since you'd be there, I'll just contact you from time to time so when it's time for you to travel to Paris, I'd have arranged your belongings to have settled before your arrival at the airport. You know, for comfortability."

Oh. I didn't know my things were to be at the airport before me. What do you expect? They are quick companies — aren't sluggish at all.

"I think I understand much of it. Thanks very much." I say, taking a stand after Ned.

"We are the most welcome. Thanks for giving us a chance. The paper, please. Please note that this is just a part of the main contract signing. The real contract will be ready before you leave for Paris — there you would know which contracted time is yours." He explains, drawling each words for clarification.

"I understand. Thank you once again."

"I will take your leave. Be ready to be a staff of the Triplets." The way he says the words makes me feel all bubbly on the inside. Happy at once. I smile genuinely at him.

I watch Ned leave in a fancy, shining black Range Rover Jeep. Now that I've signed a part of the main contract, I should be preparing to leave Victoria as well as Steph, to Forks. Mere thinking about traveling makes me miss home, and most importantly dad. When last have you enjoyed the damp weather of Forks? My subconscious state. It's been more than four months since I last visit home. Isn't that just too bad of you? Left the old man alone to fed himself. That's so cruel of you to your father, Richard.

I push away the thoughts of my subconscious winning over my very conscious state, and walk back inside. Steph is sitting one the couch, the bowl of food is still in her hands. She's watching the TV — an Olympic game.

"So how was it?"

"We just talked about the same thing. The former emails have already covered everything. He only explained more on the same topic." I shrug while the words comes off my tongue, and sit next to Steph, making the space more cramped.

"Are you traveling as well as me today?" Steph ask, facing the TV. I glance at her.

"No. Tomorrow morning. I want to wait it out for today." I tell her. She nods at me, glancing over with a curved lips.

"In the meantime, since I'd be leaving around evening. Why don't we just go out? Maybe to a cinema or something? I seriously want to watch The twelve dancing princesses with you." She has those smuggling-into-your-heart-to-make-you-say-yes grin on her cheeks. Oh, the Barbie movie. She's watched it more than the numbered part in the movie's name. My subconscious is shaking her head in a firm no.

She's tried of seeing the same movie with Steph repeatedly. Well, I have no choice than to agree, like the other times.

"Okay. We will."

"Yay." She bumps at me, hugging me tightly by the sides. I grin.

The time is seven in the evening when Steph decides to stop her outing stuff, and drive us to the way home. After the cinema of watching The twelve dancing princesses, and another movie, called The darkest hour — an horror movie — we decide to move from there to the play ground where we rode the Ferris wheel. It was fun to say, but also tiring. I feel as though I just finish cutting many logs of woods with a blunt axe.

"Aren't you going to see Thompson? He must be furious that you didn't tell him anything." Stephanie calls my attention, making me turn from the outside scenery to the cramped space of the car, looking at her driving figure.

"Drop me off at his place. I'll know how to calm him." I say, looking ahead of me.

Steph only gives me a curt nod and drives to Thomp's place since its route also leads to the house. She turns off the engine, and turn to me. I look back at her and smile a ghostly smile, and alight from the vehicle.

Thompson's shop is free from the over-crowding customers. His radio, playing the soothing songs sounds more vibrant, and loudly that it fills the space to the close proximities outside. Thomp's at the booth when I walk in. His back is turned to me.

"Thomp's." I call. He hurriedly shift to me. Fear crosses his features momentarily, but he recovers almost as quickly, assembling himself.

"You again. You scared me."

"Didn't know you can be scared. Aren't you the fearless Thomp's who want to be a model secretly?" I say, laughing lightly, while he watches me with disbelief. Realization crosses my features, recalling what I have said.

"How did you know?" His eyes flares. "You this...you read my diary while I was away?"

"I'm sorry. I have something important to say."

"Of course, you do." He ignores me, going back to whatever he's doing that makes him turn his back to me again.

Knowing this will call his attention, I say. "I came to say goodbye."

It works, he turns sharply at me, having those stares that characters in horrific, massacre scenes in movies have.

"Why?" His shock is un-hide-able.

"I told you before that I might not stay long. I have been selected by a publishing company I submitted my CV to. Perhaps in few weeks from now, I'd travel." I explain as best as I can. He is still shocked. "I'm sorry."

"Like you care."

"You know I do even when I don't show it out to you."

"Okay. I should get a staff by next week. You should have told me before, Claire. Shit! Just don't take my apron with you."

"Will you stop using that word to me?" I ask, deadpan. Angry stomps on my tone. Thompson seems to be enjoying himself off my annoyance.

"Don't take my apron home. You can go." He says, going back to his doings. I give him the eye, glaring at him and stomps out of the shop. I just don't understand why he's so mean at me when he has that nice part at the depth of him? I can see that kindness in him, but I don't seem to understand why he'd be so moody all the time.

I get back to the parking space, enter the car, and put on the seatbelt. Steph examines my features. Thomp's given her something to call out her inquisitional part.

"Everything okay?"

"Thomp's just been dick-head."

"Whoa." Steph laughs. "He must have annoyed you then. I hate that the guy is so cute and yet, a jerk." As if irritated, she mention.

By fifteen minutes before eight at night clock, Steph drives me home. Rushing, Steph packs her luggages and leaves in her car to where she'll be meeting her crew. I stay behind, greet her with a farewell wave, hugs, and a bit of sadden emotio. We didn't have time to talk much, but I don't regret it, because we have talked and talked at afternoon when we went out.

Checking the laptop for any update didn't help at all as it brings in more emotions that makes me want to brood. Deciding not to do anything stupid to myself, I pick the remote up, and switch the channel from sport to movie — a romantic one. In hours more, I drift off into a slumber on the couch, having the usual nightmares that will always haunt me.

I am awake. I can feel it. The situation I'm in makes me feel cramped, uncomfortable, and uneasy as eerie feelings runs through my veins instead of blood.

"Claire." I hear a voice calls me. The sound is near me, as though the word was whispered inside my head.

"Open your eyes." It directs.

Without delay, my eyes are open, looking around the space I'm in. It's all dark, no difference than when my eyes were closed. I couldn't help myself to walk. I just stay in the same position, waiting for order from the one who seems to hold my body's remote. Out of nowhere, there is a flick of light, but then, before I can grasp what it really is, it is gone again. Seconds pass until another light flicks on, flying in the air.

The only light in the dark place. It is small, and dim. As though, watching a stagnant star in the sky from a lying position. It sends chills down my nerves.

"In the light, you will see. What is hidden shall come back. Memories of the past from where you shall learn." The disembodied voice says becoming increasingly faint. Just a soft whisper.

Involuntary, I walk closer, hearing no sound nor feeling anything from the ground beneath me and I touch the light. The twinkle turns into white flashes of light, overcoming my sight to total whiteness.

No sorts of pain results, but the feeling isn't comfortable either. When the light stops, I wander, twirling round another cramped space where the blinding light has taken me. I'm in a room, silent that just the drop of a needle would make an audible sound. The woods creaks beneath my feet as I walk closer to the door. Deep down in me, the room feels familiar but I don't want to recall as if I'd get hurt.

"Claire."

Before I can reach the handle of the only door that perhaps leads to the outside, a tiny, girlish voice calls from behind me. I turn to the girl, and gasp, recognizing who it was — the teen version of me when I was fifteen or so. If this is the smaller version of me, having those dull expression on her face. Her eyes, swollen from over-crying, then this can only means I am brought back to when the accident of five years ago happened. Oh, no. My thoughts are certain. I can recall the same cloth I was wearing.

"Save them from harm, Claire. You have the powers." Says the smaller version of me in a whisper. Tears drips off her eyes, running down her cheeks to rest briefly when it reaches her jaw, then falls.

"I-I-" I have nothing to say. This part of the dream is unlike I have ever had. This is very overwhelming.

"Save them. Say the spells, and they shall be saved. The wizardess of the dark awaits their soul. Join hands with me—" She halts as just as quickly I look outside through the small window. I can recall the empty room as my bedroom back at home.

Through the oddly large window, there's the sound of tires, screeching hard against the asphalt ground but that's not the terrifying thing, but my mom and sister, crying for help from inside the vehicle whose windows are rolled up. Out of nowhere, a truck hits the car at a junction, making it to roll over — stumble and fly in the air towards where I am in the room.

"Join hands with me now and let us cast the spell of repelling. If any part of the building should scrape at the slightest, the dark will be able to manipulate into the room we are preparing for you." The smaller version of me says in a completely different fifteen year old way of speaking.

"What room is that?" I ask, confused utterly.

"You don't need to know; for you'd forget it when you awake." As if time slowed down for us to converse, I watch as the flipping car on air, encrypting my mother and sister slows its movement strangely. For some reasons, I'm glad I won't have to remember any of this since I would forget them the moment I wake up.

"But, I don't have anything like powers. I'm human."

"Do not depend on what you see. Things you see are different from things you feel. And I'm purely certain you can feel the reach — the pull."

Time still slows.

"I feel nothing." Finishing saying, time rushes back to its initial demeanor. I never knew time is this fast — the way the car rushes towards the building so flashily, that I only see a glimpse. My own fear chokes me, turning the situation to inverse — I'm the one paused this time around. In a flash, watching as the scene unfolds sore brutally.

Suddenly, with an involuntary pull, my hands are placed on my ears to block the uninvited yet invading screech of a voice. I see the small me, shouting inhumanly to the top of her lungs. From all the supernatural movies I have watched, I think if I'm to decipher the tone she's using to make everything shake as if a thunder is raging war onto earth, I'd say Banshee's tone.

The voice of hers shakes the ground abreast my own figure. I fall to my knees. I can feel the blood, drawling from the inside to the outside. It touches my hands that are blocking my ears effortlessly. Crimson soon start to bleed down my nostrils and from the corners of my mouth. The voice is indeed not from this world, but certainly another. I can hear what she's yelling.

"Stop!"

The car stops just in time from hitting the house as she is directing her tone to it. It flies backwards away from us. When its figure is finally out of sight, the girl stops screeching. I use the back of my hand to clean the bloods from my face to the back of my neck. I try to stand but to futile ability, my legs feels like jelly.

"I have helped to preserve the room for you. When you reach your destination, you shall unlock it. Till then, go home Claire. The light awaits you nevertheless." In similarity to lowering the volume of a TV, the girl's voice vanishes as the same goes for her body. I look up when I've recovered from the pain and see that the room is vanishing as well.

The next morning, I wake up by the sound of my phone ringing just beneath my belly as I'm sleeping face down. I grip the phone from the tight space and look at the screen, seeing that it is Steph.

"Hi." I croak into the speaker.

"Hey. Morning baby girl. I just wanted to call you to ask of your wellbeing."

"Oh thanks."

"Anything you want to tell me?"

"At the moment, no."

"Even if you had the dream, I'm certain you wouldn't tell me." Steph says, laughing sharply from the other side. I can hear talks of low keys at the background.

"How was your trip?" I ask, changing the topic, disappointed at myself that she caught me ahead of myself. Even myself haven't realized that I had a dream, but she's known before me. Typical Steph. Go figure.

"Gotcha there." She cracks up, laughing while I'm busy being annoyed at her and myself. "Well, we haven't gotten there. We rested last night at a motel. But we will continue the journey in ten."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Saying those, I cut the call and slide my phone back onto the couch. I'm very much awake now than the last ten minutes. I can't remember much from the dream except the stages where I was still in the dark, then a flick of light, then a girl of my young age. The rest are blurs to me. I didn't press further too, having a feeling that whatever I forgot, I was thankful that I do; that I don't have to mull over it.

From my phone, I type in a message of needing an uber from the app that Steph sent me few days ago during while we pack. A message from their side pops up on my phone, texting back that the uber will arrive in twenty minutes since it's close by to my place.

The shower bath is quic. Wrapping a towel round my body, I dry off my hair in front of the mirror. When I'm through, I dry off the water on my body, and move to dressing up. I pick a dress of ruby red gown, with a black leather jacket on top of it. Completing my dressing, I add a black sneakers, and leather watch. With a last glance at the mirror, I hurry down to the living room, messily pulling my hair into a ponytail with a red head tie. Just as I reach the door, the uber's horn sounds just outside the parking space.

The driver alight from his car, walking towards me as I'm doing the same.

"I got the address right, yeah?" He ask in a hasty tone. I am starting to hope he isn't a Fast and Furious kind.

"Yes. Can you help me with my luggage?" I say and he nods. I turn to the front door, and enter the house with him behind me.

The bags are already packed just at the corner next to the front door, making it an easy task to move it quickly to the vehicle.

Within approximately ten minutes, we are through with stuffing the bags into the booth. The man closes it, while I open the door to the back seat and occupy it. In seconds, he is occupying the driver's seat.

"Are you ready, ma'am?" He ask. I look back at the house. It's alone now. I've made sure to lock the doors for security sake, and luckily, Steph has spare keys with her in case she arrives earlier than me... And me, I'm still doubting if I'd come back here. If the Triplets contract signing works as planned, that means I'd travel from Forks straight to Paris.

I nod at the driver. "Yes."

Facing his front, he kicks the engine on, and drives out of the parking area.

The drive to Forks from Victoria doesn't take much time — two hours, fourty-five minutes. My thoughts didn't linger to much except the beauties found as we roar past the road, the Triplets stuff and hopes that I'm wishing for it to be successful till the end. The car slows down, getting to my neighbourhood. Carefully, I watch the scenery of the place. The new transformation that I've missed since the last four months of visiting here.

Stopping the car at the given GPS, the driver hops down the car to help me with my luggage.

"Thanks. I appreciate your help."

"It's nothing, ma'am. Have a nice time." He says back to me, and walks to take his usual seat. Leaving me at the walkway to the front door of my father's bungalow house, he drives off. I look at the house, examining it but there isn't much changes I could grasp.

The window to the living room opens, and I can hear dad's chuckles as he closes back the curtains. I walk at the same time, the door opens for my entry. Walking past the threshold, dad pulls me into a hug.

"How is my darling doing?" He's smiling broadly at me as though he hasn't heard from, nor seen me for years. I smile, remembering his fatherly acts that's build up inside of him since mom and my sister pass away. It's such a bad memory for the both of us, and we will never forget it.

"I'm great, a bit tired though. Need a shower."

"Yeah. Feel free. The house is yours." He spreads his arm in a welcoming and inviting manner.

"When is it not mine?" I tease, dropping the bags close to the door. Dad doesn't complain.

After a quick shower, I'm sitting with dad at the living room. He's occupying a section of the couches joined together to form a sort of diameter shape to the space, while I occupy another section. There's a cup of warm tea on my hands, my finger mindlessly plays at the rims as I watch the TV with him. Occasionally, we would talk about things that has happened so far but right now, we both seem to be enjoying the silence. Much to my comfort, dad hasn't picked up anything about the family bakery business topic.

Three weeks passed so fast that I sometimes lost track of time. In the earlier two weeks, Ned brings in some people — perhaps, coworkers of his to help with shipping my belongings. I was given the address receipt, and confirmation that my belongings are well shipped without any worries. In weeks and days ago, dad helped in supporting me to buy some things of my own in case anything happen even after being sure that my bags are well kept. I still couldn't help but doubt Ned and his men. I don't want any problem of me regretting anything so, I made sure to bring things of my own differently. My consultant, Olivia Buchanan, hasn't been talking much with me, lately. Maybe she's busy with answering other selectees. Of course, I couldn't be the only one she's working with as a consultant.

Steph and I manage to talk every night even as things seems busier. Her work is going fine, she and her crew got to their destination safely and have started the shooting of the movie already — Beast of The Wild is the name she had called the movie for me. I'm really happy for her that even though she wasn't picked for the Aurora's company that she's submitted her CV to, she still was able to manage, somehow, into starting something great.

Today is the day I will be traveling to Paris. Everything has been set by the help of Ned mostly. I really own him one. Without him on this part, I might have been lost. But then, that's his work. Still, I appreciate his support anyways.

I'm dressed in a white blouse; denim short jeans; brown cross-bag, and green converse; a shade of black, but having lesser concentration as you look downwards. I smile at myself in the mirror, proud of myself that I'm improving on my talent career as dad is grinning happily at me.

"I'm ready to go."

"Yes, you are." He says, holding out his palm after he's checked me from arm's length. I take it and he leads me to the outside where Ned is waiting for me in the same Range Rover to take me on the new journey of being a professional writer, working for the main, popular-bingo, Louis' publishing company.

I occupy the backseat, next to Ned. The driver starts the car and pulls out of the parking area. Dad watches us as we leave. I sigh to myself, not thinking much about what I'm going to face in Paris. Whatever, things are going to turn out just fine. Deep inside me, I couldn't help, but keep recalling the blurry dream — what it could have mean? What I had forgotten? I hope Paris and the Triplets will save me from that because I should be busy.