Everlasting Bond (13 page)

“I f
orgot about that. Wow, it’s October already?” Katrina couldn’t believe how fast time was flying. If she wasn’t careful she felt like the whole year would pass her by.

“What’s a Fall Festival Celebration?” Cole asked, reading over her shoulder.

“It’s this thing the town does every year. They throw this big party in honor of the original founder, Morgana Blackwood.” Katrina used to love hearing her dad recant all of the stories the townsfolk had made up about her. Now with everything going on, it seemed rather ironic.

“Our school throws the biggest dance,”
Stacy boasted with a big smile.

“All that trouble for one w
oman?” Andrew rolled his eyes.

“It’s because of her this town even exists,” Katrina snapped back. He sure knew how to get under her skin.

“She fled here with a bunch of other families,” Stacy added.

“Why?” Andrew cocked an eyebrow. Katrina felt he already knew the answer and he was just patronizing her.

“To escape the witch hunters,” Stacy answered.

“She gets all the credit,” he mumbled just loud enough for Katrina to hear.

Katrina smiled at Stacy and then turned to Andrew. She wasn’t going to let him bother her today. “You don’t like having fun, Andrew?”

“I do, but I prefer more intimate settings. Guess I’m just old-fa
shioned,” Andrew winked at her.

“Well, I can’t wait.” Stacy wasn’t able to hide her excitement. Halloween was both her and Katrina’s favorite holiday. Any chance Stacy could dress up, she took it.

“I think it sounds like fun.” Jake smiled at Andrew.

“So, I guess this means we’re going?” Andrew cowered his head at Jake.

“Yup. It’ll be great. We can wear matching costumes.”

Katrina laughed at Andrew’s expense. He wouldn’t stop Jake from doing anything he wanted, so she knew she had won this ro
und of high school humiliation.

“There’s the bell.” Without another word, Andrew took Jak
e by the hand and led him away.

“Shoot!” Stacy put her hand on her forehead. “I have to run. I was supposed to go turn
in my English paper. See you!”

“See you.” Katrina watched Stacy run off, leaving her alone with Cole.

Leaning against the car, the two of them stood there. Katrina hated that sometimes around him she had trouble finding the right words.

“Dance sounds fun,” Cole finally said.

“Yeah?” Katrina looked at him.

Cole nodded. “Would you like to go with me?”

“I would. But—”

“But what?”

“I don’t know. I guess I feel it’s kind of unimportant right now compared to everything else.”

“Is it?”

“What? You don’t think so?”

“What I think isn’t important. If we hadn’t come here and you didn’t know about everything else, would you be going?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Then that settles it. We’re goi
ng,” he smiled.

“Why?”

“Car—Katrina, I don’t want you to miss out on anything in this life just because we’re here. Besides school dances are always highly amusing,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“How many dances have you been to?”

“I’ve seen a few.”

“I’ll bet you have.”

“That’s a perk of living forever.” Smiling he went to lead her into the brick building when his words sparked her memory and she stopped him.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” he grew serious.

“Last night I had another—dream,” sh
e stuttered over the last word.

“And?” His excitement grew.

“And it felt as strong as the first one. I just wanted to know, how many times have I been—well—reborn?”

At first, Cole didn’t respond. He stood there and she could see him debating on something. Then in a serious voice he asked,
“Can we go somewhere to talk?”

“What about school?”

“Ms. Stevenson’s out sick and something tells me we won’t be missed,” he winked.

Katrina just
nodded her head. She wasn’t sure she liked him playing with people’s minds to get them out of class. On the other hand, it was a slight perk.

As she got in to the car, Katrina could feel her nerves take control. She was anxious to know where they were going. Cole never said anything the whole car ride. Instead, she watched him drive further and further out of town.

After a few more miles, they reached a dirt path and he pulled off to the side of the road. Opening her door, he took her by the hand.

“Where are we going?” she asked, as they began walking.

“You’ll see.” He kept pulling her forward without glancing back in her direction.

As he led her up the dirt path, she took in her surroundings. She had never been this far out of town before. There were towers of pine trees everywhere. The sound of water flowing was the only one that filled the air. She wasn’t sure how long they had been walking when Cole suddenly stopped and turned to face her.

“What is it?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

At her words he stepped aside and Katrina felt like someone knocked the wind out of her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Is that what I think it is?” She felt her stomach inch into her throat, as what was left of the building stared back at her.  Cole didn’t say anything, he just nodded his head. “And it’s been here this whole time?” She couldn’t believe any part of it was still standing.

Cole nodded. “The trees are so overgrown, that many
people forgot it’s even here.”

The boards on what used to be the windows were covered in multi-colored graffiti. It looked like it had served as refuge to many homeless people through the years. The cottage was sad and disheveled com
pared to the one in her dreams.

“Come on.” Cole lightly tugged on her arm and she followed him closer to the building.

Nearing what used to be the front door, Katrina looked down and found a small square opening. Tears welled in her eyes. “The basement!”

“It was
our
place,” Cole said.

Black spots blurred her vision. She thought she was going to pass out. Seeing remnants of her past staring her right in the face was a bit much to take in. She sat down on a nearby rock to steady herself. Within seconds Cole’s hands were helping her.

Cole knelt down in front of her. “Maybe we should go?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Just need some air.” She bent over and rested her head against her hands, attempting to control her breathing. It helped
a little; she didn’t hyperventilate. “It’s a little overwhelming.”

“I know it is and I’m sorry to keep putting you through this.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.

“How many times have you done this?” When he didn’t respond she looked up at him. “I need to know how many lives I’ve lived.”

“The first one was here.” He gestured towards the cottage.

“And after that?”

“The second time I found you in
New York.”

Katrina felt her heart drop into her feet. “The ship!”

“Yes.”

“Is that all of them?”

“No. There were a few more.”

“How many more?”

“After that was L.A., Charleston, Chicago, and finally I traced you back here.”

Katrina’s head was spinning. She quickly did the math. Six times. She’d gone through this six times before and she couldn’t remember any of it.

“How is it possible that I could go through this so many times and not know it?”

“Each time you’re reborn, you start over. You still have the memories, but they’re buried in your subconscious.”

Staring at him she was hit with a realization. “Wait, each time I’m reborn that means—” Katrina swallowed feeling a lump in her throat.

Cole took her face in his hands and looked at her before he answered, “You died.”

He started to explain, but she felt the nausea return and quickly shut him down. “I don’t want to hear anymore. I need to get some air.”

She stood to her feet and started walking. Katrina wasn’t sure where she was going, but she felt better when she moved. And the last thing she wanted to do was go inside the cottage.

Walking through the forest, Katrina concentrated on everything she saw. It was so strange to see things from her dreams in person. She became lost in the scenery, while Cole walked beside her and never said a word.

Katrina eventually came to a small stream and kept walking in a daze. It wasn’t until she was on the other side that she realized Cole didn’t follow her. She turned and found him standing at the edge staring back at her.

“What’s wrong with you?” she shouted.

“It’s running water.”

“So?” She didn’t understand what the big deal was. It was just water.

“I can’t cross it. Not unless there’s something over it.”

“Oh.” Katrina felt stupid for not knowing and walked back towards him. “I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay.”

“I know I keep freaking out, but these dreams are really messing with my head. I hate feeling like I have no control over who I am. Every night I go to bed wondering what horrible thing I’m going to see next.” Katrina tried to fight back her tears, which at the moment were winning.

Without a sound, Cole stepped in front of her and gently cupped her face. “I wish I could take the pain away. I hate watching you go through this.”

The longer Katrina stared into his eyes the more she had the feeling he knew more than he was saying. “You know something you’re not telling me?” He looked at her and didn’t answer right away. “Cole!”

“Every time you discover a memory I relive it all over again with you.”

“What? How?” Katrina pushed his hands away and slowly crept backwards.

Katrina looked at him and then gasped in shock at the thought. “You were in my head!”

Cole nodded. “It’s not what you think.”

“What the hell, Cole?” Anger was taking over at this point. “Don’t tell me w
hat to think. Am I just some kind of toy to help you pass the time? Playing with my mind is some kind of game?” She edged closer, pointing a finger at him. Katrina wasn’t sure what to think. Her mind was racing a million different directions. Just when she thought she could trust him, he’d unleashed another secret. It was becoming too much. Her head started spinning out of control.

“It’s not like th
at.” His face was very serious.

“Then what is it? Cause messing with my head is one hell of a way to get me to believe you!” She was so angry; she could feel a part of her she didn’t recognize start to emerge. Her body tingled with electricity from within. She wasn’t scared of him; she was too pissed to let her fear win.

“No. I wasn’t. I swear,” he pleaded. “I can’t interfere. I can only be in the moment with you.”

“Why should I believe that? For all I know you could be lying to me about everyt
hing.” Tears ran down her face.

“I wouldn’t lie to you.” He sta
rted to step towards her again, this time being very cautious. “There is nothing in this world I want more than for you to remember.”

“Then why can’t you just tell me what i
t is I’m supposed to remember?”

“Because I can’t.
You have to do so on your own.”

She was lost in her thoughts and never realized he closed the distance between them. Slowly putting his hands to her face, he forced her to look up a
nd said, “I love you, Caroline!”

The longer she stared at him the more her feelings took over. His auburn hair looked as good as in her dreams. Even her mind hadn’t done him justice. She wanted to reach out and run her fingers th
rough it, but stopped herself.

The fact of the matter was he lied to her and that was something she couldn’t ignore. There were too many things at stake for her to let somet
hing like that go.

“I wish
I could say that I love you, but the truth is I don’t know you. Any of you.”

Cole didn’t move. She knew she had crushed him, but it was the truth. “You can’t mean that?” he pleaded with her.

“You don’t get it. I’m not your precious Caroline and I’m not so sure I want to be.” Her heart twisted as she spoke. Cole’s jaw clenched. He looked like she punched him in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him.

She felt a little guilty for saying it, but it was the truth. Things were much simpler before he came into her life.

“Caroline, please?” He attempted to step forward, but she stopped him.

“Don’t.” She held up her hand. “I don’t want to see you
anymore. Just leave me alone.”

Katrina turned and walked away, never l
ooking back