Falling Into Darkness: The Under Series Book 1 (20 page)

I looked down at what he was writing, he wasn't he was drawing a tiny monkey. “Mack,” I tried
again. His pen stopped for a split second.
“Mack.....Mack I know you can hear me. Fine, ignore me.” I scooted my stool away.
“Ruby what do you want from me?” he said in a hushed voice.
He turned himself towards me. I looked at him, but couldn't really see him as he still had his eyes
hidden behind his shades.
“I just wanted to know what happened before you left, I don't remember,”
“You fell asleep,” he said going back to his drawing.
“I fell asleep?”
“Yes on the floor,”
“Ruby, Mack is there something you want to share with the class?”
Mr. Gibson stood at the front watching us, other students had also turned around to see what we
we're doing. I shook my head.
“Both of you, detention, twenty minutes after class. Anything you have to say to Mack can wait
until you leave this room. We are in here to learn, everything else can wait.”
Detention, I'd never heard Mr. Gibson handing out detentions before. In fact I hadn't heard of
anyone getting a detention since I'd been here. Mr. Gibson had seemed like one of the more laid
back teachers, I wondered what his problem was today something was aggravating him.
Now I'd gone and got Mack and I stuck in detention, well if Mack didn't like me five minutes ago
he was going to hate me now. I angled myself away from Mack, feeling completely embarrassed
and awkward. It made no sense why he was suddenly giving me the cold shoulder, I thought last
night we had, had fun. I thought he liked me, why would he ask Robbie if I was going to the party if
he wasn't interested in me?
The next forty five minutes dragged, but I did pay attention and when Mr. Gibson wasn't looking I
read through some of the reading I had missed. I felt Mack's knee knock against my leg a few times,
I tried not to let it bother me, but it did so I scooted my stool a little further away again. The bell
rang loudly in the corridor. Caitlin turned and waved goodbye to me.
“We'll be in the cafeteria.” she mouthed.
The class emptied, but Mack and I remained seated.
“Ruby move to the desk over please.” Mr. Gibson said. I picked up my belongings and moved to the
other desk.
“Right you two can make a start on tonight's reading, twenty minutes worth of reading.” Mr. Gibson
sat at his desk with a book, he then pulled out a pre-packed sandwich from his desk drawer.
It felt like he was taunting me with his sandwich. I was really looking forward to a burger from the
cafeteria, which they only did on Fridays, they would probably all be gone by the time I got to
there.
Grrr! The girls at the front chatted non stop during class but he'd never given them detention. I
looked down at my reading book, realising I had been trying to read the same sentence at least four
times now. I looked over at Mr. Gibson again, he was happily tucking into his sandwich and pouring
what smelt like coffee from his flask to his mug.
My eyes drifted to the desk next to me. Mack was slouched down on the desk with his arms folded,
he had his book propped up in front of him. It was as if he knew I was watching him because at that
exact moment his eyes flickered over at me, I quickly turned my head back to my own book. There
was a knock at the classroom door. Mr. Gibson waved the person in. The person pushed the door
open but didn't come in. It was Cam in his overalls with his cap on pulled down low over his face.
“Are you Mr. Gibson?” Cam asked.
“Yes that's me, what can I do for you?”
“I was told the blue Ford out front belongs to you,”
“Yes, yes it does,”
“Well someone's let all the air out of the tyres and toilet papered the whole thing.” Cam said, a
small grin appeared on his lips but quickly disappeared again.
“What are you sure?” Mr. Gibson stood up abandoning his sandwich.
“Yeah I'm sure,” Cam nodded his head towards the windows.
Mr. Gibson rushed over to the window, muttered a few words to himself, then hurried out the
classroom and Cam followed behind him.
Mack stood up and got his stuff together.
“What are doing?” I asked. I knew what he was doing but I was using it as an excuse to talk to him.
“Leaving.” he replied.
He walked past my desk and disappeared out the door, he didn't even look back once.
Well I wasn't going to sit here on my own. If Mack was going to get into trouble for leaving it
meant I would probably get the same punishment if I left as well. I thought about it for about thirty
seconds and knew if I was going to do this then I should probably do it quickly encase Mr. Gibson
came back.
I was really hungry and really wanted a burger which made the decision for me in the end. I got my
stuff and stood up taking a quick look out the window, Mr. Gibson was pulling toilet paper of his
car, it wasn't hard to miss, the car looked like it had been wrapped up like a an Egyptian mummy.
There we're lots of kids stood around watching, most of them laughing. I didn't think he was going
to be back anytime soon so he probably wouldn't even miss me. I hurried out the door, stopping at
my locker to dump my heavy books. I soon found Caitlin in the cafeteria and got there just in time
for one of the last burgers.
“So I hear you're turning into a naughty little girl trying to prove your love for that bad boy,” Aimee
chuckled.
“I see Caitlin told you,” I said biting into my burger.
“Well I didn't say it quite like that.” Caitlin said frowning over my shoulder.
I looked behind me and saw Cam pushing a mop and bucket along the floor, he looked over and I
was sure he winked at me.
“That guy gives me the creeps,” Caitlin said squirming. “You know I went to the bathroom during
English,”
“Yeah,” I added watching the back of Cam.
“Well when I came back I caught him looking in our classroom window I think he was spying on
you. He had a load of toilet paper rolls and was nowhere near the bathrooms, he's really weird.” She
looked at me.
“Oooo Ruby's got a stalker and a really hot one, they're the best kind.” Aimee said licking her lips.
I wasn't that bothered at the fact Cam had been spying in through the window I was putting two and
two together, Cam with toilet paper rolls and Mr. Gibson's car had just been toilet papered. Had
Cam done that to Mr. Gibson's car? Well if he had, he had just done the coolest thing to get me out
of detention, it wasn't like he'd done anything illegal.
“Well you survived your first detention here, even if it was short lived. Mr. Gibson just found out
his wife is leaving him for an orthodontist that's probably why he was a bit worked up this
morning.” Caitlin said.
“How do you know that?” Aimee asked.
“My mom's friends with Sarah” Caitlin said, turning her lip up in disgust.
“Who's Sarah?” I asked.
“Mr. Gibson's wife, we had her over for dinner last week, all through dinner she was naming items
she wanted to take with her from the divorce.”
“Yikes! Awkward much,” Aimee laughed.
“You have no idea, I felt bad even looking at Mr. Gibson this morning. I can't believe my mom
cooked food for that woman, I had to share silverware with that trollop.”
“Okay changing the subject. Friday night all those coming to my house for a girls night in, raise
their hands,” Aimee said. Caitlin stuck her hand up and looked at me. I nodded with my mouth full.
“Great we're going to have so much fun.” Caitlin squealed.
“Geez, calm down Caitlin, don't want to scare her away just as she agreed to come. But Caitlin's
right we are going to have loads of fun, especially as my mom has just restocked her liqueur
cabinet....score.” Aimee said loudly.
“No. Last time I slept over and you had access to alcohol, I ended up apologising to your
neighbours because you thought you were a mermaid and refused to get out of their pool.”
“Come on, you had loads of fun that night. Good times, those will be the kind of stories you can tell
your kids about, how wild we were.”
“No just you Aimee and I'm not wild, I'm more like your safety net,”
“Well you make a great safety net and I wouldn't have you any other way. And I don't think you
have anything to worry about me turning into Ariel, they drained the pool a few weeks ago.”
“Good to know but still no alcohol just soft drinks.” Caitlin said.
“Yes ma'am,” Aimee replied. “Anyway there wont be enough time for drinking, as I will be too
busy turning our ugly duckling into a swan.” Caitlin raised an eyebrow at me. Aimee turned to face
me and was holding some sort of colour chart, which had lots of different coloured pieces of brown
paper stapled together.
“I was thinking deep brown,” Aimee said, holding it close to my hair.
“Is that a colour chart?” Caitlin asked.
“Yes, I made it for Ruby to pick out the colour she likes the most and I will try to find something to
match.”
“Where did you get all that coloured paper from?” Caitlin asked.
“The art room.” Aimee replied casually.
“Since when do you know where the art room is?”
“Well I didn't, until last year when Jeremy Johnson showed me where it was,”
“Okay I've changed my mind I don't want to know.” Caitlin said shaking her head.
“No you don't it's a little x-rated if you know what I mean,” Aimee looked back at the colour chart
next to my hair. “Here take this and pick one.” she said handing it to me.
“Thanks, I can't wait.” I replied unsure what I was getting myself into.
Caitlin's cellphone started ringing.
“Hi mom,” she answered it. “Tonight?.....What time is she expecting me? Okay thanks mom.”
“What's was that about?” Aimee asked.
“Mom's arranged for me to interview this little old lady that's lived in the town a long time for
information, for my history assignment. This is great I'll probably get more information from Rose
than I found on the internet.”
“History assignment, I thought it was something exciting.” Aimee said looking back at her own
cellphone.
“So you don't want to come with me, to keep me company on the drive, Roses lives outside of
town,” Caitlin asked Aimee.
“As if, why would I want to spend my evening talking to an old lady, old people give me the creeps
it's like a horrible reminder I'll look like that one day.”
“All right Aimee I get the picture, but wrinkles aren't catching and she's a lovely little old lady.”
“When are you going?” I asked.
“After school, mom told Rose I would be there around four.”
“Well I can come with you if you want?”
“Really? You actually want to hang out with an old lady,” Aimee asked.
“I don't mind, I have nothing else to do anyway and I would only be sitting by myself back at the
cabin so it's company for me as well.”
“Okay well I'll meet you after last period by the lockers. You better let your
chauffeur
know what
you're doing. I can run you home afterwards.” Caitlin joked.

Rose lived in an old farmhouse hidden down a lonely mud track off the main route, I doubt many
people knew about it. I was surprised an older lady would want to live all the way out here by
herself.
Caitlin pulled up and parked in front of a small wooden fence that ran around the front of the
garden. I stood at the gate looking at the house. Ivy had overgrown most of it and the front yard had
grown wild over time. Bushes and flowers had taken over. But even in it's untamed state it reminded
me of a fairy garden I had seen in book when I was younger, beautiful and somewhat magical.
Caitlin pointed out a dragonfly as it flew overhead.
We followed the small path winding round to a large wooden front door.
“So how old is Rose?” I asked.
“That's the million dollar question. Everyone says she's the oldest resident in town but no one really
knows how long she's been here or where she came from? I asked mom and she guessed mid
nineties, but it's strange she doesn't look it and she's still very active.”
“Does she have any family?”
“She often talks about her son who's obviously grown up and moved away, but he never comes to
visit and if you ask anyone no one remembers a son or any other family as it's been years, no one
remembers anything about her.”
“That's really sad, she must be lonely,”
“Well she has a cat, don't panic,” Caitlin laughed. “she's not one of those crazy old lady's with a
hundred cats that smells of wee. Just the one cat, an overweight ginger fur ball. I think he's called
Oscar. You'll love Rose everyone does,” Caitlin lifted the huge door knocker and tapped the door
three times.
“Do you know what you want to ask her?”
“Yes I prepared a list,” She pulled out her notebook and flicked through it.
I glanced over the notes, noticing the questions went over the page.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Think it's too many?”
The door handle started to rattle and the door slowly creaked open.
A small face peeked around the door and looked at Caitlin, the lady smiled and opened the door
wider. She looked to young to be the old lady Caitlin was talking about. Maybe she was the cleaner?
She was dressed in a long flowing pastel pink dress and wore white slip on shoes on her tiny feet.
Her hair was a pastel violet colour with loose curls that hung low down her back, some of it was
braided over the top of her head and there was a small white flower pushed into it.
“Hello my dears,” said the lady.
“Hello Rose,” Caitlin replied.
I looked back at the woman, a bit shocked that this was Rose, she looked nothing like I expected a
lady in her mid nineties to look like. I smiled to be polite trying to cover up the confused look that
was probably showing across my face.
“This is my friend Ruby,” Caitlin said gesturing to me.
“Hi,” I said. Rose smiled at me and tilted her head slightly looking at me with interest.
“Ruby, what an interesting name.”
I didn't think there was anything interesting about my name and before I knew what was happening
Rose had stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.
“What a lovely bracelet,” she said touching the black stones. “Wherever did you get it from?”
“Err, I don't remember, I've had it a long time,”
She dropped my wrist. “Well that is interesting.” she said not looking at us anymore, instead her
eyes were watching the garden.
I looked over at Caitlin and she shrugged.
“Do come in,” Rose said turning and leading the way into the cottage.
Rose walked off and into another room off the corridor. Caitlin struggled with the door latch, while
I looked at my bracelet wondering what was so interesting about it.
It did look old and Rose was an old lady, maybe she had an eye for antique items? I walked along
the corridor noticing how nice and warm it was inside and smelled of freshly baked bread. Rose was
already seated in an armchair next to a large open fire that was burning. I sat on the long couch
nearest the window, that over looked the garden, Caitlin came and sat next to me.
“Caitlin, how is your family? Keeping well I hope,” Rose asked.
“Yes very well thank you. Mom's good and dad just got a promotion, my brother Jamie is really into
soccer right now and girls. Grandma Dorrie hasn't stopped knitting since she joined that club and I
get to wear a different hat to school everyday....yay.” Caitlin said trying to be enthusiastic about it.
I had been wondering what was with all the knitted hats she wore everyday, I just thought she had a
thing for hats.
“So I wrote down a few questions I wanted to ask you,” Caitlin said grabbing her bag.
“Do you girls want tea or something cooler to drink? Oh and I just baked some chocolate chip
muffins, they are fresh out the oven,” Rose stood up and walked to the door.
“Tea and muffins sound great,” Caitlin replied. “We'll help,” Caitlin said gentle nudging my elbow.
Roses kitchen was pink and very cottage like with pots hanging from the ceiling and teapots on
shelves.
Caitlin and I made the tea while Rose laid a selection of biscuits out on a plate along with a plate of
muffins which looked mouth watering. Rose carried the tray of drinks back and we followed each
holding a plate.
“So what is it you would like to talk about? Your mother said you needed information about
Heaven's Point for your school assignment,”
“Yes, anything you can tell me about the towns older buildings and their history would be really
helpful, like the old bakery, the water mill any historical buildings you can think of. What it was
like to live here back then and maybe mentioning the towns name and where it originated from and
the theories surrounding the whole fallen angels thing,” Caitlin said rolling her eyes at the last part.
“Oh they are not theories my dear,” Rose said lowering her tea cup to her plate.
“Right, well how about we start off on the towns trades and how they’ve grown and established
themselves over the years.” Caitlin said with her pen ready on her notebook.
Rose talked about the old water mill and how it was run and the families that had looked after it
over the years, they had just started discussing the old school that had since been turned into a
swimming pool when Caitlin's cellphone started ringing.
She reached down and picked it out of her bag, her hand was still moving from side to side on the
notebook taking notes. She answered and started chatting. I busied myself finishing my muffin
while I listened to Caitlin on her cell to what sounded like her mom. Then I heard Roses thoughts, it
was the first time I had heard her since we'd been here.
I wonder which one of them gave her that bracelet? Definitely not my son, he would of picked a
prettier one, she's not even a natural blonde....
I had to fight the urge not to touch my roots of my hair with my fingers, so I grabbed another biscuit
to distract my hand.
“It was my mom,” Caitlin said shutting her notebook. “Dad's got to drive back to the office and
mom needs the car to go shopping and pick my brother up. Dads dropping her off here, do you
think....” I was one step ahead of her and had already heard her thoughts.
“I'll get Micah to come and pick me up. I'm sure your mom doesn't want to drive all the way back
out to the cabin,”
“Ruby can wait here,” Rose said, collecting the cutlery and loading the tray. I wasn't to sure about
Rose, but staying meant she might let something else slip and I wanted to know what she was
talking about earlier.
I smiled at Rose but it felt wrong, something about Rose didn't seem right.
I pulled out my cell and messaged Micah about where to pick me up from, hoping he would
actually get my message today.
“I hope I've been able to help you with your school work Caitlin,” Rose said.
“Yes, you've been very helpful, I've got more than enough information here, I just have to type it all
up when I get home later.”
Rose walked back to the kitchen with the tray just as a car pulled up outside.
“That was quick, she must really want to go grocery shopping.” Caitlin groaned grabbing her bag.
I looked out the window and saw a tall lady with frizzy dark hair sticking out from under a knitted
hat, she was wearing gloves and what looked like two scarves and a heavily padded coat. The man
driving the car waved at us at the window, then he reversed back off the drive and the lady started
walking towards the house.
“She hates the cold, you should see her when it snows she can hardly move with the amount of
layers she wears, she sort of waddles.” Caitlin giggled as her mom knocked on the front door.
Rose opened the door, Caitlin's mom stood on the other side hopping from one foot to the other.
“Is it cold out there Maggie?” Rose asked.
“Yes there's a cold chill in the air, you make sure you stay warm tonight. Oh and were having a bake
sale next week at the town hall any cakes donated for sale would be deeply appreciated. Raising
funds for the animal shelter and everyone loves your home made cup cakes Rose.”
“I'll see what I can do,” Rose replied.
“Come on Caitlin, I can't feel my toes. Keys, keys.” her mom said hurrying her out of the house.
Caitlin tossed her mom the keys and turned back to Rose. “Bye Rose, thank you for helping me,”
“Anytime my dear.”
“See you at school Ruby,”
I waved bye and Rose shut the door.
“Would you be a dear and help me in the kitchen,”
“Of course.” I politely nodded and followed Rose to the kitchen, my cell beeped, it was Micah.
Be there soon.
I didn't know how long he meant be soon, so I offered to wash up the tea cups and it wasn't long
before I was helping Rose prepare her dinner.
Rose had kept her thoughts quiet and not said much else.
“You have a lovely garden.”
“Thank you, it's where I like to spend most of my time but not so much recently the weather doesn't
agree with me on the colder days.”
“Would you chop the carrots for me please,” Rose asked.
“Sure,” I moved round to the chopping board while Rose peeled the potatoes.
“So Ruby do you have a boyfriend?” she asked, my thoughts went straight to Mack but I quickly
shook him from my thoughts.
“No, no boyfriend.”
“That's a shame, you're such a pretty little thing. I'm sure someone's got their eye on you,” she said
scrapping the peelings into the trash.
I thought it was funny how she was lying outright to my face as that was not what she was thinking
thirty minutes ago. I glanced at the clock on the wall hoping Micah wouldn't be too long.
“I just need to pop the little girls room, could you fill and boil the kettle for me,” she asked before
she left the room.
I filled the kettle and switched it on and went back to the chopping board. Rose had only been gone
for a few minutes when I heard the front door slam shut. I walked over to the kitchen door but
before I could get to it, it started opening onto me. I stepped back out of the way and a boy with a
red checked shirt walked in holding a brown bag. He looked at me a little shocked when he realised
I was behind the door.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
The way he had said 'you' was a bit odd. I recognised him as the boy I had bumped into at the
nightclub, I still had his jacket in my bedroom.
“I was helping Rose prepare her dinner. I'm waiting for my ride to pick me up.”
“Where is she?”
“She's in the bathroom.”
“Did you come here alone?”
“No my friend needed some help with her school assignment, she needed to ask Rose a few
questions about Heaven's Point I sort of tagged along.”
“And which friend would that be?”
“Caitlin,” I answered his question even he was acting rather odd. “I still have your jacket at my
house,”
He nodded, fiddling with the edge of the brown bag. Rose walked through the door.
“Emmett, I didn't even hear you come in. Did you get any lavender oil I forgot to add it to the list,”
“Yes I remembered it anyway,” he said, his eyes glued to me.
“Emmett this Ruby. Say hello and stop staring its rude.”
“Err hi,” he said to me.
I smiled but everything about this felt awkward. He started pulling items from the bag he had
bought in, it looked to be mainly cooking ingredients.
“Stop it, I can do it.” Rose said smacking his hand away. Why don't you help Ruby with the
vegetables. He picked up a parsnip and started peeling.
“How do you two know each other?” I asked, I didn't like to sound nosey but I was curious about
them both.
Rose looked at Emmett and smiled.
“Emmett is friends with my son, he's like family to me.”
Emmett scratched at his chin, he didn't look up but I could tell he was not comfortable with
whatever this situation was.
I gathered the peelings into a pile wondering how a boy in his late teens was friends with her son
who was probably middle aged, that and I thought her son had moved away years ago.
“Emmett, have you seen Ruby's bracelet, it's so unique, do look,”
I looked over at him, his eyes casually glanced at my wrist.
“Yeah it looks old,” he said casually.
I looked at Rose wondering why she was so interested in my bracelet, I tried to hear what she was
thinking but the kettle whistled making such a noise that I couldn't hear anything.
Rose walked over to the cooker and reached for a pan and set it down. Emmett went over to the
kettle and lifted it up, I heard the trail end of Rose's thoughts,
He's never this quiet around a girl,
there's something about her....
I moved back to the chopping board and started chopping the potatoes into section, wishing Micah
would hurry up.
I no longer wanted to be here, there was something about Rose I didn't like. There was another
knock at the door and Rose walked out of the kitchen. I put the knife down and left the potatoes.
“That's probably my ride, I should get my jacket.”
Rose found me in the front room, I'd just put my bag on my shoulder.
“That thing is waiting outside for you.” she said but I wondered if I'd heard her correctly.
“Thanks for letting me wait here for my ride,”
She didn't say anything but instead just watched me with her tiny beady blue eyes. I took one step
through the doorway and she turned to me.
“You'd be a wise girl to stay away from him and his sorts they'll bring you nothing but trouble,”
“Do you mean the guy outside?” I asked, but she didn't reply, instead she ran her hand along the top
of the fireplace checking for dust.
“He's my friend,” I said wondering why she disliked Micah she didn't even know him.
“They don't have friends dear. They only use people to get what they want. There's a reason they're
called wicked. Save yourself the heartache and stay away from him, his kind are good at breaking
hearts they've been doing it for years.”