Faelorehn - Book One of the Otherworld Trilogy

Chapters 10-12

Copyright (C) 2012 Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

All Rights Reserved

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-Ten-

Message

For two weeks I ignored what had happened the morning I met Cade for the second time.  I never saw him at school posing as the homeless man.  It had dawned upon me later that day, once I was safely and securely locked away in my room, that all this time it was him who had been lingering outside my high school.  Well, that and the fact that the memories from the night I had wandered into the swamp started surfacing in my mind, like bubbles of wax in my lava lamp.  I never ventured outside my house, and I never saw his dog Fergus.  It was hard forgetting about what he had said, though.  If I had been completely honest, I would have answered yes to each of his questions.  I did hear voices, I did see things, and my eyes did change color.  But so had his, I was certain of it.

My friends at school noticed my behavior too.  Thomas asked me that first week if I had gotten into a fight with my parents.  I had looked at him as if he had gone nuts, but he just shrugged and said I seemed even more introverted than usual.  After that I tried to act more normal.  Well, normal for me at least.

But the truth was, as hard as I tried, I simply could not erase that meeting with Cade MacRoich from my memory.  If that was his real name.  Who on earth was he?  A local college student looking for a little thrill in his life?  Some ex-convict with spare time on his hands?   And how could he have known about all my little eccentricities?  Even my best friends weren’t privy to all my secrets.  And why was he so interested in me?  I was no one special.  It was too puzzling, but I was determined to let it go.  I had enough drama in my life.

It was during Thanksgiving weekend that I found the note taped to my sliding glass door.  I had kept it locked around the clock and never used it since returning from the strange meeting with Cade.  I feared he might try to sneak in and kill me.

At first I thought it was a message from Tully or Robyn, but when I unlocked the door and peeled the note off, I realized the paper was far too ornate to belong to either of them.  It was expensive paper, I could tell, and falling victim to my curiosity, I flipped it over.  There was an actual wax seal keeping the folded edges shut.  I studied the design.  An ornate Celtic knot with an eagle in the center.  Intrigued, I walked to my desk and fished out my pocket knife, carefully loosening the seal so it wouldn’t break.  I opened up the letter to find it addressed to me.  The writing was impeccable, but not overly ornate.  It made me think of a love note that’d been written during England’s Georgian period.  Hah.  Me get a love letter?  That would be stranger than fiction.

I began to read and immediately I knew it was from Cade.  I had vowed to forget what had happened, but apparently, he hadn’t.  I should have crumpled it up and thrown it away, right then and there.  Or, better yet, I should have taken it straight to my parents and insist they call the police.  Who would have thought that I would ever have a stalker?  But deep down, I wanted this mystery cleared up, and the only way to do that was to start by reading the note.  Sighing and trying to convince myself nothing bad would come of reading a simple letter, I continued on:

Dear Meghan,

I want to start this letter by apologizing for our last two meetings.  As you can tell, I am not at all adept at making proper introductions.  Forgive me for not contacting you sooner, but I thought it best to give you some time to let everything settle in.  I wish only to make you aware of two things: who it is you really are, and where it is you come from.  I will not go into detail in this letter, for these are not topics which should be discussed in such an impersonal manner.  Do allow me, however, to explain our first meeting.  You were lured into the swamp, not by myself, but by another who knew of you and who wished to learn more about you.  I cannot remember if I explained my presence in the first place, but it was my duty to clear the area around your home of the faelah, and I was unable to finish my job before you arrived.  I can only apologize to you again and hope that you might come to forgive me.