The Forgotten Child-Twilight

Chapter 14 - Part 3

Carlisle's Epiphany

Carlisle stood there...as if Christopher were still in front of him. His family attempted to regain his attention, but Carlisle stood as motionless as a statue.

"What's wrong with him!" Esme sobbed.

Bella glanced at Edward and then again at the stationary Carlisle. "I've seen this before," she glanced back at Edward, "with him."

Edward glared at Bella, "I've never done that," he said.

"Yes you did," she replied, "when I first told you that I was pregnant. You totally freaked and didn't move for like five or ten minutes."

"I don't remember that," Edward replied dumbfounded.

"Maybe it's some type of coping strategy or mechanism?" Alice suggested.

Esme just sighed and continued to stroke Carlisle's face, then said, "The rest of you go on inside, I'll stay with him."

ooOoo

Carlisle recovered about thirty minutes later, having no memory of being stationary. Esme took him inside to his study.

"What happened to Christopher?" Esme asked, "Why would he say what he said to you?" she begged.

"I truly have no idea my love," answered Carlisle. "I know that I've always felt a strange pull towards him... like a magnet...I can't explain because it all makes no sense. Even though he's always seemed familiar...I don't know the child," he admitted.

"Can't I do anything to help you?" Esme pleaded.

"No, let me just concentrate for a while and collect myself," Carlyle said.

Esme kissed Carlisle gently on the mouth and exited his study.

ooOoo

As Carlisle sat, he recollected his last memory of Christopher... how he had begged for help. Carlisle had recognized the strange English accent. Nobody really spoke it anymore, because it was the accent of his English youth. How would the child know to speak in that way... and why was the child so disillusioned that he mistook Carlisle as his father?

Carlisle could still smell Christopher's sweet scent nearby. He entered into his lab, where he had studied Christopher one night. He needed to destroy the lab samples or get them out of the house... the sooner he put the young boy behind him the better. The samples were locked inside an airtight box, inside the small freezer in the corner. Carlisle was surprised he could still smell the sweet heady scent. Suddenly, he spied a small piece of paper laying on the counter. It was folded in half with his name on the front. It was just a sheet of ordinary copy paper, but when he picked it up he knew at once it had been touched by Christopher. Hell, the paper was full of Christopher's sent. He opened it and began to read:

Dearest Father,

Please forgive me when you find this. I thought when you saw me again, that you might just remember me. I guess my talent is better than I thought. I was wrong to do what I did. I can see that so clearly now. I thought I could leave you and this lifetime, and be content with you not knowing. But I realize how stupid, petty, and even selfish I've been. I know you don't remember, but years ago I made a contingency for this. Just in case for some inexplicable reason that you might need to know. You wear a pinky ring. I know about it because I'm the one who gave it to you and told you to wear it for always. The ring opens, if you open the latch, you will remember.

Your loving, Christopher

Carlisle's hands began to shake as he glanced at his left hand and saw the ring that he always wore. The ring that he had always had.

Carlisle forced the ring from his finger and studied it. The stone was a sapphire, a midnight blue sapphire...a shade of blue that was so dark it could have matched Christopher's eyes exactly.

Carlisle then noticed the smallest gleam of gold on one side, almost like a hinge. He pulled at the stone, but nothing happened. Carlisle realized that he was always trying to perfect his imitation of being human. He always had to watch his strength with his patients.

Carlisle reached down again and broke the ring, forcing the stone from its mount. Inside was a small picture or cameo that would be difficult to make out with weak human eyes. But Carlisle could easily see the delicately beautiful woman sitting in the picture... and leaning against her, was a young boy wearing Christopher's face.

Suddenly Carlisle felt a wall come crashing down... the one that he sometimes felt his head would hit when he thought too deeply about Christopher. The wall in which Christopher was the clever architect, reconstructing and hiding the past, keeping the secrets of long ago well hidden. Carlisle knew everything now.

Dear Reader: Some readers don't understand this very last part. When Carlisle discovers the hidden cameo - this unleashes a horde of memories... memories which Christopher had hidden and reconstructed. This is what the 'architect' part refers to.