Grace
The television flickered, the voice of the news reader fuzzing for a moment, before it settled into a low, monotone sound.
"Police and fireman were called into Brisbane's industrial area today after a large abandonded warehouse, that was schedualed to be demolished next week, caught on fire. The fire tore through the building, turning into a blazing inferno. Firemen did all they could to contain the blaze, but they could not doing anything else besides sit back and wait for it to burn out. When it did, they made a greusome discovery. For more details, we are crossing LIVE to Jane Melone...
Jane?"
"Hi Mike," Jane turned and the camera panned out, revealing the rubble beind her. "When emergency services were called to the scean, they simply expected foul play at the hands of teenagers, but as the smoke cleared and the fire died down they discovered the bodies of around fifteen people in the rubble. Amoungst them was known Identity Theft Amon Peters, who was identified by local Police. The rest of the bodies are being sent to the morgue, where they will finally be ID'ed then burried by family members. It is unknown why the people were inside the building at this time and all evidence that could connect them to a string of murders and Identitfy Thefts has been consumed by the fire."
Jane was handed something by an off screen figure and she quickly skimmed the details as her eyes widened. "Oh, breaking news here Mike. It appears that while searching the wreckage the body of local missing person, Grace Johnson, heir to Martain Industries has been found. The message has already been sent to her greiving Father, who, along with her sister Penny, will be attending the morgue to formally ID the body. This fire has truly been a devestating crime and will leave a huge hole in the hearts of our community."
I turned the TV off, the feeling of emptiness and a crushing depression settling in around me again. In this house of silence. I had no idea where we were, in some little hick town off the M1, I think. But it didn't matter where we went because there would always be this hole in our group, this hole where Amon should have been.
Greyson slipped into the room, looking worse than I did, but better than Benny. He sunk down on the couch beside me and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest. Since the warehouse, he's been relucant to even let him out of my sight for more than a few minutes.
"How is he?" I whispered, my voice cracking.
My scars were healing nicely, no infection had settled in, and the only wound that would probably remain obvious was the crack in my voice from when Marco strangled me. Even as I thought of this the image of him snapping Amon's neck popped into my mind. I had not been entirley concious at the time, but the one snippet I seem to be able to conjour is the sound of Amon's neck breaking- a high pitched crunch, like a large twig being stepped on. I'm not even sure the images that follow it are real or something that my brain has just conjoured up to feel in the blanks I've been drawing.
Greyson pressed his lips to the back of my head, sighing. "Not good. I finally got him to go to sleep- he's had way over the proper limit of painkillers."
I nodded, feeling slightly better as the heat off Greyson's body warmed me. "I was watching the news." Greyson nodded, waiting for me to explain. "They found the warehouse, it was burnt down." I shifted to look up at him. "Did you do that?"
He held my gaze, not even needing to nod to confirm it.
"Why?"
He looke over my head then. "Because it was easier, this way. No evidence to link us to being there. They won't come looking for us now. Or you."
"They-they said I was dead. That they found my body. I'm alive- whose body did they find?"
Greyson shrugged. "Probably one of the female guards I had to take out on my way to finding you. She did have a stricking resemblence to you and she was in some tattered clothes. Her body would be too charred for a proper DNA reading- the Media will be all over it soon enough."
I pushed away from him. "But I don't want to be dead! I want to go home and see my Father and Penny and Gloria! I want to sleep in my bed and I want to take you with me." I pushed my chin out, defiant. "I need this. We have to say that I'm not dead."
Greyson gripped my wrists. "We can't." He ducks his head for a moment, pushing his tongue between his teeth as he tries to work out what to say. "Did they mention finding Alexander's body?" I look at him blankly- What does that have to do with anything? "Did they find him!?" He hissed, shaking me slightly.
I shook my head. "They didn't mention it." Greyson tensed, looking wild at the thought. I gripped his arm. "What does it matter?"
He sighed through his nose. "He got away."
I gulped. "What? He couldn't of! I- I shot him and he didn't get back up! There was blood everywhere- he wasn't moving, breathing... He's fucking dead!"
Greyson pulled me close as I began to shake violently. He whispered things into my hair and rubbed my back until I felt my breathing even out. Who wants to hear that the man that tortured them, nearly rapped them, was alive somewhere? He had bullets in him, he was dead, for christ sakes. He wasn't moving, there was blood everywhere. No one survives that.
"He was wearing a bullet proof vest." Greyson whispers and I feel myself die a little inside. "I thought I caught a glimpse of one when he had me against the wall. Some of your bullets must have hit his arms or legs- which is where the blood came from. I'm so sorry, Gracie."
I nodded into his chest, fisting his shirt to my body. I felt like in a moments notice he'd be ripped from me and never see him again. I sobbed into his chest for what seemed like hours- until my eyes were red and stung as I blinked. I pushed away from him. As I looked up into his face, taking in every detail- from his high cheekbones to his unusual pointed teeth and huge eyes- I realised that this thing with Alexander was not over. And it wouldn't be, as long as he had an interest in me.
"What do we do now?"
Greyson shrugged. "All I know is that I am not leaving you alone. Ever again." He paused. "I love you, Grace and I will spend the rest of my life protecting you."
I felt my eyes well up with tears, this time of joy. "I love you too." I sniffed, wiping my eyes. "And the rest of my life doesn't sound too bad, either."
Silence hung in the air. After admitting something so deep like love, it was hard to picture the world outside the room being a horrible wasteland of death and destruction. I leaned into Greyson's arms wondering how I could have spent the most part of my life ignorant and oblivious to the trials of the world around me. I felt so weak and out of it. My head spun with the thoughts of what average people go through everyday.
Then I realised something. I was dead. My body had been found. If they had a Grace Johnson in the morgue, ready to be burried, then who was I? A no name. Jane Doe?
"Who am I now?" I whispered, sitting back into the folds of the couch. Greyson searched my face with his huge eyes. "If Grace Johnson is dead, who am I?"
Reaching into his pocket, Greyson removed a shiney drivers licence. It slipped into my hands genlty and I took a deep breath as I eyed my picture. This was the new me.
April Wilde, born March 15th.
"You are April." He muttered, squeezing my hand. "I made it while you were sleeping. Just in case."
I nodded. "And who are you?"
He shrugged. "I'm Greyson. Just Greyson." He kissed my cheek. "Besides, I am not the one they are looking for."
"But they know I'll stay with you. They'll use you to get to me!" I paniced, my head swimming with images of Greyson dying or being tortured at the hands of Alexander.
"No. I will do everything in my power to protect you, April." He said, his mouth twitching at the use of my new name. "I promise. Forever and Always, alright?"
"Forever and Always." I smiled.
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"Dear Penny,
I can't tell you where I am, or what I'm doing, or who I am with. All I can tell you is that I am alive and well. I realise that this may come as a shock, given that you recently attended my funeral. Just know that it wasn't me. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, so this letter is goodbye. I was told it was a bad idea to write to you, especially because the people that are after me could come after you for information.
But I also knew that I would never be able to forgive myself if I left you in the dark about all of this. I am alive and I am safe, and I will always remain so as long as the people that want to hurt me can never find me. As a result, I must ask you to burn this letter after you finish reading it. And you must promise me, as my sister and my best friend, that you will never speak of this to anyone. Not Gloria and certainly not Dad.
I have seen a lot in the last few months, Penny, that I would not wish on anyone. But because of it, I finally understand what real love feels like. Because now I have it. I have living, breathing proof that someone can love all of you, every single day for the rest of eternity. Forever and Always. And I wish you all the best, Penny, and I hope that you will be able to find a love like that too.
Maybe we'll see each other again one day. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in six months. Maybe in fifty years from now. And I'll smile at you and I will know that your life was a full one and that you are happy and got everything you ever wanted. Never take life for granted, Penny, because it can be taken away so easily.
This is where my letter to you must draw to a close. I hope you understand that I never wanted to leave you and that I will love you forever. You are irreplaceable.
I miss you,
Grace.
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And there you have it. Thank you so much for reading Grace and Greyson's story. I realise there are a lot of unanswered questions and I think in the not-so-distant furture I will do a major edit of this story.
Actually, just for you guys, I am doing an epilogue. It should be upby Friday. Maybe even earlier, depending on how this Chapter goes.
As loyal fans, I must ask you guys to go and read a new story of mine, called 'Eliminating Carmen'. Its my second attempt at a Werewolf Book, so I hope you enjoy it.
xox