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Chapter 26
The ambiance of the restaurant was festive, with bright red, blue, and green décor. A lovely young lady with long, dark hair took them to a booth, and shortly thereafter, a young man presented them with menus and chips and salsa. Cutter ordered iced tea while Ru decided it would be a good night for a margarita considering Cutter said he had a lot to tell her.
They studied the menu in silence, though Ru did occasionally glance over top of hers to see what he was doing. Cutter appeared to be deep in thought, his strong jaw set, and she assumed it had nothing to do with the chimichangas.
Once Manuel, the waiter, brought them their drinks and they’d both ordered, Ru looked at Cutter expectantly. He smiled at her, folded his hands, and said, “Ru, tell me about your childhood.”
His tone sounded almost like a psychologist or a counselor, and she wasn’t quite sure how to take the request. She tri
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 27
Ru stared into Cutter’s eyes dumbfounded. She yanked her hand away from his, folding hers in her lap. “What do you mean?” she asked. “What do you mean that’s not my name? Of course it is. I’ve seen my own birth certificate.”Cutter glanced around, as if checking to see if other patrons were looking in their direction, her voice was so loud. No one seemed to be paying them any mind by Ru’s account, but she honestly didn’t care if they did. “Listen, Ru, I can explain everything. And I will. But I’m not sure this is the place to do it.”“Well, you picked it,” she reminded him, tossing her napkin down on the table next to her only half-eaten entrée.“No, I know,” he replied. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t think any restaurant, any public place, is the right one for this discussion.”
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 28
Despite the circumstances, Ru did not have a feeling in her gut that she needed to flee the area immediately, which she took as a good sign. Intuitively, she felt like she could trust Cutter not to hurt her or put her in harm’s way, despite the fact that he was talking like a crazy person. While she was tempted to ask him more questions about the Reapers and how that all fit in with the legend—in his disturbed mind—she decided to just wait. Perhaps it really would all be revealed to her once they got to the Van Tassel House. Of course, she was also thinking there was a distinct possibility she might pull up outside of a dilapidated old dwelling the likes of the house in It’s A Wonderful Life where George and Mary make wishes breaking the windows.“Cutter,” she said quietly as they began to drive deeper into the woods, “do you think it’s possible that the stress of the first few weeks of school is g
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 29
Nat liked the dark. Even though this lair was fully equipped with every modern technological feature available, he didn’t turn any of them on. He preferred candlelight, and this evening he sat in a plush velvet chair, sipping red wine by the light of one solitary candle.He’d missed his opportunity, and he knew it. She’d been so close, only a hand’s breadth away. Why hadn’t she trusted him? There was no reason for her to think he would harm her, none at all.He set his goblet aside and rested his head back, wondering if it was even worth it to try again that same night. By now, the Keepers likely had her and were initiating their brainwashing techniques, resolute on turning her against him. If only he’d been successful when he’d had his opportunity.A sound at the door caught his attention, and he turned to see Raven slinking in. “What is it?” he asked, turning away
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 30
Ru wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. “What do you mean everything I know about my past is a lie?” She glanced down at the paper again, and finding it offensive tossed it onto the coffee table. She could feel herself becoming very defensive now, so she tried breathing deeply through her nose. It wasn’t working.“Your mother’s name was, as you can see, Seraphina Raphaels. She is a Keeper. A descendant of Raphael’s.“Great. Now I’m related to a Ninja Turtle,” Ru mumbled.“Ru, please. This is serious.”With a loud humph, she said, “I’m sorry. Who is Raphael?”“An Archangel. We use our names to trace our lineage. So you are also a descendant of Raphael’s—not the cartoon character, or the artist, but the Archangel.”Ru licked her bottom lip, trying to im
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 31
Ru climbed into Cutter’s truck, wishing they could’ve taken any other vehicle, and Lyric, who was already in the driver’s seat, started it. Ru clicked her seatbelt and crossed her arms, hoping some distance and deep breaths would clear her mind, thought she didn’t feel any calmer now that she was outside.Lyric turned the truck around and headed back down the winding, nearly invisible lane. She pulled out onto the country road that snaked through the forest and eventually caught the highway that headed to Reaper’s Hollow. She didn’t say a word until they were nearly to town. “I like your bracelets,” she said quietly. “You’re a lot edgier than I would have thought, considering you’re a teacher.”Ru glanced down at her bangles. “Thanks. I guess.”Lyric snickered. “What do you listen to?”Ru glanced at her for
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 32
Cutter sat on the porch reflecting on what he’d done wrong. Clearly, it had been nearly everything, but he had no idea what he could’ve done differently. He had tried being direct, being completely honest, even letting her see for herself what they were capable of, but none of that seemed to matter. Now, she was out there alone, and he knew Nat had to have found her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dreamt of him. Whether Ru realized it or not, that dream wasn’t what she thought it was. He hoped his text was warning enough to keep her safe, but somehow, he didn’t think so.Lyric pulled into the driveway and got out of his truck. He was hopeful that she’d report she’d also had a discussion with Ru and now she was much more willing to believe, but he could tell by her solemn expression that wasn’t the case. “Well, that didn’t go as expected,” she muttered, tossing his keys back to him.
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 33
“And then, Steve said to follow him, so I did. But we forgot the potion, so I went back and got it. And Rupert was with us, but later, he died. And I was really sad about that. So I researched that if you keep the healing potion, you can save him, so I’m going to restart when I get home and see if that works.”Ira was standing next to her desk, telling her a story about Minecraft, and Ru was nodding along, even though she had no idea what he was talking about. “Wow, Ira, that sounds interesting. Can you tell me one more thing and then save the rest for recess?”“Sure,” he replied. The young boy continued to talk, but Ru was no longer listening at all. She caught a glimpse of Cutter over his shoulder in the hallway. He glanced in her direction and then looked away, taking his class down the hall, likely headed toward lunch, which is where Ru would be taking her friends in just a few minutes. Retu
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 34
Ru sat on her couch, her legs crisscrossed, her hands up, her eyes closed. She was doing her best to concentrate. If what Cutter said was true, and she really did have the same powers flowing within her, then she should be able to do what he had done. A little more research online, including the pages she’d found earlier where the kids were experimenting with powers like these, and she thought maybe now was the time to try it.Attempting to clear her mind, she concentrated on feeling her own energy flow freely through her body, visualizing a spark at her fingertips. Occasionally, she would think she felt something and opened her eyes to see—nothing. After a few hours, she collapsed onto the sofa, frustrated. “Gee, Ru, I wonder why you can’t make fire with your fingers? Maybe because everything Cutter said was made-up bullshit?”Her phone rang, and she sighed, hoping she hadn’t somehow just summoned hi
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