Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Obviously they are not mine. They belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims, the WB...*Sighs* This is just for entertainment so please don't sue me. You wouldn't get much anyway because I'm but a poor college student who can barely afford the insurance on her car.
Rating: R for language, sexual content, adult situations
Spoilers: Possible for the first five books of Melinda Metz's Roswell High, up through "Blood Brothers" of the tv series, and my fic, "Matters of Trust," which this story is the sequal to. If you haven't read "Matters of Trust," you're going to be really lost.
Author's Note: This is going to be really long and will deal with a lot of stuff with Liz. It will, of course, deal with all of the other characters...and I'm a total conventional shipper so...it will have a lot of M/L, some A/I, and M/M...If this isn't your thing, bail out now. The book mentioned in this chapter is Jane Eyre, a wonderful classic written by Charloette Bronte (Emily Bronte's sister). It's a mixture of romance, angst, feminism, suspense, supernatural...It's really a fabulous book and one that I'd highly reccommend to anyone who likes to read as much as I do! :)
Thanks to Linda, Mel, Bec, and all the other people who have supported and given me feedback on my stories! :) Thanks, guys! :)
Ghosts (Part 8)
"I don't understand why you have to leave so early," Diane Evans said with a sigh as she walked her sons and daughter out to the jeep the next morning.
Isabel glanced at Michael, then at Max, whose eyes reflected deep worry. She hugged her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Would you mind if we came back next weekend?" She knew it wasn't practical, but she was homesick.
Diane smiled. "You're welcome anytime. All three of you." She kissed Max on the cheek, and then Michael, too, much to his surprise. "Do me a favor and call me and let me know you made it safely?"
"Sure, Mom," Isabel promised. She hugged her dad. "Bye, Daddy."
Phillip kissed her forehead and hugged his son. He shook Michael's hand. "Bye."
"Bye," Michael said as he climbed into the back seat. Isabel moved to the passenger's side.Max climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. "Bye."
Diane waved as they drove away. Then she sighed as her husband put his arms around her. "They'll be back," he said reassuringly.
She nodded, staring into the direction they'd driven away to. "I know. I just...something feels wrong, Phillip. I'm not sure what it is, but I think they're in danger."
Maria woke up, squinting against the soft lamp light shining from Liz's desk. She lifted her head off Alex's shoulder, where she'd fallen asleep the previous night. Alex was still asleep, as was Liz, whose head was on his other shoulder. One of his arms was looped around Liz, and the other around Maria.
Maria blinked and looked at the clock on Liz's bed stand. It was 7:16, and she could tell by what little amount of light was coming through the blinds that it was going to be another dreary day.
Why the hell is it so bright in here? she wondered.
She closed her eyes and then opened them again. Her gaze was drawn back to Liz's desk. The lamp was on. She was certain it hadn't been on before she'd fallen asleep. And since she'd fallen asleep on Alex's shoulder, and so had Liz, neither one of them could have turned it on without waking her up. She sat straight up on the bed, staring at the light. "What the hell?" she said aloud.
She heard Alex groan and she turned to look at him. He was slowly opening his eyes and squinting at her. "What is it?" he mumbled.
"The light's on."
"So." Alex closed his eyes again, resting his head back against the wall so he didn't disturb Liz.
"So, Alex, it wasn't on before we fell asleep last night!"
"Shh! You're going to wake her up," he whispered, glancing down at his friend. He looked at the lamp on Liz's desk.
"What's your rational explaination for this one?" she demanded in a hushed voice.
"We're all still asleep and having a really weird, boring dream," he said, closing his eyes.
Maria glared at him. "Alex, this is serious!"
He sighed. "I don't know, okay? I don't have the answers to everything."
"This is seriously freaky!" Maria stood up and started to pace back and forth in her kitten t-shirt and black sweatpants.
"Okay, look. The others will be back soon. Just keep calm until then."
Maria met his gaze. "You're right. Keep calm. Stay calm. I need some cedar oil!" She rushed to the door, unlocked it, and disappeared.
Alex sighed again, shook his head, and hoped that Isabel, Michael and Max made it back really soon before anyone went insane.
"Max, are you okay?" Isabel asked in concern as she looked over at her brother.
"Yeah, why?" he asked absently, not taking his eyes off the road.
"Because if you squeeze the steering wheel any tighter, it's going to break."
Max blinked and looked down at his hands. His knuckles were completly white. "Oh. Sorry." He loosened his grip on the wheel a bit. He stared straight ahead again.
Isabel turned to look at Michael, who raised an eyebrow at her. He shrugged. "What's going on, Maxwell?"
Max glanced in the rearview mirror and their eyes met for a moment. "I'm just...worried. That's all."
"Well, I hate to tell you, but that's already pretty obvious," Isabel informed him. There was a long moment of silence between them. She looked out the window and listened to the howling wind of the approaching storm.
"I'm worried about Liz," Max said finally.
Michael and Isabel exchanged another look. "So is Alex."
Max turned his head to look at her. "What did he say?"
"Just that...she was acting strangely. That's all. Which is something we've all noticed."
He sighed and turned his eyes back to the road. "I just feel like I need to be there now."
Michael leaned forward and nodded. "Then let's get there." The three of them exchanged worried looks and Max sped up the jeep.
Liz stirred and opened her eyes awhile later. Alex glanced down at her. "Hey."
She blinked and looked up at him. "Hi." She lifted her head off his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"You couldn't have gotten much sleep last night sitting up like that."
He grinned at her. "Have you forgotten that you and DeLuca once dared me to sleep on your concrete roof without any pillows or blankets?" Liz laughed out loud. Alex smiled wider. He hadn't heard her laugh like that in a long time.
"Yeah, but I didn't mean to use you as a head-rest."
"Well, that's what I'm here for. Guardian of the Three Muskateers. Defender of Czechoslovakians. Pillow."
She laughed again, and gave him a quick hug. "Did I ever tell you that you're one of the best friends anyone could ever have?"
He grinned. "Yeah, but I don't mind hearing it as often as you'd like to say it." He stood up and stretched his arms above his head.
"Where's Maria?" Liz asked suddenly, glancing around. She pointed to the top bunk and gave him a questioning look.
"She went next door to get some cedar oil."
Liz raised an eyebrow. "Dare I ask why?"
Alex glanced over at the lighted lamp, and then back at Liz. "Nope."
Maria scrounged up all of the quarters she could find and stuffed them into her jeans pocket. She tossed her copy of Jane Eyre by Charolette Bronte onto the top of the pile of clothes in her clothes basket and grabbed her keys. If she didn't do laundry that very day, she would literally run out of things to wear.
The cedar oil had helped to calm her nerves. Alex was right. She was probably just over-reacting. There was no way that anyone could have gotten into Liz's room to turn on a lamp. The window and the door had both been locked. One of them must have turned it one and not remembered. That was the only explaination.
She supressed a yawn as she picked up the heaping basket and bottle of Tide. She stumbled down the long hallway and towards the stairs, hoping she didn't fall on the concrete. She finally made it down to the poorly lighted laundry room. She located an empty washing machine and sorted her darks and her whites. She dumped the darks into the machine and poured in the Tide.
Then she hoisted herself up until she was sitting on top of the dryer with Jane Eyre, squinting to see the words in the semi-darkness. She had to get this reading done or she would fail the quiz tomorrow. And she had to stay with her laundry, because Jewell Hall had problems with the laundry room at the beginning of the year. People would start their laundry washing or drying, and leave to go somewhere else until it was finished. Unfortunately some asshole would come along and take out the person's clothes and replace them with their own and leave the other person's wet clothes laying in a pile on the dirty floor. Maria refused to leave the laundry room unattended after it had happened to her once.
Maria took in a deep breath, wrinkling her nose at the musty, mold smell and shivering from the chilliness of the basement. She pulled the book closer to her and began to read.
"But it was not fated that I should sleep that night. A dream had scarcely approached my ear, when it fled affrighted, scared by a marrow-freezing incident enough. This was a demoniac laugh--low, supressed, and depp--uttered, as it seemed, at the very key-hole of my chamber door..."
Maria heard the creak on the stairs and jerked her head up, glancing around the small, darkened room. She listened carefully, but didn't hear anything and went back to reading, chewing on her lower lip anxiously.
"The head of my bed was near the door, and I thought at first the goblin-laughter stood at my bedside--or rather, crouched by my pillow: but I rose, looked round, and could see nothing; while, as I still gazed, the unnatrural sound was reiterated: and I knew it came from behind the panels..."
She heard the creak again, and swallowed hard. "L--Lizzie?" she ventured.
No one answered.
"I'm losing my mind," she said aloud, closing her eyes briefly. "Okay. Focus on the book, Maria."
"My first impulse was to rise and fasten the bolt; my next again, to cry out, 'Who is there?' Something gurgled and moaned. Ere long, steps retreated up the gallery towards the third story staircase: a door had lately been made to shut in that staircase; I heard it open and close, and all was still..."
This time it was footsteps she heard. The book. It's the book. You're reading a scary part. No one's here, she told herself. She started to shut the book when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Maria quickly shut her eyes and took a deep breath. And when she opened her eyes, a figure was standing in front of her, reaching for her.
Maria screamed.