Chapter Two: Like A Moth To A Flame

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"They say that love makes you blind, but in your case, you weren't. There was so much that you disregarded when it came to her. That overprotective father of her's buying a house close to your school, with a strict curfew, and not to forget the loaded shotgun in the kitchen cupboard," I said.

"You knew something was wrong here, even when she told you what she remembers had happened, what had happened to her mother. You just didn't care" I said all that, and Edwards just stared at me blankly.

"Too bad wasn't it, you wanted to screw her, but she screwed you instead. But you know, it was all too late for you, there was no...going back for you. Wasn't it fun, nearly dying, or... did you die? Well, we both don't know till this day", I said, laying back in my chair.

As soon as I went quiet, the blackness fell into silence. I knew Edward wasn't going to say anything.

"But you know, the real fun began when you woke up the next day in your bed," I said with laughter.

Edward Foster,

I was in darkness with a piercing pain in my chest. Gradually the pain was replaced by a feeling of heat, which slowly started getting hotter. Until my body erupted into fire and I was jolted awake.

Soaking in sweat, I sat up on my bed in a haze, trying to calm myself. Turning my head around, I was certain that I was inside my room. I grabbed the sheets off myself and stood immediately, inspecting my body. I was wearing my nightdress, shorts, and a T-shirt. I was without a scratch or a broken bone,

"Was it all a dream?" I thought to myself.

My eyes went to the window and cloudy morning on the other side. In front of the window was my desk which had my electronic calendar on it. I came closer to see the time and date displayed, it was still early morning, around nine and the date was Saturday, November second. I stood in the moment staring at the date, wondering what was going on?

"My phone?", I said to myself. Turning around to look at my bed, but it wasn't there. I tried checking all around my room, but it wasn't there.

Suddenly someone called my name, "Edward!". I don't why but I just started at the room's door. "Edward, are you awake?", unmistakable it was my mother. "Yeah, coming", I said quickly. Finding my slipper on side of the bed, I left the room. Walking downstairs I found my mother standing next to the outside door, with a police officer peeking inside.

"Finally, look who decided to wake up. Come here would you", My mother said and reluctantly, I came to them. "Edward, This officer is here asking About Lauren ", I looked at her with visible confusion, then at the officer.

"Listen here, son. Today morning, Lauren Taylor was reported missing from her room by her father, Mr. Taylor", the police officer said, while I just stared in confusion. "Would you know anything about that, son?", He asked and I gave him a blank stare.

"What? from here room?", I said remembering that she had snuck out of her home for the movies, without her dad knowing. I don't why but it all felt so unnatural, like living an out-of-body experience. What was weirder was my mother acting like Lauren and her father were strangers. Even though my parent knew that we were dating and even had them over for dinner last Christmas.

Then it hit me, my dad's car, that I used to drive us out there. Before the officer could say anymore, I walked past them both, with the officer moving out of the way. Seeing the car standing completely fine, shook me. I came closer to the car, inspecting it. Not even a scratch or a broken windshield. It was as if yesterday night never happened.

"Son, are you okay?", the officer asked and I just looked at him. "Yeah...I guess", I said, after which the officer asked a few more questions. But not finding anything worthwhile and obviously, I kept quiet about what I knew.

As the officer left, I turned to my mother. "Hey, Mom...When did I come home last night?", I asked and she gave me the strangest expression. "When?... Edward, you never left the house yesterday", my mother said, also becoming confused with my actions.

"Edward are you alright, you have been acting strange", my mother said. "Yeah... I don't know", I said, trying to think what should I do next.

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"That was the first time you witnessed a proportion of his power", I said while he silently stared at the table. "Like observing a fish in a glass ocean and to top it all off, you didn't notice that you were unable to feel distressed," I said while Edward placed his head down on the table, hiding it with his arms.

I sighed, "Like a moth to a flame, you couldn't let her go. What was it, love? curiosity? or was it just being you? You wanted answers, so you decided to play a hero. Without realizing you were proving just how easy it was to manipulate you...Just like the one before you". I said and Edward didn't bother to answer.

Edward Foster,

What I learned when I woke up, made it seem like I was one going insane. With nothing making sense, I could only think of one other person to talk to, Mr. Taylor.

Latching onto the hope of maybe him remembering me. I left my house immediately after breakfast, towards Lauren's house.

On my way, I ended up spotting Mr. Taylor entering the church. My first thought was to talk to him, maybe I wasn't the one going crazy. There just might be something going on.

I walked through the iron fence onto the church ground. With a pabble pathway that leads to the stone stairs with an opened wooden door. Rows of furnished bunches with few recognizable people spread out. Rows of wall lamps on the sidewalls illuminated the inside.

I made my inside, looking around for Mr. Taylor. He was a bald man with glasses, wearing a brown coat and blank jeans. The way he was dressed seemed like he was prepared to embark on an adventure of his own. Praying to God earnestly, for his daughter's safety.

I came up behind him and placed my hand on his shoulder. The man in distress looked up at me. "Hey there Mr. Taylor", I said with hope in my eyes, for him to recognize me. But he looked at me confusedly, "Do I own you, young man?", Mr. Taylor said with a defeated look in his eyes.

I bit my tongue a little in frustration, as I pulled my hand back. "I am...a friend of Lauren. Today a police officer came to my house...and...", I tried to complete the sentence, but stopped, not knowing what to say.

While Mr. Taylor stood up and walked out off the bench, and stopped in front of me. He placed his hand on the side of my shoulder, "It's all right, son. No need to worry, I am sure Jesus has heard my prayers". Mr. Taylor said and then walked past me, leaving the church.

I stood there, watching him leave, thinking to myself. "Prayers might not be enough with what had taken her".

Suddenly, a chill hit the back of my neck. Causing me to hit the back of my neck. "Edward?", Someone said my name. Turning my head, I found Father Sebastian walking toward me.

A priest in his thirties, a thin and light figure with glasses and black hair. He was the kind of person who would easily blend in the background. Coming from London, I had known him since I was a kid.

"Oh, Hello there, Sebastian", I said casually, and he sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Father Sebastian?" he said, and I replied by shrugging my shoulders. "So what is it?" I asked, and he rolled his eyes.

He took out a phone from his pocket. After a closer look, I thought it was my phone. "Is that...my phone?" I asked, and he nodded. "This morning, a man came by. He said that he found it on the highway outside our town," Father Sebastian said. Now, would you tell me what it was doing on the highway?" Father Sebastian Asked, handing me my phone.

I took it. "Honestly, I wish I could tell you if I knew that," I said with a smile. Ah, yes...why wouldn't you?" Father Sebastian said in an annoyed manner. Well, good meeting you, goodbye," I said as I turned around and switched on my smartphone. Even with a broken screen, it was still functioning, and to my surprise, something was wrong with it. It was displaying the wrong time, "02:45 AM, and had recent missed calls from my Mother. Maybe the damage was I bit too much. 

However, I had more important things to take care of then a broken phone. I immediately left the church and went toward Lauren's house. The second I arrived at Mr. Taylor's house. I saw him leaving his car and I didn't know where Mr. Taylor might be going.

After that, I ended up going around the neighborhood, until the afternoon when I decided to head back home.

I unlocked the front door and walked inside while announcing my arrival. "Edward, a package came in for you", my mother yelled from the living room. "A package?", I asked surprised.

"Yeah, I took it to your room, it will be on your desk", she said and I didn't think of it that much. I quickly ran upstairs and entered my room, to find the so-called package on my desk.

On my desk was a golden bookcase, gleaming underneath the sunlight from the window in my unlit room. That was not a package, but rather asking my mother what she had placed in my room. I closed my room door and switched on the lights.

I approached the golden bookcase ever-so-slowly as if trying to pace myself for anything that might happen. First I poked the Golden bookcase and it felt real. The front cover was decorated with Ruby geometric shapes and a hole in the middle. The hole showcased what was inside, a red circle with a Red Gem in the middle embedded in the center Plus shape.

Without any further ado, I flipped open the golden bookcase. Finally setting my eyes on the contents of the priceless-looking bookcase. A Red Cross size of a dagger, with a black color strip going from the center all around the cross, only stopping before reaching the edge. A cavity in the middle housing the Red Gem.

Though it would seem like an over stylish decoration piece. The only unusual detail was the bottom part was pointed at the end and sharp from the edges. Which made me certain that it was a weapon, but why was it here.

Without understanding much and I reach out for it, placing my hand on the handle. The moment the hand made contact with the surface of the handle, the Red Gem lit up in middle. A sudden jolt shot through my body, towards my eyes. As if my whole body ignited in flames, enough for me to crash to the ground.

It wasn't just the pain, but the burning sensation in my eyes. I pressed my eyes back, while screams escaped from my stomach. I wish I could run to the bathroom, but my body wouldn't listen to me. At first, I thought that my parents would be running up here. But no, no one came for me, it didn't matter how much I screamed.

Just lying in agony, kicking my legs and hurting my throat. Until everything went dark again for the second time.

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"The Red Cross, your first time with something you didn't understand", I said and Edward still had his head down

"Where the hell are you looking, Pay attention to me when I am speaking you fucking cunt", I said lifting his head by his hair. "Always pay attention to me...well what else to do here, other than to pay attention to me", I said and Edward rolled his eyes while laying further back into his seat.

Again without much to look at, his eyes came rolling back on me. This attitude caused me to chuckle, "You fucking arrogant brat, don't you give me that shit. You are not a God, not anymore", I said staring into his lifeless eyes. I came and sat back down, "Making me lose my composure, you worthless piece of shit".

All while Edward just stared at me like a mentally challenged person, and honestly, he might just be one.