A Chance for Charity (The Immortal Ones) Read online

  chapter two

  TIME FOR MAKE BELIEVE

  “What do you want to be, Charity?” Catherine repeated her question. I had spaced her out the first time. She was getting angry. I knew this because her original Scottish accent, which was nearly imperceptible to most people, would thicken and reappear whenever she was irritated.

  I still couldn’t get over the fact that we’d been in this town for just a few weeks and already I was getting sucked into the “community.” There was a Halloween Parade down the main drag on Saturday, in two days, and then a big Halloween Party later that evening. All my new friends were pushing for my attendance at both. James and Catherine were adding to the pressure so I felt boxed in, forced to comply.

  “Oh, just give me one of your dresses from the early eighteen hundreds, one of the ball gowns. I’ll go as English royalty,” I huffed, not happy with the situation. I wanted to stay at home and watch movies, like I always did.

  “You’ll look beautiful. How about the cream and gold one? No, the lavender will look gorgeous on you. You are wearing some of the jewels too. I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” she cautioned when I started to frown again. “Remember, you stick out less when you go with the flow. Plus, this will be fun for all of us.” Catherine’s eyes pleaded for my approval.

  “Okay, Okay, I’ll find a way to be happy about it!” I cried out. “What are you and James going to wear?” I asked, hoping to pull her focus off of the grandiose plan for my attire. I could almost catch sight of it brewing in her brain.

  “We are doing the Fifties sock hop thing. I have that marvelous skirt and petticoat. With a fuzzy pink sweater around my shoulders and a scarf to tie back my hair, it will be perfect. James will be the leather-clad greaser. The good girl paired with the bad boy. I love it,” Catherine bubbled over.

  I had to admit, with Catherine in charge of costuming, we would look flawless. She had a detailed memory when it came to fashion and style. If she had seen it once it would be duplicated with precision.

  “Not too many jewels, what if I get robbed? I don’t want to be responsible for them,” I added, determined to have the last word.

  “Nobody will think they’re real anyway.” She smiled.

  When Saturday afternoon arrived, Telluride was abuzz. The length of Colorado Avenue was filled with people, and dogs, in costume. I put my foot down, and refused to wear the dress during the day. I stayed in the boutique and went with the Fifties theme of James and Catherine. I wore rolled up jeans with a white t-shirt and a leather jacket. I put my hair in a high pony-tail and tied a scarf around it. That was the extent of my daytime costuming. Catherine was going to torture me with hair and make-up for the party that night.

  Summer and Rusty popped into the store around one o’clock and had transformed themselves into anime characters. They looked so cute together. Delilah came in about thirty minutes later with Burke in tow. She was the perfect pixie fairy. Her blonde hair was piled onto her head in an up-do that was supposed to look like she did it in seconds but she had probably spent forever on the style. Burke was simply a soccer player. I’m pretty sure he was wearing his school uniform. They stayed to chat for a few minutes and made me promise, for the third time, that I would be at the party later.

  “I’ll be there, I promise. Now go have fun,” I promised, again, as I urged them away.

  “It sucks that you have to work here today,” Delilah pouted. I had quickly learned that Delilah loved to pout, and Burke loved to watch her pout. Well, Burke simply loved to watch her.

  “Oh, it’s okay. I volunteered so Catherine could go have fun with James. They both work a lot,” I reassured her, and promised yet again that I would see her tonight.

  If our goal was trying to blend, we failed miserably. All eyes turned to us as we entered the room. Maybe it was just curiosity over the new residents. But I think it was that we looked as though we had walked out of a time capsule.

  James and Catherine wore their authentic Fifties attire. Their outfits outshone any store bought costume. Catherine had pulled her waist length, wavy auburn hair into a pony and James had slicked his back, as was the style of the time. I concluded that every Hollywood costume designer would pale in comparison to Catherine’s skills.

  I dressed as the nobility of England once did. Catherine had insisted on doing my hair, but I had insisted on my normal, minimal make-up. I wore an amethyst necklace and earrings set, that was quite intricate in detail, and amethyst jewels in my hair as well. My dress was empire style, cinched just under the bust line, and flowed straight to the ground. There were no over grown, wedding cake topper, petticoats worn with this style of dress, hence why I chose early and not mid eighteen hundreds. The fabric was the most beautifully embroidered lavender silk. I was sure it had taken Catherine weeks, when she had designed and hand sewn it. I felt proud to be wearing one of her creations.

  James and Catherine went straight for the dance floor and I searched the hall for a familiar face. I stood in the corner of the room waiting to spot someone from school, when that odd sensation of being watched washed over me. “Of course you are being watched. You just made a grand entrance,” I whispered to myself as I scanned the room. Within minutes I spotted Summer and the gang. She was waving wildly at me, so I ran over to join them.

  “Wow, Emily, you look amazing. That’s like, a real costume,” Summer greeted me during the lull in the music.

  “Yeah, Aunt Rachel likes to design period pieces. Did you see them?” I questioned, trying to be heard over the DJ.

  “We saw them dancing a second ago. Did she do those too?”

  “Yep... I’m thirsty. Know where I can get some water?”

  “This way,” fairy Delilah shouted and led me to the refreshment area.

  As I followed behind them, I could still feel someone’s eyes burning a hole in my back. I did a quick scan of the room, trying to figure out who was giving me that creepy feeling. I hated being the center of attention. I was entirely too self-conscious to have agreed to attend this party anyway. I wouldn’t be completely at ease again until I was at home, wearing a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. I tried to let go of my wariness and just have fun. After an hour or so it finally worked.

  I channeled my inner teenager, and danced. I closed my eyes and gave in to the music. As I danced I sang the lyrics to every song I knew - along with Summer, Rusty, Delilah, and Burke. Toward the end of the evening Delilah let Burke lead her onto the dance floor, for a song with a slow pounding rhythm. Summer and Rusty soon followed.

  I moved to a corner, in the shadows again, where I felt most comfortable and where I could observe almost everyone in the hall. I watched the couples hold each other close as the steady beat was pounding in my head. I closed my eyes, imagined myself dancing with someone, and swayed to the music, keeping my lids tightly sealed. I could almost feel hands gently moving up the sides of my arms, to hold my face close. My skin came alive and goose-bumps dotted the entire surface of my skin. I could feel the tears starting to form.

  I pushed the memories away.

  I opened my eyes as the song came to an end, blinking wildly to rid myself of the tears that threatened to flow. I wanted to go home, I couldn’t be here anymore. I looked around trying to find either Catherine or James but instead found him. A tall, blonde, muscular, masked superhero was standing near the exit, staring at me. There was something oddly familiar about his mouth...

  “You look tired,” Catherine’s head popped into my view.

  “Yes, I’m ready to go. Are you guys okay to leave now?” I asked trying to look around her.

  He wasn’t there anymore.

  “Yes, let’s go. Aren’t you glad you came? We had a blast. I’ll go get Jason. He’s talking to some of the staff from the medical center. Everyone is so friendly. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay, not going anywhere,” I answered.

  As Catherine danced away I spotted him again, our eyes locked, and then he abruptly walked
out the door.

  For only being in Telluride such a short time, it was amazing how swiftly routine came. Everyone at the bakery, the little markets, and various restaurants we frequented, around town and in Mountain Village, already knew who we were and greeted us so kindly every time we walked in. Almost unconsciously, we had slipped into our roles, as members of this community.

  We decided to start our exploring the weekend after Halloween and take a hike along the San Miguel River. Catherine was in heaven. She loved walking along the water’s edge, that’s one of the reasons they’d picked Telluride. We packed lunches and stayed out for hours, exploring all we could, until it was too dark to stay out any longer. I made mental notes of all the places that I wanted to come back to on my own. Hiking without company suited me better. I could push myself farther and try to reach more places than I could with James and Catherine along. They were always so worried that one of us would injure ourselves, and someone from the town might witness it.

  I went out on my own the next Saturday, in the late afternoon. Catherine was at the boutique and James was working in his lab at the house. Instead of going back to the river I decided to explore the ski trails that encircled our house.

  At first I climbed in the wide open areas that were clearly meant for skiing once the blanket of snow was again spread across the mountain. Then I ventured into the forested areas, thick with trees that reached up into the heavens. The trees blocked out the sun and without its warmth, the cold crept in. The light sweater I had paired with my favorite jeans kept me warm enough though. Cold weather rarely affected me. There was a good chance the jacket tied around my hips would not be needed.

  I climbed higher up the side of the mountain, digging my fingers into the earth to help pull myself up the steeper inclines. My nails broke and my hands were gouged by small rocks and twigs along my path. But I pressed on, wanting to lose myself in nature, to disappear into the forest like a woodland creature. As I reached one of the smaller peaks I walked into a clearing and my breath caught in my throat. The view in front of my eyes was extraordinary. The peaks of the tree-covered mountains were spotted with lines and splatters of white snow, all the colors blending together in an ever-changing palate. It was painted by the hand of God.

  The fragrance of the mountain was an intricate conglomerate of all things nature. I could smell the sweet dew that clung to the plants in the earth. The soil was pungent, but still pleasant. The fallen leaves, scattered across the mountainside, were in various stages of decay. Each species of tree had its own distinct scent. It was a bouquet like no other. Each component added to the delicate balance that I deeply inhaled.

  As the sun started to set, it cast marvelous shadows across the mountainside. I sat down on the damp earth and watched the shadows stretch and play as the sun slowly disappeared. When it was twilight I decided to head back.

  Climbing down required a more concentrated effort, to keep from losing my balance. As I made my way down a particularly steep area I became distracted. I thought I saw someone else walking through the trees. I was sure I’d heard twigs breaking in the distance. My foot slipped on loose debris and my careful descent turned into a clumsy fall.

  I started to tumble down the slope. My body was twisting, my limbs flailing, as I tried to control my descent. I reached out, trying to grab onto anything that would stop me. I heard a snap and felt a twinge in my right foot, as I finally came to rest.

  “Hey, are you okay over there?” I heard a male voice call out from a distance.

  Oh crap, someone had seen me fall. James was going to be so mad. He always lectured me on the importance of being safe. I struggled to find my voice as I sat up and began to assess the situation.

  “Fine,” I called out still not looking up to catch sight of where the guy was.

  “Stay still, I’m coming to you,” he yelled back.

  I examined my hands. They were badly scratched and bleeding. There was nothing to be done for the nails, but the skin I had hope for.

  “Heal quicker,” I whispered aloud, wishing I could control my body’s pace. Relief washed over me as the blood stopped flowing and the scratches smoothed over. The ankle was another story, it was broken. I took my boot and sock off, and straightened my ankle out as best as I could. If I didn’t get the bones in their proper places it would heal all wrong and then James would really be annoyed.

  I heard scrambling behind me and in one swift motion, I rubbed my hands together and then wiped at my face, trying to remove any traces of blood that might still linger on my skin. Hands clasped my shoulders. I flinched and looked up.

  It was now quite dim but my eyes could easily make out the face, the mouth. My lungs took a sharp intake of air. It was him, the blonde Adonis from the dance.

  “Wow you really took a tumble there. Try to stay still so I can check for broken bones,” he ordered. “What are you doing out here by yourself?” He leaned in closer unable to see as clearly as I.

  I couldn’t answer him, my voice caught in my throat and my body froze the moment his hands started to move across my limbs. He gently squeezed down the length of my arms, starting at my shoulders and continuing to my wrists. Then he grabbed onto my legs, moving from thigh to foot. That is when he finally saw my badly bruised ankle and reached down to cradle my battered foot in his hands.

  “It’s broken?” he questioned.

  “No, I’m sure it’s just twisted,” I whispered. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be able to walk on it. Just give me a moment to catch my breath.”

  He reached out to brush back the hair that was covering my eyes and tucked it behind my ear.

  “Where do you live?” he asked.

  I pointed toward my house, after my tumble it wasn’t so far away, “That one.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Charity,” I uttered in a barely audible whisper.

  “Charity?”

  “No, um, I really don’t need your charity...” I let my voice trail off, trying to cover up my mistake.

  “Oh you don’t?” he laughed. “Well, I must insist on giving it. Your name?” he repeated his question.

  “Emily. Emily Johnston.”

  “It’s nice to meet you Emily Johnston. I’m Link, Lincoln Knight, to be exact. Do you think you can lean on me so I can help you get home?”

  “I can call my uncle, really, you don’t need to bother with me,” I rambled on, but he decided to ignore my protests.

  Link wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up to standing. When he was sure I had gained my balance he instructed me to put my arms around his shoulders. He held onto me with one hand and snatched up my discarded boot with the other.

  “Let’s try to walk. Just lean on me,” he encouraged.

  “Really this is not necessary. My uncle...”

  “Miss Johnston, will you kindly shut your mouth and concentrate on walking? I am helping you. Now, test the ankle, just put a little pressure on it at first,” he ordered, slightly annoyed by my reluctance to accept his assistance.

  I gave a little hop. I could already feel my bones fusing back together. I tried to concentrate on walking as though I were truly injured.

  “Is this okay?” he breathed into my hair while his body pressed against mine for added support.

  I lost all sense of balance. My knees gave way and he had to tighten his grip to keep us both from falling over. This wasn’t helping me concentrate. I couldn’t think while he was touching me. But then again, it did help my act of appearing more injured than I was by now.

  “Sorry,” I apologized.

  “Careful, take it easy.” Link smiled at me.

  We paused in our trek, while I caught my breath and steadied my racing heart. I was right at the dance, there was something strangely familiar about his mouth. I peeked through my eyelashes to get a better look at his face. He had classical good looks, the kind that would always be considered handsome. Thick blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes accented his striking appearance. He f
lashed me a brilliant smile. Why did I know that smile so well?

  “You never answered my question before. What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

  “I just like to hike on my own.” I defended my right to be out, all by myself. “It’s peaceful. Until I do something stupid and fall. I’m usually much more careful,” I paused and took a deep breath. “I could ask you the same question,” I challenged him.

  “Same as you, except for the falling part,” he said with a smile. “Anyway, I’m not a high school girl,” he continued.

  “How do you know I’m in high school?”

  I hated being seventeen.

  “I saw you at the Halloween dance. You were hanging out with a group of high school kids so I used my awesome powers of deduction,” he teased.

  “You have awesome powers, eh? Lucky you,” I replied, my voice thick with sarcasm.

  “They come in handy when I’m rescuing fallen angels,” he paused in thought. “You remind me of somebody. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

  “That’s so weird. I was just thinking the same thing about you. I guess we each just have one of those strangely familiar faces,” I offered.

  “Familiar, yes, I wouldn’t say strange though. I think it’s a nice face, even if it is a little dirty right now.”

  Link brushed his hand across my forehead and down my nose. My knees buckled again.

  “Do you need to sit down?” he asked.

  The concern in his eyes made me even more lightheaded and left me unable to speak. I moved my head back and forth, in answer.

  “It’s cold out here. Don’t you have a jacket?” he inquired as he searched the ground behind us.

  “I had one tied around my waist. It must have fallen off. I’ll find it tomorrow. Let’s get moving again, we’re almost there.” I shook my head and concentrated on walking with a badly twisted ankle.

  We walked the rest of the distance in silence. I put on a good show of being quite injured. Although truthfully, I didn’t want to put any real pressure on my foot until James gave me the clearance to do so. As we reached the driveway of my house, the side door opened and James came out to meet us.

  “What happened, my dear?” He sounded concerned, but I knew he was slightly annoyed.

  “I fell, like an idiot, and Link helped me out,” I confessed.

  “Lincoln Knight,” Link extended his hand in introduction.

  “Thank you, Mr. Knight,” James said as he shook Link’s hand. “Don’t you work over at the hardware store?”

  “Yes, that’s right. For about a month now. I moved here for the ski season. I move around a lot. You’re new here too. Everyone keeps talking about the new doctor and his family. It’s nice to meet you,” Link chatted with ease.

  “It would have been nicer under different circumstances, but I’m glad you were there to help. Thanks, I’ve got it from here. We’ll see you around town.” James thanked Link again and then turned to me. “Well let’s get you inside so I can get a proper look at you.”

  Once we were safely indoors and James was sure Link had left the property, the scolding began.

  “Charity, how could you be so irresponsible?” James admonished.

  “It was just a simple break. I’m sure it’s fine now,” I protested.

  “What if it had been more than a simple break? What if the bone had tore through the flesh? This Link boy could have witnessed your skin as it miraculously repaired itself. Then where would we be? We would have to leave this town, my job, this house. You can’t expose us this way. Let’s go to the lab so I can x-ray your foot. I want to make sure the bones have set properly. Hopefully I will not have to re-break them. It’s surely almost fully healed by now.” He shook his head, clearly disappointed in my actions.

  “I thought I was completely alone, I swear to you. Next time I will be more careful, I promise. Please don’t be cross with me, James,” I pleaded.

  I hated myself for making such a careless mistake.

  “Let’s go,” was all he said.

  James led the way and I followed, walking gingerly. My foot was still a little sore. It felt like I had stepped on it the wrong way, tingly and prickly. I remembered this feeling from childhood... from before my body began its change... when I was still one hundred percent mortal. But that was a very long time ago.

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