Secrets of the Past

Chapter 13

Carissa POV

Carissa woke up...slowly. She carefully opened her eyes, letting her eyes adjust to the light. When they were adjusted, she surveyed her surroundings, her heart plummeted with the sight she saw. All the memories flooded back in full force.

The big, cold, hand that was over her mouth and keeping her from following her friends up the attic.

The sedative that was firmly pressed against her nose.

Then...blacking out.

Now, she was here. In a huge, black, cave. The only light source was a burning torch nearby to where she was sitting, which was firmly pressed against one of the freezing sides of the cave. Her legs and hands were bound with a sharp, black, cord, which was piercing her skin. She tried to yell, but found it impossible by the gag in her mouth.

She was shivering and hurting from the cord, which was one of the worst combinations possible. She tried to hold her tears in, but one of them broke free from her hold.

Suddenly, she heard a door creak open then slam shut. A pair of footsteps started walking towards her. She quickly stopped crying and tried to wipe the tear with her bound hands, but only ended up giving herself a scratch from her binds. She cringed.

"Well, well, well, you're awake." The man, who was walking towards her, said.

"No need to look tough, we're the good guys." The man was now arm distance in front of her, crouching down. Carissa huffed.

"Oh! Pardon me, I forgot that you still had the gag." He reached up and untied the knot that was behind her head.

Carissa sucked in a sharp breath, "If you're the good guys why did you kidnap me and place me in a dark, creepy, cave, which for your information, is not welcoming at all."

The man laughed, "Feisty one, I see. I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name is Gethen. And yours?"

Carissa thought about staying silent, but what if they were the good guys...

"Carissa." She sputtered out.

"Well, Carissa, I understand that you've been seeking information that your parents apparently are not willing to give..." Gethen was pacing now, occasionally glancing at her.

"Yes...and how do you know?" Carissa questioned, her eyes narrowed.

"Let's just say in order to recruit someone, you need to get to know them first..." He smiled at Carissa.

"Wait.." Carissa started, "Did you just say recruit?" Carissa didn't even know if these guys were on her side or against it...

"Yes Carissa, I did." Gethen now stood in front of her, looking down at her.

"Well, if you're wondering what the answer is, it's no." Carissa answered, wishing that she could cross her arms to emphasize her point.

Gethen frowned, "And why is that?"

"First off, I don't even know that much about your group. Second off, the information I do know is that you leave mysterious notes in people's attic and kidnap people, which both things obviously leads me to a no."

"Well, I have an idea on how we could prove to you that we are on your side."

Carissa smirked, "How?" Knowing that in her mind, it would take a miracle to convince her to join their cause.

Gethen tapped his chin, "Oh, how about giving you the secrets your parents have so carefully kept hidden from you?" He raised his eyebrows and stared at Carissa, waiting for an answer.

She gulped, maybe it wouldn't take a miracle. Carissa tried to make a tiny pros and cons list in her head, but her curiosity made her unable to think of any cons, only that she needed that information and now it was right at her fingertips. Here was a chance to uncover what her parents had been hiding from her all these long years. If only she joined their cause, it seemed worth it...

She was about to answer Gethen when the creak of the door echoed around the cave again. Startled, Gethen turned towards the figure and squinted, trying to make the person out.

"Father, mother requested to see you." The voice announced and as the figure emerged from the shadows and into the light of the torch, realization hit her like a punch in the gut. The torch brought out the face features of a young, handsome, man with the same sky blue eyes as Gethen...his father.

She wished it hadn't been those exact same pair of eyes that had melted her heart in Foxfire, especially when he prevented her from slipping to her doom in the lunch auditorium.

She dared look up again and when she did the boy's face instantly contorted into confusion and worry, "Carissa?"