History of the Forgotten

Chapter 21

"Hey Girl, how is the display coming along?" Jessica asked as she walked into the mansion. "Oh wow, looks great." She smiled as she took in the all the pictures. "Nathan always had bruises on him and Sean always had bandages and tiger balm on him," Jess smiled as memories filled her mind. She chuckled spotting Raven in the background with a gun, "He always made sure to have one on him at all times but he also always made sure I knew not to touch them until I was old enough that he could teach me. Unfortunately that never happened but I learned anyway to honor him." She looked at the picture of Corey inspecting the computer, "I remember him always being curious about stuff, I bet he would have loved to learn how to code and hack. He would have been a genius when it came to computers. Oh so many memories," She smiled sadly looking at the group photo. "Hey what's wrong?" She noticed that Annabel looked distraught. "Are you still not feeling well?"

"What?" Annabel asked snapping back into reality, "oh yeah, just wishing we had Owen's ring to complete the set, that's all." She looked down at the display that help the thirteen male rings and the one female ring. She didn't remember taking it off but yet there it was in the collection so she must have right before Jessica arrived. It was probably for the best at the moment since she was feeling a little off and light headed still. She knew they were still there, she could just feel it. She really didn't understand the pull she had towards them, she never felt so close to a job before and yet she knew she didn't want to lose them either. It was a very unique situation she was in and yet she felt this was were she belonged. She was suppose to be here, it was like a part of her was missing and now that she was here the hole was filled and she was finally complete. Yeah, it was a very strange situation for sure.

"Maybe this will give you an idea on where to start looking," Jessica said as she walked over and pulled a journal out of her bag. She held the book out and smiled sadly at Annabel's confused look. "It was the one my mother wrote in after my brothers' deaths. I have never been able to read it and I don't think I ever will be able to."

"Are you sure?" Annabel asked cautiously holding her hand out.

"Very," Jessica nodded. "I can't know what's in there. I have to keep the little sister safety nativity that they weren't in any pain of any kind. That," She tapped the book, "Would ruin that safety bubble I have put up and kept up all my life and if I was to open that book it would haunt me the rest of my life. I can't have that sort of knowledge in my mind, it would ruin the memories I have of them and cause my hurt of losing them to hurt even more. I can't taint the memories I have of them, of that I am certain."

"Okay," Annabel nodded. "I will keep it safe, I promise." She hugged Jessica, "If you ever change your mind you know where it will be."

"Thanks, but I won't," Jess smiled sadly. "I can't." Annabel nodded and held the journal to her chest. Jess cleared her throat, "Now if you excuse me, I am heading to the library to get some studying done. Lock the door, I have a key, I'll let myself in since I don't know when I will be back."

Annabel nodded and shut the door behind Jessica. She looked down at the journal and bit her lip. Did she really want to know what was in the journal? Part of her craved the knowledge but another part wanted to be like Jessica and be naïve on what Erica Lee could have written down in this book. Her mind and heart wear now in battle on what to do. She headed to the kitchen and made a tumbler of hot cocoa. She stared down at the book deep in thought weighing the pros and cons of opening the vat of knowledge that could possibly be in it.

She sighed and looked at it with determination, "I have to be professional and as a professional historian I have to know all the facts. That includes the horrible details that might be in this first hand knowledge of someone close to them," she mumbled to herself as she headed up the stairs to the second then third floor. She entered her room and sat the journal on her bed. She put her cup on the nightstand then quickly threw her hair up in a messy bun. She grabbed the book and cup then curled up in the window seat. Taking a deep breath she opened the journal and stared at Erica Lee's handwriting.