"So... Can I offer either of you a drink?" Casey asked, folding her hands behind her back. I looked between her, and the guests. Oh how awkward things had gotten.
Without answering the woman turned to me, her dark hair flipping over her shoulder.
"What did you say your name was again?" she questioned, her eyes icy.
"Um... Elizabeth Caldwell. But call me Liz." Her eyes snapped up to Casey.
"Why did you not inform the council?" she scolded, rising from her chair. Casey held her ground while the woman walked right up to her.
"Mary I-"
"I don't want excuses."
"Listen, this is not your fight or the councils. It's strictly Liz's and mine. So please, can't you just leave?" Casey's eyes pinched shut as she sighed.
"Leave!" Mary screeched. "How do you expect us to leave? We're the best there is out there and here you're working with an amateur."
"Yeah but this is personal. That house was my house. MY house. And Liz lives their now. It's HER parents that are in danger. Besides, it'll be a great way to introduce everything to her!" Casey argued.
"What if she were to expose us? Then what?! She's young and we both know that means she doesn't have a handle on her powers yet. What would we do if her school suddenly lit on fire? Or if the local lakes suddenly flooded without even a drop of rain falling from the sky?"
"Mary, let Casey do what she wants. You know Mom won't be happy if you scare away our only ally." I looked over at the other guest. A guy in his late twenties with spiky black hair, just like Mary, who I assume was his sister. Mary's eyes lit with anger, although you could tell she was losing the argument. And she didn't like it one bit. Her eyes darted between the three of us.
"Fine. But on one condition. The girl is showed the council. She has a right to as a fellow Ghost Catcher."
"Hey I have a name you know- which I mentioned twice now!" I yelled. I didn't like Mary. She was bossy, rude, and wanted a shot at killing Casey's dad. That job was already taken. By me.
"Whatever," she said, not even looking at me, instead turning back to Casey. "We're taking her no matter what. So either you come or you stay."
"I'm staying." Casey shot me a look. "Good luck." With that Mary shoved me out the door and a fair distance from the house.
"Care to tell me where we're going?" I asked, completely irritated now.
"To the Ghost Catcher's headquarters. It's time you met your real family."
_______________________
I woke up in a cement room with a pounding headache. My ankles were tied to the legs of the chair I was sitting in, and my wrists bound behind my back.
Looking around I only found a small cylinder bolted to the ceiling in one of the corners. It was a security camera.
Another wave of pain washed through my head. I pinched my eyes shut and hung it to try and ease the pain.
"So this is how you treat family?" I asked, hoping whoever was on the receiving end of the video stream would hear it. Not a minute later the door opened and a frail old woman walked in. She carried a chair similar to mine, and to be honest, I was surprised she hadn't fallen over. That's how small she was. From what I could tell she was just a skeleton with skin slapped on. No muscle on her what-so-ever. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in a 'What the heck?' kind of way.
"So you are Elizabeth," she said, sitting down. I nodded mutely. "I hear you're a Ghost Catcher." Again, I nodded. Call me crazy but I didn't really want to talk to someone who took part in dragging me hear. Or who gave me this crappy, extremely painful headache.
"I can see you're upset. The effects of the sedative will wear off soon," she assured, folding her hands in her lap. "Now would you care to tell me why you haven't come to us yet?" There was a strange tug on in my gut. Without really thinking I answered,
"I didn't even know you existed."
"Surely Casey told you."
"No."
"Have you received the mark?"
"Yes."
"Where do you live?"
"111 Maple Road." Silence ensued as I was suddenly more aware of my surroundings. The camera, my situation, what I am. It was almost like I had woken from... A trance.
"I see why Casey kept things on the down-low." She snapped her fingers and the ropes binding me disappeared. I rubbed my wrists thankfully. "May I...?" the woman asked, stretching a hand out. I outstretched my arm and she took to studying my mark. Quickly she released it with a definite nod. "Come with me." She stood and I did too. The chairs disappeared with another snap, and the woman lead me out the door.
"Can I ask what your name is?" I questioned.
"Eleanor. Leader of the Ghost Catcher Council."
"Are your children Mary and that other guy that came to Casey's house?"
"Yes. And his name is Kyle."
For an old woman she sure could move fast, and soon we were met with a door. Eleanor pushed it open and stormed in.
"In your seats!" she shouted. All fifteen or so people flew to their seats in an instant. Meanwhile I lingered by the doorway, unsure of what to do.
"All of you should be aware of our new Catcher by now," Eleanor said. She raised a hand in my direction, and automatically all heads turned my direction. I wondered what they found so interesting. It was just black haired, blue-eyed, 5'6" me. Nothing special as far as I was concerned. One by one their attention turned back to Eleanor where she began to talk again.
"Elizabeth here has only known our secret for a short amount of time, and had the mark for an even shorter amount. She has much to learn and I want you all to treat her well." Murmurs erupted around the table, all of them talking about me. It was annoying because I was obviously still in the room.
"Silence! Peter. You will show her to a room. 129 if you will." A teenager, maybe eighteen, with short sandy spikes stepped forward. He had no emotion on his face which I guess was better than hate or annoyance. He pushed open the door and I followed after him, afraid of being left behind. He was super tall and one of his strides equalled two of mine.
"Why am I staying? Can't I go home?" I asked, becoming frantic. Images of my worried family flashed through my mind. What if Pollux attacked them? I was nearly a hundred percent certain they would die.
"You're staying here because Eleanor says so. You don't deny Eleanor. And you can't go home until you've trained." His voice was deep and had a slight comforting ring to it.
"But my family-"
"Will be watched by Catchers. They're safe." Peter came to a sudden stop. On the door in front of us there was the number 129 carved into it. "This'll be your room. Breakfast will come at seven. Training'll start at seven thirty. Good night." With a sharp turn on his heel Peter retreated back down the hall we had come. The relief I was feeling before was ebbing away, leaving me feeling raw.
I opened up the door and closed it softly behind me. There was a bed, a small wooden table, and that was it. I fell onto the bed and burrowed deep under the blanket. I felt cold, and just wanted to sleep.
