Fading {Book Two of The Descendants series}

Chapter Eighteen

"What are you doing?" The man with glasses asked.

The woman was sitting at her computer screen looking at pictures.

"What are you doing in here?" She snapped her screen off and spun around on him.

He had managed to catch a glimpse of a young boy with a group of children before she shut the screen off. Who could they be?

"I am trying to carry out your plan and can't do that without all the necessary information!" The man finally snapped. He had had enough of this.

The woman stood and held him in an icy stare. He defiantly looked at her straight in the eyes with an equally icy stare.

"Don't forget that I was the one who brought you back from the dead," she said shooting her hand forward. The man with glasses yelped. His arm began to rot away leaving nothing but bone. She pulled her hand back and his arm returned to normal. "I can send you back if necessary. If you want to see your son again, then I suggest you obey my EVERY command."

"As you wish," the man with glasses said looking at the floor.

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"Ronin?"

"Who is there?" Ronin asked turning around cautiously. Where was he?

"Ronin! Help me!"

"Who is calling me?" Ronin shouted into the darkness.

"Ronin! Please! Help me!" Suddenly a blond woman appeared.

"Emily?!" Ronin gasped. "But-"

"Help me, my love!"

Ronin shot up in a cold sweat . Haley was startled awake by his sudden movement. He was breathing heavily. Haley looked at him alarmed.

"Ronin? What is it?" Haley asked sitting up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes with her hands.

"It-it was just a dream," Ronin said trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He looked at the clock. It was five in the morning. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Haley asked still worried.

"It's nothing," Ronin said shaking his head.

He laid back down on his pillow. Haley looked at him for a few minutes and then laid back down as well. Ronin felt bad for shrugging her off so he rolled over and wrapped his arms around her. She rolled over and snuggled into his chest. Soon she was asleep again, but no sleep would come again for Ronin that night.

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"Dad? Dad? Dad!"

"Ah! What?" Ronin helped. He sent his coffee flying across the table.

"Are you okay?" Tyson asked worriedly.

"Don't scare me like that!" Ronin said jumping up to clean up his mess.

"I've been standing here for five minutes," Tyson said. He was sort of standing. He was on crutches so he was more leaning.

"Oh," was all Ronin could say.

"Is something bothering you?" Tyson asked.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking," Ronin said. "I'm going to go run an errand. I'll be right back."

"Um, okay," Tyson said raising an eyebrow. "Bye?"

Ronin hurried out of the kitchen and through the front door. He ignored Jay's question of where he was going. He practically ran over to Rex and jumped in. Ronin started up the engine and took off.

He didn't have too far to go. He landed in a quiet little meadow not far from the city. He exited his vehicle and walked down a small winding path. It was beautiful here. The sun was shining. The green, luscious trees were swaying gently in the breeze. Ronin could hear the gurgle of the nearby stream as it bubbled it's way towards the Serpentine River. Birds sang in the morning light and squirrels danced with the branches in the treetops above.

Not far down the path, a small church became visible. It was a quaint little building. It was white with a towering steeple towards the heavens.

"Good morning, Ronin," a voice called from nearby.

"Good morning, Pastor Green," Ronin greeted warmly.

"I take it you would like me to let you into the garden?" The Pastor asked.

"If you would be so kind," Ronin nodded.

The pastor smiled and beckoned for him to follow. He lead Ronin to a fenced area behind the church. It was the church cemetery. Pastor Green felt that the cemetery should not be a sad or gloomy place. He had planted a beautiful garden there. Tall sunflowers grew outside the gate. A thick, green hedge surrounded the quiet place. Inside there were all sorts of flowers. It really was a beautiful place. It seemed like the perfect place for the dead to be laid to rest. Why shouldn't they lie among flowers and trees? This is exactly why Ronin had picked this spot for his sweet Emily. Nothing could be more fitting.

"I'll let you alone," Pastor Green said with an understanding smile. Ronin nodded in appreciation.

When the old pastor had left, Ronin made his way to a small corner of the cemetery. A small little fountain lay to the right side of the path. A bench underneath of it offered rest to weary, travelers in mourning.

Ronin went past the fountain and stopped at a small, white headstone just to the left of the path.

If one read the inscription, it would read: Emily May Broker
June 6, 3030-January 9, 3055
Loving wife and friend. If she had lived to see her child, she would have been the most loving of mothers.

Ronin's eyes wandered from the inscription down the the earth which she lay beneath.

"What the-" Ronin shouted in horror. His cry rang across the cemetery and echoed off the white headstones.

What was once an undisturbed patch of earth was now overturned and dug up. Ronin dropped to his knees.

"Why would anyone disturb your rest?" He asked with tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh, Emily! I'm so sorry!"

"Ronin, is-" the pastor walked up and began to ask. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Who could have done this?" Ronin asked mournfully.

"I don't know! I haven't been back here in quite some time! The flowers back here do not need tending but once every few years!" The pastor said in shock. "Whoever has disturbed this holy place of rest shall feel the wrath of God!"

"Not to mention the wrath of Ronin," Ronin said standing up.

The pastor laid a hand on his shoulder. His old, caring eyes let Ronin know how much he ached for him. After all, hadn't this kind man of the cloth lost his wife in much the same way? Yet his child had passed on along with his wife. Ronin squeezed the kind man's hand and made his way out of the cemetery.

Awww. That made me sad! :'( Hope you enjoyed and are in suspense now! The next chapter is coming soon! -LL_18