Born To Fly

Sixteen-The Letter

Sixteen

I looked down at the letter and I wasn't sure if I wanted to open it. It was in my mother's hand writing, and my name was written beautifully across the front. I sat the photo album aside and turned the letter over. It was still sealed, I gently pulled it open and a single note card fell out. I flipped it over and there was an address.

            4567 5th Ave

             Eureka, Montana

            59917

(406) 777 - 9845

 Call when you are ready.

When I was ready for what? I got up and climbed back down the stairs and Joel was waiting for me and he noticed the notecard.

"What is that from?"

   "A photo album." I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the number. Listening....waiting. It rang at least 4 times, before I hung up. I didn't know if I wanted to know what was on the other end of the phone. I looked down at my phone and tried to work my nerve back up. I could do this, I was the alpha of this pack. I looked up at Joel, and I took most of my strenght from him. I dailed the phone again, and I waited. 

Ring......Ring.....Ring.....Ring.....

"Hello?"

   "Umm hi?"

"Who is this?"

   "My name is Alison..."

"Alice?" And I knew that voice from the tapes...my dad's voice.

   "Daddy?"

"Where are you? How did you..."

    "It was on a notecard in the attic..."

"It's not safe for us to be talking...where are you?"

     "I'm home." And I heard a female voice in the back ground.

"Is that mom?"

   "Yes, we will be there in 24 hours. Stay there..." I hung up and looked to Joel, and this was what I wanted. I wanted my family back. Needed my family back.

"Who was it?"

   "My parents...they are alive...they are on their way here." He smiled and kissed me.

"Well then we need to tell people...mostly just the pack."

   "No, not yet. If they faked their deaths it was for a good reason, we don't want to alert the people they were hiding from." Joel looked at me for a moment, then understood.

"I don't undrstand why I would find the tapes telling me they were dead if they are living in Montana."

   "Maybe it was safer for you?"

"To be seperated from my parents was safer for me?"

   "I'm just trying to make sense of this, i'm sorry."I ran my hand over my face and walked downstairs.

"I don't understand..." I looked at the picture of them together that I had put on the fireplace mantle. I leaned back against the couch, I felt afraid; what if they didn't love me, that's why the faked their deaths. Joel sat with me and we just waited.

"Will you stay home from school?"

   "I wouldn't leave you here with something like that happening." I laid down against his chest and he wrapped an arm around me. I grabbed a blanket and he wrapped it around me. I just listened to his heart beat. It was slow and steady, while mine was all over the place.

"what if they aren't my parents?"

    "We will deal with that when that happens, but keep the hope alive for now." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and I wanted to be hopeful, but I remembered the first line of one of the tapes. I found them, they should be dead....I didn't understand. I watched the shadows grow across the hardwood floor, and I could tell that Joel was asleep. I closed my eyes, and I tried to get some kind of sleep. Even if it was only for a few minutes.