Love Persists

Chapter 24

Mrs. Myers's POV:
I got home from work and threw my purse down on the back of the couch, feeling somewhat exhausted. Not wanting to have to eat too late, I began to boil some water to make pasta, something that was quick and easy.

After turning on the stove, I decided to go check in with Mandie to see how her day went, hoping to have some sort of communication with her. After finding out Erik was her friend only after he had given her flowers and then finding out that he was her boyfriend only when he had invited her out on a date made me realize that she wasn't being completely open with me.

I really wanted her to be able to tell me when things were wrong or even when they were right. I wanted her to feel as though she could come to me with anything, afraid that she didn't already feel that way. But most times when I asked her how her day went she only gave me a one or two word respond, so it clearly wasn't working.

I opened the door of her bedroom, met with the sickening scent of blood. Gasping in shock and horror, I realized that Mandie was lying on the ground, her wrists slit and her eyes closed. I knelt down beside her and checked her pulse, frightened when I could not feel one.

Not even bothering to wipe off the blood on my hands, I pulled out my cellphone and called 911, desperate for an ambulance. I stayed by her side until it arrived then followed as she was carried out on a gurney. Liam got home just before we were going to leave in the ambulance and I tried to explain what was happening through my tears. I was praying that although I hadn't been able to find a pulse, there actually was one that I simply missed. But I could tell from the looks on the paramedics that they were only bringing her to the hospital to try to revive her.

Erik's POV:
I sat at the organ composing, using Christine as my inspiration. Lost in my music, I barely noticed the alarm that went off, warning me of an intruder. Rather annoyed, I grabbed my Punjab lasso and went to see who it was who dared trespass upon my property.

When I got out to the lake, however, I was shocked to find a bloody body lying on my side of the lake with indication of how it got there. I approached the body, realizing it was a woman by the longer hair and curved body shape, but confused as to why she was in pants. I recognized the clothing as the type of thing worn in the future and as I got closer, I was finally able to identify her as Mandie.

I cried out her name, bending down to see if she was still alive. There was a faint pulse, to my relief, and I lifted her from the ground and into the spare bedroom that I had. There, I began to tend to her wounds, which seemed have been only her wrists, where I imagined she had become cutting again.

After cleaning her wounds with alcohol, I wrapped them up with clean cloth. I washed the blood from rest of her body, before changing her into a nightgown I had stolen for in case I ever managed to get Christine to come down into my lair. It was a bit too small for her but I knew that it would make due and at least she would not have to wear anything that was stained with blood.

After finishing up, I stepped away from the bed just to look at her. Seeing her again for the first time in almost a month brought back a wave of memories, but I knew I would need to stifle them in fear that she would just be sent right back to the future. I knew that I had to keep myself from becoming too attached.