Understanding Secrets, Chapter Nine - A Nightmare and a Dream

"Raychel! Raychel! HELP me!"

"Mother!" Raychel sobbed, peering over the edge of the cliff. Her mother was hanging onto it with all her life, but she couldn't hold on for long.

"Mother! Mother!" a voice cackled, standing at the beginning of the path that led to the cliff in shadow. It was that no-faced man.

"Take my hand!" Raychel cried, leaning down and reaching out for her mother. Karen grasped her hand tightly. "Don't let go!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through her back, making her wail with agony. She looked up to see the man leering over her, his hands dug into her back. In her confusion, she had let go of her mother.

"Trust me," the man hissed.

"Raychel!" her mother wailed, as she fell once again to her death.

"NOOO!" Raychel sobbed. Her sadness was short-lived, though. That soon turned to rage as she pushed the man back and glared at him. "You!"

The man was cackling, crooning, happy for her misery. But when he leaned into the light, she didn't see that pale-faced, no-expressioned demon.

"K-kevin?!" Raychel gasped.

Kevin grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her close. He had a leering grin on his face, devious and evil.

Suddenly, he let out a grunt and pushed Raychel over the cliff.

Raychel screamed as she fell, down, down, down...

And then she woke up.

-

Raychel woke up with a start. She hand been resting in the cargo boxcar of the train, on a sack of potatoes. She must have dozed off.

She panted and pressed herself all over. No pieces missing.

She sighed with relief and relaxed back into the sack of potatoes. It was just a stupid nightmare. Her stop was coming up soon, and she couldn't afford to miss it.

-

"I'm coming, dang it, I'll be right there!" a man hollered from the inside of the door. He didn't sound very happy. The door opened, revealing a brown-haired, scraggly-looking man, with brown eyes and bags under his eyes.

Kevin smiled nervously, and chuckled, "Uhm.. Hi, Noah..."

"FLUFF, NO!" and the door slammed shut into his face.

"Noah, come on!" Edward complained. "We need to talk to you!"

"NO!" Noah hissed.

Edwars sighed, and walked away from the door. Kevin followed.

Noah came back to his window and peeked through the curtain. No one was there. He sighed with relief.

"Knock it off, Noah. This is serious," Edward snapped, right behind him.

Noah turned around. "How did you-!"

"Noah, please. It's my sister!" Kevin pleaded. "I-I did something very wrong, and she ran away. We need your help to find her!"

Noah narrowed his eyes. "Let me get this straight," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "YOU want ME to help YOU find YOUR sister?"

"That is correct," Kevin nodded.

"Sounds like your own problem," Noah sneered.

"Noah, I know you're mad at me-"

"Oh, I'm not MAD! I just don't feel like taking the bait from a trap again!"

"Noah, please! I promised my parents I'd take care of her!" Kevin blurted. He burned inside, for shedding tears for his own prey. But he needed him.

Noah was silent for a minute. "Well, I can obviously see you're not going to leave me alone. So I guess I'm in."

"Oh, thank you, Noah-"

"IF you leave me alone for the rest of the year!"

"Half of the rest of the year."

"Three quarters of the rest of the year."

"Until December."

"Deal!" And they shook on it.