Chapter 40:

*EDDIE'S POV:

Rolling over to hopefully give Cait a good morning kiss, I found that she wasn't lying next to me. I sighed, assuming she had to go to the bathroom or something. It was only 10:37am, I'm surprised she's up this early. I closed my eyes waiting for her to return, but ended up dosing off. Waking up again, it was now 11:02am and the space by my side was still cold and empty. It doesn't take that long to pee. I dragged myself out of the fort and peered into the kitchen to see if she was playing around in there. Nothing.

"Cait?" I called out, wondering where she was. Maybe she's upstairs in the bedroom. Neither of my parents are down here, so there's a chance she made them partake in some birthday surprise.

I climbed up the stairs and saw Aunt Susan coming out of the bathroom. "Ah! There's my little birthday boy!" she boasted, throwing her arms around me.

"Thanks, Auntie." I smiled, letting her pinch my cheeks. Uncle Wayne followed out of the bedroom and gave me a celebratory hug as well. They started downstairs to make breakfast.

I looked around in the bathroom, checking behind the door and the shower curtain. She wasn't in here. I took a quick glance in my bedroom, finding she wasn't in there either. Jogging to the top of the stairs, I shouted down to my parents, "Have you guys seen Caitlin?"

"No, dear. Why?" Aunt Susan answered.

"I can't seem to find her." I called back.

"Maybe it's a part of some surprise she has planned for you. Check the house for clues or something!" she eagerly cheered. "You know how that girl is!"

I figured I'd do that, considering Cait is full of spontaneous surprises. There was nothing eye-catching in the hallway so I headed towards my bedroom. Since I had looked so quickly, I didn't notice a trail of candy twisting around the room. Standing in the middle and following the bits, they led to the desk which clearly had a specific letter and sticky note. I must've found my first clue.

I picked up the sticky note and furrowed my eyebrows at the message.

I have to do this.I love you.Happy birthday.

Seeing as there was a handwritten letter next to this note, I held it between my fingers and felt my heart drop. It was the one I had written to her that night. No, no, no! Fuck! This was scribbled when I wasn't in the right state of mind, and hell it was practically forced. There was a point where I actually thought death was the only outcome but now it's nothing but optimism. I have faith. Fuck, I mean I didn't even finish writing my name because that's when she left the voicemail. After that everything was fine. Everything was fine. Everything was fine.

Oh god, fuck, what is she doing? I have to do this. What does that mean? What the fuck does she think she's going to do?! Fury was rattling through my bones. This was all my fault; I should've thrown the note away as soon as the two of us hung up on the phone. Why didn't I bother? The thin piece of journal paper crumbled in my fist as I slammed both hands on the desk, yelling. Trying to clear my head long enough to think of something to do, I then picked my phone up and sprinted downstairs.

"Whoa, Eddie, slow down." Uncle Wayne said, "Did you find anything?"

"I have to go." I said, scrambling to grab keys from the front door basket. Only the left shoe was placed on my feet, the other slipping through my fingers as I swung open the door.

"Eddie! Where are you going? Eddie?" Aunt Susan yelled from the doorway. "It's your birthday!"

"I have to find her." was all I yelled before reversing out of the driveway and speeding off towards her house. Amanda was the first person I thought to call.

"Eddie, oh happy birthday-"

"Mandy, please put your mom on the phone." I pleaded. "Please,"

"What's going on?" her voice hardened.

"Is Caitlin there?"

"No, I thought she would be with you. Eddie, tell me what this is about."

"Please, just, I need to talk to Annabelle. You can put it on speaker or whatever but I just I really need to talk to her." I begged.

From the other end, Amanda urgently called for her mother. There was really no point for the call considering I was two minutes away from their house, but I still waited. I almost ran a stop sign.

"Eddie? What's going on?" Annabelle asked.

"It's Caitlin. This morning she found a letter I'd written to her a while back, like a goodbye letter kinda. She left a sticky note saying that she 'has to do this' and I'm assuming she's gone off to defeat Noken by herself. I don't know how long she's been gone."

"The letter set her off?"

"I guess so. I don't know what she's trying to do or where she would even be."

"She didn't leave a single clue?"

"No, I have no idea what her plan is. She doesn't want me, or any of us for that matter, stopping her. I'm in your driveway. I'm coming in." I hung up and ran out of the car and in through the front door.

Mandy was pacing around in the living room with her phone up to her ear. She huffed and dialed a number again, and I assumed she was trying to get ahold of her daughter. "It's going straight to voicemail. She has her phone off."

Glancing at Annabelle, she also had a phone to her ear. When she didn't get a reply, she cursed the John. On the last ring of her third call, she seemed startled when he answered.

"John! It's Annabelle. Is my granddaughter with you?"

"Caitlin? Yeah, she literally just pulled out of my lot."

"What was she doing there? Did she tell you where she was going? Why was she going there? Why did-"

"Whoa! Annabelle, slow down! What's the matter? She told me you knew she was with me and not to worry."

"She did what? That conniving little-"

"Mom!" Amanda scolded.

"John, tell me everything!"

"Annabelle, she came in around two hours ago. She said she found the recipe for the right bullet, so I figured, ya know, why not try it? I made as many as I could and off she went. She said you knew she was here."

"Well I didn't!"

"She seemed like an honest girl, Belle! I guess I'm sorry I believed her! Look, it's not like she's out there roaming around with a loaded gun! She didn't have one with her. Even if she did, she knows how to shoot."

"John, believe me, she can't shoot." she huffed, glaring at me.

"I taught her how. She learned quickly."

"You did what?!"

"She asked! Annabelle, I don't see a problem here. She's a strong girl who just wants to save that boyfriend of hers. I have to go, I have another client."

"I'm going to explode."

"Mom, calm down,"

"Calm down? Your daughter is out running amuck and it's all because of me! Jesus Christ, we have to find her."

"Where are we going to start?" I asked, just standing around anxiously.

"She needs a gun." Annabelle said.

"Your house." I realized, clutching my keys. "Let's go."

"I'm coming with you." Mandy added.

"No, you're staying here."

"Don't you dare tell me-"

"Amanda, I know she's your daughter, but this was my doing. She's my granddaughter and I'm the reason she's in this mess. I'll take care of everything. Just, please, stay here─for the sake of your daughter and your mother."

She looked past her mother and straight at me. "Bring my daughter home─alive."

With sad eyes, I nodded sincerely and headed out the door with Annabelle right behind. Should I call Luna, I asked, thinking maybe she would have an idea. Annabelle shrugged, agreeing that it wouldn't hurt to call. Luna either knows everything or she knows nothing. When I found her contact number and called, there was no answer. I was just told to focus on driving. Morgan would've been extra bagge and wasted time trying to find her, too.

The drive was uncomfortable, probably because it was all too familiar─Annabelle and me in a car rushing to her house to find Cait. Things ended pretty ragged last time, what's this trip going to hold? Pulling into the driveway, both of us ran into her home. I looked around downstairs while she rummaged the upstairs. No one was down here, nor were there any clues of her whereabouts.

"She was here." Annabelle said from behind. "My gun is missing."

"So she really is out there with a loaded gun?" I heaved, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Apparently," she replied, "God, I need a drink. Would you mind quickly getting the pitcher from the fridge? It has medicine mixed in and I have a feeling I'm not gonna be of any use without it."

Grabbing the pitcher from the reifrigerator shelf, I placed it on the counter next to me for her to take. As I shut the fridge door, I was now eye-level with a sticky note on the freezer door. The handwriting looked familiar─my own.

Since she didn't get to finish your birthday scavenger hunt, I thought I'd give you the pleasure.Clue #1: Drown your sorrows with this in your hand, for a drink made from grain will prevent you to stand.

"Annabelle, it might not be Cait with the gun. . ." I trailed off, sticking the note out to her.

She ripped it from my fingertips and skimmed over it. She set her glass down and opened a cabinet above the stove. Full of alcohol bottles, she pulled out one with whiskey and ripped another message from the back of the label.

I'm sure it was Annabelle who found this one. I think we all know whiskey was her strongest antidepressant.Clue #2: You know where it started, you know what it was, open the container where there once was a buzz.

Sprinting to the upstairs closet, I swung open the unlocked door and snatched the jar from the top shelf. I'm not amused, this is wasting time.

That was fast. Remember your mistake? It was for you, but for me? Why, it was a piece of cake.Clue #3: My riddles are weakening, that I do know, but for my dear Annabelle, what more must she show? Two dogs, two daughters, one lovely ol' granchild─the only one missing had love running wild.

"I don't understand this one. Do you?" I asked, impatiently shaking my leg. She read over it and squeezed her eyes shut. "Annabelle? Please, if it can help us get to Caitlin."

"Picture frames."

"What?"

"I have pictures hanging up in the kitchen─two dogs, my two daughters, and a few of Caitlin. There's none of my husband, however. Waking up to an empty spot in bed was painful enough, I couldn't keep his face up." she said solemnly. "It must be on the back of the one I showed you the other day."

She finished down the hall and to her bedroom. I contemplated staying out in the hallway since I'm still a bit shaken up by the last time I was in here, but I decided to continue in. Annabelle ransacked a drawer and pulled out the same picture frame, ripping something from the back and handing it for me to take. I looked over her shoulder and saw her fingers running over the freshly cracked glass Noken must've created.

Clue #4: Last one, I promise, since dear Annabelle is ailing. This one's for you, boy, so listen without wailing. She's coming for me with a bullet and a gun, but little does she know I have something more fun.A little memory for you, that's where she'll be; her first grave encounter with not you but with me. A knife to her back, to her gut, to her heart, remember your parents had to pull you apart? Run along now, before it's too late. Will you be able to save her before she's just bait?

"Annabelle, I know where she is!" I boasted, but stopped cold when I noticed she hasn't moved from her original position. Placing a palm on her shoulder, I asked if she was okay.

"He's torturing me again." she frowned, putting the frame down. "Forget it─go start the car, Eddie. I'm right behind you."

I jogged downstairs to the car and started it up. Half my mind was anxious and ready to go and the other half was full of questions and agony. Has Annabelle talked about that day at all with anyone? I can't imagine how much of a weight is on her chest because of something like that. Having to kill your own husband and play it off as something else for years to come? What even happened in that moment? What words were exchanged? What was the reaction afterwards? Calm down, Eddie, clear your thoughts. You need to be focused. You can't be scatter-brained at the moment. That was the past─this is now.

She came down a few minutes later, staying silent as she wiped at her nose with a tissue. I started to drive, knowing I'd still have to say something. "If you think history is going to be repeated─stop. I know you might be thinking that you're going to lose your granddaughter the same way that you lost your husband, but I won't let that happen. I know I'm just one guy thinking we have some sort of spontaneous voodoo on our side, but listen to me─you were entirely alone throughout your ordeal. Your family didn't know, friends didn't really know, only your husband and you. This time it's different. There are people involved. Caitlin has so many on her side and she has a powerful relationship with every single one of them. We will win. This will end with that asshole convulsing on the ground with a bullet in between his eyes."

She nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. This woman is one of the strongest I've ever met. "Save my granddaughter."....................................................A/N: Hola! Nothing major in this chapter─just a few clues, odds and ends. I hope this update wasn't too far off! I have a good bit of the next chapter (shit will go down) but I'm trying to make it absolutely perfect.

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