Kissing Death

Chapter 9: Missing

A/N

Incase you missed/didn't read my authors note in the last chapter.  I added a new part to the beginning of the story.  It explains what caused this whole family feud.  If you don't want to read it more power to you!  But it's there if you want to read it because I'm not adding a flashback in the middle of the coming chapters about what caused this so... you can look at it or forever hold your peace. (Cryptic much? Yuck, sorry!)

I'm in one of those writing moods today (as you can tell 2 updates in 4 hours?  What can I say?) It's raining outside so I'm glued to my laptop until it get's pretty again!  Michigan weather... Yikes!  It's undeniably the most shifty/shady/bi-polar climate I've ever witnessed.!

So that's all I have to say.  Enjoy this chapter!

-XXX Al

BenedictPOV

            I woke up to find that Caroline was up to no good; meaning she was gone from bed and out of my sights.  After what happened three weeks ago at the anniversary party I was watching her closely.  Especially with her sister still in our home, I was reluctant to find she was missing.  I stretched my sore legs and changed into my day clothes, grabbing a coat for in case I was going to have to go outside and search for Caroline.

            The first person I saw was Maybeth, who said Caroline went to town to get new dresses that would fit around her figure.  Even after a month and a half she was still too thin for my liking.  She was mostly bones at this point, but she refused to eat more than a salad and piece of meat all day.  She claimed she lost her sense of appetite with her sister being around, but it was nerve wrecking with her hardly ever eating.

            Ever since the party she began acting like the same Caroline; the cruel, judgmental, and critical Caroline.  I was walking through the garden when Madden stopped me with a concerned look plastered on his face.

            “I cannot find her anywhere,” I said wiping a loose bead of sweat from his brow.  “She’s gone.”

            “Who is gone?” I asked.  “You’ve lost your wife?”

            “I didn’t lose her,” he snapped, narrowing his eyes.  “She ran off.  She told me she was going outside for a walk, but she hasn’t come back, I’m worried about her.  What if something happened?”

            “That’s ironic,” I mumbled.  “My wife is gone too.”  Panic washed over his face as he frantically looked around.

            “Help me find her, Benedict, she’ll freeze out here, today is not the day for her to get lost!”

            “It’s Christmas, brother,” I said shrugging my shoulders.  “I’m not going anywhere.  I’m going to wait for Caroline and that is it.”

            “You really don’t care about either of us do you?  Even after what your wife did to Catherine, you’re just going to let her die?”

            “What does she matter to me?” I asked, gritting my teeth.  “She’s not my wife nor has she been pleasant around me.  What do I care if she dies?  She’ll be one less demon for me to control.”

            “Why should you care?  Bloody hell!”  He shouted turning on his heel and glancing over his shoulder at me.  “You should care because that woman is your wife.”

            A loud laugh escaped my lips as I looked at my brother; did he take me for a fool?  “I’m sure I know which woman is my wife.”

            “Funny isn’t it?” He asked, stepping towards me.  “How I can tell them apart the moment I see them in a room together, and you fumble with the idea that there’s two of them.”

            “I know my own wife better than anyone in the world, Madden,” I said as my temper flared.

            “You know Catherine better than anyone in the world.  But I know Caroline better than you’d ever dream of knowing her!” He shouted as his eyes sparkled with passion as tears pooled in the corners of his eyes.

            “I do know Catherine better than anyone in the world.  I know she should be dead!  With everything she has done in the past, she deserves to die!  She is a beast of a woman.”

            “Has your wife been feeding you with more lies then?” He asked.  I rolled my eyes. “Then with that being said, once I find the real Caroline, we’re getting as far away from here as we can.”

            “You’re not taking my wife,” I hissed, grabbing onto his shoulders.

            “No brother, I’m taking my wife,” he said calmly, shoving me away from him.

-

Caroline

            I stood at the peak of the hill, listening to the men bicker.  I held the long coat closer around me; so this was it.  Madden stormed away, searching for me while Benedict stood in disbelief.  There were so many things I could say to either of them.  I could tell Madden that I’d always stand by him because he was the only one who stood by me.  I could tell Benedict he was too blind to see past her beauty and see her for the real person she was; not the woman she pretended to be.

            I felt bad for running off from Madden, but I needed the time alone.  I couldn’t handle the constant arguing between Madden and Benedict over who had the real Caroline.  Anytime Benedict saw me outside my room he glared at me until I hid back in my room.  Eventually I quit coming outside of my room.  Benedict might as well be blind if he cannot see the difference between us.

            I opened my arms and let the wind blow my messy waves over my shoulder.  I wanted the wind to pick me up and carry me away from here.  Everything was so serene; it was almost too perfect up here.  I was going to miss this castle, but it was for the best.  Every moment Madden and I waited to leave was another moment for Catherine to get rid of her biggest threats.

            I sat in the grass and rested my chin on my knees.  I wanted to give up; that would be the easiest thing.  I could let Catherine kill me and let Madden be at peace and not have to care for me.  This isn’t the life I want for him or myself.  I felt a cool tear roll down my cheek as I lay back in the grass.  I was never going to stop running from Catherine, was I?

            She’s always going to try to get rid of me, and Benedict is always going to hate me.  “So this is love,” I whispered hollowly.  “This is what I’ve always dreamed of?  What a disappointment.”

            I looked across the hills and watched the sun begin to set.  The sky ignited with rich shades of red and orange.  The clouds formed a soft pink haze around the scene.  There was a soft breeze that ran across my exposed cheeks.  I wanted to fall through the ground and to someplace far from here.  I just wanted to fall for something.

            I could hear footsteps behind me, but I didn’t care.  Whoever it was be it Catherine or Madden; I was ready.

A/N

Yeah, so this is a depressing chapter.  :/

I have another chapter waiting to be edited being that this rain is NEVER planning on letting up.  I'd really appreciate the comments and votes! (:

Come on!  Show your support of Catherine vs. Caroline.

The next chapter is going to be epic (yes I'm using the word epic now, it's super retro and I'm in this phase where I just love using fun words).

I really want to have some feedback and/or conversations about the story so far.  How is it/where are your thoughts on it, that sort of thing.  I'd totally love it, you'd all be golden. (:

I think I have sufficiently bored you to death with my super long authors note.

But in all seriousness... VOTE AND COMMENT! :D

-XXX Al