Guardians of the Diamond Book One: The Rose

Chapter Eighteen

"Hey! You're finally awake! Are you feeling alright now, honey?" Gilda practically shouted at me as soon as I walked down the stairs and into the den.

"Yup. My head is still aching a little and then there's the matter of the ginormous bump that could function as a second head attached to my original head, but other than that I'm fabulous," I responded with false sincerity.

Jessica laughed. "Welcome to the bumps and bruises club. With you now a part of it, we've been bumped up to three members. Pun intended." She was referring to the injuries she and Matt had suffered earlier that week.

"Yeah," I said absently, "glad to be a part." I looked at my siblings. "Well, I think we should get going to look for that sword after I get something to eat."

Matt sat up straighter. "I don't think that's a very good idea, Kate. We don't have a very good plan. Or any plan, at that. We need to take some time and think this through."

"But we have to go now!" I said, remembering the dream I had just woken up from. "Guys, I don't know if this is true or not, but once R. K. is done using us, he is going to kill us.

Also, Matt might have another power besides the one we all have. All of us may have another power. We need to get to him and kill him before he kills us. It's the only way we can get out of this alive."

"And... how do you know all this?" Jessica asked me suspiciously. "I mean, R. K's been implying that he was going to kill us basically since we met him but why would you think we have another power besides the dead raising one?"

"I kind of had a dream about it," I said slowly. "Maybe it was another vision." They all just stared at me, trying to let me explain more. I wasn't sure that I could explain. "All I know, is that if it was real, if what I saw was true, it means that Ashley was right about the whole taking over the world with an undead army bit. So, right on about that, bud." She gave me a half smile and looked at the ground.

Jessica and Matt continued to stare and I was starting to get uncomfortable so I looked away, said, "Be right back," and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich.

Well it could not be real, I thought. It could have just been a dream. I sighed knowing that that wasn't true. It was a vision and I needed to stop denying that I was having them. The first was when I saw R. K. attack that man. I realized that was why I recognized the man in his storage room. The next was when I saw Baron dressing up as Hupernewgon. The next were the two from Jessica's perspective. And then the one's I had just had. I was a freak and needed to accept that as a fact. Whop de friggin' do. I walked back out into the den as soon as my sandwich was made and sat down on a couch.

"So," Matt said finally, "you had a dream about it? Kate, you know dreams are just what you think─"

"I know it's just what you're thinking!" I interrupted. "But it was way too real to be just what I was thinking about before I fell asleep or during or whatever! And seriously, I don't dream things that serious. Usually it's about levitating and guys and... well you know what I mean." My cheeks were turning red. "Anyways, I don't think it was a dream. It was a vision, just like the ones I had before. I'm not crazy... that crazy." I looked at Jessica. She was nodding. I turned back to Matt. He looked like he was thinking really deeply, considering what I had said. And the look on his face, ha. I'm surprised I didn't burst out laughing. It was a mix between looking constipated and looking very confused.

I took a few bites of my sandwich while my sibling did their thinking thing. The sensation of having food in my stomach again was amazing.

When I finished my meal, I went through the basics of all I remembered from my forest vision with my siblings. I left out information about the defeating R. K. one. They would just think that that was triggered by seeing the painting. I told them about what R. K. said about his plans and his reason for his plans. When I finished, my mouth was dry. I took a big gulp of my water.

"So guys, do you believe I had a vision or not?" I inquired, eyeing them down.

"You see, Kate, that it's just a dream and dreams are dreams. Nothing but a vivid thought, basically," Matt said, still convinced I was just dreaming, after all of what I had just said. The extreme and annoying skepticism was coming and going at different times and I was sick of it.

"But, Matt," I protested, this time getting angry with him, "you weren't in my head! It was way too real. Dreams aren't that vivid. Why can't you just believe me? This isn't exactly the best time in our lives for me to start making things up for attention. Trust me."

Matt ran his fingers through his hair. "It's just one more thing we have to deal with. I don't think I can handle any more information."

"Well, my bad," I said sarcastically. "I'll just stop being a freak."

Matt sighed. "Kate, I'm not calling you a freak. I'm just saying, it's a lot to take in. And you said we might all have other powers. What could they even be? And why are you the only one experiencing yours, if it is true?"

I shrugged. I had no answer for him.

I looked to Jessica and Ashley on the big couch. Jessica was biting her nails and shaking her head slowly back and forth. Ashley was quietly wiping tears off of her face but they kept streaming out of her eyes. I turned to Gilda who was stretched out on the love seat just staring at her hands. I noticed my own heart was pounding.

"Where's Dad?" I asked, noticing he was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm not sure," Matt answered. "I think he went downtown, but I don't know what for. Probably work."

"This isn't exactly the best time to run errands or worry about his job! We are in life threatening danger!" I shouted. I pinched the bridge of my nose to temporarily relieve my pounding head.

This whole trying-to-save-the-world-from-an-evil-vampire thing is stressful work, I thought. It's freaking everyone out and Dad is M.I.A. Maybe not Jonathan. I need to go talk to him. He'll hopefully be able to help us. He's the guy who seems to know everything.

I looked back to Gilda. "Hey, where's Jonathan?" I asked her. I needed to talk to someone who would believe me.

Gilda looked up from her hands and said, "I think he went to his room after you fell back asleep and he's been there since."

I nodded and tore up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. I knocked on the guest room door. No answer. I knocked again and still nothing.

I knocked again and said through the door. "Jonathan, it's Kate. Can I please come in?" Silence answered me. I put my ear to the door. I could hear someone, Jonathan I assumed, muttering something I couldn't quite understand. I was worried so I tried to open the door. Good, it was unlocked.

I rolled my eyes and thought, Of course it's unlocked, there's no lock on the door.

"Jonathan, I'm coming in." When I opened the door Jonathan didn't even look up at me. The curtain had been pulled over the windows, so only a sliver of light was being allowed in. Jonathan was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling at the green plaid comforter. He was still talking under his breath.

"Jonathan," I said quietly, as I flipped on the overhead light. I cautiously approached him. "Are you alright?" This time he did look up.

"No!" he shouted. "No! They're coming to get me! They're coming to get you! They're coming to get all of us! They're not going to stop! Never ever going to stop! Never, never, never!" He was breathing heavily, he had a wild look in his eyes, and he kept running his hands through his thin hair. First the right hand, then the left, then both together. It was a constant, reoccurring pattern. I backed up and stepped out the door.

I slightly leaned over the balcony railing that looked into the den, with my body still facing towards the guest room. "Hey, Matt? Jessica? Could you come up here for a second?" When they didn't get up right away, I shouted, this time with more panic in my voice, "Now, please!" I could hear them getting up and rushing up the stairs.

I moved a little closer to Jonathan's door. I peeked in and saw him still running his hands through his thin hair. What is wrong with him? I asked myself. Is he in some kind of trance? Yeah, that's it. He's in some sort of trance. I stepped away again and thought bitterly, Why would this happen to the only person who can help us? Or at least the only person who's willing to help us.