Circling Stars

🌟 Chapter 45 🌟

    Dear Theodora Halliwell,
    We are pleased to inform you that you've been accepted into the University of Houston. Herein are enclosed information on how to get in touch with admissions so you may begin registering for fall classes. Looking forward to having you join our student body,
    Sincerely,
    Head of Admissions James McGongall

    I watched as the sun rose above the town I'd lived in my entire life. It looked so different now. Almost three weeks ago I had died. My human life was over and now I was reborn as a vampire. I had memorized every line of this letter just months ago. Now it meant nothing. I was alone atop Wendigo Falls wondering what to do next.

    The immediate thing was easy. I took a lighter from my pocket and set fire to the letter. I let it go over the water and watched as my former dreams were carried far, far away.

    Sean was recovering but I couldn't see him. I couldn't see anybody from my former life. Carlisle was telling everyone my injures had put me in a coma. He had me sent to a private hospital were I would get the care I needed. In a few more days he would announce I had woken up, been informed of the my parents death, and the formal adoption process would begin just in time for what would have been my eighteenth birthday. My brother would be my son from then on out as far as legal matters were concerned.

    Money in the right hands would speed the process along. Then after the adoption we would leave. The entire Swan clan was going to Canada and telling everybody that we had really gone to Florida. A recently created LLC had bought out my parents company and reconstruction would soon begin. Until then Cullen Enterprises, CEO Jasper Cullen, would generously pay all the workers who wished to stay their full wages until the next reopening.

    Tim Woodard was still at large. He and several others had set fire to the warehouse around seven and flames were seen rising over the trees a half hour later. The fire had been set outside with a ring of gasoline around the entire building which was how the alarm never triggered. I guess Tim having been foiled by it already in his previous attempt decided this new method would be best. Two men who assisted with the burning had been captured by police, and claimed they had no knowledge anyone was inside. Tim promised them a generous amount of money for their trouble once the ransom went through. The cops had them on conspiracy kidnapping charges and two counts of second degree murder. However as far as the cops had been able to determine no ransom demand ever made its way to my parents.

    My killing of Trent Woodard had been ruled self defense and as such I faced no repercussions. The evidence found at the crime scene spoke for itself. The official story was a hiker had come upon me in the early hours of the morning. That hiker was Emmett Swan and who had taken me directly to Carlisle for treatment, and later lead the police back to the scene.

    Tim's grudge against my family was still an unknown. From what Margie had told me that night, I wondered if the loss of the Woodard fortune had anything to do with my dad and his gambling addiction. Or Tim must have felt my dad was responsible for it in some way. It seemed that the truth might not be something I ever discovered. Even the Swans looking into the matter had found nothing. So I was left to wonder if that was the offense that cost my parents their lives.

    "Theo." Jasper's gentle voice spoke from behind me. He looked uncertain as to if he should have come. My mood lifted at the sight of him but the depression and sadness held sway over me. Probably would for a long time. He gathered me into his arms and held me. "Alice told me I'd find you here."