Strings of Fate by Kit Bryan
Chapter 116

116- Meeting and meaning

I watch as the girl struggles, her wrists are restrained with a zip tie and there’s silver tape over her mouth. There are tears running down her face and I can see strands of hair stuck in the tape that are definitely going to hurt when it’s removed. I just don’t understand. Why am I dreaming about this girl, and what’s the point if I can’t see anything useful? Is it even real? I know I dreamed of her once before I heard about the kidnapping, but isn’t it possible it was just a bad dream that’s stuck in my head now? I almost hope it is because the look of fear in this girl’s eyes is dreadful. Something catches her attention. I wish I could see or hear anything but all I can do is watch her silent figure. She shrinks back for a second then I see her steel herself. She sits up as best as she can with her wrists tied and glares defiantly at whoever she is interacting with. I see her shake her head. A moment later she tumbles

backwards and clutches her hands to her cheek. Did someone just hit her?! She curls up on

the ground, crying. Eventually she pulls her hands away and I can see her cheek is red.

I bolt up and let out a scream of rage and frustration. What is this and why am I seeing it? What can I do? Well, to start with, I’m going to go tell Bellamy everything. Maybe he will have some ideas. I hope. I glance at my phone, I was only asleep for maybe three quarters of an hour. I dash down the stairs, nearly smashing my face into the wall across the hall at the

bottom of the stairs because the momentum was too much for my uncoordinated self to

manage. I follow my red thread into the kitchen where Bellamy is just adding the finishing touches to a few plates of chicken schnitzel. Okay, that smells amazing.

“Hey.” He smiles at me warmly.

“You’re right on time. Did you sleep well? You’ve been so tired I was just going to set this aside for when you woke.” Bellamy slides the plate over to me and I sit on one of the stools. I sigh as I pick up my cutlery.

“Thanks, and no I didn’t sleep well. I dreamed about that girl again, it looked like someone hit her.” My eyes burn and I’m a little teary. I’m so sick of being so emotional. I need to pull myself together. Bellamy steps out from behind the bench and wraps his arms around my waist from behind hugging me.

“I want to fix this for you but I don’t know how.” He admits. I sigh and lean my head back against him.

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116- Meeting and meaning

“I know. It’s okay. We will figure it out. I hate these dreams, but if I’m going to keep having them I’m going to try and figure out as much as I can. I do wish I knew for sure if it is definitely the missing girl though.” I sigh. Bellamy releases me and grabs his phone out.

“Well, that’s easily fixed at least. Give me a second, I’ll look up the newspaper article. I’m sure they included a picture of the girl, she’s missing so they would want everyone to know what she looks like to keep an eye out for her.” I can’t believe I didn’t think to do that earlier, or maybe I was too scared to. Either way, I hold my breath as Bellamy turns the phone towards me.

Pale eyes stare back at me from the screen. In the photo the girl is smiling sunnily, her blonde hair in cute little pigtails with curls. I replace myself snatching the phone from Bellamy and looking at it closer. She looks so different, all happy and clean, but it’s definitely the same girl. I glance up at Bellamy and my face says enough. He nods his understanding and comes to stand beside me and read over my shoulder as I close the picture to read the actual article. It doesn’t say much, it mentions the homicides but mostly it focuses on the missing girl. Kiara Brooks. Okay, I didn’t think that knowing her actual name would hurt so much, but at the same time it’s so much better than calling her ‘the girl.”

“We need to replace her. Kiara.” Bellamy meets my gaze and nods.

“I

agree. I don’t know why you’re dreaming about her but it has to mean something. So, we need a plan.” He says determinedly. Aaaand we both fall silent. When Megan comes down the stairs to join us for dinner we’re still sitting there silently and incredibly frustrated.

“Hey, is dinner ready yet? 1-” She pauses as she takes in our stormy expressions.

“Are you guys okay?” I hand her Bellamy’s phone and the article that is still

open.

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“It’s her, the girl I’ve been dreaming about.” I tell her in a monotone.

“Ah… so this whole depressed aura I’m picking up on is you guys trying to come up with at plan?” She confirms. I nod and then drop my face down onto the bench. Bellamy leans over and runs a hand over my back from beside me.

“Okay, that’s just pathetic. Up, get up. Time for a family meeting.” Megan slaps her hands. down on the bench by my head making me jump up. Did she just say family meeting? Well.

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116- Meeting and meaning

this is new.

“Okay, you guys are both trying to figure out what to do, but obviously we need more information first. So what DO we know?” Megan starts.

“Not much.” Bellamy starts.

“Nope. That’s way too pessimistic for this meeting, positive information only states in her fake cheerful voice. He gives an exasperated sigh.

Try again.” She

“Fine. We know that the kidnappers used the same spell as the people who are after Ryann. We know that Ry is dreaming about Kiara. We know that one of Kiara’s parents was a Witch.” Bellamy sums up. Megan nods, her hair flicking around her face from the force and speed of

the nod.

“Okay, what don’t we know then?” She asks. Bellamy raises an eyebrow.

“Other than who took her and where she is?” He says sarcastically.

“Yes, other than that.” Megan ignores his sarcasm. My turn to answer.

“We don’t know what spell was used, we don’t know what Kiara is since she’s not a Witch or

anything else you guys recognise. We don’t know why there’s someone after me. We don’t know why the Brooks family was targeted or why Kiara was taken…” I trail off. We sit for a

minute.

“Oh and we don’t know why I’m dreaming about her.” I add.

“Okay, great. Now which of those things can we get more information about?” Megan

prompts.

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“Well, we can probably ask around and try and replace out what Kiara is, and if the Brooks family had any issues with anyone or reasons to target them.” Bellamy suggests. He’s sitting up a lot straighter, his confidence returning now that we’re breaking out of our idea slump. Actually,

so is mine.

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