Chapter 40: Chapter 40

It was dark by the time we reached campus.  Dustin and I hurried to our room to drop off our stuff.

"What the hell?"  I stared at what used to be my dorm room.  Our clothes were strewn about, and all my stuff was smashed.  Posters had been ripped off the wall, and all my art supplies had been dumped out, creating a messy Picasso look on my floor.  In the corner lay my new Mac laptop that Dustin had given me.  It was smashed, beyond repair.

I felt my anger bubbling to the surface.  "I'm going to hurt someone."  I growled, under my breath.

"What happened in here?"  Dustin's voice was tight.

I picked up a shattered photo frame that held a picture of me with my brothers.  I took a few deep breaths to steady myself and closed my eyes.  I removed the wall blocking my mind and searched for answers from the vibrations in the picture.  I was instantly overcome with a sense of anger, and I opened myself up completely.  I saw my room in my mind, only half destroyed.  An angry figure was storming around, slamming things into the walls, pulling things out of drawers.  He stopped for a moment and turned to the door, waiting and listening.  His face was a picture of pure rage, and I was sure I had never seen him before.  He turned towards me and hurled the picture frame against the wall.  I jumped and screamed, effectively pulling myself out of the vision.

I was on the floor of my trashed room, my heart thundering.  "Katie?"  Dustin was next to me, his face a mask of concern.

I looked into his eyes and projected the images I had seen.  "Do you know him?"

Dustin shook his head.  "No, but I'm sure he's one of Kellan's men."

I felt weak, but my mind was forcing me to get back to my feet.  "We need to get to Shawn's room!"

"Hold on."  He put his hands on my shoulders.  "You're weak, and another vision may incapacitate you."

"Dustin, we don't have time!"  I exclaimed.

He reached out and brought his hand to my cheek.  "Just a few moments.  You can't help if you're too weak."  He brought my hand to his cheek, and the combined energy rushed through my body.  It took mere seconds for me to feel strong again.

"Okay?"  He searched my eyes.

I nodded, getting to my feet.  "I'm ready."

He led me slowly towards the elevator.  "Are you sure you feel up to this?"

I pushed the fourth-floor button.  "I have to."  I replied.  "Savannah asked me to.  She said it's the best way for me to help.  Dustin, I have to help."  I felt desperate.

"Calm down."  He put his hand on my arm.  "Stay with me, okay?"

The doors opened, and we headed towards the dorm Dustin used to share with Shawn.  I gasped when we walked in the room.  It was trashed worse than mine.  Everything had been destroyed, and there was blood splattered on the carpet and walls.  I swallowed thickly, as the vision came, uninvited.

I was standing in the middle of the room, looking around wildly.  Someone was there, and I knew I was in trouble.  They were surrounding me, one of them holding a two by four, closing in quickly.  I forced myself to look at him, registering recognition as he swung the board at me.  I ducked, trying to out maneuver him.  Unfortunately, the others were ready, and they piled on me, fists flying.  I tried to fight them off, but they were too strong.  I pushed myself to see their faces as I swung at them, kicking and punching.  The one with the board took a big swing and hit me on the side of the head.  Everything went black.

I was back in the destroyed room, shaking with fear.  "Katie, I don't like this."  Dustin pulled me into his arms.

"Don't."  I pulled away and linked my eyes with his before the images could fade.  He went still as they registered in his mind.

"Kellan," he whispered.

I reached down and touched the dried blood on the carpet, instantly catapulting myself into another vision.

It was dark, and my head was throbbing.   I heard footsteps and looked around, hoping to get some idea of where I was.

"Mr. Douglas."  It was the man with the two by four.  "I'm pretty sure you've figured out what's going on.  Now, you can either help us, or we can paint this room with what's left of your blood."

I could feel myself while I was in Shawn's body.  I struggled against the restraints, with no luck.  "You won't get away with this.  Even if you kill me, they'll still come after you.  You will never achieve your twisted dream of eliminating the Eternals.  We're stronger than you, and the Overseer's won't bend to your ideas of a purely Shadowfall race.  You're a god damned fool."

The two by four smashed into my ribs, causing me to double over.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that Shawn could feel me.  I tried to use his eyes to figure out where I was, scanning the walls of the room.  They were made of old stone and covered in thick moss.  I took a deep breath and smelled dank, rotting water.

"Yes, they will come for you; that's what I'm counting on.  But this time, they won't get away.  The LeFores will all die at my hands, followed by everyone who supports them.  You have no idea what I have been doing this past year, but it will become apparent soon enough.  You are a pawn, Douglas.  I have always hated you and your leader, and now I will get my revenge.  You have twenty-four hours to make your decision.  Either you help me, or you die."  He spun on his heel and left me alone in the dark room.

I felt Shawn look around the room.  "Whoever you are, please hurry."  I felt his head drop and the vision ended.

I opened my eyes and looked around Shawn's ruined dorm room, searching for the trash can.  I found it overturned in the corner, and lunged across the room towards it, as I righted it, and emptied the contents of my stomach inside.

"Katie!"  Dustin held my hair back as I continued to wretch.  I had no idea where Shawn was, but I knew we had to get to him within the next twenty-four hours.

I stopped heaving and sank to my knees on the ruined carpet.  "I need your eyes."  I whispered.

"Katie, I don't-"

"NOW!"  I screamed.

He jumped, and grabbed my face, bringing our eyes together.  I used the last of my energy to project the images to Dustin's mind.  I could see the fear and anger building, as he received all the information I relayed.  He stood up and slammed his fist into the wall, letting out an anguished scream.  I tried to go to him, but my legs wouldn't work.  "I don't know where he is."  My voice was shaky.  "But we have 24 hours to save him."  The room began to spin, and I lost consciousness.

I woke up in a strange bed, cuddled in Dustin's arms.  "Hey," he whispered, bringing his lips to my forehead.  "How are you feeling?"

My stomach hurt, and my head was throbbing.

"Lay back."  He put his hand on my cheek and the familiar rush of energy flooded my system.  I was beginning to feel like a cell phone, constantly being recharged.

"How is she?"  Brian's face hovered next to me.

"Better."  I sat up.  "Where am I?"

"We're in Victoria's dorm.  She offered her room to us since ours is ruined."  Dustin moved to the edge of the bed.

I looked around and realized we weren't alone.  In addition to Brian, I saw Dani, Brandy, Victoria and Jeremy, among others, all in tight circles, talking in hushed tones.

"Did you get the images?"  I looked at Dustin, urgently.

He nodded, rubbing his bruised knuckles.  "We have the information out to everyone, and we're trying to come up with some locations to search."

I swallowed hard, still feeling rattled by the visions.  "The man with the two by four, that's Kellan, isn't it?"

I already knew the answer.  "He's gone completely mad.  We'll be doing the world a favor when we kill him."  I recognized that look in his eyes.  It was the same look I saw in the vision of him overseeing Alicia's murder.  It sent chills down my spine.

"What do we do now?"  I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms.

"You need to rest," Dustin ordered.

"No,"I argued.  "We need to find Shawn."

"THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO!"  he yelled at me.

I recoiled like I'd been slapped.

"Hey!"  Jeremy grabbed Dustin's arm.  "Come on.  Let's take a walk."

Dustin shook him off and stalked towards the door, ripping it open and disappearing into the hall.

Jeremy squatted down on the floor in front of me, his platinum blond hair spilling down his shoulders.  "Katie, we are all grateful for what you did.  Dustin is emotionally compromised right now, so please don't take his anger personally.  He was the same way when Dani was missing, but his intensity is what will keep him going.  Shawn is our brother and our best friend, we're all suffering.  But you're the most important thing to him, and he's sorry."  He pulled Brandy over.  "Stay with Katie," he ordered her, heading out the door after Dustin.

I looked down, feeling the blood rush to my embarrassed face.

"Jeremy's right," Brandy said, softly.  "Dustin loves you, but he's scared, and sometimes he lashes out at those closest to him.  It's something you have to understand about him if you want to spend the rest of your lives together."

"Woah, wait a minute."  Victoria made her way over to the bed.  "The rest of your lives together?"  She reached down and grabbed my hand, revealing the diamond on my finger.  "Oh, my God, Katie!  Did Dustin propose to you?"

I glanced at Brandy, my eyes wide.  I wasn't quite sure this was the time to play wedding announcement.

She smiled.  "It's okay, everyone could use a little good news."

I looked at Victoria and nodded.

She let out a girl scream and hugged me.  "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Well, I am his sister, and I just found out today."  Brandy gave me a playful push.

"You guys!"  Victoria held my hand up in the air.  "Notice anything?"

Everyone stopped and looked at us.

"Dustin proposed to Katie!!"  Victoria yelled.

Everyone rushed over, congratulating me and hugging me.  I didn't know what to say, and I wished Dustin was next to me to accept all the love from our friends.

"Do you think Dustin will be mad that I told everyone?"  I leaned closer to Brandy.

"If he wanted to keep it quiet, he wouldn't have put a boulder sized diamond on your ring finger."  She pointed out.

Of course, Dustin chose that moment to walk back in the room, and everyone turned and began the whole congratulations and hugging thing again.  I sat quietly on the bed until he made his way to my side.  "So, you told them?"

"Actually, Victoria told them."  I blame shifted.

"Yes, I did!"  she admitted.  "But seriously, Brandy's right.  If you wanted it to stay quiet, you shouldn't have put a huge ring on her finger."

He smiled and pulled me in for a kiss.  "Everyone, can I have your attention?  I guess some of you have noticed that I put a ring on it."  He held my hand up and turned to me.  "I know I can be an ass, but I love you more than anything in this world, and I intend to spend every day showing you how much you mean to me.  Forgive me for earlier?"

I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck.  "I love you too."

The room erupted and for a single moment in the storm of our lives, everyone smiled.

"Good move."  Jeremy slapped Dustin on the back.  "You are so much easier to be around since Katie came along."  He hugged me.  "Welcome to the family, Katie."  I was hearing that a lot today.

A/N-Finally, a moment of happiness amidst the stress. But will Katie and Dustin make it through everything and to the alter? Comment and vote below! Luvs as always!! AM