The Adventures of Emily Tual Book One

A few days later, in the city of Cleveland, on the top floor of the tallest building, the limo driver was walking into the living room. He had a newspaper from Carrollton Ohio in his hands. He knew that his mistress, the owner of the purring voice, would want to read it. The lights were on. Sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace was his mistress. There was a bright fire burning despite the warm weather outside and the air conditioning not being on. A cattail was swishing back and forth through a small hole in the back. “What is it?” A voice purred.

The limo driver went up to her and handed her the newspaper. “I thought you would want to read the obituary.” He told her. He handed the newspaper to her.

His mistress read the obituary. “So we only succeeded in killing the one we thought was the problem all those years ago.” She said after she finished it.

The limo driver nodded. “You should be proud though. With her death, you’ll be sure to rise from the third circle to the second circle, if not the first circle.”

His mistress hissed and threw the newspaper into the fire. “He won’t move me up to the first circle for dealing with someone who used to be a problem for us.” She told the limo driver. “But if one of her daughters is the problem we have to deal with, I’m sure this death will deter them from being too much trouble for him or what we want.” His mistress began laughing.

“Where is he now?” His mistress asked.

The limo driver looked at his watch. “If what his servant said is true, he’ll be at the funeral to see if anything unusual happens.” They both knew what he meant by unusual. An image of a man appeared in both of their minds. A man who had been a professor once for the dead woman.

His mistress purred. “Maybe he’ll finally get rid of that Gabriel.” She said. Her limo driver doubted it. If the man hadn’t gotten rid of Gabriel by now, it probably would never happen. He didn’t say that out loud though. He didn’t want to die for saying the wrong thing.

Down in Carrollton, it was raining. Emily shivered and wrapped her black coat around her tighter. Despite it being the beginning of August, it was a bit chilly. She was happy that she had her umbrella to try to keep her dry. She looked around. A lot of people had shown up for her mother’s funeral. Some of them she knew and others she didn’t know. She saw a few of her relatives including her cousins, the sisters Delaney and Elizabeth. Besides Rachel, they were the closest that she had to sisters.

Emily looked at her daddy. He was carrying the casket with two of her uncles and a few of her parents’ friends. They were leading everyone to the area where Joan Tual was going to be buried. Emily looked at her little sister. Rachel was being carried by Delaney and Elizabeth’s mom. Little Rachel didn’t understand what was going on. How could she? She was just a baby. Emily looked down and silently cried as they all went to the spot where her mother would be buried.

At the area where Juan Tual would be buried, there was a large hole in the ground. Next to the hole was a platform. There were a few people there already to Emily’s surprise. They must have gone ahead of the rest of them. Most of them were older than her parents. Emily didn’t look at them long though before her gaze returned to the casket her mommy was in.

The reverend who was overseeing the funeral stepped forward as the six men set the casket down on the platform. The reverend looked at everyone who had gathered. “From dust we came and to dust we shall return.” He said. “We are here to gather and to say goodbye to our friend, daughter, wife, mother and many more things that was Joan Kent Tual who was sadly taken from us just days ago.”

Emily, being the little four year old she was, became lost in her thoughts as the reverend was speaking. She still couldn’t believe that her mommy was gone. She looked down at her feet as tears came to her eyes again. She didn’t even notice when the reverend finished speaking. Or when people came up to speak about her mommy. She didn’t even notice when her dad took her hand and started walking her back to her aunt’s car or the ride home.

From within a limo, a man watched the whole funeral. He wasn’t there to pay his respects. He was there for another reason. He had gone to see if a certain someone would show up at the funeral. To his great annoyance, the person hadn’t shown up. He was about to tell his driver to drive back to his estate when he saw the man he was looking for walking up to the casket. He smiled and got out of his limo.

Gabriel went up to Joan’s casket and gently touched it. “Please know that your sacrifice won’t be in vain my student.” He said to Joan softly. “Thanks to you, the Chosen One might have survived.” He looked towards the processional of vehicles leaving the cemetery. He had seen the four year old child crying to herself while the funeral had happened. He had wanted to go to her to comfort her but he knew she didn’t know him. Neither did her father. No one in Joan’s life really knew who he was. Not even the students he had back when he had been a professor. Only Joan had really known him.

Gabriel then tensed and spun around. A man was standing there. He was in a suit and a long coat. He had a cane with him but he wasn’t leaning on it. He had a small beard and his hair was tied in a ponytail. “I had a feeling I would find you here.” The man said in a German accent.

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m here to pay my respects.” He told the man. “Unlike you if I’m correct.”

The Man with the German Accent smiled and nodded. “I came here because of you.” He said. He walked up to Gabriel. “Don’t think that this has stopped me or my associates.” He continued.

Gabriel glared at the Man with the German Accent. “Only a coward would go after a child.” He said.

The Man with the German Accent kept smiling. “What you called cowardice I call removing certain threats before they can grow up into the threat they’re meant to be.” He then looked past Gabriel at the casket. “Your precious Chosen One wasn’t her, am I right?” He asked. Gabriel didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The Man with the German Accent turned away and started walking back to his limo. “Your Chosen One will be defeated.” He said to Gabriel.

Gabriel waited until the Man with the German Accent was in his limo and gone before he turned back to the casket. “If your older daughter is the Chosen One, I’ll find out. I promise.” He told Joan. “But for now, she deserves the chance to grieve and to mourn.” He then walked away from the casket.

The Man with the German Accent leaned back in his seat as he was driven away from the cemetery. He smiled. He knew more now than he did when he had told his associate to arrange for the car accident. They didn’t know who the Chosen One was yet but they now knew it was one of the two girls. If what his spy had told him was true, then it would only make sense that one of the two was the chosen one. There would be no other reason why the woman would give up her life at the same moment her one child was brought back from being on the brink of death.

He took out the file and looked at what his spy had sent him. Reading it helped him believe more firmly in what he suspected to be the truth. One of the two girls was the chosen one and what happened that night supported it.

“Where to Sir?” His driver asked.

The Man with the German Accent looked at him. “Take me to the airport.” He ordered. “I have a flight to catch.” He looked out the window. “And a meeting to get to.” He added quietly.

At the Tuals’ home, Emily was sitting on the swing looking towards the house. She could hear her mom’s favorite music playing and see people in the windows facing her on the first floor. It was rainy but she didn’t really care. She looked at the swing next to her. She could imagine her mom sitting there. That just made her feel worse. It reminded her that her mother would never be there to swing with her again. She looked down. Her mom wouldn’t be there for any more of her important moments. Not to mention she would miss Rachel’s important moments.

Delaney and Elizabeth came out of the house and went up to her. “You’re getting wet.” Elizabeth said. She was only two years older than Emily but she was more mature than the normal six year old.

Emily looked at her. “How do you two do it?” She asked. Delaney and Elizabeth looked at each other before looking back at her.

“How do we do what?” Elizabeth asked.

Delaney sighed. “You want to know how we manage with just having our mom in our lives.” She said. She sat next to Emily. She didn’t mind sitting on the wet seat. “It took time.” She said. She was only five but she was also really mature for her age.

Emily looked down and the tears came back. “I miss her so much.” She sobbed.

Elizabeth hugged her. “It’ll be okay.” She told Emily. Emily didn’t reply. She was too busy crying.

In the kitchen, Mr. Tual and his sister, Elizabeth and Delaney’s mother, were watching the three girls at the swing. “It’s killing you to see Emily this sad, isn’t it?” His sister asked.

Mr. Tual nodded and sighed. “I’ve never seen her this depress.” He answered. “It’s like I’m seeing a whole new side of her. A side that no four year old should have.”

His sister took his hand. “She just lost her mother. A woman she’ll have memories with but can’t have new ones though with her.” She reminded her brother.

Mr. Tual looked at her. “It’s like the accident didn’t just take her mother away. It’s like it took away all of her happiness and excitement.” He explained.

Mr. Tual looked at Rachel. The little toddler was in her playpen asleep. He sighed. “Rachel will never have a mother. Not the way that Emily did.”

His sister looked at the toddler as well. “Which one do you think it’ll be harder for?” She asked. “The one with memories of her mother that she can remember or the one who will never have memories she can remember of her mother?” Mr. Tual didn’t want to answer that. It would be hard for both of his daughters.

Gabriel drove up to the house and looked at it. He had promised Joan that he wouldn’t bring her daughter into this until the time was right. He took out his phone and dialed a number. He then spoke once the person he was calling answered. “Jasper, is that opening still open at that one camp?” He asked. “Camp Wolfwood.” He answered after a few minutes. “Good. I’m on my way.” He hung up and drove away.