The Adventures of Emily Tual Book One
Chapter Twenty Four

Emily slowly woke up and quickly closed her eyes to block out the bright lights above her. “Our young patient is awake.” A man said.

Emily looked to her right. A doctor was standing there. He was writing something on his clipboard. “How long have I been here?” Emily asked as she looked around.

The doctor looked at his clipboard. “For about a week or so.” He told her. “You were found on a bench outside the hospital unconscious. You were bruised, scratched and you had lost a lot of blood.”

Emily frowned. The last thing she had remembered was passing out from the pain. “Where’s Agent Simmons and the cat lady?” She asked. The doctor didn’t answer her question. Emily had a feeling that she would replace out sooner or later. “Where’s my book?” She asked. She didn’t see it anywhere.

The doctor went over to the side table and picked her book up. “It’s right here.” He told her. “We didn’t want it on you when we had to run tests.”

Emily looked at her book and sighed with relief. She thought she had lost it. “Can I have it please?” She asked. The doctor looked at it before he brought it over.

Emily looked at the book cover and stroked it. She was relieved to have it back in her hands. “That book must mean a lot to you.” The doctor said to her. “Goes well with your necklace.”

Emily frowned. What necklace? She reached for her neck and felt something hanging there. She removed it. It was a crescent moon attached to some sort of silver string. She looked at the doctor. “Where did this come from?” She asked.

The doctor shrugged. “If I had to take a guess, it came from one of your visitors that kept coming to see you over the week.” He answered. “There was a note with it.” He pointed at the medical table right next to Emily. Emily looked at it. She picked it up and read it. It was a birthday gift.

Emily looked at the necklace before she looked at her book. Two unusual gifts for her eleventh birthday. She wondered why she had gotten them. She frowned at her book. It looked a bit bigger. She opened it and looked inside. Her eyes widened. There were more parts to the story than she remembered. She looked at the doctor there. “Did anyone else touch my book?” She asked.

The doctor shook his head. “No. You had it in your arms when you were found.” He told her.

There was a knock on the door. Emily and the doctor looked at the door. “Looks like your visitors are back.” The doctor told Emily. The door opened. Emily smiled as she saw her two cousins and Rachel come running in.

“You’re up!” Rachel cried excitedly. She hugged her big sister.

Emily smiled and looked at her. “I’m pretty sure I won’t be going to sleep anytime soon.” She said. She looked at Delaney and Elizabeth. “Where’s my dad?” She asked.

Delaney looked towards the door. “Your dad is staying by the door like he usually does when we come to visit. He doesn’t want to risk letting anyone kidnapping you again.” She answered.

Emily looked at the three. “Has anyone else come to visit me?” She asked.

Rachel sat on the edge of Emily’s bed and shook her head. “Just us, Daddy and Aunt Anne.” She answered. “Why?”

Emily looked at her necklace. There would be time to figure out who the sender was. “Just wondering.” She answered. She looked at her cousins and sister. “Did they replace Agent Simmons?” She asked.

Delaney nodded. “He was found dead with three other guys.” She answered. They were all dead. From what the Cleveland police said, it looked like Agent Simmons had been mauled by some sort of animal.”

Elizabeth shuddered. “When the police alerted the F.B.I., they found out that the Agent Simmons that everyone thought had returned after you had turned up here was gone.” She said.

Emily’s eyes widened. “He was actually there?” She asked. The three girls nodded.

“The F.B.I. is now trying to replace out who killed Agent Simmons.” Rachel told her older sister. Emily had a feeling that she knew who had killed him. An image of the cat woman appeared in her mind. She didn’t talk about it though.

Instead, she looked down at her book. She opened it to where the new part was. “We have more of the story to read.” She told her sister and cousins. “I’m convinced that everything that had happened to me has to do with this book and I want to replace out why.” She looked at them. “Are you with me?”

Rachel, Delaney and Elizabeth all looked at each other and nodded before looking back at Emily. “All the way.” Rachel said. “Until the very end.” Emily smiled. She was glad she had their support. All four girls looked down at the book.

To Be Continued…