It was the big day. One final job interview I before I was going to move on to another state and try again. I had been at this job hunting thing for almost six months, and I was really discouraged. If I didn’t get this job I would have to move, and then I would have to start all over again in a new state. I would have to find the perfect apartment, which was hard enough when I first moved to Connecticut to go to school, and get certified for that state.

But I felt confident that this would be the one that I would get the job. I had already spoken to the principal once, and she had seemed to like me very much. I just had to keep up that good impression through the dinner, and I would have the job.

I was all dressed and ready to go. When I looked at myself in the full length bathroom mirror, I didn’t recognize myself, but I looked more respectable than I normally did. And older. I had decided to wear a skirt, something I never wore, with a blouse and a linen jacket, all in pastels. For shoes I had on a pair of ballet flats. It was uncomfortable, considering I normally wear jeans, a leather jacket, and heels. But I really wanted this job, and I was willing to do almost anything for it.

My phone rang from my bedroom, trilling loudly and startling me. Were they calling to cancel? Or just reschedule. I hurried out of my bathroom and snatched the phone as it rang again, quickly flipping it open.

“Hello?” I answered, trying to remain calm.

“Hello, is this Katherine O’Donnell?” a man’s voice asked. I frowned, not recognizing the voice. The principal and vice principal were both women, so it couldn’t be them, and I didn’t think they had a male secretary.

“Katey O’Donnell, yes, who is this?” I asked. In the background I could hear someone talking over an intercom, and it sounded like a hospital, but that couldn’t be right, could it?.

“This is doctor Hanberg from the Buchanan General Hospital, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” he said. I frowned, not recognizing the name of the hospital.

“I’m sorry, where is Buchanan?” I asked before he could continue on.

“Grundy Virginia,” he said. My frown deepened. I didn’t know anyone in Virginia, and hadn’t been there in about three or four years.

“Are you sure you have the right person? I haven’t been to Virginia in years,” I said, moving out of the bedroom to continue getting ready. I only had a few more minutes before I had to leave for the interview.

“Do you know a Jensen and Jared Reese?” he asked.

My heart stopped. Those were names I hadn’t heard in almost two years, even though I had thought about them almost every day. I had looked for them for many months before giving up and assuming they didn’t want to be found. The names brought an old heartache to the surface, and I tried to keep from panicking.

“Yes, I know them,” I told the doctor. “Why?”

“I’m sorry to say they were in a terrible car accident near here,” he said, and I had to close  my eyes, taking a deep breath. “They are alive, but they’re both in critical condition. I have doctors still working on them right now, so I won’t know exactly what’s going on until they finish.”

I realized I was shaking. Of course this would be the only way I would ever find them. They wouldn’t let themselves be found any other way. I had searched for them for so long, and a stupid car accident…

“Thank you, doctor,” I said when I realized that he had stopped talking. I quickly got the address of the hospital, thanked him, and hung up.

For a moment I stood in the middle of my tiny apartment, wondering what I was going to do. I couldn’t think straight, much less rationally, but after staring at the same blank wall for a few minutes I knew what I had to do, without question.

I raced back into my bedroom and pulled my suitcase out from under the bed. I then stuffed it with handfuls of clothes from my closet, including my normal heels and leather jacket, grabbed my phone and my pre-packed toiletry kit, and hurried out the door. I would miss the job interview, but in my mind this was more important.

I climbed into my 1968 Oldsmobile 442, old memories flooding my mind as I started the car. So much had happened in that car after I’d gotten it for my eighteenth birthday. I quickly got on the freeway and headed for Virginia. I would be driving for a very long while, but I would see Jensen and Jared. My heart jumped irregularly at the thought of seeing them again after more than two years, and as I thought about it I realized just how angry I still was. But there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I would just have to wait until after the twelve hour drive to yell at them for leaving me.

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Author guidance for This story

Note: If you've read the story, I have gone back and edited a lot, so please re-read.

Story One, Chapters 1-11: Starring Katey O'Donnell, Jensen Reese, and Jared Reese. About how Katey reunites with Jensen and Jared after a two+ year absence. Takes place 2010, Grundy, Virginia

Story Two, Chapters 12-17: Starring Cassandra Petrin and Seymour Petrin. About how Seymour and Cassandra adopt Jensen, Katey, and Jared as kids. Takes place 1992, Anthony, Kansas

Story Three, Chapters 18-25: Starring Katey O'Donnell, Jensen Reese, and Jared Reese with Cassandra and Seymour Petrin supporting. Story about the three kids first hunt on their own. Takes place 2002, Rock Springs, Wyoming

Story Four, Chapters 26-35: Starring Katey O'Donnell, Jensen Reese, and Jared Reese. Story about how the three coped with Cassandra and Seymour's death. Takes place 2004, Denton, Maryland

Story Five, Chapters 36-40: Starring Katey O'Donnell, Jensen Reese, and Jared Reese. Story about the Christmas after Cassandra and Seymour's death. Takes place 2004, Miami, Florida

Story Six, Chapters 41-?: Starring Cassandra Petrin, Seymour Petrin, Katey O'Donnell, Jensen Reese, and Jared Reese. A prologue story about the five meeting a rogue hunter. Takes place in 1998, Long Creek, Oregon

Characters:
Katey O'Donnell is 24, was trying to get a job as an elementary school teacher, and owns a 1968 Oldsmobile 442. She has the psychic ability of being able to read very strong emotions from people. She has been out of the hunting game for more than two years.

Jensen Reese is 26, and is a paranormal hunter traveling around the US. He owns a red 1967 Pontiac GTO. He has a brother named Jared who is four years younger than him

Jared Reese is 22, and is a paranormal hunter traveling around the US with his older brother.

Seymour Petrin is 49 (when the second story takes place), and is a paranormal hunter with his daughter. He is deceased when the first story takes place.

Cassandra Petrin is 22 (when the second story takes place), and is a paranormal hunter with her father. She is deceased when the first story takes place.

Katey was living in Manchester, CT, and Buchanan General Hospital is in Grundy, VA (Twelve hour drive)

More info coming

Note on Latin: It's not perfect. I'm using an online dictionary to find the words I need, so if the grammar is horrible or I'm using the wrong words, please let me know. The two websites I'm using are freedict.com and http://archives.nd.edu/latgramm.htm

updated Apr 26 '10 by DHNoble