WHISPER
IN THE DARK
Prologue:
Nikolas Cassadine sets across
from the fortuneteller, his dark eyes searching the old woman’s wrinkled face
for any sign that would tell him that she was pulling a con. He didn’t trust these
people further than he could throw them. If it wasn’t for his new girlfriend
Lily insisting on him going to have his tarot cards read, he wouldn’t be here
at all.
The old woman looks at him
closely as she lays out the cards before her. The young man was indeed handsome
and he had a great deal of mystery surrounding him. He also came from a very
powerful family, that she could see very well. A powerful and often dark
family, but the darkness was softened by the soft glow of his mother’s side,
protecting the boy from dark influences. "Nikolas Cassadine I
assume," She stares at him straight on."
"Yes?" Nikolas folds
his hands before him, his attention turning to the cards the woman had spread
out before him. He reaches out to touch one, but a quick slap on his hand by
the old woman causes him to draw his hand back.
"Don’t touch the cards! You
don’t want to corrupt your aura!"
"Yes mam," Nikolas
forces a smile, becoming more unsure by the minute. He’s like a scared horse
ready to bolt.
"Now, this card here
represents your past," The woman points at the first card. "This
shows you’ve experienced a great loss."
Nikolas shrugs. "Hasn’t
everyone?"
"True," The woman nods and points to the next card. "This here
shows responsibility. Great responsibility looms in your future."
"What about this card,"
Nikolas nods to the middle card, a dark figure is painted on it.
"This is your present. It
represents danger. Someone you love very much…that you think you’ve lost is in
great danger and is now trying to make their way home to you. He may need a
little help from friends though."
Nikolas furrows his brow. This
proves it. The woman was a fraud. No one he cared about was in danger. Liz was
at Kelly’s working her shift, Stefan was at his office, Alexis was with Ned,
Emily was with Juan as always and Laura and Lulu was at home taking a nap. He
had just talked to them before Lily dragged him here. The only person he could
think of was his brother, but that was impossible because he was dead.
"Well I thank you for this
reading mam. It’s been fun," Nikolas stands from his seat.
"The loved one will make
contact with you soon," The woman stares up at Nikolas. "Don’t be
afraid to ask for help. It will be needed."
"Here," Nikolas tosses
her a hundred dollar bill.
"Beware of the hellcat!"
The woman yells after him as he exits the building. Nikolas stops short at the
name, but then shrugs. So what if that’s the name Luke Spencer uses for his
grandmother. It didn’t mean anything.
"Well?" Lily asks
Nikolas expectantly.
"Someone I love is in great
danger," Nikolas rolls his eyes. "What a waste of a hundred dollar
bill. I could have taken you to No name with that money."
"Oh well," Lily shrugs
as Nikolas walks her to his car.
Two hours later…
Nikolas tosses his car keys on
the table as he enters the cottage and tiredly yawns as the phone begins to
ring. Rolling his eyes, he hurries to pick it up.
"Cassadine here," He
answers nonchalantly.
"Nikolas?" A familiar
voice comes through the phone. Nikolas tries to place it, but isn’t having any
luck.
"Yes?"
"Nikolas. It’s me Lucky. I
need your help," The voice answered urgently.
"What? Who is this? Whoever
you are this isn’t funny! My brother’s been dead for a full year!"
"This isn’t a joke Nikolas.
It’s really me, Lucky."
"Prove it."
"Who was it that made the
joke about Cassadine’s having the urge to rule the world? Who back up Emily
when she was being blackmailed?"
"Lucky?" Nikolas’s face
paled as realization came to him. This was indeed his brother. When he had made
that joke about his family, only Lucky and himself was in the room. "Lucky
is it really you?"
"Yes Nikolas. It’s me, but I
don’t have time to explain. I need your help."
"But you’re dead. I
mean…"
"It was a set up. All of it.
Now listen to me. I don’t have much time, they’ll discover I’m gone soon if
they haven’t already. Go tell my dad. Tell him that I’m not dead. That I’m
being held by some guy named Faison and Helena. She’s in on it too."
"Where are they holding
you?"
"I don’t know…it looks like
I’m somewhere in Italy or something. Check your phone bill or something. Just
hurry."
"Ok bro. I’m on it. Don’t
worry. I’m on my way," Nikolas jots down the information.
"One more thing man…protect
Elizabeth. Please. They’ve been using her to keep me in line. I’m afraid they
may make good on those threats."
"Sure thing man. I’ll see
you soon Lucky."
"I hope so Nikolas,"
Lucky’s voice was now grim. Nikolas is about to answer when the line went dead.
He looks at the receiver, trying to determine if what just happened was just a
dream. No. It couldn’t have been. That was Lucky on the phone and he needed his
help.
That’s when the fortune teller
re-entered his mind. She had said that a loved one was in danger and needed
help from his friends. He had thought the old lady was full of it, but she was
correct. It was Lucky she was talking about all along.