The Watcher Chronicles: Oblivion Part 21

"Oh, we were lovers years ago when I was in my youth."

"Really?"

"Oui," JoJo smiles at the memory of her love affair with Malcolm. "I knew nothing would come of it but it was wonderful while it lasted."

"How did you know it wouldn't lead to something like marriage?"

"Oh, he was never in love with me. I knew that. He never made promises he could not keep. And I was fine with our arrangement because he was such a good lover."

JoJo hugs herself as she allows herself to remember her days, and presumably nights, with Malcolm.

Leah instantly conjures up a fire in my hearth and we all gather around, holding hands to connect with our missing archangel.

As we connect with the sixth vessel, we're met with the same thing as before: total darkness, the sound of a heart monitor and oxygen machine. No new clues present themselves. We don't even hear the weeping in the background this time. Just as our connection fades, we hear the sound of footsteps. There's a rattling, like the person is doing something near the sixth vessel and then the footsteps fade away.

When the connection fades, we open our eyes, none of us any closer to understanding what's happening to our sixth member.

"The only thing we can a.s.sume is that they are in a hospital somewhere," I say.

"It could be anywhere in the world," Chandler laments. "We need something, anything else to point us in the right direction."

With no new clues to go on to find the sixth vessel, I show the guys what their duties are for the evening. Rafe is the only one who can't stay.

"I really wish I could help out," he tells me. "But I'm needed at the clinic. It's hard enough for me to come here just for the short time I'm able to."

I place a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok. We have things handled. You're doing important work over there. Don't ever apologize for caring about your patients."

Rafe grins, pleased with my praise. "I would wish you luck for your endeavor tonight but you don't need it. I know everything will turn out just as you have planned."

"Thanks," I tell him.

After Rafe leaves and everything is set up outside, I wait impatiently in the living room for Mason to arrive.

At exactly five, Mason phases into my living room. He sees me sitting on the couch waiting for him but his eyes are immediately drawn by the spectacle of lights s.h.i.+ning through my window showcasing what's waiting for him outside.

"Uh, Jess," he says, looking and sounding completely confused. "Why is there a carnival in your backyard?"

I stand from the couch and take one of his hands into one of my own.

"It's part of your surprise," I tell him. "Come on."

As soon as we walk outside, the sounds of laughter and talking from almost everyone who lives in Cypress Hollow surrounds us. When I look at Mason, his expression is complete shock which makes me giggle. His eyes soon find the Ferris wheel and elaborate carousel the Watchers phased in to perfect the scene.

Malcolm and his crew built far more than I had originally designed. Ten small buildings, five on each side of the small corridor leading to the rides, stand housing games for people to play. I tug on Mason's hand and lead him to the first one.

As we walk over to the first game booth which Mama Lynn and George are in charge of, various people from the town greet us and wish us the best. Mason seems even more confused because he has no idea why they are bestowing their well wishes on us.

The booth Mama Lynn and George are in is set up with the milk bottle game where you try to knock down the three milk bottles standing in a pyramid formation with a baseball. The booth itself is loaded with various stuffed animals, like all the booths are, as prizes, a gift from the Watchers.

"Step on up here, Mason," George calls. "Let's see how good your aim is. Maybe you can win the special prize we have just for you."

Mason takes the ball from George and looks at me, holding the ball with the tips of his fingers.

"Are these challenges to win your favor?" Mason asks me.

"No, you have that but you just might win something else."

Mason rears back his arm and throws the ball, easily shattering the milk bottles.

"And we have a winner!" George says.

Mama Lynn hands Mason a small white cardboard box, like one you would place a piece of jewelry in, tied up with a red ribbon.

Mason looks at the box and raises an eyebrow. He looks at the small tag attached to the bow.

"One of four?" He asks me.

"You have to win four games to get all four boxes," I tell him. "And you can't open the boxes until you've collected them all."

Mason grins. "Ok, I'll play along just to see where this is leading."

The next booth we go to is manned by Jonathan and Angela. Bree and Bale stand on either side of it and give Mason a hug when he reaches them.

The far wall within the booth is decorated with a mult.i.tude of different colored balloons pinned to it. Jonathan hands Mason five darts.

"If you can pop five balloons in a row," Jonathan tells his dad, "you win your prize."

Mason hefts the arrows in his hand and proceeds to throw them one after the other in quick succession to pop the required five balloons.

Angela hands Mason his next white box.

Chandler and JoJo are in charge of the third booth which simply has a black tire hanging from the roof. Chandler hands Mason a football.

"Dude, this is so simple a baby could do it. Throw the ball through the hole and you get this," Chandler says, holding up the third white box.

Mason throws the ball through the hole in the tire and wins the third box.

The last game is a test of strength. Malcolm stands at the ready with the ten Watchers who helped him construct my backyard carnival standing behind him. Malcolm is holding a large black mallet.

"What are all of you doing here?" Mason asks, pleasantly surprised to see so many of his friends.

"Jess asked us to help her," Malcolm tells Mason. "And just to make it a bit more of a challenge, we wanted to see if you could win one of our games."

Challenge? I never said anything about making things challenging. I made the games easy for a reason!

We soon have almost everyone in Cypress Hollow standing around us to see what sort of challenge the Watchers have set up for their fearless leader.

Malcolm hands Mason the large mallet in his hands.

Mason looks at the metal tower with a silver bell at the top. All he has to do is. .h.i.t the metal see-saw platform at the bottom of the tower to propel the two foot high cylinder up the wire to hit the bell, seems simple enough to me.

Mason swings the mallet behind his back and strikes the see-saw on his side. The metal cylinder only rises a foot.

Mason narrows his eyes as he examines the cylinder more closely.

"Not made out of lead or steel I presume?" He asks Malcolm.

Malcolm folds his arms in front of him and the other Watchers look on quite amused.

"Now where would the challenge be in something so light?" Malcolm questions. "You're going to have to put in a little more effort if you want this."

Malcolm holds up the last of the white boxes like he's taunting Mason with it.

I'm pretty sure I have a 'what the h.e.l.l are you doing?' look on my face because Malcolm just winks at me and smiles.

"Osmium?" Mason questions.

Malcolm nods.

"I'm sure you don't want to disappoint, Jess," Malcolm tells Mason. "Just put a little bit more effort into it if you want the fair maiden's prize for you."

Mason sets the head of the mallet on the ground and leans the handle against his legs as he takes his coat off and hands it to me. He doesn't look upset, just amused by Malcolm and the other Watchers' challenge.

Mason turns to the crowd of onlookers behind us.

"You all might want to stand back," he warns. "I have no way of knowing where it will land."

Everyone ends up walking completely to the other side where the first set of booths are located. I stay by Mason because I feel it's the safest place for me.

Mason firmly grips the handle of the mallet and seems to put every bit of strength he has in his next swing. I feel the ground beneath my feet tremble from his effort and watch as the osmium cylinder flies into the silver bell at the top of the metal tower, crus.h.i.+ng it before it even gets a chance to ring. The cylinder flies high into the air and ends up landing behind the High Striker with a loud thud as it comes back to earth.

The Watchers smile at Mason.

"Now," Malcolm says, "doesn't that feel more like you earned what you're about to get?" Malcolm hands the last of the white boxes to Mason.

"Do you know what I'm getting?" Mason questions, putting his coat back on.

"We all do," Malcolm answers. "Now go claim your real prize."

Mason takes the box from Malcolm and looks at me questioningly.

"What now?" He asks me.

I take his free hand and lead him to the carousel.

A few of the children from Cypress Hollow are riding it and we have to wait for it to stop for our turn. Faison and Leah are in charge of running it and ask everyone to get off so Mason and I can have a private ride.

Mason and I sit down in one of the stationary carriages. The carousel begins to move.

"Open the boxes," I tell Mason.

Mason sets the four boxes between us on the seat and opens the first one. He pulls out a wooden puzzle piece with part of a picture on it. After he opens all four boxes, he lays the pieces on his thigh and a.s.sembles them. The picture on the front is that of two red hearts joined together.

"Did you make this?" He asks me.

"I had George cut it out for me and I painted it."

"Thank you, Jess. It's lovely."

"Turn it over," I tell him, holding my breath.

Mason picks it up and flips it over to read the words on the back.

Will you marry me?

Mason stares at the inscription I wrote in red paint for what seem like forever. I have an irrational fear that he's going to say no.

Finally, he looks over at me.

"Are you going to give me an answer?" I ask, laughing nervously.

Mason continues to stare at me. His eyes look beyond my attempt at a joke and seem to be searching my face for something else.

"You did all this," Mason says, "just to ask me this question?"

"I wanted it to be another special memory for us," I tell him, becoming worried by his reaction. "I wanted you to know how much you mean to me, that I would do anything for you."

"Do you really want to marry me, Jess or are you just doing it because of what I said yesterday?"

Now I understand.

"No, it's not because of what you said yesterday. I had already set these plans into motion before we went to your beach home to get 'matches' together. And yes, I want to marry you. My father helped me figured out why I'm so nervous about marriage in the first place. It's not the commitment to you, it's the wedding. And before you give me your answer, I have to tell you that I can not do a big wedding like the one Faison was planning to have. I don't want the frou frou dress or hundreds of people staring at me. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it to be honest. If we get married, I just want something simple, not over the top."

"If?" Mason asks.

I shrug. "You still haven't given me an answer," I tell him.

Mason uses both his hands and grabs the front of my coat by the opening, sliding me to him as his mouth lays possession of mine. I feel his hands gather me closer to him by sliding inside my coat, around my waist to my back, pressing me against his warmth.

Eventually, he pulls back and looks down at me with happy eyes.

"Is that enough of an answer for you?"

"Hmm, better answer me just one more time. I'm not sure I quite got it all," I tease.

Mason obliges without any hesitation.

When he ends the kiss the second time, I pull my next gift for him out of my coat pocket.