by Sela Croft
The library was bright, the light nearly blinding when I first stepped inside. The place was busy; it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who needed to look something up. I’d intended to work on a project for my literature class, but I was curious about so much else.
I forced myself to embark upon initial research for my project. At the next table, a couple of other students were lost in the pages of thick books. But there was a guy at the end who kept looking at me. He glanced over a few times, then caught my attention.
When I looked at him, the guy smiled. I smiled back, but immediately went back to studying. He was handsome enough, with blond, spiky hair, broad shoulders, and a bit of scruff on his chin. But I wasn’t interested, so made a point not to flirt.
The contents of the book I was paging through became immensely interesting. So much so that I didn’t look up for at least ten minutes. Just when I thought that I was in the clear, the guy moved to my table and sat across from me.
I made the mistake of looking up, so he mouthed, “Hi.”
I just nodded, praying he’d get the message so I could get my studies done. Finally, he got up and I didn’t see him. After allowing enough time, I stuffed my materials into my backpack and headed for the exit. Outside, I breathed in the fresh night air.
The guy was sitting on a concrete bench at the base of the steps. He lifted his hand. “Hey there.”
I slowly descended, then stopped. “I’m just leaving.” Not very polite, but it was all I could think of.
“I’ve seen you around campus. I know your friend Lana.”
Who didn’t know Lana? She was a social butterfly. “That’s nice.”
The guy smiled, showing perfect white teeth. “I’m Brian Jensen…and you are?”
“Mirela Godwin.” I gave him a tight smile, struggling to come up with a fast exit strategy.
“Anyway, I thought you might want to hang out with me sometime,” Brian said. “Or…there’s a party, sort of informal. If you aren’t busy now, we could check it out.”
“Yes, Lana mentioned going.” Dating protocol was really awkward. It reminded me that I’d somehow skipped that whole thing in high school. “But I can’t go with you.”
Brian dug his fingers through his short hair. “Some other time?”
“I’m sorry, that won’t work.” I took a breath. “I have a boyfriend.”
“I haven’t seen you with anyone.”
“He doesn’t attend school here.” That’s about as much as I could offer or was willing to. Anything else would have been too much information.
“Shall I walk you to your dorm?”
The guy was persistent, I’d give him that. “No…thank you. I’ve got it.” I began walking away, not glancing back to see if Brian had followed. When I got to my dorm room and shut the door behind me, I threw my pack on the bed.
College wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d thought.
The next day was unusually sunny, so I got a better look at the Gothic architecture of the university. It had character and made me feel as though I’d stepped into the Middle Ages. As I walked through the quad, I gazed at the massive stone structures, reminiscent of cathedrals and churches.
The buildings had large expanses of glass, clustered columns, and intricate sculptures. I crossed a sidewalk and peered up at the structure before me. I recognized the ribbed vaults and the pointed arches and spires. The stained-glass windows were works of art.
The night before, as I’d walked past to get back to the dorm, the surroundings hadn’t seemed so friendly. In the dark, the buildings had been ominous, as though the shadows were intent on sweeping me under their dark cloak. In the light of day, the same buildings took on a new blush.
Before I could ogle more, I bumped into Lana on the arm of a tall, athletic guy. “This is Skye Taylor.” She grinned up at him. “We met last night at the get-together.”
Skye smiled and extended his hand. I shook it and said, “I’m Mirela, her roommate.” Apparently, Lana was so smitten that she’d forgotten my name.
“Well, I have practice,” Skye said, and started to head off, but pointed at Lana. “Call you later?”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Lana beamed.
“Good party?” I asked.
“Yeah, it was fun. You should have come with me.”
“Why does that have a familiar ring to it?”
Lana tipped her head. “You know…there is someone interested in you. He’s a friend of Skye’s.” She pointed at me. “He’s going to ask you out.”
“Umm, I met him last night.”
“Really? That’s great.” She encouraged me with a hand motion. “Details, please.”
“You won’t like it.” I hesitated. “He asked me to go to the party, but I refused the invitation.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I’m with someone.”
Lana shook her head. “You’re unbelievable.” She looked at me. “I hate to bring up a sore point, but he fell off a cliff.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Lana held up her hand, then started walking away. “I gotta go.” Then she called back, “I hope you reconsider. Brian is a really cool guy.”
Morning classes went by without incident, and on break I met Lana for lunch. She was with Skye, so hardly noticed I was there. At least she didn’t bug me anymore.
Brian stopped by and sat next to his buddy. Skye motioned toward me and said, “Hey, this is Mirela…Lana’s friend.”
Through a mouthful of hamburger, Brian said, “We’ve met.”
I made a point not to look at Brian and took the first opportunity to escape. There were still a few minutes before class, so I went out to the quad. It had occurred to me that I might see the owl again.
It wasn’t that I was anxious for another attack. That was likely a fluke. But when I’d been close to the bird, I’d experienced a unique sensation. I had to follow up on it. Maybe I was crazed, because pursuing a relationship with an owl was hardly normal behavior. But others didn’t have the problem I had.
If I had a chance of finding and reuniting with Draven, I was going to have to do something extraordinary. As the days had gone by, I’d become more desperate. What would have seemed crazy began to seem like a good idea.
Determined to test my plan, I looked around for the owl. Getting close to the bird would give me the opportunity to see if I felt the way I had before. And if so, I’d have an inkling of my abilities. If I had any latent supernatural power, I needed to bring it forth.
As a human, I didn’t have the ability to combat the forces that had taken Draven from me. I needed much more from my inner abilities, and I had to discover how to tap into it. The fact remained that I didn’t know what to do, even if I did uncover some hidden talents. But I’d face that when I had to.
Class was going to start soon, and students began to filter through the area. I was only interested in the trees. Glancing around, I didn’t see the owl—not too surprising. But since I didn’t have any other ideas, I continued to look for the bird.
I’d walked the length of the quad, finding only barren tree branches. Life had thrown me a curve. Just when I’d sensed my inner nature, the connection had vanished. It wasn’t fair. How was I to follow my destiny if I couldn’t find the path?
My future was linked with Draven’s. That was one thing I was certain of. But I had to find a way to get to him. Then, far off, I spotted the owl sitting on a branch. I held my breath, not daring to move. The owl was still. I waited for the creature to spread its wings or make a shrill sound of warning.
The bird was quiet, so I walked closer. Step by step, I approached the branch. It was important to get close enough to feel the connection. Students flowed by in groups, and I prayed the motion didn’t scare the owl.
While keeping my eyes on the brown owl, I inched closer. When the bird took off, my heart sank. I’d still been several yards away, and hadn’t felt anything magical at all. I looked up and watched the bird d
isappear between buildings.
I’d been so close, yet I’d failed. Despondent, I didn’t want to go to class. But I began walking anyway. I couldn’t just drop out of life. That would be no answer at all. It appeared that the more I attempted to find Draven, the more obstacles were thrown in my way. The closer I tried to get, the farther away he seemed.
Chapter 8 – Mirela
My mother preferred calls to texting, so I spoke with her periodically. I guessed that my first months away from home were harder on her than on me. One Saturday, she called early. “Mirela…it’s so good to hear your voice.”
“You too, Mother.”
“Tell me how you’re doing? Is everything okay?”
There were many answers I could have offered, all of which would have alarmed her. I knew my mother well, so had become adept at putting on a good front.
“Yes, I’m fine. School is great.”
My mother proceeded to pry more details from me, about my professors, the classes, the students. Hopefully, my responses were long enough to satisfy her curiosity, but short enough to avoid saying too much.
“It’s been busy here,” my mother said, “and the library has been a madhouse, with all the recent changes.” She talked for a while about all that had been going on, and I was relieved to listen to her, rather than to originate.
“Okay, honey,” my mother said. “You’ll let me know if you need anything?”
“Sure, Mom.”
I’d made it through another call. I wondered if she’d picked up on anything, but if so, she hadn’t brought it up. It was difficult to get too much by her, but the distance between us made the task a bit easier.
Lana was off with a group of friends on some outing. A couple of weeks ago, I had snagged a part-time job to help with my incidentals, so I was off to work.
A local coffee shop had needed a barista, a good job for a college student. My car came in handy for getting to work. In the short time I’d worked there—either on the weekend or on an early shift before class—I’d seen many of my classmates.
It seemed college students owed any sanity they possessed to the godly gift of coffee, likely the reason the town was filled with Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other cozy little shops, like the one where I worked. It required ample amounts of caffeine to tackle the rigors of university life.
The morning when I arrived, it was busy. I clocked in then put on my apron. The shop was wide, with a long row of booths and tables. At some, customers were chatting and enjoying the weekend. At others, students were glued to their laptop screens, probably catching up on homework.
My job at Coffee Hub involved taking orders, brewing, and serving drinks. All were tasks I was more than capable of, while still having plenty of brainpower left over to daydream. I rang up orders, brewed drinks, and made myself useful doing cleanup.
Amber was at the register. “Hey,” she said, without missing a beat with the customer. When I’d started the job, she’d taken the time to groove me in.
I went behind the counter to assist with making drinks. Josh was deftly shifting from one order to the next. He was quicker with orders than I was and knew the ingredients well. “Good morning,” I said, and he nodded. When I had to create a more complicated drink, he would often give me a hand.
The job was good for me, besides just for income. It kept me busy. I couldn’t study all the time, and when left to my own devices, I tended to mentally drift. While smiling at customers and brewing drinks, my mind was elsewhere.
By noon, I’d satisfied my mother’s curiosity for one more call, and had made it through one more shift at work. I considered the morning a success. Day by day, I lived the reality of college, and appeared to be like any other student. I’d made a decent pretense at being normal. Yet I perceived the façade cracking.
I saw shadows that weren’t there and was aware of the presence of creatures that weren’t visible. Whether day or night, I felt watched, and it was unnerving. I ended my shift, folded my apron, and left the shop. It was a cool day, but not unpleasant.
The sky above was robin’s-egg blue with puffs of white clouds. The city streets were a hub of activity, with smiling faces and all sorts of people moving to desirable destinations. There was no reason for gloom or stress, so I strolled back to my car, more lighthearted than when I’d arrived.
My phone vibrated, so I leaned against my car to see who it was. Lana had texted: Are you off work?
I replied: Just got back to my car.
Lana texted: Breakfast was fun. Lots of friends there.
And I answered: Good to hear.
There was a short lag, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in Lana’s mind. The next text arrived: There’s a party tonight. And you should come.
I’d refused so often, yet she didn’t give up on me. I quickly considered my options and decided that hanging out at the library on a Saturday night was extreme—even for me. If I planned to keep my sanity, caffeine alone wouldn’t do it. Changes were needed.
Okay, I’ll go.
Lana texted the time and details. I sighed, wondering if I’d made the right choice.
The party was held in off-campus housing. The apartment was in a multistory brick structure in the West Campus neighborhood. I’d dressed up and made an effort at controlling my long, wavy hair. I wasn’t much of a drinker, or socializer, for that matter. So I wasn’t sure how long I’d last.
It was a relief to see that the house party wasn’t overly crowded. There were groups of people talking and drinking, appearing friendly. The apartment was more upscale than my dorm room. It was set up like a residence, with a nice kitchen and color-coordinated décor throughout.
My budget was more in line with dorm living. My parents had sent me to college, but I didn’t want to ask for more. The room I shared with Lana was fine. But it was nice to move about the well-appointed space and feel a little classy.
“Mirela!”
I turned to see Lana holding up her hand, so I navigated past other guests to get to her. “I made it.” That was quite the accomplishment for me. “I like that dress.”
Lana put her hand on the cinched waistline. It was a purple cotton dress, color-coordinated with her hair. “I’ve been shopping.”
Skye came up from behind and put his arms around Lana. She nuzzled against him then took the drink he offered. “Hey, Mirela.” He gave me a winning smile. “There are drinks in the kitchen: beer, wine, sodas…pretty much whatever you want.”
“Thanks,” I said, needing a drink to hold for something to do with my hands. “I’ll check it out.”
I bumped into Brian on the way, but he was holding hands with a date. He just glanced at me, clearly focused on the woman he was with. She whispered something in his ear, and he laughed then guided her down the hall.
There was a lot of activity in the kitchen. Some guests were getting food or drink, while others were standing around talking and laughing. I knew a few of them, but not well. No one took notice of my arrival. Feeling awkward, I remembered why I tended to refuse party invites.
When I returned to the living room, Lana came over to chat. I spotted Skye in conversation with a few of his buddies, so my friend was free for a bit. “I’ll introduce you around.”
I cringed, but let Lana lead the way. I doubted that I’d remember the names later. Then the music got louder and the voices even louder. I was on my second Coke, nursing the last few sips to look like I was having fun.
I needed air. The patio door led to a terrace that was miraculously empty. I dumped my drink in the garbage, then went out and shut the door behind me. Shivering in the thin dress I’d worn, I wrapped my arms around my waist.
The view was of the city and other student residences. The scene was well lit, and many rooms of other buildings were illuminated, as likely other parties were going on. Once I got it together, I’d go back inside and try to join in with the others—get to know some of Lana’s friends better.
A motion across the
way caught my eye. It was the sweep of a black cape, but when I glanced, it was gone. I backed away from the railing, without taking my eyes away from the place I’d seen it. Then a shape rose from behind a building.
It was the image of the creature that had attacked Draven in the forest. The white hair gleamed against the dark night, and the bony face was frightening. I gasped and stepped toward the door. When I looked again, the skeletal form was gone.
I closed my eyes, out of sync with the world, and attempted to make sense of what I’d seen. The party inside the apartment felt like another world. The apparitions had seemed starkly real.
What if my whole life had been pretend? I’d lived a fantasy, and my true path was in another realm. I was losing it. Mentally and emotionally, I was floundering. Desperate for normalcy, and to put aside my fears, I went back inside then headed for the bathroom.
I shut and locked the door, then took a deep breath. What was happening to me? The bathroom was quiet and soothing, decorated in peach and white colors. I must be losing my mind. After splashing water on my face, I gazed into the mirror.
Eyes—not my own—stared back at me, dripping with blood. And a clawed hand reached toward me, from the other side of the mirror. I froze, unable to react to the horror. Then the mirror returned to normal, and I gazed at my reflection.
Horrified, I sat on the edge of the tub and put my head in my hands. I dared not open them, for fear of what I’d see. While the others partied and had fun, I had become the victim of dark creatures, seeking to frighten me.
I hoped that they only intended to scare me, praying that they didn’t wish me physical harm. Or maybe the point was to drive me mad. And if so, they were doing a good job of it.
Chapter 9 – Mirela
I’d made some excuse to leave the party, giving Lana a vague explanation. She’d been with Skye, so had let me go. Although I didn’t doubt she’d demand more from me today.