by Kari Chaplin
“I heard noises.”
“What kind of noises,” she asked through a deep yawn.
“Whispers.”
“You were probably dreaming. You know you have colorful dreams. Go back to sleep.” She waved me off.
“Come with me to check out the house,” I insisted.
I heard her annoyance in her breathing. “Jake, Ves heard noises. Can you check the house please?”
“Sure.” He sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes before stumbling his way out.
My sister was already snoring again. I didn’t move an inch while Jake was gone. I was too frightened.
After a few minutes, he walked through the threshold of the bedroom. “I checked everywhere and looked out the windows. No sign of anyone. Vessi, you have an alarm. The alarm isn’t going off and everything is locked. We’re safe.” He fell back into the bed.
“I guess you’re right. Thanks.” I headed back to my room, but I didn’t feel safe. Someone was there. I knew the voices weren’t a dream. It couldn’t have been just a dream. I felt it in my soul. I crawled back into my bed and pulled the blanket over my head. Before long, my eyes felt heavy and my body was numb, leading into a deep slumber.
“You were here earlier, weren’t you?” I looked Demien in his black, cold eyes waiting for his answer.
He didn’t answer me.
My arms were crossed over my chest, and I tapped my left foot on the wood of my bedroom floor. I waited in silence for a reply.
“I have to figure this out,” he mumbled. His voice was so low that I don’t think he meant for me to hear him. He scratched his eyebrow with his thumbnail.
“Figure what out?” I was not being patient at all. I really wanted to understand what was going on. He was putting out so many conflicting signals. I didn’t understand my feelings for him, either. I didn’t appreciate the fact that he was picking on me. I didn’t understand him at all. I audibly huffed to my internal rambling over this man at my window.
“Zanj…” He slammed me with a look which all but said don’t ask. “May I come in?”
I responded back with an icy glare that all but said are you kidding. I was too confused and livid to say anything at the moment.
“This ledge isn’t exactly comfortable,” he urged in a seductive tone, greatly contributing to my current internal meltdown.
I was mad. I could always feel when he was near. I knew he had been outside the door. I shut the window and used what strength I had left to turn my back to him. Tears began to trickle down my cheek.
After a restless night, I rolled over and heard a crinkle noise. Jumping up, I clicked my lamp on. I noticed a note on purple stationary, my purple stationary, sitting on the extra pillow next to me.
It simply read:
Please forgive me Zanj.
After staring at it for a few minutes, I placed the note in the top drawer of my nightstand under a stack of bills in the back corner. I didn’t want easy access to the note. I would have been too tempted to take it out and torture myself with the fantasies of the man I loathed. I audibly exhaled and moaned under my breath. Loathe is a harsh word for the man who made my world whole. I must have been crazy to even consider anything good with him. Rolling over, feeling mentally beaten, I found the back of my eyelids once more.
Demien stood on the far end of the field from me. He appeared desperate but more than that… angry.
“What’s wrong?” I yelled across to him.
His eyes were glued to mine for a few intense moments as I struggled to decipher his expression. His eyes expressed sorrow; his eyebrows were furrowed, yet his smile was ruefully.
“Please give me a sign. I am more and more confused.” He directed his eyes skyward as if he were talking to the heavens.
“I don’t understand. What signs are you looking for?” I desperately wanted a free pass to gain access to his mind.
He repeated the same words while looking up. It was as if he couldn’t see me. I yelled to him over and over again to notice me. But he didn’t.
I woke up feeling exhausted. I reached in my nightstand drawer and pulled out the note. I couldn’t help but read it one more time. After a long sigh, I pushed it back into the far corner and locked my drawer. At least I had one answer… he had been there. The details were fuzzy. What was a dream and what was real? Did I sleep through his visit? Was it his voice that I heard through my door? That left the other unrecognized voice still in question. Did I dream up the entire scenario? What were the dreams from tonight telling me? The dreams were getting more and more conflicting. I couldn’t figure any of this out. Of course, I considered the possibilities that they are just dreams and nothing more and that I was acting crazy. Dreams were only dreams. They were to help my mind work things out. I knew this, yet I desperately wanted them to be real. They felt real. I let out a deep breath and pushed all of those thoughts out of mind.
I had the day off but didn’t want to hang out at home. I pushed myself out of bed and realized my foot wasn’t hurting. I sat back on my bed and examined my once-swollen limb. It was amazing. There was no swelling, no puffiness, no discoloration and no pain. I had no idea how it healed so quickly. To be quite frank, I didn’t care. After getting ready, I called Myra.
“Hey, Myra. Thought we could go hang out at work today, you know, as customers.” My life had become sad. I didn’t want to be at home because I’d have to hang out with my sister. Since Demien had the day off, hanging out at the bar seemed to be a good option.
“Yeah, I guess. On your way?”
“Yes, gettin’ in the car now. Be ready.”
“Already am. I’ll meet you outside.”
The engine purred to life. First stop, Myra’s house. Second stop, the bar.
As Myra opened the car door, she asked, “Why do you wanna go to work when we don’t have to? We’ve never hung out there.”
“Nothing else seems the least bit fun, and I don’t want to hang out at home for obvious reasons.”
“You don’t look well. What’s goin’ on?” She placed her hand on my shoulder.
“I guess I had nightmares last night. I thought I heard voices accompanied by footsteps, but Shannon and Jake were snoring when I went to tell them to be quiet. It wasn’t them. The alarm didn’t go off; doors and windows were locked. I guess I dreamt it. It seemed so real. Myra… I think I’m losing my mind.”
Myra gazed into my eyes with a sympathetic veneer. “I have dreams like that. It’s freaky. It was just a dream. We both know how sensitive your alarm system is. No one can get through it without a lot of commotion.”
“True.” I didn’t bother to tell her about the note left on my bed. I didn’t see a point. I had no clue what to make of the situation last night, particularly the note. If the note was real, I couldn’t help but think that the entire experience of the night was real. I allowed a deep breath to escape my lips as I let the events from the previous night play in my memory.
Myra quickly changed the subject, sort of, for which I was grateful. “Oh, I hope Demien is there today. Talk about eye candy for some entertainment.”
“Hmm, I hate Demien.” Unfortunately, there’s something about him that calls to me. I added to the end of my thoughts, not daring to tell her that. Of course, after the time we shared at the Halloween party, it was getting harder to hide my true feelings.
“Why do you hate him? Has he done or said something to you?” Her voice and eyes were blazing with concern.
“No, there’s just somethin’ about him. He doesn’t seem like he’s had a very stable life, you know?” When she didn’t look like she caught my drift, I added, “He’s trouble.”
She laughed. “We work in a bar. Most of the people who come through that place have rap sheets longer than my credit card list.”
I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. She wasn’t wrong.
“You said it, not me. He seems more dangerous. I can’t quite describe in words what I mean, but I don’t think he’
s child’s play.”
“Well, this’ll be fun hanging out without havin’ to do any work. Everyone will be so jealous,” Myra sang, as we slipped out of the car.
“Fun is what I’m counting on.”
“Hey, girls, I thought you were off today,” Brad yelled over the music as we approached the bar.
“Yeah, we are. I just missed you so much,” I replied.
“Yeah, right.” He laughed, shaking his head. “You want something to drink?”
We ordered a couple of sodas. I started to hand Brad money as he shook his head.
“Ladies, come on. Drinks are on the house.”
“Let me pay for them. We aren’t on the clock.” I pushed the money to him.
“Okay, you asked for it.” His smile was arrogant. “Hey, Joe, Vessi and Myra are here. How much for their sodas?”
Joe came out of the office. “Hey, girls. You love me so much you want to pay me a visit on your day off? Nicccce!” He wiggled his eyebrows. When Joe messed with us it was never serious. He made us giggle because it was so obvious that he wasn’t seriously attempting to flirt. “Drinks are on the house. You girls work way too hard for me to make you pay for your own drinks.”
Brad whispered, “You made me.”
“You two are the first ones to answer my call when we’re shorthanded. Besides, what kind of gentleman would I be to make ladies pay for their own drinks?”
“Come on, Joe. Don’t argue. We aren’t on the clock. We should pay.”
“Oh, if that’s your concern then you are now on the clock.”
“Joe,” I began.
He lifted a hand to stop me. “No arguing. I’m in charge here. Brad clock them in while they are here, please.”
“You go it.”
“Joe, no,” I started.
“It’s done and I won’t hear another word about it. You two are appreciated more than you will ever realize. Enjoy your night and have a little fun. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, Joe,” we replied in unison.
“My pleasure, ladies. Anything you want is on the house. Have the kitchen cook you up some food. Relax and have a good time.” Joe tapped the bar in front of us and winked. “You deserve it. Brad, I’m finishing up paperwork, and then I’ll be out to help. You guys have it under control for now?”
“Sure thing,” Brad said. Turning back to us he said, “See? Question me… ha.” He chuckled and headed off to serve customers.
“I don’t see Demien,” pouted Myra. “Do you know if he works tonight?”
“Forget about him. He isn’t good for you,” I said. I managed to keep my tone in check, but my heart was racing in anticipation in hopes of running into him.
“So, you keep saying,” she venomously half-sang.
“You know, I’m not all bad.” I heard Demien whisper in my ear.
I quickly whipped my head up from my glass and glanced into the mirror behind the bar, but I didn’t see him anywhere. I swung around to look behind me, still no Demien. I felt a deep sting of disappointment. Where did his voice come from?
“What are you looking for,” Myra asked.
“I thought I heard someone behind me. I guess not.” I shrugged my shoulders. Great, now I am hearing things.
Brad came up to us and refilled our drinks. “Girls, are you having fun?” He smiled.
“Sure, Brad, always fun at the bar,” I replied sarcastically and a little flirty.
“I think so, sure, when I’m making money,” he chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at us.
I had a sense of someone watching me. I felt an invisible blanket carefully placed around me, in a figure of speech type of way. It was warm and comfortable; outside of the blanket would be cold and bleak. I found it strange, but inviting. I shook my head and reminded myself that I was a perfectly sane person. I needed to get out of the bar. It was making me crazy. “Myra,” I yelled over the blaring music.
“What?”
“Do you want to get out of here? We could go shopping or something.”
Myra’s eyes lit up. “Shopping is my favorite pastime.” She jumped off the bar stool onto her six-inch, sparkling stilettos and waived to Brad. “See you tomorrow night, Brad.”
“Have fun shopping, gals.”
As we walked through the door, Demien caught my eyes. He was sitting in the far corner of the building. I couldn’t believe that I had missed him before. My heart fluttered for a moment until I was yanked outside the door by Myra. I would have mentioned it to her, but I didn’t want to be pulled back into the bar. I just keep it my little secret.
Fourteen
The early evening air was warm with a cool breeze. I would have been perfectly happy walking to the shopping center, but I didn’t think Myra’s shoes would cooperate. It was quite a distance, but I was always up for a good walk. Myra, however, was not - ever.
The shopping center had only been completed a month earlier. Now Chadwick had four restaurants. Since the town was off Route 66, Thomas Randell, the local real estate investor, decided we needed more tourist attractions so he built the shopping center.
Before the town was a tourist attraction because of the museums, which were well worth the thirty dollars per museum fee. I don’t say that about many attractions. A beautiful, empowering walkway through a rainforest connected both museums. The brothers showcased the beauty of the universe throughout. Although they did have very opposite views, they were very close and worked well together. Or so it appeared.
Matthew’s museum, The Almighty Creator, housed religious artifacts. It concentrated on the rise of Christianity and a few different religions in general, kind of like a timeline. Well, actually, that’s exactly what it was. The museum began with a ceiling to floor painting of God, speaking the Ten Commandments. Walking through the large, ornate, red velvet draped entrance; the visitors were greeted by a painting of God molding the first atom in his hands. Then he added more atoms until there was an explosion of the universe. As visitors walked through the museum, they witnessed God creating the world and everything in it. Bible verses were placed about the museum. The section on fallen angels and the dark days of religious persecution was a section, I’d prefer to avoid. It was too scary for me.
The museum proved that God does exist through His creations and everyday miracles. The Virgin Mary, holding baby Jesus, stood in the middle of the museum. Visitors were able to leave messages about their proof of God. They had the option to write about answered prayers, everyday miracles or any other experiences they wanted to share. The museum made a believer out of nonbelievers. I think the biggest attribute was the very well thought out recreation of God creating science and using it as his tool throughout the universe.
On the exit wall, a statement was made about science. It said, “Science to God is like a vehicle to man.”
Michael’s museum, Science of the Universe, was strictly science-based. The first room was completely black, walking visitors through a tunnel that connected the dark room to the next. The next room was a beautiful recreation of the explosion of the beginnings of the universe. It was motion activated, so every step revealed a more spectacular piece of the explosion. The end of the walkway was our Milky Way Galaxy. The overhead speakers described every phase visitors walked through.
At the end of the universe, a door lit up to escort the touring group through evolution. Visitors were shown the way through the beginning of earth’s plant life, dinosaurs, a few different rooms showcasing changes to earth and weather patterns of the past and future, and finally, mankind made an appearance from caveman to today’s cities.
I drove us the two blocks over to the shopping center. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
“How ‘bout burgers?” Myra suggested.
“I was hoping for a really good salad. I was thinking Brothers. They have burgers and a salad bar.”
“Oh, yeah, I always forget about that place. That’s cool.”
As we entered Brothers, we were met by the sound of rushing wate
rfalls and a fiber optic volcano in the middle of an eruption.
The host led us to our booth, which was covered by a flowery grass skirt.
“I like this,” Myra commented. “Look at this cute tiki lamp.” She pointed to the wall our booth held up.
“Yeah, it’s cute.” I picked up the menu.
“Hello, ladies. My name is Noah, and I’ll be your waiter today. What can I get you to drink?”
Why was that name familiar? I glance up to see a familiar set of green eyes, blonde hair and high cheekbones with a strong nose. I knew him from somewhere, but where? Then it came to me.
“You were our waiter at Othello’s,” I pointed out.
“Oh, really?”
“Oh, yeah,” Myra said.
“What are the odds?” I had a feeling this wasn’t a coincidence.
“That is something. This is my second job.” He shrugged his shoulder. “How about some drinks?”
We ordered a couple sodas. I had the salad bar, and Myra ordered a Cheeseburger in Paradise.
“Sooooo…” Myra dragged out the word “so” to somehow make it a four-syllable word.
“Sooooo… what?” My eyes rolled, like that good ol’ southern expression, “rolls are on a Christmas light timer,” except this would be more of an annoyance timer. I already knew where this question was going, but I didn’t want to go there.
“Sooooo… do you believe him? Do you think this is his second job? I just find it strange that at a completely different restaurant in a different town, he is our waiter.” She lifted her eyebrows at me as if she were exposing a conspiracy.
“Strange?” I repeated in an audible huff. “Maybe, but stranger things happen all the time. Besides, I really don’t think he could have set this little meeting up. He couldn’t have known we would be coming here. We didn’t even know until two seconds before walking through the door.” I reminded her.
“Well, kill all the fun. We could've made up an entire story about who he is and why he’s following us, but, no, not the party pooper.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Of course, it’s a coincidence. I know that isn’t possible. A coincidence isn’t a very fun fantasy.” She muttered something under breath and then stuck her tongue out at me. Once Myra got on a roll, redirecting her thought process was quite a feat sometimes.