After Twilight
Page 22
table and tried to eat oatmeal to coat my sour stomach.
When I felt better, I went into my room and laid down,
looking at pictures on my phone of Kaylee and me being
silly. I continued scrolling through and came to the photos
from the vacation in Romania. I felt at peace staring at them,
especially the ones I took of the mountains. I realized I didn’t
have any photos of Constin and me. Every time I was with
him, I never thought about taking any. I wished at that
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moment, I had one of him.
I wanted to call Constin and tell him off, but I chickened
out. I turned over, fell asleep for a few hours, and woke up
crying. I didn’t want to be alone, so I called my parents.
When they didn’t answer, I drove to their house, but they
weren’t there. I looked at my phone. It was 6:30 at night.
Where are they? I called Mom, but she didn’t answer. I ended
the call and called Dad. He didn’t answer either.
I sat on the front steps and texted Mom.
Where are you? I need you guys.
I texted Liam next.
I’m sorry about earlier. I’m at my
parents’ house. Where are you? I can’t be
alone.
When they didn’t text me back, I walked inside and
paced back and forth. “Screw this.” I opened a new bottle of
Merlot and poured a glass. “Maybe this will take the pain
away.” I forced a sip.
After I downed the entire glass, I questioned if my
dreams were real. I decided to go back to the park to see if I
would run into Bain again.
I texted Mom, but my vision was fuzzy.
I’m goingg toooo the park to see if the mannn
is thereeee andd to lay with kayleee
I staggered out of the house without shutting the door
and walked to the park.
“Constin,” I slurred.
When he didn’t answer, I ran into the woods, losing my
sneaker in the process. I stopped. “Bain, I’m here. Show me
you’re real.”
As I went back to get my shoe, branches broke behind
me. I looked up, and a black shadow hovered over my head.
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Beyond that, the moonlight peeked through the dark clouds.
I took cover behind the tree and listened, but the only
thing I heard was my heavy breathing. When creaking
branches came from above me, I took off running toward
the houses that were on the other side. Thrashing through
the heavy brush, I scratched myself all over, but I kept going
until a loud growl echoed from up in the trees. I stopped and
scanned the shadowy branches, and two red eyes were
glaring down at me.
“What do you want?”
It hissed, and launched itself in my direction, dislodging
branches, tearing them from the tree. The dark figure landed
on the ground, making the ground shake. I stepped back,
managing to stay upright, as the thing faced me in the
shadows.
“I want you to tell me where the Sicuro is,” Savina
demanded and glided toward me with talons for feet and bat
wings that extended at least eight feet on each side.
“What the hell are you?”
“Guess.”
Branches cracked from behind her. Savina twisted
around to see what it was. Without hesitation, I took off
running. Savina snatched my arm with her talons, lifted me
off the ground, and gracefully flew me high up in the sky.
“Bain, I know you’re here. Show yourself!” She flew up
higher.
I looked down at the small houses and back up at her.
Savina’s red eyes pierced my soul as she laughed demonically.
“Bain, help me, please!”
Savina pulled me up to face her with one hand. “This is
your last chance to tell me where the Sicuro is.”
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“I don’t know where it is.”
“Fine, then you will die until I find it and trap your soul
back in with your—”
“No!” Bain yelled from afar.
Savina opened her free hand and blew black dust in my
face. I inhaled the dust and choked on the chalky, metallic
taste. Savina cackled like a witch.
Seconds later, a figure with wings like Savina’s, but with
gold at their tips, swooped down toward us. I tried to hold
on to her arms, but Savina broke free. I closed my eyes as I
fell backward, kicking and screaming, descending to my
death.
Her menacing laugh echoed as she flew away up into the
black sky.
Something caught me in midair.
I opened my eyes and gasped when I saw it was Bain.
“Don’t be frightened,” he said, soothingly. “I won’t hurt
you.”
My shaking hands latched around his neck. I looked
down at his black talons and peeked over his shoulder at his
wings protruding from his back. I kicked and screamed. “Let
me go!”
Bain’s eyes turned red, and he flew me back down and
laid me on the grass in front of the park bench. He forced
my mouth open and placed his mouth over mine, sucking
the air right out of my lungs. My body became limp, and I
coughed nonstop. Bain stumbled away and began to choke
on something.
“Why did you do that?” I grabbed my throat and
coughed from the burning sensation.
Bain’s talons and wings melted away as he stumbled
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over to a tree. He exhaled the black dust, and it vanished into
the air. I stared blankly at him, wondering how that was even
possible. His white shirt and black shoes were perfectly
intact.
“What are you?”
He walked over to me. “You need to go to Romania and
see Muma first before I tell you.”
“Why? And why does Savina keep asking me for a
dagger and now my soul? Who is she? And what was that
stuff she blew in my face?”
Bain ignored me and stepped back. “You’re still not
acting like yourself.”
“Yeah, well, maybe that’s because she just flew me up in
the sky and let me go. Or maybe because you just sucked the
life out of me and won’t tell me why.”
“I’m forbidden to tell you anything at this time.” He
pulled me into him and tilted my head back.
“What are you doing?”
“I must get the rest out of your lungs.”
He opened his mouth, ready to place it over mine. A
black shadow appeared above us. Bain pushed me out of the
way. His wings tore out of his back and expanded. He flew
straight up in the sky and charged Savina. A man with red
wings came flying out of nowhere and charged Bain.
Bain’s black shoes transformed into talons. “Viata, run!”
Bain shouted as he held them by their wings.
I took off toward my house and saw Mom and Dad
pulling into the driveway.
“Help me!”
Dad jumped out of his truck and ran up to me. “What
happened?”
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“The man from my dreams is r
eal. Please, we have to go
inside.”
Mom ran up to us. “Viata, why did you go to the park
alone? And where’s your other sneaker?”
“They all have wings and talons for feet. We need to go
inside and call the cops.”
Dad grabbed me. “Stop this shit right now!”
“I’m not lying,” I shouted in his face.
He looked at Mom. “She reeks of alcohol.”
I pushed him away from me. “You do too.”
He scowled at me. “Get inside right now,” he ordered.
Liam came out. “What’s going on?”
“They’re here. Go back inside!” I yelled.
“Viata, get the hell in the house. You’re making a
scene,” Mom reprimanded.
“Screw off!”
Dad grabbed my shirt and walked me forcefully toward
the house. “Don’t you ever talk to your mother like that
again.”
Liam rushed over and walked alongside me. “Viata,
calm down. You’re not the only one who misses Kaylee.”
I jerked away from Dad. “Let me go, or I will hurt you!”
“Oh, please,” Dad replied.
My breath quickened, and rage burned my eyes. I
twisted myself out of Dad’s grip and grabbed his throat.
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he next thing I knew, I was in a white room
strapped to a bed. I kicked and screamed until a
nurse rushed in.
“Please calm down. You’re in the hospital,” the nurse
said, standing by the door like she was afraid of me.
“What? Why am I here? Unstrap me now,” I ordered as
I tried desperately to get loose.
“Please calm down. Let me get your doctor,” she said in
a shaky tone.
When she walked away, I screamed out for my parents.
An older man came in. “Viata, I’m Doctor Swartz.
Please calm down and breathe.”
“Why am I here? Let me up now.”
He walked over to me. “You blacked out from too
much alcohol and were acting psychotic. Your parents had
no choice but to have you admitted.”
“This can’t be real. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“What is the last thing you remember?”
“I—I was. I was arguing with my parents, and I woke
up like this.”
I knew that if I kept acting like a nut, he would treat me
like one. I calmed down. “Where are my parents?”
“You can see them tomorrow. Right now, we have Dr.
Wells coming in to see you.”
I looked away.
“Are you calm enough to be taken out of the restraints?”
I nodded.
The doctor called the nurse in, and she took them off.
I sat up on the bed, rubbing my wrist. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Let’s get you something to eat. What
about crackers for now?”
I nodded again.
“You got it. Dr. Wells will be here shortly.”
After he and the nurse left, I got up from the gurney and
walked over to a small closet. I peeked inside and saw only
one sneaker. I wandered over to the chair and sat, trying to
remember what had happened. I could remember everything
up until I grabbed my dad’s throat.
As I was sitting there, the nurse came back in with a
handful of crackers and a pink water pitcher. Her hands were
shaking as she set the pitcher down, spilling a little bit of
water.
“I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up,” she said in a shaky tone.
“You’re fine.” I reached over to clean it up with a
napkin.
She yanked her hand away from me and walked out of
the room.
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What’s her deal?
After what seemed to be hours, Dr. Wells showed up
with a white overnight bag.
“How are you doing, Viata?”
I didn’t think I would be so happy to see her, but I was.
“I’m fine, I guess.”
She handed me the bag. “Your parents gave this to me
to give to you.”
I pushed it away. “Thank you, but I don’t want it.”
She sat on the hospital bed across from me. “The doctor
thought it was best that you see me before you see your
parents.”
I turned away.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
“Because I drank too much wine and blacked out.”
“Yes, that’s part of the reason.”
I tapped on the table next to me and turned to her wide
eyes. “What’s the other reason?”
“They said your eyes flashed on and off like a light bulb,
then you picked your dad up off the ground and tossed him
onto the hood of your car.”
I jumped up and paced the room. “Ha,” I blurted. “I
can’t even lift a damn suitcase, let alone a 190-pound man.
Maybe they need to be in here instead of me if they think my
eyes were glowing.”
“Well, you did. Now, please sit down. I don’t want them
strapping you down again. Do you?”
I sat and held my chest. I thought I was about to have a
heart attack from it pounding so hard.
“Is my father okay?”
“Yes, Viata, he’s fine.”
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I remembered Sara saying the same thing about my eyes,
but I didn’t believe it.
“Who told you I tossed my father and my eyes lit up?”
She looked at her paperwork. “According to this report,
your next-door neighbors and your parents did.”
“They’re lying. Please, this is insane.”
“Trust me. This is hard to believe, but when credible
people such as your parents say this is what happened, I have
to look into it.”
“This is so f—ing stupid.”
“How much did you drink? And did you take any illegal
drugs?”
“The only drugs I take are the pills that you prescribed
to me. Which are clearly not working.”
“Viata, I need to know what it was you took.”
“I didn’t take anything but what you gave me.”
“While you were unconscious, the doctor had your
blood drawn. They found an unknown drug. Now, tell me
what it was you took? It’s crucial that we know. It can kill
you.”
I remembered Bain sucking out the dust that Savina
blew in my face. “This can’t be happening to me.”
“Are you going to tell me what you took?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“It’s pointless. I’m sure it was another stupid dream
again.”
Dr. Wells walked over to me. “Being your sleep study
isn’t for another two weeks, can I place you under hypnosis
so we can figure out what is going on?”
“Will that make you believe me?”
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“Yes, hypnosis will help.”
I got up and walked over to the window. I was sick of
people doubting me and wanted them to see for themselves.
“Fine, I’ll do it then, but can we do it in a normal room? This
room is ugly.”
“I’ll see if I can use the doctor’s office, and we’ll do it
&nb
sp; tomorrow. In the meantime, the doctor is going to run a few
more tests to rule out anything else.”
I sighed. “Okay.”
“Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.
I ignored her and looked out the window at all the cars
driving by. I thought maybe I did drink too much, and it
made me pass out and have another dream, but that didn’t
rule out what was in my blood.
It was another restless night with the same animals
fighting again outside. I finally fell asleep with no dreams.
After the doctor ran a few more tests, Dr. Wells arrived
late-afternoon and took me into a small room on the first
floor. She sat across from me and asked me to lie down on
the couch to start the process. I did as she asked.
“Take a deep breath and try to relax. I want you to clear
your mind.”
I took a few deep breaths.
“Listen to the sound of my voice as I count back. Ten
... nine ... eight ... seven. Your eyes are getting heavier. Six ...
five ... four ... three. You’re falling deeper. Two ... and ... one.
Very good, Viata. Now, let’s go back to yesterday evening
while you were in the park. What’s the weather like?”
“It’s warm, with a slight breeze.”
“Good. How do you feel?”
I giggled. “My vision is fuzzy.”
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“Is anyone with you?”
“No, I’m alone.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m running toward the woods, calling out to Bain.”
“Who is that?”
“He’s the man from my dreams.”
“Do you see him?”
“No.”
Dr. Wells’s voice faded, and I was standing in the park,
staring into the woods. Someone was yelling, but it was
muffled.
“Viata, wake up!” Dr. Wells shouted in my ear as she
shook me.
I snapped out of hypnosis and sat up. “What’s wrong?”
A male nurse pushed her on the floor.
“Get help!” Dr. Wells yelled while holding her neck,
trying to catch her breath.
I ran toward the door. “Help me!”
The unknown man looked over at me and grinned as if
he knew me. “Watch this.” He placed one hand around Dr.
Wells’s neck and with the other hand, he cut a small slit in it
with his nail. Dr. Wells reached out for me with fear in her