by M. K. ROZE
asked softly.
“To this? Who is it?”
“It’s ‘One Man’s Dream’, by Yanni . ”
“I’ve never heard of him before.”
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He pulled me in close and started to move slowly. “I will
teach you many things.”
My heart fluttered, and my eyes were unable to leave his.
As we danced, I felt like I was floating in his arms again, just
like last time. He spun me around slowly and faced me.
“You’re so beautiful.” He kissed me passionately.
I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to stay in that moment
forever. He placed his face against mine, and my cheek
became cold.
“Constin.” I stepped back to look at him. “Bain?” I
screamed and stumbled backward, shaking my head.
He turned away for a few seconds, then rushed over to
me. “What’s wrong?”
As I pushed him away, it was Constin’s face again.
He stood there. “Are you okay?”
I rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m seeing things
again.”
“It’s okay. We better get going,” he said.
Constin grabbed his phone, and I helped him blow out
the torches, still wondering why I saw Bain. We walked hand
in hand to his house and stood out front. Sweat poured down
his face.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes. Would you like to stay with me again tonight?”
Butterflies took over my stomach. “Yes, but I need
clothes. Can I run back to my house while you go inside and
get cooled off?”
“No, I’ll take you. I wouldn’t want the wild animals
following you home.”
I smiled. “Is that your way of telling me you can’t be
without me?”
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He looked toward the woods. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
His eyes met mine. “Positive. Come on. Let’s go.” He
held my hand as we walked over to the car and opened the
passenger door.
“Thank you.” I got in.
On the way home, he was quiet. It made me wonder if
me telling him about my dreams and micro-naps pushed him
away. When we pulled up, Constin’s eyes fixated on my front
door.
I waved my hand in front of his face, but he didn’t blink.
“Hey, what are you looking at?”
When he didn’t move, I shook him, and he snapped out
of it. “You’re not going in there,” he said, with a sense of
urgency to his voice.
“Why, what’s the problem? You’re all sweaty. We need
to get you back home before you overheat and pass out
again.”
“Stay here.” Constin jumped out of the car, leaving the
door wide open.
I got out and ran up to him. “Constin, what are you
doing?”
He turned to me. “Go back to the car, now!” he ordered.
Liam opened the door. “What’s going on?”
Constin ignored him and fixed his attention on Maria,
who was standing beside Liam.
I pulled on Constin’s shirt. “Tell me what’s going on!”
Constin ignored me like he couldn’t hear me.
Liam stood in front of Maria, blocking Constin’s view.
“Hey, do you have a problem, man?”
Constin’s fists balled up like he was ready to attack her.
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My eyes turned to Maria, and she looked like she was ready
to fight too.
“Do you two need some time alone?” I asked.
They kept staring at each other, ignoring me.
“Hello?” Liam said, waving his hand in front of Maria’s
face.
Maria swatted Liam’s hand away, grabbed him by his
shirt, and pulled him in for a kiss as she stared at Constin.
“What’s wrong with you?” I yelled.
Maria pushed Liam’s face away and turned to Constin.
“I knew it was you all along.” She threw gold dust in his face
and walked down the street with Liam following her.
I stood frozen because it reminded me of Savina
blowing a similar dust in my face while dreaming.
I wiped most of the dust off his face. “What the hell is
this stuff?”
Constin watched Maria walk away. “I don’t know.”
“What did she mean by she knew it was you all along?”
He grabbed my shoulders. “Viata, we must go.” His
voice was desperate.
“No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s
going on.” I walked inside.
Constin followed me. “Viata, please come with me
now.” He held his breath and began to cough. His face
looked like it was melting away.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. He leaned over and
faced the floor.
“Constin, look at me.” I tried to get him up.
He fell against the door. “Viata, everything is true. I’m
much too weak to protect you right now. She has done
something to me that’s making me weak.”
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“What’s true? And protect me from what?”
He rushed out the door. “Go to your parents,” he
ordered. “I’ll pick you up there. Go now ... before they come
back.”
“Constin, wait!” I yelled out after him as I ran toward
the car.
He took off down the road, faster than I’d ever seen him
drive before.
“But you don’t know where my parents live.” I walked
back inside and slammed the door behind me.
Liam came in right after that. “What was that all about?”
“Hold on!”
I tried calling Constin, still wondering what he meant by
everything was true. The phone rang, but he didn’t answer. I
ended the call and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of
water.
“I don’t know what’s going on. You tell me, Liam. And
what the hell was that shit Maria threw in his face?”
“I asked Maria what it was, and what was wrong, but she
said nothing, then ran away from me. I’ve never seen anyone
run that fast before.”
I dropped the glass on the floor, and it shattered,
spraying shards everywhere. “What did you just say?”
“What? About the part where she was running?”
“Yes, that part.” I bent down to pick up the glass.
“I’ve never seen anyone run as fast as she did. Maybe a
cheetah, but not a human. Perhaps I’m just tired. Also, the
entire time she was here, she was asking questions about
you.”
“Like what?”
He paced the kitchen. “I don’t know, Viata. I need time
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to think. What just went down is some weird shit.”
We cleaned up the rest of the glass. “Time’s up,” I said.
“What else did Maria ask you?”
“Calm down. She asked how long you and Constin have
been together and if you ever mentioned anything about
where the dagger was.”
“That money hungry bitch. What else did she ask?”
“She told me to tell you that Savina said hi.”
<
br /> My heart skipped a beat, and his face started to fade. I
grabbed his shoulder to remain upright.
“No-no-no-no-no,” I wailed, taking a few steps back.
“How could Maria know her? I never mentioned her name
when I told her about my dreams. There’s no way. Unless
my dreams are real.”
“Viata, seriously. Calm down. You sound crazy.”
I got in his face. “I will not calm down, Liam! I tried to
tell you this before. My damn dreams are real, and there are
people after me trying to take my soul. And your little
girlfriend, Maria, is one of those people.”
“What are you talking about? Maria’s a normal girl, not
the devil.”
“Liam, you have to leave, please. Go back home before
they come after you too.”
“This is ridiculous.” He stormed out of the kitchen.
“I’m staying here, and you need help.”
“Liam, please listen to me.” I followed him.
“Screw off. You’re nuts, just like Clay and Sara said.” He
slammed the door in my face.
I punched his door and yelled out in pain.
“Go away, Viata. Or I’m calling your parents.”
I dashed into my room and tried calling Constin again,
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but he didn’t pick up. After I changed into jeans, I paced
back and forth for a while, trying to make sense of it all .
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loud bang, followed by Liam yelling, came from
his room. I flinched and ran toward my door,
ready to open it, but Liam charged in while
holding his neck.
“What happened?”
He removed his hand. “This.”
I observed two small puncture wounds with blood
running down his neck. “What happened?”
Liam snatched a shirt off the dresser and pressed it
against the wound. “Something bit me, but I didn’t see what
it was.”
“A spider?”
“I don’t know, but I feel weak. I’m going back to my
room to see what it was.”
I knew something wasn’t right. “No, don’t!” I pushed
him out of the way, slammed the door shut, and locked it.
“Viata, get out of my way,” he ordered.
I grabbed his arm. “No, please stay with me.”
“Fine, I’ll play your game.” He tossed the shirt on the
floor and sat on the bed.
Footsteps started down the hall. “Viata,” Savina said
slowly.
Liam jumped up. “Who’s that?”
My head jerked his way. “Did you just hear her?”
Liam’s eyes widened. “Yeah. Why? Who is she?”
“Viata,” Savina said outside the door.
“Savina? No, it can’t be.” I snatched my phone and car
keys off the dresser.
“Who is this Savina girl?” Liam asked.
“Oh my God! It was true all along! The people from my
dreams are real!” I pushed the dresser in front of the door.
“What? Did you take your pills today?”
I scowled at him.
The doorknob shook. “Open the door,” Maria said.
“What are you doing? It’s only Maria.”
I leaned against the dresser. “No, it’s not. Don’t you get
it, Liam? Maria’s not who you think she is.”
“Oh please, she changed her voice. Now, get out of my
way before I move you myself.”
As I examined two small holes in his neck, loud
scratches came from outside the door. I spun around and
backed up into Liam.
“Let me in!” Savina shouted.
Liam stepped back, falling onto the bed. “Maria, why
the hell do you keep changing your voice?”
“Viata,” Savina said, “give me the Sicuro, and I will leave
you alone.”
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“What the hel is a Sicuro?” Liam shouted.
“It’s the dagger from my dreams, and they want it.”
“What? You’re all crazy!” Liam snatched my phone out
of my hand.
Savina kicked the door. I flinched and fell backward in
front of the bed. Liam grabbed my hand, pulled me up, and
we ran to the window.
“C’mon you damn piece of shit, open up!” I turned to
Liam. “Help me open it!”
Another powerful kick and the door flew onto my bed.
Maria stepped in. “That’s better.”
I didn’t understand how she sounded like Savina but
looked like Maria.
“Maria!” Liam shouted. “What the hell are you on? And
what’s up with the Italian accent?”
“She’s ... not ... Maria,” I mumbled in disbelief.
Liam kept his eyes fastened on Maria. “Yes, she is.”
I grabbed Liam’s arm. “How ... how is this possible?”
Maria looked into my eyes. “You can thank your secret
admirer for inviting me in.” She glared at Liam and sneered.
“Isn’t that so?”
“What? You’re crazier than her. I’m leaving!” Liam
yelled.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Maria lowered her head.
When she raised it, her features morphed into Savina, then
Dr. Dalca, then back to Savina.
I backed up into Liam in disbelief.
“Holy s-shit. You …you can shapeshift?” Liam pushed
me to the side and frantically opened the window. Savina
stepped closer and hissed.
“Go!” Liam pushed me out the window.
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I landed on my back. “Help us!”
Liam jumped out, landed on the side of me, and pulled
me up. “Come on!”
I yanked my hand back. “No! You go. I have to deal
with her.”
“I’m calling the army!” Liam yelled out and took off
running across the street.
A loud thump came from above me. I looked up, and
Latore was sitting on the edge of the roof.
“Viata, come on!” Liam shouted.
I ignored him and kept my eyes on the window to see
what Savina was doing.
“Good evening, Viata,” Latore said in an Italian accent.
When Savina appeared next to Latore, smiling, I ran to
my car while looking around for Liam, but he was nowhere
in sight. I took off driving to my parents’ house, wondering
why Latore spoke in an Italian accent and why Savina was
with him.
After I got to my parents’ house, I parked out front and
ran up to the door, banging on it nonstop. “Mom, Dad!” I
looked over my shoulder to make sure Latore and Savina
weren’t behind me.
When the door opened, I pushed my way in and
slammed the door behind me.
“Viata!” Dad shouted. “What’s wrong?”
I bent over and clutched my knees. “Hold on.” I panted
like a dog, trying to catch my breath.
Mom came charging down the stairs. “What is it,
honey?”
I paced back and forth in front of them, frantically
running my fingers through my hair. “Those people from my
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dreams are after me, trying to kill me. I—I thought it was all
in my head like you guys said, but Liam heard them too. Now
I know it’s true.”
Dad threw his hands in the air. “I thought you were over
this crap?” He walked over to the window and looked out.
“Dad, I’m not lying. Remember when I tossed you onto
the hood of my car?”
“Yeah, how could I forget?”
“That wasn’t me. Well, I mean it was me, but it wasn’t.”
Dad shook his head and glared at me. “What are you
talking about, Viata?”
Mom placed her clammy hand on my arm. “Come sit
down, honey. You’re stressed out.”
I yanked my arm away from her. “No. You need to
listen to me!” I whipped around and faced Dad. “They blew
magical dust in my face when I threw you. How else could I
do that?”
“Magical dust?” Dad and Mom yelled at the same time.
I was about to explain, but the doorbell rang, followed
by a frantic knock.
“Don’t you dare answer that.” I ran to the door and
leaned my body against it.
“Viata Vandell, move away from the door, right now!”
Dad ordered.
“No, it’s them.”
“Viata, open the damn door!” Liam yelled.
I looked through the peephole and saw that it was him.
I opened the door, grabbed Liam and pulled him inside. He
had my phone, so I took it and dialed Constin right away.
When it rang, Dad snatched it out of my hand. “We
don’t need any more drama here.”
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“Give me my damn phone!” I tried to retrieve it, but
Dad held me back.
“No, calm down. You’ll get it back later.” Dad tossed it
on the couch.
I glared at him.
“Who the hell was that back there?” Liam asked.
Dad eyed Liam up and down. “You were there too?”
Liam nodded.
Dad stepped closer to Liam. “What the hell happened
to your neck?”
“Something bit him,” I said.
Dad examined the dried-up bloody holes. “Was it a
dog?”
“No, I think it was one of them things back there.” Liam
lowered his head.
“Bret, call the cops right now,” Mom ordered.
Dad spun around. “For what? There’s no one out
there.”
“Dad, please listen to what we’re saying. These people