by Leesa Birch
I was sitting with my feet in the water’s edge of the lake. I knew this place; I’d been here before. I could hear laughing and splashing in the distance. The water felt colder than usual. I wiggled my toes, smiling at the ripples I made on the lake. As I moved my foot, something sharp dug in me. That was odd.
The laughing in the distance stopped. I could hear a faint screaming. The screams grew louder. A water-shaped hand came out of the lake and grabbed my leg. No! Not again. I tried to scream but could only hear cries in the distance. The hand pulled hard and dragged me under. I couldn’t breathe. I struggled against the opaque hand, kicking as hard as I could. I stopped as a face appeared right in front of me.
Something wasn’t right about it. It was like a reflection in the water. It started to smile at me. No ordinary smile - a sinister grin brandishing row upon row of sharp, elongated teeth. I struggled and fought against my attacker until the first searing bite tore open my skin. I tried to push the face away from me. It bit down harder, again and again, lacerating my legs and thighs. The water turned red with my blood until I could no longer see the evil grin bearing down upon me.
“Ivy, wake up!” The room was shaking. I couldn’t breathe. “Ivy, you need to calm down, NOW!” I stood on the bed and backed myself into the corner. A lamp light flickered on by the bed. I was in a room. No water. No face - just a half-naked man trying to speak to me. My chest ached with the pressure.
“My legs. There was blood everywhere.” I slid down the wall, exhausted. The room’s shaking subsided.
“Ivy, are you alright? Talk to me.” Kane reached out to touch my leg. I pulled it towards me.
“Turn round - I need to check something,” I said, my voice desperate. As he did so, I checked my legs under my pyjamas. No bites. No lacerations. Just another nightmare.
“Ivy, you didn’t drink Grogan’s tea - did you?” He turned to face me. I shook my head a little.
“I tried. It tasted so bad.” Kane frowned at me. Maybe I should have tried harder. His hand on the bed was close to mine. I gently laid my hand on his.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He turned my hand over, squeezing it.
“It’s always hard sleeping through your nightmares, Ivy. A small price to pay.” I guessed I must have been having these nightmares for a while now.
My train of thought was interrupted. Kane lifted my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist. The skin was thin there and very sensitive. I bit my bottom lip, desperately trying to stay calm. His hand slid under my vest and he closed the gap between us in one quick movement. He’d done this before. The kissing of my wrist became too much.
I felt something stir deep within me - I couldn’t control it. My eyes changed. The pipes in the kitchen started to clang.
Kane let go of my wrist and backed away slowly from the bed.
“Sorry, Ivy, I shouldn’t have pushed.” He stood there, simmering, saying he was sorry. All I wanted was for him to finish what he had started.
“Ivy, you’ve gotta drink the tea Grogan gave you - or someone might get hurt.” This was wrong on so many levels. The nightmares. Weird tea. Exploding pipes and a half-naked, horny Texan. Was this the norm for me?
Kane handed me a cup of the horrid tea and sat next to me. He made sure I drank it this time. I nearly gagged. Putting the cup down on the night stand, he lay on the bed next to me. I guess the couch was fired. Laying my head on my pillow, he slid his arm beneath me, rolling me over to him. He covered us over with the quilt, promising me no more nightmares. I believed him.
Waking up in a strange man’s arms didn’t feel as weird as it should have done. I lifted my head to look down at him. His arm tightened around me as he moaned sleepily. I brushed his hair off his neck, careful not to wake him, and lay my head back down on his chest.
“It’s insane how much I love you,” he whispered, as he kissed the top of my head. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t expecting that.
I was about to say something when someone knocked on the door.
“You two awake yet? Grogan’s ready to try again if Ivy’s up to it.”
Kane rolled me over, looking down at me. “Ready to try again?” I wasn’t sure whether he was talking about Grogan or last night.
“Okay,” I said as he played with my hair, curling it between his fingers. He then rolled off the bed and wandered into the bathroom. Grogan it was then.
After we both washed and dressed, I decided I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. We left the cabin together and headed towards the lake.
Gary was waiting for us as we reached the lake.
“Grogan said we should do this in private. He’s a little further round. Not limping today, Kane - how’s your groin?” I had a feeling they goaded each other like five year olds all the time. Or maybe he was still annoyed that Kane had punched him in the mouth for tasering me. Kane squeezed my hand.
“I’ve had no complaints,” he smirked at Gary.
“Hey, don’t make me a part of this,” I protested, pulling my hand free. “There was absolutely no groin activity last night.”
The strange old man, Grogan, was standing in the lake already.
“Morning, Ivy. I trust you slept well. No nightmares?” I looked at Kane, hoping he wouldn’t say anything about me not taking the tea at first.
“Morning,” was all I offered. That way I didn’t have to lie. We drew level. Kane and Gary sat down on the embankment.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Take your shoes off and we’ll get you sorted in no time.” Removing my shoes, I took a last look around. I wasn’t sure how this would turn out.
I walked carefully into the water. The silt felt soft underfoot. I stopped in front of Grogan.
“Will this hurt?” He didn’t answer straight away.
“I’m going to put my hands on your head. This will feel a little strange. You’re not planning on running again are you?” I shook my head. I needed to get my memory back. I knew I was missing something important. Grogan took my head in his hands. His eyes changed immediately. The guys on the embankment looked as if they were bursting to ask questions.
“Hmm. Okay, here it is. You have a chemical in your system that seems to have caused a very precise area of damage. I’ve not seen anything like this.” I was a little worried at this point.
“Can you fix her, Grogan, or not?” Kane was becoming impatient.
“Alright, Ivy, I’ll remove the chemical from your body first. Ready?” I couldn’t nod while he had my head in his grip. He was strong for an old guy.
“Okay. Do it.” My surroundings went blurry. I grabbed for Grogan to stabilise myself. It didn’t hurt though. Yet.
“Alright, that seems to be all of it. Now for the tough part. Before I do this, Ivy, you need to know some things. Do not panic about your necklace, I have some tea that will help. Your memories could come back slowly or all at once. If that happens, it might be a little painful. You’ll need time to sort through them. Alright? I wonder if I’ve forgotten anything. Don’t push for your memories, it’ll hurt more.”
There was a strange sensation around my head; it was nauseating. I wobbled on my feet. I could hear yelling coming from one of the guys but I couldn’t make it out. The voice was mushy and slowed.
There was a low rumbling beneath me. Everything was fuzzy.
“Ivy! Can you hear me?” Three people came into focus over me.
“Still the lake, Ivy! Now!” The world around me became suddenly sharp.
The lake was moving. I put my hands in the lake and silenced the rumbling waters.
“Ivy?” Kane stood on the embankment looking down at me.
“I’m fine,” I said, quietly. Things seemed a little loud.
A sharp pain shot through my head. I fell backwards holding my head, screaming.
“Get her out of the water.” I heard splashing around me but I couldn’t focus. Images were trying to force their way into my head. Images of scared people. People in pain. Happines
s. Making love. It was all coming at once. I was lifted out of the water and onto the grass.
“Ivy, listen to me. It’s Grogan. Try to breathe through it. The pain will pass.” I struggled on the ground. It was all too much.
“Make it stop!” I screamed again, as another mass of images fought their way to the front. A scar-faced man in agony. A body in the water. Hands clawing at me.
“Take her back to the cabin. Try and make her comfortable.” I couldn’t open my eyes through the blur of faces. But I could smell someone familiar and warm lift me off the ground.
“Is there no way to help, Grogan? You didn’t say how much this would hurt her.” There was no reply. Kane started walking quite quickly. I thought my head was going to erupt.
“Put me down. Please. We have to stop.” He didn’t listen. The onslaught of imagery wasn’t slowing. If I was going to pass out, I was hoping sooner rather than later.
The door to my cabin was kicked open and I was placed on the bed. Several towels were thrown over me, rubbing vigorously. I was so cold.
“Kane?” He held me down so I couldn’t injure myself.
“I’m right here, Ivy.” His mouth, so close to my ear; his voice, calming.
“Make it stop. I can’t take any more.” He pulled me into his arms, laying my head on his shoulder. I hadn’t the strength to move. The room spun as I tried to speak. I didn’t feel like I would come back from this. He gently rocked me in his arms, constantly whispering, “Hold on, Ivy. I won’t let go.”
3
The images started to slow as the pain subsided. I couldn’t quite tell where I was. Something about this place was familiar; I think I lived here. Yes, this was my apartment in Chicago. Standing by the window, I watched as Kane drove away. I needed to find Waylena’s people. After leaving money under Harry’s door for rent and breakages, I headed towards the train station.
It was a nice day for early autumn. The streets were pretty quiet. Unfortunately, the train station was not. I rechecked the information that Griffin had given to me and headed towards the ticket booth. After a long wait in the queue I reached the front. I hesitated as I passed my money over the counter. I really should have gone back to the lake with Kane. My stomach turned, thinking about whether I had made the right decision.
“Is there a problem, miss? There are other people waiting.” The teller pointed to growing frustration behind me.
“Sorry,” I apologised to the queue. Finding Waylena’s people was the right thing to do - I had promised after all. Handing over the money, deep down, I hoped that it wouldn’t take that long to track the sirens down.
I loaded myself up with coffee for the journey. I still felt a little weak after my encounter with Luke - not as weak as Sylvia, mind you. The train arrived on time which was something that regularly surprised me. I found a seat in a quiet carriage. The train wasn’t too busy so I settled down for the ride.
I’d never been to Missouri before. Not that it mattered - I wasn’t there to do touristy things.
The plan was, to go to the apartment written on the paper Griffin had given me, find the sirens, explain what had happened to Waylena and offer my condolences before heading straight back. It was possible I would need to stay in the city for one night. I was sure I couldn’t get into that much trouble overnight. The train pulled out with a slight jerk and I made myself comfy for the trip.
The train ride had been thankfully uneventful. So much so, the gentle rocking of the carriage had made me sleepy.
Stepping off the carriage into the noise of the crowd swept away any tiredness that had managed to seduce me. The evening had crept in unexpectedly. The street lights were buzzing on as I exited the train station. I shivered as the cold night air hit me. I wasn’t sure what part of town the address was in. As it was a last minute decision, I hadn’t brought a map with me this time. Figuring a taxi was my best bet, I hailed one just as the rain started to spit.
The taxi driver was a very talkative man. He spent most of the journey telling me that I was heading for a rough part of town. He even offered to take me somewhere else for half of what the meter said. I just told him that I was meeting a friend.
We pulled up about a block away. The driver turned to me, looking a little guilty. “I’m sorry, miss, but I won’t be able to wait for you. You really should think twice about getting out here.”
“I’ll be fine. Thank you.” I paid the man and exited the car.
The taxi’s tyres screeched on the wet road as it pulled away. I watched until it was out of sight. I really should have worn a coat; I was soaked through in moments. I could dry myself but there was no point until I was out of the rain. The streets were quiet. There weren’t many street lights in this part of town. The old buildings looked like they needed some work doing on them. As I couldn’t get any wetter, I wandered slowly along the street to find the right block.
I wondered how Waylena had come to be in this area. She never said that she was meeting anyone. A gunshot sounded in the distance. I jumped even though it wasn’t close enough to worry about. Walking a little faster along the cracked pavement I found the apartment block I needed.
The glass was broken in the front door and it was slightly askew. The light overhead flickered in the grey hallway. The place looked abandoned and didn’t smell too good. I headed up the stairs, trying not to stand in anything suspicious. Of course, she had to be staying on the top floor. Making the decision to up my swimming routine when I got back, I started to make good time up the stairs.
I stopped to catch my breath at the top. Leaning over the railing to see how high I had come was stupid. Slightly dizzy, I backed myself against the wall while taking in my surroundings.
There were only two doors on this floor. One was marked ‘Roof. No admittance.’ The other was hanging open. This wasn’t a good sign. I slowly made my way over and peeked inside. The place had been ransacked. There had definitely been a struggle or two. I shoved the broken door open enough to squeeze through.
“Hello.” I put my hands over my mouth as the word echoed around the empty building. A bit stupid really - what if the bad guys were still here? The walls were covered in damp and mould. Paper peeled from the corners. There didn’t seem to be anybody here. I felt a little uneasy myself. Better get this over with. If the sirens had been here, they’d left a while ago - unless Griffin was lying. I searched through what was left of the furniture for papers or clues.
White salt residue on the table told me that either selkie or siren had been here. There was a card on the floor by the bathroom. Picking it up, I could just make out ‘The Auctioneer’ and a phone number. One of Griffin’s men must have dropped it in the struggle. I carried on with my search. Some of the drawer handles I touched made my fingers itch. I was too busy scratching to hear a man come up behind me.
“What are you doing here?” he shouted as he grabbed my arms. I was spun round and pushed against the wall. With his forearm to my throat I could barely breathe. “I said, what are you doing here?” I struggled underneath his arm.
“I’m looking for a friend,” I managed to squeeze out. The stale-smelling man removed his arm from my neck, taking a step backwards. He wasn’t young - looked like a transient. He was dressed in oversized clothes with a scruffy beard. He looked a little panicked. I think I must have disturbed him.
“I won’t hurt you,” I said, rubbing my neck. “Do you live here?” He nodded, making his way to the broken couch.
“This is my place. You can’t have it. There’s a spare room on the second floor if you need somewhere to stay for a while, dry off maybe.”
I’d forgotten how wet I was. I must have looked like I fitted in. “No, thank you. I was looking for a friend who was staying here not so long ago. Did you know her? She was kind of small with very long black hair, strange looking eyes.” The glint in his own eyes gave him away when I mentioned this. “You do know who I’m talking about. Please - I need to know what happened. Was she alone? Did she speak to
anyone?”
The man rubbed his beard. “I’m not sure. It was a while ago, miss.” I searched through my bag and pulled out a couple of Twinkies. I offered them to him, hoping it would jog his memory. He took them appreciatively, patting the seat next to him. I looked at the damp couch - now wasn’t the time to be picky. I took a seat by him and waited.
“Nice lady she was. Always kind to me. Said I could stay here when I wanted. Never saw her speak to anyone as such. Until they came.” I shook my head.
“Who came?” I knew exactly who came for her, I just didn’t want to interrupt his flow.
“Bad men. Forced their way inside. She was scared. I tried to help, got a beating for my effort. She screamed very loud. Some of the men fell. The scream hurt a lot. I passed out - not sure what happened next. Everyone had gone when I woke up. That was the last I saw, miss.”