Skeptic

by Denise Mathew

  "I think she used some kind of powerful witchcraft, and it looked like Tansy took a heart attack, or bled to death or something."

  She shook her head. "I don't know how she died, only that she's gone."

  Dakota pushed up on one elbow, and locked his gaze on Elise.

  "You saw it happen?"

  She nodded. "Last night, when you were taking a shower..." An expression of incredulity crossed her face, and she shook her head. " Mira did a spell, and I saw Tansy, almost like I was looking through a window or something... and she collapsed."

  She broke off, and clasped Dakota's hand. Her skin was cold as death, as if she had submerged it in a bucket of ice.

  "Is that even possible?" he asked. Even posing the question, made him feel like he had lost all reason.

  "Are those marks on your arms possible?" she asked, motioning to the scratches on his forearms.

  He glanced down, and nodded, because she was right. Things that had once seemed utterly inconceivable, were happening all around him, and it seemed like he had just wrapped his mind around one thing, when something equally bizarre occurred.

  "Mira's not as harmless as she seems."

  Dakota almost laughed, because harmless was the last word he would ever use to describe the sex-hungry siren.

  "So, Mira's behind everything?" He took a moment before he finished his thought. "Do you think maybe all the stuff in the garage actually belongs to Mira, not your grandmother?"

  Elise crossed her arms over her chest, and sighed.

  "I would like to blame it all on Mira, but Nanny Flo seemed a little too at home behind that altar, for me to take her out of the equation completely."

  "I guess none of that really matters now, because if you think Tansy is really dead, then we can go back home," he said, tracing a finger down the line of her jaw.

  Elise shook her head, and stared at the ceiling.

  "We came all this way, we should at least stay a few more days."

  But there was little conviction in her words.

  "Are you sure about that?" Dakota asked, hoping to tip the balance in his favor, and leave. Elise yawned again, and she blinked a few times, then brought her gaze to his.

  "It's the least I can do...I mean, I've been gone for a long time."

  Her words weren't welcome, but Dakota accepted her decision.

  "You should try and get some rest," he said, resigned to the fact that he would have to put in a few more days.

  He smoothed Elise's hair away from her forehead, and she closed her eyes, gliding a hand under his shirt, and resting her fingers on the muscles of his stomach. Elise's touch seemed to wipe all thoughts of Mira away, and remind him that Elise was the only woman he wanted.

  When her breathing grew steadier, and he knew she had fallen asleep, he wished he could follow her into slumber. Instead, he watched as daylight seeped in around the yellowed roller blinds, hanging between heavy burgundy velvet curtains, and he was relieved, that the seemingly neverending night was finally over. But even the dawn of a new day, didn't quell the fear that every moment he spent in the old house plunged him deeper into a dark reality, where it was possible for witchcraft to kill someone a thousand miles away, and a woman he had just met, was salaciously featured in the most startlingly real life daydreams he had ever experienced.

  13. ELISE

  As soon as I opened my eyes, a wave of nausea hit me, and I struggled to disentangle myself from Dakota, still asleep beside me. When I managed to free myself, I vaulted from the bed, flung the door wide, and dashed to the bathroom, just making it to the toilet, before I retched and heaved yellow bile. Sweat slicked my skin, and I went down on my knees, so weak that I thought I might faint.

  A few minutes later, the nausea passed, and I got shakily to my feet. When I stared into the gilded mirror over the pedestal sink, I was shocked at what I saw. I hadn't expected to look just-showered-fresh, but I didn't expect to look as bad as I did either. My color was a washed out version of grey, and I had purplish-black circles under my eyes, that matched my healing bruises perfectly. My hair was so matted, that it looked as if I hadn't brushed in it a week.

  I splashed my face with tepid water, pinched my cheeks until they went pink, then finger combed my hair, feeling more than embarrassed that Dakota had seen me in this state. Still a little unsteady, but much better, I turned to leave, and it was then that I glimpsed a flash of white pass by the door.

  "Nanny Flo?" I said, but there was no answer.

  I strode out of the bathroom, and spotted the tail end of white fabric round the corner into the living room. I jogged down the hall, and when I entered the space, I saw a woman glide toward the front of the house. She was about ten feet in front of me, but before I could get a good look at her, she turned right and disappeared from view. A moment later I heard the screen door slam, and knew that she had made it to the front porch.

  By the time I reached the veranda, she was already outside. Dressed in a filmy white gown, she glided forward with unearthly grace, and poise. The early morning sunlight glinted on her spun gold hair, and she dropped something black, as she moved toward the forest.

  "Hey," I yelled.

  Soon I was breathless from running, and my still healing ribs ached from exertion, pain finally forced me to stop. I watched her retreat into the lush vegetation, and just before she was out of my line of view, she whirled toward me. Her face was obscured by bright sunlight, and we stared at each other for a few heartbeats, then without warning, she cut into the woods, and vanished.

  I made my way across the dew-covered grass, and realized that she had dropped a perfectly formed black rose. When I reached to pick it up, I noticed a tiny slip of paper, curled around the thorny stem. I slipped the paper off, and read the single sentence printed on its surface.

  Leave here, before it's too late.

  Though I didn't know who she was, or why she had left the cryptic note, fear tugged at me. I had grown up in an environment where ghosts were around me all the time, but this was different, she was flesh and blood. I almost laughed when I thought that I might have welcomed a spirit in my house more than a live woman. In my opinion ghosts were more predictable, people not so much.

  "What are you doing out here dressed like that?" Dakota said, from behind me.

  I jumped, dropping the rose on the grass. I had been so deep in thought, that he had managed to walk right up to me, without me even knowing. I turned to face him, realizing as I did, that I was standing in the middle of the field in my underwear.

  Dakota, his face dark with stubble and his hair on end, cast an appreciative glance my way, and I blushed, and rapidly explained what had happened. He listened attentively, but showed none of the surprise I had expected. When I had finished talking, I plucked the rose off the grass, and passed him the slip of paper. He took both the rose and paper from me, rolling the stem of the flower between his thumb and forefinger. A crease formed in the center of his forehead, as he read the note.

  "I saw her too," he said, lifting his eyes to mine.

  "Really?" I said, stunned.

  He dragged a hand through his hair. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I went out to the porch, and I saw a woman there and..."

  "She was on the porch?" I said, cutting him off.

  He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I even had myself believing that I had seen a ghost...I really thought I was losing it."

  He snickered, making his eyes crinkle in the sweetest way. "I almost caught her, but I got a splinter in my foot, and when I looked back, she was gone."

  He eyed the rose and his smile fell away. "She left a rose just like this one, on the porch floor."

  "Did it have a note on it too?"

  "No."

  He glanced over his shoulder, before bringing his focus back to me. "And something else happened. Your grandmother came out, right after the woman disappeared and..."

  He swallowed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He stretched his hand out to me. "We should go
inside, before your grandmother sees you...us."

  "Never mind about her," I said.

  The adrenalin that had driven me to follow the woman had drained away, and I was cold and tired, but still determined to get the rest of the story out of him. I cocked a hip, and stood my ground, crossing my arms over my scantily clad chest.

  "Tell me what happened."

  Dakota dropped his hands to his sides, resigned. "She seemed pissed, but I'm not sure if it was just at me, or if the rose meant something to her."

  "I don't follow."

  He drew in a long breath and blew it out, scratching the back of his neck.

  I touched his arm with my fingertips. "Come on, it's okay, you can tell me," I said, trying to coax the truth out of him.

  He gave the house another long stare, before turning back to me. "Like I said, it doesn't matter, she's your family and..."

  I rolled my eyes, irritated that he was protecting Nanny Flo. "Did she say something to you?"

  He shook his head."No, not really...she just glared at me, then bit the stem of the rose in half." As soon as he had spoken, he scrunched up his face. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything...I..."

  "She bit it?"

  "Yeah it was kind of gruesome, she even pricked her lip with a thorn, and didn't seem to care." He shuffled his feet, his discomfort was apparent.

  I hissed out a long breath, and it seemed as if the air had instantly chilled around me. Though I still didn't know who the woman was, I did know the symbolism of a rose, and why Nanny Flo would have had such an extreme reaction. Roses meant love, and even after all these years, Nanny Flo was obviously still abhor to me having a relationship with a man.

  Dakota's fingers, warm and comforting, closed around my bare shoulders, and I fell against him. I shook my head violently, hoping I could chase away the memories of the past, and forget about the proms I had watched my friends go to, and the dates I never had, and ignore how such a normal part of my life, had been snatched away by my grandmother.

  "I can't believe it. She hasn't changed a bit after, all these years...she can't bear to see me happy."

  Tears burned behind my eyes. I hadn't known until that very moment, how much I had wanted Nanny Flo to accept my relationship with Dakota.

  "Hey, it's not so bad," Dakota said, tipping my face to his.

  I skimmed my fingers through his hair, then hooked my arms around his neck.

  "I don't care about her, because I love you, and there's nothing she can do to change that."

  Dakota said nothing, flashed a crooked grin, and wrapped me tighter in his grasp, and the feel of his gentle hands on my body, sent a thrill down my spine. I laid my face against his chest, and felt the steady beat of his heart, but it didn't take long for me to feel stupid, for declaring my love for him so brazenly. Humiliated, I pulled away, but I didn't get very far, before he grabbed my arm and tugged me back. His expression turned tentative, almost boyish.

  "I love you too Elise," he whispered softly, and his words stole the breath from my lungs. I stepped forward, and in one smooth move, he captured my mouth with his and kissed me with enthusiasm that had me craving more. Our lips moved as one, and his intoxicating scent was all around me. He caressed the small of my back with gentle strokes, then hitched me up, and around his waist, bracing my bottom with his hands.

  I squeezed my thighs around his trim waist, feeling the heat of his flesh through my panties, and I wanted him more than I thought possible. I probed his mouth, tasting him, drawing his breath into my lungs, all the while imagining, making love to him right there on the misty grass, with the sun beating down on our naked bodies. And once again, I didn't care about the prophecy that had kept me a virgin for too long, I wanted it gone. My virginity had hung like a guillotine over my neck for too many years, and it was time to let it go, and start living life as a normal person.

  "Having a party out here?" Mira's said, jarring me out of the moment.

  Dakota flinched, and pulled away abruptly. He released his hold on me, and my feet slipped onto the dewy grass. My body quaked with fiery hot rage, and though I would have preferred to hurl a multitude of obscenities at Mira, I only glowered.

  Mira, as usual, was perfectly coifed in her own tacky way, wearing cut off jean shorts that left nothing to the imagination, hot pink flip flops studded with rhinestones and a black seventies style tube top, stretched impossibly tight over her chest. As usual she oozed raw sex appeal, and it ticked me off that she never stopped flaunting her body around Dakota. She raked her gaze over me, and rolled her eyes.

  "My, my Elise, that's quite a look."

  I bit back a snarky response, because Mira had called it right, I was undoubtedly a mess. Dakota turned around stiffly, and a blush started at the collar of his shirt, and spread up to his cheeks. He kept his eyes downcast, making it more than obvious that he was desperately uncomfortable around Mira. I dragged my gaze from Dakota, back to Mira.

  "Can you just leave us alone?" I said, trying to pull the focus from my skimpy attire, and scrape my dignity from beneath Mira's foot.

  "That's not what you said last night, when I helped you eliminate that..."

  She broke off, and shot me an evil grin, then jutted her hip out, and placed a slender hand on her tiny waist.

  "I doubt it was much more than smoke and mirrors..." I started.

  "My, my, the Skeptic is back is she?" Mira said, her voice saccharin sweet, but I detected a glint of fury in her eyes. I would have been lying, if I said that I wasn't thrilled to have actually got under her skin, even just a little. Bolstered by my small victory, I half smiled and winked at her defiantly.

  "Nanny Flo says breakfast is ready," she said, then spun on her heel, and without a backward glance, strutted like a stripper on stage, back to the house. I slipped my hand into Dakota's, and was surprised how cold and clammy his skin had become.

  "Are you okay?" I asked.

  He shot me an uneven grin.

  "Perfectly fine."

  He kissed the tip of my nose, and we strode back to the house.

  Thankfully, Nanny Flo wasn't at the front door to greet us, so Dakota and I managed to slip back into my room undetected. While Dakota leaned against the doorframe, I donned a pair of black yoga pants, and a baby blue t-shirt, and made myself halfway presentable for breakfast.

  When we entered the dining area, Nanny Flo was noticeably absent from the table, but as expected, had left enough food to feed an army. Mira was already seated, and had loaded her plate with golden buttermilk pancakes, hash brown potatoes, crispy bacon, and sausages, and was in the midst of pouring Old Plantation syrup over everything. She had always had a great appetite, and a sweet tooth to go with it, but it never showed on her perfect figure. Dakota and I took our seats at the end of the table. I intentionally sat as far away from Mira as was possible.

  "Where's Nanny Flo?" I asked, between bites of the pancakes that I had drowned in peach preserves and cream.

  Mira didn't take her eyes off her plate when she answered.

  "Gone to town to get some supplies," she said, with her mouth full. After her response, I made it my mission to ignore Mira for the remainder of breakfast.

  "I'm going for a shower," I said, when I had finished eating. I kissed Dakota, who was still loading food onto his plate, before I left.

  After I showered, I pulled my hair up into a loose ponytail, then changed into a pair of skinny black jeans, and a fitted burgundy short-sleeved blouse. As was common in October, the weather in Cape Glenn could go from bone chilling, to positively sultry, and as far as I could see, the day was shaping up to be a scorcher.

  Since Nanny Flo didn't have Internet service and my cell phone signal was sketchy, I decided to take my laptop into town, where most coffee shops would have free Wi-Fi, and email Jim to tell him everything was fine. I knew I could have called him, but I just didn't have the energy to explain where I was.

  After I retrieved my laptop from my room, I searched for Dakota, and found h
im sprawled face first asleep, with his arms dangling off the sides of his pathetic bed. Not having the heart to wake him, I decided to take his car into town, hoping that I would be back before he returned to the land of the living.

  I strode out to the driveway, and made my way to Dakota's car. It was the first time I had driven it, and it oddly felt like I was somehow invading his privacy, but I ignored my reservations, and slipped into the driver's seat. The car was scorching hot from baking in the sun all morning, but rather than use the air-conditioning, which would have been practical, I decided to drive with the windows open, and let the wind blow in my face.

  It had been years since I rolled a window down, and let the breeze knot my hair, and it felt freeing. As I made my way down the bumpy road leading to the main street, the scent of the last flowers of summer, exploded around me, and I drew in a deep breath of the fragrance that reminded me of drinking icy sweet tea, and swinging on the porch on hot summer days.

  Even before I reached the main road, my thoughts drifted back to my strange encounter with the woman. Not only was it unnerving that she had been prowling around our house, but the fact that there had been no sign of forced entry, made it even worse.

  Determined to take full advantage of my alone time, I shoved the thoughts of the woman away, and flicked on the radio. I moved on to the next subject that weighed heavily on my mind, deciding how long I would stay in Cape Glenn. As I drove to town, I toyed with the idea of going back home to the city, and thought that even if I went back, I wouldn't need to stay in my apartment, and could instead lodge in a hotel close to the city, so I could commute to work.

  A pang of anguish speared my heart, because work was as complicated as everything else in my once ordered life. Even with Tansy gone, I knew I couldn't go on burying the truth. I had to somehow fix everything. I knew I could confess everything to Jim, and let the pieces fall where they may, but I had a hard time seeing any good coming out of that scenario, not to mention how my life would look without my job.

  With no sudden revelations on my future, I turned up the music, and concentrated on the road ahead, until I reached town. As soon as I entered the main drag, I saw that it was still as quaint as I had remembered and other than a few subtle changes, like new store fronts where old ones had been, and a few more fast food restaurants wedged between historic buildings, Cape Glenn hadn't really changed. A little nostalgic to be back in town, I decided that before I headed back home, I would take a drive along the waterfront, smell the clean salty air and stroll along the sandy white beach, and collect the pink iridescent abalone shells, and pearly white cockles, that I had cherished when I was a kid.