Moondancers

by E. Van Lowe

  Chapter Eleven

  Laughter.

  As I moved down the short corridor to the living room, I could hear my father laughing.

  Okay, they’re not dead. And so far, they haven’t been threatened—unless he thinks it’s a joke.

  I hurried into the living room. My mother was pouring tea from a tea service she hadn’t used since I was a kid. She was pouring tea for the Countess, Eudora Applegate, who sat holding her cup as if she were the queen. Dad stood nearby, still laughing. Troy was there as well. It was a regular family affair.

  “There’s the man of the hour,” my father said as I walked in. He was smiling at me.

  “What’s, umm… what’s going on here?” I asked.

  Yes, I was thrown. I just walked in on my family making nice with the beautiful woman who had all but threated their lives the night before. Of course, they didn’t know that.

  “It’s all my fault. I apologize,” said Eudora. “I woke up this morning and said to myself, I just have to meet the family of the young man who has stolen my little girl’s heart. And well, here I am.” She sipped her tea, her eyes delighting in my surprise.

  “We knew nothing about you having a girlfriend,” my mother said. She was smiling at me, too. “You’re so secretive.”

  “That’s my little brother. Smooth,” said Troy. He winked at me.

  The hand that hadn’t gripped my heart all day, squeezed. I looked around, hoping to see Lara sitting with my family, or coming in from the kitchen. But the song wasn’t playing. She wasn’t there.

  Eudora was smiling at me. Hers was a cunning, measured smile.

  She was wearing another outfit from the old days, this one featuring a close fitting black bodice and flowing, voluminous white skirt with a floral pattern. Her hair was in curls, dropping down around her shoulders. She was Princess Di gorgeous, and everyone in the room seemed to know they were in the presence of royalty.

  “Where’s Lara?” I asked, my tongue sticking to the roof of my bone dry mouth.

  “See? I told you. Those two can’t get enough of each other,” Eudora said, and laughed. When Eudora laughed, they all laughed with her. “Anyway, Mr. Butters, you understand my need for discretion in this matter,” she said to my father.

  “Absolutely. My lips are sealed. I’ll be up to your place first thing in the morning to give you an estimate. And being as you’re practically family, you’ll get my best price,” he replied with a wink and a smile. So, that’s where Troy gets it. “Thanks for the business plug, Son.”

  “Umm. You’re welcome,” I said, still dry mouthed. I began looking around for butterflies.

  My parents sat around small talking with Eudora for nearly an hour, while I stuffed my face with the little sandwiches my mother had laid out for the Countess. My family was overjoyed at having a wealthy person from North of the Boulevard in our living room, sitting on our sofa, drinking our tea. Every once in a while Eudora would gaze at me, her cunning, green eyes twinkling.

  My family was a game to her, a toy she’d come down from her mountain top to play with. This little charade was to keep me in line, to remind me who was in charge.

  Message received.

  When the evening finally wound down, I walked Eudora out to her car, while my parents waved to her from the doorstep.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked in a seething whisper as I pulled open the car door.

  She seemed genuinely surprised—an Oscar worthy performance. “Josh, I’m just paying a visit to the family of my daughter’s new boyfriend. I wanted to check you out, so-to-speak,” she said, then she smiled and waved at my folks. “See you in the morning, Stan,” she called out to my father.

  You betcha,” Dad replied, and they all went back inside.

  “Stay away from my family,” I said, raising my voice.

  “The Nereid wish your family no harm, Josh, but we do need to protect our secret… at all costs.” She got in, and pulled the car door shut. It was as if she were dismissing me. “I’m ready, Petros. Take me away from this place, please.”

  “I bet that Lycorian in my friend’s pool would love to know about all those yummy faeries living in Benedict Canyon,” I called out as the convertible was pulling away. The car screeched to a stop.

  Eudora pivoted in her seat, facing me. A scowl had replaced the smug smile I’d been staring at all evening. Her eyes had become glowing, emerald lasers searing into me. “Do not threaten me, child!” she warned. Her voice had turned coarse and guttural.

  A powerful gust of wind kicked up from the south. It slammed onto our street like a mini tornado, swirling dust, bending trees, and rattling windows. The force of it nearly knocked me over. The car alarm on Mr. Benson’s Buick, two doors down, went off, as did the alarms on cars several streets over.

  The Mercedes convertible retreated silently up the block, heading toward Wilshire Boulevard. As the car disappeared from sight, the wind slowly died.

  When my father loaded up his truck to head up to the Applegate Fortress the following morning, he had a helper. Me. There was no way I was letting him go up to that strange place alone.

  Of course, there was another, more powerful reason I was so very anxious to go back up there. Lara. All night, as I lay in bed, Eudora’s words kept running through my mind like a song stuck on repeat: I just had to meet the family of the young man who has stolen my little girl’s heart.

  Is it true? Had I stolen her little girl’s heart? Does Lara have feelings for me, too?

  I had to know. Lara needed to know how I felt about her, about the love song that played in my mind whenever she was near; about the way my stomach flipped and flopped when I sat next to her. I was falling in love with a girl who was practically a stranger. Was she falling in love with me, too?

  Yes, I thought. Please make it so.

  We reached the wrought iron gates of the Applegate fortress just before eight a.m. The gates were open.

  “I’ve always wondered about this place. What’s it like?” Dad asked. He was eying the path leading up to the house the way Dorothy must have eyed the yellow brick road. His face was filled with childlike wonder.

  I had no idea what the Applegate home was like. I’d seen the rear of the property through the steam coming off the hot spring. I’d seen the meadow that held the gazebo, but that was it. That was as far as my knowledge of the Applegate fortress went.

  “It’s… nice,” I said.

  “I bet,” he said. He accelerated through the gates, and then stopped. “Son, I really do want to thank you for mentioning the business. This is a big break for us. If Mrs. Applegate likes the job, she’ll probably refer us to her rich friends. Could be the start of something big.”

  “My favorite song,” I replied, not knowing what else to say.

  My father smiled, and drove on.

  We were midway up the drive that led to the house when the music started.

  “Stop the car!” I called out.

  Dad slammed on the brake. “What? What is it? Did I almost hit something?”

  “I have to get out now, Dad. Don’t ask me why. I have to go down there,” I said pointing into the trees that lined the road. The path that led to the meadow was hidden from view.

  “Sure. But you’re okay, right?”

  “Better than okay. Dad, I believe this is the start of something big for both of us.” I smiled, and patted his hand on the steering wheel.

  “I’ll be mapping the property this morning, getting a sense of their requirements. Why don’t I meet you up at the house in a few hours? Okay?” he said, with a smile.

  “Okay,” I replied. I leapt from the car, and sprinted into the trees. I found the path and followed it into the meadow. It appeared even more beautiful in the early morning sun. I could now see that the flowers were many rich shades of yellow, orange and pink. Colorful butterflies danced in the air.

  In the distance, I could see that Lara was in the gazebo facing away from me.

  I ran through the
meadow feeling as though I’d been cast in a cheesy TV commercial. The music in my mind was sweeping and full. When my foot hit the bottom step of the gazebo, Lara wheeled around, gazing up from the small leather bound book she’d been reading.

  She was gorgeous in a white maxi dress with green accents. Her close cut golden locks were radiant, long shafts of bright sunlight highlighting them.

  “Joshua! What are you doing here?” She immediately began looking around in alarm.

  “Relax. I didn’t sneak up here. I’m a guest.”

  I told her of coming home the previous night, and finding her mother having tea in our living room; how her mother had offered my father a job installing a new security system so she could keep tabs on us.

  “I’m sorry. My mother guards our secret fiercely.”

  “I’m not sorry,” I said. “Your mother is under the impression you’re crazy about me.” I ended it there, tingling with anticipation, hoping that she would fill in the blanks.

  Her eyes moved to the meadow. She stepped away from me.

  “Oh, Joshua,” she said, my name coming out tortured.

  Not exactly what I was expecting.

  “Because I’m crazy about you.” I could feel my voice turning raspy. I was overcome with the fear she’d say the wrong thing.

  She faced me, her eyes welling up with tears.

  I pointed to the book in her hands. “Is that Wordsworth you’re reading?” I asked, changing the subject to keep her from saying what I didn’t want to hear.

  “Why?” she asked. This too, came out as one labored breath. “Why me?”

  “I don’t know why you! I don’t have any control over it. I love you, Lara. As strange as it sounds, I know I do. I’m sure of it. I don’t know how it’s true, but it is, and I need to know how you feel about me?” This time my question was more pointed, more direct.

  A tiny smile appeared on her lips. It was like a shaft of sunlight pushing through rain clouds.

  “I care for you, too,” She said in a quiet voice. “I don’t know why, either. You’re an insulting goofball.”

  I did not see that one coming.

  “Okay, it’s not the most flattering thing a girl has ever said to me, but… okay,” I said in response. I took in a shallow breath, slowly accepting that this beautiful young woman who had somehow stolen my heart had feelings for me as well.

  She laughed, and it was if she was allowing herself to feel my love. Her laughter was high and free. “You are cute,” she said, dipping her eyes, suddenly turning shy.

  I moved to her, and without another word, I kissed her. I pulled her into my arms, pushing all the emotion I’d been feeling since the day we’d met into that one kiss.

  I crushed my lips against hers, and she clung to me, kissing me back in a way I’d never been kissed before, her tongue savoring the taste of me. As corny as it sounds, for a brief moment, I felt as though our hearts were truly one.

  The kiss ended. We pulled back and smiled at each other with goofy, embarrassed grins. We were five year-olds who’d gotten caught with our hands in the cookie jar.

  “Maybe now this music will stop,” I said, my voice again turning raspy.

  “Music?”

  “Yes. Ever since the first day I saw you, a crazy, ancient song has been playing in my head. It starts to play every time you’re near.”

  Her face began to fall, as if someone had just told her that her dog had died.

  “Joshua, you have to forget about me,” she said.

  “Are you kidding? We just admitted we care for each other. I love you.”

  Tears were now cascading down her cheeks. Her green eyes were suddenly radiating with pain.

  “No, you don’t. You think you do, but you don’t. You have to forget about me,” she repeated, her voice becoming distant and cold.

  Moments earlier we were clinging to one another, enjoying in one another. Now she was telling me to forget. “What are you talking about? I know it’s sudden, but we love each other,” I said, my tone insistent.

  I know she hadn’t said the words I love you, but spoken or not, I knew it was true. I knew it… at least, I thought I did.

  Doubt began creeping in.

  “I never want to see you again.” These words were more tortured than earlier. They came from a place of incredible pain.

  She turned and fled, running from the gazebo, and sprinting across the meadow. I watched her go, and with each step she took away from me, my heart grew heavier, the weight of it rendering me so, so tired. I felt as though I could no longer go on. I slumped onto the bench.

  “Lara,” I whispered.

  My world had gone from an incredibly beautiful place to being wiped away in a fell swoop, as if a tsunami had blitzed through my soul leaving behind a wasteland of despair.

  When I gazed back into the meadow, Lara was gone, and yet the song in my head played on.