by A. E. Davis
“You should come.”
“Are you having it here?”
“Nah,” he said. “It’s where we had the Twilight Prom.”
“It sounds fun. I’ll ask my mom.”
“Cool.” He seemed pleased by my answer.
“What are you dressing up as?”
“You’ll have to come and see.”
“Well, I see you have left me no choice,” I joked. “Now I’ll have to go.”
“Really?” His face lit up.
Well, that backfired. I was just kidding. “Ah, sure.”
“I’ll call you with the details.”
“Grr—eat!”
He cut me a strange look and what had been a decent conversation quickly turned into an awkward situation.
Thankfully, Glinda knocked on the window, saving me.
forty three
On the way back to the Timber Museum, Glinda chattered non-stop about Peter and his muscles and the way he kissed, and how his kisses made her feel. I couldn’t even get a word in. I was glad she had fun but my mind was elsewhere. Like why Vincent left and more importantly, why he was kissing Cressida. Even now, after I had such a good time with Lucky, thinking about it made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Amber, are listening to me?”
“Yeah. Sure,” I lied, and put the car in park once I pulled into the lot at the Timber Museum. The place still gave me the creeps, especially at night.
“What did you do to Vincent?”
That got my attention. “What do you mean?”
“He was pissed.”
“About what?”
“You leaving.”
“Why would he be mad about that?”
“Oh, come on, Amber. Like you don’t know.”
“Listen, what do you want me to say?”
“The truth works, you know.”
I tensed. “He was with Cressida.”
“Yeah, so.”
I gaped at her. “He was kissing her.”
“Because you were talking to Lucky,” she said.
“He was talking to her before that,” I argued.
“Was he kissing her then?”
He wasn’t but what did that have to do with anything. “What’s your point?”
“Amber…” She let out an exasperated sigh. “He was obviously trying to make you jealous.”
“Yeah, right,” I scoffed, even though I was secretly hoping what she said was true.
“You can’t keep jerking him around like that. You’ll make him mad.”
“Him? I wasn’t doing anything. He left me outside and went into the social without me.”
“Did he tell you he was leaving?”
“No.”
She pursed her lips. “Well, that was rude.”
“Yes, it was.”
“I wonder why he did that?”
“You’d have to ask him.”
“Oh, I will.”
“Don’t you dare!” I nearly yelled.
“Whoa, calm down, Tiger.” She held up her hands.
“I’m serious,” I warned.
“I won’t,” she promised. “But I thought you two were …”
“No.” I shook my head adamantly.
“Okay. Gesh.” She rolled her eyes. “In that case, you want to go to the dance with me next Saturday?”
“I was thinking about going.”
“Amber likes Lucky…” singsonged Glinda in a creepy high-pitched voice.
“Oh, just stop. We’re just friends.”
“Sure you are.” She gave me a look filled with doubt.
I gritted my teeth. I hated when she did that, even though she was partially right. I did like Lucky but I liked two other boys more. I just wasn’t sure which one.
“So what did you and Lucky talk about?”
“Nothing much.” I turned the heat back on, and held my hands up to the vent. “Just random stuff.”
“Where did you go?”
“Oh, he took me to the cemetery.”
“As in an Indian, cemetery?”
“Yeah…”
“You didn’t go in there, did you?” Her voice came out all screechy and her face paled.
“No. Why?”
“Thank goodness.”
“Why do you say that?” I frowned.
“Didn’t Lucky tell you about the legend?”
“Um….no. What legend?”
”Well…apparently if you go onto an Indian burial ground all sorts of bad things will happen to you.”
“Like what?”
“Spirits will attach themselves to you and wreak havoc in your life.”
“Are you kidding?” I couldn’t help but wonder if she was pulling my leg again.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I’m being serious. Good thing you didn’t go in there.”
“Yeah, good thing,” I agreed.
Thanks to Glinda’s make out and interrogation session’s, it was after two in the morning when I finally got home. Ken’s squad car was in the driveway. Opening the front door slowly, I tried to make as little noise as possible. I was hoping Ken and Mom were occupied upstairs and wouldn’t notice how late I was. Tiptoeing into the house, I quietly closed and locked the front door and crept up the stairs. When I reached the second level, I looked down the hall towards Mom’s room. Her door was shut and the lights were out. Thank God.
Letting out a pent up breath, I climbed the rest of the stairs to my room. Shutting myself in, I quickly changed in my closet into my pajamas. That was my new changing room since I was always a bit worried that Vincent might show up on my balcony. After I changed, I went downstairs to wash my face and brush my teeth before bed. Closing myself in, I locked the door and did my nightly routine. Once I was finished, I left the bathroom.
Halfway to the stairs, a floorboard creaked.
I whirled around.
Standing behind me in the hall was a shirtless Ken.
“Oh, you scared me,” I said holding my hand over my raging heart.
“Did you just get home?” He was holding his phone and there was a strange gleam in his eyes.
“No. I ah…just had to use the bathroom.” I looked up and got another big eyeful of Ken’s chiseled chest. I averted my eyes.
“How was the movie?”
“It was a real tear jerker.” I sniffed, playing it up a bit.
“Oh, I hate those.”
“Me too,” I said quickly hoping he wouldn’t try to ask me what it was about.
“Did you have a good time?”
“Yep. Sure did.” I exaggerated a yawn and stretched my arms. “Just tired.”
“You better go get some sleep then, we have a big day tomorrow.”
“Huh?” I did a double take.
“Didn’t your mom tell you?”
“No. I don’t think so.” Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time Mom forgot to tell me something.
“I was going to take you girls to the pumpkin patch, remember?”
“Ah, yeah, right,” I said even though I distinctly remembered him telling me it was going to be on Sunday.
“I have to work Sunday, now,” he added as though he could read my thoughts.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Do you still want to go?”
“Of course,” I said, sounding a bit too enthused at the prospect of going to a pumpkin patch.
He smiled then. A nice big one. And for a second, a tremor of foreboding slid over me. But then, thankfully, it faded just as quickly. “Well, I better get to bed.” I quickly ducked past him up the stairs. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Amber,” he called after me.
The following day, Mom was so excited we were going out to the pumpkin patch; she could barely sit still. I felt like I was the motherly figure and she was the kid. “Mom, stay still, or I won’t be able to get your shoe on.”
“Fine,” she grumbled but obeyed.
I slid on her shoe and tied the laces. “There, that should do it.” I stood up and brushed my h
air back from my face.
“Ugh.”
I frowned and looked back at Mom. “What’s wrong now?”
“This walking shoe is hideous.” She made a face.
“Well, do you want to go to the pumpkin patch or not?”
“I want to go.”
“Then you’ll just have to deal. Remember what the Doctor said.”
She exhaled loudly. “Yes.”
“Good. Now what else do you need me to get you?”
“My purse and a bottle of Dr. Pepper,” she said.
“Too much soda with your medicine makes you jittery,” I reminded her.
“Fine,” she grumbled. “Water then.”
“Water it is.” Thankful for the excuse to leave her alone for a minute, I turned and headed back to the kitchen to get three waters. Reaching in the fridge, I got the bottles out and shut the door. Walking across the room, I set them on the table and grabbed a little cooler bag out of the cupboard so they would stay cold. I checked the time on the stove as I shoved the bottles inside. Luckily, Ken was supposed to be here in a few minutes to pick us up. I only hoped he showed soon because Mom was getting on my nerves. She kept having a hissy fit because she didn’t like the “hideous” walking boot the Doctor said she had to wear.
“Amber!” Mom screeched.
I tensed. “Yes,” I called out from the kitchen.
“I need my pills.”
“Okay.” Sighing heavily, I grabbed up the bag with the waters and set them on the table near the door. “Do you need anything else while I’m upstairs?”
“Um….” She chewed on her lip, looking indecisive.
“You want a jacket?”
“Do you think I’ll need one?”
I glanced outside. It looked dreary and cold. “Probably,” I said to be on the safe side. At least it wasn’t raining…yet.
“Okay, then grab me one.”
“Which one?”
“Um…”
“I’ll grab your black one,” I said, quickly. “That way it will match your boot.”
She made another disgruntled face. “Fine.”
“Here read this.” I handed her a book. “Be back in a minute.” Turning, I left the room. I climbed the stairs slowly. This was my third trip so far today. If Ken didn’t get here soon, I would be too tired to even walk around the pumpkin patch.
After I got her pills and jacket, I went up to my room to grab my phone. I sat down on my bed and propped my feet up. To kill time, I grabbed Twilight off my nightstand to read for a bit. I didn’t even realize how tired I was until I sat down. I’d been running around like a chicken with its head cut off (Mom’s words, not mine) for most of the day retrieving things Mom apparently couldn’t live without.
The words on the page blurred together. I rubbed my eyes and tried to refocus, but that didn’t help. Leaning back, I closed my eyes. Of course, as soon as I did, my mind strayed once again to Viktor.
I hadn’t talked to him since the day he took me to his house. In school, when I did see him, it was always in class and afterwards he disappeared before I got a chance to talk to him. I didn’t know what to think. I couldn’t help but thing that he was avoiding me. It was a vicious cycle and it didn’t look like it would be ending anytime soon, either.
As for Vincent, after he blew me off for Cressida, I kind of shoved him on the back burner for a while and tried not to think of him because when I did, it kind-of made me feel sick. Irritated at myself again for thinking about either of them, I pushed all those kinds of thoughts from my mind and slowly drifted off to a twilight sleep.
Once again, Viktor was sitting in front of me, his face just as beautiful as I remembered but it held no warmth.
As always when I saw him, my heart jumped into double time. I tried to sit up but my dream Viktor pushed me back a bit forcefully, which seemed weird—even for a dream.
“What are you…”
Viktor placed his finger on my lips, quieting me. “Don’t ask,” he said, his warm breath wafted out over my face, intoxicating me. “Give me your hand.”
I did as he instructed, placing my hand in his cold one. Lifting his free hand, he tentatively brushed my hair back from my face. Shivers rushed over my body. I felt like I had once again walked into the pages of a fairytale, except from the look he was giving me, I didn’t think my dream would have a happily ever after—I had a sinking feeling that at any moment it would instead, turn into a nightmare.
He leaned forward and lowered his mouth to mine. A surge of heat rushed through me. I couldn’t think or breathe. It didn’t matter though. The only thing that mattered was what was happening at this very moment. His kisses were urgent, harried…hungry. Just like the night at the lighthouse.
I clung to him, feeling so many things…I didn’t think I could put them into any semblance of order. Nor did I really want to. I only wanted to get closer, to feel more. To find the ever-elusive thing that was just out of my reach.
“I need you,” he murmured against my lips as his hand slid up into my hair, twisting into the length as his other hand slid down my shirt, his cold fingers toying with the bottom, lifting it. Cool air nipped at my exposed belly.
Another tremor washed over me as I slid my hands under his shirt, over his bare muscled chest. It was cold and hard and yet so beautiful it made me want to weep with want.
“Amber…” he groaned…breaking from the kiss.
I reached up and touched his face. “What’s wrong?”
Gone was the beautiful face I was used to seeing and in its place was the face of a monster.
“Get the Funk Out” by Extreme blasted from my phone and jolted me from my heated, albeit disturbing, daydream. I groaned and shoved Twilight off my bed as I fumbled for my phone. Without looking at the number, I lifted my phone to my ear.
“Hello,” I said, a little breathlessly, still amped up from my nearly x-rated turned- horror- flick, daydream.
“Amber,” an all too familiar deep melodic voice whispered my name.
“Yeah,” I said, clutching the phone tighter, thinking that maybe I was still having some kind of lucid dream.
“It’s me,” he breathed.
“How are you?” I asked. I hadn’t spoken to him for so long and yet the feeling of excitement whirled deep in my belly at the sound of his voice.
“I’m good…I guess.” He exhaled.
“Oh—kay,” I said slowly, trying to get my brain to work properly.
“Can you meet me?” His voice was hoarse…gruff, reminding me once again of my heated dream.
“When?”
“Now,” he breathed.
I glanced at my clock. It was already two o’clock. There was no way I could go now. “Can I meet you later?” I clutched the phone tighter, hoping he didn’t say no.
He was quiet for so long I thought he hung up. “Yeah, okay,” he finally said.
A wave of relief washed over me. “Where?”
“I’ll pick you up.”
“Cool. When?” Another rush of excitement shot through me.
“Eight.”
“Okay. I’ll be here.”
“You better be…”
The phone went dead.
forty four
Bright orange pumpkins dotted the field as the big green tractor pulling the hay-filled wagon chugged up the bumpy hill to drop us off at the maze. A cold brisk wind pulled my hair back from my face as we came to a stop at the top of the field. The smell of freshly turned dirt was prominent and reminded me of how Ken had smelled the other day in the kitchen, when I burned my hand.
Ken helped Mom out of the wagon. Standing up, I brushed the straw off my jeans and climbed out of the wagon behind them.
“Amber, you want to go into the maze?” Ken asked, zipping up his jacket.
“Um…” I chewed on my lip looking at the huge maze of cornstalks and then glanced at Mom.
“You and Ken go,” Mom, piped in. “I’ll just rest here until you get back.” She sat down
on a bale of hay and pulled out one of the bottles of water from the bag.
“What do you think?” Ken gave me an expectant look.
“Sure, okay.”
“Don’t get lost,” Mom said, smiling.
“Eileen…” Ken lifted his brow, teasingly. “I doubt that.”
“Yeah, Mom, it doesn’t look very daunting.” It kind of did, but I didn’t want to tell her that.
“Here,” Ken said, handing me a piece of paper with a map on one side that the lady at the barn had given us to write our answers on. “You take the paper.”
“Okay.”
Ken leaned down and gave Mom a kiss.
I stared down at the little map.
Ken stood back up. “You ready, Kiddo?”
“I guess.”
“We’ll be right back,” he told Mom.
“I’ll be waiting.” She gave him a big cheesy grin. “Have fun!”
“Which way, do you think?” I asked Ken as we stood at the entrance. I had the map in one hand and a pencil that Ken had given me in the other.
“I guess to the left,” he said, looking unsure.
“The left it is.” We walked for a few feet and stopped at one of the signs with questions on them. A few people were in front of us writing their answers down. After we finished we were supposed to give the answers to the lady at the barn and if we got them all right we would get free cider and each of us a little pumpkin. It wasn’t that great a prize or anything but it was kind of a fun concept.
Once they moved away, we stepped up to the sign.
“Who or what is Stingy Jack?” I gave Ken a questioning look.
“Oh wait, I know,” he said, looking extremely pleased with himself. “There’s an old story about him. Do you want to hear it?”
“Sure.” I stepped over the side so some people could get past me.
“Well, according to lore, there was a man named Stingy Jack. He invited the Devil to have a drink with him but Jack, being stingy, didn’t want to pay for his drink so he asked the Devil to turn himself into a coin. Instead of using the coin for the drinks, Jack, true to his name, put the coin in his pocket next to a cross and the Devil was not able to turn back into his original form.”
Ken stopped his story as a few more people pushed past us. They were getting on my nerves.