Lyssa
Lyssa screamed with her hands pushing against the animal. A very wet and sandpaper-like tongue ran over her cheek. The beast that chased her all the way down the gravel road was Sam the yellow, three-legged lab that belonged to her neighbor. He was only a puppy when he lost his leg when the mailman’s truck ran him over, and is none the slower as a result of it.
Lying on the floor, Lyssa’s heart raced at the sound of Sam’s feet scratching against the floor. Lyssa put her hands to her forehead knowing she’d better get the cat-chasing dog before he destroyed the house.
“Lyssa are you O.K.?” A concerned voice said in front of her.
Quickly removing her hand, she looked up at the most mesmerizing pair of green eyes. Did she hit her head too hard or was Toby really standing in front of her? She felt her face flush with blood, and then jumped to her feet with her heart pounding. Lyssa didn’t know what to say as she stood with gaping mouth and dog slobbers on her cheek.
“Toby,” His name felt good rolling off her tongue. “What are you doing here?” Lyssa felt confused enchantment take over.
Toby looked baffled like she was asking him a trick question. “I was, umm, just, uh, driving by and seen your door open.”
Lyssa was filled with everything going on around her. She was aware of the drama of the cat and dog chase behind her, and ignored it staring into Toby’s eyes. He looked really good in black with his broad shoulders and slightly wavy brown hair the color of a Hersey’s Kiss.
“You might want to get your dog,” Toby said pointing behind her.
“He isn’t mine; he’s the neighbors’ dog.” Lyssa corrected him just before the crashing of glass broke not only a vase but the enchantment Toby had on her.
Lyssa turned to see Beyoncé clinging to the curtain, claws embedded into the thick material with Sam barking beneath her declaring victory.
“Sam!” Lyssa yelled getting the dog’s attention.
Grabbing the leash she kept for emergencies like this, she went over to Sam who sat on the floor with big, innocent, brown eyes.
“Bad dog,” she said putting the leash around Sam’s neck.
Lyssa looked back towards the door at Toby who stood looking at her. Why had Toby come to her house now? Just driving by and noticing her door open wasn’t something that needed investigating. Lots of people leave their door open.
“Do you need any help?” He asked stepping in and petting Sam.
“Well, you could hold Sam for a moment while I pry my cat from the curtain,” Lyssa said handing him the leash. She was embarrassed, but what was she going to do.
Her hand glided past his, and in that one moment she felt a spark run through her. Quickly she turned from him and paw by paw released Beyoncé from the curtain. The tabby cat ran off and hid with only one bark from Sam.
“Thanks,” Lyssa said taking the leash from Toby.
“So does this happen a lot?” He waved his finger in the air.
“Only when Sam gets the urge to chase my cat,” Lyssa said petting Sam behind the ears which led to him rolling to the ground belly up, legs bent expecting a belly rub.
“Sam!” Lyssa said, pulling on the leash. “Get up boy.”
The dog didn’t listen even when she pulled on the leash. Lyssa was embarrassed as Sam lay on the floor not listening. She usually played with him a little before taking him home, but with Toby there she felt like dragging him out. Lyssa continued to pull on the leash telling the stubborn dog to get up.
“Come on Sam,” Toby suddenly said walking towards the door.
The dog listened to the command without hesitation. Lyssa stood baffled. Toby could have any girl at school, was liked by teachers and perfectly gorgeous. Now he can make deaf-command dogs listen in a heartbeat.
“You just have to make them listen to you,” Toby said with a smile.
“You were just lucky,” Lyssa said with a slight scowl not knowing why she did.
They took Sam outside, Toby handed her the leash, their eyes met. Sam sat beside Toby with his tongue hanging out watching them to see what would happen next. Lyssa wondered the same thing only she kept her tongue in her mouth.
“I have to get Sam home,” Lyssa said breaking the silence. “Thanks for helping me him.”
“No problem. I was glad I drove by,” Toby said as he put the tailgate down. “Do you want a ride to your neighbor’s house? We can put Sam in the back of the truck.”
“No he hates vehicles,” Lyssa said looking down at his three legs. “He lost his leg to the mailman’s truck a long time ago and you can’t get him to ride in a truck.” No sooner had she said that than Sam bolted for the truck, jumped in, and looked back at Lyssa as Toby petted him. She wasn’t buying Sam any more dog treats with her own money again.
Lyssa stood amazed eating her own words as Toby laughed.
“It isn’t funny. Sam is scared of vehicles. I’ve never seen him ride in one.” Lyssa looked at the tail-wagging dog that had leaped into the truck bed.
“Get in,” Toby said with a wave of his hand. Was she supposed to leap in the vehicle as well? This unexpected event had her confused, angered and absolutely astatic.
Lyssa got in the truck feeling like she shouldn’t. The lingering smell of Megan’s perfume was a reminder that Toby had a girlfriend and Lyssa wasn’t it. Toby was just driving by saw an open door, investigated it, helped her with Sam who made a fool out of her and that was it. Surely she had just entered an alternate world, and was living a different version of Lyssa Cleverthorn’s life.
“I take it that Sam is Mr. Johnson’s dog.” Toby asked letting his truck creep down the road.
“Oh, yeah, Sam, he belongs to Mr. Johnson.” Lyssa was still a nerd even if this was her alternate life.
Mr. Johnson was an old man with a large garden and lived by himself. His wife died a few years ago, and now he grows produce to sell at the local farmer’s market. Pulling up in front of a two story, white farm house, Sam leaped from the truck to greet his owner. Dressed in bib overalls and a ball cap advertising seed corn, Mr. Johnson waved at Toby and Lyssa as Sam barked at them.
Darkness slowly crept in turning the sky to indigo blue mixed with fiery oranges. Everything about this day seemed not real to Lyssa. Lynsay Montgomery funeral, Sam scaring her, and now, Toby coming to her house to help her with the neighbor’s dog; everything was surreal.
“Sam is an amazing dog; you know only having three leg,” Toby said suddenly evidently thinking about Sam.
“Yeah, he’s an amazing dog.” She replied thinking of the glass she had to clean up when she got home—amazing.
“It was a sad funeral.” Toby continued. “It’s going to be weird to not see Lynsay at school.”
Lyssa looked at Toby. She really didn’t know her, but just being around someone your own age who was now gone was weird.
“Yeah, it doesn’t seem possible. The whole town has change,” Lyssa said keeping the conversation going even though it involved the grim topic of death.
“Do you ever buy any of Mr. Johnson’s strawberries?” Toby suddenly asked.
“I usually help pick them, and they are pretty good,” Lyssa replied feeling the conversations was like being on roller coaster.
Lyssa looked over at Toby and smiled and then out the window watching her house go by.
“Hey, don’t forget to drop me off!” Lyssa was jolted forward when Toby slammed the brakes on.
She sat up and realized she smacked her head on the dash. Gingerly she touched her forehead and felt a bump already.
“Are you alright?” Toby asked turning to her.
“Fine,” she said getting out of the truck quickly. “Thanks for the ride.”
She began to walk up her sidewalk when from nowhere came a large blackened figure. She screamed at the same time the figure had its hands raised and growled at her. Just as fast as it came out of the bush, it was laughing at her removing the rubber werewolf mask from his head.
“That was per
fect!” Craig said bending slightly and laughing at her. “Perfect.”
Craig was tall with short blonde hair that stood out from his black clothes. His broad stature skidded past Lyssa to Toby’s truck.
“I thought you were coming to my house. I had to follow you here. What’s up?” Craig said getting in the truck.
Lyssa could see Toby lean over and look as though he was going to say something to her, but before he did, Lyssa quickly went into her house and locked the door. She could hear Toby’s truck drive away. It was nothing more than a prank Lyssa thought. Why else would Toby Winslett bother to come by her house?
Lyssa cleaned up the glass, made dinner that she ate alone, and then went upstairs to get a shower. She looked at herself in the mirror. A small bruise looked back at her that she got in Toby’s truck.
About the Author
M.M. Gavillet lives in west central Illinois with her husband, two children, one dog, three cats, several ducks and two demanding guinea pigs where she drinks more tea than any sane person should and likes to play in the dirt planting flowers. She has been spinning stories since she was little, but only recently discovered her passion for writing.
WATCH FOR NEW REALESES AND SAMPLE CHAPTERS AS WELL AS FUTURE GIVEAWAYS ON HER BLOG!
mmgavilletblogspot.com
Watch for the second novel in the Fae Trilogy
Children of Fae
Dancing With Monsters Page 28