by Fuller, Tara
He smiled and stepped away, running a hand through his hair. “I get it Rowan. It’s okay. Just remember that I’m here. I…” He was cut off by someone shouting from the porch. We both turned and a guy was hanging out the glass french doors hollering his name.
“Tyler man, get in here!” he screamed, belligerently.
“I’m a little busy!” Tyler shouted back. It made me feel even worse. Even after being rejected he wasn’t willing to leave me alone that easily.
“Seriously man, your dad just pulled up!” he shouted. “It’s your funeral!” he added, then disappeared inside.
Tyler’s eyes shot back to me and looked helpless.
“Go, go!” I said and pushed him forward.
“Are you going to be alright? Why don’t you come with me? The old man probably just needs my spare key to the house. It shouldn’t take long.”
“I’ll be fine. I don’t think I’m ready to go back in just yet. But seriously go.” I gave him a reassuring smile.
“I’ll get rid of him. I’ll be right back I promise.”
“Trust me. You’re off the hook Tyler.”
He laughed. ”What if I don’t want to be off the hook?” he said from over his shoulder as he jogged away.
I sighed and turned away from the house. A chill ran down my spine as I stared out into the dark tree line. I suddenly wished I had gone back with Tyler.
I jumped when a warm hand closed around my wrist.
“Hey, what are you…” I spun around on my heel. It wasn’t Tyler. I wasn’t sure who it was until I squinted through the darkness to make out his features. It was Max. Max who had creeped me out since the first day of school. Definitely not the person I wanted to run into out here alone in the dark. His burly figure nearly blacked out the light behind him, leaving me cloaked in a shadow. His eyes were narrowed as he looked me up and down.
“Max. What are you doing? You scared me.”
He laughed and even his laugh had a bit of a slur. He was drunk. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. This was exactly the kind of thing I didn’t want to have to deal with. Everything coming off of him was a blur. But even through the drunken haze of emotions I could feel what they were. I knew what he wanted from me, and I suddenly felt more than uncomfortable. I felt afraid.
“Well I was headed inside. Tyler is waiting for me.” I tried to push past him but his hand clamped down on my wrist to hold me in place, gripping hard enough for the beginning of a bruise to throb beneath the pads of his fingers. He glanced over his shoulder, and then let his eyes scan the darkness all around like a cat burglar about to rob a house.
My heart picked up in speed and I broke out in a sweat as fear raced through my veins and constricted my lungs.
“Stay a while. We never get to talk.” He took a drink of his beer and smiled down at me. His brown hair was in disarray and his eyes were slanted, not quite focused.
“I really can’t. Tyler-”
“You know I always thought you were pretty Rowan.” His words slightly sloppy and hard to understand.
“Thanks Max, but I seriously have to go. Tyler’s going to come looking for me if…” He pushed me back a few steps and I stumbled over my heels.
“He’s not coming.” He was breathing hard now, almost panting. “I asked Paige about you. She told me not to waste my breath.”
“She’s right,” I blurted out. “I already have a boyfriend.” I was shaking now, barley able to function through the fear. I wanted to run but his hand was clamped around my wrist so hard it was beginning to throb. I wanted to scream but I doubted anyone could hear me over the music. Besides, the scream was stuck in my throat, and I was frozen in place.
He seemed to ignore me, his eyes focused on my face. He reeked of beer and was shifting lazily from foot to foot. I wondered how hard it would be to knock him over and run.
“But I wasn’t really planning on doing much talking.” He grinned and his teeth glistened in the moonlight. Normally I would have thought a smile like that was beautiful, but now it was menacing and malevolent. Dangerous. The word flashed inside my mind like a giant neon sign. Dangerous. Dangerous.
“So what do you think?” he said. “We could have a good time you and me.” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and winked, then slipped his finger under the strap of my dress and pulled until it snapped.
“I think you’re disgusting and if you don’t let me go Tyler isn’t going to like that very much.” I was hoping this would strike a chord. Max was a senior but he and Tyler seemed to be friends. They played football together.
It didn’t. He just laughed, and took another swig of his beer then tossed it into the trees. That gave him two hands to restrain me with.
“I’m not scared of Tyler.” He grabbed my other arm with his free hand and pulled me to him. I flinched back and began to struggle as his lips came down to graze my ear.
Then it came. The scream finally broke free of my throat and sliced through the air like a machete. I prayed that it was enough to attract some attention because it was my one and only chance. Max’s hand clamped over my mouth as he pushed me farther into the shadows, leaving the scream muffled in the palm of his hand. He shoved me down onto the ground. The grass was gone and my nails dug down into the rich gritty soil beneath me. It meant we were out of the yard. Out of sight. I tried to scream through his fingers but he held tighter. I could barely breathe.
“Stop fighting!” he hissed as he used one hand to jerk my skirt up. I kicked at him catching his arm with the heel of my shoe. It tore into his flesh. A steady stream of blood began to run down his forearm. It looked like black oil against the moonlight. He cursed under his breath and shoved my leg back down. Anger flared out of him and I could feel it scorching me like acid.
“We could have fun if you just calm down Rowan,” he whispered. “Just calm down and be a good girl.”
Hot tears were streaming down the side of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut to quiet them. They weren’t going to help me now. That’s when I realized that one of my arms was free. He’d released it to restrain my leg. I fumbled around in the dark until my fingers closed around a smooth flat stone half buried in the dirt. I grabbed it and swung. The side of it made contact with his face with a sickening crunch. He released me and swore, grabbed his head. I took my chance. It seemed like every part of me was throbbing but I had to move. I stumbled forward and launched myself towards the house in the distance but his sweaty hand clamped down on my ankle and pulled me back. I was screaming now. With everything in me I screamed and whaled for help, but no one emerged from the house. The windows still glowed with light and the walls still pulsed with the steady rhythm of music. My heart dropped. It was hopeless. No one had heard me. And now I wasn’t going to get out of there. Not until he was done with me. I shivered with disgust at the thought. I wanted to fight but there was nothing left in me. I felt weak and limp as I searched desperately for another reserve of energy but came up empty. I cried as he pulled me back into the shadows. I squirmed to get free, but his hand came down hard against my face and the pain exploded behind my right eye. I whimpered as I choked on a sob.
“You hit, I hit, sweetheart,” he said as he positioned himself over me.
I closed my eyes. I couldn’t look at him. Not when I knew what he was about to do to me. Instead I closed myself off and sank back into the darkness. I didn’t see. I didn’t hear. I didn’t fe… But I did feel. I felt the weight of his body being lifted from on top of me. And I did hear. The loud thump of his body landing somewhere close by, followed by angry voices. I opened my eyes and gasped. It was Alex.
Max was up again stumbling in a circle around Alex, ready to strike.
“You should learn to mind your own business man,” he slurred. He swung out, but Alex hopped a step backward, so that all Max’s sweaty fist met was air.
“And you should learn better manners,” Alex clenched a fist, gritted his teeth, and lunged forward. His fist clocked Max square across the jaw.
Max stumbled backward but didn’t fall down. He wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist then looked down at the blood that glistened there in disbelief. He cracked his knuckles and took a step forward. “What?” He laughed. “You afraid you won’t get a turn with her?” That was it for Alex. I couldn’t see his face but his fists clenched at his sides and the wiry muscles under his skin seemed to bulge.
Max stumbled forward and shoved him in time for a kid walking out of the back door to see. He shouted “fight!” into the open doorway and the party crowd started to flood into the yard. Alex spread his hands out to regain his balance and gritted his teeth. Some people gathering around were shouting, fight, fight, fight.
“That’s what I thought.” Max laughed, wiping a bloody hand off on his shirt and turned around. Alex glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, not committing to a full-on look, then strode forward and tapped Max on the shoulder. Max turned around, fist raised. Alex didn’t hit him like I expected. Instead he shoved two fingers into Max’s chest and pressed. Max gasped. His back bowed. His legs tangled around each other as he tried to back away. Alex followed, mumbling something that sounded like a chant under his breath. I was confused at first, watching Max, who was almost twice the size of Alex tripping over his own feet to get away. Why would he be so afraid? I scrambled to get to my feet but my legs stayed limp in the dirt. I was shaking too badly to move. A crowd had begun to assemble in the yard as Alex pushed Max farther and farther into the light. I could see his face now. His eyes were focused on Max, a clouded blue. He looked...dangerous. Like I’d never seen him. It was like looking at a stranger. Max’s eyes were glazed over with fear as if he were watching something entirely different unfold before him. He was terrified. He was…crying. I gasped at the sight. What was he doing to him?
“Alex!” I cried but Tyler’s voice nearly drowned me out.
“Rowan. Oh my God Rowan!” he sprinted across the yard pushing people aside until he was by my side.
“What the hell happened?”
“Max…he…I…” I was sobbing. I could barely speak through the sobs. “He wouldn’t stop,” I finally blurted out. He looked down at my torn skirt, ripped up to my thigh and understood immediately.
“Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?” he said. I shook my head no and he squeezed my hand. Tyler shot up before I could choke out another word. He ran across the yard but by the time he reached them Max was just a sniveling pile on the ground. He was sobbing. And wouldn’t look at Alex. Alex was still focused on him. Not touching him, but hovering over him, ready to strike again at a moment’s notice.
“Alex!” I managed to shout again. This time he heard. He snapped out of the trance and turned back to me. His eyes were sad. Helpless. But he returned to my side almost mechanically. He knelt down beside me and pushed my hair back from my face, pulling a twig from it in the process. His fingers brushed along my cheek then pulled away to examine the blood there. I was bleeding? I hadn’t even noticed. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
“I should’ve killed him,” he whispered more to himself than to me. His eyes were still a cloudy frightening blue as if he were thinking of going back.
I grabbed his hand. “No!”
He looked back at me, startled.
“Just take me home,” I said. “Alex please take me home,” I choked between sobs. He nodded and helped me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist for support.
Tyler looked helpless as he watched me from across the yard. He didn’t approach me. Instead he just mouthed the words I’m sorry, and then turned his attention back to Max.
Chapter 16
Somehow I managed to drive us home. I had forgotten that Alex couldn’t drive. Instead he kept his hand on my shoulder to steady me and hummed an unfamiliar tune to distract me. I was grateful. It was enough to just have him there. Thankfully my grandparents were sound asleep when I got home. Good. I wasn’t in the mood for explanations. My legs still didn’t want to cooperate, so Alex helped me to my room. When I reached my bed I started to collapse and Alex eased me down gently until my face met the pillow. He sat on the bed beside me and began to pull his fingers through my knotted hair. I was finally coherent enough to think.
“Alex what were you doing there?” I asked, confused now that it had time to sink in.
“I came by looking for you. Your grandmother told me where to find you.” He paused and swallowed. “When I got to the house I could sense something was wrong. It was like I could…feel you,” he said, some surprise filtering through his gaze.
“If I hadn’t gotten there in time…I don’t know what I would have done if he really would have hurt you.” He gritted his teeth together and looked away.
I grabbed his hand, eager to comfort him. “But he didn’t. And you did.”
He brushed his hand across my cheek and I flinched. I let the tips of my fingers graze the spot that he had just touched. It was swollen and throbbing. And I could feel the dried blood against my skin.
“Yes he did.”
I felt disgusting. The dirt, the sweat and putrid smell of alcohol that didn’t belong to me. It was all clinging to me. Suffocating me. I wanted a shower, but I didn’t want him to leave.
“I need to get cleaned up.” I sat up and stretched my arms. Every part of me was achy and stiff.
He nodded and stood up to leave. I panicked and grabbed his arm, tugging him back down to the bed.
“No. Please wait for me.”
He nodded again and gave me a weak smile.
I showered slowly, letting the hot water wash away the memory. It was nearly impossible but after enough concentration I was almost numb enough to forget. It helped knowing Alex was waiting just outside the door. I quickly brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my damp hair, not bothering to dry it, then pulled on a white cotton nightgown. I didn’t look at myself in the mirror. I was afraid to see. I had already gotten a brief glimpse of the fresh purple bruises blooming across my body in the shower. That was enough for me.
Alex was waiting for me when I returned, sitting silently on my bed in the dark. He glanced up, his eyes widening for the briefest moment then offered me his hand. I climbed into bed and collapsed in his arms. It took everything in me not to cry.
“Can I do something for you?” he asked softly. “It might help with the pain.”
I nodded.
“Close your eyes. Don’t be afraid,” he whispered as he rested his forehead against the back of my head and pressed his fingers to my temples. I gasped as a stream of heat moved between us. His warmth was overpowering and beyond my understanding. It was almost healing. Every ache and pain in my body was steadily being replaced with the warm fluttery feeling spreading through my limbs and racing through my veins. It was like a cold drink of water after hiking all day in the sun. Refreshing. After a moment he broke away and I could feel that he was shaking.
“What was that?” I said, trying to steady my breathing.
“Just a meditation exercise. A transfer of energy.” He took one last deep breath and relaxed. I finally felt good enough to think clearly. I was a little freaked out by his so-called meditation exercise, but way too tired to dwell on it.
“You saved me you know. Thank you,” I said and relaxed against him, feeling so safe that any prior fear had been tossed to the wind.
He nodded and his lips curled up into a smile against my hair.
“Alex…what were you doing to him?” I thought about Max and the sobbing mess we’d left him.
“Just a trick.”
“What kind of trick?”
“Did I ever tell you my mother was a bit of a fortune teller?” His face was serious. He wasn’t joking.
I shook my head. “No. I think I would have remembered something like that.” I paused. “You mean she could see the future?”
He nodded. “Yes. She had very special gifts. The kind most people don’t like or understand. She taught me things.” He shrugged, offering no
further explanation.
“So…you have gifts too?”
He laughed. “Some. But mostly I’ve just managed to master a few tricks of the trade.”
“And what trade is that?” I chewed on my lip trying to ignore the way my stomach was twisting into knots. Trying to ignore the signs that my brain was pointing me to. The grimoire. Rebecca Foster and her spells.
He looked down at me. “Does it matter?”
“No. But what were you doing to him?” I pressed. I couldn’t let this go. I had to know.
“Just a little thought projection. I didn’t do half of the things I wanted to him, but he got a brief glimpse of what they were. Like I said. A trick.” The words sounded so regal coming out, laced with his accent, but somehow they were terrifying as well.
“That’s possible?” I gaped in awe. I thought about my gift. If you could call it that. Being able to feel what everyone else was feeling. Most of the time it felt more like a curse.
“Yeah.” He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed the top of my head. “A lot of the things that you might find unbelievable are.”
I didn’t know what to say. What do you say when the unbelievable becomes…believable? I ran my finger over his kneecap. Alex shuddered.
“Rowan,” Alex said. “Tell me something about yourself. Something no one else knows.”
If there was anyone in the world I could tell about my gift it was Alex. After all this there was no way he could judge me. I took a deep breath and decided to tell him what I had never in my life told another living soul.
“I can feel things.” He tensed beneath me and I almost stopped.