I peered around, confused.
Pam pointed. “They’re on the table, where you left them when we came in.”
“Yeah, but I brought them over next to me so they’d be closer.”
“Oh. Well, they’re back where you originally left them.”
“Why don’t you use this box?” Blair asked, pointing to the big red box next to her.
“No,” Pam said. “Those are too last Christmas. We should stick with Zoey’s box.”
I bit my lip, pondering. One of them must have moved it, I tried to convince myself. No biggie. I walked back over to the table and picked up the box again, then immediately started hanging them on the tree. I found a pretty crystal jar and filled it with red and white peppermints and set it on the mantel above the fireplace. Shantal nudged me playfully to move as she streamed garland there. Pam hung up red stockings and added pinecones, and Sarah’s contribution was a bowl of greens and fresh pomegranates on the coffee table by the couch.
I decorated another mantel with magnolia leaves, spruce, and pinecones accented with silver, making the room look like something out of a holiday issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Miss Duball brought in poinsettias, which added to the rich crimson around the room. I set up ten tealight candles and nestled them in the greenery, then weaved in white lights. I loved the flicker of the candles, and the gold accent pieces gave the whole ensemble some extra sparkle. After that, I returned to the tree to hang up some golden glass balls.
“How does this look?” Hunter asked from his position on the ladder.
The wall was absolutely breathtaking. The green garland and wreath stood out against the white paint like the front of a Christmas card.
“It’s fantastic,” I said. “You two have totally outdone yourselves. Martha Stewart would be proud.”
“It’s a good thing,” Eric said sheepishly.
Pam started clapping, then walked over and hugged him. “Don’t be so humble. I love it, baby.”
Hunter jumped off the ladder and walked toward me. As I hurried to the entrance, he called out my name. “Wait! Where are you going?”
I wrapped a long string of red garland around him and pulled him close. “Um,” I began, “it seems to me you’ve got yourself caught under the mistletoe.”
He glanced up, then smiled and placed a long, soft kiss on my lips.
“Wanna help me finish the tree?” I asked.
He cocked a brow. “Do I get to spray on the powdered snow?”
I grinned. “I don’t know. Will that be the deal-maker or –breaker?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then have at it.”
Reaching for my hand, he walked back over to the Christmas tree. He grabbed a can, but it wasn’t powdered snow. “Look what somebody left,” he said.
I laughed when he sprayed me with a long strand of silly string. “Hey!” When I spotted another can, I reached for it and sprayed him back, with a huge smile on my face. We chased each other around like little kids. I ran around the table, but when he caught me, he pulled me close, and our eyes locked. I felt like the luckiest girl alive. He pressed his lips against mine, and our tongues danced in perfect rhythm.
“Miss Duvall’s coming,” Eric said.
I broke the kiss and laughed. “Almost busted,” I whispered.
She walked in with a silver tray, glasses, and something to drink.
Pam called me over. “Did you take the lighter Miss Duvall let me borrow?”
“No,” I answered.
“Oh. Here it is. I don’t remember setting it there.” With a dismissive shrug, she started to light all the candles around the room.
Hunter handed me a silver goblet full of sparkling cider.
“Thank you,” I said. “How about a toast?”
He clinked my glass. “To the sweetest girlfriend ever.”
I smiled. “To us.”
“To us,” he repeated.
We clinked glasses again, took a sip, and Hunter put on the finishing touch.
“Gorgeous,” I marveled.
“Is it straight?” he asked, adjusting the star.
“You nailed it,” I said, sitting on the sofa.
He sat next to me and admired our handiwork. “It’s beautiful.”
“We sure transformed the place,” I said. “I didn’t think we’d pull it off, but everything is so beautiful and Christmassy.”
“Is that even a word?” Hunter asked.
I playfully slugged him. “If it wasn’t before, it is now.”
“Well, Little Miss Webster, we have lots of Christmassy movies to watch later tonight,” Pam chimed in.
Hunter wrapped an arm around me. “I did the decorating, but I’m not doing the gushy movie thing.”
“We’ll find something else to do,” I said. “I think I’ve had my share of Christmas for November too.”
He chuckled.
“We’ll ditch ‘em,” I whispered in his ear, “but it might land us on Santa’s naughty list.”
“Hmm,” he whispered back. “Maybe I like naughty girls better.”
A short while later, Mrs. Bombardo called us for dinner, and all the others rushed off.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked.
“I just wanna spend a little alone time with you,” he said, “in this beautiful room we created. Don’t worry. We’ll go soon.”
“We’ll just be fashionably late,” I said, staring at the festive, twinkling, holiday lights. “This place is absolutely perfect. All we need is a fire.”
He wrapped me in his embrace. “I’d love to cuddle next to you beside a roaring, crackling fire. It’s one of the first things on my Christmas list.”
I snuggled against him. “That sounds awesome, especially since it’s freezing in here.”
“I can warm you up,” he said, kissing me.
After the fantastic kiss, he just held me. There was nothing like being held by the man of my dreams. Sometimes I almost wanted to pinch myself because it seemed too good to be true.
“This is so nice,” I said. “I love all this peace and quiet, just you and me.”
He squeezed my hand softly. “Yeah, it’s nice with just the two of us.”
“Moments like these are priceless. We have to sneak every one we can.”
“This is gonna be the best Christmas ever,” he said with heartfelt intensity.
I softly brushed my lips across his. “I agree. I’ve got my prince, so that makes this fairytale Christmas complete.”
The lights flickered on the Christmas tree, then went out.
“Musta tripped a breaker,” Hunter said.
“With just Christmas lights?”
“It is an old castle. At least we still have the candles.”
Next, the weirdest thing happened: One by one, the candles started to flicker out.
My jaw dropped. “Hunter!” I whispered. “Who’s doing that? What’s going on?”
“Do you really wanna discuss it in the dark?” he asked.
“No. I hope you’ve got your appetite back.”
“You know what? I’m suddenly starving. Let’s go get some of Rita’s fried chicken.”
I reached for his hand and led him out of the room just as the last candle flickered out. “Weird. There’s electricity in the hall,” I said, nodding toward the large, illuminate chandelier. “And if it was just a breaker, what about the candles?”
“I’m not sure. Pretty freaky, but we’re not new to this ballgame,” he said. “It didn’t seem like anything was trying to harm us. It was almost like something was just trying to get our attention.”
“You think they are trying to convince us to be…hot on the case again?”
“That’s the vibe I’m getting.”
I blew out a breath. “As long as nothing’s locking me in a bathroom, I don’t mind a subtle hint. I guess we need to get on with Mission: Free the Spirits.”
“Let’s hook up with the others and plan our next move tomorrow.”
“Great.” I suddenly stopped. “Hey, do you mind if I go get my sweater. I’m freezing.”
“Sure. I’ll walk with you.”
We walked back into my room, and Hunter sat at my desk. He reached for the notebook I’d been doodling in, then looked at me with a big smile when he realized I’d written our names with a big heart around them. He flipped the page and wrote our names again, then drew a big circle around them.
I smiled, then wrinkled my brow in confusion. “Interesting, but what’s with the circle?”
“Hearts break. Circles go on forever.”
The symbolism made tears well in my eyes. I pulled him close and cupped his face. “You say the most beautiful things.”
“When I look at you, Zoey, I know we’re meant to be together.”
“Every minute I get to spend with you is like a dream-come-true.”
He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me, then offered me a sweet kiss. I no longer cared about eating or spirits or the chill in the air. When I was with Hunter, too many happy butterflies danced in my stomach for me to possibly think about food. I just wanted to hold him like that forever. We’d both been hurt in the past, and we were both trying to recover and lick our wounds. We connected on a deep level because we were both fighting the same demons, both running from our respective pasts. Hunter and I were after a clean slate, a fresh start, and we hoped to find that in one another. He was the ruler of my heart, my knight in shining armor, my handsome prince, and he made me happier than I ever thought I could be. With Hunter, I could be myself and not feel ashamed or stupid because he never judged me.
I planted kisses all over his face, and he lit up with the biggest smile ever. “Wanna skip dinner?” I asked. “Break the rules and just hang out here?”
“I love that we always think on the same wavelength, but if I don’t show up for dinner, I’m really gonna hear about it,” Hunter said. “I’m already on the principal’s hit list. He’s just looking for ammo to shoot me down. We really should get going.”
I opened my closet and reached for my black sweater. As I did, fire-red eyes, decomposing skin, and sharp, black, jagged teeth suddenly popped into my vision, like some horrible pop-up prank on a computer. It just sprang at me with no warning. My heart pounded hard, and I blinked, but the terrifying image still hovered above me, glaring down at me with those fiery eyes. “Ah!” I screamed.
“Zoey, what’s wrong?” Hunter asked, racing to my side.
When I looked again, the horrid thing was gone. I moved the clothes to the side, but I didn’t see anything. I clutched my heart and tried to calm my racing heart. “I think… I s-saw something.”
He peered into the closet and moved the hangers aside. “There’s nothing here but clothes and shoes, babe.”
“I guess I just imagined it or something. Gosh. I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes.”
“What did you see?” he asked.
I tried to catch my breath. “A horrible face, but I’m sure it was nothing. All that talk about spirits probably triggered my imagination.”
“Are you sure? Maybe it was them, trying to communicate.”
“It was so quick. I thought I saw a face, but I’m not sure. Anyway, it was horrible, and I don’t think that’s the way they’d communicate.”
Hunter met my gaze. “Well, maybe it wasn’t one of the good guys.”
“The experience by the Christmas tree seemed friendly, just stuff moving around, but this was just more…sinister. There’s no way it was the same spirit.”
“Do you need a few minutes?” he asked.
“Nah. Let’s go get something to eat,” I said.
“Right. It’s amazing how calming Rita’s fried chicken can be,” he said with a smile.
Chapter 6
I fell into that familiar fog of confusion, almost a dreamlike state. Time seemed to be inexplicably suspended. I tried to move but couldn’t; I was paralyzed or restrained somehow, by some powerful unseen force. What the heck is going on? I wondered, dazed and confused. I could hear beautiful music, melodious notes wafting from a piano. When I looked down, I realized that my own fingers were gliding effortlessly over the keys. Not this again, I thought.
I fought for control, but something had taken possession of me. I was certain of it, for I could feel its icy grip. Give me back my body! I screamed inside my head; my lips refused to budge.
Suddenly, in a voice I didn’t even recognize, my lips uttered, “Zoey’s fighting me.”
Another voice answered, “Control her!”
I recognized that voice as William Bernard Montour’s, for I’d encountered him before, right there on that very same piano bench.
“She’s…too strong.”
“You must keep a better hold on her! Now I have to start all over again.”
“Can’t you get her to cooperate?”
“Reestablish the connection. I haven’t time for this. We need these songs recorded by morning.”
An icy chill flooded my body. I had never felt so cold, and what felt like an arctic blast swept over me. Numb, I drifted off into darkness.
***
In the morning, my eyes fluttered opened. Still in my pajamas, I wandered over and looked into the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot, and I looked as if I’d been run over by a truck. “Am I going crazy?” I whispered to myself.
I ran a hand through my hair and sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Why is this dream so persistent? Why do I keep having it?” I feared that I was losing my mind, and I was far too young for senility to set in.
I looked at the clock and blinked. “Crap!” I shouted, realizing I was going to be late for class. I ran a brush through my hair and brushed my teeth, but there would be no time for breakfast. I quickly slid into my favorite jeans and threw on a blue, two-toned, glittery blouse. I took one last look in the mirror and cringed at the dark circles under my eyes. I reached into my purse and found my concealer and foundation and tried to paint over the Samsonite so I’d look a little more awake.
I grabbed my books and rushed downstairs to class. Hunter and Pam waved at me as I took my seat. The teacher passed out assignments, and we started going over the problems, but I really had to fight to stay awake. I considered stepping out to slap some cold water on my face.
A few minutes later, I woke up to someone tapping on my desk.
“Yeah?” I said sleepily, snapping to attention.
Laughter burst out around the room as Mr. Geo said, “Miss Sanders…”
“Yes?”
“You fell asleep in my class, and this isn’t the first time.”
I bit my lip hard. “Oh. Sorry, sir. I-I went to bed early, but I…well, I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“Do not fall asleep in my class again, young lady. This is your last warning.”
“Yes, sir.”
After that, I forced myself to stay awake for the entire day.
***
After school, Hunter, Eric, Pam, and Shantal caught up with me.
“No sweet dreams or shut-eye for you, huh?” Shantal asked.
“No, not at all.”
“Me neither,” Pam said. “I keep having those odd dreams about building and sculpting.”
Eric’s eyes widened, and I knew something was up. He motioned us outside, for a little privacy. We had no idea if any of the staff was involved, so that was important.
“Maybe they’re drugging us,” Shantal said in a panicked whisper.
I laughed. “Drugging us? Really?” Still, I had to consider her idea. Something odd was going on. We were having strange, lucid dreams that didn’t make any sense, and we’d seen ghosts.
“Well, whatever’s going on, we can’t let on like we know anything,” Eric said.
“Something weird is happening,” Shantal said. “Why are we having those weird dreams? It has to mean something.”
“Yeah, but what?” Pam asked.
“Well, I fell asleep in Mr. Geo’s class because some
thing kept me up playing piano all night. It was like I was awake but couldn’t control my body, like something else was moving my fingers and even my mouth. It was so weird and freaky. Whatever possessed me was arguing with something else, saying that I was fighting it, which I was. Then William said to reestablish the connection, and they did somehow.”
“I think I woke up to William once too,” Shantal said. “It wasn’t long, but he kept barking orders like that, about reestablishing some connection.”
“Oh my gosh,” Pam said. “They’re using our bodies.”
Hunter peered at her and his jaw dropped. “That’s crazy.”
“Is it?” Shantal retorted.
Eric began to pace nervously, and his face scrunched up in thought, as if he was trying to work out some impossible algebra equation. “So…we’re all having dreams, feeling like something is possessing us. Maybe the trapped spirits in the castle are using our bodies at night.”
I glanced at him. “What for? To paint, to sculpt, to play the piano? Why? I mean, I know some people are passionate about the arts, but still.”
“What if it’s like…body-snatchers?” Pam asked. “What if they wanna take over our bodies or something?”
I raised a brow. “Wouldn’t they have done it by now?”
“Maybe it’s a process,” she answered. “I don’t know, but it’s completely freaking me out. Maybe we should all go home.”
“No way!” Eric said. “I don’t wanna lose you. We live too far apart, and we’ll never see each other if we leave here.”
She gripped his hands. “You’re the only reason I’ve stayed this long.”
Hunter wrapped his arm around me, and I glanced up. “You’re the only reason I’m still here too. Please don’t go,” he said, then pulled me in for a kiss.
“I’m not going anywhere, but we need to find out if ghosts are using our bodies for their hobbies. Gosh, it sounds so lame,” I said with a laugh.
“It’s insane,” Shantal said, “but I can’t deny it. I mean, I saw a ghost with my own eyes.”
I raised my hand. “Me too. All of us have. There’s no doubt this place is haunted, and it seems there are good and bad guys in the realm where the spirits are trapped.”
“Do you think they’re all trapped here?” Eric asked.
Enchanted Dreams - Book 3 Page 4