Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology)

by Chrissy Peebles

  “I know. I love watching the babies grow up, getting bigger and stronger every day.”

  “There’s no better feeling than helping them out.”

  “Let’s go get ‘em,” Jesse said.

  We quickly scurried to the other room and each grabbed a fuzzy duckling. Jesse’s went right into the water, but mine squeezed out of my hands. Jesse and I laughed as we chased the squawking bird. Just as Jesse picked the stubborn little one up, I reached for his hands and suddenly lost my balance when I slipped in a puddle of water on the ground. In reaction, trying to catch me while still holding on to the duckling, his body twisted, and he tumbled backward. We burst out laughing when the duckling looked at us like we were silly and just waddled away.

  Heat rushed to my face as I looked over at him. “Sorry,” I said.

  “Don’t be,” he answered, pushing a long, curly piece of hair out of my eyes. “You can knock me off my feet anytime.”

  When our eyes locked, my smile was automatic.

  “You have the most beautiful smile,” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  He locked his fingers in mine and brushed his thumb over my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

  Suddenly, I felt tiny webbed feet walking over my shoe. I gently picked the naughty duckling up and set her in the water. She happily glided through the water, loving her new pool, and the others looked just as happy when Jesse placed them in with her.

  “Are you ready to feed them?”

  “Minnows?” I guessed.

  “Try crickets,” he said as he picked up a Styrofoam cup with hundreds of chirping insects inside. “We need to make sure the ducklings can eat when they’re released. Let’s throw a few in and see if they’ll catch them like they’ll have to in training.”

  I picked up a wiggly cricket and smiled. “Here it goes!” I said as I tossed the bug into the water.

  Jesse tossed a few in as well, and within minutes, the babies started diving and swallowing them up. It was a good sign that they were learning how to feed themselves, even without their mother around to teach them. It was refreshing to know that in some small way, we were preparing them to survive and live a happy life outside on the lake, where they really belonged.

  * * *

  When I got home from work, I found a note letting me know that my parents had gone out to dinner and a movie and would be home late. My mom had left me some chicken and mashed potatoes in the microwave, so all I had to do was heat my dinner up. I still had those pesky butterflies dancing around, though, having spent the whole day with Jesse, and that totally killed my appetite.

  I watched television until about eight p.m. After flipping through the unopened mail, I jumped into the shower. As the soothing, hot water danced across my skin, many thoughts ran through my head, most of which were about Jesse.

  About twenty minutes later, I dried off and slipped into a fluffy pink robe and slippers. When my stomach began to growl, I decided to heat up my dinner while I got dressed for bed. I walked downstairs to the kitchen and threw my food in the microwave.

  I jumped when Max started barking. “Max! Be quiet. You scared me to death, boy!”

  As I walked over to sit at the kitchen table, I saw why Max was barking: Through the sliding glass doors, I could see a figure moving My heart lurched. It was only for a split second, but I could have sworn it was someone dressed in black from head to toe, including a black ski mask.

  Max ran to the window and started growling and barking.

  I frantically reached for the landline phone, only to discover that it was dead as a doornail, just as I feared I was about to be. My gaze shot to my purse. “My cell!” I exclaimed. I reached my purse in two strides, but chills flooded through me when I realized my cell phone wasn’t in it. It suddenly dawned on me that someone else had been messing with the phones. I swallowed hard as I spun in a slow circle, my nerves on complete edge. My stomach dropped when I came to the realization that someone was outside, so I couldn’t even run. My biggest worry was that someone was inside as well, because I knew for a fact that I’d left my cell in my purse.

  My fingers hurriedly rummaged through the kitchen drawer for a knife. When I found one that I thought sure would do the trick, I clutched it tightly, then glanced out the window. The moon sliced through the darkness, and shadows shifted in the blackness beyond.

  I didn’t see anyone, but when the television shut off and complete silence filled the air, I had never felt so utterly alone. “Max!” I said. “Come here.” As the dog sat by my feet, I sucked in a trembling breath.

  Next, the power went out, and everything went black. I forced myself to walk to the drawer where I knew I could find a flashlight. My trembling fingers wrapped around the cold metal, and I switched it on. The beam wavered in my shaking hands.

  A growl echoed from the living room, one I knew didn’t belong to Max. What the heck was that? The knife in my hands shook. I’d never been so frozen with fear before, not even during the mountain lion attack or when we’d been surrounded by wolves. I was scared to go outside, but I was more terrified of whatever was in the living room. I tried to reason what could be growling. Maybe a stray dog got inside somehow. Maybe my parents adopted another dog and didn’t tell me.

  Max kept growling and barking, then shot off into the living room.

  “Max!” I cried, but the only answer was silence.

  Chapter 11

  My loyal and faithful companion had taken off into the dark living room.

  With my heart pounding nearly out of my chest, I took a few daring steps forward. “Max?” I whispered. “Max, come back.”

  Heavy breathing echoed in the air, and my heart thumped wildly. A few long growls made the hair on my neck stand on end. I gripped the knife tightly. Feeling like I was cornering a wild animal, I took slow, measured steps. A howl pierced my ears, a sound that only a wolf could make. Nearly paralyzed by fear, I somehow managed to carefully back up, abandoning my plan to take a good look.

  “No! I have to help Max,” I said to myself, shining my flashlight around the darkness.

  At the sound of another howl, I jumped back. My heart had never beaten so fast before, and the floor creaked with every step I took. My flashlight beam swung around, but I didn’t see anything in the dim light. Sweat coated the palms of my hands as I stood there holding my breath, listening for any sounds, trying to hang on to what was left of my sanity.

  Then, a ravenous moan echoed from across the room, and a sudden panic flooded through me. I paused, drew a deep breath, and pressed myself against the wall. I could hear something shuffling in the living room. I took a deep, trembling breath, my beam wavering as I whipped my flashlight all around.

  A scratching noise made me jump, especially since it was coming from directly behind me. Gasping for breath, I turned around. There was Max, outside and scratching at the glass. I had no clue how he got out, but as I was trying to figure that out, my poor dog let out a long yelp and then started barking.

  I bolted into the kitchen and grabbed my purse. Regardless of what was outside, I had to get out of that house, and since Max was already out, I didn’t have to worry about deserting him. I opened the sliding glass door, my heart threatening to explode. I turned on the back porch light. Holding the knife tightly, jutting it out in front of me like some kind of horror movie menace, I glanced around. My legs took off, carrying me like a bat out of hell to the driveway in front of the house. My senses were on high alert, and I glanced over my shoulder to make sure my trusty canine companion was keeping up with me.

  Just as I opened my purse and grabbed my keys, a howl came from inside the house. When I glanced up, I saw that the front door was wide open, and I realized that had to be how Max had gotten out and whatever it was had gotten in.

  Move! I thought, but I almost couldn’t breathe. Find the right key. I couldn’t hold on to the flashlight, the keys, and the knife, so I slipped the flashlight into my robe pocket. My hands shook as I tried to open
the car door. Max was barking, and I knew something was coming. The door opened, Max jumped in, and I started the ignition. Then a thought occurred to me: I’d forgotten to check the back seat. My stomach clenched, and I quickly looked back there. Relieved to see no one and nothing but a few fast food wrappers, I let out a breath and put the car in reverse.

  Everything was a blur as I sped down the road. I was still gasping for breath as I pulled into McDonald’s, still dressed in my robe. I contemplated going inside for help, but I knew I would have looked ridiculous in that getup, and I was sure no one would take me seriously.

  Max barked, as if asking me what was going on.

  I petted his head. “It’s okay, boy,” I said.

  As I looked at the passenger’s seat, I noticed that the dog was actually sitting on my long-lost phone. I had no idea how my phone got inside the car, because I was sure I’d put it in my purse, but I picked it up and, without hesitation, dialed Jesse.

  “Hello?” he said.

  “Jesse! Oh my gosh! You aren’t gonna believe this.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I…we…uh…there was this noise, and then the lights went out and—”

  “Are you okay?” he asked, clearly confused and concerned by my panic.

  “No, Jesse, I’m not.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m sitting here at McDonald’s in my bathrobe, if that’s any indication how not okay I am! There was something in our house, so I got creeped out and bolted. I’m not sure whether to call my parents or the police.”

  “You were home alone?”

  “Yeah. Mom and Dad are on a date, at a late movie.”

  “Okay. Just sit tight. I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay,” I said, then hung up.

  It seemed like it took forever, but he finally showed up. When he pulled up next to me, I ran out of the car and into his arms. “Oh, Jesse!”

  “Taylor, you’re shaking.”

  “I was so scared,” I said, sobbing.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  I explained the entire story, and he listened intently, never doubting me once. “Do you think somebody tried to rob the house?” I desperately asked. “Maybe the intruder was shocked when he heard me taking a shower. Maybe he wasn’t expecting anyone to be home, so he just ran out and left the door open, and some wild animal came in.”

  “Did you notice that the door was open after you took your shower?”

  “I came down the back stairs, so I didn’t notice.”

  “Maybe you’re right, to some degree. Maybe you did spook a robber, and he left in a hurry without shutting the door behind him and something got in by accident. But what I don’t understand is why he’d come back. If he was scared off, he shoulda been long gone, so why would he come back and look through the sliding glass doors? If he wanted back in, why didn’t he just use the open door?”

  I smoothed out my robe. “You must think I’m crazy.”

  “No. We’ll figure this thing out. I’m here for you, Taylor.” He gave me a long hug, and I was sure he could feel my entire body trembling.

  “I know I look ridiculous, but I was too petrified to put clothes on. I just wanted to get out of there.”

  “I know. And you just look…cuddly, if you ask me. Let’s go back and take a look,” he said.

  I sucked in a trembling breath. “I don’t want to, Jesse. I’m scared.”

  “It’s your house, and I’ll be right there with you. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you, Taylor—not ever.” He paused. “Unless you want to go inside for a shake or a burger or something.”

  I laughed. “In this? No way.”

  He smiled. “Trust me, I’ve seen worse in McDonald’s after dark. Anyway, if you think you’re up to driving, I’ll follow you back.”

  “Okay.”

  Back at the house, I didn’t notice anything out of place, and my parents weren’t home from their date yet. I held on to Jesse’s arm as he glanced around, using the bright moonlight to guide our way.

  “The door is still wide open,” I observed.

  We walked into the living room, and I flicked on the switch.

  “Hey, at least the lights work now.” I glanced around but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, no mud or footprints or overturned furniture or broken glass or anything to prove I wasn’t hearing things or going crazy. There was nothing to support my claim. I shut the door and locked it.

  We walked through the downstairs and into the kitchen. Jesse told me to wait at the table while he bravely checked the upstairs. After a minute or two, I heard him yell, “All clear up here.”

  “You must think I’m crazy,” I said when he walked back in the kitchen.

  “Not at all. Something was here. I can smell it.”

  “You think it was a wolf? Because I heard howling, clear as day.”

  “Definitely a wolf…but there was something else too.”

  “What?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

  “There were two intruders,” he said.

  “I thought so. The robber and the wolf who decided to take advantage of an open door.”

  “It’s complicated, but I swear I’m gonna find out what happened. You weren’t imagining things, Taylor, and it was smart for you to bolt out of here when you did.”

  “What if it was Jonathon?” I asked with a shudder.

  “Not possible. He’s…out of town.”

  “Maybe he was, but what if he came back?”

  “Like I said, not possible,” he said, sounding absolutely sure.

  “You’re right. He probably would’ve killed me in the shower, just like Norman Bates.”

  A car pulled in the driveway.

  When I opened the door and recognized the vehicle, I was relieved. “Thank God. It’s just my parents.” I threw my arms around them as soon as they stepped in the door.

  My father looked at me, noticing that I was in a robe and slippers, then looked at Jesse and raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?” he shouted, absolutely livid. “We leave you alone for one night, and you invite a boy over? Why are you dressed—or rather, undressed—like that?”

  “Dad!”

  He looked at Jesse again, this time with anger washing over him. “Go home, young man. Get out of my house!”

  “Mom,” I said, “please make Dad stop. He doesn’t know the whole story. It’s not what you think.”

  “I trusted you, Taylor,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Let her explain,” my mom pleaded.

  I touched my dad’s arm. “Please, Dad! Jesse just got here. Somebody broke in, so I called him over to help.”

  “What?” he asked in disbelief. “Someone broke in? With you here by yourself?”

  I explained the entire story to my parents.

  My dad’s tone softened. “I’m sorry, Jesse. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I-I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.” He then turned his gaze to me. “You’ve been through a horrible experience, and I shouldn’t have accused you of anything. I apologize.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. I know it didn’t look very good.”

  My mom wrapped her arm around me. “Baby, you’ve had a rough evening. Would you like me to make you some hot chocolate?”

  “Mom, I’m not ten anymore, but thank you.”

  “You stayed up late with Julie last night watching horror movies,” my dad said. “What if you imagined the robber? Are you sure it wasn’t just a shadow?”

  “Dad, the door was left open, and the power went out,” I retorted.

  “You’re tired from work, hon’. It’s easy for a tired mind to wander and—”

  “I would have remembered leaving a door open. I heard a wild animal howling.”

  “We live in the woods, dear. If the door was left open, something probably wandered in.”

  I swallowed hard. “Dad, I didn’t leave the door open,” I said again. “Like I said, the power even went out. I h
ad to get the flashlight out of the drawer.”

  “We’re in a remote area, and the wind really picked up tonight. It could’ve easily knocked the power out temporarily.”

  “I’m gonna go, now that you folks are here with her,” Jesse said.

  “Goodbye, Jesse,” I said, gazing into his eyes. “Thanks for coming over and checking out things for me.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “Thanks, Jesse,” my dad said, swallowing his pride and his accusations.

  “Yes, thank you, Jesse,” my mom said. “You take care of yourself, now, and have a good evening.”

  After Jesse was gone, I turned to my mother. “I was so scared, Mom. My entire body was shaking.”

  She looked at me with concern on her face, the way she had when I was little and had a fever. “I’ve never seen you this terrified before, sweetheart.” She turned to my dad. “Something scared her. If she says she saw an intruder, I believe she saw someone. Maybe we should call the police.”

  “I’m sure everything is okay now,” my dad said. “Nothing seems to be missing or damaged.” As if he refused to believe the obvious, he turned to me and said, “Honey, maybe you’re just having a hard time adjusting to such an isolated life out here in the woods, or maybe you’re missing Sean. I know how much you cared about him.”

  “Dad, I know I cried for over a month when we broke up, but I’m over him. Besides, this has absolutely nothing to do with him. Sean breaking up with me was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  My mom wrapped her arm around me. “How was dinner? I made spicy chicken. Did you like it?”

  “I didn’t eat,” I said. “I was warming it up in the microwave when I saw that man through the glass.”

  “That’s too bad, darlin’. Let me warm it up for you.”

  “I’m really not hungry now, Mom.”

  “How about something to drink?”

  “I’d love that. Surprise me.”

  My mom smiled, and I headed up to my room. I replayed the entire situation in my head. Maybe I did overreact, but I know that growl was real. It was so loud! I was glad I didn’t check it out on my own, or I might not have lived to tell the tale.