by Jasmine Walt
“I doubt that’s true,” Ethan said.
I shook my head. “I know, but…”
“But right now it’s okay to feel that way,” he said, which surprised me. I was glad he didn’t try to talk me out of wallowing in self-pity.
I took another few bites of the muffin, and after drinking half the coffee, the world wasn’t spinning as fast. I leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. “Whatever. I’m glad it’s over before I actually slept with him, ya know?”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah. You can move on.” He flashed a smile again.
My phone rang. I glared at it, preparing to hit “ignore” if it was Mike. Luckily, it wasn’t. “It’s my friend,” I told Ethan when I saw Laney’s name and picture pop up. I answered it.
“Annie, where the heck are you?” she asked before I even said hello.
“Um, some little coffee place.”
“We’ve been looking for you for forever. Mike said you guys got into a disagreement, and you took off.”
“A disagreement? Seriously, that’s what he’s calling it?” I rolled my eyes at Mike’s choice in words. “Can you drive?”
“Yeah. Marie is wasted though. I want to take her home.”
“Can you get my stuff from Mike’s car and meet me here?”
“Yeah. We’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks, bye,” I said and hung up. I set my phone down, sighed, and looked up at Ethan. “My friends are gonna take me home. Thanks for helping me out. You didn’t have to.”
Ethan’s eyes met mine. “I’m glad I did.”
I finished the coffee. “So, do you go to school here?”
“No,” he said. “I just moved here from Chicago, actually.”
“Oh, nice. What are you doing at the university?”
“My dad just got a job teaching history. I was helping him move stuff into his office,” Ethan explained.
“My dad teaches at Syracuse University too,” I said. “Do you miss Chicago? I’ve never been there.”
He was telling me about how great the city was when Laney came in. Ethan’s back was to the door, so she couldn’t tell who I was with. She made a beeline for me and stopped in her tracks when she saw him. Her jaw fell open. Gosh, she was so obvious. Ethan followed my gaze to look at her. She smiled and said, “Hi,” in a very flustered manner.
“What’s going on?” she asked me.
“Long story,” I sighed. “I’ll tell you on the way home. Where’s Marie?”
“In the car. I’m glad I have her car because I think she’s gonna puke.”
I made a face and stood, taking off Ethan’s jacket. “Thanks,” I said and handed him the jacket. “For everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” His fingers brushed mine as he took his jacket back. “I hope to run into you again, Anora.”
“Me too,” I said, before I realized that I was agreeing that I wanted to see myself again. Laney grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the door.
“Tell me everything!” she said as soon as we were outside. I was sure I was going to have to repeat the story to Marie in the morning. I got into the car and told Laney everything I had overheard.
“I’m so sorry, Annie!” Laney said as she pulled into Marie’s driveway. I got out of the passenger’s seat and opened the back door to let Marie out of her little Mazda.
“Mike’s a dick!” She hugged me. “You don’t need him!” I put an arm around her and led her up the porch stairs. I didn’t think she’d have been able to walk on her own. I hoped her parents were fast asleep; there was no way Marie could pretend to be sober tonight.
We helped Marie into her PJs and tucked her in her bed. Laney and I went into the living room to watch TV before we passed out too.
“I just feel so stupid,” I told her. “Like I should have known he was using me.”
Laney looked at me with so much empathy I was afraid she was going to start crying. She put her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder. I put my head on hers.
“You can’t blame yourself Annie. I’m just glad you found out before you actually slept with him.”
“Me too.”
I stayed with Laney until I needed to come home and get ready for bed that next day. We had spent the day watching happy movies and riding our horses. Being around friends and horses put me in a good mood, getting rid of all the crap that went down last night.
Now that I was home, those feelings of being used and useless came crashing back. I didn’t want to feel sorry for myself. I tried to remind myself that this wasn’t that bad and others had it much worse. I sighed as I trudged up the stairs to go into my room. Great. Now guilt was the cherry on my self-pity sundae.
I finished my homework, showered, and crawled under the covers. Hunter snuggled next to me, and I quickly fell asleep. It wasn’t a restful sleep though, because I dreamed that the monster dog was chasing me back up the stairs in the frat house. Mike was standing there, and Alix was behind him, laughing like a crazy person. Every time I tried to get away from Mike, the dog showed up. Mike pushed me down on a bed. “It’s the only way,” he said.
I woke up suddenly, feeling the effects of the dream wear off. Harrison was standing over me.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“What are you doing?”
“You were having a nightmare. I was going to wake you up.” He frowned.
“Oh. Did I scream?” I did in the dream.
“No, you were twitching and whimpering.” He sat down. “Laney called me.”
“So you know?”
“Yeah.” He was quiet for a minute. “Want me to beat his ass?”
I sighed. “No. He’s not even worth it. But if you happen to see him and your fist just happens to run into his face, I wouldn’t exactly care.”
Harrison gave me an awkward half hug and turned his attention to his phone. I looked over his shoulder, reading his text messages. “Who’s Jenny?” I asked, reading the name of the sender.
“The girl I went out with last night,” he replied.
“Oh, yeah. How did that go?” I had been so wrapped up in my own problems that I forgot to ask Harrison about the game and his date.
He shrugged again. “Okay, I guess. She’s all right, but predictable.”
“Predictable?” I questioned and hugged my pink stuffed unicorn.
“Yeah.” He sent another message before setting his phone down.
“Care to explain?”
“I can’t really,” he said. “But she is. She’s very typical.”
“All right,” I said since it was obvious Harrison couldn’t explain his own thought process.
“She likes horses,” he added. “If we go to the barn, could you help us ride?”
“Sure. I’m sure any day after school this week will be fine. Especially since I have no boyfriend to waste time with anymore.”
Harrison shot me a half-sympathetic half don’t-do-that-to-yourself look. I smiled to show him I was okay. “I’m really tired,” I said. “See you in the morning.”
“Oh, Annie, I almost forgot. We have an early practice tomorrow. I’m not gonna go home right after school.”
“Okay. I’ll drive myself then. Night, Harry.”
“Night.”
4
Bob wasn’t under the oak tree when I went to the barn after school on Monday. He wasn’t always there, but I couldn’t help but wonder if his absence had anything to do with the dog-creature. I stayed at the barn as late as I could, using every last minute of my curfew. I wasn’t as upset as I had been yesterday, but I wanted to keep myself busy regardless. Horses are good therapy, and I left feeling much better.
I showered and completed my homework before lying in bed. I decided to leave Romeo out since he had been in his cage most of the day. I played with the tarot cards, trying to remember what each one meant. It was a lot to remember, since there were seventy-two cards and each had two meanings, depending on how it was dealt. It could be right side up or
upside down. I hid the cards under my pillow, exchanging them for the dagger. I ran my finger up and down the smooth blade until my eyes begged to be closed.
I woke up less than an hour later. Romeo had climbed up in bed with me and was scratching at my feet. Annoyed, I got out of bed, grabbed Romeo, gave him a kiss, and stuck him in his cage. Slight unease crept over me, but I was too tired to think about it. I groggily got back under the covers and fell back asleep.
Not long after, Romeo scratched my feet again. In my sleepy state, I tucked my feet up closer to my body so Romeo couldn’t get them.
Wait…
My eyes flew open, and I shot out of bed when I remembered that I had put Romeo away. I frantically turned on my bedside lamp and looked at Romeo’s cage; the door was shut and locked, and I could see him sleeping in his hammock. My heart was beating a hundred miles an hour.
I shook my head. “I must have been dreaming.” I swallowed hard and lifted up my blankets. There was nothing there. Slowly, I forced myself to look under the bed and saw nothing.
I even checked the closet and my bathroom. Of course, there was nothing. I had to have been dreaming. I sat down on my bed, crossing my legs so they wouldn’t dangle over the edge.
“Hello?” I asked, looking around the room for a spirit. Walls of energy were closing in on me. “Is there anyone here?” I held my breath while I waited, but nothing happened. I buried myself back under the covers, turned off the light, and tried to go back to sleep. As I was about to drift off, Hunter startled awake and barked out the window.
I shot up, too scared to look. I pushed myself over to turn on my lamp again when my fingers brushed the cool metal hilt of the dagger. An uncharacteristic surge of adrenaline rushed through me, and I decided to see what was outside in the back yard.
Hunter growled, and his fur stood on end. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, bringing the dagger with me. I grabbed a zip-up sweatshirt from the floor and put it on before shoving my feet into boots. I opened my bedroom door, letting Hunter race ahead of me.
He was waiting by the sliding glass doors in the breakfast nook with his nose pressed against the glass. I took a deep breath and unlocked the door. I didn’t allow myself time to think. I opened the door and stepped into the night.
I cautiously edged towards the steps of the wooden deck that led to the yard. The lights inside the pool had been accidentally left on, creating an eerie, watery glow over part of the yard. Something moved in the woods that butted up to the cast iron fence that surrounded our yard.
Hunter bolted forward, barking. My heart skipped a beat. I gripped the dagger and moved through the dewy grass. I narrowed my eyes as I crept closer to the trees. Fear prickled down my spine. It was the dog-creature. It had to be.
Then the energy shifted, hitting me and making me dizzy. I shook my head, trying to force the mental shields up. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t block it out.
Red-hot fear shot through me, and my eyes widened in terror. A dark silhouette moved closer. Hunter ran to me, putting himself between me and the apparition. The shadow took on a more human form. Energy buzzed in my ears.
I was frozen, rooted in the same spot, as I watched the dark shape step through the fence as if it wasn’t even there. It reached out, taking electromagnetic energy from my body. The darkness melted away as the ghost took on a human appearance. He was a teenage boy, with scraggly blonde hair that ended above his shoulders.
He looked at me, his eyes pleading. Then he held his arms out to the side and opened his mouth, trying to speak. His dead eyes met mine, and he shook his head. A chill went through me, and I suddenly felt the ghost’s emotions. He was giving me a warning…but I didn’t know why. He looked behind him, fear crinkling his young face, and then disappeared into the night without a trace.
Hunter stopped barking at once. Suddenly, the back porch lights turned on.
“Anora?” Dad called.
Oh crap. I hid the dagger inside my sweatshirt. “What is going on out here?” I turned to look at my dad for a split second before I turned back, making sure that the ghost wasn’t lingering.
“Nothing. Um, Hunter had to go out, and we saw…” Should I tell the truth? No, I wasn’t going through that again with my parents. “We saw a raccoon. He barked and chased it off.”
“It’s late. Come inside.”
“We will in a minute. Hunter hasn’t gone pee yet.” To my relief, Dad went back in. My body hummed with the energy and adrenaline. I hopped onto the deck and waited for Hunter. I dried off his paws when we got inside and hurried to my room.
Harrison was standing in his doorway, his eyes still half closed. “What’s going on?”
“There was a ghost,” I said honestly. I might not be able to tell my parents the truth about spirits, but Harrison could know.
“No, there wasn’t.”
“Yes, there was. He was trying to tell me something.”
Harrison turned to go back into his room. “You were dreaming.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was outside. And Hunter saw him.”
Harrison looked at me and frowned. “You’re stressed. And tired. It was probably a nightmare.” He waved his hands in the air. “I’ve had nightmares before. It’s not a big deal. It’s over.”
I cast my eyes to the floor. “You don’t get it, Harry.”
“What don’t I get?”
I looked back up at him. “That’s the difference between you and me. When you wake up, the nightmare ends.”
Harrison rubbed his eyes. “Tell me about it in the morning, okay?”
“Okay,” I said. The adrenaline rush was wearing off, and I felt sluggish. I hated when spirits took my energy. They needed it in order to manifest, but it wore me out. “Night, Harry.”
“Night, Annie.”
5
I could barely keep my eyes open during class the next day. I yawned my way through the morning, shifting in my seat every few minutes to stay awake. I widened my eyes and shook my head. I can make it to lunch.
But econ dragged on and was so boring it could be deemed torture. I was drawing the triple moon symbol from the pendant and dagger when I was hit with a wave of tiredness that I couldn’t fight. My hand slowly slid into my lap, causing my pen to draw a line down my notebook. My head drooped. The next thing I knew, I was dreaming.
The blonde haired ghost from last night was running through the woods, turning around every few seconds to see what was chasing him. There was nothing there. Slick, dewy leaves and slippery moss carpeted the forest floor, slowing him down. Low-hanging branches tore the skin on his cheeks, blood seeped down his pale flesh. He reached a small man-made clearing and stopped to catch his breath.
Everything was silent.
Too silent, he thought, his thoughts and feelings ringing clear in my own mind. He pushed forward, climbing a hill, not stopping until he was at the top. A white barn stood in the center of the hill. Branches snapped behind him, and he ran again, sprinting to the barn. There was something familiar and safe about this place. He knew where the hide-a-key was, and his hands moved frantically through wet, rotten leaves. The cold metal graced his numb fingers when—
“Anora!” Harrison’s friend, Luke, tapped me on the shoulder. I startled awake, feeling a little disoriented. I turned around.
“What?” I blinked in the bright lights.
He looked at the front of the room, indicating that I should follow his gaze. I did and was surprised to see a man dressed in a brown suit standing next to Mrs. Heverly. I didn’t know what this meant…or what to do.
“That guy said he needs to talk to you,” Luke whispered.
“Oh, okay.” Why? Aware the entire class was staring at me, I stood up and started to walk to the front.
“Please, bring your books,” the man said. A knot started to form in my stomach. This could not be good. Had something happened to my parents?
I looked at the man, trying to read his vacant face. He was thin, standing only a
few inches taller than me, and had washed out, short brown hair. He turned and walked out of the classroom. I hugged my books to my chest and followed, watching as the stranger checked room numbers as we walked by.
He led me into the main office. My heart fell to the floor. Someone died. Why else would he be bringing me into a conference room?
“Please sit,” he said and closed the door. I put my books down on the table and perched on the edge of the chair. I clenched my jaw. Was he going to tell me my parents died in a fiery car crash?
The man sat down across from me. “My name is James Pearson, please call me James. I was your great-aunt Estelle’s lawyer,” he said with a pressed smile. “I am very sorry to have to be the one to inform you that your aunt has passed.”
“Oh,” I said with a sigh of relief. Better her than my parents, although I felt guilty feeling that way. She was old, and I knew it would happen sooner or later. I just thought it would be later. “Should I get my brother? I mean, she was his great aunt too.”
“No, this doesn’t concern him.”
James opened one of the briefcases and shuffled through it. Why did I get pulled out of class and not Harry? And why would someone come all the way from Indiana to tell me my great aunt died? We weren’t close; a phone call would have sufficed.
James pushed a stack of papers in front of me. I reached out to pull it closer, and he snatched his hand away as if he was afraid I might accidentally touch him. He nervously laughed, like he wanted to cover up the fact that he was nervous.
“I bet you’re like your aunt,” he said curiously.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I flicked my eyes from the papers to him.
“Ah, right. Of course.” He cleared his throat and went back into lawyer mode. “Estelle left everything she had to you.” He paused and looked at me. I thought he expected me to say something.
“Everything?” What could Aunt Estelle have that would be so valuable that she needed a lawyer to personally tell me? James looked at the papers in front of me then into my eyes. I got the hint and looked down and started to read. “Holy…” I couldn’t finish my sentence.