“Have you lived here your whole life?” I asked Kami.
“Not my whole life,” she replied with a grin, “but I have been here for a while.”
“That’s great. I hope it will work out for me as well.” My hands fidgeted with the strip of clear tape I had balled up, revealing my nervous feelings.
“I’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel young,” Kami said in a faint voice.
“What do you mean? You can’t be more than two years older than me,” I inquired, puzzled at her odd statement.
Kami laughed nervously. “I meant that because it feels as if I have been working here for ages now.”
“Oh, right,” I said, and I believed she meant it. I knew how the day to day grind could make a person feel as if they had aged. At least for me, I felt older than 18 on most days. I didn’t have much in common with Kami, yet I hoped that somehow a friendship could overcome superficial differences. I felt comfortable around her, which was unusual for me.
An hour after Kami had unlocked the doors, the boutique was bustling with eager shoppers. I had quickly forgotten about the bad dream and was feeling better, when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The eerie feeling that someone was watching me crashed into me. I tried to ignore it, but the unnerving sensation hung over me like a dark storm cloud.
“I will be happy to—” I started to say to the mother and daughter I was helping, but I stopped mid-sentence. My heart raced as I looked around the store, my eyes darting back and forth to every person in the room. I saw the older lady who had been, for the last half hour, carefully deciding on which scarf to get her niece. The two younger girls were still in the fitting rooms and a group of women had just walked out as the bells on the door had confirmed their exit.
“Excuse me,” I apologized to the customers before rushing to the door to see if I could catch the person who had been watching me. When I opened the door, a gust of frigid wind met me. I stepped onto the sidewalk, which was already brimming with people, and moved my frantic gaze up and down the street, but no one stood out to me. People went on about their business, ignoring me, though I still couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on my skin.
I was still tense with fear when I returned to the store. Kami glanced at me, brows creased with concern. I smiled, trying to convince her that everything was okay. Seeming to believe me, Kami went back to straightening the table of jeans that had been ransacked by a group of teenage girls just minutes earlier.
The rest of the day rushed by in a blur of eerie feelings and ghostly nightmarish images. Fear and anxiety took turns flowing through me, but I kept myself busy avoiding any direct contact with Kami, hoping she wouldn’t notice how paranoid I felt.
I was relieved when closing time finally approached and we ended the day in the same way we had started it. I rehung the scarves that had fallen to the floor while Kami refolded all the jeans. I wiped down the glass doors and dusted off the counters. After straightening the window displays, Kami secured the money in the safe. I walked out as Kami set the alarm and locked the door.
I walked the short distance back to my apartment, three and half blocks then across the street. The sun was setting so I picked up the pace, my feet falling quickly on the black pavement. I imagined some dangerous stranger waiting for me as I rounded the corner across from my apartment home. The dark sky seemed out of place in the early evening hour and it brought forth images of my nightmares.
I was now moving at a slow jog as I hastily crossed the street and reached the door to the building. Once inside, I felt better as I secured the deadbolt and then the brass chain. Leaning against the locked door I slowed my breathing to its normal rate.
There is no one following you and no one watching you.
I looked through the peep hole to make sure no one had followed me. When I was satisfied that I was alone, I started the water in the shower. The hot water washed away the tension of the day, but not the ominous feelings. I dressed for bed and planned on reading, but the day proved to be more tiring than I’d realized, and I was asleep before opening the book.
When the night fell, the nightmares returned. I tossed and turned as I witnessed the death of the mysterious woman once again.
Another restless night left me tired and groggy the next morning and I forced my eyelids open as I slid out of bed. I trudged to the dresser and pushed the power button on the alarm clock, silencing the loud honking sound. I tuned in to the local radio station, hoping the music would drown out the sounds that lingered in my head from my dream, but the woman’s screams echoed in my mind. I felt so much sadness for her. Was it just a nightmare or did the woman need my help? I couldn’t be sure. There wasn’t much I could do but concentrate on starting my life. My new home and new job were all I had, and I was looking forward to seeing Kami and Candice again, as I had hoped to make some new friends in Shadowmist. I despised being the new girl but getting out of Havencrest was more than imperative to starting over. Starting over was exactly what I needed to discover my true identity and be happy. There were too many memories connected to that orphanage for me to ever be genuinely happy. I felt the need to start over fresh in a place where no one knew me or my past.
Shadowmist seemed to have beckoned to me, seductively calling me to its dark embrace and I had answered like a willing mistress.
FOUR
The eccentric township of Shadowmist was a remarkable place, rooted deeply in history and intrigue. I had read about the many important battles that were fought and won in the eclectic town. Significant blood had been shed, dating as far back as the 1500’s when it wasn’t more than a settled colony. The area where Shadowmist was centered, was countryside that was mostly underdeveloped and the few visible towns in the valley were rural areas. Shadowmist was the only true township in that location. The North Atlantic Ocean bordered the town on the east and a section of the Appalachian Mountains and The Lorehill Pines lined the northwest part of town. The white sandy shores of Brigantine Beach stretched out for miles promising the much-needed tranquility and peace I desperately craved. The entire town, from the ocean to the mountains, was surrounded by a few long-standing castles that had been built centuries ago by the founder of Shadowmist. My internet search of the place had told stories about how Arthur Mist had been fascinated by castles and constructed replicas of his favorites from around the world.
The idea to move to Shadowmist had originally come from Heath when we had lived at the orphanage together. Heath said he had seen it in a dream and became obsessed with the notion of moving to the town. Heath turned 18 and on his release from the detention center, he moved to Shadowmist. Now six months later I had unintentionally followed him.
Not due at work until that afternoon, I set out on the cool early morning to explore the town. Equipped with an old map and enough curiosity to kill a cat, I began the self-guided tour of Shadowmist. I walked down the sidewalk towards downtown then turned and went in the opposite direction. I wanted to see the forest first. I scanned the map. It was faded but I could see the general direction I should go. I could have used the GPS on my cell phone but had left it at home and I preferred the paper map.
I walked for a few minutes when I came to a group of teenagers talking outside a diner. I continued past them with my head down, studying the map again.
“Hey,” a girl shouted.
I turned to face her but didn’t say anything. I looked at her and waited for a response.
“You going sightseeing or something? She asked, pointing to my map.
“Yes, to Lorehill Pines,” I answered looking over the group of kids. “Is it that way?” I pointed towards the direction I had been going.
“Yeah, but you don’t want to go there,” the boy next to the girl said as he threw down the toothpick he had been gnawing on. He ran his fingers through his chestnut brown hair and his brown eyes darted up and down the sidewalk before stepping away from the group.
“I don’t?” I asked.
“They
’re just rumors,” the girl said. She stepped around the boy, narrowing her eyes at him and walked up to me.
“What rumors?” I folded the map and put it in my sweatshirt pocket. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know but I’d always been intrigued by urban legends and this had all the makings of one.
“They’re called the Vanishing Woods,” the boy with the brown eyes said from behind us.
“Shut up, Vincent,” the girl scolded him, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail swayed as she turned to glare over her shoulder.
“Vanishing Woods?” I implored, directing my question to Vincent and not the blonde girl. I could see the agitation in her eyes as Vincent joined us.
“They say anyone who goes in those woods loses their memory or worse,” Vincent said.
“Worse?” I asked.
“Sometimes they vanish, never to be seen again.”
“Do they get their memories back, the ones that don’t vanish?” I was now captivated by the local tale.
“Danny didn’t. He went into the woods with his girlfriend and days later they found him wandering the edge of the woods. He was covered in dirt and dried blood. His girlfriend was never found. Danny didn’t remember going into the woods or that he even had a girlfriend.” Vincent stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.
I looked to the blonde girl to see if he was telling the truth, but she averted her eyes to the ground.
“Schizo Danny killed her,” one of the others said.
“Yeah, everyone knows that,” someone else chimed in.
“Danny wasn’t crazy,” Vincent started to say but then he leaned in close. “Maybe they are just stories, but you still don’t want to go in there.” His voice was low and serious. Chills spread over my arms and I stepped away from him.
“Guys, let’s go,” someone from the group called.
“Don’t go in there,” Vincent warned before returning to his friends. The blonde girl smiled and shrugged her shoulders as she followed Vincent.
I watched as they walked away, thinking about what Vincent had said. I looked in the direction of the forest. I wasn’t bold enough to test the rumors, so I headed towards downtown instead. I thought it safer to go there and admire the old buildings.
I walked down River Road then caught the bus to Maple street, I got off the bus and continued downtown on foot. The rich architecture was something I loved about the quaint town. Most of the old buildings had been restored to their original beauty and the streets were still adorned with the original brick from the great depression, but they appeared darker than they were due to the melting snow.
I kept walking until I came to a building with a peculiar statue out front. The figure was constructed of gray granite and bore a resemblance to some sort of winged animal, although it didn’t look like a bird. It was more of a cross between a bat and a wolf. I settled on the idea that it was a gargoyle of some kind thought to ward off evil spirits. The gargoyle was perched on a round column with its wings spread out and above him. Sharp and pointed claws protruded from its front legs that gripped over the edge and it appeared to have its beady eyes fixed on me. The winged creature sat in front of a dark red brick building with a black metal railing around it. There were several steps leading up to the old wooden door, which was lined with black metal plates.
I approached the first step, my feet moving at a sluggish pace. I reached out for the metal rail, keeping my eyes on the gargoyle, but pulled my hand back. I was afraid to touch the cold iron. I felt foolish for having such misplaced anxieties about the rail and lifted my hand to it again. I let it rest lightly on the rounded bar. Against my own control, my fingers wrapped around the rail and gripped it until my knuckles turned white. A sinister feeling flowed through my body bringing terrifying visons from my nightmare with it.
A young woman wailed in pain; strong hands gripped her arms as she tried to break free. The man held on bringing her closer to him. The intense scent of the clouds pregnant with precipitation hung in the air.
“Let her go,” I yelled at the man, but he couldn’t hear me. He continued his attack of the defenseless woman. I helplessly stood beside them. The woman looked up at me with tears in her eyes pleading for my help. I felt the sting of tears in my own eyes as I tried to push the man away, but my hands went through him as if he were a ghost. I stumbled and nearly fell forward.
Time froze as the woman stared at me. The rain drops paused as they fell to the ground, suspended in the air and the night was silent.
“Beware what you let into your heart. The darkness will consume you if you allow it.” The woman’s words pierced through the stillness of the night and then the rain fell in large drops soaking the ground.
With my heart in my throat I watched as the man murdered the woman.
I wiped the tears and water from my face searching for the woman, but she and the man were gone.
I stood alone on the dark street.
An electric shock zapped through the metal and through my hand. I fell back and blacked out the moment my head hit the sidewalk.
Five
Soft sobs escaped through my clenched teeth when I regained consciousness. I pulled myself up and sat dazed on the sidewalk as I looked at the time on my watch. I held it up to my ear thinking the ticking had stopped when I fell but then heard the soft tick-tock as the hand made its way around. I had been lying on the cold ground for over two hours. The streets were empty, no one having witnessed the strange incident. Only the odd statue seemed to be aware of my presence, its cold stare following my every move.
I got to my feet, rattled by what I thought had happened. I steadied myself careful not to touch the rail or anything connected to it. I had planned to continue to the beach but the rest of my exploration of the town would have to wait. I gathered my bag off the ground and made my way to the boutique.
I didn’t notice the drop in the temperature or the light snow that was beginning to fall as I walked to work. The day had started out mildly cool and dry but now snowflakes were drifting down all around me. They fell to the ground and melted, leaving dark spots in their wake on the sidewalks and streets.
I walked faster, constantly looking over my shoulder, expecting to see someone or something following me. I imagined the bat-wolf lurking behind me, hiding in the shadows. My head was throbbing from the impact of my fall. I reached for the back of my head and pulled my hand away immediately, the spot painfully sore. I made my way through town, freezing and exhausted. I wished I had taken the bus back to work but the trauma had momentarily robbed me of logical thinking. It was too late as I could see the small courtyard next to the boutique.
I took a deep breath of the frigid air and composed myself as best as I could. I smoothed out my hair and dusted off the seat of my pants. I took a left turn and walked the remaining hundred yards. I stopped at the door before entering the boutique and tried to shake off the dreadful images that still loitered in my mind. I plastered a smile on my face despite the pulsating headache that was making its way down the base of my skull. I finally managed to open the door and hurried inside.
There were a handful of shoppers in the store and Kami gave me a look of relief when she saw me. “I’m glad to see you. Candice had to leave early and all of Shadowmist decided to shop today.” Kami smiled, pushing up the sleeves of her blue cashmere sweater. Valentine’s Day was just days away and it seemed as if everyone had just remembered the date.
I offered Kami a half smile and disappeared to the back to hang my sweater on the hook in the breakroom. I walked back around the corner in time to help an older gentleman pick out a bracelet for his wife. The man ran his hand through his thinning white hair as he chose a delicate silver rope bracelet. I led him to the counter and took his payment. His eyes crinkled as he gave me a lopsided grin taking the small bag and walked towards the door. Throughout the afternoon I focused my attention on the customers and refused to think about anything else.
“What about this red one?” a woman asked her son.
The tall boy wasn’t paying attention to her, his eyes glued to his phone. The woman hung the scarf back on the hook and reached over to the next one. She sifted through several colors, then picked a blue one. She held it up to her son raising her eyebrows. The boy glanced up briefly and nodded. I watched as the woman gave her son an exasperated look. She yanked the scarf off the hook and shoved it into his hands. I felt as if I was invading on their personal non-verbal conversation and averted my eyes away from them. Minutes later they walked up to the counter to purchase the scarf. The boy put it down on the glass and waited for me to ring him up. I wrapped the scarf in red tissue paper and placed it in a brown gift bag.
“It comes out to $21.63,” I said sliding the bag towards the boy. He dropped some wadded cash onto the counter and took the bag. He turned away before I had the chance to give him his change. His mother smiled at me as she reached to take the dollar bills from me. My fingers brushed against the woman’s palm and a wave of sadness washed over me. An image shrouded my sight and I saw the woman dressed in a black dress with a black veil covering her face. She was standing next to a pile of dirt with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her son was standing next to her, his small hand gripping hers. I pulled my hand away from the woman and uttered a thank you. I gasped at the vision in my mind and held on to the counter for balance.
“Are you alright?” Kami asked, startling me and making me jump.
I looked at Kami and then to the woman and her son leaving the store. “Yes, I thought I recognized them from Havencrest,” I said.
Kami shook her head. “Carol Welch and her son Henry have lived here their whole lives.”
“What about Mr. Welch?” I asked remembering the vision of Carol in a cemetery.
Edge of Forever: The Death and Life of Analey Rose (The Immortal Souls Book 1) Page 4