by Nancy Glynn
She didn’t realize she had said that out loud. She cleared her throat. “Before I graduated.”
He turned it to a pop dance song and glanced at her. “You look nice, Daisy.”
“Thank you." She wore her new blue jeans and silky purple tank top that tied around her neck, along with sandals that showed off her pink pedicured nails, all done while shopping with Gloria. It wasn’t her stepmother’s usual thing to do with her, but she went along with it.
She wondered about that girl her aunt mentioned last night. What did happen to her? She had said ‘tragically,’ but did she have a right to ask him? Maybe let it go.
“I used to have a pretty serious relationship back in high school, but things change." His voice trailed off.
Confusion came over her face before responding. “Yes, sorry. I heard something about that but didn’t want to pry. A bad breakup?”
“She died,” he answered in a quiet tone.
“Oh, my God. Aunt Betty had said tragically, but I just didn’t think...I’m so sorry, Christian,” she said, grabbing his arm.
“I’m fine now, was a long time ago. I just put all my energy into school and now ready to take on my new role,” he said, giving her a small smile.
“What did you major in?”
“Psychology. I wanted to understand the human mind,” he said, grinning.
“So you can understand the minds of your town people?”
He gave a hearty laugh. “Yeah, something like that.”
She shook her head in amazement and stared into the blackness. The streetlights disappeared behind them, as they treaded into more gravely side roads.
Trees multiplied as they drove deeper into the woods. The smell of the bonfire worked its way to the truck, so they must be getting closer.
Christian broke the silence. “Can I ask why did you come to visit out here, when you should be whooping it up with your friends for the summer?”
She squinted her eyes, feeling as if he already knew that answer. “Let’s just say I needed to get away for a while, plus my dad basically ordered me to come out here.”
“You always do what your father wants?" He steered the truck into a parking lot, cheers escalating from the lake.
“He thinks it’s what’s best for me,” she replied. She smiled at his concern. No one ever really showed her concern except for family. A wave of warmth flowed through her, easing any anxiety she had felt. A wall began to crumble inside her.
They got out and walked to the sanded area...and to the tribe.
***
“Christian, there you are! This is supposed to be for you, and you’re the last one here!" A pretty girl with a blonde bob and big brown eyes pouted, Daisy presumed to be another old girlfriend.
“Sorry, I had to pick up my new friend. Lydia Cartwright, I want you to meet Daisy Lock,” he said, smiling at both women.
She decided that he must have had a thousand different smiles, all for different occasions.
“Nice to meet you, Daisy! We’ve been waiting. Come – meet the rest of the gang!”
Daisy laughed and allowed Lydia to tug her hand. “There’s more than the tribe?”
“Tribe? Oh, that’s Dane’s word. And he’s right. You are hot! Come.”
The music pounded through her core. She watched as Christian talked to a few other college kids, all turning toward her as they got closer. He smiled at her as she approached with Lydia.
Lydia turned to her right. “This is my best friend, Charlotte. She’s one of us.”
“Nice to meet you." She regarded Charlotte’s passive attitude, wondering what caught her eye behind her shoulder. Charlotte had long dark hair to her waist and big round eyes. She turned to see it was Christian who was oblivious to this heated attention. He caught Daisy’s eye and winked.
Christian returned to them with a cute guy wearing black-framed glasses. “Daisy, I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine, Eric.”
Eric pushed his glasses up on his nose. He brought her hand to his lips and bowed. “Ah, the famous Daisy. Is that really your name? It seems so...”
“Country?” Daisy answered, embarrassed. She pulled her hand back, convinced they were groomed to do that.
He laughed. “No, I was going to say – delicate." Eric grinned.
She smiled in return. “My mom’s name was Rose, so...”
“Oh, I get it,” Lydia jumped in. “So then you’ll name your daughter a flower too?”
Daisy laughed in response and put her hands up. “Nope, stops at me.”
“What can I get you to drink, Daisy?” Christian asked.
“Water’s fine.”
He drew his brows up and smiled. “Good choice. Be right back.”
She watched him walk to the multiple coolers and drag two bottles of Evian out of a blue one. A few girls flirted with him, a few guys pounded fists with him. They all bowed when he walked away.
He returned with a cold bottle and screwed off the top. “Here you go, one fresh water for the pretty lady.”
“Thank you, kind sir,” she laughed. She bowed to him.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he said in a serious tone.
She glared at him a moment, feeling hot. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything…you drink water too?”
He stared off into the lake with a somber face. “Yes. Quit drinking in high school.”
She couldn’t help but wonder what caused him to stop drinking. Maybe it was when his girlfriend had died. Regret filled her and she looked off into the water in silence.
A rainbow of fireworks exploded in the dark sky, causing the crowd to cheer and clap. Some couples kissed and hugged.
“Beautiful!” Daisy said to the sky.
Christian turned and snapped a picture of her with his phone. “I agree.”
She gave a shy smile. Their eyes locked until the sound of chanting infiltrated the musical bash. She listened more closely. The words they chanted were “Christian's next, Christian's next,” over and over. That was fine until she heard words that nearly stopped her heart. “Hail Christian.”
Daisy glanced between the frenzied crowd and Christian, confusion wrinkling her face. The group of what looked to be the town’s most elite children, the next men to have their painted portrait on Jack’s Den’s wall, swarmed around the bonfire.
Before she could question Christian what that meant, her mouth fell open as she walked closer. Her hand flew to her mouth as she took in the strange scene. They were throwing in what looked to be little white flowers with yellow centers. Daisies.
“What the…”
Christian strode fast and hard to the fire and put his hands over the buckets. “No more!”
Dane turned toward him. “No more? We’re supposed–”
“You challenging me?" Christian’s jaw hardened against his words.
Eric stepped forward and gave everyone a stern look.
Dane tried again. “You know we do this for the birthday. Your father won’t be happy.”
“Dane, why? I don’t get it,” Daisy asked. She tried to control her shaking voice and show courage.
Dane gave her a cold look. “Because that’s the way it is around here, Daisy. No need to cry. We do it every time a man turns twenty-one. Maybe your boyfriend can explain it better to you,” he said, throwing his head in Christian’s direction in disgust.
Lydia walked over to Daisy and rubbed her arm. She took one of the dainty flowers and gave it to her. “There, where it should be given. It’s really only a symbolism of some childish tradition these men concocted long ago. Something that has to do with the girl that is going to be his date for the ball. That’s all, honey,” Lydia said, still rubbing her arm. She looked back to everyone. “Christian’s right. This is enough already.”
“Then it’s fine. I don’t want to stop some tradition because I can’t take seeing daisies thrown in a fire. That’s just silly of me,” she said with a nervous laugh.
“Daisy, you don’t have to,” C
hristian said, walking up to her and looking down into her eyes, wiping away her tears. “We can end this now.”
“He’s right, Daisy,” Eric walked over. He cupped his hands over his mouth and whispered to her. “They’re sheep. You don’t have to impress them,” he said, smiling and giving a wink.
“No, I’m fine. Please, go on with your tradition. Hell, I’ll even throw a few in there,” she said, and grabbed some from one of the buckets. She flung one and then another, and everyone began to applaud and cheer. A cascade of howling sang from unseen wolves.
Eric gave her a sad smile and shrugged, raising his bottle of beer to his lips while keeping his eyes on her.
Christian trotted to the recycle bin to throw their bottles away, it seemed as if trying to get away from the craziness. He also picked up a few scattered bottles in the sand and threw them in.
A crackle of thunder clapped in the far distance off to her right. The heavy air cocooned her. Fog floated over the water. Chilled air seeped in from the lake even though it was still about seventy-seven degrees. She rubbed her arms and looked through the crowd of college kids, catching her cousin’s hooded stare drenched in desire. A look he had given her since childhood, but still could never get used to it.
She watched as Christian stopped to talk to Lydia and laugh at something she said. She rubbed his arm and smiled up into his eyes. It didn’t matter. They were just friends. She didn’t care if he had a thing with Lydia or not. She clenched her jaw and turned toward the water, crossing her arms over her chest.
Eric handed her another bottle of water. “You okay, Daisy? They can be pretty rough in this town.”
“Thanks. And I’m not the delicate little flower you think I am,” she said, grinning.
He gave a deep laugh, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His sandy brown hair messy from the lake winds.
“So are you with Lydia?”
“Me – and Lydia?" He shook his head. “She’s like my little sister.”
“Oh. Is Christian?”
“Jealous?” he asked.
Before she could answer, an arm swooped around her shoulder, causing her to jump. “It’s just me,” Christian murmured. “Interrupting anything?” he asked, staring at Eric.
“Nope, just talking. See you later, Daisy?” Eric asked.
“I hope so. And thank you again for the water,” she yelled out as he saluted while walking backwards. She giggled before looking back at Christian.
He arched his brow at her. “Ready to go?”
She nodded and allowed him to grab her hand and steer her through the crowd. They walked through the dancing kids and blaring rock music. Daisy looked back to see Charlotte standing by the fire, plucking each petal off the dainty flowers and throwing them in the flames, head cocked to the side with a hateful glare.
Chapter Three
Daisy chewed on her already bitten nails as they drove home in the darkness. The luminescent July moon guided them. Forests stretched out on both sides, gliding past in a green blur. With the windows rolled down, the sounds of the night whispered to her, almost hissing.
“Everything okay?” Christian asked, glancing over to her and then back to the road. “You haven’t said a word since we left.”
She sucked in her lower lip. “Does Charlotte have a thing for you?" She decided not to mention Lydia.
He squinted his eyes in confusion.
“She seems...interested. I just get this bad feeling with her. I could be wrong, but…”
His jaw clenched before he responded. “We had a thing once, it was nothing. She tried to replace Tara, but I didn’t feel the same. You know, the same old song. Charlotte might be a little bitter over that,” he admitted. “Sorry if you experienced something from her, but you represent what she wants.”
She chewed off the last nail and stuck it in her pocket. That was the last thing she wanted, to represent anything to anyone. “I just want to teach little ones their ABCs and 123s…”
“I know, and you will, Daisy.”
“—don’t want to make anyone jealous. I have enough to deal with.”
Christian turned into the driveway. He parked and turned toward her, throwing his arm over her seat behind her, his hand dangling behind her head rest, almost touching her.
Her body tensed, knowing if she sat back his fingers would be in her hair. She froze and involuntarily clenched her legs together. She let a breath out and prepared to get out of the truck. “Well, that was a little different, but I don’t have a problem with it if it’s all in good fun,” she added, glancing up at him.
“It’s meant to be fun, but some of these rituals get taken a little too seriously around here for my taste,” he answered, looking off through the windshield in deep thought.
“What if my name were Barbara?” she asked.
“Barbara?”
“Yeah...what would be thrown in the fire?”
The glow of the porch light illuminated the dark front yard, signaling for her to come in. Shadows moved behind the sheer curtains of the bay window. She didn’t realize she had a curfew, not at the age of twenty-two. But she would respect it.
Her hand clutched the handle to get out when Christian's voice stopped her. It was so low, meant for her ears only. She could barely hear him.
“They would throw in some personal article of the girl. The fire needs to taste it.”
***
After answering a thousand questions from her aunt and uncle and finishing her bowl of homemade chicken soup, she slipped into her room and exhaled.
Christian's last words disturbed her still. What did that mean? The fire needs to taste it? What did any of these crazy things mean and why did they involve her? She almost missed her father’s controlling ways.
The sheer curtains danced to the wind blowing through the window, bringing a cold draft in the room. She walked over to close it when she noticed it already was closed. How were the curtains moving? Maybe a vent was nearby, but she found none.
She spun around to take in her surroundings, looking for the cause. The ceiling fan was off. A fear gripped her body.
Daisy slipped in bed after a fast shower and let the day’s events flow through her mind, pushing other thoughts away. Thoughts of dark eyes looking inside her soul and knowing more than she cared to share. No memory of a boy wearing a cape and stopping when she entered the room. Did he remember?
Her cross lay forgotten on the bathroom sink without realizing it. She thought she had put it on earlier after her shower. After clasping it around her neck, she slid back into bed. She seemed to forget it more while here in this crazy town.
She closed her eyes and drifted off to what seemed like a dream. A terrified girl with short blonde hair ran through the woods. She wore a long, white gown. The girl stopped for a moment and peered into Daisy's face. With pleading eyes, she asked if Daisy saw her Leon. She then screamed, “He’s coming! Get out!" She took off while looking back and then disappeared.
Her eyes popped open. Was that real? Who was that girl? And who’s coming? She forced her eyes closed and tried to sleep again. Right before falling asleep, the last memory was of Charlotte staring at her with that dead look. But this time, her face turned into a snarl, spitting out white petals of daisies sprinkled in blood, her tongue growing as long as her body down to her bare feet.
The black tongue hunted down Christian and wrapped itself around his body, finally probing his mouth. At first he smiled, but then he fought it, grabbing and yanking it as it grew longer and thicker. Charlotte’s black eyes turned red, angry that he denied her. The tongue slid down his throat and filled his body, choking him, his eyes pleading to Daisy for help.
Daisy ran to him and tried to free him. She propped her feet on his chest and pulled with all her strength, but it wouldn’t budge. Eric appeared just then, tugging on her waist to give more power, struggling along with her.
Behind her she could hear a man’s laughter. Dane stood there, his smile turning into a
sneer while his tongue flicked in his mouth, darting out in her direction. Daisy knew she needed to get away but couldn’t leave Christian. She began to shake and sweat.
“Please help me God,” she screamed, and in an instant she woke back up in her bed. Her heart pounded hard and fast, finally slowing to the tempo of her shallow breathing.
She clicked the lamp on next to her bed and scanned the room. “It was only a dream...only a dream,” she whispered. She was safe here with her aunt and uncle. Just do the dance and then on to teach like she was meant to do.
After trusting it was safe, she lay back down and allowed her heavy eyes to close. A sound clicked in the darkness. She thought she could hear breathing. Her eyes fluttered open to find a man at the foot of her bed. A blurry image of a shadow, but a man. He smiled and held a bouquet of daisies out to her. Blue eyes blaze, turning black.
Rubbing her tired eyes, the man disappeared. She glanced at the window. The curtains stopped blowing. She sat up and scanned the room, heart pounding. Her head snapped to her left toward her door to a soft knock. “Who is it?” she stuttered, still shaken.
No answer.
More knocking.
“Dane, if that’s you, I'm trying to sleep. Please stop.”
A low murmur and laughter permeated the wooden door, disappearing to the other side of the house, leaving a cold silence.
“Dane? Aunt Betty? Uncle Joe?” she asked in a shaky whisper. Her heart beat harder as if it knew something was wrong, warning her.
She stared at the door, waiting. Silence. She finally lay back down and felt something soft by her hand. She sat back up and found the bouquet of daisies.
***
Sunlight flooded the room. After last night, she welcomed the beam of light. She stood and grabbed her robe, cracking the door open to hear anything. Deep voices flowed down to her room from the kitchen. They belonged to her uncle and Dane.
“Ugh." She decided to close the door when hushed words caught her attention. Her name came up a couple of times.
“…I told you to let it go already. She belongs to Christian now,” Uncle Joe insisted.