by Jason Wilcox
CHAPTER 19
The morning was cold and Bridget didn’t want to get out of bed. She could smell breakfast and hear the sizzling of sausages. The thought of getting up went through her mind. She grimaced and pulled the blankets over her head. Mags lay passed out in the corner of the room on her dog bed. The phone rang and she heard her mom pick it up.
Wondering who could be calling so early, she threw the blankets off to listen. Her curiosity got the best of her and she got up. Fuzzy slippers warmed her toes and a thick robe helped fight the chill in the air. A creak came from behind her as Mags stretched and slowly followed her out of the room.
“Oh, sure, that would work just fine.” Bridget heard her mom say as she walked down the short hallway that led to the kitchen. As she came around the corner, her mom smiled. “Morning, honey,” Elizabeth said while she motioned for Bridget to have a seat at the table. Elizabeth hung the phone up and set it on the dark tiled counter. She picked up a mug and walked over to Bridget.
“Who was that?” Bridget asked, accepting the mug of hot chocolate.
“Phone solicitor,” Elizabeth said and proceeded without missing a beat, “Sleep well?”
“I slept well. It sure is cold this morning.” She took a sip of hot chocolate. The warmth of the liquid warmed her and made her smile.
Elizabeth sat down. Her old chair creaked underneath her. “I’m going shopping this morning. I’d like you to join me.”
Bridget hesitated, but she knew it would be rude to decline, so she kept her smile and responded, “Yeah, that would be fun, I should probably get out. Maybe it will take my mind off things for a little bit.” The thought of just lying around and watching lame TV shows sounded better than being around people. She let out a quiet sigh, not wanting her mom to catch on that she wanted to stay home.
“I think you’ll feel much better,” Elizabeth said with a huge smile on her face. “Let me get you some breakfast, and we’ll get out of here.”
It seemed like the shopping trip took forever. Bridget enjoyed getting out, even though they didn’t get home until a little past noon.
Before Bridget had everything unloaded, Elizabeth already had the grill going with Mags standing guard waiting for anything to fall to the ground. “How about I do the barbequing while you make a salad?” Bridget asked as she came out on the back patio. She was feeling useless, and the shopping trip had motivated her to start doing more around the house.
“No,” Elizabeth said without looking up, “I like barbequing and the salad is already made.”
“What would you like me to do then?” Bridget asked.
Since Bridget had gotten there, Elizabeth kept bugging her about getting up and doing things instead of moping around and watching TV. Now that Bridget was actually in the mood and offering to do something, Elizabeth refused. She didn’t understand why her mom was acting this way.
“Why don’t you go take a walk along the beach,” Elizabeth said. “Go. Relax. I have everything covered.”
“Are you sure?” Bridget asked.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said, “I’m fine. Now go take a walk. I’ll call you when it’s ready.” The sound of the waves was inviting, and Bridget wasn’t in the mood to argue.
As she walked up to the water, she picked up a smooth flat rock and threw it into the ocean. It skipped once before a wave engulfed the stone. With a sigh, Bridget lay down in the warm sand.
She used to skip rocks with Caden along the beach, but that was years ago. The last time they skipped rocks was also the last time Caden brought up marriage in a positive way. He had told her he wanted to marry her someday. Hope had stayed with her ever since, until now. That hope was gone.
That conversation never left her memory. It was the first time he’d ever talked positively about marriage. Not only was it positive, but he also said he liked the idea of getting married to her. Normally when anything about married couples or marriage in general came up, he only had negative things to say. He did make it clear that he loved her and always wanted to be with her, but she knew he had strong fears of marriage. At that time, she had thought about asking for clarification on what he meant, but she was afraid that if she said anything, it might make him feel pushed.
After years went by with him never bringing the topic up again, she often regretted not talking to him right then and there about it. There were multiple times she brought it up later, but he always said he didn’t remember the comment, which frustrated Bridget to no end.
A tree creaked next to Bridget, bringing her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She looked in the direction of the noise and saw the cliff where she had first kissed Caden. The breeze picked up, rustling the trees and bushes around her.
The thought of that kiss made her heart beat faster. Caden, and the dream of being together always was what she wanted, but it was gone, all unraveled.
She got up and walked towards the cliff heading to the path. The breeze that blew through her hair was cool on her skin. As she walked across that special place, she collapsed to her knees, too overwhelmed by the painful memories, her tears making their way down her cheeks.
Life used to be perfect, but something happened along the way and now Bridget didn’t know how to fix anything. The life she wanted had slipped through her fingers.
Bridget looked to the sky with her tear-filled eyes. “Please,” she let out a deep sigh and lowered her head.
“Bridget,” a voice that sounded like Caden’s called out her name. Wiping her tears away, she stopped crying. She was unable to tell where the voice had come from. There was nothing but a bush in front of her, so she turned to look behind. The breeze blew her hair into her face, and a hand took her wrist, startling her a little bit. At first, she thought her mother had followed her, but the skin was rougher, like a man’s hand. She quickly turned around to see who it was.
Tears of joy threatened as she saw Caden kneeling in front of her holding her hand, but the joy was conflicted with a tremendous amount of anger. The warmth of his strong hand only made the internal conflict worse. There was so much comfort and peace that pushed through her body with just his single touch. She wanted him back with all her heart, but she couldn’t go through the emotional ups and downs any longer.
His eyes asked for forgiveness, telling her how truly sorry he was. She looked down and saw a small black box move across her palm. Caden opened the box to reveal a diamond ring.
Am I dreaming?
“Will you marry me, Bridget?”
So many thoughts ran through Bridget’s mind as she blurted, “How did you find me here? How did you know I would be in this spot by the bush?” The whole thing was too surreal. She closed her eyes and then reopened them only to find Caden still kneeling in front of her.
Caden’s warm smile disappeared. “Umm, Bridget…would you answer my question?”
The sun’s rays that came through the trees caused the ring to sparkle. Reality began to set in as she processed the question. “Are you serious?” she asked, not meaning to say it aloud.
Caden let go of her wrist, not knowing how to respond. “More serious than I’ve ever been in my life.” He sat in the cool sand. “I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. I’ve been an idiot. I let my fears get in the way of what I want more than anything else in this life. You.”
Without another word, Bridget fell forward into Caden, wrapping her arms around him. Caden fell backwards, landing on the sandy ground. Her lips pressed against his, while her fingers ran through his hair. His strong fingers gently took hold of her left hand and put the sparkling ring on her finger. Bridget’s eyes filled with emotion.
“Will you marry me?” Caden asked again with a confident voice. Just the sound of it made Bridget’s hair stand up on the back of her neck. The question that she had dreamt about was finally asked.
This time she didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Yes. YES!” She kissed Caden again. Suddenly, she stopped, her lips pressed against Caden’s. Her eyes opened.
“How did you know that I would be right here?” she asked with a mischievous look and a smile in her eyes.
“I just know you that well,” Caden responded with a chuckle. He stood up and helped Bridget stand. Holding her hand, he tried to guide her past the bush, but she didn’t budge. He turned back around to face her. “What?”
“Do you really want this?” Bridget asked. “I mean, do you really want to get married or are you just trying to resolve everything so we can get back together?”
Taking her by both hands, he stepped closer to her. “Bridget, I finally realized how much of a fool I’ve been.” He stopped for a moment then continued. “Look, I’m not that great at explaining how I feel. I never have been. I want you, and I want this. I never want to lose you again.” He pulled her closer.
“But how do I know? How do I know this won’t be one of those never ending engagements?”
A big smile came over Caden’s face as he pulled her out onto the small cliff. “I know this is all kind of cheesy, but…” With a mysterious glint in his eyes, he pushed past the bush, pulling Bridget with him. He motioned to the beach below where there were a handful of people with a priest and a small setup for a wedding.
“You’ve waited long enough,” Caden said holding Bridget in his arms. “The engagement is over. It’s time to get married.”
“Married now?” Bridget shook her head in disbelief.
“You have cold feet?” Caden teased as he gestured to her bare feet.
Bridget pulled herself against Caden, trying to believe this fairy tale could be real. Huskily she whispered, “They are toasty warm.” Pulling away, she scowled. “But I don’t have a ring for you. And what about-”
Caden pulled out a silver ring. “We can use this for now and get a real one later. If you are worried about details of a large wedding, we can always wait.” Bridget playfully pushed him and then wrapped her arms around him, kissing him.
“I don’t care about a fancy wedding. I just want to be with you.”
He led her down toward the group of people that were waiting for them. Elizabeth had tears in her eyes.
“Phone solicitor, huh?” Bridget said in a fun-loving, but mocking tone to her mother as they approached. She looked over at Caden and spoke to him with the same mocking tone, “and you say you just know me that well. You had this all planned out, didn’t you?” Caden smiled. His eyes filled with a peace and happiness Bridget had not seen in a long time.
The ceremony went fast for Bridget. She was so excited that it all seemed to fly past her, except for the part where she said ‘I do’.
The reception was back at Elizabeth’s home. Caden and Bridget walked slower than the rest, holding each other as they made their way back.
“So, where are we going for our honeymoon?” Bridget asked. She felt as if she were walking on clouds. The whole world seemed to be lighter.
“Well,” Caden hesitated, “your mother’s beach house for tonight.”
Bridget stopped and looked at him then laughed; he had to be joking. “Come on, where are we really going?”
“For tonight, it’ll be here at the beach house, because I have to get back to the office early in the morning,” Caden explained. “I plan on taking you somewhere amazing when I get back, but that destination is a surprise.”
“You aren’t done with… with whatever it is they need you for?”
“I’m sorry, but no,” Caden said trying to pull her in close. “This was just an unexpected day off, and since I decided I couldn’t wait any longer, we’re now married.”
Bridget took a deep breath to cool herself down. Her first impulse was to get mad at him, but with the breath, she ran through her mind everything that had just happened. She looked down at her amazing ring. She was married; the honeymoon could wait, even if she wanted it now. If she got angry, it would only tarnish the perfect wedding.
Bridget stopped and pulled Caden in close to give him a lingering kiss. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You have made me the happiest woman alive.”
CHAPTER 20
The next morning Caden got up extremely early to get ready to head back to the office. He bundled up in one of Bridget’s bathrobes to keep warm as he packed his things in the car; his arms extended far out of the sleeves. Mags followed him out and ran off to the beach.
Caden had gotten up extra early just in case Bridget wanted to just hang out, but she didn’t budge. He had a half hour before he had to leave and lying next to Bridget in a warm bed seemed like the best way to fill his time.
Quietly Caden slipped under the covers. He stretched and cracked his back and then scooted over to cuddle with Bridget. No less than a minute had gone by before he was asleep.
Something woke him. Was it a dream or had he felt somebody enter the room moving along the wall past his feet? Caden tried to turn, but his body wouldn’t respond to his desires. The mattress sunk a little at Caden’s legs as something put its weight on the edge.
“Bridget,” a voice hissed, “very fine indeed.”
A surge of energy flowed through Caden as he forced some of his muscles to respond. He turned toward the creature that was crouched by his legs. Caden saw the same creature that attacked him before. At first, he felt fear as he looked at the dark shadowy skin, the sharp black teeth, and the burning red eyes. The creature was frozen in its spot, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
They looked at each other for a moment before the dark shape smiled and crouched, ready to attack. Caden clenched his jaw and said through his teeth, “Bring it on.”
Rage fueled Caden’s actions. He was not going to allow anything to touch Bridget. Without a sound, the creature dove at Caden, but something hit the creature and sent it slamming against the wall. Caden tried to look at what protected him but was unable to turn far enough to see anything.
A loud snort emerged from the back corner of the room to the left of Caden. Without any effort, the dark creature moved up the side of the wall. Black veins grew from behind the figure as if there were roots growing along the wall and ceiling. Caden was intrigued as he watched the oily substance move swiftly towards his side of the room.
Metal rubbed against a sheath. Caden knew it was a sword being drawn. The steel blade was held out in front of Caden. Dark green writing was inscribed, leading to a small hole at the tip of the sword. There were scratches on the well-worn blade.
A scream came from the shadowy creature on the wall. It seethed, showing its black teeth.
Caden heard a heavy footstep as the sword moved forward. He was finally able to see a part of the beast that lurked behind him. A large, red hand held the handle of the sword and dark black tattoos ran up his arm. The rest of the beast’s body was still hidden in shadows, but he could tell that it was large and had horns with strange carvings on them. Breathing heavily, Caden felt his eyes widen in shock.
“I’m surprised you’re not dead,” the red beast said in a very deep, scratchy voice to the creature. “You’re the one I heard was left for your own kind to eat?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to protect Mauldrin. I won’t allow you to harm him.”
The dark creature said nothing in return. Instead, it dove off the wall, releasing its claws. A sheet of blackness followed the dark shadow, pushing a dresser out of the way and knocking the bed against the wall. Caden tried to move his head but with no success. He was worried Bridget might be dead, since she hadn’t responded to anything. The beast’s sword flew across the room stabbing into the wall. Screeching and crashing echoed in the room as the two creatures fought.
A massive red wing extended over the bed and then retracted. Parts of the wing were torn with little holes. A fiery ball smashed the dark creature into the wall causing him to disappear into a puff of smoke. Caden felt freedom from his paralyzed state, but before he could move, the demon looked at him and quickly stomped over to the bedside, putting a
hand over Caden’s face. Darkness ensued.
As soon as he opened his eyes, Caden was surprised to see the room back to normal. Everything was quiet, and there were no signs of any type of fight.
Quickly, Caden got out of bed. He leaned over and checked on Bridget who was sound asleep. His heart pounded. The hallucinations weren’t getting any better; they were getting worse.
After kissing Bridget on the forehead, he left.
Fear ran through his veins—fear that Bridget was going to get hurt. What if he hurt her like Steven had done to one of the staff at SDS? He had to get back to the main office as quickly as possible and talk to Robert. It was time to admit these hallucinations were getting worse.
He had time to waste before he could board the plane. Sitting down at the gate, he thought about what had happened that morning. His heart rate slowed, his eyelids felt heavy.
A kick to Caden’s foot woke him up as James stood over him. “Time to get up sleepy head. They’re boarding the plane.”
Caden blinked a couple of times. He stood and stretched. “I must’ve been tired.”
“I bet you’re tired after last night,” James said with a big smile on his face. Caden halfheartedly smiled. James’s smile seemed to fade, and an uncomfortable silence followed.
The silence continued as they found their seats, and most of the flight they kept to themselves. Every now and again James gave Caden a strange look.
“Okay, tell me what’s going on,” James asked after a long time.
“What do you mean?” Caden asked as the seatbelt sign flashed.
“You’re acting like…” The pilot announcing that they were approaching their destination cut James off.
“You’re not your usual talkative self,” James said bluntly.
“It’s nothing,” Caden said, “I’m just tired, and I miss Bridget. I wish I didn’t have to rush back to headquarters, I would really like to take time to have a honeymoon now.” He looked down at his hands. What if I tell James instead of Robert? James has always backed me up in the past and maybe he could help me figure out what is happening.