Shadow Heights (The Dark Side Trilogy Book 1)

by E. N. Goeking

  He seemed to be moving in slow motion as the wind behind him whipped his long hair about. His locks were silky black, almost like satin. His hair matched his eyebrows, thick and dark but rightfully placed with a small patch of facial hair gracing his chin that was flawlessly trimmed. He was very meticulous about his appearance, almost as if it was an obsession, and I could see that every piece of his ensemble had been carefully planned beforehand. He definitely wasn’t the type of guy who crawled out of bed and slid his greasy hair under a baseball cap.

  He was wearing black cargo shorts that went past his knees and a black tee that did nothing to hide his chiseled pecs. He wasn’t as pale as I originally thought but he was still lacking the usual summer tan that the rest of the townsfolk had.

  He walked toward the metal section, which was a couple aisles up from mine, and I quickly turned away, hoping he hadn’t seen me. Trying to avert my eyes, I looked back down at the CD in my hands. It was $10.99 and I thought that was reasonably priced. I peeked out of the corner of my eye and saw that he was flipping through some albums. Good, he didn’t notice me.

  I looked up as some girls giggled from across the room. They were staring at the same guy who had caught my eye but who would blame them. It was obvious to me that they were trying to get his attention but fortunately, he never looked up and this made me content. I smiled at their disappointed faces while they walked out the front door.

  My sister eyeballed me from across the store as she headed in my direction. She was carrying a tall stack of DVDs in her hands.

  “What did you get?” I asked and she fanned them out in a line from her hands. They were her type of movies but not necessarily mine. “Ah, I’m glad you found something.”

  “Do you have enough to cover this? I didn’t bring my wallet with me.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “I need about twelve bucks.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. I was lucky to have enough money left from my old job in Cherry Ridge. “I think I’m ready. I’m just going to get this CD.”

  “Let me see.” I handed it to her and while she was busy looking it over, I took the opportunity to study the tall, dark, and handsome stranger one last time. “I’ve never heard of them but I guess that isn’t a surprise.”

  “No, it isn’t,” I said, shifting back to my sister. “Greg loves this band.”

  “Oh, Greg does,” she said with widened eyes.

  “It’s not like that.”

  “What is it like then?” I gave her an angry look hoping that she would drop the subject. “Sorry, I was just curious. I know he’s always had a thing for you.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” I demanded.

  “Oh, nothing. I’ve just seen the way he looks at you. It’s like he’s in love with you.”

  “I guess I never noticed.” She rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Let’s go.” I quickly glanced at the dark-haired wonder and the side of his face was lifted into a smile. I couldn’t believe how much of an attraction I had toward this guy. Why was I so enamored of him? He was a human being like anyone else.

  I paid for all of our stuff and Caylie grabbed the bag from the cashier. I was hoping to get another look at him before leaving so, in preparation, I slipped my sunglasses on over my eyes.

  He was approaching the register, only a foot away from touching me, and even though my glasses protected me, his blue eyes burned into mine like fire. They were the color of the sky and I found myself under their dazzling spell. We both stood there in silence as if we were afraid to speak or had forgotten how to.

  He seemed to recognize me from the day before and smiled in his usual way but all I could do was turn away before I did something to mortify myself. Flipping him off might've been easier, I decided on the walk outside. How could I be so rude? He must think I’m mentally challenged. When we got outside, my face was hot and blushing red like a chili pepper.

  “Oh my God!” I said, gasping as I suddenly remembered how to breathe.

  “What?” she laughed, grabbing hold of my arm.

  “Did you see him?” I asked as we walked to my car.

  “I was hoping you would have the courage to at least say hi to him but you didn’t.”

  “I don’t know what happened. I guess I was surprised to see him standing so close and I froze.” I unlocked the car and we both slipped in. I took a deep breath and looked back toward the record store. I could see him standing at the counter and talking to the cashier. No guy had ever left me speechless like that. Why was I reacting this way to him?

  Caylie broke my line of thought when she spoke, “I don’t see what the big deal is. I can go talk to him if you want.”

  “Absolutely not,” I barked back. I started the car and opened all of the annoying plastic packaging on my new CD. I lit up a cigarette and slid it into the player in the center of the console. Soon the car was filled with screeching guitars and screaming vocals which helped numb my paranoia.

  I looked up and saw him heading toward the road, strutting a manly walk in perfect poise. He walked toward a black sports car that was parked near mine and waved at us with a sort of two-finger salute. I didn't know what to make of that greeting but I was at least able to smile in response that time. I was glad I hadn’t completely turned him away.

  “He is pretty cute. I couldn’t help looking at him either,” she said, hoping to make me feel better. “Did you see all of the girls staring at him in there? They were like predators ready to attack.” She formed her hands into claws and I laughed at her behavior, but as her words sank in deeper, they saddened me. They were like anchors dropping into a bottomless sea. If that many girls were interested in him, I knew my chances of being with him were slim and I wasn't about to compete with others for anyone's attention. To me, no one was worth that kind of battle—not even him.

  Chapter Five

  After arriving home that afternoon, I moseyed into the kitchen looking for a snack when I saw a stack of mail lying on the counter. I went through it and out of the whole pile, only one envelope was for me. It was from Julien Laenzar Community College or better known to those of the Heights as JLCC.

  I sat down at the kitchen table and opened it. I quickly read through all of the paperwork and it said that I had been accepted. It wasn’t too much of a shock because anyone can get into a community college. Sure I could’ve gone to almost any college and I had the grades to do it but I wasn’t going to jump into the university scene when I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to study.

  The letter said I had to register by the first of August and that gave me a few weeks to get everything settled. I went online and looked up various class times, writing them down on a piece of paper so I wouldn’t forget. Since it was my first semester, I had to register in person and meet with a counselor and I could handle all of that. I decided that I would take English, biology, speech, and economics—all introduction classes; that was enough for my first semester.

  I heard some noise coming from downstairs and that meant my parents were home. I raced down the stairs to offer my assistance. I went outside and my mom was grabbing a couple of bags from the trunk of her car. She was dressed semi-formally in a floral skirt and blouse, the perfect outfit for a school teacher.

  “Oh, hi sweetie. How was your day?” she asked and before I could answer, she was forcing two brown paper bags into my arms.

  “Good, I got to see the town some.” We started walking together toward the house. “I got an acceptance letter from the college today.”

  She looked over at me and smiled. “That's great. I am so proud of you for going to college. When I was your age, I wanted to take some time off and I really regretted that later.”

  I emptied the bags on the marble countertop and started putting things away. My dad entered the kitchen whistling a 1960s tune. How they still loved the oldies? Didn't listening to the same music for fifty years wear it out?

  “This is the last bag,” he announced for all to hear. His expression turned into a smile when he saw
me. “Hey, how did it go today?”

  “Pretty good. We went over to the music store downtown. I also got an acceptance letter from Laenzar College. I’m going there tomorrow to register.”

  “I’ll have to give you my credit card to pay for it. I won’t be able to go with you because of work. Are you all right to go by yourself?” he asked with apprehension in his eyes.

  “Of course. I’m not an infant. I can handle it.”

  As he was putting away the milk and eggs he said, “I know that. I just kind of wanted to be there is all. You're the first of my children going to college.”

  “Oh.” I helped unload the rest of the groceries. “Fried chicken?”

  “Yeah, we figured it would be quick and easy. Don’t worry; we got some sides that you can eat.” I was relieved. I was a vegetarian and had been for years, though I was always pressured by others into eating meat.

  “Good. I’m starving. I haven’t eaten anything all day.”

  We ate dinner that night and watched a movie that they rented from the store. It was one of the blockbuster types that didn’t interest me at all but I still watched it willingly. I went upstairs feeling calm and fell right to sleep that night, stepping into a different world that I wasn't quite ready for.

  I was walking through a field of dew-covered grass, wild in growth, into what looked like a forest. All I was able to see in front of me was what the moonlight touched. I think I was alone but why would I be here, in this place again?

  I could see the woods ahead of me but I did not want to enter them. The impending doom feeling in my chest was warning enough to stay away. The moonlight didn’t touch inside the trees and everything beyond it fell into darkness. Sounds of coyotes howling and owls hooting could be heard in the distance and I was frightened to be alone in such a place.

  Despite my mind's resistance, I kept walking and the dampness covering my feet made me realize that I wasn’t wearing any shoes. I looked down at myself and saw a flowing black dress that dragged along the earth at my feet. The fabric was sheer and lightweight against my skin. My long flowing hair felt silky all around me.

  I walked through the trees and I somehow knew exactly where I was going. This place was oddly familiar even though I had no recollection of it in present time.

  As I got farther into the forest I started to hear voices, very faint at first but then they grew louder. There was light coming from the East and I switched paths to follow it. I was like a lion hunting its prey, being silent with every movement I took. I could see a fire blazing high a hundred feet ahead so I hid behind a tree and looked on.

  Three older men dressed in black velvet robes were there but oversized hoods covered their faces. They were speaking to one another in another language that I was not familiar with. I couldn’t make out any of the words. It was mostly noise to my ears but it had to be some ancient language that no one used anymore. I soon realized by the tone they spoke in and their enunciation of words that they were chanting some kind of incantation. As if Mother Nature was responding to their request, I could feel an energy surrounding the woods like a storm cloud moving in. I slid over and hid behind another tree to get a better view.

  It was then that I noticed a small group of children tied together around a tall sturdy oak. Not one of them looked older than ten. Their wrists were bound to each other with rope and there was no way for any of them to make an escape. Their faces were covered in blood, their eyes drowning in tears. I could feel the pain of their sadness in my heart like razors.

  The old man walked over to the tallest of the boys and laid his hands upon his shoulders while repeating a chant. The other gentleman untied him from the others and pushed him toward the fire. A great struggle was happening with this boy, his hands were gripping the man so tightly that he nearly derobed his captor.

  I fell to the ground to conceal my body as they shifted directions. The man spoke in sounds and pulled a dagger out from inside his cloak. He pressed the blade against his skin, allowing the blood to drip onto the boy's forehead.

  The younger apprentice began repeating after his partner but his words flowed slowly and without rhythm, revealing his inexperience with magick. They laid the boy on top of a wood pile near their feet while he struggled to release himself. They strapped him down with leather ties and the poor boy could no longer move an inch. Could he even breathe? Did it even matter now? They hoisted it up and placed it on top of the fire.

  I found myself wanting to run over, but fear stopped me. I covered my ears with my hands when loud shrills of pain burst forth from his voice. A gust of wind blew across me which made the fire flicker back and forth, sending flaming ash into my eyes.

  I started to smell him. It was a repulsive smell that nearly made me gag. I knew where it was coming from but I didn’t want to believe it.

  The eldest man lifted his hands toward the sky and offered this child’s life as a sacrifice to his deity. As their bodies shifted around the fire, I took notice of another small child of the same age standing near the back watching the display, free from any shackles.

  From the moment my eyes fell upon him, his behavior disturbed me and I grew to hate him. He displayed an eerie smile while he reveled in this child’s misery. What was wrong with him? How could he take pleasure in someone else’s demise?

  The rancid smell of scorched flesh continued to linger and I held in my vomit to keep from alerting them. The ashes of his remains blew freely in the gust of wind that traveled through the forest and the deviant child started laughing uncontrollably, his shoulders bobbing up and down with each breath, like it was a big joke. A chill passed through me as my body trembled and I felt myself being sucked back into another world.

  I woke up shivering and wet and tried to catch my breath. My heartbeat was racing and sweat droplets trickled down my forehead. I wiped them with my sleeve and tried to get back into the dream to rescue the other children but it was hopeless.

  I had to admit I was relieved, though. It was better to forget about it. It was only a dream after all. I never wanted to go back there, to feel that sadness, but its effect still lingered.

  I looked over at the clock and it said 10:30 in bright blue lettering. I knew I needed to get up since I had a big day in front of me. I took a quick shower and did my hair and makeup like usual. I grabbed the necessary papers I needed for school and walked out into the hallway.

  A strong urge to go up to the attic flooded into me; perhaps my dream had triggered it. I walked to the door across from my bedroom with my eyes planted firmly upon its detailed yet delicate frame.

  I reached forward, wrapping my hand around the handle to see if I could turn it. I grasped the knob and it felt like ice under my skin. I pulled my hand back in a quick reaction, fearful that if I left my skin on it too long it would stay there. I took a step away from the door and stared back at it for a moment, feeling confident in my heart that something was behind it, something secret. A laugh came at the end of the hallway and I recognized the voice—Caylie.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. Her voice had a relaxing effect on my mood but my hairs were still standing on edge.

  It broke me out of my daze and I was grateful for her interruption. “I have no idea.” I shook off the situation and walked towards her. “I’m going to the college and will be back later.”

  “Okay. Well, good luck.”

  “Thanks.” She hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

  I didn’t need directions to the school since I already knew where it was. My parents had pointed it out the day before upon our arrival. It was only about ten minutes from our house, located conveniently off the highway. It was a fairly large campus considering the small area we were living in. I signed in at the counselor’s office and waited for over a half hour before someone called my name. Luckily, they had some magazines to occupy my time.

  I met with a woman in her late thirties who was obviously burnt out from the work day. She appeared very tired
and had dark circles under her eyes. She was, however, very accommodating and helped me pick the courses I wanted. There were open slots in all of the classes that I had written down and I was able to choose the times I wanted as well. I was surprised to get into these classes so late in the semester.

  She gave me a copy of my schedule and I went downstairs to the bookstore to see if I could purchase the necessary books while I was already there. Fortunately, all of my books were in and the grand total almost made me faint. I couldn't believe how expensive they were.

  As I walked out of the administration building, I dug through my purse to find my keys. I passed through the double doors without looking and bumped into somebody on the outside.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, ignoring them and the prickle that was creeping up my arm.

  “No problem,” a male voice replied that somehow awakened me from my sleepless daze.

  Something about his voice told me to turn around and not ignore him. My body shifted to meet him and I found myself staring back at a pair of sky-blue eyes that had captured my attention so many times before. In shock, I felt the bags drop from my hands. Luckily, I caught my purse before it fell but the bag of books I was trying to hold barreled onto the concrete.

  Good going Mina. Very smooth. I could feel my cheeks begin to warm.

  I squatted down to pick it up, expecting him to go inside, but he surprised me. He grabbed the bag before I got to it and handed it over.

  “Thanks,” I said with a smile. His finger skimmed the outer edge of my hand and a shock of electricity passed through me that slithered all the way to my shoulder. I was shaken by the feel of it but he didn't seem to notice the effect at all.

  His long hair covered his face as the wind blew, wafting a very interesting smell into my nose. It was a natural smell, not a heavy cologne scent, that I found highly enticing. The pitter patter inside my chest was making my entire body tingle the closer he was to me. Unsure of what to say, I started to walk away but he spoke in a sensual voice calling me back.