Hadrian's Wall

by Felicia Jensen

  For a few minutes, I looked around the room, which was cozy and tidy, but it didn’t evoke any memories.

  “I think this is not going to work,” I said.

  She frowned, looking worried, but her concern sounded fake, as if she was distracted by other thoughts. “Are you sure? No recollection?”

  “No.”

  I left the room without waiting for her. I really wanted to take a look at the book. I was still annoyed at Charity’s intrusion. It provided an excellent incentive for me to take action, so I flew downstairs like a rocket.

  I found the receptionist talking in a low voice with a tall man, dressed in black, who quickly left the room when he saw me. He didn’t greet me. If he worked for the Resort, he should have assumed I was a guest. I’d give him a zero for his poor job performance.

  The girl was still holding the book like a life preserver. I approached with outstretched hand, unconcerned I seemed arrogant or not. She was going to show me the register even if I had to pull it out of her hands.

  I think she girl realized what I intended to do and quickly laid the guest registry open on the counter in front of me. “Here it is, Ms. Baker.”

  It took a few seconds to find the entry that interested me. On the line that the girl pointed to appeared the room number, date and time of registration, the name of the guest (me)... and my signature!

  That’s impossible! But really it was my signature... at least it seemed to be my signature. I stared in disbelief.

  “Can we go now?” Charity said, suddenly appearing at my side, sounding anxious. “I think you have your proof, right?”

  I was livid. “Wrong!” I turned and ran out the door like a madwoman.

  “Melissa, wait!” Charity called me, but I had already headed in the direction of the trees.

  I don’t even want to know! For all I care, she can stand them screaming until she’s hoarse!

  Adrian had told me that I’d got lost in one of the hiking trails. I was determined to find that place. I wanted to know exactly where I’d forgotten about myself. I had to do it without those conspirators around me. Yes...that’s exactly what they are—a gang of conspirators!

  Looking over my shoulder, I realized that Charity was behind me, but she’d stopped to answer her phone. Great! I kept running until there was nothing around me except the very tall trees casting their shadows across the trail. The silence weighed on me. There was only the sound of my hard breathing and my heart pumping fast.

  I heard a bird far away and shuddered. It sounded mournful, dismal, uttered by a...crow? I had goosebumps.

  Farther along the path where the track became subdivided, a dense fog quickly settled around the tree trunks That’s odd. Haze in the sunniest afternoon that I’ve seen since I left the hospital! How is this possible?

  I was overtaken by fear. Surely I was having another crisis. Soon the winged beast would emerge over the tops of the trees, but instead of him, a mantle-shaped shadow rose slowly from the center of the fog. The mist had completely enveloped me, so dense that I couldn’t find my way back.

  The person in the mantle knelt down without paying any attention to me. She was performing mechanical, repetitious movements. I heard the sound of what? Water? It was then that I realized there was a small stream nearby. The person was washing clothes. Wow! What a relief.

  “Hello!” I said.

  The shadowy figure looked up. The hood fell back, revealing the face of a very old woman. Her white hair was disheveled. Her face was emaciated and riddled with sores. She had two large white orbs in place of eyes. I realized that I was faced with another incredible character.

  I jumped back when the woman opened her toothless mouth; however, no words came out. What emerged was a loud sound like a winch and it hurt my ears.

  “Miss Baker,” said a low male voice from behind me.

  I turned around and came to realize that I was looking at the mysterious owner of the F-150 standing very close to me. He looked like a boy—maybe a little older than me, but still a boy.

  Stephen Cahill was very different than I expected, except that he could easily be compared to Kevin Costner because of his physical attributes. He had an undeniably strong presence and exuded confidence. He was a kind of strong boy—fearless, whom nothing scares.

  Before I met him, I thought he was like Adrian since they were brothers. Adopted brothers I remembered just in time. Well, that explains the physical differences. They could not have been more different. Stephen had very light brown hair with blond highlights, cut in a military-style. His eyes were dark blue, a shade that seemed difficult to define. He had a straight nose, thick eyebrows, full, shapely lips, and broad shoulders. The guy was hot, but he couldn’t hold a candle to my Adrian. The only similarity was the constitution. Stephen was also tall and athletic, like his adopted brother.

  He extended a steady hand, palm facing up. However, in an act of rebellion, I turned away and walked toward the old woman...but she had disappeared without warning. Worse yet, the creek and the fog had also disappeared. I glanced back at him, horrified. He had not moved and still had his hand extended to me.

  “You must come with me now.” It sounded like a peremptory order, but I was too stunned to argue.

  This was Stephen Cahill, head of an elite team of bodyguards. With him I would be safe. I took his hand and realized that it was very cold.

  11

  LET’S BE FRIENDS

  Exhausted, I was balancing the shopping bags in my arms as I climbed the steps leading to the hospital. Charity shouted from the car that she was going park the Porsche and then she’d come find me. I politely nodded. I was dying to be alone.

  Charity had not stopped talking one minute all the way back to Hadrian’s Wall. I had the impression that she wanted to “fill gaps” after my attempted escape on the trail. After all, who could explain the new hallucination that I’d experienced? I did not tell them, but I had the feeling that they knew exactly what I’d seen.

  The F-150 stopped at a distance. Through the open window, I could see that Stephen was having a serious telephone conversation with someone. Mysteries and more mysteries...I shrugged and entered the building. I’m not sure how I found my way because of how stunned I was about the events at the Resort. I pressed the elevator button and waited.

  I was distracted by the sound of the cafeteria doors opening. I was exhausted...and very thirsty. I passed my tongue over my parched lips, imagining how good a cold Coke would taste right now. I took a few steps toward the cafeteria, completely forgetting about the elevator. I stopped when I heard the sound of laughter. Sitting at a long table near the windows was a group of “lab coats” all talking loudly.

  I considered turning around, but then I saw him—Adrian Cahill, in the flesh... and he wasn’t wearing his glasses! That was like a powerful magnet drawing me inside. I took a few more steps, glancing around to see if the room was full. It was not. The Coke machine was near entrance, very close to where I was standing, so I figured I might as well get what I came for and then sneak out.

  Laughter exploded from the Adrian’s group. Startled, I looked in that direction and saw Adrian playfully punch the shoulder of another young man. Asia was sitting beside Adrian. Her hand was resting on his arm and she looked at him adoringly. Adrian seemed not to notice her, still laughing at something the other guy had said.

  The unknown young man was telling them a joke or something. He wore no lab coat like the others, but seemed to be familiar with the others in the group. Standing before his audience, he shook his head, gesturing.

  I was so shocked and delighted to see Adrian without his glasses that scarcely paid any attention to the unknown guy. He had curly brown hair, longer than usual which gave him the appearance of “semi-hippie angel.” His vulnerable visage contributed to this image, though he had a very athletic build. Looking at him more closely, he didn’t seem as vulnerable as an angel would be.

  Suddenly, Adrian’s indulgent smile disappeared. His no
strils flared visibly...as if he were sniffing something in the air. He raised his head and looked around. I cringed when all of a sudden he looked straight at me.

  Heart lurched inside my chest.

  My initial guess was wrong...completely wrong. His eyes were green, not blue... a shade that I had never seen before. They were the color of jade. Amazing!

  He still was staring at me. I felt myself rooted to the ground. Come on, girl! You’re only a few steps from the door. Turn around and go! But I couldn’t move.

  Of course, the others had also noticed my presence. Some heads turned toward me surreptitiously for a brief moment before returning their attention to the “Angel jokester.” The laughter resumed as if nothing had happened.

  The jade-colored eyes of Adrian shone, his facial expression changed. It was as if Adrian was waiting for me to do something. His eyes narrowed as an almost imperceptible movement freed me from my torpor. I was overwhelmed by the terrible realization that I was facing the “prince” of the town—the heir of a powerful clan and the people who were with him were part of his “court”—all belonging to the same social circle.

  His circle was not my circle. I had no circle! How dare I believe that the chemistry between us would be enough to...to what? He only felt sorry for a crazy, delusional orphan girl. A man like that...hot...and a very rich man to boot, he could choose any woman he wanted. He probably had many girls running after him, vying for his attention, one more beautiful than other. Just look at Asia, who was still hanging on his arm.

  I took a step back, oblivious of my thirst, but before turning away, I glanced back and saw that Adrian was still in the same position. Something held my gaze...and suddenly I realized that his jade-colored eyes had started to change color, becoming yellow. It was not possible! It could only be the effect of the illumination in the room or I was hallucinating again. I blinked hard and looked again. He didn’t look away, not even for a second. On the contrary, he seemed to challenge me to examine him more closely. That freaked me out!

  Adrian moved his chin forward—an attitude typifying pride and then his eyes turned black!

  Someone laughed noisily. It was the “angel face” guy. Worried, he glanced my way and then laughed again, demanding Adrian’s attention as if to finish his joke he needed the full attention of his audience. Adrian smiled at him, but did not take his eyes off me. It was a superficial smile that soon disappeared—nothing like the genuine enthusiasm he’d shown before noticing my presence.

  His eyes were now black as the night. How was that possible? My dread must have been shown because he scowled at me through narrowed eyes and his jaw was clenched. Adrian didn’t seem indifferent as usual. It seemed more like he was overwhelmed by anger. Worse yet, the manner in which he was staring at me gave me a feeling of déjà vu. It was like I was sinking into a vortex of recognition, but I did not want any of it. I just wanted to run away. The hair on my arms stood on end. My heart was pounding and my muscles twitched painfully. My entire body was begging to escape. Still, I could not move.

  The black eyes were observing my growing tension like an x-ray and then his face became empty. Adrian picked the glasses that were laying on the table in front of him. Without looking away from me, he put them on his face. Then he turned to his friends and struck up a conversation as if nothing had happened.

  When he turned to smile at them, I felt like he was rejecting me. At that moment, Asia launched a murderous look at me. She also put on her glasses and examined me from behind the colored lenses. Adrian glanced at her and she meekly lowered her eyes. I could have sworn that he blasted her with his irises.

  “Hey! You’re still here!” said a breathless voice behind me. I turned around.

  Charity tugged at my arm, casting a nervous glance at the group.

  “I was trying to decide if I wanted a Coke, but I changed my mind,” I mumbled.

  I turned back toward the elevator without any desire to remain close to the circle of young, rich and successful people. They had nothing to do with me. I didn’t belong to their world. Forget it.

  Given my psychiatric history of hallucinations that were becoming more and more enhanced, who would want to date me? A coveted doctor certainly would not.

  I suspected that Adrian had the heart of a knight, ready to defend any helpless creature that crossed his path, so he asked his cousin to help me. He asked his father to hire me as an assistant and illustrator. Okay, he was a wealthy, handsome man, but above all else, he was naturally benevolent. He deserved to find someone as special as he is and that someone certainly was not me.

  I lowered my head. My self-esteem was gone.

  “Are you all right?” Charity asked. “Are you thirsty? Maybe we...?”

  “Don’t...I get something later.”

  * * *

  Charity stayed with me for a few minutes talking about trivialities. When she realized wasn’t getting any answers from me beyond “yes,” “no,” and “okay,” she decided it was time to leave me alone. Thank God! She got up to leave, saying that she’d meet me the next day.

  I sat at my computer, typing the name “Cahill” in the Google search bar. You really are masochistic, girl. Why don’t you forget him? I grumbled to myself that I was just curious about him, but I knew it was a lie.

  I found everything about everything: the labs and the brands of medicines manufactured in the Cahill name. I found the address of the town hall, the hospital, and the museum. Some of the pictures I saw in the museum were also available on the webpage. Hadrian’s Wall had social networking sites and even a community on Orkut; but nowhere was the Cahill family name mentioned, nor were there quotes about them anywhere. I thought it was strange not to find anything about their social lives in the newspapers or any of the online “gossip” forums. After all, Adrian was a billionaire, so he should have been besieged with requests for interviews or stalked by paparazzi, but nothing showed up anywhere. Strange...very strange.

  I found no mention of the death of Adrian’s mother. Absolutely nothing about his trip to Germany, not even a note about some party he had gone to or given. Niente.

  I remembered a comment that Charity had made about how the family ensured their own privacy. They had so much power that they were able to prevent any news about them being disseminated through the media?

  * * *

  It was late and I despite the fatigue, I still couldn’t sleep. I thought I could re-pack my suitcase, since I had to leave the hospital soon. Nobody had said anything, probably assumed that my stay was over. Any clothes that wouldn’t fit into the suitcase would be placed in bags and if I couldn’t carry it all...Well, there’s nothing you can do about it, girl. I could always leave the extra clothes that Charity had given me in the hospital’s donations basket, except for the high-heeled shoes. Nobody in their right mind would donate such things for the needy, but if the hospital staff could hold an auction among the jet-setters of the town, they could raise some money to help people in need.

  I got out of bed and immediately felt I wasn’t alone. A chill ran down my spine. I scoured my room, looking behind the curtains, in the closet and the bathroom. Nobody. I was alone, of course!

  I turned on the bathroom light and decided to take a warm bath to help me relax. I let the shower water run until it got warm while I chose a simple outfit to wear when I was ready to leave. I still wanted something cold to drink. Moreover, something was attracting me to the cafeteria. Maybe I needed to take a short walk until I felt sleepy finally...or maybe you want to know if he’s still on duty... Insidious thinking rattled my ability to reason.

  I tied my hair on the top of my head and took off my clothes, but I felt another chill...like someone was right behind me. I spun around. Nothing, but it was as if my body was being looked at by unseen eyes. There was an undeniable energy in the air. I shuddered, but oddly enough...I was not afraid.

  A crazy impulse made me jump into the shower stall. I stood beneath the spray, surrounded by steam, allowing the
hot water to relax the muscles in my neck and shoulders. With a sigh of relief, I began lathering myself vigorously. I rinsed and turned off the faucet. With another sigh, I opened the stall door, confronting the subtle current of cold air coming from the other room.

  I’d left the bathroom door ajar which gave me a glimpse of my bed immersed in shadows, the only lighted coming from the TV screen. I’d left the television on, but muted the sound, although I didn’t know what TV show was on.

  I wrapped the towel around my body and walked toward the bed, feeling the thick carpet caressing the soles of my feet. I let the towel fall to my side. A sudden breeze passed by, causing me to shiver. The window was closed, so why did I have goose bumps? I dressed clumsily, trying to rush and I combed my hair with my fingers. When I left the room, I still had the feeling that someone was watching me.

  * * *

  Breathing deeply sometimes helped me to calm myself. I walked to the elevator and pressed the call button. I casually glanced back towards my room on other side of the hallway and then I froze. Adrian Cahill was leaning against my door, silently watching me.

  My throat constricted, though a strangled moan managed to escaped my lips. I wasn’t prepared to face him. I didn’t want to be alone with him. Liar! You wanted to see him. That’s why you’re going down to the cafeteria—because you want to meet him, to be with him... But I was afraid. I didn’t know what I feared more—the insanity or the vibrations emanating from both of us.

  Two things happen at same time: Adrian walked toward me and the elevator doors opened. I realized that could get into the elevator before he could reach me, so I did. I boarded and quickly pressed the button of ground floor, but as if by magic, he was beside me, holding the doors with one hand. Impossible!

  He entered without saying anything, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. When the elevator was nearly over, he finally asked, “Can’t sleep?”

  “Yes,” I whispered. “Actually, I’m going to the cafeteria.”