Shadow Heights

by E. N. Goeking

  “Is it true that he built this house as an orphanage in the beginning?”

  “No. Actually, it was my great grandfather Jerold who started the orphanage and the college as well.” My hazel eyes questioned his motives while he continued with his act. Why was he choosing to release his history to my dad of all people and not me? I had been begging for some information for weeks and he refused to embellish anything.

  “All right. Mina,” he turned his gaze to me, “you can go out.” I smiled with pure joy.

  “Thanks Dad.” He nodded.

  “I expect you to be home early.” Jaden took my hand and it tingled in mine at a faster frequency than usual as we left the room. He glanced over at me and his eyes were glowing with excitement from our triumph.

  On the drive to the cliff, I thought about his performance with my family and I had to admit I was impressed by his suaveness and charm with each of them. I laughed quietly to myself as I remembered my mom's reaction. He immediately looked over.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “I think my mom has a crush on you now.” He didn't seem surprised by my assumption.

  “I tried to win them over. You seemed so worried and I want you to realize that when I’m around, you never have to worry. I’ll always keep you safe.”

  I gazed in to his eyes. “I’m beginning to realize that.” His expression went soft.

  As I started to remember the roads he was taking, I tried to fight the anxiety building inside of me that he was going to scare me in some way or other. But I worried for nothing; he took his time and leisurely drove through the unpaved road.

  After we parked a good safe distance from the edge, he slipped a blindfold over my eyes which bothered me at first suggestion. An image of him pushing me off the cliff flashed into my mind but he assured me I'd be safe so I sat in the car while he got out and fiddled with something in the trunk. I felt a gush of warm air as he opened my door and led me a few feet away. He placed his hand at the small of my back and removed my mask. Happiness washed over me as I saw his plan to woo me. He had a blanket set up on the ground with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a tray of fresh fruit. He even had a candle lit on the center of the blanket but the unpredictable wind made the flame flicker wildly within its glass cocoon.

  “I can't believe you did this.” I looked over and he took my hand. “You're so romantic.”

  “I'm usually not but when someone takes hold of your heart, it can make you do amazing things.” He kissed my hand and led me to the blanket. We sat down next to each other and there was still enough light left in the night to see clearly. The sun was melting into the horizon and only part of it was shown.

  After Jaden uncorked the bottle, he poured me a glass and it was dark like the juice of black cherries and I swirled it around in my hand, inhaling its fruity bouquet.

  “To Mina,” he spoke and I held my glass up to his. “A goddess in my eye.” My cheeks began to warm as our glasses clanked together. The wine poured into my mouth like silk and I allowed it to roll down my throat with ease. It was rich, full-bodied, and bursting with flavor—a gentle mingling of fruits.

  While he munched on a few purple grapes, I grabbed a chunk of pineapple. Its sweet juice filled my mouth as I took a bite.

  “I want to apologize for how I acted the other night.”

  “You're forgiven,” I replied without rehashing the details.

  “Maybe I don't deserve to be forgiven. My behavior was quite asinine. I will make it up to you.” I reached over to squeeze his hand.

  “You already have.” He downed the rest of his glass. “But if you feel this way, why were you so impersonal yesterday? It felt like you wanted to end things.”

  “I’m sorry you perceived it that way. I was ashamed to have put you in that situation with your friend. I still don’t understand it, why I acted so boorish.” His attention shifted to the nearby trees while the wind rustled their leaves.

  “I get it Jaden. You’re a guy that let your jealousy get the best of you.”

  “You would think that were true but it wasn’t envy that made me behave that way. I think it was my need to protect you that caused me to act out.”

  “Huh?” I blurted out.

  “Since we've met, I haven't felt at all like myself and when he came into the picture, I lost control. I couldn't help but feel threatened because you're invaluable to me and I want you for myself.” He took a long drink of his wine and slowly let it ease down his throat. “What can I say? I'm a selfish prick.”

  “I wouldn't say that you're selfish.” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Just a prick then?” I laughed which made his stern expression crack with a smile.

  “It’s great that you understand why you do the things you do but how do I know this won’t happen again?”

  “I can’t guarantee that it won’t but I’ll be more observant of my behavior when you’re around. I’m willing to be a better person for you.”

  “I don’t want you to change for me. I like you just the way you are. Your intensity is what attracted me to you in the first place.”

  “You have quite the unconventional taste,” he humored, enjoying this new side of me.

  “I wish you would open up to me more often like this. It’s nice.” I reached for a strawberry and bit into it, leaving nothing but its stem.

  “I usually avoid personal relationships so this is all new for me. I’m going through some changes this year and it's problematic for us to be together with the way things are.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “It’s nothing—” he began with regret but I interrupted.

  “If it was nothing, you wouldn’t have mentioned it.”

  “I'm finding it a challenge to stay away from you,” he confessed with humiliation, afraid to expose any weakened side of himself.

  “Then don’t.” His hand ran down my arm, raising the hairs of my skin.

  “You have no idea what you’re saying.” I brushed my lips against his neck, tempting him with every sensation I had available to me. “You’ve awakened something inside of me and it’s like I’m seeing in color for the first time. You make me feel alive and I hate myself for giving you that control.”

  While he was busy trying to build his defenses, I intervened and pulled on his collar to drag him down to my level and after seeing the great desire I had for him, he released his inner turmoil and succumbed to my puckering lips. The force his mouth exerted upon me made my skin throb and it produced a tickle that drove me wild. Our mouths danced in the lingering sunlight while he enshrouded me in his world and I couldn't imagine a more heavenly place to be.

  Chapter Seventeen

  When I awoke the next morning, I slowly eased my way out of bed and turned on my computer. The house was silent beneath me and everybody was already gone starting their day. While waiting for my outdated PC to boot up, I went into the closet in search for an outfit. I decided on a pair of black capris and a plain black t-shirt.

  I took a long shower and took the time to absorb the heat. The hot water woke my body up and I was more willing to start my day. When I finally stepped out, the room was filled with enough steam to fill a sauna so I turned on the exhaust fan to suck some of the moisture away. I walked into the hallway and the coolness of the air conditioning formed goose bumps on my skin.

  A breeze flew past me, moving the hair away from my face and I found myself clutching the towel that covered me. A light echo of laughter came from the end of the hall near my bedroom. I felt restricted as I stood there, feet planted in place, waiting for anything to happen when something did. As if trying to grab my attention, the attic door slowly opened before me. It stayed open for only just a moment and as it started to close, I ran over and grabbed onto the handle hoping to keep it ajar when my vision blurred, slipping me into another world.

  I slowly opened my eyes, adjusting them to the change in light, and looked around the room I found myself in. As I stood up,
I looked down at my body and saw that I was wearing the same clothes of the boy I was before, not the towel I had just been in. Oh no. Not again.

  I noticed a soreness in my arms and sharp pains pulsing inside my skin. I walked closer to the only window in the room to view them better. There were red lacerations on them, freshly opened from some sort of injury. They stung from infection and dirt particles could be seen deep inside.

  Despite the darkness I was engulfed in, I walked around the room getting a feel for my surroundings. I could feel sharp edges of wood underneath my feet and rusted nails slightly raised from the floor in certain places. There was an old tattered blanket in the corner but that was all that could be seen; there was nothing else.

  I walked over to the window again and tore off part of the paper that covered it. I looked through and could see nothing but trees and fields for miles. The town looked quite different, less populous. Above the trees, a distance away, I could see a church steeple with a cross adorned to it that pointed toward the sky which was my only sign of protection in this hollow place.

  I slouched down the window, falling to my knees. I was extremely thirsty and was barely able to swallow due to my dry mouth. I felt along the walls in search for a door while crawling across the floor. I went completely around the room and couldn’t find one. I thought I saw something in the center of the room so I walked over to it. It was a stairway, very narrow with steep wooden steps that led down to a door at the bottom. I decided to take a chance and venture down below.

  I held on to the rickety railing balancing myself down the stairs in the pitch dark. When I reached the bottom step, my foot moved around and sensed a wider floor, unlike the stairs. I felt around the door until I reached the knob. I twisted and pushed but it wouldn’t budge. I almost felt like breaking down into tears.

  My arms were seething with pain and I couldn’t see anything around me. I was hungry and thirsty and I was trapped in this room, unable to escape it. I started pounding on the door during my sobs hoping that someone would hear my cries.

  I soon heard footsteps heading in my direction. I backed up to the stairs as I grew curious but cautious. I heard a key enter the lock and soon light appeared from the side of the door. It was the same woman from my other dream but I wasn't fearful of her.

  I looked her over through the faint light. Her hair was messy and tied into a bun. She had many wrinkles on her face, especially around the eyes. Her eyes were a light shade of blue and her hair was faded blond. She was wearing a long light blue skirt and white blouse with ruffles at the collar.

  She opened her mouth and spoke quietly. I noticed that her teeth were in bad shape but not unclean. “You quiet down now son.”

  I took a step back and hit my leg against the staircase. Son? She moved her eyes from me and surveyed the long hall. She pulled out a small leather flask from the pocket of her skirt.

  “Take this. Hurry.” She handed me the bottle and I took it. “Drink.” I untwisted the top and held it up to my cracked lips. A lukewarm liquid poured from the bottle into my mouth. I swirled it around and realized it was water. It tasted slightly metallic but I didn't care.

  I finished off the flask, drinking the entire bottle in only a few gulps. She snatched it from my hand and screwed the lid back on. I heard another set of footsteps coming from down the hall and she acted quickly. She shoved the flask back in her pocket and closed the door behind her, locking it shut and leaving me in the darkness.

  I could hear their voices in the hallway. They began to argue, voices were raised but the male voice seemed to be the one in control. I heard a smack and I could only assume he was the one doing the hitting. I flinched at the noise and scurried back up the stairs afraid that he would come after me next.

  I heard the woman’s shoes clank against the hallway as she hurried back downstairs but I still hadn’t heard the man's footsteps depart. I hurried to the blanket and hid myself underneath of it since it was my only source of cover.

  A lock clicked below me and the knob squeaked as it turned. I peered out from the top of the blanket, exposing only my eyes. Heavy boots stomped on the wood as he ascended the stairs. His head started to appear from the top of the stairway and I ducked back under my shelter for I could still see through the holes in the blanket.

  He scratched at his face, which was covered in a finely trimmed mustache and beard. He stopped when he reached the floor, searching around the room with anxious eyes.

  “Joseph!” he yelled. Joseph? Am I Joseph? “You answer me now boy. Hiding’s only gonna make things worse for ya.” He scuffed his boots against the wooden floor as he made his way around the room. I tried not to breathe as he approached me. I couldn’t hear anything and knew he was standing in place waiting for me to make my move. I felt a whoosh of cool air as he pulled the blanket off me, revealing my shaking torso on the floor.

  I held my lips tightly together fighting a scream. His surprising laughter at this moment unnerved me. He pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket but these weren’t ordinary work gloves. They were made of metal in a pattern of chains. He put them on, for what reason I didn’t know.

  His hand moved at me quickly, striking me across the face and I hit the floor behind me. I could taste the blood in my mouth like pieces of rusted metal. I felt paralyzed; I couldn’t get up or run away and it felt like my jaw was broken. His enjoyment seemed to be growing as the pain I was feeling became more real.

  “I'd like to see you try and attack me now, you ungrateful child.” I could feel the anger brewing inside of me but fear was dominating everything else. My eyes filled with pools of water and I kept telling myself to wake up, I hated this. I didn't want to be here any longer and as soon as I wished this, it faded away.

  I slowly came back into reality, still standing next to the attic door with a towel around my waist but the door was closed like usual. I wiped away the perspiration from my forehead, which was cold and wet, and hurried into my bedroom. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring back at my door afraid that any sudden noise would threaten me.

  I had to get out of the house. I got dressed, grabbed my things from my room and ran outside, glancing behind me to make sure nothing was following me. With tension levels soaring, I sat in my car and let it run idle while I tried to make sense of my dream. Was it even a dream, though? How was I supposed to focus on my classes after what just happened?

  Traffic was just as busy getting to school that day, maybe more so. I parked in the same lot as before, bypassing the zoo of cars in the distance. I smoked a cigarette, staring off into space, and tried to focus on other things but all I could see was the man from my dream. I could smell his sweat, the smell of his leather boots. Nausea was rumbling inside, moving the vomit closer to my throat. It sickened me and while I tried to erase him from my mind, he could not be removed. It was hard for me to imagine such an attractive man with gentleness of face to be so malevolent toward a child.

  While I formulated a photograph of him in my mind, my subconscious had recognized something that I consciously had not. It had already found the connections for me and I just needed to notice them. I realized that the man from my dreams was very similar in appearance and character to the ghost I saw in the bathroom. It had to be, the similarities were baffling.

  This beast of a man was roaming around the halls of my house but why was he targeting me? Nobody else in the Hunter household had seen him. I had never done anything to him. Who was making me fall into these memories? Surely it wasn’t him. Was it Joseph then?

  I looked down at my clock and realized I only had ten minutes to get to class. I snatched my bag from the seat next to me and headed out. I kept my eyes on the ground as I walked to the Liberal Arts building. I had speech first and now I really didn’t want to go. I was enthusiastic for it after my shower but not now, not after what happened. I hoped the teacher wouldn’t give us some impromptu speech because I didn’t know how well I would do.

  When I found the right room, I could se
e from outside the door that the class was full. I should’ve gotten here earlier to find a better seat. I walked in, eying the rows of seats searching for an empty one. There wasn’t one by itself so I had to choose between sitting by some smutty girl in a prostitute's outfit or some big hairy guy, who had to be two feet taller than me. He looked so awkward sitting in the little seat, it was a tight fit. Most people were engaged in conversations with fellow classmates, so I peered around the room hoping to find something better. I saw one seat in the back and claimed it for myself.

  As I approached the seat, I recognized the person who was next to it and stared back at him in disbelief. It was Chad but he hadn’t seen me yet. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans, his hair gelled like usual. I could smell a hint of his cologne but nothing too tantalizing. He was bent over at his desk, searching through the bag at his feet. I plopped myself down in the seat next to him and he looked up with curious eyes.

  “Hey,” he greeted with surprise.

  “Hi.” I got out my necessary supplies and sat my bag on the ground next to my desk. “I’m surprised to see you in here. This is a freshman level course, right?”

  He looked a tad embarrassed by my comment. “Yeah but I’ve been putting this class off for years. I figured I’d get it over with now since it’s my last semester.”

  “Really? That’s gotta feel good being almost done. I’m just starting.” He laughed with a full smile.

  “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. I can’t wait to be done.”

  “What’s your major?” I looked over at him, his eyes staring me down.

  “Engineering.” My mouth opened widely. I was shocked by his choice of degree; I didn’t think he was smart enough to tackle such a subject but then again, I didn’t know him that well.

  “Doesn’t that require a lot of math?” He nodded but luckily he didn’t go into the boring mechanics of calculating matrices. The noise around us lessened so I looked up and saw the teacher setting up her materials near the whiteboard. A woman teacher for once.