“How do you know it’s someone from your family?” I tried to make eye contact with him but he wouldn’t allow it.
“Trust me, Mina, I know. My grandfather died in that house and he’s been terrorizing it ever since. People in town will tell you stories about us but they aren’t entirely accurate. Nobody knows what really happened, except for me, and I’m the only one left in my bloodline.”
“What about your sister?” He glanced behind at me.
“She’s barely alive. She’s just a hollow shell waiting to die.” He took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly from his mouth, staring away from me. “Damn it!”
My eyes drifted to him but he was staring off into space. It was unusual behavior for him to exhibit. Ever since I met him, he was always curious with his eyes, never looking away.
“What’s really going on?” I pushed further. His eyes shifted to mine in a flash of emotion but he soon looked away, fighting off any cross words.
“It's impossible for you to understand.”
“Well, maybe I can.”
“All I've ever wanted was a normal life but I see now that that possibility is unfeasible. I hate myself for allowing you in and I'm going to have to live with that guilt forever. I didn't want to pull you into my world but now it's too fucking late for regret.” His jaw tightened with agitation.
“Well, what if I want to be in your world?” I said openly but he showed no humor.
“It's a fucking abyss. You don't want this. I didn't choose this life for myself, my family did.” His anger seemed to dwindle as stronger emotions took over. “I'm doomed, Mina. I'm paying for the mistakes my ancestors made for the rest of my days. This place is a black hole, a disease upon the planet. You should never have come here.” The hairs on my arms began to rise and I moved a few steps away. “We thought it would be safe for an outside family but we should've known better. Your family was chosen for this but I had no idea you would be part of the package. I've gone through all the how's and why's about you being singled out and the only logical explanation is because of me. Maybe it’s best if we ended things.”
I stared back at him in distress, our inevitable breakup flashing before my eyes. “That’s not gonna happen Jaden. I’ve never been this happy with anyone. You can’t take that away.”
“You don't realize the depth of this situation.” He lifted his hand up and stroked my face. “Mina,” he whispered quietly. His lips touched mine softly and I moved them with his. I could feel his thumb rubbing against my cheek as his mouth caressed my flesh.
As his lips detached from mine, his eyes were welcoming. “I don’t want to be away from you either. I never thought I’d feel this way about another person.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and clutched him to my chest. “We’ll figure something out,” I suggested and he rolled his eyes, not believing that to be true. He looked over to the corner near his dresser and saw the end result of his anger—the remnants of a drinking glass. He left the room without saying a word and returned a few minutes later.
He came back carrying a broom and dust pan. He got as many pieces that he could but there were still fragments wedged within the carpet. You could never get every piece of glass after being shattered.
“Don’t walk over here,” he demanded while dumping the shards of glass into the trash can. It hurt my ears when they banged against each other inside the bag. I followed him down the stairs and the smell of Ryan’s dinner still lingered in the air. I hadn’t eaten anything all day and my stomach started to roar like a lion.
“What did you want to do?” he asked.
“I think I’m gonna take off.” He held my stare for only a moment and then looked away with regret. “I have a speech to prepare for and am in desperate need of some food.”
He washed his hands slowly under the steaming hot water. “Oh. Did you want to go out to eat or....maybe I can fix you something?” He turned around to face me while drying his hands off with a towel. There was an uncomfortable friction in the air and I felt that I needed to leave. I didn't know if these feelings were from his behavior or the recent news I acquired about my house but I had to get away. I ran my fingers through my hair and took a few steps toward him.
It was all just a little too much to bear at one time. I felt myself wanting to move away.
“I just need to go home for a while and clear my head. It’s been kind of a rough day.”
“Okay. I’ll give you some space.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later,” I commented as I walked away. His hand brushed against mine and he pulled me back before I could stop him. He held my back to him, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. My heart began to pick up pace. His lips grazed my neck and delicately moved their way up to my ear.
“Don’t be afraid of me Mina. I’m not a monster.” I stood there in silence, barely able to breathe. He started laughing, which released some of the anxiety but not all the way. I couldn’t respond in the same manner as him because I was still keyed up from earlier. His moods were all over the place lately and I was afraid that anything I did would upset him to some degree. I smiled graciously instead hoping to hide my real emotions.
His arms unlatched from around me and I was free. I left out the front door and walked to my car. His eyes felt like needles drilling into my spine and I drove off without looking back. I didn’t need to look to see if he was watching me because I already knew he was.
I took my time getting home, reviewing all of the facts in my mind so far. I now knew that whatever was going on in the house had to do with Jaden’s family. Of course it did. I should’ve realized that from the beginning. No one else has ever lived in this house except for the Laenzars. I felt stupid for being so blind. But why was one of his relatives still haunting the place? Forever trapped in his own personal hell.
When I arrived home, I pulled into the best spot in the driveway and got out. The sun was still shining brightly and I longed for air conditioning as I ran from my car into the house. I sat my bag on the floor in the hallway and headed to the kitchen for some food. I immediately got myself a tall glass out of the cupboard, filled it with ice and covered it with water. I chugged it down, refilling it once more, and headed for the refrigerator.
I scanned over all of the produce. I grabbed some broccoli, carrots, and radishes. I cut them up into smaller pieces and whipped up some dill dip to eat along with them. I grabbed a few crackers from a package and ate them with the veggies.
I ate quietly in the kitchen and there wasn’t a sound to be heard in the house. I was surprised my sister wasn't downstairs watching television which was her usual routine. I finished my lunch and headed upstairs, grabbing my bag on the way. I stopped at the top of the stairway, afraid to take another step as I remembered this morning’s incident. I took one step forward and felt the hair stand up on my arm and I tried to relax myself. You're scaring yourself. Calm down.
I was about to knock on my sister's door when I sensed something surrounding me. My body shifted as my eyes still lingered to the left, somehow knowing that something was there and after a moment of silence he appeared. The man from my dreams, who had looks to kill, stood there watching me with swirling darkness for eyes and a crooked smile that made my skin crawl. The voice in my head had stopped and the beating in my chest took over like the tell-tale heart. As he began moving toward me, my heart rate accelerated with profound intensity and I clenched my hand to my chest, afraid of what he would do.
My eyelids shut with fear but I could still feel the touch of him skimming my body and I lost my breath. The colors of my vision began to fade and my body was whisked away to a place I still cannot recall.
Chapter Nineteen
As I came to, I could hear the recognizable voices of my mother and sister nearby. My eyelids snapped open and I found myself staring back at the ceiling, my vision slowly coming back to focus.
“Mina,” my mother said with relief. I moved my eyes and saw her loving fac
e staring back at me with red swollen eyes. I sat up and felt nauseated as soon as I did. They were both helping me up, bringing me to my feet. As I grew more stable, their questions came at me—what happened? Why did you faint? Are you okay? Do you need to lie down? I couldn’t concentrate on their words because they were all blending together.
A phone started to ring at my feet. My sister squatted down to retrieve it and answered for me, assuming that I was unable to speak for myself. My mother’s arms were wrapped around me, practically suffocating me with her chest, but I was trying my best to ignore her comforting words while Caylie was having a conversation on my phone.
“She can’t talk right now. She’ll have to call you back.” There was a long pause but then she continued. “I don’t think so. She never mentioned it.” She looked back at me with questioning eyes. “Well, if you really must know...she fainted and was unconscious for a while.” She mouthed the words, “Jaden.” I broke free from my mom’s clutch and grabbed the phone from her hand.
“Hold on,” I said in to the receiver. I placed the phone on my chest and spoke to my family. “I’m fine. Let’s just forget about this whole thing.” My mother shook her head and I knew that she wasn’t going to drop it. I walked into my bedroom and locked the door behind me. I was able to evade the confrontation for a while longer. “Hey.”
“What happened?” he demanded, his tone worrisome.
“Don’t freak out. I’m fine now. I don’t know what happened. I saw that man again and he came at me.” My head was pounding, a headache forming. “I think I fainted from my own fear. When he started coming toward me—”
“Get out of there!” he interrupted.
“And go where? I can't desert my family, Jaden.” He sighed heavily, his breath echoing against the receiver.
“Are you all right at least?”
“I just have a headache. I collapsed onto the floor and I think I might've bumped my head. I don’t know how long I was out but when I woke up, my mom was here.”
“Did he do anything to you? Did he harm you?”
“I don't think so but I can't remember anything.”
“Did he go into you?” At first, I didn't know how to respond. I had no idea. I fainted before anything happened. God, it scared me even more to think about that. I didn't want to imagine this demented being roaming around inside of my body and mind.
“No. I don't think so at least.”
“You need to leave.” I laughed out loud. “Mina, I’m serious. You’re gonna die if you stay there.”
“How am I supposed to do that? Tell my parents, ‘sorry I can’t live here anymore because I’m going insane with my thoughts’. I don’t even know which ones are mine anymore. What is reality really?”
“You’re not making any sense. What is the matter with you? Do you have a concussion?”
“I don’t know. You have more experience with this than I do. What do you suggest?”
“You’ve already heard my suggestions. You need to leave that house or...leave me.”
“Well, I don’t plan on doing either.”
“Mina,” he pleaded but I stayed silent on my end. “Why do you have to be so pertinacious?”
“I don’t even know what that means.” He laughed softly at my ignorance.
“It means stubborn or extremely persistent.” I could detect a hint of snobbery.
“Oh.” I suddenly felt embarrassed by my lack of education. “I’m sorry. I’m not familiar with your ivy league words.”
“I wasn’t trying to sound above you. It was the best word for me to describe your pig-headedness.”
“Okay, now there’s a word I understand.” We both shared a laugh and it helped to lighten the mood. I told him I was staying in for the night but he didn't think it was such a good idea. He even volunteered to pay for a hotel. I didn't want him to worry about helpless me so I guess I was stubborn or in Jaden’s words—pertinacious.
If that wasn't enough stress to overpower me, I had homework to deal with. A speech. A speech about myself. I didn’t know what the hell I was going to say. I wrote down a few ideas while I spaced out into the melodic rhythm playing through the speakers.
I fell asleep in my chair a short while later and was awoken by a knock at the door. I got up from my chair and unlocked it. I opened it a crack and saw my mom standing there. I groaned and walked away to put my notes in my bag. She entered behind me, closing the door to hide our conversation from the rest of the family.
“Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Good. I think I need some food. I didn’t eat too much today.” I avoided looking over at her while I put my things away. She sat down on my bed and I continued to busy myself.
“Can we talk about what happened?”
“I don’t know what happened. I was fine one minute and then I wasn’t. There’s no other way of explaining it.” I hoped she believed me but it was hard to tell.
“Is something else bothering you? Are you eating enough? Are you drinking enough water?” I laughed and patted her leg.
“Mom, it’s nothing like that. I’m pretty healthy aside from the smoking.” She crossed her legs together and cupped her hands on her knee.
“Is it that boy Jaden?” I didn’t respond but she seemed to take that as a yes. “Ah.”
“Mom, don’t worry yourself. I’ve never fainted before. I’m sure it was some rare occurrence that will happen only once in my life.” Was I trying to convince her or myself?
“Maybe it’s those damn cigarettes you smoke,” she joked. I rolled my eyes and we both laughed. She hugged me for a moment and I indulged her. After that moment was done with, we went downstairs together to eat.
Everybody was having burgers but she made me a salad with ten different kinds of chopped vegetables. We sat at the dinner table, chatting about the day’s happenings and I was glad no one mentioned my little episode from earlier; they were keeping my dad out of the loop. He had enough worries in his daily life than to be worrying about some unstable daughter.
I helped my mom clean up the dinner dishes while my dad and sister found something on TV. After I washed each dish, she took them from me and dried them with a clean towel.
“So, how are things with Jaden?”
“Good.” I glanced at her and continued to wash.
“Are things getting pretty serious between you two?” I handed her another plate to dry.
“Not really. We’re still getting to know one another.”
“Good. I just hope you two are being smart.” I glared at her because I knew what she was trying to insinuate.
“We’re not having sex if that’s what you’re wondering.” Her cheeks started to blush and she turned away in embarrassment. I don’t think I have ever had a sex conversation with my mom. She shied away from those topics with us girls.
“We’re taking things slow Mom.” She smiled at me and placed the dried dishes in their usual places. I wiped off the counter and drained the sink, wiping it clean when the water washed away. She placed her hand under my chin and squeezed it softly.
“Love you sweetie. I do like Jaden. I think he's...never mind. I just worry about you. As much as I hate that it's happening, you're not my little girl anymore.”
“You still have Caylie to fill that role.” She smiled and scampered away. I was surprised she was accepting of Jaden but then I remembered she had a crush on him from the first time they met him. He really shouldn’t have been so flirty.
My migraine was gone by the time I awoke the next morning and I couldn’t have been more grateful. Sleep almost cured any ail that I was feeling. That’s how I dealt with serious menstrual cramps. I’d take a little nap and they would suddenly be gone, only to return later but at least it gave me a partial break from the agony.
My classes went by rather quickly. We discussed, as a class, the first act of Hamlet. I was surprised by my actions. I actually spoke aloud when they touched on a subject that interested me. I think a lot of students either d
idn’t like the play or couldn’t understand the language but that was fairly common. The Shakespearean dialogue was difficult to decipher for many, even me at times.
Biology was a little more exciting that day. There were different people at my table but the same girl sat next to me again. I tolerated her and we worked quite well together. I was more of the leader and she followed. I didn’t necessarily like that role but I felt that I needed to be that way around her since she was a completely passive person.
I was surprised that Jaden was nowhere to be seen all day. I thought for sure he would make himself appear before me. He always knew where I was it seemed but for me, finding him was a completely different game and I was always losing.
I missed him. I could always picture his beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the sun, like the color of the ocean and sometimes the sky. His magnificent smile that made me melt at the sight of it. I opened my eyes and was glad that I did because I nearly walked into a light pole in front of everyone. I quickly changed my pathway and veered myself away from it.
I was overcome with boredom when I got home. There was nothing to do but I also wasn’t comfortable being there alone for long periods of time. I felt like going for a walk and after looking out my bedroom window, I decided on the park. There were miles of trees surrounding the lake, like a great fortress guarding something important. Something from deep inside those woods was calling to me, daring me to enter those trees like in my dreams. I changed out of my sandals and threw on a pair of boots for better walking. I grabbed my pipe and a small stash and stuffed them deep into my pocket.
Once I made it past the highway, I chose to walk through the empty field near my house. There were no crops planted there, just big clumps of dirt and old cornstalks that were dried up from the last harvest but it evaded me why they hadn’t replanted this season. Once I reached the forest, I peered behind me and saw my house towering over the valley. It looked so picturesque from far away. Not as frightening from this distance and I saw beauty in it while it stood in the sunlight.
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