The Shadows Trilogy

by Cege Smith

“I don’t know about that,” Ellie replied. “Then Emma got really sick all of a sudden. She was throwing up blood and it was like all hell broke loose. And then I woke up.”

  “I don’t think dreams are supposed to make sense,” David said. He reached out and stroked her hair. “You’ve had a rough day. It doesn’t surprise me that your dreams were a little crazy. Sounds like your subconscious incorporated a little bit of the Bradford story in there, plus you said that in Jake’s dream you were lost in a dark place too.”

  “Maybe.” Ellie was surprised that she hadn’t connected her dream to the Bradford story. It made sense, and Ellie started to feel a little foolish. “It was amazing how real it all felt.”

  She sat up suddenly and hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Dammit. I forgot that I was going to go over to Linda’s and get her mail and check on the house.”

  David sat up, looking at her warily. “Don’t you remember, Ellie? You mentioned that right before you fell asleep, and I told you I’d take care of it for you. I thought it was important for you to just relax tonight.”

  “You went over there?” Ellie asked.

  “Yes, there were just a few pieces of mail that I put on the front hallway table. I did a quick scan inside to make sure nothing looked suspicious. I left a light on in the foyer too. It took me all of five minutes. I think I was gone a total of twenty minutes, and you were still sleeping when I got back.”

  Ellie felt a little awkward that David had taken it upon himself to take on her responsibilities, especially as he didn’t know Linda very well. “Well, thanks for doing that,” she said, deciding it was too late now to get upset.

  The more she thought about it, it seemed pretty sweet. It had been a long time since she had a man around to help out with things, and she had to admit that she hadn’t been looking forward to going over to the house by herself.

  “Sure thing,” David said, stretching with a yawn. He looked at his watch. “It’s getting late, and I have to be up early in the morning.”

  “Early shift?” Ellie asked.

  “Yeah.” David stood. “My hours have been really messed up lately. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going half the time.”

  “When will I see you again?” Ellie asked. She didn’t want to admit that she was starting to get used to having him around.

  “I’ll give you a call when I know I have some time to get together. We’ll figure something out.” David gathered his coat and gloves. “You take it easy in the meantime, and remember I’m in your dreams now. It’s like destiny.” He kissed her gently on the lips and waved at her to sit down as she started to rise from the sofa. “I know how to let myself out.” With that he was gone.

  Ellie settled back onto the couch, and Skipper appeared. “Where have you been?” she scolded him. Skipper jumped up on the sofa and lay down next to her. She stroked his soft fur as she stared into the fire. She found that she was sad that she didn’t know when she would be with David again. He had slipped into her life so easily that she was still surprised.

  She thought she should call him then, and tell him how glad she was that he was in her life now. She stood and went to the phone and stopped. She didn’t know his number. She scrolled through her caller ID. His calls had come through as “Private.”

  Ellie dialed directory assistance. “David Mitchell, Minneapolis, please,” she said to the operator.

  “I don’t have a David Mitchell listed in Minneapolis,” the operator said after a moment.

  “Oh, okay. Thank you.” Ellie hung up the phone. She was perplexed. She had no way to reach him. He had always gotten in touch with her, she realized. She had no idea where he lived either.

  She looked at Skipper and wagged a finger at him. “The next time I talk to that man he’s going to get quite a scolding. Romancing a girl and then not even leaving his phone number.” Skipper wagged his tail as she spoke. Knowing she had an early morning too, Ellie decided there was nothing to do but let it go and head to bed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Ellie’s sleep was dreamless this time, but she was up early nonetheless. She played with the laptop a bit more and then headed into the shop. Kevin and Jeffrey were already there.

  “I can see that my presence is quickly becoming unnecessary,” she said, shaking her finger at the two of them.

  “Oh, stop it. You’re always welcome. But you’re right. We just don’t always need you. That’s code for you can take a day off every now and then,” Kevin said. He eyed the computer bag on her shoulder. “Did you finally give in to the pressures of this century?”

  “Yes,” Ellie said grudgingly. “I got a cell phone too. I was really glad I did too because I ended up having to use it to call the cops on Jake yesterday.”

  “Christ! What happened? Are you okay?” Kevin said. Both Kevin and Jeffrey stopped what they were doing.

  “Yes, I’m fine. David was over last night and helped me calm down,” she said.

  Kevin and Jeffrey exchanged a meaningful look and Kevin crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Um hum,” he said with a knowing grin.

  “Hey,” Ellie said, blushing. “It wasn’t like that.”

  Kevin rolled his eyes. “Oh, sweetie, it never is. Well, I’m glad to hear you are all right and that big goon didn’t have a chance to do anything stupid.”

  “It was so odd,” Ellie said, filling them in on what Jake had said. “Jake admitting to having a bad dream was shock enough. He’s always wanted everyone to believe that he’s some macho hunk who isn’t afraid of anything.” Kevin snorted. “But to be so persistent about it; that’s not like Jake. And then last night I fell asleep after dinner and had a seriously odd dream as well.”

  “You did have quite an eventful day,” Kevin said, turning back to his work.

  “I know, but David said that he thought I pulled in some elements of things that Jake described,” Ellie said, really not sure where she was going with that train of thought. It was like her brain was moving in slow motion on the topic. Again she felt like she was forgetting something important.

  “Of course you did, ma’am,” Jeffrey replied. “Subconsciously you were continuing to try to process everything that happened to you yesterday, as well as this dream that disturbed both of you. So it is natural that you would pull some of that into your own dreams.”

  “That makes sense,” Ellie said. She didn’t feel like working after all. “You know what, guys? I can see you’ve got things well in hand here. I think I may take the day off just like you suggested, Kevin. I do have to move some things over to Linda’s if I’m going to be staying there, and I think I could use the time off.”

  “Certainly, ma’am,” Jeffrey said

  “Okay, Ellie. Whatever you need to do,” Kevin agreed.

  Ellie wrote her new cell phone number down and tacked it to the employee bulletin board. “You can reach me at this number. By the way, if David calls, will you just take his number instead of giving him this one?” She ignored Kevin’s inquiring look. “I’ll be in tomorrow.”

  Ellie spent the rest of the morning moving some clothes and toiletries over to Linda’s. She packed a box with some of her favorite books, as well as her alarm clock and some DVDs. Skipper followed her about the apartment eagerly, as if he was waiting for his assigned task as well.

  “Not this time, Skipper,” she kept telling him. “I’ll bring you over later.”

  She carried her boxes and night case out to the car and headed to Linda’s house. She pulled into the driveway leading up to the garage, and felt unsettled. She left her car in the driveway instead of pulling into the garage. One of the keys on the key ring opened an outside door in the breezeway that led her to the solarium that was connected to the kitchen. She intended to go through the refrigerator and cabinets as well, and determine if there was anything else that she needed to bring from the apartment. She didn’t really relish the idea of going back and forth between the house and her apartment, and even considered just stayi
ng at the apartment and going to the house every day. But in the end, her curiosity got the better of her.

  Wouldn’t it be nice, even for a short while, to feel like she was rich? To feel like she had all the resources in the world? To feel like she owned a beautiful home? In a way it was like her favorite dream was coming true. It was right out of one of her romance novels. Ellie figured that worst case she’d stay at the house for a few days a week, and stay at her apartment the rest. It would be just enough to discourage anyone who might be watching the house and considering breaking in.

  Ellie hadn’t really looked in the kitchen before, and stood for a few moments gazing at the sheer massiveness of the space. It was Ellie’s dream kitchen. There was a large, six-foot granite countertop breakfast bar in the center of the room. Hanging above it was a wrought iron pot and pan rack, complete with pots and pans. Six stools surrounded the bar.

  Around the edges of the room were more granite countertops, with extra-tall cabinets above. The cherry wood was stunning, and she knew it must have cost a fortune. Stainless steel appliances spoke to the updates and modernization that had been put into the room. A double oven was built into wall. In the sunroom behind Ellie, a full size dining table with six chairs was present.

  Ellie could see it clearly in her mind. Her family would sit around the breakfast bar during the week, when everyone was in a hurry to get somewhere, and then lounge in the sunroom on the weekends. She and David would read the paper while the kids argued over what activities they would do that day.

  The fact that Ellie could see it so clearly told her again how badly she wanted that in her future. Skipper would be barking and wiggling around their ankles, and laughter would fill the house. It was in that instant that Ellie knew she didn’t want to go back to the apartment. Here, in this house, she felt closer to her future than she ever had before. She wanted to cling to that feeling with all her might. She could see that David was her husband, and could see their future children as clear as day.

  Ellie moved through the house in a daze. In each room she could see her imaginary family moving about their day. There was breakfast in the sunroom. Their traditional Thanksgiving dinner would take place in the formal dining room. They’d have after dinner drinks in the library while the kids did their homework. She and David could work on paperwork in the office. She saw their neighbors dropping in to say hello and sitting on the couches in the library. She opened the front doors out onto the patio. She could see Kevin and Eric laughing as they watched canoes go by on the lake; then everyone would raise their glasses to toast Ellie and David’s good fortune.

  She went back into the house and climbed the stairs slowly, running her fingers along the banister. At the end of the evening, with the children tucked into bed, she and David would climb these stairs, holding hands and looking forward to spending some quality time alone with each other. They would be laughing and kissing. They would make their way up to third floor and they would walk forward and push open the double French doors to the elaborate master bedroom.

  Ellie had imitated the thoughts in her head and found herself standing in the doorway of the empty master bedroom, which brought her out of her reverie. The light from the hallway seemed to disappear in the gloom of the bedroom. She remembered opening the curtains the last time she was there, but they were closed now. She had no idea why Linda would keep the room empty like this, especially when all the other rooms were furnished so beautifully. She quickly fumbled for the light switch, but when she clicked it nothing happened.

  Ellie was unnerved now. She returned to the kitchen and looked underneath the sink. She found what she was searching for: a flashlight. She went back up the stairs and flipped it on in the entrance to the master bedroom. Although she felt anxious about delving into the darkness, her stubbornness was winning out.

  She swept her flashlight around the room and saw that indeed the curtains were closed again. She walked over to them and threw them open, letting light into the room. Then she saw two other doors at the back of the room. She and Kevin had found the room so confusing that they hadn’t explored any further than the main room of the suite. She opened the door to her left. It led into a bathroom. Here the light was free to enter the room as only lace curtains covered the windows. The room was gaily decorated in a floral print with matching towels and rug. She closed the door and went to the other door.

  It opened into a closet. She found a pull chain and was rewarded with weak light from a single light bulb. She clicked the flashlight on again. The closet was filled with clothes. She ran her hand along heavy velvets and tweeds. It contained both men’s and women’s clothes. Ellie pulled one of the dresses from the rack. It reminded her of the dress that Linda had been wearing in her dream. She replaced it on the rack and continued pulling out items here and there. Sure enough, all of the clothes had an aged look about them. None of these looked like anything Linda would wear today. Ellie wondered why she would have stored them here, in the closet of this empty room.

  The hair on the back of Ellie’s neck stood up, and she felt like she was being watched. She spun around, whipping the flashlight beam across the room behind her. Nothing. She quickly pulled the chain, extinguishing the light in the closet, and closed the door. She crossed the room quickly, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She cast one final glance around the room. Still nothing. She closed the French doors and it was only there on the landing that she felt like the eyes were gone.

  Whatever the reason for the empty room, Ellie didn’t think she wanted to get better acquainted with it. She jumped with a yelp as her cell phone started bleating in her pocket.

  “Hello?” she said a bit too briskly as she flipped it open.

  “Hey, Ellie, you okay? It’s David.”

  Immediately she felt better hearing David’s comforting tone on the other end. “David. Hi. Sorry, I’m over at Linda’s. I was just starting to get things straightened away here,” she said.

  “I just wanted to check on you and see how you are,” David replied. “I’ve got to pull double shifts for the next few days, so I won’t be able to get away to see you. But I’ll call and check in again if you still want to hear from me.”

  “Oh, okay. Of course I want to hear from you, David.” Ellie’s disappointment was evident in her voice.

  “I’m sorry about that. It’s just that they need me here,” he said.

  “Oh, I know. I’m just starting to get used to having you around.” Ellie couldn’t believe that she was saying that out loud. It wasn’t like her to be so forward.

  “I like being around. But I’ll see you soon. I promise.” At that moment Ellie heard a beeping in the background and a voice over a loudspeaker. “I’ve got to go. They are paging me,” David said.

  “David, I…” Ellie started.

  “Sorry, Ellie. This is urgent. I’ll talk to you again soon,” David interrupted, and then he was gone.

  “I don’t know how to reach you,” she said, but it was too late. She frowned and looked at the phone in her hand. She scrolled through the menu to the incoming calls list. There was no number listed, only “Private.” She sighed.

  She dialed the number for the coffee shop.

  Kevin answered after three rings. “Ellie’s Coffee Isle. How can I help you?”

  “Hey, Kevin. It’s Ellie.”

  “Hey, Ellie. How’s the moving going?” Kevin asked, but he sounded rushed.

  “Good. Everything going okay there?” she said.

  “Yeah. We’re getting slammed right now, though. Can I call you back?” Kevin asked.

  “Sure. Just call my cell,” she replied.

  “Will do. Talk to you later.” For the second time in less than a minute Ellie was left talking to herself.

  The doorbell sounded and Ellie looked up in surprise from the phone in her hand. She hurried down the stairs across the foyer and opened the door. A huge bouquet of flowers greeted her.

  “Oh my,” she said. Then the bouquet moved and
she could see the deliveryman. She was looking directly into Jake’s eyes and the alarm bells sounded in her head. Jake’s black aura was back.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “What are you doing here, Jake?” she demanded. She looked around behind him. There was no one on the walking path.

  Jake was looking behind her. “Me? What are you doing here? Are you alone?”

  Ellie quickly pushed Jake backwards and closed the door behind her. She wasn’t going to let him in the house. “Are you following me now? I’ve got a restraining order, Jake. You’d better leave.”

  “I know about the restraining order, which is ridiculous, Ellie. I’d never do anything to hurt you,” Jake said gruffly. “These are for you. I wanted to apologize.” He nodded his head toward the flower bouquet.

  “I don’t need flowers or an apology from you, Jake. I just need you to leave me alone,” Ellie said. She was at a loss. Jake’s behavior was completely out of control. She was scared to death of what that blackness surrounding him meant, but he wasn’t drunk or making any overt gestures that indicated he intended to harm her.

  “I asked you to hear me out.” Jake stared at the patio. “I think you owe me that much after all the time we had together.”

  “And I thought you owed me love, fidelity, and a sense of safety, Jake. That didn’t happen either,” Ellie said, crossing her arms in front of her. She was starting to feel the chill from the cool November air.

  “I can’t do anything about all of that now,” Jake said. The hurt was evident in his voice. “I’m not looking to win you back or anything like that. I swear. I just want to make sure that you are safe.”

  “I’m fine, Jake. I don’t know what I can do to convince you of that. My life, all parts of it, are not your responsibility or concern any longer,” Ellie said. She refused to be pulled into any further discussion. She ignored the flowers and opened the door, intending to slam it in Jake’s face.

  “Ellie.” The strangled way that Jake said her name caused her turn. She looked into his face and saw haunted eyes staring back at her. “Please. Things have gotten a lot worse. I don’t know what it all means, but I know that you are in danger.”