Darkness Echoes: A Spooky YA Short Story Collection

by L. A. Starkey

  Colt and Jenna hurried along behind her. “Hope you don’t mind if we come along,” said Colt. “Besides, Kitty, you shouldn’t be out here all alone, especially this time of the year. I was concerned when Jenna told me of you meeting someone, and even your decision to do this video in the house is a little scary. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve offered to help you guys out.” Colt waited for Kitty to respond, his hopeful eyes meeting hers directly.

  “Do as you like, Colt. I’m sure Dominic might like to help as well.” She led the way inside and took a chair at the rickety old dining table. She rolled her eyes when the two did the same putting them in the exact position as that last fateful night. She hoped Dominic would not be long. After a few awkward minutes, Jenna decided she’d make conversation.

  “Are you sure he’s coming? Did he give you a time?” she asked bunching up her sweater to tuck in her arms. Kitty didn’t answer, so she continued. “Surely he hasn’t stood you up,” she said with pity.

  Colt lit a candle with the lighter he’d left last time. “How much do you know about this guy anyway, Kitty? I mean, you haven’t known him but a few days and he’s asking you to meet him in an abandoned haunted house. I’m not sure if that’s very smart. You should really be more careful.”

  “Maybe it’s a good thing he stood you up, Kitt. He could be a psychopath. How old is he, anyway, and what’s he like? Is he hot” Jenna asked giving Kitty a nudge.

  “You shouldn’t be dating strangers just because they’re hot, Kitty,” Colt added, cutting his girlfriend a glare. With that, Kitty had had enough.

  “I’ll worry about me, thank you. And he’s not some psychopath. He’s a nice, hot guy who is so sweet and considerate and smart and better than either of you. We’ll do this report, Jenna, but that doesn’t make us friends, and don’t think it gives you the right to come around trying to protect me. If you cared about that you would’ve thought about my feelings. Now if you could just test your camera and leave, I have a—“

  “What’s going on?” Dominic asked, stepping inside. “Kitty, are you okay?” He glanced at the two and stood tall posturing over them.

  “Whoa,” Jenna mumbled under her breath just loud enough for all to hear.

  Colt frowned at her. “I’m Colt, and this my girlfriend, Jenna. You must be Dominic,” he said the name as if it were the most ridiculous ever.

  Dominic responded with the same tone. “I’m Dominic Dane, nice to meet you, Colt. Jenna.” He smiled warmly for the girl and watched her snap from her daze as he crossed the room and kissed Kitty’s cheek. “I didn’t know you were bringing anyone.”

  “I didn’t bring them. They came on their own. I think they want to make sure you’re not a serial killer or an axe-wielding, homicidal maniac,” said Kitty. There was no laughter to accompany her sarcasm.

  Dominic held onto Kitty with one hand and shoved the other into his pocket. “Now that’s funny. It’s good to see that your friends here have a great sense of humor,” he said coolly.

  Jenna stepped closer. “Weren’t you going to ask him to help with the video?” she said. She was still swooning with wonder at Dominic, so much that Kitty thought Jenna might just start drooling. She’d be more protective of her boyfriends around Jenna from now on.

  Dominic studied the camera that Colt held in his hand. “Video? Are you making a movie?” he asked with laughter.

  Kitty explained, “It’s for a grade, actually. We are going to make a video tour of Whisper House and talk about its history and what’s happened here in the past.”

  “We’re even going to dress up in costumes and pretend to be part of the history,” said Jenna, her voice noticeably higher. A sure indication she was flirting.

  “How intriguing,” a thick sultry voice called from the door. When the others turned to her, Dahlia stepped inside, closer to the candlelight. “I hope you don’t mind, I overheard about your plans. It sounds…fun.” Dahlia watched as Dominic grew unsettled, and Kitty smiled. Jenna nudged Colt whose eyes were wide at the sight of Dahlia. She was wearing a tight black top and jeans with boots that stopped at her thighs.

  “This is my sister, Dahlia. Dahlia, you know Kitty, and these are her friends, Jenna and Colt.” He waved his arm out to the couple who were fixed on his sister. Colt was mesmerized and Jenna stared daggers her way.

  Colt stumbled out of his seat and offered it to her. “Have a seat, Dahlia.” Their eyes locked and Dahlia held him spellbound as she sat. Jenna let out a short breath and frowned.

  Jenna pulled Colt closer. “My boyfriend is such a gentleman,” she said giving Dahlia an overly warm glance. Kitty couldn’t help but smile knowing Jenna was rattled.

  Dahlia studied Colt, eyeing him from head to toe. “That he is. He’s quite handsome as well.” She smiled causing both Jenna and Colt to turn red, though both for different reasons.

  Jenna took Colt’s hand and pulled him closer to where she sat. “I think we should hurry up and test that night vision setting so we can go home, Colt. I wanted to watch movies, remember.” She nudged him. His face fell, and he raised the camera and tinkered with the buttons.

  Kitty leaned in and whispered to Dominic. “What’s your sister doing here? I thought it was going to be just the two of us.”

  “Sorry, I’m not sure why she showed. She must be bored or something, I didn’t exactly tell her I had a date.” He took her hand and squeezed it while staring deep into her eyes.

  She suddenly wished they’d all go away and the more he stared, the more she tuned them out completely. Just as she was about to lean in close, there was a commotion. She turned to see Colt had crouched down and scooped his camera from the floor.

  “Please forgive me,” said Dahlia. “I didn’t see it there. I hope your camera is all right.” She held Colt’s arm and studied his camera in the candlelight, leaning in close to his face. “I was just thinking I should probably leave. I feel like such the third wheel and now such the klutz.”

  “Well, it was nice to meet you,” Jenna said, pushing her way between the two as if to dismiss Dahlia completely.

  Colt acted as though he didn’t even hear Jenna. “No worries. It was an accident. I didn’t have a good enough hold on it. Hey, you want to come back and watch movies at my place with Jenna and me? We’ll have a great time. You don’t mind do you Jenna?”

  The flickering candlelight revealed Jenna’s look of frustration. Kitty knew she was not quite sure what to say and enjoyed watching her squirm. She couldn’t wait until the three of them left so she and Dominic could make their way to the balcony to lie side by side beneath the night sky. A warm tingle in her chest made her smile at the thought until Colt spoke up, ruining the mood.

  “You should come too, Kitty. Dominic. We could order pizza.” He turned back to Dahlia who was smiling slyly. “Do you like pineapple and ham?”

  Dahlia took hold of Colt’s arm again. “That sounds amazing, I’ve never had—“

  “I’d rather not,” Kitty interrupted. The last thing she wanted to do was spend another night at Colt’s house smelling Parmesan cheese and listening to Jenna giggle at his every word. “But you go on ahead. Dominic and I will be just fine.” She hoped she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt. “Unless you want to go.” She turned to Dominic and hoped he’d save her from embarrassing herself more.

  “No, but you go on, Dahl. I’ll meet you at home.” Dominic glared at his sister, and she tugged at Colt’s arm, leading him out into the chilled night air. Jenna grabbed his other hand, not to be outdone.

  Dominic and Kitty watched them leave and then he stepped closer to her, his hand making its way to her hair as he stared deep into her eyes. His sparkled in the candlelight.

  Kitty felt fluttery inside just as she had before. “Want to go to the balcony?” she asked. “I’ll let you lead the way.”

  Dominic didn’t speak. Instead he led her to the stairs, not taking his eyes off her. Kitty didn’t want to look away, but some of the steps were in poor condition,
and she needed to be careful. She glanced at his feet while watching her own steps as they ascended, but Dom never stumbled. Surefooted he led her up to the second floor. He took each step as if he knew them intimately, including the broken steps along the way, and it made Kitty wonder how familiar he was with the old house.

  He led her into the bedroom and around the ruined furniture to the balcony doors. He opened them wide, and then stepped aside letting her pass. As she did, he rested his hand on her lower back, and the feel of his touch surprised her once again.

  The wind was soft and gentle against her skin, and she took a seat on the leaf-littered balcony and stared up into the sky. She glanced at Dominic, who was looking down at her, his warm smile spreading across his lips. He stopped and turned to gaze out over the water. Kitty admired the lean muscles of his arms and back, the way his t-shirt hugged in the right places, and the way the moonlight reflected off his angular profile and dark hair. He turned and finally took a seat beside her, his eyes meeting hers. Kitty was not sure if he was studying her quite as closely as she was studying him, but when his eyes lingered on her a little too long she knew he was. Butterflies stirred inside her, their wings brushing against her heart. She hoped she dressed okay in simple jeans, a casual top, with boots. Hers were not tall boots like Dahlia’s, but then, she’d never seen anyone else, besides a prostitute on TV, wearing boots like that before. She rubbed her hand over their soft leather and then leaned back on her hands.

  Dominic’s gaze lingered and the corners of his lips twitched. “I should get us a blanket, I’m sure there’s one inside,” he said.

  Kitty’s face wrinkled causing her brows to pinch together. “It would probably be full of moths, or worse—spiders.”

  “Only one way to find out,” he said, jumping to his feet. He disappeared around the corner and came back a minute later with an old quilt. He held it out for her to examine and then placed it on the floor of the balcony.

  “It’s beautiful,” said Kitty. She stroked her finger along the seams of one block, studying the colorful fabric. “I can’t believe it’s in such good shape. I wonder when the last people lived here. I was sure it was ages ago, but you know, maybe it wasn’t that long.”

  “Maybe so,” he said spreading out the blanket and watching her settle. He joined her, and then cupped his hands behind his head as he lay back. “Now this is much better.”

  Kitty stayed leaning on her hands and glanced around. The balcony was more of an upstairs porch than a suspended balcony, and Kitty thought of how grateful she was for that. It was safer. She studied the structure wondering how long it would be around. She wanted many more nights on this blanket with Dominic under the stars. She lay back with him and cupped her hands behind her head too. Their elbows rested against each other and it wasn’t long until the two were holding hands with only one arm up behind their heads. They talked about so many things, and Kitty was once again impressed at how knowledgeable Dominic was. After a while, she noticed that he hadn’t really talked about anything personal. He was so amazing that Kitty wanted to get to know him better.

  “Where do you live around here?” Kitty asked nodding off in the direction she’d seen him and his sister leaving that first night.

  Dominic shifted uncomfortably. “I live on Deerborne Lane,” he said. “Just at the end.”

  Kitty nodded as she gazed off into the night, thinking how there wasn’t a house at the end of Deerborne. The houses on that street stopped long before the end of the road, which ended with a sandbar and boat ramp. The road had been cleared only three years earlier as access to the water after the old ramps on Fisherman Road were washed away. His eyes shifted, and he ran his fingers through his hair as though he were growing uncomfortable. “So when did you live here before?” Kitty asked.

  “Before?” said Dominic. “What makes you think I’ve lived here before?” Dominic sat up and glared down at Kitty with confusion weighing on his brow.

  Kitty thought a moment and remembered clearly what Dahlia had told her. “Your sister said that you’d just moved back. I was assuming that—“

  Dominic seemed struck with the memory and Kitty noticed how uneasy he was. “Oh, that. Yeah, we just moved back to the area. We lived in a different neighborhood before. Sorry, I was just confused. Are you cold?” He changed the subject and Kitty watched as he started to fidget. She hated to push but was curious what was making him react this way.

  “So what neighborhood were you in before? Do your parents work around here?” Kitty didn’t think the questions were all that tough, but Dominic gave a nervous smile and then leaned in and kissed her.

  Kitty felt his soft, night-chilled lips against hers warming fast, as well as the cold tip of his nose against her cheek. She froze for a second, but quickly melted into him and his embrace. He’d done it to avoid the questions, but she didn’t know why. And as he pulled her closer, she no longer cared. She’d worry about that later.

  Chapter Five

  Dahl appeared behind him as he watched Kitty drive away. Her silence wasn’t a good sign, and he turned to await her wrath which didn’t take long. “I told you to end it. I warned you. Now those little imps are going to be scampering about my house making some God forsaken video!” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to explain himself, though anything he said would only infuriate her more. “Yes, hold your tongue, Brother. Nothing you can say will fix this now. So, that’s why I’ll take measures into my own hands. I’ll spare your little blonde tart, but you should know that I intend to lure her friends. I’ll probably be doing her a favor. That Jenna is impossible.”

  “I just couldn’t sit back and let them talk to her that way. I couldn’t disappoint her in front of them.” Dominic leaned back against the windowsill. “There isn’t any way of stopping them from their assignment, but nice try breaking the camera.” He shook his head and stepped around his sister to the center of the dusty room. Even though the room was dark, he wasn’t missing the expression of displeasure on his sister’s alabaster face.

  “Oh, there are ways to stop them, Dom, and don’t think I’m above it. I told you I will not let anything stand in my way. What if your little girlfriend wants to know where we live?” Dahlia sighed as his expression revealed that Kitty already had. “Oh no, Dom. What did you tell her?”

  “Well, I didn’t tell her we lived here, Dahl, so relax. I told her we live on Deerborne Lane, nothing else. I’ll end it, Dahl. Okay. I’ll tell her we can’t see each other.”

  She studied his bleak expression. “Oh, Dom, you realize as much as I do that this has gotten way out of hand. You just can’t admit what must be done. You’re weak, Dom, just as Mother has always said…too human at heart just like Father.”

  Dominic clenched his jaw until it popped. “She should be thankful for humanity such as Father’s. It’s the only thing that’s kept him around her all of these years. And must I remind you that hag is not my mother? I don’t have a mother anymore.”

  “Watch your tongue, or I’ll remind you she’s mine. Let’s not get into Mother and her devious ways, Dom. I’m much too bothered at the moment. It’s not like either of us have a mother anymore. I had such hopes for our stepmother. What a disappointment she’s turned out to be.” Dahlia giggled, but Dom found no humor is his family dynamics. Dahl studied him a moment. “You kissed her didn’t you?” She watched his expressions as if for the answer. “You could still make her your sacrifice, you know. Kill two birds with one stone. I fear that little Jenna might be too salty.” She smacked her lips and made a face.

  “I’m not killing her. And neither are you. Leave her friends alone, Dahl. I’ll deal with this, since you’ve left me no choice.” Dominic stormed away, thinking of the repercussions of killing Kitty’s best friend. Not only that, but her fate was pretty much sealed. He’d have to spell them and wipe their memory. He hoped he had enough power. Leaving it undone might be too dangerous.

  ***

  Monday came with a new con
fidence for Kitty. She held her head a little higher and carried a secret smile. It faded as Jenna walked up behind her in the hall with a sour mood. “I tried to call you Saturday,” she said.

  Kitty lowered her voice as they walked into class. “Sorry, Mom and I went to Grandma’s house and spent the night. You know she doesn’t have service. I was bored to tears. We stayed until after church Sunday since it was her birthday.” The two took their seats, and Kitty noticed that Jenna’s expression was grim. “What’s wrong?”

  “Dahlia Dane, that’s what wrong. What kind of name is that anyway? Dahlia Dane,” she said again. “She was all over Colt the other night, like right in front of me. And he was just eating it up.”

  “Did you tell him how you feel?” Fighting the urge to remind Jenna of her own recent behavior, Kitty waited for an answer.

  “I tried, but he said I was being ridiculous. I tried to let it go, but she’s all he’s talked about. I seriously could go the rest of my life without hearing her name ever again.” Jenna let out a sound of frustration as the bell rang to start class.

  After the teacher had made her announcements for the week, she allowed the class to partner up for their projects. “So how long did Dahlia stay over? Did Colt walk her home?” Kitty wondered if Colt was up to his old tricks.

  “No way. I wasn’t letting him out of my sight. We took her as far as the end of the road, and she said she’d walk. Colt wanted to give her a ride, but she insisted she’d be okay and didn’t live too far.”

  “You took her to the end of her road or yours?” asked Kitty. She wondered if it was Deerborne Lane.

  “Just to the end of ours. Like I said, she insisted. She’s kind of weird. Dominic must be the normal one in their family. So how’d things go with him? Heavy make out session?” Jenna flashed a wicked grin.

  Kitty’s cheeks turned bright pink, and she put a hand over her smile. “Well, heavy is a little much. Romantic is probably a better description.” She decided to leave out the awkward start, and how she thought Dominic was hiding something.