Shadowed Strength: Shadowed Series Book One

by Wendi Wilson

  She stilled and stared blankly at the mask dangling from her fingers. Suddenly her left hand was free, too, as her assailant let go to grab the knife that was on the ground beside her. As he brought it high into the air over her chest, her eyes left the ski mask and zoned right onto the knife. He was not twirling it lazily this time, no. It was stock still, sharp end aimed at her heart, ready to kill.

  Time slowed down and everything became clear. Melanie realized she'd been holding her breath, and let it out slowly. She was eerily calm in that moment, realizing that death was here and there was nothing she could do about it. In her serene state, she decided to make her murderer look her in the eyes as he did it. Her eyes closed briefly as she made that decision.

  Before she could open them again and focus on the man's face, a commotion interrupted the silence. Her eyes opened and flew to the side as what she assumed was a large dog burst into the yard in a flurry of motion.

  There was no barking, no warning, just a vicious snarl as a blur of fur and teeth flew over her body and pounded against her assailant, knocking him off of her in the process. Melanie rolled onto her side and saw the shape of the man flat on his back with his arms flung over his face. The dog was looming over him, viciously growling and snapping his jaws together.

  Melanie sat up, a wild look in her eyes as the shock set in. She couldn't see any details, just the shapes of man and dog several feet away. Suddenly the impact of it all hit her, and hit her hard. All control was lost as wild screams tore their way up her throat and exploded from her mouth.

  The dog lost his focus in that instant, and using it to his advantage, the man shoved the dog away. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted around the hedge, into the darkness and out of sight. The dog started to follow, then stopped. It turned and trotted over to Melanie, who was still screaming with her eyes squeezed shut. The dog licked her face. She immediately stopped, opened her eyes and stared into its face. From this close, she could see he had dark fur and dark eyes that blinked at her solemnly.

  "His eyes are sad," she whispered to herself right before it all became too much and she fainted.

  Chapter 3

  "Melanie? Mel, wake up. Look at me."

  As she regained consciousness, Melanie was being held in a pair of strong arms and couldn't move. Everything came rushing back to her and she realized that he had her again. He was going to...to... She started screaming and fighting, trying to claw her way out of his arms. She had to get away. She had to run. The harder she fought, the harder the arms held tight.

  "Melanie stop! It's me. You're safe. Stop." The words broke through her panic and she stilled. She slowly raised her eyes to his face and saw caring, dark eyes staring back at her. She instantly relaxed.

  "Jeremy," she breathed. "How. Did...” she tried asking through a sob that wrenched its way out of her throat.

  "Shhh, don't try to talk. It's okay. I’ve got you. You're safe."

  Melanie let him hold her there in the dark, trying to control the sobs wracking her frame. He didn’t ask questions. He didn't press for answers. He didn't say anything at all. He just held her tight and let her cry it out.

  After several minutes she heard sirens in the distance, getting louder and louder. Someone had called the cops. She pulled slightly away from Jeremy, who had somehow gotten her into his lap, and realized several things at once. People were starting to crowd around them. It was lighter now, as several houses had turned on porch lights and driveway flood lights. Police cars were roaring down the street and would be there within seconds.

  And, to her mortification, her ripped shirt was hanging wide open. Jeremy had tried to shield her from the looky-loos, but her bra and the expanse of bare skin below it to her navel were showing. She actually didn't mind him seeing her bra as much as the flabby roll of her stomach. Her face burned as she tried to extricate herself from his lap and cover her body at the same time.

  His eyes stayed focused on her face and did not once drop below her chin, not even briefly. She loved him for that and some of her embarrassment faded. After a full minute of squirming, she finally stopped trying to get off his lap when she realized he wasn't letting her go. She didn't really want to leave the comfort of his arms and warm chest anyway.

  "Where's the dog?" she asked instead.

  "What dog?"

  "The dog that saved me. I was being...attacked...and this huge dog ran up and knocked him off of me. You really didn't see the dog?"

  "No. No dog, Melanie."

  He wouldn't meet her eyes now. Oh, God, she thought, he thinks I'm crazy. Am I crazy? Did I imagine it? No. There was a dog.

  She knew there was. That dog had saved her from...she didn't want to think about what.

  "How did you find me? How did you know to find me?" she asked.

  He started to answer, but at that moment sirens wailed toward them as a police car and an ambulance sailed around the corner and skidded to a halt on the opposite side of the hedge. He was still holding her when the yard lit up with spotlights and started swarming with police and EMT's.

  The police questioned Melanie for what seemed like hours, but she didn't have much to tell. She never got a look at his face, despite having pulled off the mask. And she decided not to tell them that his voice had sounded familiar. She wasn’t sure why she refrained, but something told her not to tell. She didn’t think they would believe her, anyway.

  I don’t actually know someone that could attack and rape a teenage girl, do I? I had to have imagined the familiarity. That had to be it.

  And then there was the dog. No one saw a dog in the area. Not Jeremy, not any of the residents that heard the ruckus, no one but Melanie. And the man.

  After all the questioning, the paramedics made her ride in the ambulance to the hospital. Apparently it was protocol to have her checked out by a doctor, even though her would-be rapist did not succeed. The paramedics wouldn't let Jeremy ride in it with her, even though he'd been by her side through all of the questions.

  She had felt the tension in him grow more and more as she retold the events. Melanie had wondered if he was mad at her for being so stupid and walking home alone. He said nothing, just ground his teeth together so hard she could hear it.

  When they loaded her into the back of the ambulance, he had to walk back to Karen's house to get his truck. Apparently, he had gone looking for her on foot. Melanie had told him he could just go home. Her mother was meeting her at the hospital, so she wouldn’t be alone. He refused and entered the emergency room shortly after Melanie did.

  She was examined by the doctor with her mother hovering nearby, sniffling. She tried to tell her mom that she was okay, but Elaine Johnson wouldn't relax until the doctors confirmed that her only injuries were a few bruises on her wrists and shoulders. The knife hadn't even left a nick where he'd held it to her throat.

  They decided to keep her overnight, though, for observation. In other words, in case she started suffering panic attacks or some other symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. She had seen enough movies to know what PTSD was.

  "You're never going out again," her mom managed to choke out. As soon as the doctor announced that Melanie was okay and left the room, her mom broke down into gut-wrenching sobs.

  "Mom, stop it. Really. I'm fine."

  "Fine? Fine!? You were attacked, Melanie. You could have been...been..."

  "Mom, please, calm down. I know this is all my fault."

  "Melanie, no. This is not your fault. I am not blaming you and you shouldn't blame yourself. You didn't do this. This was done to you."

  At those words, Melanie lost her control. She had held a tight grip on her emotions since she had awakened in Jeremy's arms. She started crying uncontrollably. Her mom held her through the sobs, but didn't say anything. Melanie finally cried herself out and fell asleep in her mother's arms.

  She was running down a dark street. The street didn't seem to have an end, but she kept running. She kept running because someone, or something was ch
asing her. Suddenly, she stumbled. She hit the ground with a thud, but didn't feel any pain.

  Melanie lay stunned for a moment, then felt a warm breath on the back of her neck. She rolled over onto her back and saw big, black eyes glowing with their own inner light. She saw big teeth, dripping with saliva. She heard a low, sinister growl. She started to scream and thrash, and the beast started to speak. "Melanie. Mel. Melaaaaanniieeee."

  She awoke suddenly, and sat straight up. It was morning, and Jeremy was there in the room with her. He had his hands on her shoulders and a strange look on his face.

  "Wha...what-t-t are you doing?" she managed to stutter out.

  Snatching his hands away quickly he said, "Sorry, sorry. You were dreaming, I guess. You started breathing hard and thrashing around, then moaning in your sleep. I was just trying to wake you up."

  "Oh, um, thanks." She looked around the room. "Where's my mom?"

  "She said to tell you she was heading to the cafeteria for some coffee. She also said she'd bring you a doughnut and some chocolate milk."

  "Oh," she replied.

  "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

  "Talk about what?"

  "The dream."

  "Oh. No, I don't remember it."

  Melanie looked at her lap so he wouldn’t see she was lying. She would never, not on a million years, forget those black eyes and sharp teeth. But she didn't want him to think she was crazier than she already seemed.

  Jeremy was looking at her with doubt in his eyes. He knew she was lying, but he didn't push. He just sat down in the chair next to her bed and tentatively reached for her hand. He entwined his fingers with hers and they sat in silence. Normally she would have been bursting with excitement, but she was still exhausted and sore from her ordeal. Jeremy's sweet concern and physical contact brought her the comfort she needed.

  A few minutes later, her mom walked in carrying a tray with coffee, doughnuts and milk. Melanie snatched her hand from Jeremy's before her mom could see. She didn't know why she was embarrassed, but she was. She didn't want her mom jumping to conclusions or asking questions, when Melanie herself had no idea what to make of it. She started speaking rapidly, full of nervous energy.

  "Mom, did anyone ever find the dog?”

  "What dog, honey?"

  "The dog. The one that saved me. I told the police about it." She glanced over at Jeremy. "I told you about it, remember?"

  "I remember," he answered. "But I told you, Mel, I didn't see any dog." He stood up and offered Elaine his chair.

  "This is the first I've heard of a dog," she said as she sat down. "I normally don't like fleabags, but if we find this one, he can come home with us. He can sleep in your bed, for all I care. I am just so grateful he came along when he did."

  "I'm sorry, Melanie, I have to go."

  She looked up and saw Jeremy edging toward the door. His face looked a little flushed.

  "Are you okay?" she asked him.

  "Yeah, fine. I just remembered I have something to do. I'll call you later, okay?"

  "Yeah, okay. Bye," she looked down at her lap, then her head snapped her back up.

  "Jeremy," she called just as he started to slip through the door. He stopped, but had a strange, almost uncomfortable look on his face.

  "Yeah?"

  "Thanks for everything."

  He seemed to relax and smiled a genuine, breathtaking smile. He gave her a slight nod and disappeared through the door.

  Chapter 4

  "That took forever."

  Melanie was in the car with her mom, finally on her way home from the hospital. Shortly after Jeremy left, the doctor had come to check her over and declared her fit enough to go home. Her mom filled out the paperwork, then they had to wait for a nurse to bring a wheelchair. It was hospital procedure that all patients left via a wheelchair. Once they got you out the door, you were on your own.

  "I know, hon, but it's over now and we're almost home." Her mom's voice cracked on the last word.

  "Mom, what's wrong?"

  She sniffled. "I'm sorry Melanie. I am trying really hard to keep it together, but when I think about what might have happened to you, what almost did happen, I just..."

  "Mom, it's okay. I'm okay. I just want to go home and forget it ever happened."

  They stopped talking after that. The silence was only broken by the occasional sniffling sound from her mom. Neither turned on the radio. They both got lost in their thoughts. Melanie wondered if she'd ever have the guts to leave the house after dark again, or if her mom would even let her.

  It was surreal, really, thinking about the whole ordeal and grasping the fact that it had actually happened to her. Not some nameless stranger in another town. She wasn't sure when she would stop being scared.

  Elaine pulled the car into the driveway and parked next to Tara's Mustang. Tara was sitting on the front steps, waiting for them. She jumped up and ran towards the car as Elaine shifted into park. Melanie barely had time to get out before she was in her best friend's arms.

  Tara had red, puffy eyes that had obviously shed more than a few tears. When Melanie noticed them, she started to cry. They stood there hugging in the driveway, sobbing like maniacs. Melanie's mom went inside and left them alone.

  "Oh my God, Mel, I am so sorry. So, so sorry," Tara said when they calmed down and the tears stopped.

  "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything. It's not your fault."

  "Yes, it is. It is my fault. I dragged you to that party. I let you walk. By yourself. At night." Her face broke and she started sobbing again.

  "Tara, stop it," Melanie said as she put her arm around Tara's shoulders. "I was determined to go and you wouldn't have been able to stop me. I would have made you stay with Chris no matter what argument you gave me." Melanie groaned. "I really want to take a break from this mess and think about something else for a while. If I don't, I'll lose it. Tell me how the rest of the party was."

  "Mel, you can't be serious."

  "Please, Tara. Please, let's change the subject, just for a little while. I'll give you the details later, I promise. I just want to forget it for a few minutes. Please. Tell me about the rest of the night."

  Tara sighed as they sat down on the front steps. "Okay. You got it. There's really not a lot to tell though. After you left, I looked for Chris and couldn't find him anywhere. I got a text from him about half an hour later, apologizing.”

  "He just left? Without a word? That sucks the big one."

  "Yeah, well, I was livid at first. But he called me later on to say that he got a really bad stomachache. He said he looked for me but we must’ve kept missing each other. He ended up heading home and throwing up all night. It’s a good thing he left when he did. How can I be mad at that?"

  "Yeah, I guess you're right. Okay, but this is his one-time pass. If he disappoints you again, heads are gonna roll."

  They grinned at each other. That was an old saying they picked up from Tara's dad. He'd always say "heads are gonna roll" when something made him mad. It usually involved Tara staying out past curfew.

  "Oh! How could I forget?! I have to tell you what happened with Jeremy."

  "When?"

  "Right after you left the party."

  "What happened?"

  "Well, I went out to the back patio looking for Chris, and I heard angry voices coming from behind the fountain."

  "Jeremy?"

  "Yes. And Sissy. Arguing. So, I snuck over and totally listened. Oh my God, Mel, you should've heard it! He was letting her have it for being so horrible to you."

  Mel's face brightened up. "What did he say?"

  "He yelled at her! He kept saying 'What the hell's the matter with you?' and then he threatened her!"

  "What? No!"

  Melanie couldn't believe it. She knew he'd left the party looking for her, but with everything that had happened, she never even spared a thought for Sissy.

  "Yes! He told her, in no uncertain terms, to never come near him again. Ne
ver speak to him. Never even look at him. And that she better leave you alone, too. Or else."

  "Or else?"

  "She asked the same thing, and he said 'try me'." Tara lowered her voice a couple of octaves and puffed out her chest with that last bit.

  Melanie giggled. She couldn't believe she could giggle with the hell she was going through, but Tara always had that effect on her. She leaned forward and hugged her friend again.

  "Okay," she said, "I'm ready to tell you about it."

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  “Oh my God." That was about the twelfth time Tara had said that since Melanie had started her story. "Oh my God, Mel. I am so sorry. This really is all my fault."

  "No. Don't start that again." Tara had started crying again and Melanie couldn't stand it. "This is not your fault Tara. I don't blame you and you shouldn't blame yourself. I was stupid enough to walk home alone, at night. I was stupid enough to go down an unlit street. This is my fault, and I know it."

  "Melanie, no!"

  This came from the front door, which her mom had silently opened behind them. She rushed out as the girls stood up and grabbed Melanie by the shoulders.

  "You cannot blame yourself, honey," she said, looking straight into Melanie's eyes. "The only person to blame is the monster that attacked you. Please, please, do not weigh yourself down with guilt. This is not your fault."

  Elaine hugged her tight as Melanie tried hard not to start crying again. Her mom held her at arm’s length, looked at her hard, and released her. Then she went solemnly back into the house.

  "She's right, you know," Tara said after the front door closed softly. "The real person to blame is that creep who tried to rape you."

  "I know. But it's hard to not blame myself when I had so many reservations about going down that street in the first place."

  They sat back down on the step and stared at the sky, both deep in thought. After several minutes, Tara broke the silence.