Lacing Shadows

by Tina Smith

  “Oh, I’ve um...gotta go,” I said shoving my phone in my pocket. I grabbed up my bag. He seemed disappointed. “See you tomorrow,” I called over my shoulder.

  I left in a rush and jogged across campus but halfway there on the ground floor balcony I saw the guy in the black coat. He seemed to be keeping pace. But perhaps it was a coincidence. I rounded a corner and halted, a handsome man was standing in my way. I pulled up just short of bumping into him.

  “In a rush?”

  I took a step back and ran past him, but after a few steps he reappeared in front of me.

  “Sweetness...” The sleazy word lingered, on his lips. I turned but he was in front of me again, his broad shoulders blocking the way. I felt my heart start to pound.

  “Let me pass,” I urged, but my eyes were looking at the ground. I carefully slid my phone from my pocket.

  “Cyrus.” A male voice came from behind me. The guy in the black coat was approaching from the shadows. I knew with a cold sinking sensation that these were the two men from that night. I froze terrified. Black coat came closer and circled him, coming to stand to the side of us, I snuck a look at his pale face.

  My breathing became shallow.

  “I can’t let her tell on us.” This seemed more of a taunt from the stocky guy.

  “Don’t ruin this, Cyrus.” Black coat was more serious. “We don’t dirty our own nest, remember?” His voice was coarse.

  “It’s too late for that.” Cyrus’s grey eyes fell on me, as I was gripped with fear.

  “Touch her and we are through,” the other guy warned Cyrus.

  Cyrus just snickered. “Let’s be real.”

  “—I told you,” the dark coat guy insisted. He stepped a half a foot closer. I shot a glance at him. “Run!” he bellowed launching at Cyrus.

  I fell back, losing my phone and scrambled up. I dropped my bag and sprinted away, running for the dorms. Inside I pounded a door but no one was inside. I wasn’t far from my own room and I sprinted towards it despite the fact someone opened a door behind me.

  I grabbed the handle and as I pulled the door closed I listened. Something told me a door wouldn’t hold Cyrus back. He was strangely fast. Then there was a knock. I stepped back.

  “Answer your door!” a man shouted.

  I stepped back further.

  “Listen please, I can help you, just please let me in. Cyrus is after you. I can help you.”

  No. I thought. It was a trick.

  “Remember that night in the park, I saved you from him. He would have come after you but I fought him off, I can help you now.”

  He was right. “Why?” I called.

  “Right now I’m your best option at survival.”

  I opened the door, holding my breath.

  He stood just shy of the door frame. I was a little surprised at his closeness. “Why have you been following me?” I pretended that I wasn’t terrified, my blood pounding in my ears.

  “Invite me in.”

  “What?”

  “Really, I can’t protect you unless you invite me in,” he urged through gritted teeth.

  I considered his logic. What was to stop him? I heard a roar, I peered down the hall to see Cyrus thundering towards us.

  “Please!” he urged, his eyes tilted towards me.

  “Come in.” The black coat seemed to fly in around me and slam the door, clasping me out of the way.

  “We are safe now.” He put me down. He seemed to feel me looking at him.

  I startled when I heard Cyrus curse behind the door. “You’re a fucking dick Joe! I’ll be back, remember that.” Then it was quiet.

  Joe seemed to be listening.

  My breathing was hitched. I shut my mouth.

  Finally he straightened and swallowed.

  I was suddenly frightened as he turned his steely eyes on me. My breath caught.

  He turned and paced the room. I watched on tenterhooks as he pinched his brow. He glanced at me and paced again.

  “Say something,” I uttered.

  “Sit.”

  I placed my butt on the end of my bed, obediently.

  “We are effectively trapped,” he growled.

  “Will he break in?” What was to stop him? “Should we call campus police?” I asked.

  “You do that and they’ll be dead. He’s angry enough now.”

  The thought terrified me, “The city police?”

  “No.”

  He paced again.

  “What is going on here?”

  “I’ve made it a game for him, Cyrus loves a game.” He sat on the other bed. “The second I saved you, he made it his mission to attack you.”

  I was stunned “I don’t understand.”

  “No, of course you don’t.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It’s my fault, I should have let you fall.”

  I decided to challenge him. “Why didn’t you?”

  “The million dollar question…” He tiled his head to the side. “Huh,” he scoffed. “I’ve asked myself that many times.”

  “You don’t know?” I asked carefully.

  “—No, I don’t.” His certainty was alarming. “You wanted to fall,” he stated.

  “It was a reaction?” I offered him an excuse for his action.

  “No.”

  “What other reason could there be?”

  He looked at me. There was such ferocity in his face but it wasn’t cold. “You are my down fall. Perhaps we should both go there now and jump together.”

  Was he serious?

  “Don’t look so stunned.”

  I glanced over his attire. “Who are you?”

  He got up and walked to the window.

  “What’s your name?” I asked to his back.

  “Either way you are dead.” I wasn’t following. He turned. “Whether you jumped or not, you are dead.”

  “What?” I wasn’t dead. I felt the blankets beneath my hands.

  “He wants to kill you.” His face was still.

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want him to.”

  “Why don’t you want him to?”

  He ran his hands through the sides of his brown hair. “Do you always repeat what people say?”

  “Why did I have to invite you in?”

  “I can’t come in unless you do.”

  “And him?”

  “The same.”

  That didn’t explain earlier. “But you came in here…” the morning I had woken.

  “No, Trinity invited me.”

  I considered his explanation. “I assume it’s not manners?”

  “No,” he admitted and his eyes fell. “I’m hell bound, unfortunately.”

  I knew I couldn’t escape this now. Call it a sick desire but I knew I would die, though perhaps when I did meet death I would first feel more alive than I would if I lived a thousand years. “Will you stop him?”

  “No, I can’t guard you forever. That what’s so ridiculous. I’m just sick of his shit!” he roared.

  I was rattled by his outburst “Maybe if you apologize...”

  “Ha, ha. You think you can ward off a psycho like him with Christian kindness? He is a shark, a bad apple, a monster. I can’t explain why he is like he is.” He sighed and turned his chin away from me.

  “What are you?”

  “That doesn’t concern you,” he muttered to the window pane.

  “It’s my life, I think that concerns me.”

  “I’ll do my best to prevent you being any more involved than you already are.” He sat on Trinity’s empty bed.

  I wondered why. “So you either have to kill me or fight him?”

  “You‘re a tripper, you know that?” He shook his head and looked away to the ceiling. “I tell you my friend wants to murder you and you want to apologize or offer your life?”

  “We are all dying every day...”

  He sighed. “A martyr,” he said to himself. “He isn’t.” He looked right at m
e. “...I’m not.”

  I was puzzled. “Dying?”

  Suddenly he was in front of me on his knee. He stilled and gazing into my eyes, he touched his hand to my face, running the tips of his icy fingers down my cheek. His pupils were like saucers. I let my eyes fall, glancing at the quilt as he remained in that intimate posture, the deep hollows of his eyes soaking up my face.

  When I dared look back at him he searched my eyes. “What happened to you?” His cool breath brushed my face.

  I breathed in the scent. I recalled the accident and looked away, I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it.

  He sat beside me. “I will tell you what we are because I think come hell or high water you will die.”

  I fluttered my lids, perhaps he meant to call my bluff.

  “We are the undead. Vampires.”

  I was taken aback. “You mean, you drink blood?” I was skeptical. I suddenly wondered if this was a joke.

  “Yes,” he admitted. “But we aren’t all mad and blood thirsty.” His voice was deep with disgust. “Not like Cyrus seems. He’s been on the bagged stuff too long. He’s always been the way he is, only he seems to get worse as the decades go by. He likes to cause conflict, to exploit the weakness of others. I’ve let him play me.” He took a breath. “We are his entertainment.”

  A cold shiver ran down my spine at the word entertainment.

  He bowed his head. Suddenly I felt sorry for him but at the same time I was frightened. I wanted to assure him that it would be okay, but that was useless. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be part of a tug of war. To tell him I wasn’t worth it—when perhaps he had gone to pains to save me.

  “Will he get bored?”

  He huffed and grimaced, shaking his head, “Not anytime soon.”

  “Well, what should we do?”

  “We.” He almost laughed “You need your rest.”

  “It’s light out?” I questioned.

  “Well, study then...” he suggested standing up.

  “What will you do?”

  “I’ll guard you.” He seemed to take this seriously. This was too over the top to be a practical joke.

  He handed me my text book from the desk. I took it, unable to concentrate as I tried to read the text.

  I remembered seeing him the night of the party and in the halls, on the fringe of the park. “You have been watching me.” It wasn’t just my imagination.

  “Since the second I pulled you from the bridge.” He went back over to the window.

  *

  I read most of my psych notes as the sun set.

  He turned back after a long while the dim light contoured his hollowed cheeks.

  “You should sleep.”

  This was intense. I decided to do what he said, I scooted back into my bed and pulled up a pillow. My mind was racing as I pulled off my boots. I didn’t know how to feel.

  He was a vampire? I recalled what Cyrus had called him. “Joe?”

  “Yes.”

  “You won’t bite me, will you?”

  He let out a breath. “No.” He remained staring at the window. “If I do, you should revoke your invitation.”

  “How do I know you are telling the truth?”

  “I could show you.” He turned. I didn’t realize it at first but he had bared his fangs. He turned back to the window.

  I swallowed. “You’ll stay?”

  “Yes,” he said over his shoulder.

  My mind filled with everything he had said, examining it, but eventually I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

  I awoke with a kink in my neck. He was there sitting on Trinity’s bed facing me, the lines in his forehead pronounced. I sat up and cleared my throat. My vision was a little blurry.

  “Here.” He picked up an oily paper bag and handed it to me. I had thought it was another bad dream.

  I rubbed my eyes. “What’s this?” I took it.

  “Breakfast.”

  “Oh.” I felt awkward. But I unwrapped the grilled cheese sandwich and ate. He got up and handed me a cup of what I thought was coffee but after a sip I realized it was hot chocolate. I wondered if it was a lucky guess—I didn’t like coffee at all.

  “I guess you don’t eat,” I said unsurely, drinking down more warm hot chocolate.

  “No.” He breathed out through his nose, in a frustrated way.

  I realized that the food meant that he had left the dorm. “You went out, huh?” I wondered if this meant the chase was off as I chewed the sandwich.

  He was wearing a plain grey T-shirt. “He’s most likely bedded down for the day.”

  “Oh.” I considered this. “And not you?”

  “No, but I will weaken,” he admitted.

  His coat was hung by the door. Sunlight was streaming in the window.

  “Do you go out in the sun?”

  “We can’t handle direct sunlight, it burns the skin. But I am not restricted to a purely night lifestyle.”

  “So that part’s a myth.” I eyed his toned pale arms.

  “There is truth to the myth. I have to stick to the shade.”

  “But what about the invitation thing?”

  “We can’t enter your home unless invited by someone who lives there.”

  “Is that why Trinity left?”

  “I paid her to leave.” His face was drawn, I recognized guilt.

  “Why?” I sat back.

  “It was too much of a risk.” He let that sit a moment. “Plus she was a bitch.”

  “What.” I nearly choked on my hot chocolate.

  “Well, so I read.”

  “You read my diary?” He had been in here, going through my things. I felt a little violated.

  “I’m sorry. Under the circumstances I thought it was best.” He pinched his lips. If his pallor wasn’t so grey he might have been incredibly handsome.

  “Okay,” I scoffed, “I didn’t realize that invading someone’s privacy whilst stalking them was fine.”

  “Make no mistake, Cyrus will stop at nothing. I had to take every precaution.”

  I wondered if he had enjoyed spying on me. “What are we going to do now?”

  “I think for safety’s sake we should attend all your classes together.”

  “What about your classes?” Henry said he was an undergrad.

  “I can miss a class…my life is eternal. It doesn’t matter if I miss a few.” I wasn’t sure but he seemed amused by this.

  I took a bite of the sandwich, “Are you really a grad student?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not, I wanted to do something with my life.”

  “Why not just kill people?”

  He looked at me to see if I was serious and I raised a brow. “I don’t kill,” he said as though to himself. “We aren’t allowed to kill humans.”

  “Would you kill Cyrus?”

  “If it comes to it, then yes I would. He has gone bad, he’s only getting worse.” His face was rigid.

  “Why me?” What was the difference between me and any other girl on campus?

  He considered his answer. “You just happened to come along at the right time. I couldn’t watch him tear you apart.”

  I stood up, nature called. “I need to use the bathroom.” I realized that I had lost my bag—and my phone. “Shit.” I pushed back my hair. “My stuff.” I dropped my bag yesterday.

  There was a knock at the door. We both startled.

  He went ahead and answered. He put his hand up on the door frame as he cracked the door. “Hello.” I could tell by his dulcet tone that it wasn’t Cyrus. I thought maybe it was Trinity. I peered around him to see Sadie, looking slightly bewildered.

  “Oh, hi,” she said nervously.

  “Sadie.” I looked around Joe.

  Joe looked over his shoulder at me and dropped his arm.

  She glanced at him. I tried to explain “This is…”

  “—Joe.” He smiled with his lips.

  “Oh.” Sadie didn’t seem to be any le
ss confused.

  “I’ll let you two talk.” He moved to let himself out.

  “Sure,” I agreed as he had already eased past her into the hall.

  Sadie came in and glanced at me, a question on her face. But I kept my mouth shut. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? I called you like twenty times.”

  “Yeah, sorry I’ve lost my phone.”

  “Uhuh.” She was not impressed.

  “My whole bag.” I wondered, “If it’s not too much trouble I need to call lost and found.”

  “You mean the campus cops? Where we were meant to meet yesterday at 6.00.” She looked bitter.

  “Something came up.”

  “I’ll say.” She glared.

  “Sadie, I’m sorry. I was literally on my way when the guy who attacked me showed, and Joe helped me.”

  Her expression soured. “In more ways than one by the looks.” Her eyes challenged me.

  “It’s not what it looks like.” I really had to pee. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom and clean-up for class.”

  “You know what, I’m done.” She went to the door. “I won’t bother trying to help you anymore.”

  “Sadie, I didn’t mean to…”

  She turned “No forget it, you know, you are hell bent on being miserable and lying to me.”

  Sadie thought I was making it all up. She looked Joe up and down on her way past. “I was here to help. Good luck, next time he beats you, I won’t be there.” She stormed off.

  I grabbed up my bathroom bag and went past Joe to the showers. Before I went in I saw he was leaning against the wall in the hall, on the phone.

  It occurred to me that I should just give up school for the semester and transfer yet again. Surely Cyrus would get sick of me.

  If he wanted to kill me, then surely he could have gotten to me by now? I peeked out of the shower block door and saw that Joe was still there. I went back in and dried my hair.

  Joe silently accompanied me back to my room but stayed out in the hall, while I got ready. When I opened the door he was still there.

  I stepped out “I need my bag, it had all my notes—and my phone.” I shut the door. “My keys,” I added.