He ignored my sarcasm. “I mean anyone who looked-” He stopped.
I hated when he did that!
“Are you okay?” He finally asked.
“I’m fine.” I said flatly, taking another step.
“How did you get out?”
“Some random person saw the sparks, and pulled me out before it caught fire. I’m going to my room.” That was my way of saying, I was going to walk away now weather he continued to talk or not.
“I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.” he hollered at me, as I bounded the rest of the steps toward my room.
When I was finally inside, I turned around and leaned against my door.
I was finally home.
The rest of the night passed in a blur.
I had taken a short nap, having felt drained from the afternoon’s events. My dreams had been filled with images of his face, his smell, his touch. It was the first time my dreams had escaped the nightmares that usually clouded them, or the haunting image of my wolf lying dead in the snow. A yummy aroma had awaked me, and my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I had, had zero to eat at the festival.
Using cold water to splash away the last of my sleep, I pulled my hair up and opened the door to my room. Smells swirled around me, enticing my hunger, and I took the stairs two at a time. Andres was in the kitchen stirring a pot over the stove. He glanced back at me, smiling briefly. He always tried to make our mandatory encounters pleasant, and I was always there to make them anything but. I just wanted answers, and when he was ready to give them to me I planned on keeping up the cold shoulder treatment.
I didn’t return his smile, and the look on his face penetrated my anger and made my heart ache. I couldn’t bear the sadness in his eyes, so I muttered a small greeting, and complimented the smell of the food. He seemed to think it was enough, and started up a conversation. I half listened, as I idly swirled around my silverware. My thoughts were once again filled with him, and I wondered if I would see his face every time my mind wandered.
Andres announced dinner was done, and I filled my plate, taking a seat in the chair across from him. He was a great cook. Tonight he had made us steak, potatoes & an avocado salad. He was a better cook than I was, and I devoured my food while he tried to make small talk. I wasn’t very good company for him these days, and again I felt guilty, knowing he stayed buried in his study all day with no one to talk to.
I didn’t know what he did in there all day, but I didn’t ask either. Like myself, Andres was dealing out a lot of lies these days, and I hated that his lies made me lie. There was no point in asking what he was doing, because I wouldn’t get a truthful answer anyway. So I let him fiddle away his days, locked in his room, while I had went out to get a job.
After two weeks of nonstop pouting, and excessive crying, in my room alone, I knew I had to get out of there or I was going to freak the freak out. I had gone around town looking for a job, and managed to snag one at a small book store. School was in session, and Margaret, who owned the book store, needed another set of hands. She had given me the job on the spot. I was now forever indebted to her, for getting me out of my house for a few hours during the week. She had given me weekends off, to ‘be a kid’ as she put it. How I wished it were that easy.
Pushing aside my thoughts, I got up to put the food away and washed the dishes and after a quick clean up of the rest of the kitchen, I gave Andres a terse thank you and goodnight, and took the stairs before he could reply. That had been our routine since coming home from being frozen in ice, a world away. When I was back in my room, I stripped down and turned on the water for a quick shower. My battle scars had faded away, and my ribs had healed pretty nicely, according to the doctor in town. I had one or two scars that remained as a constant reminder of everything that had happened that night, but they were small and hidden.
I was in and out of the shower, dressed and ready for bed within an hour. After making sure my window was locked - something I did every night, even though I never unlocked it - I climbed into bed, and I was asleep the minute I hit the switch to my lamp. It was easy to fall asleep these days, by the time bedtime rolled around, I was usually exhausted and I worried about my health sometimes. Was it normal to be this tired when I was still young? Wasn’t I supposed to be in the prime of my youth?
I hadn’t been asleep long, before I was awakened by the tapping on my window. Sitting up, I pulled the blankets higher over my body, and tried to calm the beating of my heart. It felt like the dream that had attacked my first night back, but I wasn’t scared. Shouldn’t I be since I knew the nightmare’s out come? I looked at the clock, it read 1am. I hadn’t had the same nightmare since that first time, but I had been filled with plenty since then. None of them had me sleep walking like that one, but they were still pretty intense.
I jumped when I heard the rattle against the window again, and leaned forward trying to spot the dragonfly that should be floating around. There was no ghostly glow from the flutter of its wings, but the popping sound still came. I frowned and slipped from the warmth of my bed. Walking over to the window I saw the rock pop off the window. I peered into the night, and my stomach flipped when I saw his face in the darkness. Unlocking the window for the first time in months, I pushed open the doors and leaned out the window to see him.
“Are you lost?” I asked, trying to hide my deliriously happy expression. I folded my legs onto the bench below my window, and sat on them, leaning out the window.
“Don’t act like you’re not happy to see me Sara.” He accused softly.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered.
I was only slightly aware that Andres’s bedroom was just down the hall, and he was a light sleeper.
“I came to see you,” He answered honestly. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“At one in the morning? Couldn’t you have just stopped by in the morning? Wait, how do you know where I live?”
“It is the morning,” he answered, ignoring my last question, “and I needed to see you now.”
“Why?” I whispered. “Why now?”
“I don’t know, I can’t explain it. I just needed too.”
I decided to steer us away from the intense conversation.
“Are you going to serenade me?” I wanted add ‘again’, but I wasn’t completely sure it was again.
He laughed loudly, and I shushed him while throwing a glance at my bedroom door. I could have sworn I heard him mutter ‘coward’ under his breath, but I couldn’t be sure.
“I could if that’s what you want.”
I shook my head. “You’ll wake my uncle and I’m fine,” I added. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I wish it was that simple.”
“Why isn’t it?” I asked curiously.
“Because things are rarely that simple.”
“I don’t understand.” I hated all the riddles. “Why can’t you just explain it?”
“I will. I promise Sara.”
I loved the way he said my name.
“I don’t even know your name.” I told him.
He didn’t say anything for a long time, and I thought he wasn’t going to answer me. “Adan,” he finally whispered. “My name is Adan.”
“Adan.” I whispered. It was beautiful.
“Sweet dreams Sara.”
He whispered, and then he was gone.
Flutter
Ten
Unexpected visitor
I stretched leisurely in my bed, and smiled to myself.
I rolled over, and looked at the alarm clock. Holy cow I don’t remember the last time I had slept in until ten on a Sunday!
I sat up slowly, and rubbed my eyes until I could see clearly. I hid a yawn behind my hand, and frowned to myself becoming more alert. I couldn’t remember sleeping in until ten on a Sunday because since we had been back, Andres had insisted that I start working out and that’s how we had spent every Sunday morning since then.
So why was tod
ay different? I asked myself.
I listened closely, expecting to hear Andres busy in the kitchen making breakfast or in his room across the hall, but I couldn’t hear anything. There was a very eerie silence; there were no noises in the house, outside-
I noticed my window was open and my heart sped up. I remember opening it last night to talk to Adan, and I could remember closing it, but did I remember to lock it?
I was suddenly very aware that I was dreaming again. These weren’t like ordinary dreams, I was aware of them, but there was nothing I could do to wake myself up from them, and that was terrifying. They ended when they felt like ending, and I had no control over them.
I threw my legs over the end of the bed, and pushed off the floor until I was standing. I walked cautiously over to the window and peeked out, half expecting the thick black fog to jump out at me, but nothing was there. No creepy shadows, no deceiving dragonfly. I knelt on the bench below my window and reached out to pull in the doors of the window, but hesitated briefly. The tree that stood a few inches from my window had changed colors as fall was ending, and the brightly colored leaves hung motionless from their stems. I realized nothing moved outside; there was no breeze, no sounds. There was nothing to prove that anything I was seeing was real.
I quickly shut the doors and locked the window. The click of the lock was loud inside my noiseless room. I turned around on the bench, and sat there looking around and waiting for something to happen. Something had to happen right? Wasn’t that the point of dreams? I sandwiched my hands between my pajama pants and waited. My room was chilly, thanks to the cool October morning, and I tried to warm my hands against my still slightly flushed skin.
I had gotten use to the still silence, so when I heard the clatter down stairs I jumped and my heart nearly burst through my rip cage. I heard my name, and I wanted to sigh in relief.
“Sara?” Adan called.
I jumped up and raced toward my door, flinging it open, and nearly falling down the steps as I flew down them. At least I wouldn’t have to face this nightmare alone. He would be here to hold my hand through the awfulness of it all. I didn’t know how he knew I needed him, but he was here, and that was all that mattered.
“Adan?” I called when reached the living room. “Where are you?”
“Sara!” I heard him shout again, but it was muffled. I turned toward the kitchen, and could see his silhouette just beyond the backyard.
I ran to the double doors that led to the patio and pushed them open. I could seem him standing there, smiling and holding out his hand toward me, and I smiled. Bounding off the deck steps, I ran toward him bare foot, not paying attention to the loose dirt and debris that left imprints on the bottom of my feet. The tall trees of the forest towered over us, and my running came to a slow halt. I could see it moving between the trees swallowing them in its darkness, as it emerged from the forest.
Adan stood there unmoving, the same smile planted on his handsome face, and his outstretched hand calling me toward him. I heard him call my name, and that’s when I realized he hadn’t moved his lips. There was no way the sound had come from his mouth. I wrestled with myself for a moment; the urge to run to him, and save him from the fog that was about to grab him, was so tempting that I had to remind myself he wasn’t real. I backed away slowly, the fog flowing closer to the edge of my backyard. With one last look toward Adan’s statue, I turned around and ran toward the house. Halfway there I turned to look behind me, just in time to see it cover Adan’s body. It moved swiftly, now free of the tall trees that had slowed its movement.
“Sara!” I heard Adan’s muffled call, and I tripped a few feet from the deck.
Of course! I though sourly.
I flipped around, and watched as the enormous black cloud drifted toward me. Scrambling on my legs and hands, I pushed myself up toward the deck. I felt the steps of the deck, and climbed up them backwards until my back stopped against the glass doors. I wanted to turn around and grab at the handle, but the smog was moving so fast now that I knew if I turned around for a second, it would get me.
My hand crept up and fumbled against the molding of the door until I felt the round handle. Twisting it once, the doors opened and I spilled inside the kitchen on my back. I pushed myself into the kitchen. I could see the black hand as it emerged from the thick shadow, crawling its way toward me. I turned around on my hands and knees, and moved an inch; before I felt the hand grip my ankle and pull me back. I plopped onto my stomach, and clawed at the wood floor as the hand pulled me out of the doors. The hand that gripped me was firm. I yanked as hard as I could, with a loud grunt, and the pressure was gone.
I flipped my head around and it was gone.
I was breathing hard, still sprawled out face down on the kitchen floor. There was no sign of the shadow, no sign of Adan.
“Sara?” I flipped around. Andres stood over me looking concerned. “What are you doing?” he asked, and knelt down, offering his hand to me.
I took one last look behind me to make sure it was gone, before I pushed myself up slowly, ignoring his out stretched arm. He dropped it, pretending not to notice.
“I had another dream.” I said.
He frowned, his whole face clouding over. “Are you okay?” He pulled out a chair and pushed me into it gently.
“Yeah, I think so.” My skin was crawling where the hand had grabbed me, but other than that I was fine.
Andres sat down across from me, watching me closely. “Was it the same as last time?”
I shrugged. “More or less.”
“I’m sorry Sara.”
I looked up at him. “Why are you sorry? You’re not the cause of my dreams, right?” I was daring him to lie to me yet again.
“Go on and get dressed,” was all he said. “Our workout will help take your mind off things.”
He got up and walked away before I could reply.
It didn’t take long to get ready, once I was back in my bedroom. Feeling drained and tired, I quickly changed in to my workout clothes. In the bathroom I brushed my teeth and put my hair into a pony tail. I examined my face in the mirror, and frowned at the dark circles around my eyes, how sunken in my cheeks were, and how defined my cheek bones looked. My skin looked a shade too light, and its natural glow was gone; instead it looked dry and brittle. Splashing cold water over my face, I dried it off, and put on a head band to keep stray hairs off my face and hit the light switch.
I grabbed the black hoodie off of my chair in the corner, and pulled it on; it was the only thing I had kept from that night. I brought the sleeve up to my face, and inhaled the sweet scent of My Wolf. I cast a glance at myself in the mirror. I was wearing black capris, a purple tank top, and running shoes, it was as good as it was going to get. I zipped up my hoodie and left my room, heading into the kitchen.
I walked into the kitchen. Andres was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, looking lost in thought. He looked as bad as I did.
I walked around the counter and grabbed an orange. I watched Andres as I peeled the orange; he was absorbed in whatever he was reading.
“You look like an old man, sitting there with your coffee and discarded paper.” I commented, nodding toward the folded newspaper in front of him.
He grunted and pressed down the folds of the paper, until it lay flat against the table.
“I am old.” He countered,
“You don’t look old.” I said, and tossed my orange peel into the trash. Laying a paper towel on the counter I pulled my orange apart, licking the juice that ran down my fingers. I tore off a piece and popped it into my mouth.
He chuckled. “Well that’s good. How old do I usually look?”
I shrugged, and tore off another piece of my orange. “I don’t know…maybe 30?” I bit into the slice and sweet juice coated the inside of my mouth.
He barked a laugh and got up, taking his coffee cup with him to the sink. “That’s awfully sweet of you, but I’ll be 36 soon. I’m old.” He turned on the wa
ter, and rinsed out his cup before placing it in the dish rack.
“I hate to be the one to break it to Andres, but that’s hardly old.”
I finished off the orange and threw my paper towel away. “Excuse me.” I said, and waited for him to move out of the way so I could wash my hands.
“You know Sara, I think that’s probably the nicest thing you have said to me since…” He trailed off, but I knew what he was talking about. This was probably the longest conversation we had. It seemed ruined now, with the unspoken memory lingering between us.
I dried off my hands, and walked over to the open doubles doors stepping into the backyard. “I’m ready when you are.” I announced, and walked down the steps, stretching my arms.
I heard him sigh before falling me outside.
We did our routine workout, it was pretty simple, basic exercises; we stretched for 15 minutes, jogged a few miles around the paths in the forest. It was the same every Sunday. Today, every little noise had me looking around for the black cloud that I expected to see following us. The nightmares, the sleep walking; it all felt like it was going to get worse before it got better. When we were drenched and out of breath, Andres led us back to the house and grabbed of a few bottles of water from the fridge.
He sat down on the wicker couch, off to the side of the deck, and I sat down on one of the wooden end tables. I was usually tired after our runs, but today I felt like my arms and legs had I been carrying 10 lb. weights as we ran. I was exhausted, and I didn’t feel like doing any of our regular exercises. I was just about to tell Andres that, when he started to talk first.
“I have something else planned for us today.” He said.
I frowned at him over my water bottle. “What?” I asked, and motioned for him to give me another water. I felt so dehydrated.
“I thought it we could work on some kick boxing. What do you think?” he asked, handing me another water bottle.
“Why?” I asked, and unscrewed the cap to take a drink.
Flutter (The Discover Series) Page 23