by Ash Night
“Hello?” she answered breathlessly. Her voice flooded me with relief. She’d always reminded me of an overexcited puppy.
"Hey Abs, it's Zoey. Can you come over? Today's been weird already."
Silence. "Did you take your meds?"
Why was everyone bothering me about those pills? "Yes yes, can you come over or not?"
"Give me five minutes to wake up,"
"And then another hour to get here?" I grinned. Abby was a great friend as long as it was noon and school wasn't going on. Other than that, we always had to give her ample time to wake up. A morning person she was not.
"Okay, see you then," I dialed Gwen's number as fast as my fingers could. "Gwen, it's Zoey."
"Yo, Zoe, what's up my little lamb?" Lamb was my nickname from when we were in second grade and went on a field trip to a farm and saw a baby lamb with the name Zoey. It was pure coincidence that Gwen was older than me by a few months.
"Can you come over? Today is weird."
"Right away, my friend," she hung up. I sat on my bed, awaiting my friends’ arrival, knowing I could count on them to help me figure out all the junk that was weirding up my morning. They always knew how to help.
"So, let me get this straight, you have this feeling you know this boy you keep seeing in your mind and because of that, you feel that you should dump Jake." Gwen asked, staring at me like I'd grown a second head. Abby's expression was more sympathetic.
"Yes," I said, knowing how stupid I sounded. I showed them my wrist. "This rose was from him." I left out the part where it attached itself to me.
"How can you be sure?" Abby asked, drawing my hand closer to inspect my rose bracelet.
"It was pressed into the binder with the note." I crawled on my hands and knees to the drawer and took out the binder. I left the phone in the drawer. "See?" I showed them the note.
"Is that...blood?" Abby asked, her eyes wide. Gwen's face was pale.
I nodded, but my stomach rolled uneasily. This was going to be just as hard as I thought. I swallowed hard. "This is going to sound crazy,"
"And it was going oh so well before, lamb." Gwen said with a smile. "But please continue,"
"The boy, I used to know him...I think." I pulled out the sketch of the eyes that were in my notebook, his eyes. Gwen's expression didn't change. Abby's eyes were as round as saucers.
"So you drew a pair of eyes? So what? Maybe you did it while you were dreaming." Gwen replied.
Abby tried hard to swallow the fear written all over her face, but it did little to bring her color back. "Those eyes...I...I've seen them. If they belong to the boy you say they do, then I've seen him too."
Chapter 26
How was I to go on without her? She'd been here a mere three months but already her absence made AngelRose less bright, the dark, forbidden place it'd always been. I was a tortured mind once more, exactly as I'd been three months ago. I had to see her again.
I ran as fast as I could, dead grass crunching under my feet, trees blurring, as I made my way to the darkest part of the forest. The mere presence, an almost physical weight, of the ancient gnarled trees in this part of the forest was enough to make me slow to a walk.
Mist blanketed the rest of the walk there, but it seemed to bow out of the way as I came upon what I wanted. A giant looking glass. It was a masterpiece of the greatest proportion, a thing of beauty in the middle of all the evil, among the Shadows of AngelRose, gleaming through the darkness like a beacon of hope.
It stood as high as the tallest trees, as wide as it was tall, resting gently against the trees behind it despite it seeming to weigh a ton.
Zoey did not know about this place. She didn't know because it was blocked from her mind. It was my special place, a place I treasured dearly.
I stood in front of the looking glass and knelt on one knee in a bow for a few seconds. It was a stupid thing, but it'd become a habit since the glass always gave off the presence of a queen.
Standing up, I placed my hand on its smooth surface and whispered softly, "show me Zoey,"
The mirror's blank surface turned on with a low hum, showing the earth plane. Zoey was in her room with her friends, talking. I could hear her clearly as if she were right next to me. I stiffened as my heart felt like icicles were spearing it. God, I missed her.
"You saw him?" Zoey asked in shock. "Did he say his name?"
Her friend Abby nodded. "He said his name was Eli."
"Eli!" Zoey exclaimed. "That seems right." I cursed myself for giving the message to Abby.
"Yeah, he told me to look after you. He wanted me to make sure you were okay after he left." She blushed. "I don't think he wanted you to find out all this either."
Damn right I didn't! God, I was so stupid! I don't know how, but I instantly appeared in my room. Snarling, I threw everything within sight. Book shelves were tipped over, the books thrown all around the room. I dented the headboard on my bed. Angry notes poured out of my piano until I was finally so drained, I flopped down on my bed exhausted.
"How could I be so stupid, Sky? I really couldn't stay away!" I pounded my pillow. I deserved to be in pain. Zoey's life was screwed up because of me and, when I tried to make her forget, I only managed to screw that up too. I was an idiot.
Sky meowed and curled up next to me. I felt tears prick at my eyes and did nothing to stop them from falling.
I deserved to drown in my tears.
When I woke up, I felt more refreshed than ever. I looked around and noticed the hot pink carpet I woke up on. Wait, what the hell? Pink carpet? I groaned. I was back on the earth plane. In Zoey's room.
"What the fuck?" Gwen scrambled away from me as far as she could, her back pressed against the wall. I grinned sheepishly. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"Sorry girls, forgot my phone," I walked over to the drawer, slipped my phone back into my pocket, and strode quickly across the room. Before I turned the knob, I felt a sharp tug on my jacket. Falling onto my back, I looked up into Zoey's angry face. "Uh...Hi,"
"Eli? I remember you. I remember everything now. The moment I saw your eyes...everything came back." Her expression turned into one of pure sadness. "Why did you make me forget you? I love you!"
"I had to protect you! I screwed that up too! I wanted to see you, but I knew I couldn't, but then I fell asleep and I woke up here!"
"Why did you have to go away?"
"Because the monster inside me was leaking out. I was out of control, Zoe. I didn't want to hurt you and I would never want that. I need you to understand that. Please."
Zoey hugged me. "I need you here."
"You can never have me at my best. I'll never be what you need. You deserve better."
"But I want you," Her grip on my jacket tightened. I heard Gwen and Abby leave quietly. I smiled.
"I need to go back to AngelRose before I screw up more of your life, possibly...end it." I shivered saying that, but it was the truth. The monster was already roaring inside me, craving her blood. Images of Kimber filled my mind, what the monster had done to her. I shut my eyes against the pain. When I opened them again, Zoey’s friends were excusing themselves, careful not to touch me as they exited the room. Zoey touched my arm.
"Ow! Eli!" Zoey jumped back, her hands red with slight burns. She looked at me scared.
My mouth dropped. Oh god, I was burning up. It was the first time my emotions had ever made me do that before. "I'm sorry, Zoey! I...I've never done that before."
"It...It's okay, Eli." She hissed as she blew on her hands to cool them down.
"Bathroom?" I asked. She pointed the way and I guided her to the sink, turning on the water until it was cool. She put her hands under and they lost their angry red color. "I'm so sorry!" I kissed her fingertips gently. She giggled.
"Honey?" My father called. "Everything okay in there?"
"Yeah, Dad!" She called back, pressing a finger to my lips harder than necessary. I kissed it. She stifled another giggle. "Naughty boy," she breathed into my
ear.
"Only for you," I smiled. She giggled, hurrying with me back to her room.
She smiled. "Eli, you're gonna get me in trouble,"
"You know that's what I do," I said and threw her softly onto the bed. Her eyes widened.
"Eli, what are you doing?" She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. I kissed her.
"I'm seducing you," I grinned, kissing her while sliding my jacket off.
"Eli, no, please. I'm not ready to...My parents are home." She whispered, her face on fire.
I grinned. "What? You don't want me?"
"I do, but not here, please!"
I grinned, slipping my shirt off. The cold hard metal of my necklace hit my bare chest like an ice cube, shocking me back to reality. Zoey looked scared out of her mind. "Zoey...Oh god...Oh god! Did I..."
She shook her head. "No, we didn't do anything, but you were about to..."
"I...I..." I ran and jumped out the window, rolling badly on my ankle. I took off, stumbling my way through the woods. I didn't want to look back and see Zoey's face. She must've been so confused. I didn't know what to say. The monster, no, I was going to take her.
I had to get out of here.
Chapter 27
I walked through the halls, Abby and Gwen flanking me on either side. “So…” Abby said.
“How was your talk with Dream Boy?” Gwen asked.
I cleared my throat uncomfortably. “I remember everything about him. He made me forget him to protect me.”
“From what?” They asked in unison.
“Himself. Eli has a demon inside of him.”
“Call an exorcist,” Gwen replied teasingly.
“I don’t want to hurt him! Besides, he says the demon is a big part of who he is. He wouldn’t willingly get rid of it if it wasn’t for me.” He’d rather just go away. I thought glumly. I couldn’t imagine Eli without his wicked grin, his wild spirit, or the fire in his eyes.
“But he might hurt you!” Gwen said, placing her hand on my shoulder. “We need to look out for you, not him.”
I sighed. “It’s not that simple. Eli is sweet. He’s not just a monster.”
Gwen gasped, staring ahead. I looked in that direction and nearly had a heart attack. “Hi, Zoe, Gwen, Abby, how are you?” Eli asked as he limping to us. He was on crutches, his ankle wrapped up tight in a cast. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
“What happened to you?” Abby asked worriedly, the most sympathetic out all of us. I was more concerned about seeing him here at school than how he acquired an injury bad enough to need to hobble around on crutches. Eli never got hurt that bad.
“I had an accident while playing soccer. I rolled my ankle bad enough that I’ll be on these for a week. Zoey, I have a favor to ask. Would you help me carry my stuff to class? I need help.” He smiled at me, his eyes like liquid midnight.
I smiled, weak in the knees. “Of course, Eli.”
He kissed my forehead. “Thanks, Zoe, I really appreciate it.”
My face burned. “Eli, not here.”
He grinned, the first real grin I’d seen on his face since he’d come back. Last night it’d been the monster in control. This was the real Eli.
“See you two love birds later,” Gwen replied, walking with Abby to their first class of the day even though it was a good ten minutes before the bell rang.
I turned to face Eli. “I saw you roll your ankle when you jumped out my window last night. Why didn’t you heal it?” My heart squeezed when I looked at his ankle. I hated seeing him in pain.
“I’m not going to use any power from AngelRose here on the earth plane. It might help keep the monster in check.” Eli replied earnestly. “I don’t know why I was sent back, but I can’t get back to AngelRose. It wants me here for a reason so I am going to do whatever I can to keep you safe from me until I can figure out why it wants me here and what I can do to get back.”
“You keep saying safe from you. I am safe around you. It’s the monster I have to watch out for.” I stated.
Eli’s expression changed to one of pure agony. “Zoey…the monster and I are so intertwined that if someone took a picture inside of me, you couldn’t tell where my soul ended and the monster’s soul began. I am the monster.”
“Do you want me to take that crutch and beat you over the head with it?” I said. “I can tell you from the monster. The monster is a part of you. It is not who you are!”
Eli hugged me, nearly falling over as his bad ankle supported some of his weight. Tears glistened in his eyes, but I could tell they weren’t caused by putting weight on his ankle. “I wish I could see what you see. My father never did. He repeatedly told me I was evil every day. I am conditioned to believe that. I can’t help it.”
“It’s okay, Eli. We’ll get through this. I just need you here with me.” I kissed his forehead. “Please heal your ankle. I can’t bear to see you in pain.”
“I can’t. Any bit of power I use could help the monster leak out. The only reason I’m at school is because I can’t manifest the money to pay a truant.” He grinned, righting himself so his ankle was safely off the ground.
“The troublemaker’s gone, eh?” I chuckled.
“Not gone, just wants to be near his girl,” he replied, kissing my cheek.
“Better hop to it. We’re gonna be late to class.”
Eli shot me a look. “Hey, is that some kind of gimpy joke?”
“Maybe,” I replied, grinning.
“Eli! What happened to you, you poor boy?” My mother gushed when we walked through the door, reminding me he had made her remember everything too.
“Soccer accident,” he said hobbling to the couch and laying down on it, playing the part of exhausted injured teenager quite well. He was getting around much easier and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was healing. I would have to ask him about it later. Maybe he had no control over it. I noted his English accent was present again.
“Is there anything I could get you?”
A look of pain exploded onto Eli’s face and it looked like it was all he could do to keep from screaming. He closed his eyes, hung his head, took a deep breath, and massaged his ankle carefully. “Ice, please…” He said softly.
My mother went into the kitchen. I gawked at him. “What was that?”
“Pain,” Eli answered, looking up. He was as white as a sheet, a thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. I wiped it away with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
“Are you going to be okay? Eli, please, heal yourself if it’s that bad!” I hissed as my mom came back with a bag of ice and a cloth to wrap around it.
No, he mouthed to me. “Thank you, Mrs. Lockhart. That feels much better.”
“Eli, are you sure you’re okay? You have a slight fever. It’s a small one, but I could give you something for it. You look so pale. Are you cold?” She covered him with a quilt, tucking him in, leaving only his ankle and the ice exposed.
He smiled. “I’m fine, Mrs. Lockhart. There is no need for you to make such a fuss.”
“It’s nice to be able to take care of someone around here. Zoey rarely ever gets sick and she’s so independent these days.” She replied.
Eli smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Lockhart. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Eli. I have to cook dinner, but if you need anything, just yell.”
“Will do,” he grinned.
“Eli if you don’t mind, could you come upstairs? We need to talk.” I said.
“Zoey! Let the poor boy rest! He’s in no shape to be tromping up and down stairs.” Mom exclaimed.
Eli’s grin never wavered. “It’s quite all right. I can get up and down stairs just fine. I’ve been practicing.”
Well Mom looked like she was going to have a heart attack the entire time Eli was walking up our winding staircase on his crutches. I was just worried he was going to tease her and make it seem like he was going to fall, but he was on his best behavior.
“Okay,” I said once we were
safely inside my room. “Mind telling me what that was?”
“I was pretty awesome walking up that staircase, wasn’t I?” Eli replied.
I chuckled. “Sure, I’ll give ya that. I was in a real soccer accident when I was fifteen and I had to sleep on the couch for a few weeks.”
He lay on my bed, propping his foot up on a pillow. “Lay with me?” He gave me puppy eyes.
“All right, Tan-Tan.” I cuddled next to him.
“Tan-Tan?” He asked, confused.
“Tanner was our dog. That was his nickname. He used to give me puppy eyes too. He had the most beautiful brown eyes.” I said wistfully. Eli hugged me. I smiled. “Now what was up with you on the couch?”
“My ankle hurt,”
“The monster is making it worse, isn’t it?”
Eli nodded solemnly. “Yeah,”
“Heal yourself then. Please?” I gave him my best puppy eyes.
“I can’t. I’ll heal myself when I get back to AngelRose.”
I stared at him. “What if you never do go back?”
The thought must have never occurred to him because a sudden smile lit up his face. “That would be even better. I could live like a normal human with you.”
“You want to live here?” I asked, amazed he would want to stay on the earth plane. AngelRose, in my mind, was the only place that seemed to suit Eli. Imagining him getting a job and being ‘normal’ made my head spin.
“I’ve been thinking and staying away from you doesn’t seem possible.” Eli said, rubbing my back.
I rested my head against his chest and concentrated on his heartbeat. I heard a strong thumping but, listening closer, I could hear a smaller, faster beat.
The monster’s.
Chapter 28
The thought was in my mind now, taking root, growing too fast to contain. Images of Zoey and I living together in a house, going grocery shopping, having date nights, all flickered across my close eyelids as if it could be a possibility. It seemed so ideal, so serene, so normal that I almost thought that if I wished hard enough I could just make the monster go away. But that would never happen. With Zoey by my side, it was so hard to accept the fact I was a crazy deranged psychopath who could hurt her at the drop of a hat.