Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set

by Amy Miles

Her fingertips moved against the paper, smearing and blending the colors. Army green edges mixed with charcoal gray. A smidgen of tree-bark brown encircled stark white and canary yellow.

  At first, only a distorted form with no real shape appeared. But gradually, the picture revealed itself, emerging as though from a cocoon of sorts. Then finally, an exquisite golden light with puffy wings wrapped around it.

  A tingle danced on her skin at the sight of wings wrapping themselves around what she imagined to be herself on the page. “That’s crazy,” she mumbled.

  Gabby had always talked to herself, but recently it had become chronic. Though she didn’t let it get to her. She just figured that was what happened when you only had yourself for company.

  She lifted the picture and studied it, wishing she could share it with someone. But since her mother’s death, there was no one. It would be pointless to show it to her father since he didn’t approve of her wasting time doodling.

  Sighing, she tucked the picture into her portfolio then pulled on her pink bikini bottoms and slipped the tied string of her top over her head. Securing the back hook, she scanned her body in the full-length mirror, hanging on the back of the door. The lightning bolt pattern on her abdomen still shone bright. She shuddered at the memory and traced the lines with her fingers.

  Part of her didn’t want to go anywhere near the beach, but Sammy would be there. A chance to have a real friend. That was reason enough. Besides, Alexander was probably right. No doubt she’d just made too much out of the hallucination. Taken a trip to crazy town again.

  Alexander… She could feel the corner of her mouth rise at the thought of him. Perhaps he’ll be there, too.

  Shaking her head, she stopped her thoughts from going there. The only reason she wanted to see him was for more information about what happened, she reminded herself. And had she even thanked him for saving her life? If she didn’t, he probably thought she was just as rude and ungrateful as she was crazy. A tinge of embarrassment heated her skin. Had she sounded like a freak chattering on about creatures in the ocean?

  Maybe he wouldn’t even show today. If he was smart, he’d stay away from the crazy chick, just the way her teammates at a basketball game scattered after her last episode.

  Throwing a cover-up on over her bikini, she headed out of her room with her art supplies and portfolio in tow.

  A stifling musty odor greeted her when she opened the door and made her way down the hall. The house was a strange mix of construction projects, as though it had been put together like a jigsaw puzzle. Her room had been an attic at one time. It was a place to sleep, but it had no charm.

  Down the stairs, at the end of the hall, was her father’s room. She stopped at the top of the stairs, listening. All was quiet. Perfect, she thought. She didn’t need him grilling her about the terrors that haunted her nightly. His questions only made things worse and she wasn’t about to provoke another episode or go back on medication. Her fingers still ached form clutching them so tight while sitting in the tub rocking the attack away last night. When she finally made it out and ate dinner, she collapsed into bed exhausted. Although, for some reason, the dreams hadn’t haunted. She’d gotten her best night’s sleep in a year.

  Once outside, the coarse sand slid between her toes, her sandals not providing much protection. Each time her foot slipped from the shoe, it got burned on the hot sand and gravel. Her ankles twisted as she maneuvered over rocks and sticks on the ground, the art box banging into the burned mark on her leg she’d suffered in the ocean yesterday.

  “Why did I wear these?” She’d only owned one pair of heels in her entire life, these little white sandals with a two-inch heel. But she knew why she’d worn them, even if she didn’t want to admit it. She’d hoped to distract Alexander from her episode yesterday and get his attention focused on other possibilities.

  Exiting the woods, she found the beach deserted except for the constant and familiar waves. Salty air brushed against her face. The sun shone bright and cheerful, with none of the thunderclouds of yesterday.

  Gabby spread her beach blanket smooth on the sand and sat, feeling self-conscious as she tried to position herself in an attractive way, without looking like she was trying too hard. “This is silly. He won’t come today,” she told herself.

  A stick snapped in the woods behind her. Startled, she jerked around, searching. She saw no one. Finally, she shrugged it off and turned back toward the sea. Probably just her usual paranoia, stemming from her father’s ‘mysterious career’ and her incessant nightmares. What happened yesterday sure didn’t help any.

  She tried to get comfortable on her towel again. But it was no use. Dang, she just wasn’t the type of girl to sunbathe. Nervous energy kept her from sitting still.

  The sun beat down on her, the heat making the small mark on her leg throb. Knowing the cool water would soothe the sting she stood, brushing the sand from her legs.

  “You’re not thinking about going in the ocean again, are you?”

  She would recognize that voice anywhere. Alexander. Her legs threatened to buckle under her.

  “I thought you agreed not to swim alone.” He stood a few feet away in blue swim trunks and a white t-shirt. Lean muscles bulged against cotton material, his boyish dimples accentuating his smile.

  “I was just stretching.” She extended both arms out in a mock stretch and turned, trying to appear calm, relaxed.

  “Where’s Sammy?” she said, blurting out the first thing she could think of.

  “I’m here.” Sammy made her way out of the woods and gave Gabby a huge hug.

  Trying to imitate her, Gabby wrapped her arms around Sammy’s tiny frame and patted her back twice. Hugs weren’t commonplace in her house, at least not since her mother died, especially not from strangers.

  “Ouch. Alex, look at her leg.” Sammy’s dainty, perfectly manicured hand pointed at Gabby’s leg.

  “Looks like you bumped into some coral.” Alexander reached out to touch the mark but quickly pulled his hand back.

  “Coral? Really?” Gabby breathed, her heart speeding up at the thought of him touching her.

  “It happens a lot around here.” Sammy nodded. “It might sting in the salt water.”

  Before she could respond, four large trucks raced through an open field of beach grass and plowed onto the white sand. They were tall, jacked-up so high she couldn’t imagine how anyone could even climb into them, let alone drive them. Large red-colored lights lined a bar along the roof, giving each vehicle a sinister look.

  Sand kicked up from the trucks’ oversized tires as they sped by, spraying her face, body, and hair. Grit scratched her eyes and she had to spit it from her mouth.

  When they halted a few hundred feet away, she could make out an intricate painting of a devil-like creature decorating the side of each truck. While the artist in her admired the detail, the image made her stomach drop.

  The door of the first truck opened and a large boy, wearing a letter jacket, jumped from the vehicle.

  A letter jacket? In this heat? Was he kidding?

  Several more boys jumped down and started pulling large pieces of wood from the back of the trucks. They piled the wood in the pyramid of a bonfire.

  What the heck are they thinking? It’s the middle of the day. Why would anyone want a bonfire in this heat and humidity?

  Suddenly seeming to notice their presence, the large boy with the letter jacket walked toward them. His skin was tan, his hair clipped short in a crew cut. “Hey, Alexander,” he said with a cheerful wave. “How’s it going? Who’s the pretty lady?”

  Alexander stared at him in stony silence.

  The boy shrugged and looked at Gabby. “Well, since our friend here won’t introduce us, allow me the pleasure. I’m Forras,” he said with a slight bow. “This is Gremory and Donn, Carson, and the small guy hovering by that truck over there is Boon.”

  Gremory, Donn, and Carson looked identical in build and stature, only the variations of hair an
d eye color differentiating them. But Boon looked more like a water boy than an athlete deserving of a letter jacket. His shoulders were thin and bony, glasses sat low on the bridge of his nose and he held his head lower than the others.

  Forras stepped forward to shake her hand. Reluctantly, she accepted, the mark on her abdomen stinging the instant he touched her.

  Alexander moved closer. “Back away, you scared her enough with your psychotic driving.”

  Psychotic?

  “Please accept my apology for frightening you,” Forras said in a smooth tone. “We don’t mean any harm. We just get a little overzealous at times.”

  Gabby tried to pull away but he tightened his grip, placing his other hand over hers to prolong their handshake.

  “Historically, this has always been our beach. Because no one comes here, we don’t have to concern ourselves with who we might run down, you see.” His voice sounded methodical, like each word was carefully considered before it was uttered. “Let me make it up to you.” Forras moved closer and placed a hand on the small of her back.

  A tremor shot through her, causing her to feel strange and more than a little ill. His scent reminded her of fresh cut oranges with a hint of soured dishtowels.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured, moving away from him.

  Undeterred, he said, “Why don’t you attend our bonfire tomorrow night? We always have one the night of the full moon.”

  Alarm bells clanged in her head, but her tongue and mouth seemed to have a mind of their own as the word yes formed on her lips.

  Sensing her reluctance, Forras lowered his voice. “This would give you the opportunity to meet everyone prior to the start of the school year.” He poured on the charm, flashing a bright white grin at her. “Everyone who is anyone from school will be here.”

  Voices in her head screamed over her urge to get away from him as soon as possible and take a shower. The popular people will be there. It’s your way in. You’ll make tons of friends before school even starts. Placing a hand to her temple, she rubbed at the throbbing pain, trying to decipher the chaos. But her sense of unease won out.

  Returning his false smile with one of her own, she said, “No, thank you.”

  Forras’ lip curled in disapproval.

  She shivered and moved further away from him.

  Forras glanced back to the other boys. “That’s adorable. I think she’s got a curfew.”

  “She said no, Forras.” Alexander clutched her arm, pushing her gently behind him. “I’ve warned you.”

  Tension mounted between them, and she struggled with how to calm them both.

  “We were just leaving. Right, gentlemen?”

  “Yeah, just leaving,” the others echoed in a mocking tone.

  They’d just arrived, but obviously there was bad blood between Alexander and Forras. Something told her it had less to do with her, that there was history between them.

  As they climbed back into their trucks, the voices in her head settled and the throbbing subsided. A massive heap of wood ten feet high that they had offloaded from the trucks remained as the 4X4s sped off down the beach. Thunder boomed overhead. She’d been so engrossed in what was going on, she hadn’t noticed the storm building.

  Gabby glanced at her new friends. Now that they were finally alone again, she didn’t want to part with Alexander and Sammy so quickly. She knew her father had business out of town today, so he wouldn’t be returning until late. “Do you guys want to head to my house to wait out the storm? It isn’t too far from here.”

  “Sure,” Sammy said, immediately grabbing her hand to pull her into the woods.

  Gabby glanced back at Alexander. He had already gathered her stuff, carrying it under his arm as he trailed behind them.

  The dense woods provided shelter as the rain began to fall. Sammy leading the way, they followed the path leading toward her house.

  “You live over by Old Highway Nine, right?” Sammy asked before pulling her down another trail. “Here, I know a short cut.”

  How does she know where I live?

  It did seem shorter and easier, until they came to a freshly fallen tree blocking a narrow part in the path. Alexander quickly took the lead and offered his arm to help her over the large trunk.

  Before she reached him, her foot caught on a root, causing her to stumble, sending her body on a collision path with him. Her feet instinctively followed the momentum and she took two steps, tucked her arms and legs into her body, and flipped over the fallen tree. When she nailed her landing, she shook her head, not sure how she managed to avoid an epic nose-dive. Sure she’d trained in gymnastics, but this was different.

  “Wow.” Sammy jumped up and down, clapping.

  “That was impressive.” Alexander raised his eyebrows in approval.

  “I used to take gymnastics when I was younger.” Gabby attempted to act nonchalant but inside she was pleased at getting Alexander’s attention.

  As they reached the edge of the woods, she scanned the dirt drive for her father’s car. She didn’t want to take a chance of him seeing she’d made friends and changing his mind about allowing her to attend school. He always believed that the less people in their lives meant less people to get involved in dangerous situations.

  At the empty driveway, she exhaled. Good, he wasn’t home, which meant he’d gone to work and wouldn’t return for hours. And if he stopped off somewhere for some drinks then he wouldn’t return at all tonight.

  The small brick and wood front porch provided some protection from the storm while she paused for a minute to locate her key. Why had she locked the door when there was nothing to steal? Habit. Mom always insisted they keep the house secured.

  Water dripped through the gaping sections of the wood roof, sadly in need of repair. But then everything inside and out needed fixing, and she hadn’t thought that far ahead. As she dug for her key inside her art box, overwhelming embarrassment filled her. She remembered the last time she invited a girl to her house and the next day everyone knew how poor she was. She learned quick, you were only as good as the things you owned.

  She sighed. Then that would make me worth nothing.

  Finally locating her keys, she jumped as an enormous boom shook the landscape. Terrified, she looked over her shoulder. Less than twenty yards from the house, a tree, with a large split down the middle, smoked from a fresh lightning strike.

  Alexander reached out and steadied her, pulling her against him. “Scary, huh?”

  “Yeah.” She gazed up into his eyes, just a few inches away. The golden specks swam in a sea of blue. His face was so smooth it could have been chiseled from marble.

  Energy surged through her as if the bolt of lightning struck her instead of the tree. He was so close, she could feel his warm breath caressing her lips with each exhale. He held her for a moment, until she realized Sammy watched them from only a few feet away. Pulling from his arms, her fingers tightened around the keys and she turned the lock.

  Still feeling flustered, she cleared her throat and opened the door, gesturing them inside.

  Muggy heat accosted her, with a weighted feeling of dread, as she entered the house. She flipped the switch for the ceiling fan, but nothing happened. She continued flicking the switch, hoping extra effort might force the fan to turn on.

  Alexander reached out and covered her hand with his. “The electricity is out. Lightning must’ve hit a transformer.”

  Feeling a strange tingle where his hand rested on hers, warmth radiated up her arm. This time it reached all the way to her face and her cheeks grew hot.

  Gabby cleared her throat. “W-would you like something to drink?”

  “Sure.”

  She made her way into the tiny kitchen. Dreary gray linoleum led to an avocado green refrigerator, standing beside a daffodil yellow dishwasher. The entire room reminded her of a 1970’s TV show. Ignoring the faucet since their well water tasted like sulfur, she grabbed three bottles of water from the fridge.

  Not want
ing him to see more of the house than necessary, she spun around, only to find him standing two inches from her.

  She sucked in a quick breath. “I-I didn’t hear you behind me.”

  “What’re all the trophies in the living room? You a cheerleader?” he asked.

  “No. I am not a cheerleader.” She winced at her harsh tone. Alexander took one of the bottles then returned to the living room where he sat on the armrest of the sofa.

  She quickly followed and handed Sammy a bottle.

  “Thanks,” Sammy said, smiling.

  With her cheerful personality, Sammy could be a cheerleader. But there was no way Gabby could be that peppy all the time. It was exhausting just talking with people she didn’t know. Popularity never found Gabby. She felt awkward in social settings, causing most people to leave her alone. Their constant moves didn’t help any either.

  She reached out, her finger tracing one of the brass-covered statues that crowded the small mantel. “They’re from various sports, like baseball, basketball, dancing, gymnastics. I think there’s even one for running.”

  “Really?” Alexander rose from the couch and walked over to her.

  “Don’t sound so shocked. A girl can play sports too, you know.”

  “I know. I’m just surprised. It’s unusual for a person to succeed in so many things.” He paused, perusing the framed photos mixed in amongst the trophies. Sammy and Alexander exchanged a strange look before he turned with a smile. “I’m impressed.”

  “Yeah, Gabby. You must be pretty athletic.” Sammy took a sip from her bottle.

  Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment and pride. “I guess I lose interest easily.”

  If only that were true. Every time she took on a new identity, she played a different sport. It made finding new ones more difficult. Although why they had to constantly go into hiding when her dad worked for the government, her parents never said, no matter how many times she asked. Their answer was always: The work’s top secret and puts our lives at risk.

  “You have to try out for cheerleading at school. I made captain this year, but I’m not that good at the acrobatic part,” Sammy said, her voice rising an octave in excitement. “I’ll help you with the cheering and you can help me with the flips and stuff.”