by Karen DuBose
He turns in his seat to look at me. “I think I went East.” He looks confused as to which way he went. I look back to the map. I follow twenty-six with my finger. We should be close to Dusty.
“Keep heading East. It looks like a big town. We will get a hotel and see if they have a car lot in the morning.” He nods his head and turns back around. I heard him put the car in drive. I fold the map again and put it in the back of the seat pouch. Leaning back against the seat, I close my eyes. A migraine is coming on. My eyes are throbbing.
Mom lays her head on my shoulder. “Have I told you how proud I am of you?” I don’t open my eyes when I answer her. “Yes, Mom you have. Thank you for saying it again. It’s nice to hear occasionally.” Laying my head on hers. I listen the engine purr and the wheels rolling over the asphalt. It lulls me into sleeps clutches.
The wind blows through my hair and over my skin as I lay on the grass looking up into the clear blue sky. The peacefulness this place holds is beyond anything I have ever experienced. I watch the clouds roll by enjoying nature, when I feel a pull. I already know who it is coming from. If he wants to talk he can come out and talk. I’m done playing games with him.
I stretch my arms above me and bring them back under my head, using them as a pillow. I close my eyes, enjoying the sun against my skin. I hear leaves scurry around and birds chirping. When mystery man spoke, I about came out of my skin. I wasn’t expecting him to approach so soon.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
I look over where I thought I heard his voice. When I spot him, he is still wearing the same hoodie blocking out his features. “I am, thank you. Unless you want to tell me who you are and why you are stalking me, I suggest you leave me alone. I don’t have time to play games.” I look back up at the sky hoping he would get the message. When I heard him chuckle I knew he didn’t. With a sigh I sat up to face him.
“Are you ready to tell me who you are or are you going to stand there and be rude?” He looks at me and I can feel he is trying to figure me out. I just sit there with my head held high. I’m not going to coward to him or any other person, not anymore. I’m already on the run.
Wait, this is my dream how is he in my dream? Am I dreaming about him? Why would I be dreaming about him? How can I feel the pull in a dream?
I stood up wanting to get answers, but when I did he is gone and so is the pull. What the hell is going on? Could he be the dark source and that is the reason I can feel him when he is close? Or is this my minds way of playing tricks on me again? I start to pace in my own dream trying to come up with an answer, when I could faintly hear someone calling my name. I listen for heartbeat, it came again. It sounds frantic. I close my eyes, letting the voice guide me out of sleep.
“Skye, please wake up, please, please.” My mom’s voice tore at my heart hearing her say that. I pop my eyes open to let her know I’m indeed awake. I barley blink when she wraps herself around me. She is shaking, and tears are running down her cheeks. What in the world is wrong with her?
“Mom, what’s wrong? Did something happen while I was asleep?”
She lets me go so she can see my face. “I felt darkness surround you and when you didn’t wake up right away I thought he had you and was going to kill you. Was he in your dreams?”
Was that really the dark source? I didn’t feel darkness surrounding him, just a pull to be near him. “I don’t think so. I mean there was a man in my dreams, but he didn’t have darkness that I could feel, just a pull to be near him. He just watched me. I couldn’t see his face because it was covered with a hoodie. I saw the same man in Starburn.”
Mom’s eyes are wide. “Are you sure you didn’t feel any darkness around him?”
I shook my head. “No, Mom I didn’t feel any darkness. I would tell you if I did.” She sits back in her own seat. I’m able to sit up in my own seat. I stretch as much I could. “Chase how far are we away, and how long was I asleep?”
He looks at me in the rearview mirror. “We are five minutes away and you have only been asleep for maybe fifteen minutes.” Only fifteen minutes? This trip has sucked with sleep. I can’t wait to get to the hotel and shower then sleep.
Chapter 7
We check into the hotel and find our room. “I get dibs on the shower!” I say. I didn’t even give them time to answer me. I went straight into the bathroom and close the door. I step up to the sink, looking at myself in the mirror. I look like I’ve aged five years. The black around my eyes makes the rest of me pale. My soft, green eyes are blood shot and my light, brown hair looks like I’ve never brushed it. Pulling my gaze away from the mirror, I walk over to the bathtub and turn the shower on as hot as I can stand. I peel the clothes off me and hop in.
The hot water relieves some of the tension in my shoulders. With my haste to get into the shower, I forgot to grab my toiletries out of my bag. I slid the curtain back to grab them. When I heard a knock on the door. “I’m still in the shower!”
Lex’s voice comes from behind the door. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, give me a second.” I grab my stuff and shut the curtain again. “Ok, it’s safe to come in.” I hear the door open and close. She plops on the toilet seat. “What’s wrong Lex?” Squeezing shampoo in my hand I start to wash the filth away.
I hear her sigh before she answers. “I’m scared Skye. I thought this would be a good thing to get away from there. What if they don’t stop looking for us? What will happen if they find us?” I rinse out the shampoo from my hair and put conditioner in. I’m stalling to answer her because I have been wondering the same thing.
So, I give her the truth. “I don’t know Lex. I don’t know how long they will look for us or what will happen if they find us. I know you are scared, even I am somewhat. Do you regret coming with me?” I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.
“No, I don’t regret it. I just wish it was under different circumstances. You are my best friend and sister. I will always want to be by your side. Through thick and thin.”
I exhaled hearing her answer. “I would do the same for you chic. If you don’t mind I would like to finish this shower and either sleep or eat. I haven’t figure that one out yet.” I hear her giggle before the door opens and closes. I finish washing myself and get out. I grab a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and pull them on. I use a towel to wrap my long hair in, so the water will soak up in the towel.
Walking out of the bathroom, Mom and Chase are gone. “Where did they go?”
Lex turns to me with a smile playing at her lips. “They went to hide the car and grab us some food.” With the mention of food my stomach growls loudly. When was the last time I ate? I think back, and it has been a few days. The food we bought before we were chased is still in the car unopened. I sit next to Lex and put my arm around her shoulders. “Not everything from here on out will be easy. I just hope we get to Tennessee without any more mishaps. Them being in Sunnyside was too close for me.”
She wraps her arms around my waist “Do you have a plan when we get there or are we just winging it?”
I look at her and smiled. “Right now, I’m just winging it. We will figure everything else out when we get there. I do hope to open my own wiccan shop. That has been a dream of mine for a long time.”
She smiles back at me. “I know, I know. That is all you ever talk about when asked what you want to do with your life. I wish I knew what I want to do. I never thought about it long enough to even figure it out. I live my life one day at a time. Nothing in Starburn caught my attention for too long, besides Chase of course.” Her laughter lightens my heart just a little.
I give her a squeeze before I get up to brush my hair out. “I would get a shower before they get back if I were you.” I know how long my mom takes a shower. There won’t be any hot water left. Lex jumps up and grabs her bag. She rushes to the bathroom and I can hear the water turn on.
Grabbing my brush from my bag, I couldn’t help but think how I got so lucky to have a best friend as loyal an
d brave as her? I hear footsteps coming down the hallway. I brace myself for an anything. I don’t know if we have been found or not. It didn’t take long for them to find us in Sunnyside. The tension in my shoulders is so tight I feel like they could snap at any moment. The footsteps stop outside the door. I am ready to use my powers if I need to. I need to keep Lex safe at all cost. There’s a light knock on the door. I don’t dare say anything.
“Skye, it’s mom let us in.”
I let out a sigh. Walking to the door, I look out the peep hole just in case. I can see my mom moving from foot to foot.
Opening the door, her and Chase rushed in. “Is everything ok?” Mom sets the food on the little table by the bathroom.
“Everything is fine why would you ask?”
Closing the door, I turn to her. “Because you came in here like someone is following you. You weren’t followed, were you?”
She shakes her head. “Not that I know of. I kept checking to make sure. Chase did you see anyone?” Chase shakes his head. I can see black circles under his eyes. I’m sure he is worried and exhausted like the rest of us.
“Well, let’s eat and get some sleep. We are all exhausted and need some much-needed sleep. We can discuss where we go next and plan the rest of our trip,” I say as I walk over to the food. At this point it could be anything. I’m beyond starving. My stomach is trying to eat my spine.
Lex comes out of the bathroom just as we were grabbing our food. She looks a lot better. I can still see she is scared. I can’t fault her for that. If I’m completely honest with myself, I’m scared shitless. We all fall into silence as we eat. I’m lost in thought when my mom’s voice brings me back to the present. “Where are we going from here Skye? You seem to know more than the rest of us?”
I swallow the food that’s in my mouth before I answer her. “I think we have lost them for now. Chase please tell me you didn’t park the car anywhere near here?” He shakes his head no. He hasn’t said much since our encounter earlier. I will have to deal with that in a few. “Ok, good. First thing we do is get a new car. After that we keep heading to Tennessee.” Mom nods her head letting me know she understands.
“How come we are going to Tennessee?” Lex asks in a whisper.
I have been asking myself the same question since we left. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know. Something deep inside tells me that is where we need to go. I don’t know where in Tennessee yet. I’m listening to my gut. It hasn’t failed me yet.” She looks up at me with sad eyes. I know this is hard for her. I will try my hardest to make her not so sad. I just got to get us to safety first.
“I don’t know about you but I’m going to bed. We still have a long trip ahead of us. We will need all the sleep we can get.” I stand up, tossing my wrappers into the trash. Walking back over to the bed, I toss the covers aside and lay down. I think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.
The same forest I’ve come used to stares back at me. I’m too comfortable to even sit up. The wind caresses my skin as I listen to the birds sing. I’m enjoying the nature around me when I fell the pull. Ignoring it, I continue to keep the peace surrounding me. I’m not in the mood to deal with the mystery stalker right now. I just want to lay here and relax.
I’m enjoying the songs the birds are singing. Feeling him getting closer makes the peace disappear. I have no choice to see what the hell he wants now. Ugh! “Why can’t I have a moment of peace?”
I sit up and look around. I don’t see him, but I know where to look. I just stare at the spot where I know he is. I don’t say a word. I bring my knees up to my chest and just stare. He will either come out or not, and I could careless either way.
After a few minutes he comes out, with a smirk on his lips. He is wearing a different hoodie this time. I should be scared to death of him, but I’m not. I mean he is here in my dreams and Mom said the only one that can do that is the dark source. He has to be the dark source. Mom also said I would have a pull to him. All I am right now is curious. I don’t feel his darkness, even when I’m this close to him in the real world. If he is the dark source, how is he hiding his darkness from me?
“So, you decided to come out of your hiding place. Huh?” He just stands there with his hands in his pockets like he has no care in the world. What a jerk. “Are you not going to talk? You brought me here to your realm for what? To stare at me?” Yeah, I know baiting him is not a good Idea, but I want to know why he keeps bringing me here and what he plans on doing to me. I wasn’t expecting to hear him laugh. It sounded like music to my ears. I felt the need to go to him and lay my head on his chest just, so I could feel it. What the hell is wrong with me? This is the dark source. I shouldn’t feel this way towards him. I shake my head to clear it.
“Why are you not scared of me if you figured out who I am?” He voice is like velvet. It took me a second to answer him.
“Why should I be afraid of you?” It’s time to get answers.
“Did they not tell you I can kill you here or that none of the others even had a chance against me?”
Anger replaced my curiosity. I stood up and march over to him. “Look here, you good for nothing ass. If you want to try and kill me, go ahead. Just so you know, I will not stand here and be defenseless. I will fight you until the end. You have brought nothing but heartache to this world. I will end you one way or another.” Oh my god, did I just say that to him? What the hell am I thinking? My powers haven’t even come in fully, and here I am taunting him. I don’t let him see my inner struggle. I keep a firm scold on my face.
He laughs again but this time it wasn’t a happy laugh-- it was menacing. “You think you can take me without your powers? That’s so cute. Now why don’t you go back to your pathetic life and come back when you are a real challenge. By the way you have been found. You better wake up and leave unless you want to go back to Starburn.”
With those words I’m awake.
I jump out of bed yelling for them to wake up. I toss stuff in our bags. “We got to go they are coming, come on get up now!” They all jump out of bed and was ready in less than a minute. How in the world do they keep finding us?
Running down the hall, we rush out of the hotel room with Chase leading the way. I open myself up to the magic around me to see if I can feel anyone close. I felt their magic, they’re not close yet and I want to keep it that way. When we burst from the doors. Chase turns the corner and skidding to a stop. I ran right into him. I didn’t have time to slow down. When I see what he is staring at, I walk backwards hoping they don’t see us. Sofia and Zane are checking out the cars around the hotel. How did I not feel their powers? I put my fingers to my lips to tell Mom and Lex to stay quiet. We jog quietly the other way. The sun is already up, and I hope like hell the car dealership is open this early. We kept to the shadows, and off the main streets. There has to be a dealership around here close. I don’t want to be walking on the streets much longer.
I felt the pull stronger than ever. I stop dead in my tracks. He is close. Did he change his mind and want to fight now? Now of all times, really? I’m about to tell my mom that he is here, when I felt the magic of the Coven leaders. I grab my mom’s and Lex’s arms and shove them in the alley to our right. I push them towards the dumpster that is just ahead of us. They understood what I wanted them to do. We just got behind it when I hear Sofia’s voice. My heart is thumping so hard in my chest I swear they would be able to hear it. I take slow breathes to calm myself down. This can’t be happening. We can’t be caught, not now.
“Are you lost? You’re a little way from home, aren’t you?” I hear the dark source’s voice. My whole-body trembles from the tension.
“What’s it to you?” Zane says with an attitude. That is the wrong thing to say to the dark source.
I hear a grunt and an angry cry from Sofia. Her scream is turned into one of torture. I don’t stay to see what else he plans on doing to them. I grab Mom’s and Lex’s arms again and rush out the other end of the alley. I turn the
corner. Seeing a car dealership, I run to it. We don’t have time to get our vehicle to trade in. We need to get a car and leave. I walk up to the car salesman and use my magic on him. “We need a car now. You can do the paperwork later and send it to me when I call you. You will not ask questions, nor will you remember us being here until I call you.”
“Skye this one.” I turn to see what caught my mom’s attention. It’s a brand new black Buick Envision. Well I guess that is the one we are getting. I know we can’t afford to get it, so I will have to make him think we bought in full.
I hate doing this, but we need to get out of here and fast. “We will take that one.” I say pointing to the vehicle my mom is standing by. “You will remember we paid it in full. The name you will use is Amber Russell. Now go back in there and get us a temporary tag and once we leave you will forget we were ever here. You will remember a lawyer was here to buy this car.” When I got done speaking he went to do as I asked.
I walk over to my mom. “Out of all these, you pick this one?” I shake my head. I walk over to the cargo area and throw my stuff in. I can’t help but take a deep breath inhaling the new car smell. I don’t let myself enjoy it for too long. I can feel the pull to the dark source. He isn’t close yet, but he will be. I turn to see the car salesman as he walk to us with the temp tag in hand. I exhaled with a sigh. I really hate doing this to him.
Once the tag is on we leave as fast as we can without bringing ourselves any unwanted attention.
Chapter 8
We’ve been driving over 12 hours. Lex is driving now, and she is humming to the music playing low in the background. Chase and Mom are sleeping. I have been trying to figure out how they keep finding us. I came up with two possibilities. One they had my mom’s car bugged or they are somehow tracking our magic. I have been reading my families grimoire and I found a spell that will cloak our magic.