Survival instincts unfroze her feet and Jen turned, tried to run, but lost her balance and went crashing down. Her chin, chest, arms, and thighs pressed into the sludge. She pulled herself up, and then shot a frightened look toward the bridge.
The woman had disappeared. Heaving sobs jerked Jen’s shoulders as she careened away from the bridge, running against traffic along the sodden dirt path.
Nerves frazzled, vision blurred, Jen didn’t notice the police squad car cruising toward her. The car slowed and then came to a stop, the driver’s door opened.
“Something wrong, ma’am?” asked a really nice-looking police officer as he walked around the vehicle.
She shook her head, wiping away tears with the back of her hand.
He leaned against the passenger door. He was medium height, very fit, and had a rugged sex appeal that was even more enhanced by the uniform, Jen noted.
“Are you out jogging or is someone chasing you?” A slight smile tugged at the corners of the police officer’s lips, teasing Jen into relaxing and being straight with him.
Then she noticed a frown formed as he inspected her.
There was no hint of a lingering smile in his eyes as they scrutinized her, taking in her mud-covered palms and mudsplattered clothing.
He looked at her face. “Seriously, ma’am…you can talk to me. Did someone assault you?”
“No,” Jen protested. “I’m fine.” Her trembling lip was a giveaway that all was not well. She wanted to tell him about the crazy lady, or entity, or whatever…that had been running around on the bridge. No, he’d think she was nuts. And what could he do to a nonphysical being?
He moved in closer. “Would you like to come to the station with me? Talk to a female officer?”
Jen shook her head adamantly. “I’m okay. Really. I fell.”
The handsome cop gave her a doubtful look. Under normal circumstances, if a cop as hot as this one was in such close proximity, her mind would be zooming; trying to come up with a flirty line. But all she could do was emit tiny whimpers.
“Obviously, you’re not okay. Can you identify the assailant, ma’am?”
“I’m fine,” she protested again, her pitch rising. She lowered her tone. “There wasn’t any assailant. Honestly.” She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “Really. Nobody assaulted me. I’m not hurt. I…I just have something on my mind.”
The police officer stared at Jen’s face, squinting as if trying to get a clearer view of her soul. She squirmed under his intense and penetrating gaze. It seemed as if he was trying to get to the truth of the matter by staring into her eyes. Feeling exposed and self-conscious, Jen dropped her gaze.
“Got your cell on you?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Your cell phone.”
“Oh!” She patted the low-hanging pocket of her hoodie. “Yeah. Why?”
“I want you to take my number in your phone…in case you decide you want to talk. Unofficially, of course.” He pulled out his cell.
She held up her mud-stained palms and shrugged.
“Don’t want you to get your phone all muddy, so I’ll call you. Make sure you lock my number in.”
Lock his number in? Was hot cop hitting on her while she was mud-covered, disheveled, stammering and stuttering, and obviously teetering on the brink of insanity?
What did he find appealing? Absolutely nothing! she answered herself. She could tell by his kind expression that he thought she’d been victimized and was disoriented and rambling. He was using some of his police training to smooth talk her into blowing the whistle on the perpetrator.
If she told Hot Cop what she was really running from, he’d probably drop her off at the closest loony bin. “Um, I don’t think it’s a good—”
He stared at Jen. “You’re running, you’re crying, and you look like you’ve been dragged through mud. It’s my job to pursue and apprehend suspects. If you give me a description…or tell me what he was wearing…”
Jen shook her head. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“You don’t have to be afraid, ma’am. Just tell me what happened?” His voice was satin. But Jen was no fool. Well, not that big of a fool to fall for his smooth talking.
“Nothing happened. I stumbled on something and fell.”
Squinting, he nodded. “I patrol this area every day. Never saw you before. Are you new around here?”
“Sort of.”
He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to provide more details. She merely nodded. He ran his eyes over her hoodie. “You go to Temple?” he asked.
“Uh. Used to.”
“Oh, so you sort of live around here and you used to go to Temple?”
Jen sighed. Oh, Lord, why was this man trying to get all up in her business like this? Catherine would have a freakin’ fit if she thought Jen was discussing any aspect of her private affairs with an outsider—a law enforcement agent, in particular.
“Yeah, I’m sort of new in this neighborhood. I work for a family here in Chestnut Hill.” She skipped over the part about Temple. It was a personal sore spot.
“Doing what?” he asked with a charming smile.
Charming smile or not, his question made her squirm. “You sure are nosey. I mean…I’m starting to feel like this is an interrogation or something?”
“No, I’m not interrogating you. Is that how I’m coming across?” His lips spread into a lazy, non-threatening smile.
“That’s how it seems. And I shouldn’t have to respond to anything because I didn’t call for help. You came from out of nowhere and stopped me.”
Unperturbed, he laughed. “It’s my job to provide aid to a citizen who seems to be in distress. But now that I know you’re all right…I was…you know, kickin’ it with you.”
Jen looked at Hot Cop like he’d lost his mind and backed up a little. Was he some kind of cute creep who had a thing for muddy joggers?
“I’m not comfortable having a conversation right now. I really have to get out of these clothes.” She frowned down and pointed at the mud that was splattered on the front of her hoodie.
“That’s understandable.” He looked at her and then down at his phone, used his thumb to rotate a side button, and then looked at her again. “I can’t make you tell me what happened to you, but whatever went down shouldn’t be taken lightly. I bet you could use a friend.”
The nerve—the arrogance of this hot cop—making the assumption that she was lonely, which she was, but still…it wasn’t any of his business.
Hot Cop saw the indignation on her face. “That came out wrong. I meant to say, I’m available if you want to talk…unofficially, of course.” He disarmed her with another smile. “By the way, my name is Romel Chavis. Friends call me Rome.”
“Jennifer Darnell,” Jen told him, leaving out the shortened version of her name since she didn’t intend to ever talk to him again. He seemed like the type who was used to getting his way. Jen bet he had never, in life, made one booty call. Why would he? He gave out his number and women called him. Shit, if it weren’t for Catherine and all her rules, Jen would probably join the long list of female booty callers.
But as it was, she couldn’t. She’d lose her job if she started palling around with a police officer. But being polite, and also in an attempt to get rid of the aggressive cop, she recited her number.
Rome hunched over as he punched her number into his phone. Jen stole a look. He was concentrating, like it was serious business; unconsciously holding his lips scrunched together. His mouth looked scrumptious. So kissable. Positively lickable.
When her cell went off, the vibration inside her pocket startled her, sending little tingles down her thigh. Jen felt her cheeks grow warm, as if Hot Cop’s hand was touching her thigh, caressing it; his thick fingers migrating toward her most intimate spot.
“That’s my number. Put it on lock.” He winked.
Oh, God! That wink was devastating, causing her thoughts to take a quick turn, detouring from sof
t and sensual feelings to inappropriate…mind-in-the-gutter thinking, accompanied by lewd imagery as she imagined her and Hot Cop naked on the ground, their bodies entangled as they wallowed together in a bed of mud.
He replaced his phone in his pocket. “Need a ride?”
“No thanks.” Jen rushed toward home. Hot Cop got in the squad car and cruised away.
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
Not only did Kali sleep in bed with her parents, but handicapped by fear, she refused to even go to the bathroom alone at night. She didn’t mind being in her own bedroom during daylight hours and right now, with the sun still shining brightly, she felt safe and carefree.
In the midst of a tea party, Kali and her dolls were gathered around a small table, set with cloth napkins and a porcelain tea set. She poured fruit punch from a miniature teapot for each “guest” and then settled back in her seat.
Holding her favorite baby doll in her arms, she said, “Don’t worry, Mommy’s going to feed you.” She picked up a toy bottle. Something caught her eye, startling her.
There was a flutter of movement in the vicinity of her toy chest. Frozen in fear, Kali held the toy bottle in midair. With shuddering dread, she forced herself to put the bottle down. Too frightened to turn around and confront her fear, she rotated her neck only slightly and gasped at what she saw.
Sitting in its place atop a bright pink toy chest, Mr. Bear, Kali’s favorite stuffed animal, held its right arm extended upward.
Stunned silent, Kali stared unbelievingly as it slowly lowered its arm. It repeated the up-and-down motion with its left arm.
“Oh, no!” Kali muttered when the stuffed animal began to flutter-kick, excitedly testing the movement of its legs.
Using its rounded plush paws to grip the edge of the toy chest, Mr. Bear hopped off the toy chest, making a wobbly landing on the floor. Arms stretched out at its side, the panda steadied its balance.
Kali drew back in fear.
Mr. Bear, a once cuddly and adorable plaything, now seemed an animated menace. Swinging its arms, the jumbo-sized, black-and-white panda stepped aggressively toward her. It seemed agitated and intent on disrupting the tea party.
Expecting to be assaulted with a barrage of flying cups and saucers, Kali closed her eyes. Ducking her head, she clutched her baby doll closely.
The giant panda approached, but there was no onslaught of colorful porcelain.
Instead of being pummeled with a teapot, she felt the brush of Mr. Bear’s fake fur against her arm. Kali was not soothed by the soft touch. Scared out of her wits, goose bumps prickled her flesh.
“You’re…in…danger,” Mr. Bear said in a mechanical-sounding voice. The faltering words were spoken through lips sewn into a smiling curve.
Kali gasped, and then whipped around, gawking suspiciously at the TV. Surely the witch had a hand in Mr. Bear’s unnatural ability to walk and talk.
The TV screen was dark. No spooky images.
Kali listened for strange sounds but there were no shrieks or hair-raising screams from that foggy place where Eris lived.
She let out a breath of relief, but then gazed warily at the black-and-white panda.
Mr. Bear stared at her with unblinking marble eyes. A sound, like the hum of a motor, emerged from its stitched lip. The humming revved as the panda seemed to struggle to produce coherent speech.
This time the panda’s curved mouth twitched, breaking stitches, and replacing the happy smile with a lopsided sneer. “The… evil…one—”
The baby doll slipped from Kali’s arms. Frozen and scared speechless, she didn’t retrieve the doll. She couldn’t move or make a sound.
“She…will…harm…you.”
It occurred to her to get up and run, but her limbs felt paralyzed. “Who wants to harm me?” Kali asked shakily, surprised that she’d recovered her voice.
The motorized humming went into high gear and Mr. Bear began speaking without hesitation. “You have a ring—a possession that is extremely valuable. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands.”
As if overcome with spasms, the bear’s broken-stitched mouth zigzagged in various directions. It was a frightening sight.
“I don’t have the ring.”
“Eris will stop at nothing to get that ring from you. She intends to destroy you. Your parents, too.”
“But I don’t have her ring,” Kali insisted, frowning with fear and distress.
“There will be blood shed inside these walls.”
“I’m scared.” Kali’s squeaked, terror-stricken.
“You must protect yourself with the goddess ring.”
Kali picked up her doll and began rocking it frantically, as though the doll was wailing and demanding comfort.
“My daddy gave all my jewelry to charity,” Kali uttered helplessly. So many scary things had occurred lately, this bizarre conversation with a stuffed toy was beginning to feel…almost normal. It was Mr. Bear’s dire warning about blood being shed that had Kali’s heart thumping.
“The goddess ring is here. and it remains inside the box. Keep it with you. It is the ring of eternal life, and it is yours…a gift from the goddess Kali.”
“The goddess Kali? That’s my name!”
“You were named for her…your godmother, the protector of children. The ring will keep you safe from harm,” Mr. Bear explained, voice lowered, the threads that served as its mouth beginning to tangle in a series of disturbing knots.
Keeping her focus away from Mr. Bear’s sad mouth, she whispered, “Where does my godmother live? How come I’ve never met her?”
“She…rests. On…the Goddess…Realm. Watches…over… you.” The panda’s words were slow. Muffled. And so terribly slurred, Kali felt guilty for asking questions, but she really wanted to know more.
“Is the Goddess Realm near Roanoke?”
Mr. Bear went silent. Looking worn down, the panda’s knotted lip hung down in a sad loop.
“Are you, tired, Mr. Bear?” Kali stood up. The stuffed toy flopped down into her chair, its cotton-stuffed body slumped to the side, and then became still.
Kali sighed, realizing that Mr. Bear, once again inanimate, had nothing more to say. She paced to her baby doll’s wooden cradle and carefully placed the doll inside. Now irresistibly drawn to the toy chest, Kali crossed the bedroom.
The jewelry and Kali’s music box were donated to charity, but the original crudely made wood box that had contained the buried jewels was mixed in with her playthings inside the toy chest.
She found the box, removed the top, and scanned the roughened bottom. Wedged in a corner was a glimmer of silver. Kali tugged on the object, splintering the aged wood as she pulled an ancient-looking ring out of the deep groove. The ring bore an unusual design: a cross with an odd, hooplike top.
Balling her fist around the ancient treasure that would protect her, Kali felt a jolt of energy surging through her. Along with the energy came a feeling of immense peace…an inner knowing that her worries were over.
Then she heard these comforting words inside her head: “There’s nothing to fear. The ring will protect you.”
Her mother came into her bedroom. “Having fun, sweetie? I see you let Mr. Bear join the tea party,” Ajali said, laughing. Then she scowled at the stuffed animal. “Mr. Bear may need to get spruced up. He sure looks pooped.”
As she slipped the ring inside the pocket of her jeans, Kali glanced at Mr. Bear. Slumped like a drunk, the stuffed toy looked out of place at the tea party with the smartly dressed, shiny dolls. “He’s sick; his mouth fell down,” she explained, without telling the whole story.
“I’ll take him to the toy doctor and get his mouth fixed; he’ll look good as new,” her mother said, smiling. “I bet you’re going to have a good time at Marley’s house today.”
Distracted by the goddess ring, which seemed to pulse inside her pocket, Kali didn’t answer.
“Did you forget about your play date with Marley?”
“No, I didn’t forget,” K
ali said absently, her mind on the ring and the mysterious Goddess Realm where her godmother lived.
Regarding her closely, her mother frowned worriedly. “Are you okay, Kali?”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s okay to cancel if you’re not up to it.”
Kali stuck a hand inside her pocket, fondling the wonderful treasure. She really wanted to cancel. She preferred to stay in her room and gaze at her ring all day. Maybe Mr. Bear would come back to life and tell her everything she wanted to know. But when she glanced up, she noticed that mother looked troubled. Her eyes were unbearably sad.
Reluctantly, Kali removed her hand from her pocket. “I don’t want to cancel the play date,” Kali spoke up, her tone suddenly perky. “Marley has a gerbil, a parrot, and a new kitten. I’m going to help her take care of her pets,” she said exuberantly.
She could feel her mother’s relief. “You’re good with animals, so you should have lots of fun. Today should be lots of fun. By the way, Daddy and I had a conversation and we’re thinking about getting you riding lessons—maybe get you your own pony—”
Finally taking her focus off the ring, Kali responded with genuine delight. “My own pony?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.” Her mother winked at her.
“I’m getting my own pony!” Kali shouted.
“I said maybe.”
“But you winked. That means yes! I have to think of a name for my new pony.”
“Riding lessons, first,” her mother insisted, shaking her head and smiling. “We’ll have to find the perfect pony for you and then we’ll come up with a name.”
“I already have a name for her.”
“Her?” Ajali raised a brow.
“Yes, I want a female pony and I’m going to name her, Goddess.”
Taken aback, her mother looked shocked. “That’s a nice name. But…uh…what do you know about goddesses?”
Kali shrugged. “I heard it somewhere. I like the name. When can I start the riding lessons?”
“Very soon.”
“Yea!” Kali cheered.
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