by S D Hegyes
She shoved food into her mouth, ignoring the smell of trash and concentrating on the food before her. When she’d finished the first container, she closed it and tossed it back into the trash can. Then she dived into the second one, polishing it off and throwing away the empty container as well. She covered the trash can again and looked around for some way to clean her hands.
A spigot a ways down from the trash can on the opposite end of the alley provided water for Sorsha to wash her hands. She shook them dry afterward.
Disgusted with herself but stomach satisfied, she set her mind to the next important task: finding a place to be alone.
That was easier said than done. True, she was in the middle of nowhere with the next largest town over an hour away, but she felt overly exposed everywhere but the monument. Like someone from Shaded Glade might walk in on her and drag her away—back to her disapproving father.
Better to find somewhere to hide where she could be sure to lock the door, or know, without a doubt, she wouldn’t be interrupted.
She thought back to the motel and the four people she’d seen get out of the car. Her thoughts returned to the man who’d stared at her. She remembered his dark eyes, how they’d followed her, and she felt her skin heat up.
He hadn’t looked at her like the rest of her peers had done all her life. Every male in Shaded Glade looked at her as if she were a broodmare and nothing more. There’d been a smoldering heat in the Asian man’s gaze that made her stomach do flip-flops in anticipation.
“Get a grip,” she muttered to herself. “It’s not like you haven’t had sex before.”
Yeah, she thought in reply. But that was with someone as dumb about it as you and just as inexperienced.
She had no idea what the Asian man’s experience with sex was, but part of her wanted to find out.
“Stupid teenage hormones,” she muttered. She should be focusing on trying to test her theory rather than what a complete stranger might be like in bed. “Stupid, stupid teenage hormones,” she snarled again, bopping her own head with a closed fist.
She sat against the side of the dumpster, her mind swirling with discombobulating thoughts. They didn’t fit together like a puzzle in her mind. Private Thaddeus and the card didn’t rank at the top at the moment, but they kept fighting to reach the forefront.
Unfortunately, the strange man and his friends had completely enveloped her mind.
Sorsha sighed and draped her arm over her eyes, trying to breathe and relax. She needed to think of something besides wanting a complete stranger in ways she shouldn’t.
After fifteen minutes, she gave up. There was no hope for her. She couldn’t concentrate on anything at the moment.
With a sigh, Sorsha decided to head back to the hotel. Maybe then she could get her mind off its guest resident. She frowned. Yeah, right.
Still, it was worth a shot.
As if the universe thought it might be nice to be kind to Sorsha, the dark sedan the four had driven in earlier was gone from the motel parking lot.
Sorsha let out a long breath of relief. She’d been holding her breath as long as she could, worried she might find herself caught up in the thoughts in her head. Now that she saw the car was gone, relief flooded her like a saving grace.
It was also easier to put her raunchy thoughts to sleep. She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. She could concentrate now that she’d proven to herself there was nothing between her and the man.
“You were here earlier.”
The voice in Sorsha’s ear made her jump forward with a yelp. She spun around and found herself face-to-face with a young woman dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that sported the motel’s logo.
Heart hammering in her chest, Sorsha could do nothing more than nod.
The woman studied her for a moment. “You a runaway?”
“No. Not yet at least.”
Squinted eyes met her answer. “Where are you from? Around here?”
“Shaded Glade.” What did it hurt to tell the woman? She couldn’t do anything to Sorsha except call someone to drag her back to the community.
The woman’s eyes widened. “You’re from that cult? What are you doing out here?” She reached up and scratched her head, digging through thick brown hair tied back with a hairband to do so.
“Hiding,” was all Sorsha was willing to say, but that seemed to be all it took.
“For how long?” The woman put her hands on her hips and gave Sorsha a once-over.
Sorsha couldn’t blame her. Sorsha didn’t look like what she imagined a runaway would look like. Then again, Sorsha wasn’t running away. Not yet.
“A couple hours. No more.”
“You’re not looking for a place to sleep, are you?”
Sorsha shook her head. “No. Only a place to lay low and stay out of sight for a little bit.”
With a click of her tongue, the woman seemed to make up her mind. About what, Sorsha didn’t know.
“Come on then. I’ve still got several rooms to clean. I’ll let you hole up in one I haven’t gotten to yet that I can come back to when I’ve finished the rest.”
Gratitude flooded through Sorsha. “Thank you.”
The woman waved off Sorsha’s statement. “Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t looked in the room yet. For all I know, it was used for an orgy.”
Sorsha didn’t care. She wasn’t planning on touching the bed. She only wanted a place she could sit and look over her cards.
“Doesn’t matter when you’re hiding.”
The woman nodded and led the way toward the motel. “By the way, my name’s Charlotte. What’s yours?”
“Sorsha.”
“Sorsha, huh? Like that princess in that one movie?” She snapped her fingers several times. “Ugh! I can’t remember the name of it. It had the short people and the baby that was special for some reason. I remember it had fairies—or were they called brownies?—and some weird cross between a lion and a dog. Everyone was after the baby for… I have no idea.” She turned toward Sorsha, frustration on her face. “You know what I’m talking about?”
It took biting her lip to keep from laughing. She knew the one Charlotte talked about because that was exactly who her mother named her after. “Willow. The movie was called Willow.”
Charlotte snapped her fingers. “That’s right. Willow.” She turned back around and led the way again. “So are you?” she asked as she stopped in front of the door on the bottom level closest to the front entrance. There was a green one on the front of the door, underneath a peephole. Sorsha also saw that the round knob had a keyhole.
“Am I what?” Sorsha watched Charlotte pull a keyring from her pocket with dozens of keys on it. She selected one with a Roman numeral one written on it in permanent marker, and unlocked the door.
“Named after that princess? Not the baby of course. Her name started with either an A or an E. Can’t remember which. I haven’t seen that movie in ages. But the other princess, the daughter of the witchy-woman.”
This time, Sorsha didn’t try to stop the laughter as it bubbled up in her chest. “Yes, I’m named after her.” She grinned at Charlotte. There was something wholesome about the woman she enjoyed.
Charlotte grinned before she stepped inside the empty room and gestured for Sorsha to follow her inside. “Well, here we are. Like I said, I don’t recommend touching the bed. Or using the shower either, now that I think about it. Those are always the two dirtiest places in these rooms, I’m finding. Next to the toilet, that is, but that’s normal of any place you go, so I don’t count that.”
Sorsha nodded and waited, listening to the other woman.
“This isn’t something I can do overnight, but I can give you a couple hours. Just until I get finished cleaning the other rooms at least. I usually do this one last anyway, since it’s closest to the cleaning supplies room.”
“Thank you,” Sorsha said. She meant it too. There hadn’t been much kindness in her life since arriving in Shaded Glade. Everyone
had a motive, even if their only motive was conversion.
Charlotte paused and studied Sorsha once more. She might have found it disturbing if she didn’t understand what the woman was looking for.
“Are you sure you’re not in any kind of trouble? I’ve heard stories about that place.”
With a nod, Sorsha said, “I’m sure. Thank you. If I ever do need help, I’ll let you know. Sound good?”
Satisfied, Charlotte nodded and spun back toward the door. “I have to lock this, so if you leave, you’re S.O.L. I wouldn’t suggest it unless you’re heading home. If you leave before I return, I’ll understand. Just come back and visit me every so often, so I know you’re alright. Alright?”
Sorsha nodded. “I can do that.”
With a final nod, more to reassure herself than the teenager, Sorsha was certain, Charlotte left the room, locking it behind her.
Alone in the motel room, Sorsha took a good look around, spinning in a circle to take in everything.
It wasn’t a bad-looking room, and it didn’t even look that dirty, if she were honest with herself. Still, she wasn’t an expert in what a typical motel room might look like, so she didn’t have a basis to compare it to.
The room was a well-balanced mix of darker greens and white. The walls were white, the carpet a dark green that almost matched the number that had been on the door. The sheets and pillows on the two queen-sized beds were white while the larger comforter was hunter green. There was a small table and two chairs in the corner closest to the door.
Against the wall opposite the beds was an entertainment center with a large flatscreen TV. On the far side of the entertainment center was a mini fridge and a trash can. Between the beds was a single nightstand hosting a small lamp.
A door on the far wall led to a simple bathroom. Large mirror, toilet, and a tub and shower combination, all in white.
Sorsha used the restroom first before returning to the table. The chairs were comfortable with thick plush seating against a wooden frame. It was at least more comfortable than sitting on a church pew or the ground.
She pulled the deck of cards from her back pocket and looked over each of them. All the cards looked the same as they always had, save the one. She rubbed her fingers over the black card, wondering if she should worry that soot covered it.
It looked like soot, but when she pulled her hands away, they came back clean. The only coloration to the card was the translucent figure of a man standing in his Cavalry uniform.
She flipped the card over and over in her hand, contemplating. “I wonder. . .” She let the thought trail off as she turned the chair to face the rest of the room. It was heavier than it looked and she was forced to set aside her cards to complete the task. Then she grabbed her cards again, holding the blackened card with the ghost on it out before her.
“Thaddeus.” She waited a moment, but nothing happened. She looked at her hands, confused. Her power hadn’t even manifested. Weird.
“Oh, so you’ll work when you decide you want a man, but you can’t work like normal when you’re supposed to?” she snapped at herself.
Sorsha took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back one at a time. “Let’s try this again.” She inhaled and let it out slowly, reaching deep down into herself and tapping into her power.
She could always feel it when it manifested, and over the years she had pinpointed its source. She’d never sought it out before, only went along with the ride it provided when it occurred naturally. It took her several minutes to find the feeling she always had in her gut when she felt her power rush through her.
When she opened her eyes, she could see her power curling around her hands in orange wisps of smoke. “Private Thaddeus.” She kept her voice clear, but she still felt nothing.
“Huh.” She turned the card over, front and back, and looked at it. There wasn’t anything different wrong with it. Nothing that hadn’t already been in place since the last time she looked at least. “Why aren’t you coming out? Why can’t I seem to figure this out, John Thaddeus?”
Her body warmed, and the glow of smoke around her hands increased. It wasn’t as bright as when the ghost disappeared before.
The soldier stood before her, looking cross and aiming his weapon at her. She didn’t know what kind of gun he held, but she didn’t like staring down the barrel end of it either.
“What have you done to me? Why have you locked me in a card?”
“That’s what I’d like to know, Private.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Care to lower your weapon?”
He glared at her a moment more before he lowered the muzzle of the gun.
She let out a deep breath. She knew she’d been playing with fire when she’d asked him to stop aiming at her. He was angry, and his weapon could hurt her. Maybe not kill her, like the real thing could, but she’d already been victim to other ghosts who’d decide to maim her. She didn’t want to be on the barrel end of a gun again, she decided.
“Do you know what’s going on?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “I don’t understand it.”
“Know anyone who might know?” He grunted. “Private?”
“I can ask. I’ve met a few others like myself recently.” He glared at her. “I still think you did this on purpose.”
She frowned. “Why would I do this on purpose?”
“I don’t know, but I aim to find out. You can’t count on that, Miss Johnston.”
6
The conversation weighed on her the rest of the day. Sorsha tried summoning the ghost several times off and on, with his permission. He gave it grudgingly, and only after she explained why she wanted to.
“I’m trying to figure out what happened, and in order to do that, I need to figure out how this all works. I’ve always seen ghosts, but this is the first time I’ve trapped one in a card.”
He grunted his displeasure.
“I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what else to tell you other than that.”
With a disgruntled sigh, Private Thaddeus finally agreed to let her practice summoning and sending him away. They learned she had to say his first and last name for it to work. She started making sure she added his title as well. She’d taken enough from him, she surmised, that she could give him that courtesy at least.
“Why are you doing this?” the soldier asked after she’d summoned him several times over the course of an hour.
“I’m trying to figure out what I did and how not to do it again—at least, not without permission.”
Private Thaddeus made no reply to that, and when she looked up at him there was no expression on his face.
Movement out of her perennial vision made Sorsha look up at the window. No one.
She’d kept the blinds closed, but that didn’t prevent her from seeing out the thick slats. That meant anyone could see in as well.
She sighed and looked at the private, dismissing him for the last time since she’d figured out how.
“What’s done is done,” she muttered to herself as the ghost dissipated once more and she shoved the deck of cards in her pocket again.
Charlotte hadn’t returned, but a glance at the evening sky told Sorsha it had been more than a couple hours. She didn’t want to return home, but she didn’t think she could barge on Charlotte’s hospitality any longer either.
She strode toward the door and unlocked the door, looking out and down the length of the hotel either direction. She saw no one, heard no one. What had she seen? She wasn’t sure.
Shrugging, Sorsha locked the door once more and closed it behind her. Where to go? Shifting from foot-to-foot, she cocked her head and peered out across the road to the national monument.
Now that she’d figured out what was going on with the card and the ghost trapped inside—or as much as she could find out for the time being—she felt easier than she had earlier.
Maybe she could sneak into the cemetery. No one ever expected anyone to come up from somewhere other than the gate. It would t
ake a bit, but she could sneak around the back way and come in another direction.
She shook her head. No. Even if she got in, they’d chase her out with the rest of the tourists when closing time occurred.
“Oh, if only I could hide in plain sight sometimes,” she mumbled to herself, shaking her head once more.
She frowned and put her hands on her hips. Where could she go?
“Everything alright? You didn’t lock yourself out, did you?”
Sorsha turned to Charlotte with a smile. “I did, but it was intentional. I was about to leave, but…” She looked away, folding her arms over her chest. “I’ll admit I’m not really ready to go back home either. I have a place I go to in the evening until I’m forced to head home, but I can’t go there yet.”
Charlotte laughed. “You any good at folding sheets?”
Was she? Yes. Her mother had the brunt of the housework as the homemaker. That didn't mean Sorsha hadn't learned domestic duties in preparation for becoming someone’s wife. Preston’s obviously.
The thought of Preston made her growl and Charlotte held up her hands, a grin on her face as she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize sheets were that triggering.”
“No. It’s not…” Sorsha’s horror turned to confusion as Charlotte started laughing. “You’re teasing me?”
“Girl, you can’t take a joke, can you?”
“It’s difficult, yes.” She chuckled. “I can fold sheets, by the way.”
“Figured you could since you come from that place.”
It was Sorsha’s turn to laugh. “That’s a pretty accurate assumption. Why don’t you tell me about what you’ve heard about that place and I’ll tell you what I know as I help you? Deal?”
“Deal!” Charlotte’s relief for the help was palpable as she breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ve needed extra help for the past couple months. It’s just me cleaning rooms now, and I’ll admit that I struggle getting everything done when it’s just me.”
Sorsha followed her to a door marked with a sign that said, EMPLOYEES ONLY and grabbed the laundry Charlotte pointed her to. She listened to the other woman’s stories as she talked about what she’d heard about Shaded Glade. Sorsha responded with what she was right about, wrong about, and corrected other information that was partially correct but had been twisted around.