Nykara

by Katie Holland

  Her screaming had woken up her parents and she ran into them just as they were coming out of their room to see what was going on.

  “Alix, what’s wrong?” her mom asked and grabbed Alix and gave her a huge hug. “You look like you’ve been scared to death.”

  “F-f-face,” was all Alix managed to get out.

  “Face?” her dad asked. “Alix honey, what are you talking about?”

  “F-f-face in m-m-my window,” she struggled to say. She had never been scared like that before.

  “You saw a face in your window?”

  She just nodded. Her whole body was shaking.

  Her dad went and immediately got his cell phone and made a call.

  “Rick, it’s Ted. There was someone outside her bedroom window,” she heard her dad say. He paused to listen, then said, “Okay, see you in a few minutes.”

  “Rick will be here shortly,” he told them, and went back in the bedroom to get dressed.

  Alix was standing there with her mom’s arm around her. After taking a lot of deep breaths she thought she could finally talk without stuttering, so she asked her mom, “Did he mean Rick as in Ben’s dad?”

  “Yes,” was all she answered.

  Despite still being scared and really freaked out, Alix couldn’t help but wonder why he had called Ben’s dad and not the police. There wasn’t much crime in their town, but she thought that a suspicious person in the backyard would be something that a police officer would handle not a dentist and a biologist.

  Still tucked under her mom’s arm she was guided to the kitchen table and told to sit. Her mom started making some chamomile tea. Just as the kettle boiled the doorbell rang, it was Ben’s dad. Her dad went to the door to talk to him. Alix strained to hear what they were saying but their voices were too low to really hear anything. She heard the door open and close again and their voices stopped so she guessed they went outside.

  Her mom put the mug of steaming tea in front of her and joined her at the table with her own cup of tea. She finally got a good look at her mom since she ran to her screaming. She looked worried and scared. In fact, Alix thought that her mom looked even more freaked out than she did. Something is up, Alix thought to herself, something more than just a creepy guy in the backyard.

  The tea seemed to be working because she was starting to calm down a little. They sat in silence as they waited for the two men to come back inside. When Alix heard the door open again she jumped a little. Both men came into the kitchen and sat at the table with them.

  “Alix, Rick is going to ask you some questions. Is that okay?” her dad asked.

  “Yeah, it’s okay.”

  “So, Alix,” Rick started, “Can you tell me what happened earlier?”

  “Um, yeah. So, for some reason, I woke up at 2:30. I closed my eyes to go back to sleep when I heard a noise. I thought it might have been dad, but then I didn’t hear anything else. I was almost asleep when I heard something outside. I thought there was an animal in the backyard, so I got up to look. When I looked out the window I saw a face.”

  “Okay good Alix. Is there anything you can tell me about the face? Was it a man or a woman? Did you notice their hair color? Anything you remember will be helpful.”

  “It was a man, that I’m sure of. I think he had dark hair, but I was so shocked and scared that I didn’t really look closely. I just ran out of my room.”

  “That’s ok Alix, I understand. If you remember anything just let me know, okay.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “And I don’t want you to worry about anyone coming back. I’ve put something out there to stop that. You can’t see it, but I promise no one will be out there or coming in who isn’t wanted.”

  “O-kay.” Alix wasn’t sure what to say to that. This whole situation was strange. But Rick telling her that did make her feel a bit better.

  Her dad walked Rick to the door then came back to the kitchen.

  “How are you doing kiddo?”

  “I guess I’m okay dad. I was totally freaked out, but I feel better knowing that everyone is taking it seriously. I think I’m going to go back to bed.”

  “Are you sure honey?” her mom asked.

  “Yes, mom. I still have to get up for school in the morning.”

  “I don’t have to work tomorrow until evening, so you can stay home if you want. We’d understand.”

  “No, I have a paper to turn in for English and a test in Biology. I have to go; besides, I want everything to feel normal. And Ben has been meeting me here in the morning to walk me to school, so I think I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, it’s up to you. If you change your mind just let me know. I’m going to stay up for a while if you need anything.”

  Alix went to her bedroom, grabbed her eReader and got back into bed. She avoided her window and left her bedside light on. She knew it would be a bit before she fell asleep, so she read. She hoped that getting lost in her book would take her mind off the creepy guy in the window.

  ****

  She woke up very tired the next morning. It was after four before she fell asleep and really didn’t want to get out of bed, but she knew she had to. She dragged through her morning routine and was really looking forward to her coffee. After she got dressed she went to the kitchen to start the coffee and found Ben at the table. She wasn’t really surprised. She knew his dad would have told him what happened.

  “Hey,” she said to him, “How did you get in?”

  “Your mom let me in. I don’t think she went to bed. Are you doing okay?”

  “I guess. Just really tired this morning. I have to make my coffee, want any?”

  “No thanks. I have my mom’s car this morning, so we have some extra time. After what happened last night my parents didn’t want us walking. I’ll be driving you home after school as well.”

  Alix was glad she didn’t have to walk to school, she wasn’t sure she’d make it today. She took her time making her coffee then they left to go get Shay.

  She could tell Shay was surprised to see them in a vehicle when she walked out her front door.

  “What’s with the ride today?” Shay asked, as she got in the back seat.

  “Well, something happened last night, and our parents decided that I shouldn’t walk to school,” Alix told her.

  “What do you mean something happened?” Shay asked, shooting a dirty look in Ben’s direction.

  Alix proceeded to tell Shay everything that took place last night. She started with when she woke up and finished with her going back to bed finally. Shay was speechless by the time Alix was done, but that only lasted about thirty seconds.

  “Oh my God, are you okay? Who was it? What did they want? Why are you going to school? What did your parents say? What are we going to do about it?” Shay spoke so fast that Alix could barely understand her, and Ben had no idea what she said.

  “Slow down Shay. It’s ok, I’m fine. Just a little bit freaked out, but otherwise okay. Really. And I don’t feel like talking about it right now.”

  “O-kay,” she said very skeptical, “I guess I have to believe you. But we’re going to discuss this further.” Shay crossed her arms and gave Alix her determined look.

  Alix knew it was useless to argue with her, so she just agreed. They got out of the car and headed toward the school. She noticed that Ben was scanning the area. She thought about telling him to cut it out, but figured that his dad probably told him to watch out for her or something like that. She kind of liked that though. A protector, she might actually need one considering the month she’d been having.

  They made it into the school without incident. Ben still appeared to be ‘scanning’ the hallways and Shay looked about ready to burst if she didn’t say something.

  By the time they made it to Alix’s locker, she’d had enough. “Listen you two,” she snapped, “I need you to act normal. I’m tired and cranky and a little on edge. Ben, I don’t want to feel like I have an FBI escort. And Shay, hold all of your questions
and thoughts until lunch. Okay?”

  They both mumbled yes but not looking happy about it. The bell rang, and it was time for class.

  Even though Ben was kind of serious in English the class went by quickly. Mrs. Cozza kept them very busy in Spanish, so Shay didn’t have a chance to grill her. Eventually, the bell rang for lunch. Alix wasn’t surprised to see Ben waiting outside of their classroom. They got their lunch and found a table in the cafeteria that was unoccupied. They all wanted privacy for this conversation.

  “Shay before you start, give me a few minutes to eat a little something and then we can talk about what happened last night.”

  “Fine,” Shay mumbled.

  They ate in silence and finally Alix said it was time to talk. “Okay Shay go ahead, but one question at a time please.”

  “Did you see who it was?”

  “No, not really. I was so shocked and scared that I didn’t really see anything but a face. It was male, and he had dark hair.”

  “Do you think you would have recognized that person if you knew them?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “So, we can rule out anyone we know. How old do you think they were?”

  “I suck at guessing ages but maybe thirty-something?”

  “So not a teenager. Okay, it’s a start. Why didn’t your parents call the police?”

  As soon as Shay asked that question, Alix noticed Ben give Shay a look. Alix wasn’t sure what the look meant but Shay kind of looked apologetic.

  “Ben, why did my dad call your dad instead of the police?”

  “Um … well … it’s not something we usually talk about, but my dad has some special training on looking for people and that kind of thing.”

  “Was he in the military?” Alix asked.

  “Something like that. So, do you remember anything unusual about that night? I mean other than the obvious,” Ben said, getting back to the subject at hand.

  “Yeah,” Shay said, “Anything strange happen before that?”

  “No, nothing. It was just an ordinary night at home. Homework, dinner, TV, and reading.”

  “So, what do you think woke you up?” Shay asked.

  “I have no idea. I wasn’t dreaming, I don’t remember hearing anything specific, I don’t have a clue what it was.”

  “A sixth sense maybe,” Shay stated. “Ouch! Ben did you just kick me?”

  “Oh sorry, I was just stretching my legs, didn’t mean to kick you,” he said, with a smile but didn’t sound at all sincere.

  “What is with you two lately?” Alix said to them. “You’ve been acting so weird. If this is about my birthday just stop it. I’m not going to ask what you’re up to so quit with the cloak and dagger stuff.”

  “Yeah, your birthday. Only three more sleeps, but I’m not letting you change the subject,” Shay told her. “What do you think the man in the window wanted?”

  “Maybe he was a thief and was looking for a house to break into? Again, I just don’t know. The crime rate here is very low but not non-existent, things still happen. Or maybe he was just a creep, sneaking around in the night. He could be an alien for all I know.”

  “Seriously, an alien Alix,” Shay said exasperatedly.

  “Look, Shay, we can ask all the questions we want but in reality, I have no idea what he was doing there, who he was, or what he wanted. I don’t know what else to say.”

  “I get it, I’m just worried about you. What if he comes back?”

  “He won’t,” Ben said. “My dad put something outside the window and around the house that will make sure that no one will be back.”

  “So, about that,” Alix started, “Is it like a trap or an alarm or what? Your dad wasn’t very specific about what he did only that I’d be safe.”

  “I don’t really know the specifics, but I trust my dad when it comes to your safety.”

  Alix wasn’t sure how to respond to that but luckily for her, the bell rang, and it was time to go to Biology. She wasn’t looking forward to the test, but it was sure to take her mind off of her strange night for a while.

  She found the test easy and was glad she had studied. When she was done she looked up from her paper to see that Ben was done as well. The teacher announced that there was ten minutes left for the test. She started to doodle on the back of her test to pass the time and realized that she was drawing the flower from her dreams. She had never been much of an artist but the flower on the paper was an almost perfect likeness to the one in the dream. She heard the teacher say it was time to pass their tests up. Ben took hers to the front for her. There was still time left in class, so they had a short lesson. The bell rang, and it was time for her last class of the day.

  Ben walked her to Culinary Arts, but when they got to the door she expected him to leave to go to Math, but he walked in the door and talked to Mr. Rollins. She wasn’t sure what to do but she was blocking the door and so she decided to go sit down. A minute or so later Ben joined her at her cooking station.

  “What are you doing? You’re going to be late for Math.”

  “With everything that happened I forgot to tell you that Mrs. Little had a conference to go to and they couldn’t find a sub so everyone in Math is either having a spare hour for the rest of the week or was free to join another class. I figured it would be good for me to learn some culinary skills,” he said with a grin.

  “Um … okay,” Was all she managed to say. She’d never heard of a teacher not being able to get a sub to cover a class, especially for three days. It was just weird.

  Mr. Rollins started class. They were making mac and cheese today. Since it was something she already knew how to make she was going to make Ben do most of the work. She made him do all the measuring and make the sauce. She cooked the macaroni but made him mix everything and put in the oven.

  “That was fun,” Ben said. “Maybe I should look at transferring to this class.”

  “We’re a month into class, I don’t think they’ll let you transfer.”

  “I guess, so I’ll just look at this as a vacation. What do we do while we wait for it finish in the oven?”

  “We write down the recipe and make notes on what we did and how it turns out.”

  “Really? That sounds kind of boring.”

  “Well our notes are part of our grade, so we have to do it. We only cook three days a week remember. The rest of the time we learn stuff,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Stuff?” Ben looked at her and smiled. “That’s very descriptive.”

  She gave him a dirty look. “It’s lots of things. Food theory, gardening, where different ingredients come from, organic versus not, how different ingredients can change a dish, how to make a complete meal and more. Is that better?”

  “Yes, much.” He had that annoying grin on his face again.

  She decided to ignore him and make her notes on what they had done so far. It didn’t take her long as mac and cheese was easy for her and she made it at home all the time.

  It was time to take it out of the oven and for Mr. Rollins to do the tasting. She didn’t know how he kept so slim with all the food tasting he had to do. But it sure sounded like a good job to her.

  Mr. Rollins started with hers. “Fantastic as always Alix.”

  “Thank you,” Ben said back. Alix just rolled her eyes at him.

  As Mr. Rollins went around the room giving feedback to the students Alix dished up some of the mac and cheese and gave some to Ben to try.

  “Mmm, this is really good. I didn’t know I was such a great chef.”

  “You’re impossible, you know, that right?”

  “It’s all part of my charm,” he said, as he winked at her.

  She rolled her eyes again.

  When the bell rang for the end of the day they met Shay at their lockers and headed for the parking lot. Ben went back to FBI mode and Shay was strangely quiet. Alix wasn’t surprised when they made it the car unscathed.

  “Ben, don’t you think you’re taking
this a little too seriously? I think it was just a random guy with the wrong house. Plus, it’s not like you have some special training that can help stop someone. You’re just a senior in high school.”

  “Since you don’t know who it was it can’t hurt to be cautious. So, no I don’t think I’m taking this too seriously and I think you should be taking this more seriously.”

  “Like I said, it was probably just a random guy at the wrong house. It’s not like I’ve done anything to have someone target me. My life is way too boring for that.”

  “Even so, I think there is still reason to be vigilant.”

  “Your awfully quiet back there, Shay,” Alix said.

  “Just thinking about everything. I’d like to go charging after the bad guy, but since we don’t know who it is and have no idea where they might be I guess there’s not much we can do.”

  “And what would you do if you did actually find the bad guy?” Alix asked her.

  “Um … talk him to death?”

  Alix laughed so hard at that, it was such a Shay response. She couldn’t stop laughing and that made Shay go into a fit of giggles. That made Ben start laughing. Good thing that it was only a five-minute drive to Shay’s house or Ben would have had to pull over. They finally got the laughing under control as they pulled up to her house.

  “Thanks, Shay,” Alix said to her, “I needed that. I think I was more stressed than I realized.”

  “Any time, you know that. I’ll talk to you later. Bye Ben.”

  Alix and Ben both said their goodbyes and Ben drove them to Alix’s house. As Alix got out of the car she noticed that Ben did too and followed her to the house.