Chapter One:
“Jeez, Nay, keep your panties on. I’m almost there.” I huffed into the phone, as I hurried down the dimly lit street. My penny colored locks flew into my mint green eyes, undoing all the work I had done with her brush not fifteen minutes before. Clicking the end button when Kole Derosa’s home came into view, I cut Nathan “Nay” Thine off mid-rant.
The house was a suburban classic, the first floor decorated with brick while the second harbored elegant white paneling. It meshed with every other house on the Cul-De-Sac perfectly.
Stepping up the stairs to the porch, I rang the bell and waited for Mr. or Mrs. Derosa to answer. The last night before school starts. Where did the summer go? In exactly fourteen hours, Kole, Simon, Nay, and me would all be starting their sophomore year.
The door swung open to reveal six feet of pure annoyed male. “You hung up on me!” Nathan grunted at me, blocking the way inside with his body. I tried to keep the amusement out of my voice.
“Sorry. Bad connection.” That earned me a narrow glance, but he moved to let me pass. I walked with him down the stairs to the basement where the four of us usually liked to hang out. His charcoal hair was cut just above his eyebrows, and even though he hadn’t used a comb, it still managed to look better than mine. His face was all harsh angles and high cheekbones, and his eyes were the color of melted gold.
Most of the time I was afraid he was prettier than me.
Entering the den, I took in the shabby furniture and the well-used TV. This was home. Kole was already taking up most of the room on the blue couch, which left Nay and me to the red one.
“Hey, Tardy Tina. You kept us waiting.” Kole complained. His bright red hair glowed under the florescent lights. Kole’s glasses hid the prettiest part about him, his chocolate brown eyes. I always thought that they fit him, not flashy, but sweet all the same.
“Because, I’m sure you had better things to do.” I quipped back, earning me a grin from both guys.
Kole turned to Nate, his partner in crime. “I think she’s insulting us.”
“I feel insulted.”
“What are we watching tonight?” I laughed.
“It’s a tie between Transformers and The Dark Knight Returns.” Nathan said. Hoping silently for Batman, I turned to watch Kole slip a movie into the DVD player. Just my luck, it was Transformers.
Smiling, at the jokes coming from the other couch, I settled in for a long night.
Before I knew it, someone was shaking me awake. Opening my eyes, I blinked against the suddenly harsh light. “You awake, Gabi?” Nay’s voice was slightly husky, telling me he’d been asleep not long ago.
“No, I just mastered the art of sleeping with my eyes open. What time is it?” I groaned.
“Five a.m.” He reported. That got me attention. Sitting up with a jolt, I checked my watch for confirmation. Crap, 5:07 a.m. Gran’s gonna bury me in the backyard next to Fluffy the hamster. The only saving grace of the situation was that I lived not five minutes from Kole’s house. Plenty of time to shower, get dressed, and drag my ass to class. “Yeah, guess we drifted off.”
Stretching, I was surprised that I wasn’t all that stiff. Nothing like I would have expected from sleeping sitting up all night. Glancing over at Nay, I realized his right sleeve was severely wrinkled, and his cheek was slightly red, like it’d been pressed up against something…
A horrible thought popped into her mind. “Please, tell me I didn’t sleep on you.” I blushed.
“Fine. You didn’t sleep on me,” but she caught the mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Are you kidding? You two were cuddled up so close, I thought we’d need a crowbar by morning.” Kole chuckled as he reentered the den; his hair was slightly wet from the shower.
I threw a pillow at him, “Jealous much, Kole?” Not waiting for an answer, I started up the stairs. “I’ll see you guys at school. I desperately need to shower,” I called back to them.
“I’d recommend it!” Kole shouted back.
“Yeah, you smell like the inside of a stable.” Nathan chimed in.
“You’d know, Nay!” I said before closing the front door on my way out. Moving quickly down the path and then the street, I tried to make good time getting back to my house. Pulling out my phone, I dialed my grandma’s number.
It rang, “Hey, Gran. It’s me. Sorry I didn’t call. I accidently fell asleep on Kole’s couch.”
“I know, it was in the cards,” her words were curt with an undertone of kindness. Mrs. Page was rumored by most of locals to be a witch. A fact she never denied to her granddaughter, or anybody who had the courage to ask, for that matter.
I groaned inwardly, I didn’t believe in the mystical like my grandmother, but I really didn’t want to have this argument again. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t sit up worrying.”
“Someday you’ll understand.” Was the only reply I got. Sensing the dismissal in the words, I put my cell back in her pocket, and turned onto Sunshine Boulevard.
My home was at the end of a street with no other houses on it. The whole property was surrounded by woods and looked more like a cottage than a house, which only served to fuel the witch rumor.
Locking the door behind me, I saw no sign of my grandmother. Probably for the best. I rushed into the bathroom, stripped down and started the shower. The hot water felt amazing on my skin.
Shutting off the water, I walked over to the mirror and started up the blow drier. A half hour later I had dry, brushed hair, make-up on, and my mouth no longer felt like something had died in it. Pulling on my clothes, I checked my watch again, 7:36 a.m.
“Just enough time to drive to school and beat the crowd.”
My grandma’s beat up red Bug was parked in the driveway. Gran didn’t leave the house much, so I didn’t mind sharing vehicles; it was almost like having my own. The inside smelled of incense and the slight whiff of tobacco smoke from Gran’s smoking days.
The engine purred to life with a little coaxing on my part. I pulled out and started for Jasmine High. The school was only a couple miles from my house, so it took me a matter of minutes to arrive and park. I thought I caught a glance of Nathan’s small black SUV in the parking lot, but there were too many cars blocking my view.
Locking the doors behind me, I grabbed my backpack and proceeded inside. Decor was the best from the 70’s, and had seen its fair share of use. Freshman huddled in their own groups, more than a little intimidated by the older students. To think that last year that was me.
Stepping into the office I cut in front of a few confused classmates with their noses buried in a schedule. Snooze you lose. Second in line to a short girl of Asian descent, I slipped out my phone and checked for missed texts.
“But I’ve already taken both Geometry and Algebra II, there were summer courses available.” The girl’s voice trembled slightly, obviously overstressed.
“I understand, but you’ll have to talk to the individual teachers. The school server crashed this morning, and we won’t have it back up for a few hours.” Mrs. Druence droned from the other side of the desk.
“I just moved here! I don’t know my way around.” I winced as the older woman’s eyebrows rose in annoyance. Her mouth opened to reply and I decided to intervene.
“I’d be happy to show her around Mrs. Druence. If I could just get my AP schedule first?” Using my best ‘respectful youth’ tone.
An impatient click of her tongue later, I was handed my classes. Flashing her a smile, I grabbed the young girl’s arm and tugged her away from the crowd.
Her ebony eyes met mine, “Look, you don’t have to do this. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”
Taking her schedule from her hands, I eyed her classes before answering her. “But now you don’t have to!” Grinning at her doubtful expression, “I’m Gabi Page.”
“Kira Zhang.”
“Come on, I’ll take you to Pre-Calculus. Luckily, it’s Bring Your Freshman to Class Day.” Her lips twitched and I knew I had her convinced. Walking down the hall, I nodded at both Kole and Nathan, but didn’t bother to join them. Nathan was in Algebra II, due to his reluctance to double up on math courses, and Kole had finished most of his required classes over the summer.
Entering the Pre-Calc room, Kira and I picked a spot near the front; the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, so we had a little time to talk.
“So, when’d you move here?”
“Just a couple weeks ago.”
“Where from?”
“Chicago.” She smiled with a trace of sadness, “I really loved it there.”
I was about to answer when my books were knocked onto the floor, fighting the urge to groan. I slid out of my seat to pick them up, and got my hand stepped on for my trouble. I’d know those “Do Me” heels anywhere.
“In the way much, Dweeb?” Julianne Bonilla’s high-pitched voice frayed at my nerves like a cheese grater on cheddar.
“Hello-o-o, Julie. A pleasure as always.” Staring at her never-ending legs, graceful curves, and luscious blond hair, it was hard not to be jealous. I did my best to keep it from my face. Instead putting on a big dopey grin.
Her sapphire colored eyes narrowed, “Whatever.” Pushing her way past me, she took a seat in the back, where all the slackers frequent.
*cough* Bitch *cough*
Glancing up at Kira, I rolled my eyes, “Isn’t she cool?” I sighed dreamily, “Someday, I wanna be just like her.”
_____
“You’re sure your friends won’t mind me sitting with you guys?” Kira, asked uncertainly.
“Firstly, “friends” is a strong word to use when talking about Kole and Nathan… And I really don’t have a secondly.” We weaved through the crowded lunchroom, until I saw the bright orange top of Kole’s head. Knew I kept him around for something. That boy’s like a neon sign.
As Kira and I got closer, I heard Kole whisper to Nathan. “Quick, don’t make eye contact and maybe she’ll leave.”
“That hurts, baby. And here I thought we had a real connection.”
“That’s what he tells all the girls, sweetheart.” Nay grinned into his chili. Sliding next to him, I motioned Kira into the seat by Kole.
“Kira, these are the idiots, idiots this is Kira. Don’t worry; they came up with the name themselves. It’s an exclusive club.” I explained in between bites of sloppy Joe.
“On Wednesdays we wear pink.” Kole added.
The boys proceeded to make Kira feel at home, their infectious charm undeniable. From Kole’s goofy grin to Nay’s sparkling eyes and crooked smile, they’re lady-killers. When it was clear she was under their spell, I tuned out.
My next class was biology. I don’t really mind the subject, but Mr. Kerr is beyond weird. I went to him a lot last year with questions, since he was undoubtedly the smartest person in the building. He reminds me of a mad scientist with his disheveled appearance and his insane mannerisms. Like one day, I could walk in on him dissecting a student.
He’d probably just tell me to pull up a chair and give him a hand.
I grinned, that was so Mr. Kerr. The bell rang, shaking me from my thoughts. Waving to Kole and Nathan, I exchanged numbers with Kira and made plans to get together tomorrow after school. I was starting to really like her; she had a sweet way about her. Something lacking in most teenage girls. Why do you think my closest friends are guys? I love being female, but most of the time, I can’t stand the members of my own sex.
Gathering my empty folder and multiple subject’s notebook from my locker, I hustled to the west wing of the high school. The biology room was technically on the second floor, but since it was the only room up there, I really don’t think it counts as a whole 'nother floor. People generally refer to it as ‘the Terrible Tower’.
“Afternoon, Mr. Kerr.” I said brightly, because despite his personal issues, he was my favorite teacher. He could be funny; he treated me with the respect you would show a colleague. Not to mention all the knowledge he had to share.
“Ah, Gabi. I was very pleased to see your name on my roster this semester.”
“Yeah, should be fun.” He smiled and motioned me to a seat in the front row. The rest of the class piled in with the usual looks of dread on their faces. While I enjoy actual experiments to learning about organisms, science is my thing, so I could never hate this class. Mr. Kerr started out by talking about what we'd be learning about over the next few weeks, someone raised their hand and asked about the science fair. I straightened in my seat.
Doing a science project was one of the main reasons I was taking this class, apart from need at least four years of some kind of science. I love doing the experiments, it’s probably my favorite activity academically.
Like I said, science is my thing.
_____
Gym was an event. Trust Mr. Chandler to make us run the mile on the first day. Afterwards, we set up the nets and went over the basics of volleyball. Pass, set, hit, and all that jazz. I’ve never been a natural athlete, too little muscle content and even less interest. Doesn’t really bother me, my team learned to work around me.
The worst part about gym is the freshman. It’s the only class where there’s a mix of all ages of kids. I’m not a snob, I was the newbie not too long ago. However, there's something I’ve come to notice about freshman boys. They’re wild, irresponsible, and when you get in their path, people get hurt.
Which is exactly what happened to me.
A couple of children were messing around with the volleyball-training machine in the corner. You know, the thing that shoots balls out at ungodly speeds? Great idea, geniuses. One of them thought it would be fun to put a volleyball in it. Where was Mr. Chandler through this? Somewhere over the rainbow, but definitely not supervising.
Hearing a whoosh sound, I turned towards the noise. Big mistake, because the next thing I heard was the smack of leather hitting flesh.
My flesh.
A white-hot pain spread across my face, I inhaled sharply. It hurt. I unlocked my knees and tried to breathe through the agony. I felt a wetness on my face. Blood. Those bastards had given me a bloody nose.
The perfect end to my first day, I thought before a crowd of worried students enveloped me.
Chapter Two:
I had to shake off Charlie, one of Nathan’s football friends, before I could exit the gym by myself. The last thing I wanted was a nickname out of this whole ordeal. Walking through the deserted hallways, I kept my head down to avoid notice from the crowded classrooms.
The nurse’s office was painted a dismal blue; it was like being underwater... in a drowning sense.
Grabbing a few tissues from the counter, I dabbed up the excess blood. At least the bleeding had stopped. I looked at my shirt and grimaced. Knew it was a bad idea to wear white on the first day. Like putting a giant target on your back.
“Hi, Gabi. Mrs. Druence told me you were back here. Nasty bleeder you got there. Gym?” Ms. Breck opened the door and moved closer to get a better look at my nose. Her brunette bun was messy and locks of her hair fell into her glasses. She wore a cream-colored sweater and black dress pants. Mrs. Beck looked like any other 20-something year old teacher: inexperienced and sweet.
“Yep. I don’t think it’s broken, though.” I winced when her cool fingers prodded the sensitive flesh.
“You’re right; it doesn’t appear to be anything but a bloody nose. I’ll just give you an ice pack and get you back to class.” Her voice was soft and melodic, soothing to the ears.
She grabbed an ice-filled bag and tossed it to me. “Sounds good, Ms. B,” I opened the door out of the nurses office.
“Nice seeing you. Stay out of trouble, Ms. Page.” The last part she added with a sly look, I returned it with a knowing grin.
Walking into the commons, I looked at the clock: half an hour left of school. Great. As I turned to head back to gym, I saw a familiar pixie hairstyle.
“Kara? Shouldn’t you be in class?” Her almond shaped eyes snapped up from her book.
“Shouldn’t you?” She said accusingly, her eyes taking in my scarlet covered appearance. “I have an open period,” Answering my earlier question.
“And you stayed here? Girl, you have no life.” Making a split second decision, I continued, “Come on, let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”
One glance at my blood soaked shirt, and the office receptionist waved us through the front door, her eyes saying, they really don’t pay me enough for this job.
Kara and I hopped in Grandma’s car. Pulling out of the school’s parking lot, I made my way through town.
The park wasn’t far from the school. Of course, in Albany nothing is far from the school. The air was crisp and reminded me that fall was just around the corner.
“This is where you spend your free time?” Kara asked incredulously.
“Don’t seem the type, do I?” I mused. Bobbed her head, agreeing with me.
Turning towards Jocelyn Park, I took in the playground equipment, the comfortable benches, and the beautiful garden that sported everything from trees to sunflowers. The funding for it had taken years to accumulate, but was well worth the wait.
“It’s peaceful here,” Kara observed with a quiet kind of admiration.
“Like nothing bad can touch you.”
“I could use a little of that right now.”
Smiling, I sent Kara to find a place to sit, while I grabbed an extra shirt that I (thankfully) always kept in the car. After I’d changed, I found Kara sitting in one of my favorite spots: the swing set.
“You’re a girl after my own heart,” I said as I took a seat on the swing next to her’s. “So, tell me about Chicago.”
A slight hesitation, “It’s beautiful there, my favorite place in the world. A million things to do, and go. It almost makes you believe anything is possible.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
Kara’s smile was dazzling and brightened her whole face, “I think so. What about you, how long have you lived in Albany?”
“Oh, forever. Or at least it seems that way sometimes.” The happy expression faded from my face, “My parents died in a car crash when I was little, so I came to live with my grandma. Been here ever since.” I tried to keep my voice matter-of-fact. I hadn’t really wanted to get this deep on our first outing, but then she asked about my past, and anything I could have come up with that left out my parent’s death would’ve felt like a lie. At least to me, anyway.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, I shouldn’t have said anything.” Nice going, Gabi. This is why you don’t have any girlfriends.
“No, it was... honest. My dad passed away a couple years ago. Cancer. People should talk about it more, instead of tiptoeing around the subject.”
Oh, yeah, Kara was definitely my kind of girl.
_____
As it turned out, Kara and I had a lot more in common than I would’ve thought. After going through the usual stepping-stones of getting to know each other- music, movies, embarrassing moments, pet peeves- it was clear “our friendship was destined to be”. Her words, not mine.
Leaning back on the swing, I said, “Well, you’ve passed all my tests, and I’m having a hard time finding something wrong with you. Apart from your Justin Bieber fixation, that is.”
“You should give him a chance,” Kara protested. “And I’m not the one who has a crush on a fictional character.”
“I told you about Batman and I in confidence!” My outraged expression must have been pretty good, because she laughed immediately.
I came to the realization that it was almost completely dark out and that the park was deserted. “We should probably head out. I’ll give you a ride home.” Kara nodded her head and zipped up her jacket after a frigid gust of wind turned to night from cool to freezing.
Hustling towards the car, I almost missed the strange high-pitched whistle.
Unfortunately, Kara didn’t.
“What was that?” Her head whipped towards the noise. “Hello? Is someone there?” She moved closer to the bushes. An uneasy feeling unfurled in my stomach.
I shouldn’t be here.
“Kara, we need to leave.” My tone was colored with a bit of desperation and a whole lot of fear.
She continued as if she hadn’t heard me, walking through the shrubbery. I blinked, and she was swallowed up by the trees and darkness. “Kara!”
No response.
Muttering something, that Grandma would have described as “unbecoming language for a young lady”. I hesitated for a fraction of second before following her.
Through the forest.
Alone.
Just like those low IQ blondes from the horror flicks.
I could see the faint outline of Kara a few yards in front of me, but it was too dark to see much else. My heartbeat was an unsteady fluttering in my chest, the deeper in the trees we got, the faster it stuttered.
As we kept moving, the whistling got louder and clearer. Becoming more of a haunting music note, that enchanted as well as frightened the listener. It was beautiful. And terrifying.
In fact, I was so caught up in the unexpected harmony of it, I didn’t notice immediately when I lost sight of Kara.
I stopped and turned in a small circle. Squinting against the darkness, I willed my eyes to pick her out again amongst the endless wilderness. “Kara?” The wind seemed to take my words before they were out of my mouth.
Totally freaked out, and trying not to panic, I fished my cellphone out of my purse. Dialing Kara’s number, I listened for a ringing.
Nothing.
_____
I moved through the forest silently. I wasn’t sure how I knew, or whether it should bother me or not, but I was sure Gabi wasn’t behind me anymore. The thought should have stopped me cold. Who knew what was in these woods? But it didn’t.
All I could think about was that voice. Calling to me.
“Hello, Kara.” The eerily perfect voice sounded from behind me. I whirled to face it. Him.
And it was a him. With flawlessly pale skin, the lightest of blue eyes, and soft brown hair, he was the most gorgeous boy I’d ever seen.
“How do you know my name?”
“I’ve been watching you for some time now.”
I frowned. There was something wrong there. Something about this should bother me, shouldn’t it? I shook off the feeling as soon as it came.
He came closer, his hand reached out to grab mine. His flesh was cool, and sent shivers up my spine. He glanced up from my arm and my eyes widened in horror.
Red. His eyes are red. Was my only thought before his teeth sunk into my forearm.
_____
“Gabi.” I heard my name and my head snapped towards the bushes the noise had come from. I breathed a sigh of relief to see Kara emerging from them, but it was cut off halfway through. She seemed...different. Her eyes a little too bright. Her voice a little too relaxed.
Shaking it off as my usual paranoia, “We need to go. Now.” I tried to keep my tone light, but fear colored it.
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”
And this time, we actually made it to the car.
_____
“Nay! Wait up,” I called down the busy hall at a tall retreating figure.
We met at his locker. There was still a few minutes left until the first bell. After last night, my creep-o-meter was way into the red. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to tell him about it, but his presence would probably make me feel better.
“Where were you last night? Kole and I tried to call you. There was a Batman marathon on...” He must have seen something in my face, because he trailed off and stared intently at me. “Hey, are you alright, Gab?”
I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Of course, he would know as soon as he saw me that something was bugging me. Of course, he would see that I was terrified that something had happened to Kara out in those woods. Of course, he would.
He just knows me too well.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just sorry I missed Batman,” The lie fell lamely from my mouth. His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to reply- or more likely to call BS- when the bell rang.
Saved by the bell.
“Gotta go. Don’t wanna be late for class!” My perkiness sounded false even to my ears. Wincing, I pulled him into a hug when it looked like he was going to say more. His scent was crisp like fall, and familiar. Nay’s arms closed around me hesitantly, like he really didn’t want to drop the subject. I allowed myself a few extra seconds of comfort.
Pulling away, I put on my “big-girl pants” and after giving Nay a half-assed smile, I headed off to Pre-Calc to face Kara.
I could feel Nathan’s eyes boring into the back of my head as I hustled down the hallway. Oh, this was so coming back to bite me in butt. God, forbid he ever let anything go. Would it be too lame to eat lunch in the Bio room?
Juli was already settled with her band of merry idiots in the back of the Pre-Calc classroom when I walked in. She spared me her usual disdainful glare, before getting back to gossiping. I plastered a big grin on my face and waved at her like the freak she thought I was.
Sitting in the same seat as yesterday, I ruffled through my binder for my homework. A cold hand landed on my shoulder, jumping to my feet, my textbook crashed to the ground.
Kara. It was just Kara. Only Kara didn’t look like Kara. There were huge circles under her eyes, she was pale, and while yesterday she’d been full of life and hope, today she looked... dead.
“Sorry, Gabi. Didn’t mean to scare you.” She looked at me mournfully. “Look about last night-”
I held up a hand that I hoped wasn’t shaking, “Already forgotten. Let’s just...never mention it again.” I tried to give her a grin, so that the last part would come out light hearted, but I’m pretty sure I fell short.
In truth, I wasn’t scared of Kara. For all her freaky behavior last night, she’s still just a kid. Like me. Nothing to be afraid of.
It was the weird vibe I was getting of her that had me quaking in my boots.
Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
Turning back towards the front of the room, I watched Kara out of my peripheral vision. She sat down, got out her book, and watched the teacher intently. Hell, she even took notes. Everything should have seemed normal, proving to me that I was just being the same old conspiracy freak I’d always been. She did the exact same thing yesterday. I’d even found it endearing that she tried so hard in math.
Math. Of all things.
Today? Not so much. Although all her actions almost exactly mirrored yesterday’s Kara. Present Kara was... off. There was something too bright in her eyes, her movements a little too restless.
The more I watched her, the more tense I became. By the end of the period I was a tightly wound coil, only one breath away from springing from my chair and sprinting all the way home. Screaming the whole way.
So not helpful.
After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang. It sounded like a beautiful song, announcing I was free from this torture. I grabbed my stuff and hauled some major ass out of the room. Kara was probably looking at me funny, hell; everyone was probably thinking I’d lost my marbles. Maybe I had.
_____
“Gabi! Wait up!” Nay called my name down the crowded hallway, as I hightailed away from gym, my last class of the day. I didn’t turn around, for fear of meeting eyes with a certain creeper, but I did slow down so he could reach me.
Kara sat with us again at lunch today, and much to my dismay, Nay and Kole didn’t seem to sense anything wrong with her. I, on the other hand, got more paranoid with every second I spent with her. I kept imagining that as the minutes passed she got paler, and blinked less.
God, I need professional help.
Feeling a familiar presence at my side, I turned to Nathan, and decided to put the whole Kara thing from my mind. At least for the time being. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to give myself a panic attack.
“Where’s the fire, Gab?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes, “You’re just slow. No football tonight?”
“Nope, Coach had a family emergency. What are we doing?”
“Well...we can hang out at my house, if you don’t mind my Grandma’s friends. She’s having her monthly séance.” I shuddered at the thought of spending the night alone with the “Mystics of Albany”. No doubt, they’d have me eat a live chicken or some nonsense.
“Is that my only option?” His expression of distaste mirrored mine.
“We could go to the Pallor. It’s closed tonight, so it should be deserted.” I suggested.
The full name is Franny’s Magic Pallor, started by my million-times great grandmother during the founding days of Albany. The fact that it’s still standing, and still does relatively good business, is a testament to how messed up this town is. Granted, a lot of the people that frequent the place do so only because of the stellar coffee. Most of them haven’t even seen the ‘backroom’ of the place, where Gran keeps all the really freaky stuff.
Nay grinned, “I bet Kole will love that idea.” He nodded behind me, and a second later, the third Stooge appeared at my shoulder. “Hey, Kole, wanna go to the Pallor tonight?”
“Perfect! I have an exam in Programing tomorrow. One of your Grandma’s magic books is bound to have a spell that’ll tell me what’s on it.” We started towards the parking lot; the hallway was almost empty by that point.
“Or, you could study, you know, like a normal person.” I said.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Kole and Nay asked in unison.
“Oh, there’s no fun to be had, but at least no one gets blown up, or set on fire.”
____
Stepping out of Nathan’s SUV, I took in Franny’s Magic Pallor, and all its glory. It was squished in between the mini-mart and Guns n’ Ammo, both surrounded stores where new editions compared to the Pallor. It was technically three floors, but the cellar was really just for storage or in case of nuclear attack. The faded brick had moss growing in patches all over the building, making it look even more ancient. The windows on the ground floor showed the coffee shop in the front room, a collection of mismatched chairs, tables, and a barista bar. The second story windows, however, had thick purple curtains obscuring the inside from view. That’s where Nana keeps her gadgets, and book collection.
Removing a broken brick from the outside wall, I removed a spare key from its hiding place and unlocked the thick, wooden front door. The scent of coffee grounds and pastries hit me like a wall of yummy goodness. Gran and Madame Losada, her longtime friend and helper, make everything themselves from scratch themselves, though they always imply witchcraft has a hand in it.
I try not to roll my eyes at them. I’m usually not successful.
“Ah, smell like home.” Kole sighs, breathing in the mouthwatering aroma. And he was right, this was home. Ever since we were kids, helping Gran bake the cookies, serve the customers, or hanging out in the attic.
“I’ll grab the grub, meet you guys upstairs.” Nathan hurried off towards the sweets.
Kole and I raced past Grandma’s office, where she does psychic readings, and up the stairs to the attic. The whole place was littered with old fashions oak bookshelves, stuffed with novels of every kind, though mostly magic related, and other miscellaneous mystical items. The walls and carpet, not that you could see it through all the brightly colored rugs, were a deep shade of red that’d faded over time. There were cute little overstuffed couches under each of the windows, a single rocking chair sat in one of the corners, and a rickety table in the middle of the room, surrounded by four magenta colored chairs.
“So, which one do you think has the spell I’m looking for?” Kole mused, glancing at the bookshelves.
I pulled a thick faded volume from the shelf nearest me. The cover said “Saphire’s Guide to Everyday Housewife Spells”, and had a picture of a woman cooking breakfast. Hands Free. Flipping it open, I went to the table of contents.
I. He says he doesn’t like your cooking?
II. Chores taking up too much of your day?
III. Want to know what he’s really thinking?
Smiling, I closed the book. That’s probably not what Kole’s looking for. “Found something!” He exclaimed from across the room. He was holding an old wood colored novel, with intricate engravings on the cover.
“What is it?”
Holding a finger to the text, he said, “Not much. Just some stuff about ‘danger on the horizon’ and being one step ahead of the game.”
“Sounds perfect,” Nay said from the top of the stairs. He had a plate of goodies in one hand, and three cups on top of a travel sized thermos in the other. “What supplies do you need?”
“It’s fairly simple: some paper, holy water, and blood.”
“Oh, is that all?” I laughed, but truth be told, that was simple for a spell. “Does it say what kind of blood?”
He paused, looking over the text again, “Nope, just blood.”
“I’ll get the paper,” Nay said as he walked over to one of the supply cabinet. Kole grabbed a spare cup that was lying around, and poured some holy water in it from the canister Nana kept on the spare desk near the stairs.
Guess that means I’m on bodily fluid duty. Gran installed a mini fridge next the small couches a few years ago, and I knew for a fact she kept blood in there. Yuck.
We all met at the table where Kole recited the instructions for us. “It says that we pour the holy water of the paper, so it’s completely wet, and then put a small drop of blood on the middle of the page.
Nathan and I did as Kole instructed. “And then?” Nay asked.
Kole handed me the book, and I read aloud, “Indicate mihi fecísti vias. Ostende periculum, quod latet. Sic fiat.
” I recognized it as Latin, but that was about as far as I got. I knew a few words, from hanging out with Gran, but I was far from fluent.
We all stared at the paper for a few seconds and nothing happened. Nathan laughed and clapped Kole on the back, “Guess you’re on your own for that test tomorrow.” Nay and I glanced up at each other, sharing a goofy grin.
Kole didn’t move.
I shook his shoulder, “Earth to Kole. Reenter the atmosphere, Dipstick.”
“Guys, look.” He pointed a shaking finger at the piece of paper.
Cavete ab periculum
Bacchantis in tenebris
Venit ad vincere
Petit ut perderent
The single drop of blood had spread to form those words. They sat ominously on the paper, making me nervous. Especially because I knew the translation for the first line, and it didn’t seem to apply to Kole’s exam.
“Beware the danger.”
Chapter Three:
“That’s...what it says?” Kole asked.
“The first part, yeah.” I murmured. Spells and creepy Latin threats, is this really my life? Knew it was a bad idea to let Kole do magic. Rule numero uno, all that can go wrong in Albany, will.
“And the rest of it?” Nathan’s voice was surprisingly even and calm. Surprising, because I know he feels the same way about magic as I do. It’s like Charmin Ultra Soft: less is more.
“I’m not sure off the top of my head-”
“But if you had to take a guess?” He pressed.
“It’d go something like this: You have brought the wrath of the mighty Sun God down on yourselves. Prepare to die a fiery death...P.S. Luke, I am your father.”
I got a snicker out of Kole, Nathan, however, was less than amused. “Not funny, Gabi.”
“Alright, alright.” I hold my hands up in surrender, “Gran has some translation books in her personal library that could help us. I’ll take a look once I get home.” I copied down the Latin words on an old grocery list in my purse.
“What should we do with the original?” Kole picked it up, giving the bloody part a wide margin.
“I don’t know, but we definitely can’t let Gran see it. It’ll just worry her, she actually believes in this stuff-”
“And you still don’t? Even after this?” Kole interrupted.
“Not completely, no. This is just...a coincidence.” That last remark earned a snort from Kole.
“So...” Kole trailed off suggestively.
“I don’t think we should move it, and not just because it’s freaky as hell.” I paused, “Okay, mostly because it’s freaky, but that’s a pretty good reason in my book.”
“We could hide it in a book,” Nathan started, and elaborated when he saw the looks of disbelief on our faces. “A book that your Grandmother never touches.” He strode over to the shelves and removed a light pink book. It was a recipe book given to Gran years ago by our least favorite neighbor, Mrs. Shell. She implied that Gran’s cooking was sub-par in the card attached to the present. Although Gran would never throw it out, because we suspect Mrs. Shell goes through our garbage in her spare time, it hadn’t left the shelf since it'd put there.
“It could go unnoticed for centuries,” Kole mussed.
“I don’t need centuries, just a few days to translate the words to English.”
“Days? Can’t you just Google Translate it?” Kole asked.
“No! It’s an ancient language, the translation has to be perfect or you could get a completely different meaning. Everything has to be exact when it comes to magic. Play it fast and loose, you’re liable to end up a different color or species than one you started as. Or so Gran says.”
_____
A couple hours later, Nay dropped Kole off at his car on the opposite side of the parking lot than mine. He waved tentatively at us, before starting the engine and getting the hell out of dodge. Nay drove over to Gran’s red Bug, and put his SUV in park.
It was past seven, and the school grounds were completely deserted as well as pitch black, save a few streetlights. The wind blew against the car, making an audible whoosh sound.
Say goodbye to your nicely combed hair, I thought grimly.
“Hell of a night, huh?” He broke the eerie silence. Nathan and I were a lot of things, quiet wasn’t one of them.
“Yeah. You know it’s bad when Kole is creeped out. He actually likes this mystical crap.” I felt his intent gaze on my face. I turned to him, but found his expression unreadable. His golden eyes were practically neon in the little light. They stood in contrast to his dark hair that blended into the dark surroundings.
“I wish you and Kole would be more careful with this magic stuff. We shouldn’t play with something we don’t understand.”
“Chill, Nay. We’ll be fine.”
We lapsed back into silence, which was every bit as uncomfortable as it was before. Maybe even more so, because now I recognized it as an extremely pissed off silence on Nathan’s part.
Awkward.
Suddenly feeling very tired, I sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay, Nay?” Nathan grabbed my hand, when I would’ve grabbed the door handle and proceeded to my car.
His fingers were long and rough and the warmth radiating from them felt amazing. I hadn’t realized I was cold until that moment.
“I’m sorry.”
I squeezed his hand and flashed him a smile. “Already forgiven. Drive me to work tomorrow?” Nay and I both picked up similar shifts at the mini-mart next to Grandma’s shop, so we often carpooled after school.
“Sure,” he breathed and released my now toasty fingers. Turning away to hide my unexpected disappointment at the loss of his touch, I opened to door and hurried to my car.
Don’t be such a girl, Page, my annoying inner voice sneered at me.
Too late.
Slamming my car door shut, I hastily turned on the car and, more importantly, the heater. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Nay’s car pull out of the parking lot. He lived the same distance away from the school as I did, just in the other direction; no doubt, he’d be home before I even got the car out of park.
My phone buzzed. Clicking it on, I checked the messages; there was one unread from Nana.
Please pick up some rosemary from the store on your way home. It’s urgent.
Turning the key and putting the car in drive, I headed towards the mini-mart, grumbling all the way.
Of course, she couldn’t wait till my shift tomorrow afternoon. How could anything involving rosemary be urgent anyway? It’s not like when you urgently need toilet paper, or water. It’s rosemary.
The market was deserted, which was typical for any business in Albany at 9:30 at night. Most of our population is the old and the young. People grow up here, leave as soon as they can, and then come back to die.
I waved to Sam, the owner, who told me to tell Grandma hi from him. Hiding my smirk, I promised I would and moved on to the herb section. The smell of dried plants enveloped my nostrils. Blinking against my watering eyes, I grabbed the last packet of rosemary and paid for it.
“Can you tell me where the paper plates are?” A voice shook me out of my ravine. I glanced up to meet a pair of stunningly green eyes. His golden hair flipped carelessly into his eyes and he flashed me a perfect smile. Too gorgeous to be real.
Answer, stupid. He asked you a question.
Snapping out of it, my words were a little breathless. “Isle three, next to the napkins and plastic utensils.”
“Thanks. I’m Zane.”
“Gabi.”
He reached out with his hand, “Nice to meet you, Gabi.” It took me a few second too long to realize he meant for me to shake it, and my face heated up in mortification. His skin was cool to the touch, and sent shivers down my spine. I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing.
Jesus, what’s wrong with you tonight? Say something intelligent.
“D-do you go to school?” I stuttered out. Does he go to school? Seriously?
Zane grinned, thankfully not put off by my clumsy conversation skills, “Yeah, I just enrolled at Albany High. Do you go there?”
“‘Till they kick me out.” Finally, something that sounded like me.
“Then I guess I’ll see you around.” He said.
“Guess you will.”
Still smiling over the prospect of seeing Zane at school tomorrow, I turned on my car and pulled onto the highway.
My mind was in a million places: the premonition, my new found feelings towards Nathan, Kara, Zane, rosemary...everywhere, but the road in front of me.
A flash of white, followed by the sickening crunch of my bumper connecting with a hard, fleshy object. I heard, rather than saw, it flung up my windshield and over the back of the car. I slammed on the brakes, bringing the old bug to a painfully quick stop, and almost causing my head to smash into the steering wheel.
“Oh...god.” I’d hit something, maybe someone. I sat there frozen in my terror for a split second, and then I was moving.
Flinging open the door, I practically flew from the car, pausing only to grab my emergency flashlight from the back seat.
Girl Scouts. Always prepared.
The light wavered where it touched the ground. It took me a few moments to realize my hands were shaking. Hell, my everything was shaking.
I was just a few streets over from my house. The area was typically pretty suburban and populated, but this street was in the midst of construction and had no finished houses on it. Ergo, no one around to hear me scream.
My flip-flops kicked up the dirt from construction, as I moved around to the front of the car. I swallowed my terror and tried to calm my heartbeat, which was so loud it was a wonder I didn’t wake up everyone in a half-a-mile radius.
Whatever I had expected to see, a pale-skinned boy sitting a few feet in front of my bumper wasn’t it. His legs were crossed underneath him and his back was towards me. His medium length brown hair flowed slightly in the wind; it was the only thing about him that moved. I couldn’t even tell if he was breathing or not.
“Hello? Are you hurt? I’m so sorry, I didn’t see...” I trailed off when I got no response, no sign of life. But he had to be alive, right? If I’d killed him with my car, he wouldn’t be sitting in front of me with perfect posture. He’d be a pancake, heavy on the dirt and cement.
Gabi!
The voice was clear as a bell in my head. And while it definitely wasn’t mine, it was pretty familiar to me.
Nathan.
As if he could hear what was going on in my head, the boy turned. “Hello, Gabi.” His words stopped me cold. He wasn’t a boy. He was the boy, the one from my dream. His voice was exactly as I remembered it, perfectly inhuman.
“I’ve been watching you for some time now.” He echoed the exact words he said to Kara in my dream.
Run, Gabi. Get out of there.
Shrugging off the fact that I was hearing voices, add to the ever-growing list of things wrong with me. Or a voice to be more accurate. I followed his advice, because like it or not, Nay’s never led me astray, and there was no way I was waiting around for him to decide he wanted another midnight snack.
My feet flew across the ground at speeds I didn’t know they were capable of. Where was this hustle when I got a C- in gym? I flung the car door open and launched myself inside. Turning the key in the ignition, I was fully prepared to run that freak over- again- to get out of there.
I glanced up, expecting to see him at my driver’s side window, but he was gone. My eyes scanned the dark surroundings, looking for any sign of him. No luck.
I floored it, and managed to break every rule of the road during my two-minute drive home. I brought the bug to an abrupt stop in our driveway. For a moment, I just sat there, shaking in silent disbelief.
My phone’s ringtone sounded boisterous. I winced, my eyes shooting around the deserted street, surely a noise that loud would wake the neighbors.
I didn’t bother checking the caller ID; I couldn’t hold my hands steady enough to read it anyway. “Hello?” My voice sounded exactly like I felt. Petrified.
“Gabs, thank god you picked up,” Nathan’s worried voice was one the other line. “I....”
I waited for what seemed like hours to my befuddled mind for him to continue. He finally said, “This is going to sound crazy, but... I called you because of this dream. You were driving, and you hit someone! I keep telling you, you need to be more alert on the road. You could’ve been hurt....” He trailed off, obviously expecting me to tell him that he was off his rocker. I opened my mouth, but couldn’t form the words- whatever they were- that I wanted to say.
“Gabi? Are you still there? I- yeah, it sounds even kookier out loud than it did in my head.”
“Can you come over? Please?”
He was instantly serious, “Be there in five.”
_____
Five minutes later, I heard a knocking at my first floor bedroom window. Smiling despite my inner turmoil, I crossed the tidy room and opened it, letting Nay in. It was definitely a tighter fit than it had been when we were seven, but I appreciated that he still did it. Too much changes as you get older, and some things are better left untouched by time.
He was wearing his favorite pair of worn-in jeans and an old Alan Jackson t-shirt. He’s always been a huge country fan. It was a wonder that Nay, looking very male, didn’t seem out of place amidst all the purple frills in my room. I haven’t done much in the way of redecorating, apart from a few posters, since my tenth birthday.
My gaze traveled from his attire to his face. I couldn’t make out his hair in the dark room, it blended, but his eyes stood out the way a jack-o-lanterns' do on Halloween night. His smile was achingly familiar and comforting, even if it did have worry in it.
Like a giant wave, the events of the night and the past few days, came crashing down on me, leaving me feeling beaten down, hopeless, and defeated. Much to my dismay, silent tears ran down my cheeks. I turned away from Nathan, not wanting him to see my weakness. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d seen me cry, but this felt different, more embarrassing than tears shed over a broken leg or a dead pet.
His arms slipped around me, and in one quick movement, pivoted me back to face him. A flash of anger coursed through me. Why did he have to know me so well? Wasn’t there anything I could keep private? The anger faded as fast as it came, replaced by weariness. I rested my head on his chest, and let the tears fall freely.
I might find his unusual insight disconcerting at time, but having a best friend also meant always having someone to lean on during moments like these. And I guess I could live with that.
Sometime during the release of all my pent up emotions, Nay had moved our little pity party to the bed. When I finally gained control of myself, I removed myself from his embrace. Hoping he couldn’t see the pink tint in my cheeks. His body heat had felt wonderful. A little too wonderful for my piece of mind. Nay’s my best friend, and my feeling towards him are complete platonic. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
I met his eyes and I could see that now that I was feeling like my old self, the interrogation would begin. I decided to get the ball rolling, “What you saw, the dream. It happened.”
A pause, “Talk. From the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.”
Part of me wasn’t completely sure I wanted him to know everything, but I was tired of carrying around the weight of my suspicions by myself. And if there was anyone, I could trust with my break from reality, it was Nay.
I started at Kara and I’s field trip to the park, and went through to tonight’s festivities. I didn’t leave out a single detail about the freaky dreams, the weirdness Kara had been exhibiting, not even the part about meeting Zane. I was sure Zane had nothing to do with any of this, but it just felt so freeing to get this off my chest.
“Zane? Sounds like a serial killer’s name if I ever heard one.”
“Seriously, that’s the part you comment on?” I frowned, trying to identify something I heard in his voice. Jealousy? No, I shook my head mournfully, that was just wishful thinking on my part. He thinks of me like a little sister. And it doesn’t bother me. Not even a little bit.
He paused, probably digesting everything that I’d told him, “Gabs, it’s time we talk to your grandma.”
Impressum
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 25.10.2012
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