“That was amazing,” he whispered in her ear, still holding her close.
Every little aspect of the moment — his heartbeat, steady yet fast, his fingers touching her face, his staggered breathing close to her ear, and the warmth of his body just centimeters from hers — made the moment perfect.
“I’ve waited so long to do that.” Laney ran her hand along his arm. “Before, I could only imagine what it might be like.” She’d spent many evenings, pen in hand, imagining William’s kiss, praying that someone like him would come into her life.
He drew her close again, the faint sound of the music in the castle a distant memory. Like their haven in the woods, Laney wanted to capture this moment and live in it forever. William took her hand, her head on his chest, and they swayed to the hushed melody.
“It doesn’t seem fair to you. When I’m on the other side of the words, I still get to be with you. The only part you experience is what’s in your mind. But on the other hand, you get to control what happens. I bet a lot of women would love to be in your shoes.”
“I don’t want to play God. I want us to be together like normal people. I created you in my mind, but the situations I put you through, and the ones that evolved on their own, like your mother, have developed you into a man beyond anything I could ever imagine. You continue to surprise me.” The last words came out as a whisper, and he wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer again.
“The thought of spending the entire night this close to you is extremely tempting, but I think we have a job to do tonight.” He ran his fingers through her hair.
“The Gate Keeper.” Her lips set in a pout against his chest. It was still a long shot, finding him at a student dance, but it was a large gathering of people and they needed to try.
“I don’t want to concern you.” His lips were set in a firm line. “But I haven’t seen Jason tonight. Maybe he’s taking his time getting here. Apparently, it’s the popular thing to do.”
“He probably took his date somewhere for some alone time, but I think we still need to keep an eye out for him. Jonas knows most of the campus is gone tonight.”
“When we go inside, I think we should split up. I’ll take the smaller rooms and you take the grand hall. If you find the Gate Keeper, don’t approach him without me. I don’t want to scare him off with the wrong questions.” William let go of Laney’s hand as they returned to the mansion.
Jazz music echoed through the halls, students moving here and there. Although the warm air enveloped her, she held on to William’s jacket. Having part of him with her made the task of being apart more bearable.
“Good luck.” William bent down to kiss her cheek.
“If you see Jason, warn him somehow.”
Jason had no idea that William existed because of her writing. She worried that it would be too much to explain, and the Gate Keeper could slip through their fingers.
“If I can.” He touched her face one last time and walked through a door into the library.
The beam of the flashlight illuminated snowflakes as they drifted to the ground. Jason headed down the dirt path to Sawyer’s Pond. He’d provided some lame excuse to his date Rachel about wanting to appear fashionably late to the dance. His tux was still spread out on his bed when he left his room, wearing his winter coat, a beanie, and carrying a flashlight. The thought of what he was doing for Laney drove him crazy. Why couldn’t he just say to hell with you and leave her out in the cold to think about who she turned down? But he couldn’t do that. Not because of the thought of what she might say to him tonight — and he did secretly hope she’d changed her mind — but because he couldn’t leave her shivering by herself in the dark.
The pond appeared to be solidly frozen over for the winter, and he made a mental note to grab some guys for a hockey game sometime soon. A little further down the shore, water lapped through a hole in the ice where someone had been ice fishing. Jason scanned the shore with his flashlight, searching for Laney.
“Looking for someone?” A male voice spoke from behind Jason. He turned quickly and his light fell on a man wearing some type of period clothing. His long coat was torn and smudged with soot, a triangular hat sat on top of his greasy locks, and a strap crossed his chest connected to a large flask. Maybe he worked at a local historical getup. The man slurred his speech, brandishing a bottle of liquor.
Jason took a step back, unsure of the stranger, but also thinking he was slightly familiar. “I was supposed to meet a friend of mine out here. Have you seen a girl walking around?”
The stranger staggered closer. “Did she leave you a note on your desk?”
“How did you know?” Jason searched for a way to fit this strange man into the puzzle of Laney’s life. “Wait a minute . . . Jonas?”
“In the flesh.” The large man bowed, thrusting his hands out in a grand gesture and sloshing the brown liquid in his bottle. “I’m really sorry to get you involved in all this, but you did slug me. If Laney had just stopped being so selfish and let me have what I wanted all along, the two of you could have fallen in love and lived happily ever after. She is headstrong, but I think you know that.”
He frowned. “And what do you want, Jonas?” Jason still wasn’t sure he believed Laney’s story about Jonas being a villain from her book. But he did wonder how she knew this man. “Laney made up a story about why you attacked her in the subway. How do you really know her?”
“She thinks I’m a character in her book.” Jonas took another swig from his bottle. “And in her mind, I am. She doesn’t know there’s more to me than someone she’s trying to destroy.”
“Laney wouldn’t hurt anyone, let alone destroy them.”
“So quickly spoken for someone who’s been dumped for a figment of her imagination.” Jonas sneered and took another drink.
“What do you mean?”
“William, of course. Your roommate. The boy who stole your girl from right under your nose. He’s a sick, despicable person whose family is responsible for the death of my brother.”
“Will . . . is a character from Laney’s book, too?” Jason scratched his head.
“Of course he is.” Jonas struck his own forehead with his palm. “And William and Delaney are the reasons you are going to die tonight.”
Laney walked down the passageway towards the noise and excitement of the Grand Hall. When she got to the door, Missy and Morgan swept by, arm-in-arm. Missy linked Laney’s arm and pulled her with them towards the restrooms.
“Where have you been, Laney? I haven’t seen you for a while.” She barely took a breath to let her respond. “This is so beautiful! I’m so glad you got a date so you could come. Where is that man of yours?”
“Um, he went to get a drink.” Laney wondered when she could make her escape. The girls stood in front of the mirror, pulling powder and lipstick out of their purses. She knew being in the women’s restroom was counterproductive to finding the male Gate Keeper.
“He’s so hot, Laney.” Morgan flipped her hair, ran her fingers through it, and then flipped it back. She looked like she had just stuck her finger in an electrical socket.
“He won’t even look at another girl.” Missy leaned in closer to the mirror like she was spreading an outrageous rumor. “I overheard a few juniors talking about him in my education class. One of them really wanted to come here with him.”
Her thoughts were too far away to listen to their gossip. “I need to go. William will be trying to find me.” She slipped out the door before they could stop her.
Laney spent the next half hour inspecting every hand she could find in the hall. The task held its challenges. Apparently, Madison’s lacrosse team was pretty good last year and won the title. Each member of the team wore a heavy gold ring. The ring’s similarities to Richard’s description of the Gate Keeper’s ring were astonishing. Her eyes strained to look for the slightest of differences in color or design. In the dim lights, this proved to be impossible.
Searching the dance floor,
Laney caught a glimpse of a girl with long, dark hair wearing a pink and orange sixties mini dress. Her white go-go boots reached up to her knees. Hardly formal wear for Manor Hill, so she knew it could only be one person. David grinned at her from over the girl’s shoulder. Weaving her way through the crowd of dancers, Laney finally reached the teenagers.
“What are you doing here?” Would anyone else notice the underage party crashers?
“Nice welcome, Delaney.” David adjusted his bowtie.
A couple of girls passed them and commented on Natalie’s getup.
“Sorry, it’s nice to see you.” She flashed David a forced smile. “Now, what are you doing here?”
“We never get out.” Natalie whined while she brushed a strand of David’s dark hair off his forehead. “We thought this might be fun and we could keep an eye on you at the same time. David’s an expert with the computer, so the invites were easy to forge.” She removed her arms from David’s neck to hike up her boots. “We miss you at the safe house.”
“I’ll be back again when I’m ready.” Laney turned away to keep looking for the Gate Keeper.
“Where’s that handsome Watcher of yours? I know I saw him earlier”
Natalie’s question stopped her.
* * *
“But how did you know?” Why was it obvious to everyone?
“I saw the way he looked at you when he rescued us from Rex. The determination in his eyes gave him away.” Natalie smiled at David.
“Where’s Mark?” Laney surveyed the room, but there were too many people.
David pointed to a wall lined with metal chairs. “Over there.”
Mark stood on the edge of the dance floor, adjusting his tuxedo and keeping his eyes on his feet. He resembled a stiff college professor trying to fit in with a bunch of first graders.
“Well, since you guys are here, maybe you could help us look for the Gate Keeper. He has a purple ring.”
“With a key on it.” David released Natalie and drew a piece of paper out of his pocket. There were various sketches doodled on both sides. The designs were rough, but the spider, eye, skull, and key were evident.
“Yeah, we want to send my Ender back into the book before he gets to my friend Jason.”
“We’ll help after I pour me some of that killer punch.” Natalie grabbed David’s hand and dragged him across the dance floor.
Laney watched them for a moment as they headed to the snack table. Maybe things could work between the two of them.
The search ended around midnight as the crowd thinned. Not being able to find the Gate Keeper added a somber mood to the car ride home. Laney thought about all the things she could have done differently, but she also wondered if the Gate Keeper was even at Manor Hill. Maybe he was a professor, or a neighbor living near the college. Missy was the only one talking, and she did enough of it to make up for the rest of them.
Brian dropped William and Laney off by the dining hall so they wouldn’t have to walk back from the parking lot. Laney shivered through a strong gust, so William pulled her close as the silence drifted between them. She searched for the words to lighten the mood. He appeared to be working through something himself.
“Did you notice it?” His voice cut the silence and her thoughts. A small grin was visible on his face, even though dark shadows surrounded them.
“Notice what?” She was unsure about his sudden mood change.
“The ring.”
“You said that you didn’t see it when we were searching at the mansion.”
“I didn’t see it at the mansion.” William stopped in front of the path to Taylor Hall. “Brian is the Gate Keeper.”
“What?” How could that self-absorbed jock be the Gate Keeper? All he cared about was lacrosse and his locker mirror.
“He’s a pretty good actor. Of course, he must be dating Missy to be close to you. His ring looks just like the rings the other lacrosse players have, but when he drove I could make out the distinctive symbol and color, deep purple with a golden key.”
“So, do you think he isn’t really interested in Missy?” Laney pictured Missy’s face when she found out that his world didn’t revolve around her — it revolved around her roommate.
William laughed, bending down to kiss her face. “You should be elated, but your first thought is about somebody else’s feelings.”
“I guess I just enjoy punishing myself.”
The sound of police sirens pierced through the gusty wind. Red and blue lights weaved through the forested road surrounding the campus. They drove down the hill behind the library and disappeared. Laney’s eyes darted back to the college entrance as a different siren announced itself. This time an ambulance traveled as quickly as it could down the narrow road.
She looked up at William and concern creased his face. “I think they’re headed for the path in the woods.”
“What’s wrong?” A quiet fear crept through her heart.
“Let’s go see.” William led her towards the familiar path.
Chapter 19
A crowd had gathered in the lower parking lot despite police efforts to herd people back towards campus. Students returning from Manor Hill were drawn to the commotion and wanted to be the first to know about the impending tragedy. A knot developed in Laney’s stomach from the fear that had gripped her for weeks now. Somehow she knew, but she had to be sure before she let it overtake her almost perfect night. Laney and William pushed through the crowd, her hand in his, as she now took the lead. When they reached the front, the EMTs were loading a gurney onto the ambulance.
William turned to a girl next to him. “Do they know what happened?”
“I just got here, so I’m not sure.” The girl stood on her tiptoes to see over the small crowd of students.
An assembly formed around a girl on a bench. A blanket strewn over her hunched shoulders, but they could still see the blue satin dress below. Mud splotches covered the lower half of her gown and a dark line partway up the skirt made it appear wet. The pink puffiness below her eyes rivaled her bright red hair which, although in disarray, pointed to a previous grandeur. Laney didn’t know this girl, but William continued forward. He stopped just close enough to be in earshot, without being too noticeable. The girl’s words cut into the cold air.
“No, no. When I received the note, I went out to find him. I thought he was excited about the dance and I didn’t understand why he wanted to meet in the woods.” She lifted a tissue to her eyes, wiping the tears, and then blew her nose.
“Are you sure the note was from him?” The officer wrote down her words in a small pad. He questioned directly, taking on his professional role.
“I’m pretty sure. I’ve never actually seen his handwriting. He sat in the front row of my biology class and I sat in the back. We spoke a few times, so it surprised me when he called to ask me to the dance.” She gazed out into the sea of students, but didn’t look at anyone directly. “The note was signed with his name.”
“Well, it appears to be an apparent suicide, but we don’t want to rule out homicide yet. We’ll question some of his friends.” The officer continued jotting down a few more notes. “You say he was well-liked around campus?”
“He had a lot of friends on his lacrosse team, and he made friends easily in biology. I just can’t imagine Jason doing such a thing.” The girl broke into a series of sobs again.
His name echoed through Laney’s head, repeating itself nonstop like a skip in a record. She trembled, no longer trusting her legs to hold her up. Jason was dead. He was supposed to be safe at Manor Hill with the rest of the students, but he was dead. William’s arms wrapped her closer, trying to provide support and comfort.
“No!” The scream rattled her brain, and it took her several moments to realize that it came from her lips.
The eyes of the officers, other students, and the girl were on her — someone with little significance to the case, an onlooker, possibly someone prone to overreactions. Laney wanted to run to the cor
pse, to lift the sheet, to take his hand and make everything better. Jason, her friend, the boy who made her smile and laugh, who had once touched his lips to hers. She wanted the life to return to his body. Laney gave in to William’s strong arms like a puppet, totally lacking control. She buried her face in his chest, not wanting to think, not wanting to feel.
“If I had gone to the dance with him, he’d be alive right now.” She didn’t even know if she spoke the words aloud, so many thoughts ran through her head.
“This isn’t your fault.” William held her tighter, possibly sensing a complete meltdown. “Jason decided to go into the woods before the dance. He’d have done the same thing if he went with you.”
“There’s no way in hell I would have let him.” Tears streamed down her cheeks for the first time. The numbness wore off and her body crumpled. She thought about Jason in the woods by himself with Jonas hunting him — predator and prey. The picture of him — frightened and alone — streamed through her mind.
“I need to get you out of here.” William now held up most of her body weight.
Laney drifted out of the pain and back into the numbness as she let him lead her to the dorm. Her bed held little comfort, her mind remained too restless, and the guilt ran too deep. Only the neon red numbers on the clock kept the passage of time as she wrestled with bouts of chills, sweats, and screaming. William stayed with her, a constant by her side.
At one point, when she finally opened her eyes, the clock read two. The room remained dark and William slept soundly next to her. Laney stared up at the artificial light slipping through the blinds and reflecting on the ceiling. It was at this point that she was finally able to wrap her head around the gravity of what happened. Jonas had killed Jason. She had created Jonas, which could only mean she was responsible.
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