Kingston’s eyes widened, not missing the double meaning behind his words. He suddenly felt like a jerk. Hadn’t he been checking girls out? He was acting like a callus ass. He knew he was, but he couldn’t help himself. He still didn’t know where he stood with Moriah, and he was afraid to even tell her. “Sure, of course she can,” Kingston said. He felt like Moriah could see right through his lies. He was being a dick.
“Babe, let’s go,” he said. He held out his hand. “Your favorite band’s playing.”
Moriah expelled a shaky breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding. She couldn’t believe it. Her life was not over. She had been given a reprieve. She was about to stand and take Kingston’s outstretched hand, but she paused and turned towards Simon instead.
Once again, Simon casually leaned back on his elbows, his gaze hooded as his eyes met hers.
Moriah didn’t know why she felt like she needed Simon’s permission, but she sought it just the same. She stared at him waiting…
Simon lifted his chin just a hint and gave her a slight sweet smile.
Moriah smiled back at him and took Kingston’s hand. Once their hands touched, relief washed over her and she knew everything was still okay with them.
“Thanks for keeping my girl company,” Kingston tossed out over his shoulder and squeezed Moriah’s hand tighter. He wasn’t ready to let go—not yet, no matter how insecure she made him feel.
“Anytime,” he called out, with meaning. He wouldn’t mind keeping her company again… not in the least.
34-ADVERSARY
People were dropping like flies. “What happened to all the hot chicks?” Colton complained as he looked around. From what he could see, everyone was either hooked up, or passed out on the ground. A few lingered on the side of the stage but somehow he had struck out once again. He didn’t know what the hell was happening. He must be having an off night. Looking randomly through the crowd, his gaze zeroed in on a familiar form. “What the hell?” He turned and punched Barnaby in arm.
“What the hell is your problem man?” Barnaby rubbed his arm.
Colton narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t that the Edie chick?” He pointed.
Barnaby focused and his stomach dropped. “Yeah, that’s Evie.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away.
“Who’s she with?” Colton asked.
Barnaby lifted his glasses and wiped his eyes. He didn’t need to look again. He readjusted his glasses and stared in the opposite direction. “Dammit.”
Clearly in shock, Colton kept staring. “I don’t get it?”
“What don’t you get?” Barnaby snapped. He was pissed Colton had even made him look. What a dick-head! Colton may get his rocks off gaping at other people hooking up, but Barnaby was not one of those people. “I’m getting a drink.”
Colton turned. “What…why are you leaving? Don’t you want to see who she’s with?”
“Why would I want to see that?”
“Damn man, you sound like you care?” Colton needled meanly.
“Obviously you do,” he scathed. “Why else would you want to keep looking?”
Colton pulled his gaze away. Barnaby was right. Why was he looking? It wasn’t like he cared. Although it did bother him on some level to see little miss prude “I can’t do anything with you Colton” swapping spit with some random dude he had not even seen before. What a little whore. Irritated, he left his gawking post and followed Barnaby to get a drink.
36-INFORMATION
“Evie, I have to stop…” Adriane pulled away.
“Is something wrong?” My mind was a big blank. All I wanted to do was keep kissing him.
He shook his head and smiled. “No, everything is…right.” He smoothed his hand over the length of my hair as I pressed my face to his chest and hugged him. Everything did feel right, almost too right. I was afraid I would wake from whatever dream I had surely fallen into.
“You smell really good.” I nuzzled my face in his shirt.
“Do I?” he asked, his chest rumbled under my face.
“Yeah, like really, really good.” I laughed, and burrowed against his chest once more.
“Hmm,” he said absently and ran his free hand down the length of her back and through the silkiness of her hair, again.
“May I ask you a question?” I pulled away slightly and lifted my face to his.
His body tensed. “Sure.”
“What’s your name?”
He laughed and his chest rumbled again. “Adriane,” he said.
“I like your name, Adriane.” I smiled.
“Thank you,” he said. “I like yours too…Evie.”
The way he said my name made my stomach flutter like a hundred butterflies were inside. “So what happened last night?”
“When?” he asked.
“That thing…you…the awful noises?” I had to ask. “What were they?”
He looked down at me, and his expression turned serious. “It’s not my fault,” he defended.
“Of course it’s not. That thing, whatever it was…attacked you.” I tried to read his face. “What was that?”
Adriane stared straight ahead, barely breathing. “What do you think it was?”
“You’ll think I’m crazy.”
“I bet I won’t.”
“You sure…” I teased.
“Oh, I’m sure.”
“Oh-kay…” I took a bracing breath. “I thought it was the gargoyle again.”
“One…was.”
“Huh?” I shook my head for surely I had heard him wrong. “What did you just say?”
Adriane kept his gaze shielded. “I said one was.”
“One was what?”
He looked down at me and my breath hitched. “I said one was a gargoyle.”
“Of course one was,” I rushed out relieved he didn’t think I was a freak. “That’s what I said.”
“Evie…” He shifted awkwardly. “I don’t think you understand what I’m trying to tell you.”
I patted his chest reassuringly. “Go on.”
“This is a lot harder than I thought it would be,” he sighed.
“It’s okay.” I took a deep breath and plastered on a brave face. “I can take it…” I assured him, even though I suddenly had a feeling he was about to tell me something terrible. Something that would crush me just like Colton had, but this would be so much worse. My insides twisted at the thought.
His eyes turned darker as he struggled to find the words he wanted to say, to make her understand. “I am not normal.”
“Phew.” I ran my hand over my brow in an exaggerated gesture. “I’m not normal either,” I teased.
“Oh, I know,” he assured me.
I frowned not sure why that didn’t make me feel better.
“Oh, Evie,” he sighed and rubbed his hands down my arms. “I don’t think…”
Scared, I cut him off. “You don’t have to tell me now.”
“But…”
I shook my head and smiled up at him. “It can wait.”
Another song began to play and thumped loudly in the background.
Adriane knew he needed to tell her but he didn’t want to spoil the moment. “We have time,” he said more to himself than to her as he lowered his mouth to hers once more.
Snaking my hands around his broad shoulders, I kissed him back with everything I had, or would ever become as the lyrics from Love Darling’s Close to Me poured over us both. “Time might just bring hope for us yet—just like Romeo and Juliet—finally giving my heart time…” the lucidity of the words tumbled through my mind.
Yes, I thought, there just may be hope for us yet…
37-BITTERSWEET
Click… Click... Click… sounded on the air as the drummer hit his sticks together and counted the band in for the opening riff to Prescription, by Four Day Creep. It was an awesome driving song.
“Just a letter from your Doctor…” the singer belted out the first verse with a deep, edgy, raspy-t
inged voice. Simon shut his eyes and enjoyed the hook of the song as his past overlapped into the present…
SIMON
The Past -October 30, 1991
“Welcome to Paradise, BITCHES” Simon screamed out, his deep voice cut into the air and echoed through the crowd as he mounted the stage. The bright spotlights beat down on him and his band mates, blinding them to the masses spread out inside the amphitheater. The roar of the crowd rained down on them like thunder as they began to play…
‡
A loud burst of laughter snatched him back to the present and the thread of his memory slipped from his grasp.
Simon reopened his eyes. He could swear he was seeing double. Two separate faces loomed before him, weaving back and forth to the music, their ghostly white faces contrasting against the darkening sky.
“Hello,” they echoed in unison. “We’re twins,” they giggled. “We can do things together,” they said and laughed as each one made a snorting sound.
Reflexively, Simon leaned away from the distasteful noise. They were so white, he wondered if they were real or simply a figment brought forth from his imagination or were they conjured from a distant memory? He didn’t remember twins. Although there wasn’t much he actually remembered from his past, only bits and pieces of what once was. It was part of the curse that was now his life. He could not even remember how he crossed over to the existence he found himself in now. Alistair said it would come in time, although he wasn’t so sure he wanted to remember. Especially if it had been as wonderful as he thought it may have been.
He sat up fully. “Hey,” he said. They were cute in an otherworldly way, and definitely different. He didn’t mind different so much.
“Can we sit with you?”
“Sure,” he said.
They both stepped forward and sat down on either side of him.
“GAH!” he gasped and covered his face. Hot stench filled the air and stole his breath. He looked up into the sky. The moon was finally at its full height.
“Sonofabitch!” He jumped up and the two girls jumped up as well.
“What’s wrong?” they whined.
He searched the crowd for Adriane and Alistair. When he looked back at the girls their faces were crestfallen.
“Ladies,” he said quickly. “Normally, I would be more than happy to take you up on the charms you have offered up so freely, but as of right now, I think you may want to run.”
They looked at each other and then back to him.
He gave up being cautious. “I said RUN!” he yelled and pushed them up the stairs into mansion.
Neither one moved.
He gritted his teeth. “Come on,” he pushed. “Be good girls,” he said quickly shoving them forward. “Get into a room and lock the door. Don’t open it up until I return,” he warned.
Their bodies shook and they clung to each other. Leaning forward he quickly kissed each one soundly on the lips. “That should hold you both for bit,” he said and then took off. The red of his shoes became a blur as he ran swiftly into the crowd.
‡
Colton and Barnaby cut through the crowd to the drink station. Colton pulled up short and Barnaby walked into his back.
“Holy shit, is that Heather?” Colton asked in disbelief.
“Yep.” Barnaby nodded his head. “It sure looks like her.”
“What the hell is going on?” Colton rubbed his hands over his face.
Normally, Barnaby would have laughed, but this was getting ridiculous. First Evie and now Heather—granted, he could really care less what Heather did. Right now, she looked like she was going to tackle to the ground the guy she was swapping spit with. It was not something he was used to seeing from Heather, except when she was dating Kingston. They were like mad dogs, drooling all over each other. Of course, that was before Kingston had dropped her for Moriah.
Since then, Heather had been all prim and proper, not giving anyone the time of day. But looking at her now, it looked like she was making up for lost time…she was going Zombie on some dude’s face. And who knew what she was doing with her leg. She looked jacked.
Barnaby shook his head and looked up into the sky, not wanting to gawk at Heather any more than he wanted to gawk at Evie. Huge dark clouds floated quickly across the moon and a strange bluish glow emanated from the edges. Something big swooped across the moon. The darkened shadow flapped massive wings up and down. It looked like some big-ass bat. He hit Colton’s arm, not breaking his gaze.
“What man?” Colton snapped, clearly annoyed.
Barnaby lifted his arm and pointed to the sky.
Colton looked up. “What the hell is that?”
“I…I don’t know,” Barnaby stammered.
“It looks like a big-ass bat…” Colton said. “Hey, are they filming Batman here?”
“Yeah, sure man.” He shook his head.
“Cool.”
He hit Colton. “No! They’re not filming Batman here!”
Colton rubbed his arm. “Well I thought, maybe, you know, cuz what we were talking about earlier with the trees reminding us of Gotham and all.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Colton,” Barnaby snapped.
“What is it then?” Colton squeaked, his voice shrill.
“Not an it…” Barnaby said. “What are they?” He pointed back to the sky. Even though the creatures were still pretty far away he could tell they were coming closer, quickly. “Man, whatever they are, I don’t think they’re anything good.”
Colton nodded. “I think you’re right man. This doesn’t look good.”
Barnaby caught a whiff of something rancid. It burned his nose. He covered his nose with his shirt and looked at Colton’s pale face, seeing his fear. “Dude, did you just shit yourself?”
Colton tore his gaze away from the sky. “No, I didn’t shit myself... Asshole! Hey Barnaby if you smelt it, you dealt it,” he parried, and then covered his own face as the stench made his stomach lurch.
“Well, if I didn’t and you didn’t, then where is the stink coming from?” Barnaby asked.
They looked at each other, all humor gone from their faces and turned slowly around.
Creeping towards them from the tree line was a large, gruesome beast with angry yellow eyes. Razor-sharp teeth dripped dark, gooey saliva. The fur, what was left, was torn off in huge patches, and oozed freely with something shiny and dark.
Barnaby and Colton almost shit their pants for real. It looked like death itself was stalking them down. “Dude, run!” Barnaby turned and made a break for it through the unsuspecting crowd.
Feeling the air stir beside him, Colton tore his gaze from the massive beast for a millisecond. He caught sight of Barnaby’s retreating form.
“Oh, hell no!” Colton spun around and ran as fast as his feet would carry him.
‡
“Alistair, move your ass!” Simon shouted, running past.
Alistair broke away from the girl and saw Simon disappear into the tree line.
Heather reached up and tried to pull his face back to her own.
“I gotta go.” He pushed her arms away as she tried to wind them back around his neck.
“What?” Heather squawked. “You can’t just leave me.” Her eyes boggled.
“Sorry,” he said. “If you see Adriane, tell him there’s a hot one on the loose.” And then he was gone.
Heather stood there completely stunned. She wanted to yell, or cry. She didn’t know which. Clenching her hands into fists, her long nails bit into her skin as hot, angry tears filled her eyes. Lifting her hand, she dashed them away. “There’s a hot one on the loose?” What was that supposed to mean? “And who in the hell is Adriane?”
38-INTUITION
Everything happened at once. One moment I was kissing Adriane and the next I was eating dirt. His hands lifted me back off the ground. Wiping my face frantically, I tried to see.
“Adriane….”
“Evie RUN!” he yelled.
The sound of his vo
ice along with his hands shoving me, spurred me to do just that. Stumbling forward, I ran forward through the unsuspecting crowd. I nearly fell back down but somehow I managed to remain standing. Blurred shapes darted past me and spun me around in another direction. Loud screams rent the air. Something or someone flew over me and landed at my feet. I pitched forward. Something grabbed my foot and for a millisecond, I froze with fear as the terror I felt last night came to lay claim to me once again.
I beat it back and stomped down with my other foot and was rewarded by a startled gasp of pain. Whatever had me, let go.
“Evie, help me.”
I scrubbed at my eyes with my jacket sleeve.
“Evie…” someone called again from another direction.
I spun around, but still had no idea where the voice was coming from or even how I could hear anyone with all the screaming going on around me.
Everything was chaos.
Masses of people ran frantically up the drive, plowing over the drunks in the process. What the hell—was there a fire or something? And where was Adriane? Why did he scream ‘run’? I didn’t know what was going on but whatever it was had to be bad. An overwhelming feeling of dread pressed in on me as I looked towards the mansion. Once again, I felt fear crawling over me, trying to get me.
“No,” I mouthed the word and shook my head. “I’m being ridiculous.” Obviously, monsters weren’t in the mansion if people were trying to get inside. But if there weren’t any monsters, then what was everyone running from? My mascara burned and I wiped my eyes again.
A guy ran past. He was only wearing tighty-whities and one sock.
“Hey,” I shouted.
He stopped. Small leaves dangled from his hair. He turned and I immediately regretted stopping him. “Why is everyone running?”
Briarcliff Page 15
