Witness

by Jamie Magee

  I knew he was testing me right now, hoping that the late - well, early hour - would cause me to be off guard – but I was a sharp as a nail. The dream with my father had every one of my protective senses on high alert. What was my father saying? That something’s happening to Draven – beyond this? I was so confused. My response to Britain was instantaneous.

  “No – she’s mad at me that would make it worse.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Nothing – just told her to leave and she didn’t”

  “Wow. Looks like I’m not the only one becoming restless.”

  “Stop it – friends remember.”

  “Friends see each other – they don’t text at odd hours of the day.”

  “I just wanted to know if you were sleeping well.”

  “Really.”

  I rolled my eyes at his text. I could hear the sarcasm behind it, and sarcasm was becoming my first language. My fingers flew across the screen as I texted, “yeah really – what’s wrong with that NEVERMIND.”

  “I love it when you’re mad” was his response.

  “Tired – not mad.”

  “You didn’t sleep.”

  “No –restless roommate.”

  He was silent for a few minutes. The last time I saw Britain face-to-face, Madison was with me. It was right after she had told me she had dreams that he was in. When they looked at each other that day, I felt this odd current flowing between them – like they were seeing each other differently, and neither one of them wanted to do that. That look they gave each other – the intensity in that moment when he protected her from Bianca lingers in the back of mind…I know I felt something beyond attraction there – something old, deep, and too complicated to speak into words.

  Britain seemed to ask about her more than Draven or Aden. Madison was always talking about Britain, too, but not in an adoring way – she was trying to figure out what he was. She had partnered with Evan, Draven’s dad, on tracing the family history of Bianca and Britain.

  Evan had never returned with anyone that could help us. He had found people that could see – but as he got to know them, he realized that we could see deeper than they could, that we were stronger. Six weeks ago, Madison had flown over to the UK to help him. She only stayed two weeks; when she came back, she moved her bed into my room along with most of her clothes. Her parents didn’t mind…I think they knew she was ready to run – and like my mom, they wanted her to feel safe, even if it meant they couldn’t be with her. I’m not sure if they know about the shadows and what we can see or not; they act like my mom…as if we’re just normal teens.

  Last I heard, Evan thought he’d found a few people that could see as well as we could, and he was trying to convince them to come here. I know Draven was eager for them to come – he thought if more of us were around that we could control the darkness better, and by doing that I would be more comfortable leaving this dimension, or even just living in this one in peace.

  Britain texted back, “I saw her yesterday.”

  My heart started hammering against my chest, and my face flushed. Madison never said she saw him, and I only remember her being out of my sight for like ten minutes – the reality of being stalked was hard to handle when it was thrown in my face.

  “Where?”

  “Gas station – I almost said hi – but she was having a wicked fight with the gas pump.”

  “Bad day – bad night for her,” I texted.

  “Why?”

  “Not sure.”

  “Maybe you should ask.”

  “I did – no comment.”

  “Come now I’ve looked into those tantalizing green eyes of hers – she knows something” was his response.

  I furrowed my eyebrows as I read the text. Madison’s eyes were her best feature; they complemented her olive skin and long dark hair. They also looked powerful enough to reach into your soul and read all of your secrets. His compliment of her only fueled the idea that I did feel something between them that day.

  I kept my sarcastic, edgy mood and instantly texted back, “Big word – stalking her now???” Tantalizing, really?! Who texts words like that?

  His response was instant: “Jealous much?”

  I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t jealous; I had no reason to be. “Protective – not jealous” was my truthful response. I wanted him to know I didn’t care - but if he hurt her or anyone else, I would stop at nothing until I got revenge.

  “Why would you need to protect her from me?”

  Oh crap – I just let him walk me into that one. My eyes raced back and forth, looking for the perfect remark.

  “She is just as messed up as I am – we protect each other – from everything.”

  “I’m not dangerous.”

  “Debatable” – damn - it - I - did - it - again! Walked right into a trap. I had to end this conversation.

  “Why?” was his instant response

  “Tired – going to sleep.”

  “Sleep tight sleeping beauty.”

  I rolled my eyes and sat up quickly. Texting back and forth with him always left me anxious and wide awake.

  I looked down at my phone; it was almost seven now. I scrolled through my texts to see if Draven had ever texted me to tell me when he got in last night, but I couldn’t find one from him at all. A sick feeling settled in the pit of my stomach…I was losing him…after everything: all of the waiting for us to be old enough to be together all the time, to run our own lives, after what Bianca did to me…I was still losing him…I can’t let that happen.

  I was tired of this silent game we were playing, from hiding from my problems. I was going to tell him everything – why I was scared, that I’d been talking to Britain, that he was showing an interest in Madison now. I knew that couldn’t be good, not with the way she was acting lately. I stood and stretched and decided to get dressed and go to Draven’s...I was going to end this fight before it tore us apart.

  Chapter Two

  Madison was still sleeping soundly, so, quietly, I pulled on my favorite jeans, grabbed my white hoodie, and covered my dark purple tank top, then wrote a note telling her where I was going.

  Kara was walking out of her room when I landed on the bottom stair. She looked over me once, then headed to the kitchen. I knew she was still mad at me for fighting with her yesterday. My mom had been in Boston for the last few days, and the tension between me and Kara had been building…they were both on Draven’s side – they both wanted me to run, and that hurt; it made me feel like I wasn’t wanted or wouldn’t be missed.

  Kara had always been a positive person, a strong mother figure – but that was the last thing I wanted now. Misery loves company, and she wasn’t fitting the profile.

  Every time I tried to explain to her why I was so uptight or what I was worried about, she would just tell me to focus on how I felt about Draven and let everything else fall into place – meaning run like hell with Draven at my side. That was foolish advice; I wasn’t a story she could just write, a character that she could weave together and push to a perfect ending. I was a real person, and as far as I was concerned she needed to focus on her own marriage; I mean seriously, just fly over there and see him, practice what you preach.

  I followed her into the kitchen and grabbed my keys from the hook by the back door.

  “I’m going to Draven’s – I don’t know when I’m coming back.”

  Kara was pouring water into the coffee pot. She glanced at me with sleepy eyes and halfway smiled. I rolled my eyes and opened the back door. I knew she thought that she was getting through to me, but I don’t think there’s anyone who could ever understand how terrified I was.

  I held my breath as I stepped out the back door, fighting the anxiety that usually stopped me at this point. I knew the comforting sound of my father’s guitar was about to vanish and the whispers would begin. I found a sound in my mind – one that was tainted with screaming guitars – and held on to it as I stepped forward.

  It was d
reary and cool out; I guess fall was really here now. If I had my days right, my eighteenth birthday was this weekend, on the 20 of October. It was a day I’d counted down to for years…one that would pass without any real change in my lifestyle - at least not the change I’d hoped for, one that would give me and Draven a life of peace. It really is sad to have what you want dangling in front of your face…but you’re just too scared to reach out and fight for it.

  The garage was almost completely dark. Instantly, I could hear my name echoing in the shadows that lingered along the driveway just outside the garage. I focused on the music that was echoing in my thoughts and felt the imaginary glass wall of protection rise.

  My last car was totaled, but with the insurance money my mother bought me another bug – it looked just like my old one: dark blue and brand new. It barely had two hundred miles on it. When I unlocked my car door, I found a rose and a CD in the seat with a note that read: ‘It’s nearly four and your lights are dim – I didn’t want to wake you. This is to show you that you’re always on my mind.’

  I read Draven’s words again, then raised the note so I could smell the addicting aroma of his cologne. I missed him so much; I couldn’t believe I’d let this silent fight last this long. I slid into my seat and turned the key so I could slide in his track. As the music began to play, I heard a slow, haunting guitar. The chords were commanding and echoed a deep love that could only be understood by the ones that bathed in that emotion. There were no words, just music. That’s how we wrote: music first, then we’d let the lyrics come to life. My eyes glassed over as the music surrounded me. We were a doomed couple…lost in a twisted battle to find our purpose and still hold on to one another.

  I put my car in reverse and backed out of the dark garage. As I crept down the driveway, I reached for the radio and hit repeat on the song, then turned it up as loud as it would go. The shadows had not threatened me since the night I wrecked my car, but I could hear the whispers behind them growing impatient for me to make good on my promise to redeem them all. I was on edge – always expecting an eruption of anger at any moment.

  The bridge in my driveway had been replaced. My mother had spared no expense; instead of a wood floor, concrete had been poured and the roof was removed completely. It still made me uneasy to pass over it.

  I turned right out of my driveway. I knew there was coffee shop a few miles down the road. Apparently, neither of us had slept much last night; we would need coffee if we were going to talk this out.

  I had to circle the block, like, three times before I found a spot to park. The coffee shop was part of a little strip that held a few art galleries, a diner, and a few other random stores. The town’s post office and courthouse were on the opposite side of the street, so it was a popular area around here, to say the least. I ended up parking in front of the diner. I thought about just getting breakfast and taking it to Draven, but I doubted either of us had much of an appetite this early in the day.

  Joggers and dog walkers crowded the sidewalk. I did my best to stay out of their way, but I managed to bump into more than one. As an old man being led by a Great Dane passed me, I dodged out of the way and found myself against the diner’s front windows. I was a little taken aback at seeing such a massive dog with a timid man. As I watched them pass out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar face inside the diner window, Britain’s face. My heart began to hammer violently against my chest. He hadn’t seen me, not yet. A girl was sitting across from him…it was Bianca, no doubt about it; her long, dark hair was twisted behind her head, revealing the broken heart birthmark on the back of her neck. They were sitting at a table by the window, and the Great Dane had managed to capture Britain’s attention, too; he was looking over his shoulder out the window as they passed by. I pulled the hood up on my hoodie and all but ran to the coffee shop two doors down – almost knocking over another dog walker in the process.

  I pushed my way in the door of the coffee shop, then went to the window and peered out at the sidewalk. They were too close – too close to me, too close to my house. I thought about texting Britain and asking him what he was doing – maybe try and lure him away from here with a promise to meet him across town, but I couldn’t find the courage – I was scared he’d see my car.

  My jealous streak started toying with my mind. I hadn’t seen Bianca in months, and she looked just as seductive and alluring as ever – I wondered if she had somehow found a way to reach Draven, if that was one of the reasons he’d been so distant. I shook my head in disgust; that was a farfetched idea, to say the least…Draven would never go near her. He didn’t have the soul to deceive me like that. A sick feeling centered in my stomach, though, as I realized that I had done just that: deceived him by keeping tabs on Britain. I bit my back teeth as I thought of how mad he was going to be when I told him – right now, I didn’t care. I just wanted all of this out in the open. I wanted a solid plan to win this battle we were fighting before it tore us apart.

  I looked behind myself at the crowded coffee shop, then out to where my car was parked; I was trapped – and scared. I stood on my tiptoes and searched for Britain’s car. It didn’t take long to find it; his Aston Martin stuck out like a sore thumb in this town. It was parked three cars down from the entrance of the coffee shop.

  I thought about asking if there was a back exit so I could walk around to my car; I was almost positive there was, but I was too shy, and the risk of being seen was too big; instead, I pulled my hood further down around my face and took my place in line. I pulled out my phone, toying with the idea of calling someone to meet me here. My finger hesitated over Madison’s name I knew she needed to sleep, and I wasn’t fond of the idea of her being so close to Britain. I didn’t get what was going on or trying to go on between them. Draven...no way...he wasn’t coming this close to Bianca, even if it killed me. I scrolled to the A’s, looking for Aden’s number. Just when I opened the text box, one of the workers came to my side.

  “Excuse me,” he said over the rumble of conversation in the shop.

  I jumped, and my phone fell to the floor. The guy leaned down to grab it before I could decide if I was in danger or not.

  “Sorry – didn’t mean to scare you,” the young guy said as he tried not to laugh. I stared at him nervously, trying to understand why he was talking to me. His smile fell, and he cleared his throat. “Um…that man over there said to tell you that he’s already ordered for you.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows as my face flushed with fear. “What man?” I asked, ducking slightly behind the boy.

  “In the corner. I think he might be your dad – maybe?” the boy said, moving to point out the table. I looked past him to see Evan, Draven’s dad, sitting in the last booth. My shoulders fell, and my heart started to beat slower.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled as I stared in Evan’s direction.

  I didn’t know he was back, but I couldn’t be happier to see him right now. He was sitting at a booth by the window with an open paper in front of him. As I navigated through the crowded tables to his side, a nervous anticipation came over me again. I hadn’t been face-to-face with him since my memory had been taken. That boy wasn’t crazy to assume that Evan could be my father; in fact, Evan reminded me a lot of my dad. He had the same tall build, a powerful energy that commanded people to listen to what he said, yet a calm soul that made you feel safe. Draven had his eyes, that haunting green that was laced in black. He smiled slightly and nodded as I walked closer.

  “Hey,” I said nervously as I reached the table.

  He nodded for me to take a seat. I looked out the window – to the parked Aston Martin that was now just a few feet away – then slid into the booth with Evan.

  “I didn’t know you were back. Does Draven know?” I asked as I slouched a little in the seat, hoping that I wouldn’t be recognized through the slightly tinted windows.

  Evan looked out the window, then back at me. He reached for his steaming cup of coffee. “I’ve been home for a few weeks,�
� he said just as he took a sip of coffee.

  “What?” I said, sitting up. I was confused. Why would Draven not tell me?

  Evan tilted his head and smiled faintly. “I didn’t think you knew – I haven’t seen you around. Kara said you haven’t left the house in a while.”

  “I’ve been locked in my studio – you know how it is,” I said, letting my eyes fall to the table. I guess it had been a while since I left the house.

  “I do,” Evan said as he folded his paper and leaned forward. “Any breakthroughs?”

  “Nah…not what I’m looking for, anyway. Why didn’t Draven tell me that you were back?” I asked, looking up at him.

  A waitress came to the table at that moment and set a cup of coffee and a bagel in front of me. I nodded to tell her thank you.

  “I think that’s the way you like it – with all those added flavors and such,” Evan said, nodding to the coffee.

  “Yeah, thanks. I was...I was gonna take some coffee to your house...to Draven.”

  A relieved smile came to the corners of Evan’s lips. “I’m sure he would like that.”

  “I wasn’t sure if he’d want coffee this early after getting in so late. I figured it was worth the try.”

  “I wasn’t talking about the coffee,” Evan said, pushing the bagel closer to me. “I meant he would like seeing you...that...he needs to see you.”

  As Evan spoke, my dream with my father came rushing back to me. A sick feeling came over me, and eating was last thing I wanted to do. I pushed the bagel into center of the table and leaned forward. I glanced out the window to the Aston Martin, then back at Evan.