Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  “I’m not sure what feeling buzzed feels like, but if it was what I was feeling a while ago, then I’m fine now. I don’t feel that funny feeling, like you’re floating on clouds, anymore. I only drank half the bottle of piss water.”

  “What?” Kayla laughed aloud. “You won’t be saying that after several more rounds.”

  “That’s because I’d be too drunk to even notice.”

  “Ha ha. Let me at least walk you to my car.”

  “I can drive her home,” said a male voice, handing Skylar her purse.

  Where had he come from? Skylar wanted to ask if his date would mind, but thought twice about it. Since she didn’t know what to say, only that she needed to be polite, she said what first popped in her mind. “Thanks, but … .” She took her bag. “I can drive home.”

  Skylar recalled how Mason didn’t hold her after the altercation with the drunk. His arms had remained rigidly down at his sides. Not that he should have embraced her, but he could have comforted her at least. A pat, a smile, or any little gesture would’ve been fine, but no. His body was so uptight it was as if she was the plague.

  “You still smell like alcohol, and if a cop pulled you over, you would get arrested. Unless you prefer to spend some time in jail.”

  Skylar wanted to sniff herself. Did she really smell like alcohol? Unsure, she looked at Kayla, but Kayla was too busy rummaging inside Skylar’s purse. She pulled out her car keys and handed them to Mason. “Skylar drove my car,” she explained. “Thanks Mason. I feel much better knowing she’s in good hands.” Kayla turned, gave her cousin an encouraging smile, and strutted back into the club.

  Since she hardly knew him, and the times she had been with him were weird and awkward, Skylar felt a bit uncomfortable. Walking behind him, she took two steps to every long stride he took. With a click of a button, he opened the passenger side door for her. It was the second nice thing he had done so far, but how did he know which car to unlock?

  “Thanks,” Skylar said, sitting stiffly as he unexpectedly tried to pull the seatbelt strap, but found it was stuck. With one forceful yank, it finally budged. Letting out an irritated sigh, he reached over and wrapped the straps around her as he spoke. “Do you have a habit of dancing with strangers?”

  Skylar paused, taken aback by his rude question. Glaring at the side of his head, she fired back just as she heard the “click” sound. “Do you have a habit of asking people what their habits are? Apparently, according to you, I have many habits. And my answer is yes.”

  Locking her in, he looked right at her, face to face, lips to lips. She gasped. Though he was way too close for comfort, she enjoyed the proximity, yet at the same time, was frightened by his angry eyes penetrating through hers. “Well, you shouldn’t. It’s dangerous. I should put you in the naughty corner.”

  What did he mean by the naughty corner? “I’m not a child.”

  “Then stop acting like one.”

  Startled by his tone and not wanting him to think she was the reckless type, she decided to tell him the truth. “No. My answer is no. I don’t have a habit of conversing with shirts, and I don’t have a habit of dancing with strangers, especially drunk ones. In fact, if you must know, this was my first time even drinking that awful piss water.”

  “Piss water? First time, huh?” His face relaxed, his lips puckered. She could tell he was trying to hold in his laughter. “You must have enjoyed it somewhat. You sure showed it on the dance floor.”

  “Do you have a habit of watching people dance?”

  “Only the ones that demand attention.”

  What was that supposed to mean? Embarrassed he had been watching her dance, she didn’t respond. Though she hated to admit it, he was right. As childish as it may seem, she was trying to get his attention.

  “Lost your tongue? If you want to make me jealous, don’t dance.”

  Skylar felt her face burn, knowing he knew what she was trying to do, and from his rude comments. “I wasn’t.”

  “Uh, huh. You can keep saying that to yourself. I’m not buying it.”

  “And I don’t belong in a naughty corner,” she added.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  With an exasperated sigh, Skylar’s eyes fell in the same line as Mason’s gaze, to where her dress had gathered up, showing more of her thighs than it should. His eyes moved up to hers again with a slight flush on his cheeks. He turned away from her and stood up. His obvious stare made Skylar hot. It had almost the same effect as if he had run his hand up her thigh. She felt her face flush too, knowing that he took notice of her, but she couldn’t help but smile inwardly, because he found her attractive enough to look at.

  Skylar watched him enter his side of the car, but just before he got in, she saw him sweep the perimeter with his eyes, as if he was making sure no one was around. Maybe he didn’t want to be seen with her. Mason started the car, pressed the gas pedal, and took off. His hands held tightly onto the steering wheel, he drove without uttering a word for several blocks. Finally, he spoke. “Would you like to hear some music?”

  “No, thanks. Well, actually, you can turn it on if you’d like,” Skylar replied, trying to sound polite. She didn’t know why her heart was pounding with nervousness. He was just taking her home. It wasn’t a date. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked over, gave her a quick sideways smile, and turned back to look straight ahead.

  Skylar didn’t give him the address or tell him how to go, but oddly, he was going in the right direction. She didn’t bother to ask how, though it was creeping her out. Instead, she kept her eyes glued to the familiar streets and the street signs, to make sure he wasn’t taking her anywhere else. Finally, unable to hold in her curiosity, she had to know. “Do you know where you’re going?”

  “Yes, I picked up my brother at your cousin’s house.”

  “You did?”

  “The night when you almost drowned, my brother and Kayla took you home in Kayla’s car. He left his car at the beach and asked me to pick him up at Kayla’s house.”

  “Oh.” Now it all made sense. She began to relax, breathing easily again. “I never got to thank you for saving me.”

  He gave a short laugh and a quick grin, still looking ahead. “Which time? I mean … tonight?”

  Which time? Was there more than one time? “Yes, tonight. Do you remember throwing a guy across the room?”

  “Yes. He deserved it.” Mason sounded angry.

  “Were you at the beach?” She didn’t know why she asked this question. It just slipped out.

  “Nope,” he said flatly, gluing his eyes straight ahead. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Cause I could’ve sworn I saw—”

  “You were delusional. It happens when people are in a state of unconsciousness. But thanks for thinking of me before you almost drowned.”

  What? I didn’t want to think of you. You would be the last person on Earth I would think of before I died. And how did you know I was unconscious? When Kayla found me, I wasn’t. Skylar blazed with anger. Being that his tone was flat, she didn’t know if he was being serious or if he was joking. Regardless, he was arrogant and rude. Not knowing what to say, she didn’t respond. Instead, she looked out the window.

  The hot puffs of irritated breath Skylar blew out her mouth fogged a small section of the window. After she wiped it clear, she focused on the dim streetlights, thinking this was going to be one heck of a long ride. It was only a twenty-minute drive, but to Skylar, it felt like an eternity.

  When he pulled onto their street, it was dark. It was close to midnight, and the streets in their neighborhood had hardly any street lamps. Relieved she was home, she couldn’t get out of the car fast enough.

  Skylar unlocked the seatbelt and pushed the door handle just as he pulled into the driveway, but before she had the chance to step out, Mason opened the door wider and yanked her out in a hurry with a look of fury. Skylar gasped sharply. A scream for help reached her throat, only to get cut off by Mason’s h
and. She was locked in his hold with his hand over her mouth. Twisting and fighting, she tried to escape, but to no avail.

  “Shhh … .” Mason whispered. “They’ll hear you.”

  Is he crazy? And how did he get to me so fast? Skylar’s eyes were wide and confused.

  When he noticed her expression, Mason gestured his head to her house. “Something is in there.”

  Sure enough, the front door was wide open. Skylar shook her head and muttered some noise. Unable to hear, Mason released his hand and lowered both of them beside the car.

  “That’s my cousin’s house,” Skylar whispered, panicking. Why did he say “something” instead of “someone”? As sounds of crashing objects and loud inhuman groans filled her ears, she trembled. She had never witnessed a break-in before. “We’re being robbed? Call the police.”

  “The police can’t help.”

  “What do you mean ‘the police can’t help’? We can’t just stand here.” Skylar narrowed her eyes at him, thinking he was out of his mind. “Listen.” She stood up.

  Mason yanked her down. “Shhh … they will hear you.”

  “I don’t care if they hear me. Then maybe they’ll leave.”

  “Trust me, they won’t.”

  “Trust you?” Skylar scoffed.

  “They aren’t what you think.” Mason sat on the cement with his back against the car. “How did I miss them?” he mumbled, raking his hair back and then standing up.

  “How did you miss them? Are they your friends? What’s going on?” Skylar’s voice was loud. She didn’t care that he’d asked her to keep her voice down. Maybe if her voice were loud enough, they would be scared off and just leave.

  Mason rolled his eyes. “Great. Now you’ve got their attention. Run!”

  Two men suddenly stood outside the doorway, obviously searching for where the voices came from. They turned and spotted Skylar dead on. What they did next seemed impossible, but it was real. They morphed into beast-like forms.

  She stood frozen, unable to believe her eyes. Incapable of moving by her own will, a powerful yank pulled her arm, forcing her out of her trance. Mason had seized her wrist as he began to run. Wobbling and unable to run as fast with her two-inch heels on, she swiftly took them off one by one as she ran, and hooked the back straps over her fingers.

  Looking over her shoulder to see who—or what—she was dashing madly away from, she saw two hideous creatures on their tail. Skylar was glad Mason made her run. Their body structures were grotesque. They appeared to be half beast and half human. Their arms and legs were bulky, like steroids gone wrong. With distorted heads and bulging yellow eyes as bright as headlights on a car, their humongous mouths were too big for their faces. They roared with vengeance through their shark-like teeth, charging ahead, both with a look that showed no thoughts of mercy.

  What the hell? Am I dreaming? She wasn’t sure, but the way her heart painfully pounded out of her chest brought her back to reality. Not only that, her bare feet hitting the cement sent searing pain through her legs. She was sure she would have blisters on the bottoms of her feet. Thank God, it was night, but she wondered if the neighbors could hear them. Mason was much faster than she was. He practically dragged her. As she ran as fast as her feet would allow, she looked over her shoulder to see them closing in.

  “Faster,” she yelled, but it came out inaudibly since she was out of breath. Wanting to lose them, they turned right, jumped over low bushes, darted through someone’s backyard, crossed the street, and then crouched behind some tall bushes.

  “We can hide here for now,” he said, releasing his grip, catching his breath.

  Skylar’s legs were extremely sore and her lungs were about to explode. She had never run so fast in her entire life. Slumped over with her hands on her knees, air frantically rushed in and out of her body. Something damp on the bottoms of her feet caught her attention, and she realized she was standing on wet grass. The coolness from the contact eased the burning sensation on the soles of her feet.

  Still panting, she snuck a peek through the bushes and dabbed the trickling drops of sweat with her hand before they could fall. Parched and needing water, she smacked her lips and tongue. Finally, when her heart rate was steady, she spoke. “Did … umm … did you see what I saw?”

  Mason arched his brows in an “as if” fashion. “Yeesss. It was the reason why we were running.”

  Having him confirm what she saw validated that she was not going out of her mind, but she didn’t like his mocking tone. She turned to him and stuck her finger into his chest. Yup, it was firm alright. Then she dropped her hand. She hadn’t meant to touch him. “What were those things? And who are you?”

  Mason raised a brow, giving her an incredulous look, and then placed his finger over his lips. “Shhh … .not so loud. Is this the first time you’ve ever seen them?”

  “Is this the first time?” Suddenly, Skylar’s anger went up a notch. “I’ve never seen what I just saw ever in my entire life. In fact, right now, I’m not even sure if I’m dreaming or if this is real. Things like that don’t exist. It’s nothing near normal.”

  “What a minute. They were in your house. They’re after you, so who the hell are you?” he whispered sharply.

  Skylar scoffed, irritated by his apparent accusation that she was to blame for them showing up. “Are you kidding? I was perfectly fine until you showed up. I would’ve gone home, straight to bed, and that would have been the end of my night, but noooo. You came along, and now these creatures are following you. So, let me ask you again. Who are you?”

  Skylar thought about what she’d said. The monsters were in Kayla’s house. Logically speaking, they were after her or Kayla, or even perhaps her aunt, but not him.

  Mason placed his hands on her shoulders, as if his touch could pacify her. “Keep it down. You really don’t know who you are, do you?” His tone was softer than a second ago.

  Skylar peered up to him in mystification. “I know who I am,” she stated, giving him an attitude, but she couldn’t help but notice how close they were. She wanted to melt into him. Focus … focus … not on him, but on why we’re here.

  “Then tell me why I couldn’t make you forget I was the cop?”

  Because you were so darn cute. “What do you mean? How the hell do I know? So you were the cop that pulled me over? Why did you try to make me believe it wasn’t you? I don’t understand.” Skylar placed both palms of her hands on her face, hoping this mess would go away, and just be a nightmare she could wake up from.

  Why was this situation so complicated? Meet a cute guy. He likes you and you like him back. Go out on several dates and fall in love. Sounds so easy. So why? Why couldn’t that happen, instead of meet a cute guy and monsters chase after you, and you have no idea why all the craziness is happening, making you feel like you’re insane.

  Mason was sweeping the street thoroughly with his eyes. Since there was no sign of the monsters, he turned to Skylar. “Look, I’m sorry, but now is not the time to explain. I only dressed up like a cop for that day because I was told those ugly creatures—we call them vultures—were in town. I thought they were in your trunk. I got a strange vibe from your car, so I had to check.”

  “What? In my trunk?” Skylar finally understood why he’d wanted her to pop the trunk. She thought it was an odd request, but she’d done it anyway. “So I was right. You’re my Doug. I mean, you were Doug, right?”

  “It’s not my name. I borrowed a friend’s uniform. Obviously, his name is Doug.”

  “Isn’t that illegal?”

  “It is, but apparently I got away with it.”

  “Whatever. Is Mason even your real name?”

  “No. I mean, yes. Mason is my name.”

  “Explain to me why you would think one of THOSE would be inside my trunk. There’s no way that … that thing could fit in my trunk.”

  “It’s complicated. They can be in human form. You saw them earlier. A human body can fit in a trunk, and they’re not the on
ly kind of vultures. They come in different forms and sizes. I—”

  “Wait a minute. If they can take on human form, do they live among us?”

  “No, they don’t. At least I don’t think they do.”

  “Who told you these vultures were in town? How do you know?”

  “I can sense their presence, and they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelled before. I’ll explain later.”

  “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, but my cousin and my aunt are most likely home already. I’m not going to tell them what happened. They’ll think I’m crazy.”

  “Okay, let’s wait five minutes, and then we can head back.”

  “Okay,” Skylar agreed, looking up at the full illuminating moon. Casting the brightest yellow beams, it almost looked like the sun, but not quite, and it brightened the dark sky. Now that was reality. She would hold on to that. It was mesmerizing and peaceful in contrast to how she was really feeling—deathly terrified.

  TEN

  Three police cars were parked in front of the house. Red lights were flashing and neighbors peered out through their windows with curiosity. Skylar saw her aunt standing by the wide-open front door with the cops. When she saw Skylar, she pulled her into a tight hold, turning her back on the officers. “Thank God, you’re okay.” Her tone was urgent. “Why didn’t you answer your cell phone? Kayla and I were worried about you. We thought you had been kidnapped. I was just about to call your mom.” Her eyes went to Mason, then to the shoes Skylar was holding in her hand.

  “I’m sorry. I left my phone in the car. We were taking a walk.” She didn’t know what to say, but she knew she couldn’t tell her the truth. Her aunt looked at her with scolding eyes, most likely not approving of her late night walk with a guy she’d neither met, nor given her approval of.

  “At this time of night? You need to be back before I get home. That is the rule here.”

  “I’m really sorry I worried you. It won’t ever happen again.” Skylar dropped her eyes, feeling terrible for making her aunt worry. She could only imagine what had gone through her mind.